Rickshaw Stop

Civic Center / Tenderloin, San Francisco –

All-ages clubs are hard to come by in San Francisco, which may explain why so many of the city’s dance-happy teenagers routinely pile into The Rickshaw Stop.

Set inside a former television studio, the divey venue hosts live bands and DJs throughout the week at affordable ticket prices that match its million-miles-from-exclusive vibe.

Rich red curtains framing the low stage and strings of multi-colored Chinese lanterns make up most of the décor, as sweaty revelers do their best not to bump into the replicas of broken-down rickshaws that dot the concrete dance floor.

Rowdy club kids who need a breather from the dance scene usually head up to the mezzanine to take over the couches, scarf down a few tamales and burgers – or whatever else is on the rotating menu – and watch the action onstage, while a kanji-decorated bar keeps older fans sauced and hopefully feeling not too old.

The most crowded night at the club is almost always Thursday’s Popscene, whose past lineups have included M.I.A., Vampire Weekend, and Akron/Family, and which no doubt continues to make Friday mornings a painful ordeal for bleary-eyed students.

Part dance hall and part indie performance space, The Rickshaw Stop is like a demilitarized zone for clubbers, where patrons of all ages and inclinations can unite on the floor, bruising their knees on those ever-present rickshaws in perfect harmony.