The Utah is a bit of a legend in the bay area. The building has held an open mic since 1977 and famous names such as Robin Williams, Whoopie Goldberg, and John Mayer have taken the mic in the past. It was closed in 2005 for a couple of months and during the pandemic, but other than that the Utah may boast the oldest open mic in California. Spoken-word is welcome here, and they'll even letcha play their piano if you ask nicely.

One of the great things about this open mic is how fast it goes - with sometimes one song per person it zips along. Most weeks there is a pre-ordained featured performer plays a 30 minute set at 9pm. Not to worry, the longer set is always excellent and makes for a nice break. If the downstairs is crowded, be sure the check out the upstairs for a great close view of the performer. Just be aware that conversation is not allowed upstairs as the Twitch stream is run from there.

The Utah's website, hotelutah.com is distinct from its open mic website, theutah.org.

The Hotel Utah Monday Open Mic is perfect for lovers of San Francisco's eclectic spirit who love the idea of being streamed live while treading the same boards as Robin Williams and John Mayer, and would be honored by their performance becoming part of a venerable library of thousands of recordings at what is likely the oldest open mic in San Francisco.