It takes a certain boldness and unfettered imagination to try and build a music-oriented business — especially a civic-minded one — in the face of daunting economic circumstances that contributed to an eviscerated local art scene. But entrepreneur Rudy Colombini had a dream that San Francisco — a longtime cauldron for creatives and a spawning ground for legendary music-makers — could regain its status as an oasis capable of fostering a new generation of musicians. Amazingly, his efforts over the course of almost two decades have resulted in the Music City San Francisco complex, which is up and running and continuing to expand on Bush Street at Polk Gulch.
San Francisco native son Colombini is a wiry, charismatic rock singer-songwriter who’s best-known in the Bay Area as front man for the Unauthorized Rolling Stones tribute band, although he’s had a measure of success over the years as a solo artist and composer. He’s also a real estate developer whose building at 1353 Bush Street between Polk and Larkin streets has housed a handful of reasonably priced rehearsal studios for local bands since 2005. Considering the availability of an adjacent hotel, Colombini thought to target musicians and fans and renovated it as the Music City Hotel with themed rooms that pay homage to a who’s who of renowned performers, such as the Grateful Dead, Green Day, Janis Joplin, and Metallica. And in a more high-profile move three years ago, he established the San Francisco Music Hall of Fame in the upper floors of the structure, where an extensive interactive gallery and a growing collection of memorabilia honor a prodigious range of significant Bay Area musicians.
Shrine and workshop
The Hall of Fame serves as a shrine and a tourist magnet; the hotel is a practical, targeted hospitality business; and the studios fill a specific need for players looking to practice. But Colombini’s master plan was for Music City to be something greater: a five-story destination that would include 20 fully equipped rehearsal spaces capable of live streaming and recording, a music education program with artist mentors, six separate spaces for live performance, a full bar, and a restaurant. Furthermore, Colombini hoped to establish a working relationship with a major label that would foster and release recordings by musicians who would be fostered by the Music City operation.
“It’s about bringing back this epicenter of music for the world.”
— Rudy Colombini
In spring 2022 when the Hall of Fame was celebrating its first anniversary, the site’s bottom three floors were still largely under construction. An investment of more than $20 million has since brought the majority of the Music City complex to life, as it was conceived by Colombini. Over the past few months, the main club, bar, and restaurant on street level, plus two basement performance venues, have all opened for business, along with 15 of the 20 sound stages/rehearsal rooms. Out in front of the facility on Bush Street, the Music City Brick Walk immortalizes 300 people and venues that shaped the San Francisco music scene. Inside, the 155-capacity front room is presenting live bands on a regular basis with the restaurant offering a multiethnic selection of small plates, sandwiches, mini pizzas, and side dishes, and the bar dispensing cocktails and craft beer. The 90-capacity basement venue is hosting open mics, and the smaller downstairs room is geared for karaoke.
Talent incubator
As for Colombini’s desire to connect local talent with a significant record company, he brokered a deal with producer Ted Mason — the director of Universal Music Group’s Mi5 Recordings custom label — for first access to bands and singer-songwriters showcased at Music City. (Mason is a former member of the British new wave band Modern English, whose hit “I Melt with You” was a radio staple back in the day.) For starters, Colombini’s album Message of Love, consisting of 12 original tracks, will be released June 9 on Mi5. Within the next few weeks, Music City is slated to start hosting battles of the bands on Monday nights and vocalist competitions on Wednesday nights. “Once every 120 days, there will be a face-off like The Voice or American Idol for the winners of the earlier heats,” Colombini explained. “The prize will be a one-shot one-song record deal with Mi5, giving each winner the chance for exposure that could lead to something even bigger.”
More elements of the Music City enterprise are coming together. Select live sets — onstage and in rehearsal — are scheduled to be simulcast on Twitch and then archived as podcasts. A reality TV show is in development. More mementos are being acquired for the Hall of Fame. Curated events, including the Fern Alley Music Series and the Songwriters Festival, are garnering attention and praise. The recognition has been palpable. On April 25, Music City Entertainment was honored with the Culture and Arts Award given by Avenue Greenlight, a philanthropic organization dedicated to promoting economic recovery and diversity throughout San Francisco. In giving the award, Avenue Greenlight noted Music City’s commitment to engaging and enriching the community through music and helping revitalize the Lower Polk Commercial Corridor.
Colombini calls this years-long multimillion dollar undertaking a labor of love. “I’m just a song-and-dance man,” he said. “But I had no choice. It’s about bringing back this epicenter of music for the world. We faced a lot of obstacles, and we turned the switch. Now, people are showing up and supporting what we’re doing, and the musicians are getting opportunities they deserve.”