Ira Sandler erected an enduring pillar of San Francisco nightlife when he opened 1015 Folsom. Friends and colleagues remember him for his warm generosity.
Ira Sandler, the founder of world-famous San Francisco nightclub 1015 Folsom, has passed away at age 73.
According to Sandler’s friend of 36 years, Yolanda Edwards, he died of a heart attack. In a tribute shared on Instagram, she recounted how she met him — and while she dated him for two years, it was the friendship that followed that revealed the true depth of his caring and generosity.
“He was a dear soul who always looked out for and had a soft spot for the underdog,” Edwards wrote. “He was not the stereotypical nightclub owner — he was an artist at heart.” 1015 Folsom honored Sandler in an Instagram post of its own. “There are very few people who leave a permanent mark on a city’s culture,” reads the club’s statement. “Ira was one of them. San Francisco has always been a city defined by dreamers, outsiders, creators, and innovators. Ira embodied that spirit.”
The statement went on to echo Edwards’ remembrance of Sandler’s generosity. A passage reads, “What made Ira special was not just his vision, but his generosity. He gave opportunities to artists before anyone else believed in them. He supported locals, nurtured creative communities, and welcomed people from every walk of life. He dedicated his life to creating spaces where people could thrive and be themselves.”
Before he came into his own as a nightlife impresario, Ira Sandler was a fine art photographer who studied at the San Francisco art institute. Edwards recounted that two of her photographer friends, Larry Sultan and Jim Goldberg, praised him as “the star” of their group.
Sandler opened 1015 Folsom in 1986, originally under the name Das Klub before rebranding it three years later. Over its whopping four-decade run, it has platformed dance music superstars like Giorgio Moroder, Fatboy Slim, Nina Kraviz, and Honey Dijon.
We here at EDM Identity express our sincere condolences to the family and loved ones of Ira Sandler during what can only be a difficult time.
