Question about Yoshi's at Jack London Square

[HolyStitt]

I just bought plane tickets to fly out to the Bay Area for the 75th Birthday Celebration for Kenny Burrell at Yoshi's.

I have never been to Yoshi's, so my questions are about the room.

I hear the place is general admission. Is it hard to get a decent place to sit and watch the show unless you get in line early at the venue? In general, I am looking for some feedback on the room, so I have a night where the music can be memorable, without any possible issues with the venue.

Just a disclaimer:

I am not implying the the venue has problems, I just have seen problems, most minor, from all jazz venues in the town I live in.

[BFrank]

The way it works is - for an 8pm show, the doors open at 6pm. For a big-ish event like this you might want to get there before 6:00 and wait in line. When the doors open you are given a yellow tag and a hand stamp. You then go straight to the showroom and clip that tag on the seat(s) that you want. You are then free to leave and have dinner or whatever. In other words, you aren't stuck in the club for 2 hours waiting for the music. Yoshi's has pretty decent Japanese food in the adjacent dining room. If you're into that - you would need a reservation, but you're not obligated to eat there.

Pretty good system.

[HolyStitt]

Thank you for the heads up.

If I buy more then one set will I have to move to a new table or can I stay at the same table between sets?

[Guy Berger]

It was a disastrous system when my dad and I went to see Oscar Peterson. I'd been to Yoshi's a few times before but never on a packed night. We barely found seats!

Guy

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

yoshis is confusing. 1) dont get killed by the amtrak which runs IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET in front of yoshis.

2) they dont do reservations, just tickets- so yuo have to pay upfront

3) get there early to get a good seat, but even if youre early sometimes they screw you

sincerely,

Chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez

[BFrank]

Thank you for the heads up.

If I buy more then one set will I have to move to a new table or can I stay at the same table between sets?

That's a good question. I don't know. They usually clear out the room after each show and if the second show is not sold out, you can come back for no charge after the paying customers claim their seats. You should call them about that (they actually answer the phone).

FWIW, there are very few bad seats in the house and no obstructions. The sound is excellent, too.

[HolyStitt]

A big thank you to everyone for help on this one.

[GloriousBlues]

There are no bad seats at Yoshi's. The worst I've ever had was stting at a table in the front row, a little too close to the band for my taste.

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

i agree there are many good vantage points in yoshis but let me stress again: DON'T GET HIT BY THE TRAIN. it could be amtrak or freight and it runs down the middle where the 'double yellow line' should be.

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

after exiting the freeway DO NOT stop until you are inthe yoshis garage, and do not stop on the way back either- even if you get lost its MUCH safer to just keep aimlessly wandering around than to pull over at a gas station and get out for directions.

[BFrank]

after exiting the freeway DO NOT stop until you are inthe yoshis garage, and do not stop on the way back either- even if you get lost its MUCH safer to just keep aimlessly wandering around than to pull over at a gas station and get out for directions.

What's THAT supposed to mean? It's not a dangerous neighborhood or anything.

And the train....no biggie. It's no secret that it's coming. What's really amazing is that it goes by the club about 50 feet away and you can't hear it when you're inside. The subway trains passing by the Village Vanguard are louder.

[Aggie87]

Ahhh, but BF, you may not have been snockered and wandered out and plopped yourself down on those tracks and sat there half the night. Just a guess.

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

does the subway run right under tha village vanguard? what is that like..

did you say not a dangerous neighbourhood??!??? double-ha! dont let the jacklondon square mall atmsosphere fool you, its one of the more dangerous areas on the west coast. one time before a booby hutcherson show we stoped for 40's at the liqour store, and next thing u know, before u know it we were chillin' in an abandonded blown-out bldg that i could only guess was an old apt complex from the 1930s, and there were dudes smoking CRACK! i dunno much about that stuff but it was definetly the c-bomb

[BFrank]

"... we stoped for 40's at the liqour store, and next thing u know, before u know it we were chillin' in an abandonded blown-out bldg ..."

I think this says it all.