Chris Roberts

After less than eight months of commuting through San Francisco&#8217;s Tenderloin neighborhood, former U.S. Attorney David Anderson had seen enough.

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After less than eight months of commuting through San Francisco's Tenderloin neighborhood, former U.S. Attorney David Anderson had seen enough.

After less than eight months of commuting through San Francisco&#8217;s Tenderloin neighborhood, former U.S. Attorney David Anderson had seen enough.

In order to reach his office at the Phillip Burton Federal Building &amp; U.S. Courthouse on Golden Gate Avenue, Anderson and his colleagues at the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration had to drive or walk through the neighborhood’s notorious open-air drug market. Federal law enforcement worked in the city&#8217;s de-facto “containment zone” for vice.

In order to reach his office at the Phillip Burton Federal Building &amp; U.S. Courthouse on Golden Gate Avenue, Anderson and his colleagues at the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration had to drive or walk through the neighborhood’s notorious open-air drug market. Federal law enforcement worked in the city's de-facto “containment zone” for vice.

In order to reach his office at the Phillip Burton Federal Building &amp; U.S. Courthouse on Golden Gate Avenue, Anderson and his colleagues at the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration had to drive or walk through the neighborhood’s notorious open-air drug market. Federal law enforcement worked in the city&#8217;s de-facto “containment zone” for vice.

In his first news conference as then-President Donald Trump’s chief local law enforcer, Anderson announced in August 2019 that 17 federal agencies would participate in a crackdown on a neighborhood “smothered by lawlessness.”

In his first news conference as then-President Donald Trump’s chief local law enforcer, Anderson announced in August 2019 that 17 federal agencies would participate in a crackdown on a neighborhood “smothered by lawlessness.”

While homelessness and street crime were part of the area’s woes, what bothered Anderson most was the drugs: 56% of the city’s drug arrests were concentrated in the Tenderloin’s 50 square blocks. Anderson’s “Federal Initiative for the Tenderloin” would notch dozens of arrests over the remaining 18 months of his tenure, including 32 Honduran nationals caught dealing drugs on street corners within sight of the federal courthouse.

While homelessness and street crime were part of the area’s woes, what bothered Anderson most was the drugs: 56% of the city’s drug arrests were concentrated in the Tenderloin’s 50 square blocks. Anderson’s “Federal Initiative for the Tenderloin” would notch dozens of arrests over the remaining 18 months of his tenure, including 32 Honduran nationals caught dealing drugs on street corners within sight of the federal courthouse.

But all of this was very familiar—then and now.

But all of this was very familiar—then and now.

Mayor London Breed last month had her own <a href="https://sfstandard.com/public-health-safety/breed-declares-state-of-emergency-in-the-tenderloin/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">press conference declaring a “state of emergency”</a> in the Tenderloin. All that had been going wrong in the neighborhood—a life expectancy nearly 10 years shorter than the citywide average, the worst concentration of poverty in the city—was actually getting worse. Instead of 56% of the city’s drug arrests, the Tenderloin’s share of such crimes rose to 60% last year, according to SFPD data.

Mayor London Breed last month had her own <a href="https://sfstandard.com/public-health-safety/breed-declares-state-of-emergency-in-the-tenderloin/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">press conference declaring a “state of emergency”</a> in the Tenderloin. All that had been going wrong in the neighborhood—a life expectancy nearly 10 years shorter than the citywide average, the worst concentration of poverty in the city—was actually getting worse. Instead of 56% of the city’s drug arrests, the Tenderloin’s share of such crimes rose to 60% last year, according to SFPD data.

The mayor was mad, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRBe45y-834" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">her colorful reference</a> to “all the bullshit that has destroyed our city” garnered national headlines. Her get-tough vision—police descending on the neighborhood and offering users a choice of treatment or jail—enjoyed enough support that skeptical SF supervisors went on to approve the state of emergency declaration after a <a href="https://sfstandard.com/city-hall/emergency-drug-overdose-measure/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">contentious 10-plus hour meeting</a> just before Christmas.

The mayor was mad, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRBe45y-834" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">her colorful reference</a> to “all the bullshit that has destroyed our city” garnered national headlines. Her get-tough vision—police descending on the neighborhood and offering users a choice of treatment or jail—enjoyed enough support that skeptical SF supervisors went on to approve the state of emergency declaration after a <a href="https://sfstandard.com/city-hall/emergency-drug-overdose-measure/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">contentious 10-plus hour meeting</a> just before Christmas.

The board on Tuesday affirmed its support for the emergency declaration, though some supervisors still hope to undo it. <a href="https://sfstandard.com/city-hall/emergency-linkage-tenderloin/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Breed on Tuesday</a> also answered critics who said her plan was too vague by providing more details, including the location of a key new social services center at 1170 Market St.&nbsp;

The board on Tuesday affirmed its support for the emergency declaration, though some supervisors still hope to undo it. <a href="https://sfstandard.com/city-hall/emergency-linkage-tenderloin/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Breed on Tuesday</a> also answered critics who said her plan was too vague by providing more details, including the location of a key new social services center at 1170 Market St.&nbsp;

In taking on the Tenderloin, history shows that the mayor has certainly met her match

In taking on the Tenderloin, history shows that the mayor has certainly met her match

The Tenderloin is plagued by problems that have defied attempted solutions for decades, despite the efforts of past mayors, police chiefs and prosecutors. It’s served as the city’s catchment basin&nbsp;for all manner of vice since the days of the Barbary Coast, and it’s also been the city’s hub for low-income housing, substance-abuse treatment and other services—resisted elsewhere in the city—since the 1980s. Without suppressing causes or demand, anything that suppresses drug use and crime in the Tenderloin risks simply moving it to other parts of town. And more comprehensive solutions to addiction, mental illness, poverty, homelessness and sky-high housing costs—all of which are major contributors to the Tenderloin’s problems—are largely outside of the city’s control.

The Tenderloin is plagued by problems that have defied attempted solutions for decades, despite the efforts of past mayors, police chiefs and prosecutors. It’s served as the city’s catchment basin&nbsp;for all manner of vice since the days of the Barbary Coast, and it’s also been the city’s hub for low-income housing, substance-abuse treatment and other services—resisted elsewhere in the city—since the 1980s. Without suppressing causes or demand, anything that suppresses drug use and crime in the Tenderloin risks simply moving it to other parts of town. And more comprehensive solutions to addiction, mental illness, poverty, homelessness and sky-high housing costs—all of which are major contributors to the Tenderloin’s problems—are largely outside of the city’s control.

Members of San Francisco’s Homeless Outreach Team perform wellness check-ups and distribute food to people lying on Jones Street on Dec. 17, 2021. | James Wyatt

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/DocumentingTenderloin_JamesWyatt_SFS_16-1-2500x1663.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-22709"/><figcaption>Members of San Francisco’s Homeless Outreach Team perform wellness check-ups and distribute food to people lying on Jones Street on Dec. 17, 2021. | James Wyatt</figcaption></figure>

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<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/DocumentingTenderloin_JamesWyatt_SFS_16-1-2500x1663.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-22709"/><figcaption>Members of San Francisco’s Homeless Outreach Team perform wellness check-ups and distribute food to people lying on Jones Street on Dec. 17, 2021. | James Wyatt</figcaption></figure>

“I’m trying to remember when we didn’t have an emergency,” said former Supervisor Jane Kim, who represented the Tenderloin on the board from 2011 to 2019. “It’s always a state of emergency in the Tenderloin—and it’s been exacerbated by the pandemic.”

“I’m trying to remember when we didn’t have an emergency,” said former Supervisor Jane Kim, who represented the Tenderloin on the board from 2011 to 2019. “It’s always a state of emergency in the Tenderloin—and it’s been exacerbated by the pandemic.”

Tenderloin crackdowns have historically focused on law enforcement. Frank Jordan, a former city police chief, tried his version of a cleanup in 1995, a scheme called Matrix. Former Mayor Gavin Newsom in 2004 launched what he called a “scrubdown.” Another former police chief, George Gascón—who later morphed into a progressive district attorney—led another crackdown in 2009. U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag, Anderson’s Barack Obama-appointed predecessor, tried to clean up the Tenderloin in 2013 with “Operation Safe Schools,” which&nbsp;targeted dealers peddling too close to schools by using a federal statute to get around more lenient state drug laws.&nbsp;

Tenderloin crackdowns have historically focused on law enforcement. Frank Jordan, a former city police chief, tried his version of a cleanup in 1995, a scheme called Matrix. Former Mayor Gavin Newsom in 2004 launched what he called a “scrubdown.” Another former police chief, George Gascón—who later morphed into a progressive district attorney—led another crackdown in 2009. U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag, Anderson’s Barack Obama-appointed predecessor, tried to clean up the Tenderloin in 2013 with “Operation Safe Schools,” which&nbsp;targeted dealers peddling too close to schools by using a federal statute to get around more lenient state drug laws.&nbsp;

And while his tools were techies and realtors, former Mayor Ed Lee’s Twitter tax break and subsequent boosterism of the Mid-Market area <a href="https://sanfran.com/arise-tenderloin" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">was a Tenderloin intervention effort</a>, too.

And while his tools were techies and realtors, former Mayor Ed Lee’s Twitter tax break and subsequent boosterism of the Mid-Market area <a href="https://sanfran.com/arise-tenderloin" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">was a Tenderloin intervention effort</a>, too.

Neither a spokesperson for Anderson’s successor, Acting U.S. Attorney Stephanie Hinds, nor Gascón, who is now the district attorney in Los Angeles, responded to requests for comment. Newsom’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But so far, the Biden-appointed Hinds <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndca/pr/eight-defendants-charged-tenderloin-based-drug-trafficking-conspiracy" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">has continued prosecuting street dealers</a> while also launching a much softer-sounding <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndca/pr/united-states-attorney-s-office-through-department-justice-project-safe-neighborhoods" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Youth Voice Program in the Tenderloin</a>.

Neither a spokesperson for Anderson’s successor, Acting U.S. Attorney Stephanie Hinds, nor Gascón, who is now the district attorney in Los Angeles, responded to requests for comment. Newsom’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But so far, the Biden-appointed Hinds <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndca/pr/eight-defendants-charged-tenderloin-based-drug-trafficking-conspiracy" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">has continued prosecuting street dealers</a> while also launching a much softer-sounding <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndca/pr/united-states-attorney-s-office-through-department-justice-project-safe-neighborhoods" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Youth Voice Program in the Tenderloin</a>.

Randy Shaw, the outspoken executive director of the Tenderloin Housing Clinic and a supporter of Breed’s efforts, said in a blog post published Tuesday that Gascón’s <meta charset="utf-8">crackdown was the only one that worked; the only problem was that it didn’t last long enough. <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304017404575166332670248118">Other sources</a><a href="http://www.lacp.org/2010-Articles-Main/040810-TenderloinCrackdownSparksBacklashInSanFran.htm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> tell a slightly different story</a>: Filling the jails with drug users contradicted Newsom’s dictat to incarcerate fewer people, and even many Tenderloin residents and advocates felt locking up drug users was a waste of limited police resources. Gascón himself subsequently appeared to have a conversion: He went on <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-12-09/skelton-organized-theft-proposition-47" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">to co-sponsor Prop. 47</a>, which downgraded most drug crimes in the state from felonies to misdemeanors.

Randy Shaw, the outspoken executive director of the Tenderloin Housing Clinic and a supporter of Breed’s efforts, said in a blog post published Tuesday that Gascón’s <meta charset="utf-8">crackdown was the only one that worked; the only problem was that it didn’t last long enough. <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304017404575166332670248118">Other sources</a><a href="http://www.lacp.org/2010-Articles-Main/040810-TenderloinCrackdownSparksBacklashInSanFran.htm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> tell a slightly different story</a>: Filling the jails with drug users contradicted Newsom’s dictat to incarcerate fewer people, and even many Tenderloin residents and advocates felt locking up drug users was a waste of limited police resources. Gascón himself subsequently appeared to have a conversion: He went on <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-12-09/skelton-organized-theft-proposition-47" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">to co-sponsor Prop. 47</a>, which downgraded most drug crimes in the state from felonies to misdemeanors.

Same old law-and-order response? Or…

Same old law-and-order response? Or…

The initial tenor of Breed’s Tenderloin response was very much in line with the law-and-order approach of her predecessors. It also echoed her riposte to the recent hijinks in Union Square, where a mob cleaned out a Louis Vuitton store amid other flash-mob robberies across the Bay Area. The city responded by closing streets to vehicle traffic and stationing police on every corner, and District Attorney Chesa Boudin duly filed charges.&nbsp;

The initial tenor of Breed’s Tenderloin response was very much in line with the law-and-order approach of her predecessors. It also echoed her riposte to the recent hijinks in Union Square, where a mob cleaned out a Louis Vuitton store amid other flash-mob robberies across the Bay Area. The city responded by closing streets to vehicle traffic and stationing police on every corner, and District Attorney Chesa Boudin duly filed charges.&nbsp;

Mayor Breed speaks at a press conference about safety in the city on October 19, 2021. | Camille Cohen

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/breed-01-1-2500x1667.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-22695"/><figcaption>Mayor Breed at a press conference on Oct. 19, 2021. | Camille Cohen</figcaption></figure>

On Dec. 28, the mayor’s office circulated a “Strategic Plan and Operation Guide” for the emergency declaration approved a few days prior. At the top of the mayor’s list was “Targeted/strategic disruption and intervention” of “Drug dealing and violent crime.” Police are also central to her plan to interrupt “Open air drug use,” which was listed as third in the mayor’s top seven “priority problems.”

On Dec. 28, the mayor’s office circulated a “Strategic Plan and Operation Guide” for the emergency declaration approved a few days prior. At the top of the mayor’s list was “Targeted/strategic disruption and intervention” of “Drug dealing and violent crime.” Police are also central to her plan to interrupt “Open air drug use,” which was listed as third in the mayor’s top seven “priority problems.”

Other aspects of the plan are more holistic–and less carceral. Breed has in some ways gone further than her predecessors with the official emergency declaration itself, which grants her office extra power to push past bureaucratic hurdles like zoning laws. That has helped clear the way for the “linkage center” at 1170 Market St. that was announced Tuesday, where police and social workers will bring troubled people in need of services. (It could also facilitate a long-debated safe-injection site that’s tentatively slated for a Geary Street location, as well as a meth “sobering center” that even some supporters of the crackdown prefer would go somewhere else.) According to the mayor, “TL-dedicated beds” in the city’s homeless-shelter and a mental-health treatment complex are also part of the plan, but how many and where remains to be seen.

Other aspects of the plan are more holistic–and less carceral. Breed has in some ways gone further than her predecessors with the official emergency declaration itself, which grants her office extra power to push past bureaucratic hurdles like zoning laws. That has helped clear the way for the “linkage center” at 1170 Market St. that was announced Tuesday, where police and social workers will bring troubled people in need of services. (It could also facilitate a long-debated safe-injection site that’s tentatively slated for a Geary Street location, as well as a meth “sobering center” that even some supporters of the crackdown prefer would go somewhere else.) According to the mayor, “TL-dedicated beds” in the city’s homeless-shelter and a mental-health treatment complex are also part of the plan, but how many and where remains to be seen.

Though law-and-order is popular in the midst of pandemic uncertainty and blowback against the defund the police movement, the most successful efforts to clean up the Tenderloin in the past haven’t always been led by police, as Kim and others note. Take the corner of Turk and Taylor streets, a block up from the Warfield Theater music venue. Instead of deploying cops, transit officials <a href="https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/nevius/article/Banning-parking-on-Tenderloin-block-drives-5208612.php" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">removed street parking in 2014</a>. Into the old Original Joe’s location, vacant since a 2007 fire, came the performance venue Piano Fight. With the street reimagined and the sidewalks activated, drug dealing went somewhere else—only for it all to come right back when businesses closed during the pandemic.

Though law-and-order is popular in the midst of pandemic uncertainty and blowback against the defund the police movement, the most successful efforts to clean up the Tenderloin in the past haven’t always been led by police, as Kim and others note. Take the corner of Turk and Taylor streets, a block up from the Warfield Theater music venue. Instead of deploying cops, transit officials <a href="https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/nevius/article/Banning-parking-on-Tenderloin-block-drives-5208612.php" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">removed street parking in 2014</a>. Into the old Original Joe’s location, vacant since a 2007 fire, came the performance venue Piano Fight. With the street reimagined and the sidewalks activated, drug dealing went somewhere else—only for it all to come right back when businesses closed during the pandemic.

In a hint that her office is looking to repeat that success, Breed’s plan includes “street/sidewalk engineering” and the Department of Public Works will conduct “targeted and frequent cleanings.” But what lessons the mayor is taking from the past is unclear.&nbsp;

In a hint that her office is looking to repeat that success, Breed’s plan includes “street/sidewalk engineering” and the Department of Public Works will conduct “targeted and frequent cleanings.” But what lessons the mayor is taking from the past is unclear.&nbsp;

Breed did not agree to be interviewed for this article. In an email exchange, Jeff Cretan, the mayor’s spokesperson, declined to address the Tenderloin cleanup initiatives others have tried.

Breed did not agree to be interviewed for this article. In an email exchange, Jeff Cretan, the mayor’s spokesperson, declined to address the Tenderloin cleanup initiatives others have tried.

“I can&#8217;t speak to efforts before or challenges in the future,” he said. “What I can say is that we are taking what we learned during Covid, which is that no single agency can tackle a complex challenge alone.”

“I can't speak to efforts before or challenges in the future,” he said. “What I can say is that we are taking what we learned during Covid, which is that no single agency can tackle a complex challenge alone.”

“I can&#8217;t speak to efforts before or challenges in the future,” he said. “What I can say is that we are taking what we learned during Covid, which is that no single agency can tackle a complex challenge alone.”

A “cyclical” phenomena&nbsp;&nbsp;

A “cyclical” phenomena&nbsp;&nbsp;

Matt Gonzalez, chief attorney at the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office, recalled crackdowns led by former District Attorney Arlo Smith in the early 1990s, calling Tenderloin offensives a “cyclical” phenomena closely linked to political fortunes.

Matt Gonzalez, chief attorney at the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office, recalled crackdowns led by former District Attorney Arlo Smith in the early 1990s, calling Tenderloin offensives a “cyclical” phenomena closely linked to political fortunes.

“It’s driven by public frustration with the condition of the streets,” Gonzalez said. “There’s always this sudden effort or announcement that there’s going to be this law enforcement remedy because that’s always the first tool in the box.”

“It’s driven by public frustration with the condition of the streets,” Gonzalez said. “There’s always this sudden effort or announcement that there’s going to be this law enforcement remedy because that’s always the first tool in the box.”

The cycle often begins when outrage over the status quo boils over, leading to critiques of the mayor or other public officials. The city may be in this stage now: According to several sources who have seen recent polling numbers, Breed’s favorability ratings have fallen from Covid-19 pandemic highs of more than 70% to percentages in the 50s.

The cycle often begins when outrage over the status quo boils over, leading to critiques of the mayor or other public officials. The city may be in this stage now: According to several sources who have seen recent polling numbers, Breed’s favorability ratings have fallen from Covid-19 pandemic highs of more than 70% to percentages in the 50s.

Pressured by outside forces or genuinely sick of the untenable situation quo—or both—the mayor is driven to action. The media then reports the mayor is taking action. And the public, satisfied that the mayor is responsive, moves on—until something else, like the 11-year-old girl wearing a hijab being punched in the head on Sept. 29, steers the conversation back to the same ghastly old Tenderloin.

Pressured by outside forces or genuinely sick of the untenable situation quo—or both—the mayor is driven to action. The media then reports the mayor is taking action. And the public, satisfied that the mayor is responsive, moves on—until something else, like the 11-year-old girl wearing a hijab being punched in the head on Sept. 29, steers the conversation back to the same ghastly old Tenderloin.

That attack was a transgression of the Tenderloin’s street code and a new low, even by the neighborhood’s blinkered standards, said Tracey Mixon, a formerly homeless Tenderloin drug dealer who now organizes for the Coalition on Homelessness. The incident prompted hundreds of residents to sign a Nov. 5 letter to the mayor decrying the neighborhood’s “containment zone” status. That letter in turn prompted Breed to attend a Dec. 10 “listening session” in which Tenderloin residents aired grievances about that attack and other incidents. The mayor’s emergency declaration followed a week later.

That attack was a transgression of the Tenderloin’s street code and a new low, even by the neighborhood’s blinkered standards, said Tracey Mixon, a formerly homeless Tenderloin drug dealer who now organizes for the Coalition on Homelessness. The incident prompted hundreds of residents to sign a Nov. 5 letter to the mayor decrying the neighborhood’s “containment zone” status. That letter in turn prompted Breed to attend a Dec. 10 “listening session” in which Tenderloin residents aired grievances about that attack and other incidents. The mayor’s emergency declaration followed a week later.

Children play at the 4th Annual People’s Holiday Tree Lighting in the Tenderloin on Dec. 15, 2021. | Sophie Bearman

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/IA7A3203.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-22700"/><figcaption>Children play at the 4th Annual People’s Holiday Tree Lighting in the Tenderloin on Dec. 15, 2021. | Sophie Bearman</figcaption></figure>

Even those who disagreed with Breed’s technique couldn’t deny the obvious: The Tenderloin is bad and getting worse, and if not this, then what?&nbsp;

Even those who disagreed with Breed’s technique couldn’t deny the obvious: The Tenderloin is bad and getting worse, and if not this, then what?&nbsp;

“Without exaggerating, it is unlivable” right now, said Christy Shirilla, the director of community organizing at the Tenderloin Community Benefit District, which pressured Breed to call for the crackdown.

“Without exaggerating, it is unlivable” right now, said Christy Shirilla, the director of community organizing at the Tenderloin Community Benefit District, which pressured Breed to call for the crackdown.

A neighborhood resident for seven years, Shirilla moved away after she was “attacked, unprovoked, for the third time in three years in the middle of the day,” she said in a recent interview. “At any given time of day, any day of the week, there are 250 drug dealers in the neighborhood.”

A neighborhood resident for seven years, Shirilla moved away after she was “attacked, unprovoked, for the third time in three years in the middle of the day,” she said in a recent interview. “At any given time of day, any day of the week, there are 250 drug dealers in the neighborhood.”

Shirilla added that the touts are becoming more brazen and more aggressive, physically “poking” passersby with an index finger if they decline to buy.

Shirilla added that the touts are becoming more brazen and more aggressive, physically “poking” passersby with an index finger if they decline to buy.

Once the city’s emergency declaration ends in March, as-yet undefined “long-term City resource allocations” will follow. But looming over this as well is the June recall election of Boudin, the progressive district attorney blamed for failing to incarcerate wrongdoers. If Boudin is removed and Breed installs a successor and the Tenderloin is still unlivable, history may repeat itself yet again, at the mayor’s expense.&nbsp;

Once the city’s emergency declaration ends in March, as-yet undefined “long-term City resource allocations” will follow. But looming over this as well is the June recall election of Boudin, the progressive district attorney blamed for failing to incarcerate wrongdoers. If Boudin is removed and Breed installs a successor and the Tenderloin is still unlivable, history may repeat itself yet again, at the mayor’s expense.&nbsp;

Chris Roberts (cbloggy@gmail.com) is a contributing writer.

Chris Roberts (cbloggy@gmail.com) is a contributing writer.

Analysis: Political history haunts Mayor Breed as she attempts (another) Tenderloin cleanup

Sarah Holtz

When Covid started, Rob Ready was staring down a live entertainment apocalypse and, potentially, the demise of his creative community.&nbsp;

When Covid started, Rob Ready was staring down a live entertainment apocalypse and, potentially, the demise of his creative community.&nbsp;

“It sucked,” said Ready, the co-founder and artistic director of PianoFight, <a href="https://sfstandard.com/arts-culture/popular-venue-to-close-two-bay-area-locations/">an independent arts venue</a> with locations in the Tenderloin and Downtown Oakland that centers local visual and performing artists. “And it’s been touch-and-go for the past three years.”

“It sucked,” said Ready, the co-founder and artistic director of PianoFight, <a href="https://sfstandard.com/arts-culture/popular-venue-to-close-two-bay-area-locations/">an independent arts venue</a> with locations in the Tenderloin and Downtown Oakland that centers local visual and performing artists. “And it’s been touch-and-go for the past three years.”

The theater quickly organized an online fundraiser that brought in $50,000—enough to keep staff on the payroll until they could sign up for unemployment. Unfortunately for PianoFight, it was merely the first act in a three-year saga that is about to end on a tragic note. The venue will permanently shutter on March 18.

The theater quickly organized an online fundraiser that brought in $50,000—enough to keep staff on the payroll until they could sign up for unemployment. Unfortunately for PianoFight, it was merely the first act in a three-year saga that is about to end on a tragic note. The venue will permanently shutter on March 18.

PianoFight’s closure is only the latest in a long line of Covid casualties. On March 18, 2020, Boz Scaggs informed his staff that Slim’s final days would be cut short—the musician and owner had privately decided to close his nightclub in the South of Market (SoMa) neighborhood in late 2019. Two months later, the Saddle Rack, a beloved honky-tonk in Fremont (originally in San Jose) <a href="https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/05/26/coronavirus-bay-area-bars-music-venues-restaurants-weve-lost-to-pandemic/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">also shuttered for good</a>.&nbsp;

PianoFight’s closure is only the latest in a long line of Covid casualties. On March 18, 2020, Boz Scaggs informed his staff that Slim’s final days would be cut short—the musician and owner had privately decided to close his nightclub in the South of Market (SoMa) neighborhood in late 2019. Two months later, the Saddle Rack, a beloved honky-tonk in Fremont (originally in San Jose) <a href="https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/05/26/coronavirus-bay-area-bars-music-venues-restaurants-weve-lost-to-pandemic/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">also shuttered for good</a>.&nbsp;

The fall of 2020 ushered in more closures. The <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/projects/2020/sf-closed-restaurants-stores-landmarks/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Uptown Nightclub in Oakland</a> called it quits. The Stud—San Francisco’s longest-running queer bar—remains in a holding pattern to this day, as its ownership collective <a href="https://sf.eater.com/2020/5/21/21266456/the-stud-soma-closing-lgbtq-gay-bay-san-francisco" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">searches for a new home</a>. The future of countless live performance venues appeared to be hanging in the balance.

The fall of 2020 ushered in more closures. The <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/projects/2020/sf-closed-restaurants-stores-landmarks/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Uptown Nightclub in Oakland</a> called it quits. The Stud—San Francisco’s longest-running queer bar—remains in a holding pattern to this day, as its ownership collective <a href="https://sf.eater.com/2020/5/21/21266456/the-stud-soma-closing-lgbtq-gay-bay-san-francisco" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">searches for a new home</a>. The future of countless live performance venues appeared to be hanging in the balance.

<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-necessity-is-the-mother-of-invention">Necessity Is the Mother of Invention</h2>

core/heading

<h2 id="h-necessity-is-the-mother-of-invention">Necessity Is the Mother of Invention</h2>

D’Arcy Drollinger, a drag performer and the owner of SoMa club Oasis, quickly dreamed up creative ways to keep his business afloat, launching “Meals on Heels,” a delivery service where drag performers provided dinner and a show from the safety of the curbside.&nbsp;

D’Arcy Drollinger, a drag performer and the owner of SoMa club Oasis, quickly dreamed up creative ways to keep his business afloat, launching “Meals on Heels,” a delivery service where drag performers provided dinner and a show from the safety of the curbside.&nbsp;

“It wasn’t a huge money maker, but we were able to bring sparkle into people’s lives and employ some drag performers,” Drollinger said.&nbsp;

“It wasn’t a huge money maker, but we were able to bring sparkle into people’s lives and employ some drag performers,” Drollinger said.&nbsp;

When Covid’s one-year mark rolled around, and Oasis hadn’t yet received a relief grant from the local or federal government, Drollinger said he realized he had spent all of his savings and needed to go back to the drawing board. He and his team got to work producing a live fundraiser in the spirit of <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/08/21/jerry-lewis-telethons-raised-billions-for-muscular-dystrophy-many-cheered-when-he-went-off-the-air/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Jerry Lewis’s annual Labor Day telethon</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

When Covid’s one-year mark rolled around, and Oasis hadn’t yet received a relief grant from the local or federal government, Drollinger said he realized he had spent all of his savings and needed to go back to the drawing board. He and his team got to work producing a live fundraiser in the spirit of <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/08/21/jerry-lewis-telethons-raised-billions-for-muscular-dystrophy-many-cheered-when-he-went-off-the-air/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Jerry Lewis’s annual Labor Day telethon</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Producers sit behind a desk as they monitor the show for online viewers. Oasis produced a telethon on Saturday March 6, 2021 from 12PM –12AM to help the club from closing down. | Courtesy Emily Curiel/Golden Gate Xpress

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/INLINE_VenueSpecial031523.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-138382"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Oasis produced a telethon on March 6, 2021 to help keep the club from closing down. | Courtesy Emily Curiel/Golden Gate Xpress</figcaption></figure>

“We were drowning in debt,” he said. “This was a make-it-or-break-it kind of moment.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

“We were drowning in debt,” he said. “This was a make-it-or-break-it kind of moment.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

With help from celebrity video appearances from performers like Alaska of RuPaul’s Drag Race, Cindy Wilson of the B-52’s and actor John Cameron Mitchell, Oasis hosted a telethon where donors called in and spoke with drag queens who were fired up and ready to take their calls.

With help from celebrity video appearances from performers like Alaska of RuPaul’s Drag Race, Cindy Wilson of the B-52’s and actor John Cameron Mitchell, Oasis hosted a telethon where donors called in and spoke with drag queens who were fired up and ready to take their calls.

Drollinger said that after 12 hours, Oasis raised $270,000 that he put toward the hundreds of thousands of dollars Oasis owed in back rent and utilities.

Drollinger said that after 12 hours, Oasis raised $270,000 that he put toward the hundreds of thousands of dollars Oasis owed in back rent and utilities.

“It was the only way we survived,” he said. “And it was 100% community-driven. It’s like I always say: ‘Necessity is the mother of invention.’”&nbsp;

“It was the only way we survived,” he said. “And it was 100% community-driven. It’s like I always say: ‘Necessity is the mother of invention.’”&nbsp;

Other venues followed the same rule of thumb. Kathleen Owen and Lynn Schwarz, co-owners of Bottom of the Hill with Ramona Downey, said that during shelter-in-place, several local bands organized their own impromptu livestream benefit shows for the club. Bottom of the Hill also co-produced a webathon with an alliance of independent venues that brought in $50,000 in emergency funding, which is still earmarked for dormant venues like The Stud.

Other venues followed the same rule of thumb. Kathleen Owen and Lynn Schwarz, co-owners of Bottom of the Hill with Ramona Downey, said that during shelter-in-place, several local bands organized their own impromptu livestream benefit shows for the club. Bottom of the Hill also co-produced a webathon with an alliance of independent venues that brought in $50,000 in emergency funding, which is still earmarked for dormant venues like The Stud.

Owen said that her club was fortunate to not lose any employees during the pandemic, coming up with makeshift solutions like encouraging them to cash in on sick days and even housing one worker for a brief time in the club’s green room.&nbsp;

Owen said that her club was fortunate to not lose any employees during the pandemic, coming up with makeshift solutions like encouraging them to cash in on sick days and even housing one worker for a brief time in the club’s green room.&nbsp;

The Bottom of the Hill in San Francisco on March 14, 2023. | Courtesy Bottom of the Hill

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/INLINED01_VenueSpecial031523.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-138386"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The Bottom of the Hill in San Francisco on September 1, 2020 | Courtesy Bottom of the Hill</figcaption></figure>

The UC Theatre, a music venue and education nonprofit in Downtown Berkeley, hosted an outdoor music series each weekend called Out Front. CEO David Mayeri said that the purpose of the concerts was to support local bands whose income had vanished with the shelter-in-place order, provide a whisper of the live music that locals yearned for and encourage the public to support neighboring restaurants by ordering takeout.&nbsp;

The UC Theatre, a music venue and education nonprofit in Downtown Berkeley, hosted an outdoor music series each weekend called Out Front. CEO David Mayeri said that the purpose of the concerts was to support local bands whose income had vanished with the shelter-in-place order, provide a whisper of the live music that locals yearned for and encourage the public to support neighboring restaurants by ordering takeout.&nbsp;

According to Mayeri, the Out Front series essentially broke even. “We weren’t doing it for the money,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We were trying to keep people in jobs and preserve our sanity.”&nbsp;

According to Mayeri, the Out Front series essentially broke even. “We weren’t doing it for the money," he said. "We were trying to keep people in jobs and preserve our sanity.”&nbsp;

According to Mayeri, the Out Front series essentially broke even. “We weren’t doing it for the money,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We were trying to keep people in jobs and preserve our sanity.”&nbsp;

These venue owners shared one major lesson they learned during the first year of Covid: that in order to survive, they had to band together. PianoFight, Oasis, Bottom of the Hill and the UC Theatre all joined venue alliances that were established at the dark dawn of the pandemic.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

These venue owners shared one major lesson they learned during the first year of Covid: that in order to survive, they had to band together. PianoFight, Oasis, Bottom of the Hill and the UC Theatre all joined venue alliances that were established at the dark dawn of the pandemic.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Banding Together&nbsp;</h2>

In the spring of 2020, these venue operators, along with Fred Barnes of Great American Music Hall, Allyson Moulton of Bimbo’s 365 Club, Casey Lowdermilk of Another Planet Entertainment and dozens of others, formed venue alliances to provide emergency funding to struggling venues and lobby local, state and federal lawmakers to do the same. The Independent Venue Alliance (IVA) was the first in San Francisco. PianoFight and Bottom of the Hill were among its founding members. The SF Venue Coalition and the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) formed shortly after.&nbsp;

In the spring of 2020, these venue operators, along with Fred Barnes of Great American Music Hall, Allyson Moulton of Bimbo’s 365 Club, Casey Lowdermilk of Another Planet Entertainment and dozens of others, formed venue alliances to provide emergency funding to struggling venues and lobby local, state and federal lawmakers to do the same. The Independent Venue Alliance (IVA) was the first in San Francisco. PianoFight and Bottom of the Hill were among its founding members. The SF Venue Coalition and the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) formed shortly after.&nbsp;

Dylan MacNiven, the owner of Cafe du Nord, also joined the Independent Venue Alliance that spring. At the time, he said the alliance provided a much-needed feeling of solidarity.

Dylan MacNiven, the owner of Cafe du Nord, also joined the Independent Venue Alliance that spring. At the time, he said the alliance provided a much-needed feeling of solidarity.

“It was like group therapy,” he said.

“It was like group therapy,” he said.

Ready said that thanks in large part to critical support from former Supervisor and current Assemblymember Matt Haney, the IVA and the SF Venue Coalition worked with the city to pass the Music and Entertainment Venue Recovery Fund, which allocated grants of at least $10,000 to individual venues in the spring of 2021.&nbsp;

Ready said that thanks in large part to critical support from former Supervisor and current Assemblymember Matt Haney, the IVA and the SF Venue Coalition worked with the city to pass the Music and Entertainment Venue Recovery Fund, which allocated grants of at least $10,000 to individual venues in the spring of 2021.&nbsp;

According to Gloria Chan of the Office of Economic and Workforce Development, the city has provided more than $83 million to small businesses since Covid started. In an email, Chan told The Standard that the office supported California’s Venues Grant Program and the Save Our Stages Act on the federal level—a $16 billion grant package that NIVA was also instrumental in helping to pass. Schwarz said that Bottom of the Hill received its federal Shuttered Venue Operators Grant around June 2021, helping her staff to finally reopen two months later.&nbsp;

According to Gloria Chan of the Office of Economic and Workforce Development, the city has provided more than $83 million to small businesses since Covid started. In an email, Chan told The Standard that the office supported California’s Venues Grant Program and the Save Our Stages Act on the federal level—a $16 billion grant package that NIVA was also instrumental in helping to pass. Schwarz said that Bottom of the Hill received its federal Shuttered Venue Operators Grant around June 2021, helping her staff to finally reopen two months later.&nbsp;

The Broadway theater district in Manhattan stands mostly empty and closed as Covid-19 restrictions keep performances closed on December 22, 2020 in New York City. The $900 billion coronavirus relief stimulus package offers some hope to beleaguered theaters and performers with the Save Our Stages Act. The act will provide $15 billion for independent venues as well as Broadway theaters, comedy clubs and other venues and will be included in the relief package.  | Spencer Platt/Getty Images

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/INLINED02_VenueSpecial031523-2500x1880.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-138389"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The Broadway theater district in Manhattan stands mostly empty and closed as Covid-19 restrictions keep performances closed on December 22, 2020 in New York City. | Spencer Platt/Getty Images</figcaption></figure>

This degree of governmental support for the performing arts was somewhat unprecedented. Mayeri noted that public funding for the arts increased by somewhere between 300% and 400% in California during Covid. Ready pointed out that the National Endowment for the Arts is typically only budgeted $150 million for an entire year, which pales in comparison to the outpouring of public funding that the performing arts and entertainment industry received over the course of the pandemic.&nbsp;

This degree of governmental support for the performing arts was somewhat unprecedented. Mayeri noted that public funding for the arts increased by somewhere between 300% and 400% in California during Covid. Ready pointed out that the National Endowment for the Arts is typically only budgeted $150 million for an entire year, which pales in comparison to the outpouring of public funding that the performing arts and entertainment industry received over the course of the pandemic.&nbsp;

“This must’ve been the biggest funding for the arts since the WPA,” Ready said, referring to the Works Progress Administration, a New Deal program of the 1930s that funded more than 10,000 artists across the country, including San Franciscan and famed Depression-era photographer Dorothea Lange.&nbsp;

“This must’ve been the biggest funding for the arts since the WPA,” Ready said, referring to the Works Progress Administration, a New Deal program of the 1930s that funded more than 10,000 artists across the country, including San Franciscan and famed Depression-era photographer Dorothea Lange.&nbsp;

“We didn&#8217;t know we could count on the government,” Schwarz said. “We were pretty sure we couldn&#8217;t because we never have before in the music industry.”

“We didn't know we could count on the government,” Schwarz said. “We were pretty sure we couldn't because we never have before in the music industry.”

“We didn&#8217;t know we could count on the government,” Schwarz said. “We were pretty sure we couldn&#8217;t because we never have before in the music industry.”

<h2 class="wp-block-heading">An Uneven Recovery&nbsp;</h2>

Covid may not be a global health emergency any longer, but Bay Area venue owners agree that, in many ways, things feel even more dire than they did in 2020.&nbsp;

Covid may not be a global health emergency any longer, but Bay Area venue owners agree that, in many ways, things feel even more dire than they did in 2020.&nbsp;

“The alliances did the thing that they set out to do—getting venues enough money to get through the pandemic,” Ready said. “But now it’s the after-pandemic.”

“The alliances did the thing that they set out to do—getting venues enough money to get through the pandemic,” Ready said. “But now it’s the after-pandemic.”

When clubs finally reopened in the summer of 2021, venue owners, musicians and promoters realized they had entered a brave new world of live entertainment. The Delta and Omicron variants brought on a deluge of show cancellations.

When clubs finally reopened in the summer of 2021, venue owners, musicians and promoters realized they had entered a brave new world of live entertainment. The Delta and Omicron variants brought on a deluge of show cancellations.

Rob Ready moderates A Dating Game, a comedy-matchmaking show at PianoFight in San Francisco, Calif., on Thursday, Mar. 9, 2023. | Michaela Vatcheva for The Standard

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/INLINED03_VenueSpecial031523-2500x1668.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-138393"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Rob Ready moderates A Dating Game, a comedy-matchmaking show at PianoFight in San Francisco on Thursday, Mar. 9, 2023. | Michaela Vatcheva for The Standard</figcaption></figure>

Schwarz said that in 2022, Bottom of the Hill had 36 show cancellations that did not reschedule. Of the more than 100 shows the UC Theatre booked in 2022, Mayeri said, around 30 were canceled, postponed or rescheduled for a whole host of Covid-related issues. MacNiven told The Standard that when SF Sketchfest 2022 was postponed entirely, it eliminated several key nights for his club. Cancellations like these—along with no-shows from ticket holders translate to losses in alcohol and food sales that cut into a venue’s bottom line.

Schwarz said that in 2022, Bottom of the Hill had 36 show cancellations that did not reschedule. Of the more than 100 shows the UC Theatre booked in 2022, Mayeri said, around 30 were canceled, postponed or rescheduled for a whole host of Covid-related issues. MacNiven told The Standard that when SF Sketchfest 2022 was postponed entirely, it eliminated several key nights for his club. Cancellations like these—along with no-shows from ticket holders translate to losses in alcohol and food sales that cut into a venue’s bottom line.

But cancellations and other Covid-related snags—like supply chain disruptions—aren’t the only forces impacting local live performance spaces, according to Ready. Gentrification is also playing a role, and the PianoFight co-founder said Covid has accelerated that process.

But cancellations and other Covid-related snags—like supply chain disruptions—aren’t the only forces impacting local live performance spaces, according to Ready. Gentrification is also playing a role, and the PianoFight co-founder said Covid has accelerated that process.

“A lot of people left,” he said. “When you’re 25, you’re down to hang at a bar at 11 p.m. on a Thursday. When you’re 35, 40, 45 and you have a wife and a kid and a mortgage, you can’t really do that. There’s an organic process of people moving on, but there’s always a younger group of people to take over, and during Covid, that didn’t really happen.”

“A lot of people left,” he said. “When you’re 25, you’re down to hang at a bar at 11 p.m. on a Thursday. When you’re 35, 40, 45 and you have a wife and a kid and a mortgage, you can’t really do that. There’s an organic process of people moving on, but there’s always a younger group of people to take over, and during Covid, that didn’t really happen.”

Owen explained that there’s also been a blue-collar and middle-class departure from the Bay Area, meaning that venues lack the engineers, electricians, cooks and other workers that allow clubs to keep their lights on.&nbsp;

Owen explained that there’s also been a blue-collar and middle-class departure from the Bay Area, meaning that venues lack the engineers, electricians, cooks and other workers that allow clubs to keep their lights on.&nbsp;

As a booker, Schwarz said she’s seen promoters start to pass over San Francisco, because they no longer consider it a major market like Los Angeles or New York.

As a booker, Schwarz said she’s seen promoters start to pass over San Francisco, because they no longer consider it a major market like Los Angeles or New York.

“The scene is small, and it’s getting smaller,” she said. “It’s been decimated.”&nbsp;

“The scene is small, and it’s getting smaller,” she said. “It’s been decimated.”&nbsp;

Over at Cafe du Nord, MacNiven recently started a partnership with a primary booker at Live Nation, and he said that’s helped his venue stay solvent. For him, success as a venue in the post-Covid era depends on how much debt a venue carries, its lease situation and whether it’s booking shows for a broad enough demographic.

Over at Cafe du Nord, MacNiven recently started a partnership with a primary booker at Live Nation, and he said that’s helped his venue stay solvent. For him, success as a venue in the post-Covid era depends on how much debt a venue carries, its lease situation and whether it’s booking shows for a broad enough demographic.

Forty Feet Tall, a post-punk band from Portland, perform at Cafe du Nord in San Francisco on March 10, 2023. | Sarah Holtz/The Standard

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/INLINED04_VenueSpecial031523-2500x1681.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-138396"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Forty Feet Tall, a post-punk band from Portland, perform at Cafe du Nord in San Francisco on Friday, March 10, 2023. | Sarah Holtz/The Standard</figcaption></figure>

Drollinger said his experience with Oasis’s telethon clarified the future of his nightclub, particularly in light of ongoing violence directed against queer spaces and the recent onslaught of anti-LGBTQ legislation.&nbsp;

Drollinger said his experience with Oasis’s telethon clarified the future of his nightclub, particularly in light of ongoing violence directed against queer spaces and the recent onslaught of anti-LGBTQ legislation.&nbsp;

Drollinger plans to continue collaborating with local artists—particularly drag performers of color—to plan programming that resonates with his regulars. He said that in terms of gross revenue, the past year has been the most successful in Oasis’s history. With any luck, he said, he’ll also bring back Meals on Heels in the near future.&nbsp;

Drollinger plans to continue collaborating with local artists—particularly drag performers of color—to plan programming that resonates with his regulars. He said that in terms of gross revenue, the past year has been the most successful in Oasis’s history. With any luck, he said, he’ll also bring back Meals on Heels in the near future.&nbsp;

Likewise, Mayeri said the UC Theatre is on track to continue recovering in 2023 and already put a few sold-out shows on the books this year. He emphasized that venues should maintain a “good of the many” mindset.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Likewise, Mayeri said the UC Theatre is on track to continue recovering in 2023 and already put a few sold-out shows on the books this year. He emphasized that venues should maintain a “good of the many” mindset.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“We can’t just look out for ourselves; we have to look out for each other,” he said.&nbsp;

“We can’t just look out for ourselves; we have to look out for each other,” he said.&nbsp;

On the eve of PianoFight’s closure, Schwarz said she believes the venue alliance failed the performing arts venue.

On the eve of PianoFight’s closure, Schwarz said she believes the venue alliance failed the performing arts venue.

“The issues are so much deeper than what we could possibly have helped with,” she said. “But I still feel like it was a failure on our part to lose even one.”

“The issues are so much deeper than what we could possibly have helped with,” she said. “But I still feel like it was a failure on our part to lose even one.”

Ready said the decision to close PianoFight was based on a confluence of factors. “There’s never one reason to close—it’s more like 12.”&nbsp;

Ready said the decision to close PianoFight was based on a confluence of factors. “There’s never one reason to close—it’s more like 12.”&nbsp;

Getting down to the numbers, Ready explained that in 2019, the theater hosted around 750 revenue-generating shows. In 2022, that number plummeted to 200.&nbsp;

Getting down to the numbers, Ready explained that in 2019, the theater hosted around 750 revenue-generating shows. In 2022, that number plummeted to 200.&nbsp;

Guests drink at PianoFight’s bar in San Francisco, Calif., on Thursday, Mar. 9, 2023. | Michaela Vatcheva for The Standard

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/INLINED05_VenueSpecial031523-2500x1668.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-138399"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Guests drink at PianoFight’s bar in San Francisco on Thursday, Mar. 9, 2023. | Michaela Vatcheva for The Standard</figcaption></figure>

Still, he said there’s a silver lining he refuses to ignore. “It’s sad, but we’re really proud of what we’ve accomplished, producing more than 7,000 shows over 9 years in San Francisco,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We’ve been able to pay a lot of artists.”&nbsp;

Still, he said there’s a silver lining he refuses to ignore. “It’s sad, but we’re really proud of what we’ve accomplished, producing more than 7,000 shows over 9 years in San Francisco," he said. "We’ve been able to pay a lot of artists.”&nbsp;

Still, he said there’s a silver lining he refuses to ignore. “It’s sad, but we’re really proud of what we’ve accomplished, producing more than 7,000 shows over 9 years in San Francisco,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We’ve been able to pay a lot of artists.”&nbsp;

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