Bimbo's 365 Club, also known as Bimbo's 365, is an entertainment club located at 1025
Columbus Avenue in San Francisco. It specializes in live rock and jazz shows. The location is one of San Francisco's oldest nightclub sites, and has operated under two names with a series of owners. The building started as Bal Tabarin in 1931, the same year that the 365 Club started at 365
Market Street Market Street may refer to:
*Market Street, Cambridge, England
*Market Street, Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia
* Market Street, George Town, Penang, Malaysia
*Market Street, Manchester, England
*Market Street, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
...
. The two locations under separate ownership consolidated in 1951 to one location owned by
Agostino "Bimbo" Giuntoli.
History
365 Club
Giuntoli was born and raised in
Tuscany
it, Toscano (man) it, Toscana (woman)
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, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 = Citizenship
, demographics1_footnotes =
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, Italy; and, in 1922 at the age of 19, he began to work his way to
San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
. He labored as a janitor at the
Palace Hotel and then as a cook nearby, where Monk Young, the young cook's boss, was unable to pronounce his name. Young called him ''bimbo'' instead, Italian for "boy", and the nickname stuck.
The 365 Club began in 1931 as a
speakeasy
A speakeasy, also called a blind pig or blind tiger, is an illicit establishment that sells alcoholic beverages, or a retro style bar that replicates aspects of historical speakeasies.
Speakeasy bars came into prominence in the United States ...
and after-hours gambling club, located at 365 Market Street in San Francisco, owned by Young and managed by Giuntoli. It soon became the most popular illicit drinking establishment in town.
Musical artists and dancers showcased their work, including a young
Rita Hayworth
Rita Hayworth (born Margarita Carmen Cansino; October 17, 1918May 14, 1987) was an American actress, dancer and producer. She achieved fame during the 1940s as one of the era's top stars, appearing in 61 films over 37 years. The press coined th ...
dancing in the chorus line.
[ An optical illusion achieved by mirrors made the large fish tank above the bar appear to have a nude woman swimming in it.][ Bar patrons marveled at Dolfina, "the Girl in the Fishbowl".]
In 1950, "Bimbo" Giuntoli, by that time sole owner of the 365 Club, arranged to purchase 1025 Columbus Avenue and transfer his operation there.[
]
Bal Tabarin
The Columbus Avenue site was originally known as the Bal Tabarin, a nightclub that featured dancing to famous bands and a multi-act floor show including a line of showgirls.[ Restaurateur and businessman Bob Grison partnered with popular bandleader Tom Gerun (born Gerunovich)] and Frank Martinelli, manager of a nightclub called the Roof Garden, to establish a nightclub in 1930. Gerunovich's orchestra had played at the Roof Garden (northwest corner of Broadway and Kearny streets) from 1928 to 1930 and made several 78 rpm records for the Brunswick label. During a nationwide tour in mid-1929 he anglicized his name to Gerun. In 1931, in anticipation of the repeal of Prohibition in the United States, architect Timothy L. Pflueger was contracted to create an elegant, sophisticated nightclub and cocktail bar. The bar itself was implemented in the Moderne style later called Art Deco
Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unite ...
.[ The stage design used Pflueger's patented indirect lighting hidden behind curved strips of decorative metal.] The color coming from behind the façade could be changed smoothly from one hue to another. Two years later, with alcohol bans officially lifted nationwide, the Bal Tabarin was issued California's first new liquor license, and in 1934 Pflueger gave the nightclub a quick renovation.[ The popularity of the club netted for Pflueger a series of contracts to design cocktail lounges for prominent hotels in San Francisco, including the Cirque Room at the Fairmont Hotel (which survives in its entirety, though it is no longer in use as a bar) and the Mark Hopkins' Top of the Mark, the interior of which has been remodeled to the point where no trace of the original design remains.
In 1936, a 13-year-old Ann Miller took a job dancing at Bal Tabarin, by lying about her age – local law required workers to be 18 in a restaurant that served alcohol. On a night when Miller was appearing alongside Sophie Tucker and Tony Martin, ]Lucille Ball
Lucille Désirée Ball (August 6, 1911 – April 26, 1989) was an American actress, comedienne and producer. She was nominated for 13 Primetime Emmy Awards, winning five times, and was the recipient of several other accolades, such as the Golde ...
and an RKO Pictures studio agent came to watch the show. Miller was signed to RKO shortly afterwards, – though some sources say this occurred at The Black Cat Club
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
.
Owner Tom Gerun contracted for several more show runs with Sophie Tucker through the 1940s. The club put on two floor shows a night, one at 9 or 9:30 and one starting around midnight. Gerun took the show some south to Fort Ord
Fort Ord is a former United States Army post on Monterey Bay of the Pacific Ocean coast in California, which closed in 1994 due to Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) action. Most of the fort's land now makes up the Fort Ord National Monument, ...
to entertain U.S. Army troops for a special engagement in August 1941. Other bands taking part in the show were Carl Ravazza
Carl Ravazza (July 21, 1910 – July 28, 1968), also known professionally as Carl Ravell, was an American violinist, vocalist and bandleader.
Born in Alameda, California, Ravazza was a violinist who also started singing when he was in the Anson ...
and his Palace Hotel Band, and Robert Nurok and his band from the Alcazar nightclub. Coming from the Bal Tabarin were Bob Saunders and his band, Señor Wences
Wenceslao Moreno Centeno (April 17, 1896 – April 20, 1999),
Gertrude Niesen
Gertrude Niesen (July 8, 1911 – March 27, 1975) was an American torch singer, actress, comedian, and songwriter who achieved popular success in musicals and films in the 1930s and 1940s.
Early years
Niesen was born aboard ship as her Swe ...
, and the Duncan Sisters
The Duncan Sisters (Rosetta and Vivian Duncan) were an American vaudeville duo who became popular in the 1920s with their act ''Topsy and Eva''.
Biography
Early career
Rosetta (November 23, 1894Sources differ on their birth dates. These are ta ...
with their vaudeville act. After World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
started in earnest for the United States, Martinelli joked with a '' Billboard'' reporter that it was easy to get big-name stars to perform at his club, but asked "can you tell me where I can get one waiter and two dishwashers? Those are the rare birds these days." After the war, Gerun hosted NBC broadcasts of Ted Lewis and his band, announced by Bill Roddy, performed live from the nightclub's stage. This activity was not enough to keep the club solvent – in 1947 ''Billboard'' reported their doors shut for a time so that the owners could save money as they attempted to sign a major musical artist. Gerun and Martinelli also admitted they were seeking a buyer for the place.
Bimbo's 365
In November 1950, Gerun and Martinelli sold the property to Agustino "Bimbo" Giuntoli for a reported $100,000, the equivalent of $ in current value. The arrangement allowed the former owners to operate through January 1951, giving Giuntoli the keys on February 1.[ Giuntoli planned to hold the 365 Club on 365 Market Street open until July 1, 1951, when renovations to the former Bal Tabarin were to be completed.][ The new location was to be named Bimbo's 365.][ Giuntoli expanded the kitchen and added another bar but kept the older Pflueger bar in its original place.][
Giuntoli's new location was soon a success, with engagements by musical artists such as accordionist ]Dick Contino
Richard Joseph "Dick" Contino (January 17, 1930 – April 19, 2017) was an American accordionist and singer.
Early life
Contino was born in Fresno, California. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Peter Contino, and he attended Fresno High School. H ...
, Latin bandleader Xavier Cugat
Xavier Cugat (; 1 January 1900 – 27 October 1990) was a Spanish musician and bandleader who spent his formative years in Havana, Cuba. A trained violinist and arranger, he was a leading figure in the spread of Latin music. In New York City ...
with Charo
MarÃa Rosario Pilar MartÃnez Molina Baeza, professionally known by her stage name Charo, is a Spanish-American actress, singer, comedian, and flamenco guitarist.
Charo began playing guitar at the age of nine and trained under the famed A ...
, singer and trumpeter Louis Prima
Louis Leo Prima (December 7, 1910 – August 24, 1978) was an American singer, songwriter, bandleader, and trumpeter. While rooted in New Orleans jazz, swing music, and jump blues, Prima touched on various genres throughout his career: he forme ...
, bandleader and trumpeter Ray Anthony
Raymond Antonini (born January 20, 1922), known as Ray Anthony, is an American bandleader, trumpeter, songwriter, and actor. He is the last surviving member of the Glenn Miller Orchestra.
Biography
Anthony was born to an Italian family in Ben ...
, entertainer Joey Bishop
Joseph Abraham Gottlieb (February 3, 1918 – October 17, 2007), known professionally as Joey Bishop, was an American entertainer who appeared on television as early as 1948 and eventually starred in his own weekly comedy series playing a talk ...
, lounge music composer Esquivel and many more.[ Comedians such as ]Sid Caesar
Isaac Sidney Caesar (September 8, 1922 – February 12, 2014) was an American comic actor, comedian and writer. With a career spanning 60 years, he was best known for two pioneering 1950s live television series: ''Your Show of Shows'' (1950†...
, Rodney Dangerfield and Totie Fields
Totie Fields (born Sophie Feldman; May 7, 1930 – August 2, 1978) was an American comedian.
Early life
Fields was born Sophie Feldman in Hartford, Connecticut. She started singing in Boston clubs while still in high school, taking the stage na ...
performed.[ Popular columnist ]Herb Caen
Herbert Eugene Caen (; April 3, 1916 February 1, 1997) was a San Francisco humorist and journalist whose daily column of local goings-on and insider gossip, social and political happenings, and offbeat puns and anecdotes—"A continuous love le ...
commented favorably on the array of acts, writing "Bimbo's asjugglers, dance teams, stand-up comics, crooners, chantootsies, Stage Door Johns, a proper band in proper uniforms ... multi-course dinners, red sparkling burgundy in the silver bucket..."[ as well as magician/movie actor Channing Pollock. In the late 1960s, the club expanded from its lounge atmosphere to put artists such as Smokey Robinson and ]the Miracles
The Miracles (also known as Smokey Robinson and the Miracles from 1965 to 1972) were an American vocal group that was the first successful recording act for Berry Gordy's Motown Records, and one of the most important and most influential group ...
, Marvin Gaye, Neil Diamond, Glen Campbell
Glen Travis Campbell (April 22, 1936 – August 8, 2017) was an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, actor and television host. He was best known for a series of hit songs in the 1960s and 1970s, and for hosting '' The Glen Campbell Good ...
and The Fifth Dimension
The 5th Dimension is an American popular music vocal group, whose repertoire includes pop, R&B, soul, jazz, light opera, and Broadway.
Formed as the Versatiles in late 1965, the group changed its name to "the 5th Dimension" by 1966. Between ...
on the bill.[
In 1970, Giuntoli retired. For the next 18 years, the building was mostly closed, available only on a rental basis for private parties. One notable series of dates was in 1975 when local promoter David Allen put ]The Tubes
The Tubes are a San Francisco-based rock band. Their eponymous 1975 debut album included the single "White Punks on Dope," while their 1983 single " She's a Beauty" was a top-10 U.S. hit and its music video was frequently played in the early d ...
on stage, extending their show week after week in response to standing-room only
An event is described as standing-room only when it is so well-attended that all of the chairs in the venue are occupied, leaving only flat spaces of pavement or flooring for other attendees to stand, at least those spaces not restricted by occup ...
crowds. The Stooges
The Stooges, originally billed as the Psychedelic Stooges, also known as Iggy and the Stooges, was an American rock band formed in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1967 by singer Iggy Pop, guitarist Ron Asheton, drummer Scott Asheton, and bassist Da ...
also appeared once in early 1974, playing to a sparse crowd, with lead singer Iggy Pop wearing only bikini briefs and boots on stage. During his performance, he jumped into a small group of fans in front of the stage and his bikini briefs were removed by one of them. He regained the stage while yelling in anger at a female fan who had been handling his male member.[ In 1988, Giuntoli's grandson Michael Cerchiai reopened the property for a run as a live entertainment venue.][ As of 2014, the club is still there, owned and run by his Cerchiai, who celebrated his eighth birthday there with a Batman-themed cake, while Smokey Robinson played live.]
In recent years, the club has hosted Adele
Adele Laurie Blue Adkins (, ; born 5 May 1988), professionally known by the mononym Adele, is an English singer and songwriter. After graduating in arts from the BRIT School in 2006, Adele signed a rec ...
(2008), Laura Marling
Laura Beatrice Marling (born 1 February 1990) is a British folk singer-songwriter. She won the Brit Award for Best British Female Solo Artist at the 2011 Brit Awards and was nominated for the same award at the 2012, 2014, 2016, and 2018 Brit Aw ...
(2011), The Black Angels (2012), and The Flaming Lips
The Flaming Lips are an American psychedelic rock band formed in 1983 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The band currently consists of Wayne Coyne (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Steven Drozd (guitars, keyboards, bass, drums, vocals), Derek Brown (k ...
(2012).
Venue information
Currently, Bimbo's 365 Club is available for rental to private parties, owned and operated by Giuntoli's grandsons. Corporate clients such as the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
The Recording Academy (formally the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences; abbreviated NARAS) is an American learned academy of musicians, producers, recording engineers, and other musical professionals. It is famous for its Grammy Aw ...
, Oracle and Yahoo!
Yahoo! (, styled yahoo''!'' in its logo) is an American web services provider. It is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California and operated by the namesake company Yahoo Inc., which is 90% owned by investment funds managed by Apollo Global Manage ...
have engaged the club for company events. Artists such as Chris Isaak
Christopher Joseph Isaak (born June 26, 1956) is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and occasional actor. He is widely known for his breakthrough hit and signature song " Wicked Game", as well as other songs such as "Blue Hotel", " Baby ...
, Macy Gray
Natalie Renée McIntyre (born September 6, 1967), known by her stage name Macy Gray, is an American R&B and soul singer and actress. She is known for her distinctive raspy voice and a singing style heavily influenced by Billie Holiday.
Gray ha ...
, Jewel and The Brian Setzer Orchestra
The Brian Setzer Orchestra (sometimes known by its initials BSO) is a swing and jump blues band formed in 1990 by Stray Cats frontman Brian Setzer. In 1998, for their breakout album '' The Dirty Boogie'', the group covered Louis Prima's " Jump, ...
have performed in recent years.[ British stars ]Robbie Williams
Robert Peter Williams (born 13 February 1974) is an English singer and songwriter. He found fame as a member of the pop group Take That from 1990 to 1995, and achieved commercial success after launching a solo career in 1996. His debut stud ...
and Roni Size
Ryan Owen Granville Williams (born 29 October 1969), better known by his stage name Roni Size, is an English DJ and record producer. He came to prominence in 1997 as the founder and frontman of Roni Size & Reprazent, a drum and bass collective. ...
have appeared on stage.[
In 2000, production manager Scott Burke initiated a major refurbishment of the venue's sound system. He removed an aging ]Meyer Sound Laboratories
Meyer Sound Laboratories is an American company based in Berkeley, California that manufactures self-powered loudspeakers, multichannel audio show control systems, electroacoustic architecture, and audio analysis tools for the professional sound ...
system and installed a Nexo Alpha system, made by Nexo SA of France. Jim Sides, then of Nexo USA based in San Rafael, California
San Rafael ( ; Spanish for " St. Raphael", ) is a city and the county seat of Marin County, California, United States. The city is located in the North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city's populatio ...
, helped Burke select Nexo dealer Art Yeap of Novo Group in San Francisco to head the project. The loudspeakers were rigged with care such that they did not block sight lines to the small side stage adjoining the main stage. A Midas
Midas (; grc-gre, Μίδας) was the name of a king in Phrygia with whom several myths became associated, as well as two later members of the Phrygian royal house.
The most famous King Midas is popularly remembered in Greek mythology for his ...
48-channel XL-200 mixing console
A mixing console or mixing desk is an electronic device for Audio mixing (recorded music), mixing audio signals, used in sound recording and reproduction and sound reinforcement systems. Inputs to the console include microphones, signals fro ...
was placed at the rear of the dance floor area, about from the main stage, for FOH sound mixing duties. Burke said in an interview that with a new sound system that was "transparent at amazing levels", he intended next to focus on upgrading the lighting system.
Bimbo's has a second bar near the kitchen, with a dance floor and performance space suitable for DJs or showcasing new acts. The room holds 150–200 people.[ In the main performance area, there are no balconies, and 125–475 people can be accommodated in booths and at tables on the terrace and dance floor for sit-down dinner served from the venue's full kitchen, available to outside caterers.][ If no dinner is planned, some 700 can watch the main stage, with theater-style seating on the dance floor and standing room at the bar.][
]
References
External links
Official website
Official Facebook page
{{Coord, 37.803727, -122.415591, region:US-CA_type:landmark, display=title
Jazz clubs in the San Francisco Bay Area
Music venues in San Francisco
Nightclubs in San Francisco
Russian Hill, San Francisco
Commercial buildings completed in 1931
Event venues established in 1931
1931 establishments in California