Mabuhay Gardens

The Mabuhay Gardens (aka The Fab Mab or The Mab) was a San Francisco nightclub located at 443 Broadway, on the Broadway strip of North Beach, an area best known for its strip clubs.

History

Originally a Filipino restaurant and club owned by the late Ness Aquino, it featured many Filipino celebrities, including Amapola (aka Amapola Cabase). Aquino and Amapola also co-hosted a weekly television program, The Amapola Presents Show on KEMO TV Channel 20.

During the late 1970s, Jerry Paulsen was the first promoter of bands to appear at the Mab on a regular basis. He booked them on Mondays and Tuesdays to begin with so he could showcase the bands that he featured in Psyclone magazine to existing record executives. The scene became so popular that he was soon booking two bands a night seven days a week. Bay Area punk and new wave bands performed there, and it was an important touring stop for bands from beyond the San Francisco Bay Area. Among the local bands that performed regularly at the Fab Mab were the Avengers, Dead Kennedys, The Nuns, Crime, Dils, Ramones, Dictators, and Blondie. After he left, Dirksen (the "pope of punk") booked The Dead Boys, Nico, Devo, X, The Police, The Go-Go's, Motorhead, Sun Ra and his Arkestra, Patti Smith, and others. Comedians such as Whoopi Goldberg also made early appearances at the venue.