Many nightclubs have come and gone during San Francisco’s colorful and storied history. Despite many near closings and brushes with the law, The Endup has managed to survive and remain relevant. Opened in 1973, it is the longest running dance club in San Francisco and shows no signs of relinquishing that title anytime soon. The venue was originally an entirely gay dance club, and hosted many events that catered to the gay community. It played a prominent role in The City’s nightlife scene during the disco years and was also an important part of the early-90’s rave scene, where it served as a popular after-hours spot. These days the club has a more mixed crowd, representing the diversity and open-mindedness of San Francisco’s dance music community.

The open floor plan gives the venue a laid back vibe that makes it easy to settle in for a night of debauchery. The mirrored columned dance floor connects to a large, open-air deck with a waterfall, plants and seating. In the back room, there is a lounge complete with a second bar, pool table, and fireplace. The steady thump of the high quality sound system permeates throughout the club and is controlled by many of the finest DJ’s in dance music today. Staying true to its roots, The Endup pumps out plenty of disco and soulful house music selected by local veterans like Jim Hopkins, Adrian, and Vince. On the first Saturday of every month, the Kontrol crew bring in talented techno and minimal house DJ’s from all over the world to play at their wildly popular party, now in its third year running. West Coast favorite Doc Martin often throws down at the club and his marathon sets are not to be missed by anybody who’s into deep house.

The Endup has weathered some difficult times over the years, such as the AIDS crisis of the 1980’s and the crackdown on nightlife earlier in this decade. The club’s resiliency has in large part been fueled by the positive energy of its patrons, who refuse to let the party end. Hopefully, the doors will be kept open in the years ahead so that new generations of party people can enjoy sweaty nights and hazy mornings at this legendary venue.