Located in a nondescript, small warehouse on a quiet section of Fell Street just outside of Hayes Valley, Rickshaw Stop might not look like a spot that has at times played host to superstar acts such as Billie Eilish, Vampire Weekend and Portugal. The Man. But this little venue that could has always been a go-to spot to see bands on the rise or to catch a bill filled with revered local collectives.
This month, the site will celebrate its 20th anniversary with a series of shows, nearly all of them featuring local and regional bands who have made a habit of frequently appearing at the venue. Groups participating in the month-long run of shows said they were filled with cherished memories — both professionally and personally — of the Rickshaw Stop.
“They have the best sound guy,” said Galine Tumasyan, whose band, Seablite, will kick off the anniversary shows as part of a packed local bill on Jan. 5. “He likes us, and he always knows exactly what to bring to make us sound great. That’s a huge bonus for a venue. It’s such a relief, because you know, no matter what, the sound is going to be good.”
Tumasyan’s bandmate and writing partner, Lauren Matsui, has been living in San Francisco since 2007. She recounted watching an array of unforgettable shows at Rickshaw Stop during that time, including a particularly memorable show from Australian post-punk rockers Total Control.
For its Jan. 5 show, Seablite will play alongside fellow San Francisco bands French Cassettes, The She’s and Preschool. The show will be free to the first 350 people.
Seablite will be supporting its outstanding 2023 album, “Lemon Lights,” which came out in September. An enchanting combination of shoegaze, dream pop and post-punk tunes, “Lemon Lights” is marked by the beguiling vocal harmonies of Matsui and Tumasyan, whose synced deliveries provide the album’s songs with additional depth and resonance.
Like Matsui and Tumasyan, Andrew St. James and Cesar Maria also sing in tandem, although while Seablite’s vocal harmonies act as almost another instrument in a collage of noises, the forlorn and wary deliveries of Juan Wayne — another San Francisco act that will be playing as part of the Rickshaw Stop’s 20th anniversary — stand clear and separate above the group’s dusty desert-rock offerings.
Maria and St. James grew up in San Francisco and met while in band class in high school. Although they both have solo ventures, they frequently team up to play and record as Juan Wayne. The band’s first two albums (titled simply “1” and “2”) are filled with wistful, folk offerings, with their minimalist formula — often just guitar interplay and earnest vocals — feeling somehow cavernous and vast, conjuring up the desert planes of inland California.
On Feb. 1, they’ll play as part of the Rickshaw Stop’s anniversary show series with a performance alongside San Francisco art-pop act Healing Potpourri.
Ex // Top Stories
Arizona waste-hauling abruptly withdrew contract to beat out Recology's San Francisco bid
San Francisco Baykeeper alleges that The City discharges a mix of sewage and other pollutants during heavy rains, which could pose a public-health risk
The Department of Elections said it expects to certify the results of The City’s election within the next two weeks
Like the members of Seablite, both St. James and Maria said they have special memories of performing at Rickshaw Stop.
“I remember I played a rock school show here in 2008,” Maria said. “I covered ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit.’ I will absolutely never forget that experience.”
St. James, who stages a monthly local music showcase at the Make Out Room in the Mission, has similarly lasting recollections of the venue.
“I think the first time I went to the Rickshaw Stop, I was in like the seventh or eighth grade,” St. James said. “I feel like there was a girl I had a big crush on and she was super into this band called Dizzy Balloon. I remember the music being not so great, but falling in love with the venue, because it just felt like a place where I could see myself performing one day. It was small enough to make me think I could actually do music.”
The Rickshaw Stop shows will be the first part of what is expected to be busy years for both Seablite and Juan Wayne. Tumasyan said Seablite is working on writing new songs while mapping out a series of tours for 2024, including a possible return to the United Kingdom, where the band embarked on a successful jaunt in 2022.
Juan Wayne is planning on releasing its third album in 2024 in addition to stringing together a collection of shows, likely along the West Coast.
For now, both bands expressed excitement about kicking off the new year in a familiar setting, surrounded by familiar bands (other local acts include Pardoner, The Umbrellas, Fake Fruit, Hot Flash Heat Wave and many more.)
“We really like everyone who works there,” St. James said. “They’re all just really good people. It always makes playing there a special time.”
