Non Stop Bhangra

Great variety of music, rave-​like ambience, ethnically diverse crowd. Bar upstairs and downstairs. Right off the highway so it’s easy to find, though it’s hard to find parking.

The place would be great if you removed some of the creepy dudes. It’s really crowded and some of the men just need to cool it with invading women’s private spaces. Go in a group and you’ll be fine. The music’s pretty cool.

This review is for Non-​Stop Bhangra itself and not the venue. The group puts on a show/​event/​party and just rents this place whenever they do have the event. They dont own it. As for the actual event Non-​Stop Bhangra. Probably the best dance party I’ve been to in a long time. I had a blast with good friends and made new friends there as well. Im not going to get too detailed about what a night at Non-​stop Bhangra is like because then I’ll be giving it away and its one of those things you have to check out and experience in person. Great music, great entertainment and performers, great people of all ethnic backgrounds, they have drinks at the bar which cost about average what you would expect at a SF club on weekends. Im South Indian and I’ve been to many Desi parties but this one is unique and one of the best. I cant wait for the next one so I can bring even more people with me next time.

I always have such a good time at these events! The photo booth could use a little work and I’d prefer they hire a company so it’s not so DYI. All in all a great time!

Unilocal Review # 1000!
We were first-​timers and we had a good time! We joined the wedding procession parade a few blocks away from the venue, and danced along with the music and the other dancers — so fun! We bought our tickets beforehand and there were a number of people in line, so this took a little time, but we got our hand stamp and went in eventually (the cash line might be a tad faster).
They have a coat check where I also checked in my big bag of «stuff» that I really didn’t need. There’s a stage, main dance floor, a main bar (only 2 bartenders, they could’ve had more) and dance areas upstairs too. They did a fun demo of bhangra, which was cool, and we picked up some dance tips! The music was going, plus they had live performers — really great time! It gets hot in there so don’t wear long-​sleeved anything or sweaters — the lighter your clothes the better! They do have an area that we discovered later outside where you can get some air — this would be a good idea for next time!
I noticed a couple cabs go by as we were leaving so I think they know when people might start to need rides.
It was fun, very spirited and you will definitely get your workout and sweat on!

the good: GREAT bhangra music, diverse crowd, dholis, literal NONSTOP bhangra music, drunk brown people.
the bad: cover/​drinks are a little expensive (15 $ @ door + 3 $ coat check).

We had Non Stop Bhangra perform and teach people to dance at our wedding reception. They were awesome, and really got people moving.
If you are looking for something different at your next event, I would give them some serious thought.
They are poetry in motion and great fun

I love this place. I am a bhangra party fan and this place is the best place in bay area if you are looking for a punjabi party. Love the music !!
And the best part is the Dhol Walas, playing dhol.

I wish that I could give this more than five stars. This is one of my favorite dance nights in the city and has been for a long time. The ladies of Dhol Rhythms have found a winning formula — dance class and performance early on in the night then music to dance the rest of the night. The early class/​performance gets everyone in the door early (so you don’t have to wait for the majority of the crowd to show up at midnight like a lot of clubs) AND gets everyone comfortable dancing and talking with people. This is one of the only dance nights where 99% of everyone is dancing and laughing. Most dance clubs have at least half of everyone standing around looking cool. So much fun.
The venue is small — we could use more room to dance! But I think the stage and the viewing area upstairs makes it an interesting spot.

Bhangra is fun. Unfortunately the venue is really not the best. You need a lot of room for Bhangra and Rickshaw is super packed on NSB night. It is almost impossible to do any meaningful moves without stepping on or elbowing people around you. Probably not the best place to learn as a beginner but not a bad place to have fun if you can handle to extreme heat and humidity on the dance floor.

Recently, NSB had a east bay «Family Vibes» night. What a disappointment! They promised reggae, latin, funk and more in addition to bhangra. But, the entire night had 3 reggae songs and some hip-​hop like songs. And… I don’t know if it’s exactly true but I from what I saw, the reggae DJ was not getting treated too well by the punjabi guys. Sad. So sad. NSB, I expected more.

Loved this event when I visited sf! This is what i call clubbn! Music was on point! So colorful and diverse. So much energy! Don’t miss this

Moved back to India. And i miss NSB like crazy.
Had some great times.
To all the haters: you’re not dancing if you’re not sweating. Quit whining and start moving! You’re lucky to get such great music in the first place.

Ever watch India Waves or Showbiz India on Saturday mornings and see Hrithik Roshan or Salman Khan dancing and think «WOW…that’s hot!!» (yeah…me too! =) Well, if this style of music and dance is your bag, you should really check out Non Stop Bhangra!
Get there early… by 9 or 9:30 (to catch the lesson if you are «uninitiated in the ways of Bhangra») This event gets progressively more populated as the hours pass, in what I consider too small of a space! And frankly, the ventilation seems to be non existent! Tons of people + non stop dancing + cramped space + poor ventilation= you, sweating like a pig! (but in a good way?!)
Otherwise, except for my rant above, I have only great things to say about this event… AWESOME music, great energy/crowd…besides the lesson you’ll see some excellent dancing from some Bhangra troupes, a lady vocalist sings a few songs in Hindi, then a TRIO of dj’s play and play and PLAY… hence the «non-​stop» tag!
Non Stop Bhangra is held on the 3^rd Saturday of each month… so the next one is June 19^th) at the Rickshaw Stop in SF and there’s a full bar, so you can go Bollywood with a Bombay Sapphire Martini in hand! (OR should that be a Mumbai Martini??)
Namaste!

Love, love LOVE it. This event makes my month. I love getting together with all of the other Bhangra freaks and attempting to dance my enormous booty off. The lessons are fun, love the teachers! The energy and the crowd are really upbeat, the place is PACKED, and everyone is sweating like a horse by the middle of the night. Bhangra is a really fast paced dance with a lot of movement, so as some of the other Unilocalers noted, it gets waaay too packed in there to dance it properly, so everyone is forced to pull out their sexier bump and grind moves. It works the same, as long as one has a good time! To quote the words of a wise woman:
Just dance. It’ll be okay.

What a night! The music is amazing, dhol rhythms mixed with everything from rap to mashups, a crowd that doesn’t stop dancing and a guy outside selling Bhel Puri. This is such a great experience!
One piece of advice, dress so that you can stand the heat that eventually builds up here, there is very poor ventilation and everyone ends up sweating oodles. But hey, that just makes it REALLY seem like Delhi!
Get on over to Rickshaw stop for this amazing night out!

I love bhangra.
I love non-​stop bhangra even more.
Can’t stop, won’t stop. Dancing that is…
I love that the crowd is so diverse and that everyone is there to dance and have a good time. Plus you get like non-​stop entertainment all night — a bhangra dance lesson, 2 – 3 bhangra troupe performances, a lady singing in a traditional Hindi style, a reggae performance, a rap performance, and then non-​stop dj mixing of bhangra, hip hop, and dance music. The 50 Cent In Da Club bhangra mix was awesome and should be playing on national radio.
My favorite part of the night was that we arrived at 9:30pm for the bhangra lesson and were on the dance floor until about 12:30am when I pooped out and it was perfect — I was able to get home before 1am, I spent more time dancing than drinking, so I was able to get up the next morning and get some stuff done. All club nights should start and end early in my opinion. And yes, I realize I sound hella old right now. But the out till 3am and hungover all Sunday thing, is so done.
This night has definitely gotten more popular since I went last year and unfortunately that means it’s even hotter, even more crowded, and even more dangerous to bust out your bhangra dance moves on the floor. I still had a good time but I definitely think Non-​Stop Bhangra has outgrown the Rickshaw Stop and needs a new venue. The whole night was awesome from beginning to end, with the performances, dancing, and awesome mixes, but if it would have been much more enjoyable with less people, more fans, and better ventilation.

The last time I danced Bhangra to true Bhangra beats was at my sister’s wedding back in India in 2001. And I remember it being a true workout!
Since then, my body and dance rhythms got accustomed to club music (which is nice and different change but the basic beat is different from the bhangra «tol» beat) and my shoulders (the most integral part of any bhangra move) kinda-​sorta went dormant.
So, I find myself at the Rickshaw Stop with my buddies and as the music kicks off, my knee jerk reaction is to dance like I’m dancing to club music (feet first)… but wait! an itch begins at the base of my neck and slowly spreads to my shoulders and my arms go up, my shoulders heave up and down, my knees bend slightly and I start loosing myself to the bhangra beats and I’m back home in India… and the rest was history.
I don’t sweat easily and I was drenched in sweat after just 2 hours of dancing. So be prepared to really move every part of your body AND sweat AND have others around you sweat as well. You’re not going to be able to stand still or dance slowly (lest you want to get bumped by the rest of the crowd). This is a true workout!
The class at the beginning is helpful if you’ve never danced Bhangra. The best advise I can give you is the advise the instructors gave — don’t focus on getting the move right, focus on just being there and letting the music flow through you.
It’s a very mixed crowd, diverse racially and age wise too and the music is SUPERB! You cannot NOT dance when you have such lively music that just touches you to the core playing.
And now, why did I give this 4 stars and not 5?
1. Akin to Badlands in the Castro, after a while the sweat does start getting on your nerves. Even if you accept it as a part of going out dancing. When it rains, it pours.
Yes, I agree a bigger space would definitely help or not cram so many people in at one go by watching the count at the door. Or get the fans going.
2. The cover charge of $ 15 online and $ 20 at the door is a bit steep and then add drinks to that (transport — take the underground Muni to Van Ness and walk two blocks, folks), makes it an expensive night.
3. The first two hours were awesome but as the place got more and more packed, dancing the bhangra became virtually impossible due to :
a. Cramped space
b. Folks who were in the middle of the dance floor standing still with their drinks and not liking getting bumped by those dancing
c. Folks who would dive in and out of the dance floor by literally pushing you aside
At the end, I definitely see myself going there because the music is great and the crowd for the most part is really friendly and fun to be around. But I’ll call it a night after 2 or 3 hours to avoid the bumping around.
Kudos to Non-​stop bhangra and the Rickshaw Stop for making this a regular event! I was thrilled and rocked to the core!

Best dancing ever, and you don’t even have to know the music.
Well, as Kate V. mentioned in the previous review, this place does attract all sorts of people who may not really know what they’re doing but enjoying themselves just the same. I am one of those people. :)
I first got dragged into Rickshaw Stop for the Nonstop Bhangra night (every 3^rd Sat.) by an Indian friend about six months ago. My weekends usually don’t consist of much clubbing or drinking, and I had no idea what bhangra was either, so I wasn’t all that excited about going then.
But now I am convinced that this is the best way to dance the night away, drunk or not.
I do have to warn people that it does get very hot and crowded in there, and you WILL sweat!

So you know how there are times when you get stuck in the rain, and there comes a point where you’re so soaked you can’t get any wetter?
I assure you: If you endure a night of Nonstop Bhangra (every 3^rd Saturday at Rickshaw Stop), it will be one of those times. If not, you are DEFINITELY doing something wrong!
God, it had been waaaaayyy too long since I’ve danced like that! Bhangra, the energetic song and dance that fuses traditional Punjabi music and contemporary beats, is not only one of the coolest types of world music I’ve heard (THE DHOL! It just makes you wanna shake what your mama gave ya!); it is a workout in and of itself. I don’t know how the Dholrhythms Dance Troupe women do it and appear to have barely broken a sweat… for everyone else in the room, it’s seriously like covered from head to toe, soaked to the bone in nothing but pure perspiration, baby!
The thing I find most cool about this event is its welcoming, unpretentious air and super diverse crowd. Sure, I’ll admit that a couple times in the beginning of the night I got a few giggles out of watching some interesting looking folks do their Indian version of cutting a rug. But somewhere along the line, I realized that hey, it’s all about trying something different and having fun doing it. Which is why the Nonstop Bhangra Collective bothers to put on such an event, complete with a crash course in Bhangra 101.
Which is why everyone who goes, regardless of age, gender, race, creed, weight, or rhythm, lets go of themselves completely, and becomes but a drip of perspiration in this sweltering, steamy sweatbox of a nightclub. It’s a pretty sweet experience.
Which also brings me to my peeves about it, which is mostly an objection to its venue the Rickshaw Stop. While covering yourself in sweat can be fun, getting covered in everyone else’s sweat as well… is just kinda gross. Later into the night, I accepted the communal sweat-​factor and it was fine, but I really just kept wishing that the room were a little bigger. I think the following of bhangra in SF has outgrown Rickshaw, folks. I suggest we find a larger place.
Secondly, while I’m all about supporting cultural groups like Nonstop Bhangra and Dholrhythms, I really cannot fathom why this event costs 15 FREAKIN’ DOLLARS… especially since the drinks at Rickshaw are on the pricier side, the coatcheck is like $ 5 an item, I took a 10 dollar cab ride in the cold just to get there… blah blah blah, rob me much?! I mean, with all these costs added up, I may as well pay for gas and drive to a Indian House party somewhere in the South Bay.
Well, not really. The event is great, I just wish it didn’t cost me an arm and a leg.
Complaints aside, if you love to have a great time in a cultural context and whether or not you have any sense of rhythm, I highly suggest you experience Nonstop Bhangra. In honor of my 100^th review, I decided it deserves its own listing :).