Davies Symphony Hall

BED BUGS BED BUGS BED BUGS!!!
Be very careful attending this venue. They have multiple pest control problems that have yet to be tended to. This place is swarmed with silk/​cloth moths. I previously worked for the pest control service that contracts work for the city and county of San Francisco as well as Davies Symphony Hall.

Went to see David Cross do a standup show here last night. Would suggest they not do more standup here.
The show was great, but sound was a little too quiet. The venue is beautiful but no drinks allowed inside the theater. Really? No alcohol while I’m watching a comedian?
Next time I hope he plays the Paramount in Oakland!
Also, go to the third floor and go the viewing deck.

Amazed by Itzhak Perlman and Emanuel Ax. The seats were comfortable and the entertainment stunning!

Davies Hall is what one would expect from a symphony hall! What I wanted to note in case it is useful is that some of the loge seats, row A, have obstructed views from the safety railing. I’m pretty bummed to find this out after paying top dollar for a seat I thought was awesome. No matter how the two of us sit (and we have two human heights covered), the railing pole obstructs our seat. So, buyer beware!
From what I can tell, this same issue will exist for some seats in all of the tiers besides the main floor (on the sides). The issue is for row A, when it is a seat next to an aisle and the aisle is toward the stage.
While I appreciate the safety aspect of the railing, hopefully they pony up the cash to replace it with glass someday.

Beautiful venue to listen to classical music. Just saw Itzhak Perlman play and now I know that Heaven does indeed reside here on earth. Stunningly beautiful violin music in such a beautiful and majestic ambiance. The orchestra is just exceptional. The Symphony is the best of San Francisco.

We saw the Charlie Brown Christmas event on Dec 23^rd. It was phenomenal. The hall was beautifully decorated and we loved having our photo taken with Snoopy. The Christmas music was absolutely lovely. One of my favorite things to do while spending Christmas week in San Francisco!

Another December, another visit to Davies Symphony Hall to see A Charlie Brown Christmas – Live!
There aren’t any bad seats in Davies, since you are just listening for most of the program. This time we sat in the first tier, but still close to the center. I like how doors lead to specific seating areas, so that everyone is not using the same doors for entry. It definitely helps with traffic flow… until the show is over and everyone wants to leave at the same time.
Last year’s soloist struck me as a professional opera singer. Although she had a beautiful and powerful operatic voice, it just didn’t seem right for a program of Christmas music. This year’s featured soloist was Jodi Benson, the voice of the Little Mermaid. I loved her singing! The performance of A Charlie Brown Christmas doesn’t occur until after the intermission.
If you were expecting the orchestra to perform the music while they simultaneously project the classic tv show, you will be disappointed. You will see familiar backgrounds on the screen overhead, but nothing more than that. You will hear some of the songs from A Charlie Brown Christmas like Linus and Lucy, but they did not play all of them. There are kids to recite the dialogue. All the kids in the show are cute, especially the Christmas tree.

On Friday, ¹²⁄₁₁ we spent the most wonderful time watching my favorite movie «It’s a Wonderful Life» while the SF Symphony played the music of the movie. This experience was enchanting and our seats were perfect. I enjoyed it so much that I want to return to other shows. Great for dinner in the city, the symphony and then drinks.

LOVE LOVE LOVE Davies Symphony Hall!
I grew up playing the clarinet so there is definitely a special place in my heart for the symphony. I am also super stoked that I have a husband that loves to go and enjoy the beautiful music too!
Our most recent trip to Davies Symphony hall was to see the symphony perform the score to my FAVORITE movie The Nightmare Before Christmas. We went to the show the night before Thanksgiving so there was still a nice turnout but it wasn’t packed which was kind of nice. I was able to walk right up to the bar and order a couple beers with absolutely no wait!
There are plenty of areas to sit and socialize before the show and if you wish during intermission. There are also some balconies that have amazing views of San Francisco and City Hall which is right across the street.
Once you get inside I feel like almost any seat is a good seat since all you really need is your ears. Since we were watching a movie accompanied by the symphony playing I made sure to get seats on the balcony in the front row so we had no one in front of us. For $ 25 a seat I think that’s an amazing deal!
The San Francisco Symphony never seems to fail. I can’t wait to have many more fun date nights here!

The architecture was breathtaking. The inside is even better than the outside. There are many levels to this symphony hall, all it all adds to the amazing sound inside the hall. There are a lot of stairs, but it all adds to the grand feeling of the hall. Many bars are located around for your convince. You can even arrange for drinks to be waiting for you at intermission! Once you’re in your seat and you look around you’ll see a huge organ sitting behind and atop of the stage. The stage is fairly large and a simi-​circle shape. We sat head on but I can assume all seats will give you an incredible view.
We enjoyed a wonderful show last night that started with Mozart’s piano concerto then moved into Haydn’s mass with 4 solo vocalist and the finale was Schubert’s songs with piano, choir and the 4 solo vocalists. It was a longer show than normal and had two intermissions. It was beyond what I was expecting. Highly recommend coming to see a symphony here, next time I’m in the area I’m definitely coming back for another concert!

We came here to see *drum roll* The Legend of Zelda symphony. Nerds, I know.
The venue is extravagant. It is completely beautiful! The acoustics inside Davies Symphony Hall are astounding. We were towards the very back and could hear different sections of the symphony very clearly. We were surprised, actually, because we have had previous experiences where everything blurs together when you sit far back. That wasn’t the case here.
Not only was the LoZ symphony completely captivating, but their passionate energy filled up the entire hall and everybody was really enjoying the show– including the members of the orchestra.
It was a beautiful occasion in a very special venue. I would highly recommend paying this hall a visit before you leave the area.

Being a major metropolitan city, San Francisco is proud of its fine arts programs.
It isn’t the mecca that NYC is, but, with our new jazz center and the many first-​run and pre-​Broadway debuts of musicals and plays, it’s getting a lot closer now.
Since childhood, I haven’t ventured much out to the symphony or Davies. In fact, my first adult trip to this modern facility was the 2000 Millennium New Year’s party which Audra McDonald, a local star, headlined. During intermission, we were treated to cookies and champagne which made this a memorable event. After thevperformance, they cleared the stage for dancing, but my date and I showed our age and didn’t make it that far.
About seven years ago, a good friend noticed my interest in a ukulele player from Hawaii… go Punahou! He was kind to score two complimentary tickets for my friend and me to enjoy this young, talented phenom.
Fast forward to today, Jake Shimabukuro, as part of the SF Jazz Festival, played here on a recent Sunday evening. Scoring orchestra seats again, my two guests popped their uke cherry in watching the four strings wonder perform… if you haven’t seen him perform (
); he played this too (
)!
Davies is a classy joint, meaning it in a nice way, where the audience usually dresses up for events; especially for our fare city’s critically acclaimed symphony. But, on this particular Sunday, Hawaiian shirts and ladies’ sundresses dominated the audience.
Thanks, Jake, for bringing some Ohana to this wonderful summer night at Davies!

I used to walk past this place all the time when I was in college but hadn’t gotten a chance to actually walk in and be there for something until last night.
It’s a beautiful venue and the theater itself was very nice. I had seats in the orchestra area and we could see the stage clearly.
The staff were very helpful in helping us get to our seats and when we’re let out for intermission. I got a coffee and walked out to the terrace, where you could see a bit of city hall.
The seats were comfortable and the entertainment stunning!

Didn’t realize that I’ve never written a review of Davies Symphony Hall. I’ve seen performances by Chris Botti, Smokey Robinson, Johnny Mathis, Colors of Christmas and most recently, Jake Shimabukuro and each time it was a great experience. The modern acoustic interior of the hall is amazing.
I’ve sat at Loge, Tiers, and Orchestra and never had issues with the view and sounds from each section. No bad seat in the house.
Walking around the rotunda with it floor to ceiling windows grants you a beautiful view of City Hall. Also, Hayes Street with all its great restaurants are only a couple blocks away. Perfect for a nice dinner and a stroll to the Hall for the concert. What a great venue for concerts and an overall great location.

I went here with my boyfriend to watch/​listen to the Star Trek symphony. The venue was beautiful — the movie props and costumes was a random perk that day, lol. During Christmastime, I can see the Christmas trees through the window and they look lovely. The actual performance hall is very spacious, and even though he and I were sitting near the top, I didn’t have too much difficulty seeing the screen, and no difficulty hearing the music. This was a great place for date night or to go to with family/​friends if you want to try something a little different.

My White Guy is a big fan of Star Trek. When I heard that they are playing Star Trek at the symphony hall, I immediately told him to that we should prepare to drive to the city and battle the traffic to watch this! Surprisingly, traffic was not bad at 880… except at the toll gate, and Bay Bridge and SF and so on…
Anyhow, I thought the seat that I chose was good enough — premier orchestra. Yes, it’s good enough depends on whatever your are watching. We are like six rows away from the stage. Since the movie was shown in a large projector, my neck kinda hurts. I’m just happy that there’s an intermission. I have learned now where to sit appropriately depends on the show that you will see.
It was fun to watch the movie with bunch of people who dressed up for this event. The SF symphony did a great job to match the sounds as the movie played along, and of course the conductress Sara Hicks. I enjoyed watching the movement of her butt and of course her arms that goes up and down with the stick on her hands.
I got to meet the man behind the music of Star Trek, composer Michael Giacchino! They also have mini viewing of Star Trek paraphernalia, costumes, etc along the hallway. Shirts were expensive although it looks nice.
Come here not so hungry for you don’t have that much options plus it’s a little bit pricey, of course. Not too mention, the long lines you have to deal with. I also got an email after a few days that I can get 50% off on my next purchase. Now I can get ready for the next show.

June 26, 2015 4.5 stars
Attended Beethoven Fidelio with three friends to watch a friend perform with the chorus group. Four tickets was purchased for Premier First Tier seating, we arrived and got seated with two minutes to spare and enjoyed the performance immensely. I would return to attend future performances when my schedule permits.
***Food***
NO FOOD WAS CONSUME AT THE VENUE.
***Performance, venue, music***
The hall was great, bright and well lit, and still able to observe the stage while listening to the performance. We was seated in the Premier First Tier, view was a bit far, but we was able to hear everything very well, both music played by the orchestra, sung by the performers and the chorus. We noticed one of the performers holding a score and thought it was part of their performance until we observed them looking down several times. During intermission we walked outside, and observed city hall lit up in lights.
***Greeter, staff, wait***
Staff member by the entrance was nice and we went directly to the ticketing area to pick up tickets we had bought. Once we had tickets in hand we was directed to the floor for our seats and an attendant escorted us to our seats.
***Ambiance***
The ambiance was great, everyone was enthusiastic about the performance. Only thing which hampered the experience was the people in front of us shushing us because we was trying to put the flowers on the floor in the first minute of the performance. The lighting was good and we was able to read the plot as it was displayed.
***Parking***
NOT INCLUDED IN RATING
My vehicle was left at the same location because we walked over from our dinner location, Chez Maman, which was about a minute walk.

A unnamed friend of mine (you’ll see why later) loves to go to the Symphony, so when they had an extra ticket I thought to myself «Hell I’ll bite, might as well expand my horizons and all that, after all I hadn’t been back in a couple years after a Pixar orchestra event, and we’d be seeing Handel’s Messiah which is a more true symphony experience.»
This meant I’d have to leave work earlier than normal and brave the ridiculous traffic. Ended up getting there after it had started and waited with the rest of my people, the horribly uncouth tardy attendees, in the lobby till a mid-​intermission. Once we’re let in I show the usher my ticket and he points to the very front row. Great. Not only am I uncouthly tardy, I have to do a walk of shame to the very front of the orchestra hall for all the crowd to see. Yay.
Once at the front row, my friend has the aisle seat and I the seat directly to the left next to a family with 4 children. I am seated next to a young heavier set boy who doesn’t quite fit the outfit he’s wearing, but bravo to his family for bringing him to the orchestra, even if I notice that he already looks bored out of his mind.
The music starts and the singers begin, but I am elbowed by the boy on my left. I look over and he’s scratching his balls. WOW. SERIOUSLY. He had elbowed me just because he wasn’t aware of his own personal space. Nevertheless throughout the remainder of the orchestra I spent my time pondering a couple things:
1. Do young men really need to scratch their balls like 50 times in the course of an hour? On average that’s really close to almost 1 scratch or adjustment a minute. But why am I counting?
2. Should I ball scratch shame him in public? Or would that blast his adolescent self esteem into oblivion? Making him need psychological help in his adult life?
In the end I chose against public shaming, even though it’s the way I was brought up. However, I don’t think I now remember at all what happened in Handel’s Messiah without looking back at the Playbill.
As we were leaving I would tell my friend about this incident and give the child the nickname Scratchy McBalls. I like to use Mc as a prefix for anything negative usually to give it more of a fun connotation. It wasn’t so fun being elbowed throughout the whole event, but at least it makes for an amusing story to retell. Can’t say I want to go back any time soon, a pity for my cultural awareness.
Orchestra: Great.
Acoustics: Fantastic.
Memories of Scratchy McBalls: Priceless.

Proximity to Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall was a great perk of moving into what was once a very sketchy neighborhood of The Western Addition/​Fillmore.
Just a roll down the hill from my apartment, I can walk to Davies Symphony hall in 12 minutes or hop the 21-​Hayes bus.
The sensational acoustics of this wonderful venue mean you’ll hear every note and nuance the world-​class San Francisco Symphony plays.
And, the easy access to all areas of seating, be it behind the orchestra to the loges and main floor, are well marked and handicapped accessible with formally dressed and polite ushers who’ll help you find your seat.
The views of Civic Center and City Hall around the outside rotunda with floor-​to-​ceiling windows are exceptional.
And you can even pre-​order a drink or a cup of hot cocoa for intermission so you’ll have time to sip and enjoy, not fidget in line before lights flicker and bells softly chime signaling intermission is over.

For my second time at the Davies Symphony Hall, I was here to see Home Alone presented with a live Symphony soundtrack. As always the SF Symphony was incredible, but this review is on the hall itself.
The Christmas decorations were exquisite, with all the Christmas trees lining the outside halls. Inside the acoustics were amazing and the sound quality was so rich and filling. The integration with the movie projected was seamless!
My only reservation was that it took forever to get a drink during the intermission.
Come here to experience the classy cultured side of SF!