Legendary SF concert venue Slim's to close

Slim's 20th anniversary. Boz Scaggs photographed in San Francisco, Calif. on Mar. 7, 1989. Slim's 20th anniversary. Boz Scaggs photographed in San Francisco, Calif. on Mar. 7, 1989. Photo: Jay Blakesberg � Jay Blakesberg, � Jay Blakesberg Photo: Jay Blakesberg � Jay Blakesberg, � Jay Blakesberg Image 1 of / 8 Caption Close Legendary SF concert venue Slim's to close 1 / 8 Back to Gallery

It's going to be a very tough few months for San Francisco's nightlife institutions. The shelter-in-place orders have led to the temporary closure of all concert venues, with most currently scrambling to develop strategies for keeping their businesses afloat. But regardless of the current pandemic, it was already getting much harder to run a venue in San Francisco, leading legacy concert venues to have to shutter.

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In an exclusive interview with The San Francisco Chronicle, Slim's owner Boz Scaggs stated that the iconic SOMA venue has closed for good. Open for 30 years, it has the distinction as the city's longest-running rock club. Although many clubs are currently feeling financial distress over the loss of business due to the coronavirus pandemic, the decision to close Slim's was made in late 2019 long before anyone imagined the city would grind to a halt in mid-March.

The venue hosted plenty of legendary artists over the years, from early shows by rock royalty like Green Day and Radiohead to revered artists like David Bowie and Patti Smith. Slim's sister venue, the Great American Music Hall, will continue to operate.

Dan Gentile is a digital editor at SFGATE. Email: Dan.Gentile@sfgate.com | Twitter: @Dannosphere