House of Shields documentary

Here’s a 7 minute documentary by DEVIN on the sordid history of our little bar. Our boss Lexi recounts the last 100 years or so!

review of the month: april

Its become my favorite place to meet the girls after work. How did I NOT know this was here for so many years. I love the central location to downtown . . . easy for quick happy hours. The crowd is a great mix of everyone in the city  . . . some FIDI folks, mission-y types, very unpretentious and very cool. The drinks are cheap but GOOD and I love the big mirrors and goth-y ish feel. Kinda edgy, nice cross-section of folks. You can find me sunk into one of the cool booths with my friends a few times (or more) a month…

Thanks Elizabeth S! We couldn’t have said it better!

loving our patrons: march

Hey, we won’t judge you! Thanks Natalie!

photo of the month: march

New Montgomery, on a rainy San Francisco day - by Kevin

brian jonestown/primal scream afterparty!

That’s right, it’s confirmed: afterparty for the big Brian Jonestown Massacre/Primal Scream show will be at the House of Shields, Tuesday March 17th (St. Paddy’s Day no less)! We’re beyond excited.

After the show, come hang with the bands and enjoy DJ sets from Rick Maymi (BJM) and Darragh (Electric Stew). Starts around 11ish. No damn cover!

video of the month: march

Get a shot glass’ view of our dark & lovely bar, thanks to this HD video from Flickr user ekai!

VIR – band of the month: march

Oh I think we’re allowed a little nepotism here. This month’s shining stars are local dream-rockers VIR, featuring our very own sound guy and resident Kiwi, Sam Sloane. VIR specializes in all that is glacial, dark and sweet. Catch them on March 14 with Pfiffin and Mr Vague!

PHOTONS – band of the month: february

Photons are back this month! This superfun pop orchestra had their CD release at House Of Shields last fall, and are returning to our little bar on Friday Feb 6 with special guests, A B & The Sea. These two hot little SF bands have quickly gotten on our good side with their excellent songwriting. Don’t miss this show!

Photons – This must be love (mp3)

Review of the month: December

Asides from the very cool all-wood bar/atmosphere that the previous reviewers have mentioned, I don’t think I’ve seen a lineup of taps at any bar that got me as excited as this place.  Off the top of my head I remember that they have:  Boddington, Guinness, Fat Tire, Boont Amber, Strongbow, Lagunita IPA, Pabst Blue Ribbon (awesome off the tap, and $2 pints!), Camay, and many more tasty brews.

Thanks – Leo!

Photo of the month: December

Kaleidoscope brings you the best soul and garage grooves, third Friday of every month!

December live music calendar

Wow, another year gone by! We’re ending 2008 with some truly stellar events. Also, we’ve just signed up on Twitter. Add us!

Video: The Revealers

Check out this video of The Revealers, stomping like mad upstairs at the House of Shields!

November live music calendar

Fall is here, and we’ve got some hot music this month to keep you warm. Be sure to check out Nov 7: Letters & Numbers with Somori Pointer & The Skinny Guns and Beautiful Engines. Also: The High Life with Camp Out on Nov 8, The Brothers Comatose, and many more!

Review of the month: October

“I love this bar.  It used to be the official bar of the Palace Hotel, before they added their own bar.  And it is one of the oldest bars in San Francisco.  The dark wood bar is impressive and beautiful, and probably totally wasted on people who stop here just for a happy hour drink.

The owners are all really nice, and I like coming in here and mixing it up with the locals.  I like the bartenders here!”

Thanks to Julie B!

Video: The Hare

Here’s a video from tonight’s show: The Hare performing the haunting Earthquake Weather.

Vote No On Prop 8 Fundraiser: Tuesday October 21

Tuesday October 21

HOUSE OF SHIELDS

6pm – 8pm

Vote No On Prop 8 Fundraiser/Mixer

We hope to meet new friends and help raise awareness for the campaign against Proposition 8, which will be on the ballot this November. Prop 8 would eliminate the right to marry for same-sex couples.

Speakers will include: Philip Kaplan, Owen Thomas, and Ilona Turner, staff attorney at the National Center for Lesbian Rights.

House of Shields is contributing 20% of the bar tab during the event.

“I never do stuff like this, but I thought it would be fun to help host a party for a good cause. Please come and tell your friends to come too.” – Philip

RSVP on Facebook

October live music calendar

A really stunning line-up this month, including guest appearances from Popscene-ster Omar for a relocated Concrete Jungle, and live sets from hot new SF acts like The Revealers, The Hare, Photons, and Guitar Vs Gravity (ex-Replicator).

Review of the month: September

Great atmosphere, strong drinks and cute college boys from the art school. What more could you ask for in a bar?

Thanks to Stephanie T!

The new site is live!

HouseOfShields.com has a brand new look and feel! One of the fun new features: a cool Flickr widget in the Gallery that refreshes with random party photos tagged with “houseofshields” by users!

House of Shields Rumors

There’s plenty of mystery surrounding our little bar. Here’s a sampling of the many rumors that circulate about the House Of Shields, which we will neither confirm nor deny:

• A tunnel that links House Of Shields to the Palace Hotel, leftover from the bar’s days as a speakeasy.
• The camera on the mezzanine/live music room that projects over the bar is actually beamed straight to Schlomo’s iPhone for his personal amusement.
• During Prohibition, President Warren G. Harding got tanked at the bar and was then smuggled back to the Palace Hotel by his advisors where he expired from alchohol poisoning.
• Joe DiMaggio once punched a hole in wall near the bathroom when he learned of one of Marilyn Monroe’s many affairs.
• The Internet was invented here, during a Thursday happy hour.
• The massive urinal in the men’s bathroom is actually a bathtub, turned on its side.
• The ghost of a former bar patron haunts the mezzanine.

Got any other rumors for us?