San Francisco Band Carpool Tunnel Headlines Bittersweet Show at Closing Bottom of the Hill Venue

San Francisco indie rock band Carpool Tunnel will return to Bottom of the Hill on Thursday, February 26, for what marks both a career milestone and a farewell to the beloved Potrero Hill venue that helped launch their journey.

The four-piece group, formed in San Francisco around 2017, will headline a show as part of the Noise Pop music festival at the 17th Street venue that owners announced will close at the end of 2026.

“Bottom of the Hill holds a super close place in our heart,” said Ben Koppenjan, the band’s lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist. “When we were starting our band, playing at Bottom of the Hill was a big pinnacle for us.”

The upcoming performance carries special significance as the band’s first-ever Noise Pop show took place at Bottom of the Hill in 2022, according to Koppenjan.

Bottom of the Hill owners Lynn Schwarz, Ramona Downey and Kathleen Owen announced the venue’s closure on social media in early January. Their business partner Tim Benetti died in 2023, according to the announcement.

“We really, really want this last year to feel like a celebration and, even though we know it’s going to leave a hole in the ecosystem and it’s really sad, we refuse to think of it that way,” said Schwarz. “We would rather just say, ‘We had such a great run, and this year is going to be the best year that we’ve ever had.’”

The news hit the band hard. “When I heard the news, I was absolutely heartbroken,” said Koppenjan. “We love Lynn — we love everyone that works at Bottom of the Hill.”

Carpool Tunnel will share the stage with Small Crush, a band they previously performed with at venues like the Honey Hive Gallery in the Outer Sunset, along with indie/shoegaze band starbelliedbug.

Schwarz praised Carpool Tunnel’s loyalty to the venue that helped establish them. “Even as I felt they were perhaps getting big enough to headline bigger venues, they always throw it back to the venues that mean a lot to them, and that definitely is the kind of band that we love the most,” she said.

The venue owner recalled the band’s first performance at Bottom of the Hill and their immediate impact. “I was just blown away by them,” said Schwarz. “It was one of those bands where everyone in the crowd was just so into it, and it really took me by surprise. And I go, ‘These kids are definitely going places.’”

For the February 26 show, Koppenjan and bandmates Michael “Junior” Reed on drums, Jenny Quay on lead guitar, and Kalani Faith on bass guitar plan to perform songs from their albums “Don’t Let Them Pass You By” from 2023 and “Bloom” from 2021, along with newer material.

Faith described Bottom of the Hill as iconic and praised San Francisco’s welcoming music scene. Both she and Koppenjan appreciate the venue’s ability to attract music lovers who discover new bands.

“Bottom of the Hill is one of those places where people just show up to see bands,” said Koppenjan. “I’ve had people be like, ‘I just came to the show tonight, and I was so surprised by your set. You guys are so cool.’”

The venue, which opened in September 1991, has hosted Noise Pop shows for years as part of the festival that dates back to 1993. Founder Kevin Arnold originally organized a show featuring five bands for five dollars at the Kennel Club, now known as the Independent, according to festival history.

Bottom of the Hill’s quirky character, including interior decor that may be as old as the venue itself, adds to its appeal for performers, according to the band members.