San Francisco's local music scene will be taking a heavy blow as iconic nightclub Slim's is set to shut down after its colorful three-decade run, reports say. An exclusive story in the San Francisco's Chronicle details an interview between music critic and author Joel Selvin and the owner of Slim's, R&B legend Boz Scaggs. According to the report, Scaggs informed the club staff on Wednesday, March 18, that the famous nightclub on 11th Street is finally closing permanently. The "Lowdown" and "Heart of Mine" singer clarified that the decision had been made as early as last year, months before the global coronavirus pandemic forced most establishments to close. "It was a long-term decision based on things that had nothing to do with the current situation," Scaggs said in the exclusive interview. However, as soon as the shelter-in-place orders have been lifted, the staff from the closing establishment will be moved to another live music destination, the Great American Music Hall situated in the Tenderloin neighborhood in downtown SanFran. It remains to be seen if Slim's will remain closed or if an official closing date and event will be scheduled later on. Per the official website, all slated events for March up to the end of April have been either canceled or "Postponed - Date TBD." The lineup includes The Cybertronic Spree, Billy Raffoul, and Kat Dahlia. Events scheduled for May 1 and after still allow ticket purchases. The now-iconic Slim's traces its beginnings from a vacant restaurant called "The Warehouse" was bought and remodeled by Boz Scaggs and his partner, the late venture capitalist Frank Caulfield who recently passed away last December. The pair threw a historic party at the location on December 31, 1987, closed the establishment to make changes, and started Slim's 30-year history on September 16, 1988. Slim's has a 600-seating capacity, filled most nights as tourists and locals stop by to watch performances both from professional and then up-and-coming artists. From Boz Scaggs himself to Huey Lewis & The News, to Metallica, countless artists have played their tunes several times. Singers such as Alison Krauss (Baby, Now That I've Found You), Green Day (American Idiot, 21 Guns), and Radiohead (Creep) have launched their respective careers from the corners of this nightclub. Other historic events from Slim's included Sun Ra and his Arkestra's Halloween performance, where they got the crowd out into the length of 11th Street. A-list acts David Bowie (through his side project, Tin Machine), Snoop Dogg, Foo Fighters, and Pearl Jam have also played for selected audiences, or benefit. As the curtains seem to close on this nightclub finally, Scaggs said that "Slim's had its day." He also added that "There is not another Slim's in the US. Not New York, not Los Angeles, not Chicago."
Owner and R&B Icon Boz Scaggs poses in front of the historic nightclub Slim's, which has become an institution not only of the local San Francisco nightlife, but also of the American music scene.
