Great American Music Hall
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The Great American Music Hall (located on O'Farrell Street, in the Tenderloin neighborhood of San Francisco on the same block as Mitchell Brothers O'Farrell Theater) is known in part for its balconies, columns, and frescoes, but more so for its history of unique entertainment. It was established in 1907 in response to the 1906 Earthquake. Its interior was designed by a French architect and Chris Buckley; they called it Blanco's - a notorious Barbary Coast establishment that lasted until 1933.
In 1936, Sally Rand (inventor of the bubble dance) acquired the property and branded it the Music Box. But after World War II, the club went into a long decline that nearly ended in the destruction of its building in a fire. After a narrow escape, the venue eventually (in 1972) became the Great American Music Hall. By 1974, the new line-up of Journey debuted there. Today, it thrives as a respected venue for music and entertainment in San Francisco.
Traditional burlesque was brought back to the Great American Music Hall when the Velvet Hammer Burlesque troupe performed in San Francisco in 2003 and 2004.
