Venue Profile – Temple, SoMa

in Music News by

Temple, on Howard Street, is a club venue that, true to its name, worships art in its various forms. The space is developed by artists for artists, keeping creativity at the beating heart of the city’s club scene. Located at street level, Temple is equipped with a customized DJ booth, LED bulbs that span the space from the floor to the ceiling, and an impressive sound system that transforms the dance floor into a space where you can lose yourself in the music, with 7 VIP booths. The energy levels in the nightclub are high – often riotous – and if you’ve been looking for a venue that can redefine the clubbing experience for you, then Temple is where you should head to.

As well as the dance floor, Temple is a great live venue, hosting music and comedy shows from artists in the last month alone including Sevenn (of ‘Shut Up Let’s Dance’ fame), French DJ Cedric Gervais, Italian electro-house pioneer Benny Benassi, and Kap Slap, who made September a raging hit, and on the 12th of October – this Friday – Cash Cash is scheduled to perform at the venue. Known and adored for their addictive energy levels and unforgettable original dance-pop tracks, the trio are all set to set the stage aflame. A venue that can be a place where avant-garde electronica and flat-out party nights can collide and make sense is something special, and it’s part of the city’s creative life that should be seen to be believed.

The club was redesigned in March 2017, re-opening in October 2017, and the first year has been fantastic. The main room has been designed to include three box suites from where guests can enjoy the performances uninterrupted. If you’re interested in going to Temple as a group, the venue also has four mezzanine tables that are right above the dance floor area. Below the main room, Temple’s basement venue, LVL 55, boasts more VIP tables in a more open format: an open space for an open party, and options galore for a complete night out.

As well as being a great music venue, Temple has done some serious thinking about the footprint it leaves in the city and on the world. As part of a new development around its refurb last year, Temple developed an eco-friendly approach to its operations and the whole redesign process. Events coming up this month, as well as Cash Cash this Friday, include Dutch dance heir Bingo Players (AKA Maarten Hoogstraten), and an afterparty for Our Music Festival on October 20th, before a Halloween special event with model and activist Amber Rose fronting a naughty costume contest on October 25th, and a DJ set from old-school Atlanta rap whirlwind Lil Jon on October 27th.

Temple is the sort of venue that San Francisco does perfectly; unbound, high tempo, brain engaged before it lets loose: Euro-inflected but West Coast to the soles of its shoes and the tips of its hair. Check it out next time you’re in SoMa.

Tags:

Having released albums under Digital Nations, a label founded by Steve Vai, music critic Louis Raphael has remained deeply connected to the pulse of the San Francisco music scene. Following his tenure as the San Francisco Music Examiner for Examiner.com and AXS.com, he embarked on creating Music in SF® to authentically highlight the vibrant offerings of the city's music scene.