Noise: SFBG Music Blog - Club Sandwich bites into all-ages hunger

By Vanessa K. Carr

There's club sandwich and then there's Club Sandwich: one is a chicken-bacon-mayo-double-decker, and the other is a Bay Area show promotion collective committed to hosting all ages shows for under-the-radar local and touring bands. Both layer elements that don't necessarily seem like they'd go together – but are notoriously tasty for that precise reason.

True to form, Club Sandwich shows cross traditional genre boundary lines (noise, punk, folk, etc.), bringing together different subcultures within the Bay Area's underground music scene that don't usually overlap.

Club Sandwich: Raccoo-oo-oon 21 Grand

In the spirit of similar DIY show promoters like Todd P in New York or the Upset the Rhythm collective in the UK, Club Sandwich organizes shows at a host of different venues, ranging from legitimate gallery spaces like ATA in San Francisco and Lobot in Oakland to warehouse spaces where people live – and even an Oakland swimming pool.

"Part of what we do is connect the warehouse and art spaces with touring acts who do not have these intrinsic connections," says Club Sandwich founding member (and Guardian contributor) George Chen.

Club Sandwich: Some Dark Holler at Totally Intense Fractal Mindgaze Hut Oakland

Club Sandwich was born in February 2006, when people involved with all ages venues in Seattle, Portland, Olympia, San Diego, and the Bay Area came together to network and share skills. A number of people who were independently promoting all ages shows in the Bay Area agreed to start promoting together under the Club Sandwich banner. Soon after, the four or five founding members started holding regular meetings and maintaining a mailing list, with volunteers helping out with everything from live sound to making PB&J sandwiches to sell at shows.

In July 2006, Club Sandwich hosted its first show at ATA with Abe Vigoda and Shearing Pinx. They have since hosted more than a hundred bands ranging in notoriety – from better-known acts like No Age, Marnie Stern, and Lightning Bolt to a number of much more under-the-radar artists.

A long-term goal for Club Sandwich is to start "a dedicated venue that is completely legal and all ages," says Chen.

Chen and his Club Sandwich cohorts worry that the city's lack of all ages venues leaves kids out to dry.

Club Sandwich: Mika Miko at 21 Grand

"How are kids going to find out about anything cool?" asks Chen, 33, who remembers being an underage kid growing up in San Jose, unable to see the bands he loved. "Why should kids be ghettoized just because they don't contribute to the bar?" he asks.

Without income from the sale of alcohol, such a venture would indeed have difficulty sustaining itself. But Club Sandwich's commitment to all ages shows is firm.

"[An all ages venture] seems insurmountable without city or state funding of some kind," Chen said. "To that end, we are trying to document what we do and keep records and possibly move toward a nonprofit model where we could apply for grants should the opportunity to do that type of space present itself."

The current Club Sandwich roster includes Jessalyn Aaland, George Chen, Jacob Heule, Kristen Koenig, Shannon Stewart, and Brianna Toth. They are hosting a number of not-to-be-missed-shows over the next few weeks. Check their full calendar here.

Feb 20
Anni Rossi
Mad Greggs
Joe Davances
Some Dark Holler (Erika of Gowns)
& Dannie Murrie
@ Fort Gallery (SF)

Feb 24
Tik//Tik
Xrin Arms
Nero's Day At Disneyland
@ ATA (SF)

Mar 2
These Are Powers
Wildildlife
Lumerians
Chen Santa Maria
@ ABCO (Oakland)