There are about 500 bars in town, which means that there are about 10 birthdays a week. This past Monday, Kilowatt had it’s 20th birthday, reverting back to 1994 pricing and attitude.
I mean, everyone was super chill, there were a multitude of tasty beers and a steady stream of tunes from the 19nineties. Most beers were $3 and pool was 25¢, meaning that $10 could buy two beers, a congratulatory shot for the bartender, then a game of play with a quarter you found. Also, this totally happened at the table.
So, what do you think about wishing your favorite bar down the street a happy birthday? It’s probably soon.
[Thanks @ckchew]
-Chris Bunting
Very few SF bars I feel that sentimental about — Chameleon (what name does it have now?), and 500 Club, I guess. The live music at Kilowat is what I remember best.
Chameleon is now Amnesia. Across the street was the Crystal Pistol which turned into Timo’s which turned into Range.
Ha really going back with Chameleon, it was something even more absurd before that though it was before my time. When I arrived in the early to mid 90s I already couldn’t picture what some people talked about happening in the 80s, Valencia was raunchy but seemed much less so than what people described about the 80s.
Now of course it’s a fancy restaurant row. So it goes. There’s still similar clubs in the bay area, Elis Mile High Club in Temescal is no different than how I remember SF being when I moved here
It was weird with people smoking in there.
I agree! But $10 pitchers are really hard to beat.
i agree. i’m a smoker, but i still went outside to have my cigarettes. maybe that’s just cause i don’t stay still very well.
I remember going to the Kilowatt in ’94 (I think) when I was still in college to see a band called Aztec Forest (I think), which had a lead singer who played with his back to the crowd and thinking it was the coolest thing ever. Still a great bar.
A Minor Forest?