Riffage.com Buys Historic Nightclub

An online music company that provides a breeding ground for new musical artists planned to announce today that it has purchased the Great America Music Hall, San Francisco’s oldest nightclub. Palo Alto-based Riffage.com bought the historic venue for an undisclosed price. The Great American Music Hall has hosted performances by Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Dave Matthews and Carlos Santana. Riffage.com will bring Internet broadcasting of future performances to the hall and wire the venue with high-tech digital production and networking capabilities, officials said. Riffage.com Chief Executive Ken Wirt said the Webcasting feature would broaden the reach of the Great American Music Hall “so fans worldwide can also enjoy and discover our featured entertainers through the Internet.” The hall first opened as Blanco’s in 1907, after the 1906 fire and earthquake destroyed much of the city.