It was an only-in-San Francisco vibe inside and out Friday night’s sold-out Woods show at a new music venue on Valencia Street.  The Chapel is a converted mortuary in a beautiful structure that dates to 1914.  The capacity is 500.  The Chapel opened only about a year ago.

The brightly-lit marquis out front conveys seriousness and when Woods hit the stage, there was a heavy buzz in the place.

The Fresh and Onlys preceded Woods and didn’t wrap up their set until about 1120 PM.  That pushed the Woods set into a time territory that forced East Bay-bound BART riders to exit early to make the last train (1218 AM) from 16th and Mission.

The Onlys definitely deserve the extra time given their local popularity but I wish their was some recognition by the club that a good number of patrons are train riders on a train system that turns into a pumpkin at an early hour.

I was torn as I bid adieu when the clock hit midnight.  Woods was blazing it as I scrambled for the exit.  But I didn’t want to get stuck in the city and I was glad for the half-show I saw and know there’s more to come Sunday night.

Jessica Pratt opened the show and was forced to endure substantial rudeness by droves of people engaged in conversation as she showcased her wonderful voice.  When a performer with a songbook filled with quiet numbers plays a big room with lots of people, it seems almost inevitable these days that there’s risk of distraction in the form of people who choose to verbalize without regard for the time and place.  Kevin Morby will face this when he rolls out the songs on his forthcoming solo record.  All you can do is soldier on and that’s what Pratt attempted to do with great grace.

On Saturday afternoon, I hit the A’s game in Oakland,  After a rain delay that lasted more than two hours, the game was played under brilliantly sunny skies.  The Athletics crushed Minnesota and reduced their magic number to one.  The division title is in their back pocket with a week to play despite a low payroll and lack of prominent offensive players.

I capped off my time in the Bay Area with a red snapper taco platter at the Taco Grill in Fruitvale.

On Sunday morning, we head down the coast to Big Sur for Woodsist Fest 2013.  The two-day music lineup is stacked on day one with Woods headlining under the tall redwoods.

I can hardly wait.