Daniel Bondi

Back in 2022, you could find a lot of things on Craigslist: free furniture, a car for sale, and the commercial space that would become home to The Faight. At least, the latter is what Daniel Bondi found within six months of moving to San Francisco from Southern California. Although Daniel initially relocated because of a new job in software sales, he sensed an underlying energy and excitement in the city that was just waiting to be harnessed. This inspiration, combined with the lack of third spaces (outside of restaurants and bars) and a Craigslist listing was all Daniel needed to commit to bringing the idea of The Faight to fruition.

Now almost three years later, The Faight has cemented its place as a gem of Lower Haight. Guided by a mission of “giving musicians and artists a platform to grow,” it strives to create a space that welcomes all types of artists. The Faight tosses out the notion that being an artist is confined to only the traditional mediums. Instead, Daniel and team plan and produce events that allow both hobbyist and career artists to freely express their creativity and inspire one another. As Daniel says: “we have the space, really the walls are the limit.”

Naturally, we were curious to know: What is Daniel’s favorite event?

He was quick to answer “Literally Underground”. This event aims to highlight local underground artists by allowing them to perform on stage which is… literally underground. While Daniel has never performed a scheduled set at The Faight (he is a guitarist and vocalist himself), we’ll hold out hope for serendipity to strike on a Tuesday Open Mic night. If we’re lucky, we might hear him cover “Grandma’s Hands” by Bill Withers, a personal favorite of his. But even if he’s not onstage, Daniel’s impact on The Faight’s culture is apparent.

In fact, creativity, joy, and impact are three of Daniel’s admitted core values. These values are woven into every event, every interaction, and every corner of The Faight. So I echo Daniel’s message: “There’s a renaissance in music and art happening right now [in San Francisco]. And we’re living it and breathing it. And it’s happening, you just have to […] get out into the streets and get out into your local spaces, and restaurants, and third spaces, and The Faights of the world to experience it.”