An Evening With Chuck Prophet & The Make Out Quartet

Chuck Prophet has been writing smart, literate rock songs for 35 years, and somehow he's still San Francisco's best-kept secret. He started in Green on Red, the '80s desert-rock band that should've been as big as R.E.M., then went solo in 1990 with Brother Aldo. Since then: 14 studio albums, songs covered by Bruce Springsteen and Solomon Burke, a 2012 love letter to San Francisco called Temple Beautiful that Metacritic scored at 82. His latest, Wake the Dead, found him collaborating with Salinas cumbia outfit ¿Qiensave?—because why not. Prophet's voice lives somewhere between Tom Petty, Lou Reed, and Alex Chilton. His guitar work is loose but precise, and his lyrics have the literary sharpness of someone who's been doing this long enough to know exactly what he wants to say. He co-writes almost everything with Kurt Lipschutz (aka klipschutz), and their process involves sitting "in a small room" and shooting "gloomy looks at each other." An Evening With format means extended sets, no opener, and room to stretch. The Chapel's Mission District vibe—former church, exposed brick, good sound—suits Prophet's Americana perfectly. Valentine's Day date night for people who'd rather hear a great songwriter than fight for a reservation.