For nearly two decades, Tony Molina quietly plied his trade at the Vogue Theatre, a boutique cinema on Sacramento Street in San Francisco. As part of his duties, Molina worked the concession stand, took tickets, operated the projector and cleaned up after everyone left, frequently working by himself to keep the independent operation running.
Yet unknown to most moviegoers at the Vogue, Molina was also a full-time musician — a nationally recognized artist who’s long been an anchor of the Bay Area’s punk and hardcore scene (and who has since mastered the art of the ultrashort power pop song.)
While Molina’s story may sound like a unique one — a semi-famous face working in relative anonymity — he’s actually just one of the countless musicians who have been employed at the Vogue Theatre during the past two decades. On Saturday, Molina and his fellow Vogue alumni will stage a benefit concert at the theater. It will be a rare live performance at the site, and one that will highlight the singular artistic nature of the quiet residential theater.
“In my experience, pretty much every boss I ever had at the Vogue came from music in one way or another — it was just this kind of weird coincidence,” said Molina, who worked off and on at the at the theater from 2003 to 2019. “Like, my first boss, he saw Black Flag way back in the day. So, I think at first, it was just this thing where they wanted to hire like-minded employees. And it works out well for musicians, because, in all honesty, it’s a very easy job. And it allows for us to go on tours and come back and work.”
Molina got his start at the Vogue at the age of 18 after being recommended for the job by fellow musician and longtime friend William Weber-Kneitel. The two played in numerous local bands together, and the theater seemed like a natural fit for Molina.
During that initial stint at the Vogue, Molina met musicians like Andrew Kerwin, Morgan Stickrod and others. Kerwin would go on to form the alt-country band Trainwreck Riders and eventually play in Molina’s punk band Ovens. (Likewise, Molina would contribute frequently to the Trainwreck Riders.) Other bands with roots in the Vogue Theatre and its sister operation, the Balboa Theatre, include The Four Eyes, the She’s, Pllush, This is My Fist and Slow Motion Cowboys.
“Some of my absolute best friends in life I met at the Vogue,” said Molina, who grew up in Millbrae and started playing in local bands when he was 14 years old. “To this day, I still speak to these guys all the time.”
During the pandemic, when all music activities ground to a distressing halt, Molina found himself returning more and more to the bands and relationships he formed at the Vogue. On a whim, he started contacting his vast musical community about putting together a mixtape of bands that have ties to the two theaters. With feedback from his friends, he eventually compiled a collection of songs from 28 different acts, titling it “The Vogue’s Greatest Hits, Volume 1.” (“I called it ‘Volume One’ because there are still so many other Vogue bands and songs not included on this tape,” said Molina.)
When Molina reached out to Vogue Theatre operator Adam Bergeron about issuing the mixtape, the idea quickly escalated to include a release party celebrating the compilation. Although the Balboa Theatre has increasingly turned toward more music shows, live performances at the Vogue are still infrequent, but with the support of Bergeron and Vogue General Manager Chloe Ginnever, Molina swiftly assembled an all-star cast of performers for the album release show. On Saturday, Trainwreck Riders, The Four Eyes, Slow Motion Cowboys, World Smasher and The Vogues (Molina’s alter ego) will all play at the vintage theater.
“It was crazy how quickly it came together,” said Molina, who will be releasing his latest solo album, “In the Fade,” on Aug. 12. “When I started connecting with my friends about playing a show at the Vogue, they were all super excited about taking part.”
Molina will distribute the mixtape at the show and all proceeds from tickets and tape sales will benefit Planned Parenthood, with the organization matching donations collected from the proceedings.
Molina recently moved to Concord in the East Bay, which is why he stopped working at the Vogue. He said if he lived closer, he would continue to work at the venerable location, even though he’s established himself as a musical mainstay in the Bay Area.
“I have so many amazing memories of the Vogue and I feel so lucky that I got to be a part of such a special place,” said Molina. “I can’t wait to together with all my best friends to celebrate the Vogue. It should be a really great night.”
Place a free digital obituary
We provide a free service for you to honor your loved ones. Click below to get started.
