Baggy's By the Lake

The bass is already rattling the glass door before you even hand the bouncer your ID at Baggy's By the Lake. It is dark inside this Oakland cocktail spot on East 18th, way darker than you expect for a place shaking up mezcal drinks. The room is loud, packed tight with people spilling off the wooden banquettes and crowding the narrow bar top.

You're not here for fancy ice, even though they make a solid drink. You're here because local indie bands and ambient electronic acts set up right on the floor in the corner, with cables taped across the concrete and amps humming against the walls. The crowd leans heavy into the neighborhood scene, sweaty and loud, shouting over the feedback between songs. Bartenders move fast, slinging tallboys and house cocktails without missing a beat while the front room fills up with smoke and body heat.

Sound bounces off every hard surface in here, turning every set into a wall of noise that hits you right in the chest. It's hot, it's crowded, and if you stay past midnight, you can't hear yourself think over the drums.