August Hall

Sound is great, size is great, programming is great, staff are great... So why is the lighting awful? I've been to multiple shows here where the lighting feels like I'm a department store or an awkward high school prom/talent show. Why am I able to see the details of every air vent on the multi level ceiling in the middle of Nilüfer Yanya? Why am I able to discern the color of every piece of clothing of the person in front of me during serpentwithfeet? Is it because someone in management felt it was a bigger priority to show off every mosaic, carving, and cranny of detail in this hall than create an ambiance that actually makes you focus on the musicians?It honestly feels like somebody left house lights on by mistake but it's been too many shows now to where it can't be an accident. The result is an audience that isn't able to fully focus and enjoy the music in front of them as they're distracted by that one guy head banging to the totally wrong beat in the front row or that other person who is doing tons of trips back and forth from their spot to the bar or they feel uncomfortable and aware of their body movements and less inclined to dance. The artist must feel the same way!During the show tonight if you looked up, you could see certain color lights on stage and above the audience moving to accent the songs, but their choreography was for naught as it wasn't felt or seen at all because there was so much other light drowning those ones out and making the space so unfortunately bright. Including some pictures. Easy fix August Hall! I'll still come back because you have great bands and you make them sound great, but this weakness in lighting design is so unfortunate!

Guilty, I wasn't super thrilled to check out August Hall, purely based on location but to my surprise, this has been one of my favorite venues in the city! Tokyo Police Club announced their final tour and I had to fulfill my middle school dreams. I typically don't care to watch an opener and show up a few minutes before the main show but Born Ruffians was a must. Conveniently located next to bart and a few bus stops, so plenty of public transit opportunities. There was a little line to get in but moved very quickly. Ticket and bag check was a breeze. The venue is small but spacious, has lovely architecture (fun fact! this used to be a movie theater), and the air conditioning in here was lovely. This was my first solo show and it was perfect for that! Crowd control was so great. Drink lines were not long (shout out for reusable cups). I even took a bathroom break during the show and managed to make my way back to my spot, how is that even possible!The sound in here could have been better but that wouldn't stop me from coming back. I gotta check out the second floor next time.

Saw Stabbing Westward last night here at August Hall and I thought overall the venue was great. Staff were nice, sound was decent, place smelled good, bathroom clean. They didn't open the balcony probably due to crowd size and them wanting the floor more packed. Totally understandable but I was hoping to be standing up above to see better. Getting uber to come pickup was super easy. The street looked safe too.

Went to August Hall for the first time last week to see IDK HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME in a sold out concert. Had a blast! The venue is a 5-10 minute walk from the Union Square Parking Garage. They stamped our wrists and checked our bags as we went in. There's a bar located on the first floor and another on the second floor. This particular concert was all GA, so first come, first served on both floors. I found a spot on the balcony near the stage and had a great view for the whole concert. There were also free water stations! (Stay hydrated!)The venue is pretty intimate compared to other concert venues I've been to, but I think it makes for a more fun experience since you're closer to the performers. It was my first time seeing IDKHOW live and they were amazing! Ended up buying merch too. Will definitely be seeing them again next time they tour!

Went here in mid January for an Amber Liu concert, previous member of legendary KPOP group f(x), Asian-American singer that is very popular in China and the Far East, current soloist who performs in Korean, Mandarin, and English. Her SF show was entirely English.August Hall, previously known as Ruby Sky, is a smaller intimate music and dance hall with two public areas viewing the stage. First floor is primarily the dance floor and second is more like a quieter viewing area of the action or concert below. The second floor was closed for Amber's concert. Patrons go thru security to enter the facility and are checked and wrist-banded for alcoholic drinks if desired. The venue has good acoustics and the elevated stage is visible from the entire dance floor. There's a small seating area on the left side of the first floor. Bar is opposite of the stage.We had a very good time at the concert and felt safe and secure for the entire performance. Street parking can be a challenge but doable, just don't leave any valuables in the car. The Union Square parking lot is also a few blocks away.

One of my favorite venues to visit in the city! Closeby to a BART station, good air ventilation, and the venue is small - which calls for intimate and good views from anywhere!I have been here several times now and every experience is smooth. Thorough security, good sound quality, and friendly bartenders. Love the vibes! Can't wait to come back.

August Hall is a beautiful venue in the heart of Union Square. Took my daughter here for her first concert to see Mod Sun on Sep 28, 2024. The other artist were No Love for the Middle Child, HonestAv and Lovely the Band. Everyone played so well and we all had an amazing time.

Neat smaller venue that's been getting some great acts lately. The capacity, in my estimation, would be just shy of 1000. For those familar with venue sizes, it is probably very close to Ace of Spades in Sac. We saw Cannons at August Hall on Memorial Day 2024 and since the show was sold out, we stuck to the back of the hall, close to the bar. There is some limited seating on the side of the main floor, but those spots must have been taken very early on. However, since the venue is so intimate, there is no bad spot in the house. Also, the balcony offers some birds eye view for those that like that better. On the opposite side of where we were standing, I saw the food sign and there were some other guests walking around with pizza, so I'd guess that's what they have to eat. Sound system seems crisp and clear, with no distortitons or too heavy on the bass as with a lot of venues. The only two little complaints i had are the overwhelming smell of Fabuloso lavaner (which can be waay too much), and the drink prices ($15 for a beer). Relatively close to Union Square and parking garages, this makes August Hall one of the better spots to see a show in SF. Needles to say, we'll be back...as long as they keep their part and keep on booking great acts.

Saw Matt and Kim here a while back. We showed up only 15 minutes before showtime so there wasn't a line to get in. We stood at the top balcony level and had a great view of everything. The energy on the first floor by the front would have been fun but I wouldn't have been able to see much because of taller people. Matt and Kim even came up to the second level briefly. Sound level was very very loud, so bring your attenuated ear plugs or regular ear plugs if you want to save your hearing for old age. Merch line was short.

This used to be a favorite venue of mine, but last night they broke my heart. As I was going through bag check, their security person took a piece of my property out of my handbag and threw it into a trash bin while saying, "sharpies aren't allowed." I know this sounds silly, but this particular sharpie was actually very special to me. It was my "lucky" sharpie - my favorite artists have used it to sign things for me after shows for many years - I only use it for that sole purpose. If security had given me the opportunity to put it back in my car before they trashed it, I would have done so, because it's important to me. Even though it was only a sharpie, they shouldn't trash a person's property w/out giving the option to re-enter without it. Even TSA asks people if they want to finish a bottled water before they toss it. It's common courtesy, which clearly doesn't exist at August Hall. As I walked away from the bag check, a staff saw me upset, so I explained. She didn't apologize, just said I could go through their trash if I wanted to look for it and take it to my car. Despite being heartbroken, I opted not to dig through a bin of discarded food, snotty kleenex and wet garbage. To be honest, I didn't want it after it had been in that garbage anyway. August Hall has a long list of prohibited items, do they toss selfie sticks in the trash? Strollers? Skateboards? Drones? I'm pretty sure they don't, because they'd catch hell if they did. Just because my property was "disposable" doesn't give them the right to trash it and THEN tell me it's not allowed inside.