San Francisco venue Slim's to be replaced with a nightclub called YOLO

Long running San Francisco venue Slim’s, a Bay Area fixture, co-owned by Boz Scaggs, for 30 years, announced its closure in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, back in March, writing:

We regretfully announce the closure of Slim’s. The club has had a storied 30-year presence in San Francisco and we’re proud of the contribution we made in bringing local music fans together with musicians whose talents expanded all our horizons. It’s been a good run.

We will continue to operate our sister club, the Great American Music Hall, and will be announcing our rescheduled calendar in the upcoming weeks. Thank you for your support all these years and we hope to see you soon.

Now Slim’s has been sold to new owners, KQED reports, promising a future unlike anything the building at 333 11th Street has seen before.

According to a permit application to the city of San Francisco, the new club replacing Slim’s is to be called YOLO, and will host “mostly “EDM, Top 40 DJs” and “no live band[s] like what Slim’s had.” That’s quite a change from the large array of bands, including Radiohead, Prince, Coldplay, and thousands of others, that previously graced Slim’s stage.

In addition, the application states that patrons at this new club must abide by a specific dress code (“a tool to use to deny unwanted guests,” as the club’s team literally states), and will be greeted, as they stand in a line outside, guarded by ropes and barricades, with security staff in suits and ties.

Perhaps new co-owners Michael Hu and Peter Lin’s vision of YOLO is to transform it into a space like their club Pure Nightclub, located in downtown Sunnyvale, with VIP sections and bottle service. Its booking will also be similar to that of Pure’s, with acts alternating weekend nights at both clubs.