If you’ve found yourself at an event lately thinking “damn, this DJ is great,” chances are good that Spellbound DJ Sami Fink was the mastermind behind the mix.
Fink came up in punk basements and venues in Washington D.C. and Baltimore before making their way to SF to pursue a career in ecological restoration. But even as they worked rebuilding habitats for Golden Gate National Parks, Fink’s musical roots begged to be tended. In 2014, they began playing shows with post-punk band Composite, working for a record label, and DJing around town.
Ten years later, Fink’s passion for music has evolved into a full-scale business cultivating the vibe of parties both laidback and wild all over California. When they’re not playing tunes, Fink calls the Outer Sunset home, where they live with friend and housemate, Cold Steel America body jewelry stylist Ferin Fick.
We caught up with Sami to find out what’s in their Bay, from their go-to coffee shop to their favorite SF neighborhood for a night out.
Great American Music Hall is "such a beautiful venue and the sound is on point, which is very important to me as an audiophile," says Fink.(Courtesy of @greatamericanmusichall)
What is your favorite Bay Area venue for live music?
I’ve always been a fan of the Great American Music Hall (859 O’Farrell St.). It’s such a beautiful venue and the sound is on point, which is very important to me as an audiophile. I was lucky enough to play the venue in 2018, when my former band Composite opened a sold-out show with Jawbreaker. That was definitely my most memorable experience there!
What's your go-to coffee joint?
Now that I live in the Sunset, I’ve become a regular at Andytown Coffee Roasters (3655 Lawton St.). The coffee is amazing, they have delicious gluten-free muffins, and I love their mascot, the snowy plover.
What’s your favorite Bay Area park for hiking or biking? Why?
I used to work in habitat restoration for the Golden Gate National Parks, so I’m very partial to those areas. Mori Point in Pacifica (775 Bradford Way) is so pretty for seaside viewing and Tennessee Valley in Marin (591 Tennessee Valley Rd., Mill Valley) is a beautiful place to go hiking. We are really blessed with so much beautiful nature here.
" I absolutely love" The Andiron in Mendocino, says Fink.(Courtesy of @theandiron)
What California hotel or resort keeps you coming back?
I have been to The Andiron in Mendocino (6051 N. CA-1, Little River) so many times. I absolutely love it. It’s kitschy, it’s cozy, the owners are so generous and friendly, they have some very funny old goats you can hang out with, and their hot tub is a magical experience because it’s tucked away in the woods. It is a delight every time.
What Bay Area–made item can you not live without?
Recently I’ve been so into this incense from Avenoir Co. They make a bunch of really lovely blends but my favorite is Arabian Oud. They sell it at Senses, a beautiful home goods store in North Beach (414 Francisco St.).
What’s your favorite SF neighborhood for a night out?
It’s a toss up between downtown and SoMa for me. SoMa is great for drag at Oasis (298 11th St.) and I’m really excited to check out the new location for The Stud (1123 Folsom St.). But downtown is kinda rockin’ lately, too. Starlite (450 Powell St.) has some of my favorite DJs spinning vinyl every week, and the Moongate Lounge (28 Waverly Pl., Chinatown) also has great DJs and nice mocktails.
"I almost always score something cute at Wasteland," says Fink.(Courtesy of @juaneventer.com_)
What's your go-to shop?
I really love fashion but I’m also extremely critical of fast fashion and consumption culture so I love to thrift and buy vintage. There are so many amazing secondhand shops in Haight-Ashbury! I almost always score something cute at Wasteland (1660 Haight St.), in particular. They have some really great designer pieces.
What's one of your favorite things about the Bay Area?
I want to shout out the underground arts communities here. This is a really tough place to be an artist or creative and I am extremely lucky that I managed to turn my passion for music into my career. San Francisco has historically been known as a place for artists and for outcasts to feel free and inspired, but the ways in which the city’s economy has evolved makes it hard for that cultural climate to survive. There are so many amazing people in the music and arts community who work hard to keep that spirit alive and are doing so in amazing ways: drag nights, DIY concert and gallery spaces, underground dance parties, psychedelic communities, queer spaces, harm reduction initiatives, and so much more. They don’t always get enough love for how much they do to keep the Bay a very inspiring place to live.
