Bach Dancing & Dynamite Society

Pacific Mambo Orchestra performed Sunday of Memorial Weekend at the Douglas Beach House which is home to Bach, Dancing and Dynamite Society. First half of the concert was reserved seating, 2^nd half, they cleared the decks, dancing ensued, it was a party!
The holiday weekend traffic on 92 was horrendous but we persevered and made it to Miramar Beach for this fabulous event. The Douglas Beach house personifies the way the California coast used to be back in the day. Concerts start at 4:30, doors open 3pm, people come with picnics, wine, set up on the decks overlooking the ocean (they also offer wine/​food for purchase). Seeing such incredible talent up close is a wonderful experience. It is definitely worth the trip (plan to get there by 3 to enjoy pre-​show social time), the BDDS is a non profit, I am so glad the founder’s (Pete Douglas) daughter is continuing the tradition. Live music in an intimate setting by the ocean;it does not get any better than that (bring a fleece, can get breezy out on the deck). The history is fascinating.

Delightful and Completely Original. Kenny Washington last eve with windswept ocean from the window… Thank you for doing what you do here. Neighbor Susan was a hoot-​local charisma and jazz. (Kenny is at the Kennedy Center this week btw) but we had an intimate conversational setting that sets a new bar for me. We’ll be Bach.Ha.
Thank you for bearing the creative torch for your dad. I found the placing of the well loved smoking pipe and cap on the window sill a touching remberance to the Patriarch Pete.

Splendid place to see a show! Great acoustics, good food and drinks, and a wonderful staff.

I’ve been going to this place regularly since the 1980s and I really, really love it. When I lived in SF and work stressed me out (representing injured workers against insurance companies), I’d head South on Hwy 1 to Santa Cruz where I would surf (as I had since I was a boy) until 2 or so. Then I would and drive back up the coast to Bach DDS just south of Princeton Harbor (HMB) and listen to the coolest jazz on the planet, chilling my nerves and fortifying me for the battles the coming week. A few years back, I took our dear Pete out to dinner to thank him for so many, many years of exemplary music. As with all living things, our dear Pete died in July of last year. I miss the grumpy old (85 yo) son of a bitch very, very much but I am so glad his daughters have pulled it together to keep it going.
With enormous love and gratitude,
Mike Grimes

This place is so WOW. It’s like a jazz concert in someone’s beach house. Great outdoor space. They encourage you to come early for the show to hang out, and next time we will. Bring cash.

A hidden gem on a Sunday afternoon.

Its not Polka, but when in Rome…

Before we bought our tickets, I called and spoke to Linda Goetz at 650−726−2020 (member reservations and PR). Here’s what she told me: We should «get there by 3:00 to get a seat for the 4:30 show. You write your name on your chair (general admission) and then you are free to go for a walk on the beach or buy food from their buffet.» She said the food is good. The food WAS good, as she said. But the rest was not entirely accurate. We got there at 2:55, waited at the end of a long line that moved incredibly slowly, didn’t get to the door until about 3:30. The only general admission seats were all upstairs in the balcony. The best seats, on the main floor, were all pre-​reserved for members. We got the best seats we could, but they had an obstructed view, no back (no chair, just a wide ledge to sit on). We were packed in so close that it was difficult to not keep touching the strangers sitting next to me. So the seating was quite uncomfortable. At the buffet, someone (might have been the owner, given his aloofness) left a smoldering cigar spewing an intense cigar smell over the eating area. AND there was only one toilet for about 100 women to share before the show and at the break. In short, this place cares little for customer service. On the plus side, the jazz was great. But the music isn’t enough to get me to go back.

For over 40 years (and it looks like barely a thing has changed) this little room has seen the likes of many jazz greats. It’s like going over to an old friend’s house at the beach to kick back and hear a band. Sixth row seats are near the back. That’s how small it is. And the sound is great.
The casual vibe and décor will make you think you’ve time traveled to the 1970s. Concerts are on Sunday afternoons. We saw a Cal Tjader tribute with Michael Wolff, Pete Escovedo, Warren Wolf, John Santos, Robb Fisher, and Vince Lateano, and they were fabulous. Some good people watching with the audience too. Also it’s directly across from the ocean and beach. We got to see whales going up the coast before the show.
Come early to reserve your seat (members nab the best seats pre-​reserved), bring food and drink for beforehand and/​or the world’s longest (1 hour?) intermission. They start letting non-​members in at 3:00 to reserve their seats. The show we saw started at 4:30 and let out about 7:40. Parking is in a small lot in back, or nearby streets.
Oh, we took our 11yo and it was a totally fine venue (and concert hour) for him, and he enjoyed hearing his former teacher play. He asked me about the flag out front that looked like a U.S. flag except it had «plants» on it and speculated that it might be for the U.S. Nursery. Hmmm. Could be.
If you like jazz and are a laid back cool cat., you definitely should see a show at the Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society, aka Douglas Beach House.

What could be more perfect than cool jazz and a stunning view? I love this place!

This is a rare gem. There are few places like this in the world… Pete has brought some of the greatest jazz (and sometimes blues!) musicians in the world into his living room and he shares it with you. I’ve seen legends like Strunz and Farah, Charles Brown, Joe Louis Walker… the list goes on. If you appreciate live jazz at all don’t worry about who is playing, just come down to this beautiful spot on the beach. Pete makes sure the talent is first rate. I’ve never seen a bad show here. Come early, bring your own bottle of wine and relax on the deck and watch the waves…

Small place with a great view (on those rare clear days) and great sound. It took us less than 40 minutes to get there from SF. The sound in this little club is fantastic! Even better, you can go for a walk on the shore of the Pacific or have a glass of wine on the balcony during intermission.
Watch the calendar for a group you would like.

Legendary! My father in-​law has been going here since the 60’s or so. He’s seen some classic artists from Bill Evans to Stan Getz and Pete Escovedo. There are few characters like Pete Douglas left in the world. The one time I got to go he had his little corn cob pipe that smelled a lot more like purple haze than cherry vanilla. He also has vintage reel to reel recordings taped on the spot! I suppose this is the west coast’s version of Levon Helm’s Midnight Ramble. Great sound and super intimate. Don’t miss a chance to see a show here.

Lucky me, I called in and won a pair of tickets on the radio, KSJS station, to see the saxophonist Walt Weiskopf, from steely dan, perform with a quartet. (stand up bass, drums, and piano)
First, the music was incredibly tight and melodic. It was great jazz that really tested my mind’s ability to comprehend and follow all that the musicians were putting out.
Second, the venue is amazing. You are literally right on the beach, overlooking the ocean and a beautiful sunset. During intermission, we crossed the street and found a locals’ «stair» going down to the beach. Its made out of light wood, but felt somewhat reliable so we scaled the vertical stair. What an amazing place and so close to home.
Now I read and heard that there would be a buffet for $ 15/​person. We went up to the lady standing behind a few platters and asked about it. Turns out, it is only one plate. You cant go back for more. She started putting stuff on a plate for us, and we decided we didn’t want two plates of cold food. Asking her if we could share it probably irritated her because she skimped on giving us a good amount of anything. Definitely not worth $ 15. Lucky for me, we found the best chowder down the street at miramar beach restaurant.
The bar is pretty decent. Only beers were stella and sierra, but they had a nice local selection of wines. ($ 6 each)
I hate to take a star off for such a wonderful place with amazing views and music. But the «buffet» experience was a lil frustrating.
Hope to make it back soon for some more jazz :)

We love this place. It’s been the first time in ages that I went to a live concert (of any kind) and enjoyed it, and now we are regulars. It helps to know the mechanics: members of the BDD can buy tickets ahead (usually $ 30), everyone else can buy them before the concert. Once you pay you get to go inside and reserve your seat by placing a piece of paper with your name on it, so it pays to be early. You can bring a pic-​nic and your own alcohol, or pay $ 15 for a great buffet meal and $ 6 for a glass of wine or beer.
The owner, Pete, is quite a character. After a few concerts you find it’s okay to show up a little late so you don’t have to hear his speech about the importance of small venues (no matter how much I agree with it).
The small non-​profit café downstairs (Ebb Tide Café) is open on weekends (when they feel like it) and has a very nice casual atmosphere. We were actually regulars here long before mustering up the courage to attend a concert upstairs.
Don’t tell anyone, but the restrooms (red door in back of building) are always open, and we’ve also used the parking lot as a starting point for bike rides on the coastal bike path starting from here going south.

This is a jazz club situated in a beach house in Half Moon Bay. Somehow they get international level talent, and one is seated literally just a few feet away. We saw Hiromi
here in April 2007 and Larry Vukovich
in November 2007. They have a nice spread of food and wine before the concert and it is all very casual and fun. Concerts are every Sunday afternoon at 4:30 pm, doors open at 3 pm.