After 20 Years of Blaps, The Mekanix Thrive on Willpower and Alignment
In Full-Circle Moment, Christian Vela Is Named Artistic Director of San Jose Jazz
Hiero Day Announces San Francisco Lineup, Expansion to LA and Canada
A Huge, Free ‘Future of Us’ Fest Wants to Spark San Francisco’s Imagination
Christopher L. Thompson Wins the San Francisco Symphony’s Emerging Black Composers Project
Metallica Just Flew to the UK and Pretty Much Broke Wales
When Generator Punk Shows Ruled the Mission District
For San José’s Kaleena Zanders, Dance Music Is ‘a Magical Experience’
Youth Radio Reopens in Oakland, Providing Programs to New Cohort
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"slug": "the-mekanix-oakland-rap-hip-hop-production-bay-area",
"title": "After 20 Years of Blaps, The Mekanix Thrive on Willpower and Alignment",
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"content": "\u003cp>The computer screen displays photos of rap luminaries. On a nearby wall hang news articles, vinyl records and memorabilia from the likes of Shock G and Tupac Shakur.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This is the East Oakland studio of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/kennytweedofthemekanix/?hl=en\">Kenny Tweed \u003c/a>and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/4rax_of_themekanix/?hl=en\">4Rax\u003c/a>, who during a recent visit sat in office chairs around a large, custom-made rug bearing the name of their production duo: \u003ca href=\"https://www.themekanix.com/\">The Mekanix\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It may seem like a humble setting for such an influential duo. For more than 20 years, The Mekanix have made blap after blap after blap, casting their name into the debate over the most prolific production team from the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Summarizing their winning formula, 4rAx says, simply, “Everything is about alignment.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/IMG_2164-scaled.jpeg\" alt=\"Two men pose for a photo while sitting on bar stools in a music studio.\" class=\"wp-image-13991415\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/IMG_2164-scaled.jpeg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/IMG_2164-160x213.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/IMG_2164-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/IMG_2164-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/IMG_2164-1536x2048.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">With more than 20 years of production credits to their name, The Mekanix are one of the most prolific production duos to ever come from the Bay Area. (Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Throughout their career, despite health concerns, technological shifts and the ups-and-downs of the music industry, The Mekanix have maintained their sound and honed their craft. Driven by an ambition to see the Bay properly represented, they consistently show what can be done with the bare essentials of 808s and willpower.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve been together for more than 20 years,” says 4rAx, laughing as he adds that such a milestone is rare for people in “regular relationships,” he says, “let alone business.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Mentored by the best\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tweed and 4rax may have come into the game from different angles, but they complimented one another immediately.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tweed is the son of jazz musician Kenny “Big Kenny” Tullis. A multitalented instrumentalist who focused mainly on the saxophone, he would gig around the Bay, and even did shows with Tower of Power. “He instilled music in me,” says Tweed of his father, who encouraged him to play the drums, piano and trumpet.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tweed was also childhood friends with Keak Da Sneak, and gravitated toward hip-hop. Spice 1 and RBL Posse spoke to his heart, but it was Too Short who really left his mark — until one day, when Tweed forgot to take a Short tape out of his dad’s cassette player.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“[Pops] fully supported me in being a musician,” says Tweed, “but he just didn’t want that playing in his house.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YU5vM4VSB3A\n\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Years later, Tweed’s residence would become a hit factory.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If you pulled up to High Street and Fairfax,” 4rAx says of Kenny’s home studio, “you would’ve thought somebody was out there selling bricks.” There were all kinds of cars and walks of life, a who’s-who of the Bay Area hip-hop scene, he says.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“When me and Tweed hooked up,” 4rAx reflects, “I had the door open to the industry through Shock G and Money B,” the two Digital Underground founders he refers to as “ambassadors of hip-hop.” 4rAx, who came from a family of auto mechanics in Chicago, fell in love with hip-hop before moving to the Bay as a young teen.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Once he touched the soil, he explored every aspect of the culture. A visual artist and barber, he was also part of a duo named Funky From Birth. They soon crossed paths fellow dance duo Razzle Dazzle (who’d appeared in Digital Underground’s “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBsjggc5jHM\">Humpty Dance\u003c/a>” video), and 4rAx became a backup dancer for the late actor, rapper and former Digital Underground member \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13968340/saafir-dead-oakland-rapper-dies-at-54\">Saafir\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Around the same time, 4rax befriended the late East Oakland rapper \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQbRZIVAxuc\">Plan B\u003c/a> and legendary graffiti artist \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/10141391/dream-but-dont-sleep-remembering-mike-dream-francisco\">Mike “Dream” Francisco\u003c/a>. They’d all hang out at the Shirtique store in the Hilltop Mall, where Dream airbrushed shirts. And “once or twice,” 4rAx recalls, “they had me DJ a backyard party for them, off cassettes.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Matriculating through “the crazy labyrinth” that led to a career in music, 4rAx held tight to his ambition of becoming a DJ. Through Digital Underground, he was introduced to producers and audio equipment. “And now I’m around turntables,” he says, “and I’m nice!” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Sure enough, when D.U.’s \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DJ_Fuze\">DJ Fuze\u003c/a> took some time away from the crew, 4rAx stepped up.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1020\" height=\"680\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/The-Mekanix-perform-at-Hiero-Day-on-Monday-Sept.-6-2022.-001-Estefany-Gonzalez-1020x680.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13918716\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/The-Mekanix-perform-at-Hiero-Day-on-Monday-Sept.-6-2022.-001-Estefany-Gonzalez-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/The-Mekanix-perform-at-Hiero-Day-on-Monday-Sept.-6-2022.-001-Estefany-Gonzalez-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/The-Mekanix-perform-at-Hiero-Day-on-Monday-Sept.-6-2022.-001-Estefany-Gonzalez-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/The-Mekanix-perform-at-Hiero-Day-on-Monday-Sept.-6-2022.-001-Estefany-Gonzalez-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/The-Mekanix-perform-at-Hiero-Day-on-Monday-Sept.-6-2022.-001-Estefany-Gonzalez-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/The-Mekanix-perform-at-Hiero-Day-on-Monday-Sept.-6-2022.-001-Estefany-Gonzalez.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1020px) 100vw, 1020px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">4rAx and Kenny Tweed of The Mekanix perform at Hiero Day on Monday, Sept. 5, 2022. (Estefany Gonzalez for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Linking with J. Stalin in the 2000s\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Kenny Tweed and 4rAx first combined forces at the turn of the millennium, working on a project for an artist named IRS and then later for the collective \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKfzciL6b1bqjoRl8Sx0zhwWDSCXxpLO-\">Hittaz on the Payroll\u003c/a>. But it was the debut project for an artist from West Oakland that solidified them as a production duo.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“One day,” says 4rAx, recalling a studio session at \u003ca href=\"https://www.thegrillstudios.com/\">The Grill Studios\u003c/a> in Emeryville, “we were mixing on some shit, and then \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/jstalinlivewire/?hl=en\">J. Stalin\u003c/a> came in and heard us playing some beats.” Young, brash, still one foot in the streets and fresh off of a record deal that had fallen through, Stalin started rapping. “We stopped the session,” 4rAx exclaims. They left the studio where they were mixing, went to a different studio and made the song “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LccVrkvUrdE\">So Cold\u003c/a>,” the first track for Stalin’s standout 2006 project, \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/album/4bTvgOTzn4bUumADOocbPp\">On Behalf of The Streets\u003c/a>\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It was a Toys R Us commercial,” says 4rAx of Stalin’s innocent-sounding tone that masked malicious lyrics. “He turned it into some street shit.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps://youtu.be/rZQmO20BSaw?si=ixsbvRdZ8-RCzy1V\n\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In addition to creating a staple sound with West Oakland’s Stalin, The Mekanix have produced tracks for local stars like \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/philthyrichfod/?hl=en\">Philthy Rich\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/3rdworldlilblood/?hl=en\">Lil Blood\u003c/a>, as well as Ice Cube and Snoop Dogg. Their latest project \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/album/3hVMJZALxqruV9EeyERQ8W\">Under The Hood 2\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, which dropped earlier this year, features Keak Da Sneak, Nef The Pharaoh, Kamaiyah and E-40, in addition to Devin The Dude, Icewear Vezzo, Suga Free, Mozzy and Scarface. (Years after his dad banned Too Short’s music from Tweed’s childhood home, the album also has — you guessed it — Too Short.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’s this mix of names, nationally known artists and local hood legends alike, that exemplifies The Mekanix.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s intentional,” says Tweed. “We want to put together dope collaborations that haven’t been done before,” he says, “and we just want to keep making it better and better, and bigger and bigger.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That urgency is rooted in something that happened in 2019. Their most recent project, a follow-up to their 2016 album \u003cem>Under the Hood\u003c/em>, almost didn’t happen at all.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘Everything got blurry’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Everything that went on with me,” 4rAx reflects, “they can’t even find it in my body no more. It was fucking the weirdest shit ever, bro.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In 2019 4rAx found himself experiencing headaches and dizziness. Six months of doctor’s visits and lab tests yielded no results. “Then,” he says, “one day I was watching TV and my eyes… everything got blurry.” At the emergency room, medics found an immense amount of pressure on his brain. He wound up getting surgery — if he hadn’t, doctors told him, there was a chance he would have gone blind.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The following year, as COVID-19 spread across the globe and 4rAx was reeling from his medical condition, Kenny Tweed’s father was diagnosed with cancer. Soon after, in spring of 2021, 4rAx’s mentor from Digital Underground \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13896256/digital-undergrounds-shock-g-an-oakland-hip-hop-icon-dies-at-57\">Shock G passed\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1020\" height=\"638\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/04/ShockG-1020x638.jpg\" alt=\"Shock G of Digital Underground performs during the BET Hip Hop Awards in 2010 in Atlanta. Shock G died Thursday at age 57.\" class=\"wp-image-13896258\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/04/ShockG-1020x638.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/04/ShockG-800x500.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/04/ShockG-160x100.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/04/ShockG-768x480.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/04/ShockG-1536x960.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/04/ShockG.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1020px) 100vw, 1020px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Shock G of Digital Underground performs during the BET Hip Hop Awards in 2010 in Atlanta. (Taylor Hill/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A dark cloud fell over the production duo, recalls 4rAx. Then his immune system was compromised, and things only got worse. “I had to be intubated,” says 4rAx, who was subsequently diagnosed with pneumonia in both lungs.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He spent 26 days in a coma. When he emerged, he learned that Tweed’s father had succumbed to cancer. 4rAx left the hospital in shambles. “I lost all my muscle mass,” he recalls. “I couldn’t walk, so I’m on a walker, plus a breathing apparatus.”\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Worst of all, he says, is that through the whole ordeal, he never got a conclusive answer as to what caused his initial ailment.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s 2026, and now I barely have any doctor appointments,” says 4rAx. “I’m not on any medicine. But they don’t know what the fuck happened, bro. And it doesn’t sit well with me because it could happen again.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Keep showing up \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>4rAx credits his workout routine for still being alive today, plus his belief in “staying ready before you have to get ready.” Both 4rAx and Tweed are brawny guys with regular workout schedules. Their devotion to health, making music and supporting the culture is almost spiritual.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/IMG_2181-scaled.jpeg\" alt=\"One man in a red shirt stands in the foreground while a man in a black shirt stands in the distance. \" class=\"wp-image-13991417\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/IMG_2181-scaled.jpeg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/IMG_2181-160x213.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/IMG_2181-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/IMG_2181-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/IMG_2181-1536x2048.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kenny Tweed and 4rAx of The Mekanix in front of their East Oakland studio. (Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I was a Christian Youth Fellowship president,” 4rAx says with a laugh, noting that it didn’t last long. Kenny Tweed adds that his father was also “heavy into The Word.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Whatever seeds were sown in those early years, both producers took the morality of scripture and applied it to what they’re doing with music.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Giving praise to the powers that be, 4rAx says, “It’s a bigger play going on that we have no idea about. … You just got to keep showing up, and trying to be your best self in the moment, so that eventually it grows and becomes exactly what it’s supposed to be.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The duo are currently at work on a documentary about the rich lineage of music producers from the Bay, in which they’ll be included. In addition to making more music, selling merch and beat kits, they’re also keen on teaching and mentoring the Bay Area’s next generation of music makers.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m gonna go ahead and say it,” declares 4rAx, tipping his hand and showing the production duo’s cards. “One of our next projects is called \u003cem>Alignment\u003c/em>,” he says, noting how much of his life has been kismet. “I can’t make this shit up.”\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Throughout their career, despite health concerns, technological shifts and the ups-and-downs of the music industry, The Mekanix have maintained their sound and honed their craft. Driven by an ambition to see the Bay properly represented, they consistently show what can be done with the bare essentials of 808s and willpower.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Throughout their career, despite health concerns, technological shifts and the ups-and-downs of the music industry, The Mekanix have maintained their sound and honed their craft. Driven by an ambition to see the Bay properly represented, they consistently show what can be done with the bare essentials of 808s and willpower.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We’ve been together for more than 20 years,” says 4rAx, laughing as he adds that such a milestone is rare for people in “regular relationships,” he says, “let alone business.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We’ve been together for more than 20 years,” says 4rAx, laughing as he adds that such a milestone is rare for people in “regular relationships,” he says, “let alone business.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "Mentored by the best",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Tweed and 4rax may have come into the game from different angles, but they complimented one another immediately.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Tweed is the son of jazz musician Kenny “Big Kenny” Tullis. A multitalented instrumentalist who focused mainly on the saxophone, he would gig around the Bay, and even did shows with Tower of Power. “He instilled music in me,” says Tweed of his father, who encouraged him to play the drums, piano and trumpet.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Tweed is the son of jazz musician Kenny “Big Kenny” Tullis. A multitalented instrumentalist who focused mainly on the saxophone, he would gig around the Bay, and even did shows with Tower of Power. “He instilled music in me,” says Tweed of his father, who encouraged him to play the drums, piano and trumpet.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Tweed was also childhood friends with Keak Da Sneak, and gravitated toward hip-hop. Spice 1 and RBL Posse spoke to his heart, but it was Too Short who really left his mark — until one day, when Tweed forgot to take a Short tape out of his dad’s cassette player.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Tweed was also childhood friends with Keak Da Sneak, and gravitated toward hip-hop. Spice 1 and RBL Posse spoke to his heart, but it was Too Short who really left his mark — until one day, when Tweed forgot to take a Short tape out of his dad’s cassette player.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“[Pops] fully supported me in being a musician,” says Tweed, “but he just didn’t want that playing in his house.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“[Pops] fully supported me in being a musician,” says Tweed, “but he just didn’t want that playing in his house.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YU5vM4VSB3A\n\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YU5vM4VSB3A\n\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Years later, Tweed’s residence would become a hit factory.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“If you pulled up to High Street and Fairfax,” 4rAx says of Kenny’s home studio, “you would’ve thought somebody was out there selling bricks.” There were all kinds of cars and walks of life, a who’s-who of the Bay Area hip-hop scene, he says.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“If you pulled up to High Street and Fairfax,” 4rAx says of Kenny’s home studio, “you would’ve thought somebody was out there selling bricks.” There were all kinds of cars and walks of life, a who’s-who of the Bay Area hip-hop scene, he says.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“When me and Tweed hooked up,” 4rAx reflects, “I had the door open to the industry through Shock G and Money B,” the two Digital Underground founders he refers to as “ambassadors of hip-hop.” 4rAx, who came from a family of auto mechanics in Chicago, fell in love with hip-hop before moving to the Bay as a young teen.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“When me and Tweed hooked up,” 4rAx reflects, “I had the door open to the industry through Shock G and Money B,” the two Digital Underground founders he refers to as “ambassadors of hip-hop.” 4rAx, who came from a family of auto mechanics in Chicago, fell in love with hip-hop before moving to the Bay as a young teen.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Once he touched the soil, he explored every aspect of the culture. A visual artist and barber, he was also part of a duo named Funky From Birth. They soon crossed paths fellow dance duo Razzle Dazzle (who’d appeared in Digital Underground’s “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBsjggc5jHM\">Humpty Dance\u003c/a>” video), and 4rAx became a backup dancer for the late actor, rapper and former Digital Underground member \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13968340/saafir-dead-oakland-rapper-dies-at-54\">Saafir\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Once he touched the soil, he explored every aspect of the culture. A visual artist and barber, he was also part of a duo named Funky From Birth. They soon crossed paths fellow dance duo Razzle Dazzle (who’d appeared in Digital Underground’s “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBsjggc5jHM\">Humpty Dance\u003c/a>” video), and 4rAx became a backup dancer for the late actor, rapper and former Digital Underground member \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13968340/saafir-dead-oakland-rapper-dies-at-54\">Saafir\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Around the same time, 4rax befriended the late East Oakland rapper \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQbRZIVAxuc\">Plan B\u003c/a> and legendary graffiti artist \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/10141391/dream-but-dont-sleep-remembering-mike-dream-francisco\">Mike “Dream” Francisco\u003c/a>. They’d all hang out at the Shirtique store in the Hilltop Mall, where Dream airbrushed shirts. And “once or twice,” 4rAx recalls, “they had me DJ a backyard party for them, off cassettes.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Around the same time, 4rax befriended the late East Oakland rapper \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQbRZIVAxuc\">Plan B\u003c/a> and legendary graffiti artist \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/10141391/dream-but-dont-sleep-remembering-mike-dream-francisco\">Mike “Dream” Francisco\u003c/a>. They’d all hang out at the Shirtique store in the Hilltop Mall, where Dream airbrushed shirts. And “once or twice,” 4rAx recalls, “they had me DJ a backyard party for them, off cassettes.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Matriculating through “the crazy labyrinth” that led to a career in music, 4rAx held tight to his ambition of becoming a DJ. Through Digital Underground, he was introduced to producers and audio equipment. “And now I’m around turntables,” he says, “and I’m nice!” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Matriculating through “the crazy labyrinth” that led to a career in music, 4rAx held tight to his ambition of becoming a DJ. Through Digital Underground, he was introduced to producers and audio equipment. “And now I’m around turntables,” he says, “and I’m nice!” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Sure enough, when D.U.’s \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DJ_Fuze\">DJ Fuze\u003c/a> took some time away from the crew, 4rAx stepped up.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Sure enough, when D.U.’s \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DJ_Fuze\">DJ Fuze\u003c/a> took some time away from the crew, 4rAx stepped up.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/The-Mekanix-perform-at-Hiero-Day-on-Monday-Sept.-6-2022.-001-Estefany-Gonzalez-1020x680.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13918716\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/The-Mekanix-perform-at-Hiero-Day-on-Monday-Sept.-6-2022.-001-Estefany-Gonzalez-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/The-Mekanix-perform-at-Hiero-Day-on-Monday-Sept.-6-2022.-001-Estefany-Gonzalez-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/The-Mekanix-perform-at-Hiero-Day-on-Monday-Sept.-6-2022.-001-Estefany-Gonzalez-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/The-Mekanix-perform-at-Hiero-Day-on-Monday-Sept.-6-2022.-001-Estefany-Gonzalez-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/The-Mekanix-perform-at-Hiero-Day-on-Monday-Sept.-6-2022.-001-Estefany-Gonzalez-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/The-Mekanix-perform-at-Hiero-Day-on-Monday-Sept.-6-2022.-001-Estefany-Gonzalez.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">4rAx and Kenny Tweed of The Mekanix perform at Hiero Day on Monday, Sept. 5, 2022. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/The-Mekanix-perform-at-Hiero-Day-on-Monday-Sept.-6-2022.-001-Estefany-Gonzalez-1020x680.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13918716\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">4rAx and Kenny Tweed of The Mekanix perform at Hiero Day on Monday, Sept. 5, 2022. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"text": "Linking with J. Stalin in the 2000s",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Kenny Tweed and 4rAx first combined forces at the turn of the millennium, working on a project for an artist named IRS and then later for the collective \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKfzciL6b1bqjoRl8Sx0zhwWDSCXxpLO-\">Hittaz on the Payroll\u003c/a>. But it was the debut project for an artist from West Oakland that solidified them as a production duo.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Kenny Tweed and 4rAx first combined forces at the turn of the millennium, working on a project for an artist named IRS and then later for the collective \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKfzciL6b1bqjoRl8Sx0zhwWDSCXxpLO-\">Hittaz on the Payroll\u003c/a>. But it was the debut project for an artist from West Oakland that solidified them as a production duo.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“One day,” says 4rAx, recalling a studio session at \u003ca href=\"https://www.thegrillstudios.com/\">The Grill Studios\u003c/a> in Emeryville, “we were mixing on some shit, and then \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/jstalinlivewire/?hl=en\">J. Stalin\u003c/a> came in and heard us playing some beats.” Young, brash, still one foot in the streets and fresh off of a record deal that had fallen through, Stalin started rapping. “We stopped the session,” 4rAx exclaims. They left the studio where they were mixing, went to a different studio and made the song “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LccVrkvUrdE\">So Cold\u003c/a>,” the first track for Stalin’s standout 2006 project, \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/album/4bTvgOTzn4bUumADOocbPp\">On Behalf of The Streets\u003c/a>\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“One day,” says 4rAx, recalling a studio session at \u003ca href=\"https://www.thegrillstudios.com/\">The Grill Studios\u003c/a> in Emeryville, “we were mixing on some shit, and then \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/jstalinlivewire/?hl=en\">J. Stalin\u003c/a> came in and heard us playing some beats.” Young, brash, still one foot in the streets and fresh off of a record deal that had fallen through, Stalin started rapping. “We stopped the session,” 4rAx exclaims. They left the studio where they were mixing, went to a different studio and made the song “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LccVrkvUrdE\">So Cold\u003c/a>,” the first track for Stalin’s standout 2006 project, \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/album/4bTvgOTzn4bUumADOocbPp\">On Behalf of The Streets\u003c/a>\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It was a Toys R Us commercial,” says 4rAx of Stalin’s innocent-sounding tone that masked malicious lyrics. “He turned it into some street shit.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It was a Toys R Us commercial,” says 4rAx of Stalin’s innocent-sounding tone that masked malicious lyrics. “He turned it into some street shit.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps://youtu.be/rZQmO20BSaw?si=ixsbvRdZ8-RCzy1V\n\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In addition to creating a staple sound with West Oakland’s Stalin, The Mekanix have produced tracks for local stars like \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/philthyrichfod/?hl=en\">Philthy Rich\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/3rdworldlilblood/?hl=en\">Lil Blood\u003c/a>, as well as Ice Cube and Snoop Dogg. Their latest project \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/album/3hVMJZALxqruV9EeyERQ8W\">Under The Hood 2\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, which dropped earlier this year, features Keak Da Sneak, Nef The Pharaoh, Kamaiyah and E-40, in addition to Devin The Dude, Icewear Vezzo, Suga Free, Mozzy and Scarface. (Years after his dad banned Too Short’s music from Tweed’s childhood home, the album also has — you guessed it — Too Short.)\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In addition to creating a staple sound with West Oakland’s Stalin, The Mekanix have produced tracks for local stars like \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/philthyrichfod/?hl=en\">Philthy Rich\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/3rdworldlilblood/?hl=en\">Lil Blood\u003c/a>, as well as Ice Cube and Snoop Dogg. Their latest project \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/album/3hVMJZALxqruV9EeyERQ8W\">Under The Hood 2\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, which dropped earlier this year, features Keak Da Sneak, Nef The Pharaoh, Kamaiyah and E-40, in addition to Devin The Dude, Icewear Vezzo, Suga Free, Mozzy and Scarface. (Years after his dad banned Too Short’s music from Tweed’s childhood home, the album also has — you guessed it — Too Short.)\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It’s this mix of names, nationally known artists and local hood legends alike, that exemplifies The Mekanix.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>It’s this mix of names, nationally known artists and local hood legends alike, that exemplifies The Mekanix.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s intentional,” says Tweed. “We want to put together dope collaborations that haven’t been done before,” he says, “and we just want to keep making it better and better, and bigger and bigger.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It’s intentional,” says Tweed. “We want to put together dope collaborations that haven’t been done before,” he says, “and we just want to keep making it better and better, and bigger and bigger.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That urgency is rooted in something that happened in 2019. Their most recent project, a follow-up to their 2016 album \u003cem>Under the Hood\u003c/em>, almost didn’t happen at all.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>That urgency is rooted in something that happened in 2019. Their most recent project, a follow-up to their 2016 album \u003cem>Under the Hood\u003c/em>, almost didn’t happen at all.\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "‘Everything got blurry’",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Everything that went on with me,” 4rAx reflects, “they can’t even find it in my body no more. It was fucking the weirdest shit ever, bro.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Everything that went on with me,” 4rAx reflects, “they can’t even find it in my body no more. It was fucking the weirdest shit ever, bro.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In 2019 4rAx found himself experiencing headaches and dizziness. Six months of doctor’s visits and lab tests yielded no results. “Then,” he says, “one day I was watching TV and my eyes… everything got blurry.” At the emergency room, medics found an immense amount of pressure on his brain. He wound up getting surgery — if he hadn’t, doctors told him, there was a chance he would have gone blind.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In 2019 4rAx found himself experiencing headaches and dizziness. Six months of doctor’s visits and lab tests yielded no results. “Then,” he says, “one day I was watching TV and my eyes… everything got blurry.” At the emergency room, medics found an immense amount of pressure on his brain. He wound up getting surgery — if he hadn’t, doctors told him, there was a chance he would have gone blind.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The following year, as COVID-19 spread across the globe and 4rAx was reeling from his medical condition, Kenny Tweed’s father was diagnosed with cancer. Soon after, in spring of 2021, 4rAx’s mentor from Digital Underground \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13896256/digital-undergrounds-shock-g-an-oakland-hip-hop-icon-dies-at-57\">Shock G passed\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A dark cloud fell over the production duo, recalls 4rAx. Then his immune system was compromised, and things only got worse. “I had to be intubated,” says 4rAx, who was subsequently diagnosed with pneumonia in both lungs.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>A dark cloud fell over the production duo, recalls 4rAx. Then his immune system was compromised, and things only got worse. “I had to be intubated,” says 4rAx, who was subsequently diagnosed with pneumonia in both lungs.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He spent 26 days in a coma. When he emerged, he learned that Tweed’s father had succumbed to cancer. 4rAx left the hospital in shambles. “I lost all my muscle mass,” he recalls. “I couldn’t walk, so I’m on a walker, plus a breathing apparatus.”\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Worst of all, he says, is that through the whole ordeal, he never got a conclusive answer as to what caused his initial ailment.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>He spent 26 days in a coma. When he emerged, he learned that Tweed’s father had succumbed to cancer. 4rAx left the hospital in shambles. “I lost all my muscle mass,” he recalls. “I couldn’t walk, so I’m on a walker, plus a breathing apparatus.”\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Worst of all, he says, is that through the whole ordeal, he never got a conclusive answer as to what caused his initial ailment.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s 2026, and now I barely have any doctor appointments,” says 4rAx. “I’m not on any medicine. But they don’t know what the fuck happened, bro. And it doesn’t sit well with me because it could happen again.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It’s 2026, and now I barely have any doctor appointments,” says 4rAx. “I’m not on any medicine. But they don’t know what the fuck happened, bro. And it doesn’t sit well with me because it could happen again.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Keep showing up \u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>4rAx credits his workout routine for still being alive today, plus his belief in “staying ready before you have to get ready.” Both 4rAx and Tweed are brawny guys with regular workout schedules. Their devotion to health, making music and supporting the culture is almost spiritual.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>4rAx credits his workout routine for still being alive today, plus his belief in “staying ready before you have to get ready.” Both 4rAx and Tweed are brawny guys with regular workout schedules. Their devotion to health, making music and supporting the culture is almost spiritual.\u003c/p>\n"
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/IMG_2181-scaled.jpeg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/IMG_2181-160x213.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/IMG_2181-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/IMG_2181-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/IMG_2181-1536x2048.jpeg 1536w",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/IMG_2181-scaled.jpeg\" alt=\"One man in a red shirt stands in the foreground while a man in a black shirt stands in the distance. \" class=\"wp-image-13991417\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/IMG_2181-scaled.jpeg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/IMG_2181-160x213.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/IMG_2181-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/IMG_2181-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/IMG_2181-1536x2048.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kenny Tweed and 4rAx of The Mekanix in front of their East Oakland studio. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/IMG_2181-scaled.jpeg\" alt=\"One man in a red shirt stands in the foreground while a man in a black shirt stands in the distance. \" class=\"wp-image-13991417\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kenny Tweed and 4rAx of The Mekanix in front of their East Oakland studio. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I was a Christian Youth Fellowship president,” 4rAx says with a laugh, noting that it didn’t last long. Kenny Tweed adds that his father was also “heavy into The Word.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I was a Christian Youth Fellowship president,” 4rAx says with a laugh, noting that it didn’t last long. Kenny Tweed adds that his father was also “heavy into The Word.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Whatever seeds were sown in those early years, both producers took the morality of scripture and applied it to what they’re doing with music.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Whatever seeds were sown in those early years, both producers took the morality of scripture and applied it to what they’re doing with music.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Giving praise to the powers that be, 4rAx says, “It’s a bigger play going on that we have no idea about. … You just got to keep showing up, and trying to be your best self in the moment, so that eventually it grows and becomes exactly what it’s supposed to be.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Giving praise to the powers that be, 4rAx says, “It’s a bigger play going on that we have no idea about. … You just got to keep showing up, and trying to be your best self in the moment, so that eventually it grows and becomes exactly what it’s supposed to be.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The duo are currently at work on a documentary about the rich lineage of music producers from the Bay, in which they’ll be included. In addition to making more music, selling merch and beat kits, they’re also keen on teaching and mentoring the Bay Area’s next generation of music makers.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The duo are currently at work on a documentary about the rich lineage of music producers from the Bay, in which they’ll be included. In addition to making more music, selling merch and beat kits, they’re also keen on teaching and mentoring the Bay Area’s next generation of music makers.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I’m gonna go ahead and say it,” declares 4rAx, tipping his hand and showing the production duo’s cards. “One of our next projects is called \u003cem>Alignment\u003c/em>,” he says, noting how much of his life has been kismet. “I can’t make this shit up.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I’m gonna go ahead and say it,” declares 4rAx, tipping his hand and showing the production duo’s cards. “One of our next projects is called \u003cem>Alignment\u003c/em>,” he says, noting how much of his life has been kismet. “I can’t make this shit up.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "For 20 years, the Oakland production duo has helped define the sound of Bay Area rap — and they're not done yet.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>The computer screen displays photos of rap luminaries. On a nearby wall hang news articles, vinyl records and memorabilia from the likes of Shock G and Tupac Shakur.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This is the East Oakland studio of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/kennytweedofthemekanix/?hl=en\">Kenny Tweed \u003c/a>and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/4rax_of_themekanix/?hl=en\">4Rax\u003c/a>, who during a recent visit sat in office chairs around a large, custom-made rug bearing the name of their production duo: \u003ca href=\"https://www.themekanix.com/\">The Mekanix\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It may seem like a humble setting for such an influential duo. For more than 20 years, The Mekanix have made blap after blap after blap, casting their name into the debate over the most prolific production team from the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Summarizing their winning formula, 4rAx says, simply, “Everything is about alignment.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/IMG_2164-scaled.jpeg\" alt=\"Two men pose for a photo while sitting on bar stools in a music studio.\" class=\"wp-image-13991415\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/IMG_2164-scaled.jpeg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/IMG_2164-160x213.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/IMG_2164-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/IMG_2164-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/IMG_2164-1536x2048.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">With more than 20 years of production credits to their name, The Mekanix are one of the most prolific production duos to ever come from the Bay Area. (Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Throughout their career, despite health concerns, technological shifts and the ups-and-downs of the music industry, The Mekanix have maintained their sound and honed their craft. Driven by an ambition to see the Bay properly represented, they consistently show what can be done with the bare essentials of 808s and willpower.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve been together for more than 20 years,” says 4rAx, laughing as he adds that such a milestone is rare for people in “regular relationships,” he says, “let alone business.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Mentored by the best\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tweed and 4rax may have come into the game from different angles, but they complimented one another immediately.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tweed is the son of jazz musician Kenny “Big Kenny” Tullis. A multitalented instrumentalist who focused mainly on the saxophone, he would gig around the Bay, and even did shows with Tower of Power. “He instilled music in me,” says Tweed of his father, who encouraged him to play the drums, piano and trumpet.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tweed was also childhood friends with Keak Da Sneak, and gravitated toward hip-hop. Spice 1 and RBL Posse spoke to his heart, but it was Too Short who really left his mark — until one day, when Tweed forgot to take a Short tape out of his dad’s cassette player.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“[Pops] fully supported me in being a musician,” says Tweed, “but he just didn’t want that playing in his house.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/YU5vM4VSB3A'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/YU5vM4VSB3A'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Years later, Tweed’s residence would become a hit factory.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If you pulled up to High Street and Fairfax,” 4rAx says of Kenny’s home studio, “you would’ve thought somebody was out there selling bricks.” There were all kinds of cars and walks of life, a who’s-who of the Bay Area hip-hop scene, he says.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“When me and Tweed hooked up,” 4rAx reflects, “I had the door open to the industry through Shock G and Money B,” the two Digital Underground founders he refers to as “ambassadors of hip-hop.” 4rAx, who came from a family of auto mechanics in Chicago, fell in love with hip-hop before moving to the Bay as a young teen.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Once he touched the soil, he explored every aspect of the culture. A visual artist and barber, he was also part of a duo named Funky From Birth. They soon crossed paths fellow dance duo Razzle Dazzle (who’d appeared in Digital Underground’s “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBsjggc5jHM\">Humpty Dance\u003c/a>” video), and 4rAx became a backup dancer for the late actor, rapper and former Digital Underground member \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13968340/saafir-dead-oakland-rapper-dies-at-54\">Saafir\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Around the same time, 4rax befriended the late East Oakland rapper \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQbRZIVAxuc\">Plan B\u003c/a> and legendary graffiti artist \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/10141391/dream-but-dont-sleep-remembering-mike-dream-francisco\">Mike “Dream” Francisco\u003c/a>. They’d all hang out at the Shirtique store in the Hilltop Mall, where Dream airbrushed shirts. And “once or twice,” 4rAx recalls, “they had me DJ a backyard party for them, off cassettes.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Matriculating through “the crazy labyrinth” that led to a career in music, 4rAx held tight to his ambition of becoming a DJ. Through Digital Underground, he was introduced to producers and audio equipment. “And now I’m around turntables,” he says, “and I’m nice!” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Sure enough, when D.U.’s \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DJ_Fuze\">DJ Fuze\u003c/a> took some time away from the crew, 4rAx stepped up.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1020\" height=\"680\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/The-Mekanix-perform-at-Hiero-Day-on-Monday-Sept.-6-2022.-001-Estefany-Gonzalez-1020x680.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13918716\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/The-Mekanix-perform-at-Hiero-Day-on-Monday-Sept.-6-2022.-001-Estefany-Gonzalez-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/The-Mekanix-perform-at-Hiero-Day-on-Monday-Sept.-6-2022.-001-Estefany-Gonzalez-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/The-Mekanix-perform-at-Hiero-Day-on-Monday-Sept.-6-2022.-001-Estefany-Gonzalez-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/The-Mekanix-perform-at-Hiero-Day-on-Monday-Sept.-6-2022.-001-Estefany-Gonzalez-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/The-Mekanix-perform-at-Hiero-Day-on-Monday-Sept.-6-2022.-001-Estefany-Gonzalez-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/The-Mekanix-perform-at-Hiero-Day-on-Monday-Sept.-6-2022.-001-Estefany-Gonzalez.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1020px) 100vw, 1020px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">4rAx and Kenny Tweed of The Mekanix perform at Hiero Day on Monday, Sept. 5, 2022. (Estefany Gonzalez for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Linking with J. Stalin in the 2000s\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Kenny Tweed and 4rAx first combined forces at the turn of the millennium, working on a project for an artist named IRS and then later for the collective \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKfzciL6b1bqjoRl8Sx0zhwWDSCXxpLO-\">Hittaz on the Payroll\u003c/a>. But it was the debut project for an artist from West Oakland that solidified them as a production duo.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“One day,” says 4rAx, recalling a studio session at \u003ca href=\"https://www.thegrillstudios.com/\">The Grill Studios\u003c/a> in Emeryville, “we were mixing on some shit, and then \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/jstalinlivewire/?hl=en\">J. Stalin\u003c/a> came in and heard us playing some beats.” Young, brash, still one foot in the streets and fresh off of a record deal that had fallen through, Stalin started rapping. “We stopped the session,” 4rAx exclaims. They left the studio where they were mixing, went to a different studio and made the song “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LccVrkvUrdE\">So Cold\u003c/a>,” the first track for Stalin’s standout 2006 project, \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/album/4bTvgOTzn4bUumADOocbPp\">On Behalf of The Streets\u003c/a>\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It was a Toys R Us commercial,” says 4rAx of Stalin’s innocent-sounding tone that masked malicious lyrics. “He turned it into some street shit.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/rZQmO20BSaw'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/rZQmO20BSaw'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In addition to creating a staple sound with West Oakland’s Stalin, The Mekanix have produced tracks for local stars like \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/philthyrichfod/?hl=en\">Philthy Rich\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/3rdworldlilblood/?hl=en\">Lil Blood\u003c/a>, as well as Ice Cube and Snoop Dogg. Their latest project \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/album/3hVMJZALxqruV9EeyERQ8W\">Under The Hood 2\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, which dropped earlier this year, features Keak Da Sneak, Nef The Pharaoh, Kamaiyah and E-40, in addition to Devin The Dude, Icewear Vezzo, Suga Free, Mozzy and Scarface. (Years after his dad banned Too Short’s music from Tweed’s childhood home, the album also has — you guessed it — Too Short.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’s this mix of names, nationally known artists and local hood legends alike, that exemplifies The Mekanix.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s intentional,” says Tweed. “We want to put together dope collaborations that haven’t been done before,” he says, “and we just want to keep making it better and better, and bigger and bigger.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That urgency is rooted in something that happened in 2019. Their most recent project, a follow-up to their 2016 album \u003cem>Under the Hood\u003c/em>, almost didn’t happen at all.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘Everything got blurry’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Everything that went on with me,” 4rAx reflects, “they can’t even find it in my body no more. It was fucking the weirdest shit ever, bro.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In 2019 4rAx found himself experiencing headaches and dizziness. Six months of doctor’s visits and lab tests yielded no results. “Then,” he says, “one day I was watching TV and my eyes… everything got blurry.” At the emergency room, medics found an immense amount of pressure on his brain. He wound up getting surgery — if he hadn’t, doctors told him, there was a chance he would have gone blind.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The following year, as COVID-19 spread across the globe and 4rAx was reeling from his medical condition, Kenny Tweed’s father was diagnosed with cancer. Soon after, in spring of 2021, 4rAx’s mentor from Digital Underground \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13896256/digital-undergrounds-shock-g-an-oakland-hip-hop-icon-dies-at-57\">Shock G passed\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1020\" height=\"638\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/04/ShockG-1020x638.jpg\" alt=\"Shock G of Digital Underground performs during the BET Hip Hop Awards in 2010 in Atlanta. Shock G died Thursday at age 57.\" class=\"wp-image-13896258\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/04/ShockG-1020x638.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/04/ShockG-800x500.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/04/ShockG-160x100.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/04/ShockG-768x480.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/04/ShockG-1536x960.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/04/ShockG.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1020px) 100vw, 1020px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Shock G of Digital Underground performs during the BET Hip Hop Awards in 2010 in Atlanta. (Taylor Hill/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A dark cloud fell over the production duo, recalls 4rAx. Then his immune system was compromised, and things only got worse. “I had to be intubated,” says 4rAx, who was subsequently diagnosed with pneumonia in both lungs.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He spent 26 days in a coma. When he emerged, he learned that Tweed’s father had succumbed to cancer. 4rAx left the hospital in shambles. “I lost all my muscle mass,” he recalls. “I couldn’t walk, so I’m on a walker, plus a breathing apparatus.”\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Worst of all, he says, is that through the whole ordeal, he never got a conclusive answer as to what caused his initial ailment.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s 2026, and now I barely have any doctor appointments,” says 4rAx. “I’m not on any medicine. But they don’t know what the fuck happened, bro. And it doesn’t sit well with me because it could happen again.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Keep showing up \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>4rAx credits his workout routine for still being alive today, plus his belief in “staying ready before you have to get ready.” Both 4rAx and Tweed are brawny guys with regular workout schedules. Their devotion to health, making music and supporting the culture is almost spiritual.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/IMG_2181-scaled.jpeg\" alt=\"One man in a red shirt stands in the foreground while a man in a black shirt stands in the distance. \" class=\"wp-image-13991417\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/IMG_2181-scaled.jpeg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/IMG_2181-160x213.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/IMG_2181-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/IMG_2181-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/IMG_2181-1536x2048.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kenny Tweed and 4rAx of The Mekanix in front of their East Oakland studio. (Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I was a Christian Youth Fellowship president,” 4rAx says with a laugh, noting that it didn’t last long. Kenny Tweed adds that his father was also “heavy into The Word.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Whatever seeds were sown in those early years, both producers took the morality of scripture and applied it to what they’re doing with music.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Giving praise to the powers that be, 4rAx says, “It’s a bigger play going on that we have no idea about. … You just got to keep showing up, and trying to be your best self in the moment, so that eventually it grows and becomes exactly what it’s supposed to be.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The duo are currently at work on a documentary about the rich lineage of music producers from the Bay, in which they’ll be included. In addition to making more music, selling merch and beat kits, they’re also keen on teaching and mentoring the Bay Area’s next generation of music makers.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m gonna go ahead and say it,” declares 4rAx, tipping his hand and showing the production duo’s cards. “One of our next projects is called \u003cem>Alignment\u003c/em>,” he says, noting how much of his life has been kismet. “I can’t make this shit up.”\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "san-jose-jazz-christian-vela-artistic-director-summer-fest",
"title": "In Full-Circle Moment, Christian Vela Is Named Artistic Director of San Jose Jazz",
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"headTitle": "In Full-Circle Moment, Christian Vela Is Named Artistic Director of San Jose Jazz | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>As a freewheeling kid growing up in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/san-jose\">East San Jose\u003c/a> in the late 1990s, Christian Vela anticipated each San Jose Jazz Festival with a mounting excitement that he can still recall vividly.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It was the feeling you get the last day of school, or right before Christmas, then I’d get on my bike and ride down to the festival,” he recalls, still sounding amazed at seeing musicians he loved on the same downtown plaza stage where he’d skateboard. “One year, I ended up getting backstage and took a photo with Poncho Sanchez, who was a hero of mine. I couldn’t believe it!”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>With \u003ca href=\"https://youtu.be/8SM3Cqm9xL0?si=kHiiK7v2lH323QWe\">today’s announcement\u003c/a> that Vela will take over as artistic director of that very same festival — now known as \u003ca href=\"https://summerfest.sanjosejazz.org/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=2085391436&gbraid=0AAAAAD_iJiL4JfAucAzI0YPHHUZqS8UDV&gclid=Cj0KCQjw3qLSBhDaARIsAFTiVh6rdHAuzfgsaXmd_1I1VarYYWt5M2bCDGwE3cNUQIWhS_t4ds-gRwsaAvNOEALw_wcB\">Summer Fest\u003c/a>, which from Aug. 7–9 brings dozens of jazz, blues, R&B, Latin and soul acts to downtown San José — he’s made a full-circle journey back to the organization that shaped his love of music.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Vela’s already made an impact since taking over as \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/san-jose-jazz\">San Jose Jazz\u003c/a>’s production manager in 2024, and his appointment last year as associate artistic director. He steps into the lead curator role in September, filling the big shoes of Bruce Labadie, the pervasively influential South Bay music programmer who’s booked Summer Fest since its inception in 1990.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1339\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/1986_Bruce_Labadie_with_Nancy_Wilson.jpg\" alt=\"A white man in a mustache and colorful sweatshirt poses against a wood paneled wall with a striking Black woman in a tan suit jacket and decorative rings.\" class=\"wp-image-13991321\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/1986_Bruce_Labadie_with_Nancy_Wilson.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/1986_Bruce_Labadie_with_Nancy_Wilson-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/1986_Bruce_Labadie_with_Nancy_Wilson-768x514.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/1986_Bruce_Labadie_with_Nancy_Wilson-1536x1028.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San Jose Jazz founder Bruce Labadie, at right, with singer Nancy Wilson in 1986. (Courtesy San Jose Jazz)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At 45, Vela brings a wealth of experience to the position — and not just from riding his bike to the festival each year as a teenager. He served as \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/sfjazz\">SFJAZZ\u003c/a>’s senior production manager for 11 years, from 2013-2024, followed by a year-long stint as COO of the Presidio Theatre. After coming back home, he’s spent the past two years under Labadie’s wing at San Jose Jazz.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Christian knows how to work with artists,” says Labadie, whose half-century career encompasses booking three dozen venues and festivals across the state, including last summer’s Monterey Jazz Festival. “He’s involved in all kinds of other things that San Jose Jazz is doing, like the Break Room, but Summer Fest is a different level. I cautioned him, it’s non-stop work.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Judging by his track record at the Break Room, an intimate venue that San Jose Jazz opened during the pandemic, Vela has already brought in a trove of new ideas. A self-described vinylphile, he added artist residencies into the Break Room mix, which includes taking musicians record hunting before they spin albums and discuss their formative influences for an audience.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1600\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/Christian-and-Chucho-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991322\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/Christian-and-Chucho-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/Christian-and-Chucho-1-160x128.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/Christian-and-Chucho-1-768x614.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/Christian-and-Chucho-1-1536x1229.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Christian Vela, at left, with the Cuban pianist Chucho Valdés. (Courtesy San Jose Jazz)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s actually very selfish, bringing together all the things that I like,” Vela says. “My partner and I are into vinyl — she spins as DJ Weekend Girl — and I wanted to think of a unique way to introduce a vinyl night.” Another idea of Vela’s was having the resident artist join an all-ages jam session that takes place on \u003ca href=\"https://www.southfirstfridays.com/\">First Fridays\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One of four children born in San José to parents from Ciudad Juárez, Vela got his start as a musician playing guitar in church. When a group of friends at Independence High School gained traction with the ska band Firme, he became their tour manager. As the keeper of the band’s van, he ended up providing transportation for Manu Chao, and struck up a friendship with the polyglot French-Spanish star.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Around 2011, Manu Chao’s people dropped his name to the Malian couple Amadou and Mariam, who at the time were seeking a tour manager. Despite speaking rudimentary French, Vela jumped into the role.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I did my homework on the instruments, learning how to set them up and mic them, and did my part in trying to learn French, taking courses on my phone,” Vela says. “I think they saw the effort I put forth, and I toured with them for almost three years.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He was ready to come off the road and spend some time at home when Amadou and Mariam concluded a long tour with an SFJAZZ performance at Davies Symphony Hall in 2013. “I’m like a roadrunner all over the place, and the SFJAZZ production manager on stage was watching me,” recalls Vela, who ended up signing on with the recently opened SFJAZZ Center. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1411\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/SJZ-SF_Kamasi-Washington_photo-by-Grason-Littles.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991323\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/SJZ-SF_Kamasi-Washington_photo-by-Grason-Littles.jpg 1411w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/SJZ-SF_Kamasi-Washington_photo-by-Grason-Littles-160x227.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/SJZ-SF_Kamasi-Washington_photo-by-Grason-Littles-768x1089.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/SJZ-SF_Kamasi-Washington_photo-by-Grason-Littles-1084x1536.jpg 1084w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1411px) 100vw, 1411px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Saxophonist Kamasi Washington performs as part of Summer Fest in downtown San José. (Grason Littles)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If he was helping forge a new venue identity at SFJAZZ, he’s taking on a very different role at San Jose Jazz, which for decades has maintained one of the West Coast’s premiere festivals by building upon San José’s downtown resources, like the Tech Museum, Montgomery Theater and expansive plaza.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s one of my favorite festivals, and an advantage Christian has is that Bruce Labadie has given him a runway,” says bassist \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/marcus-shelby\">Marcus Shelby\u003c/a> — who, as the artistic director of Healdsburg Jazz since 2020, knows all about taking over programming from a festival’s founder.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s the perfect opportunity and situation for him,” Shelby adds. “He’s someone who loves and knows the heartbeat of the city.”\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It was the feeling you get the last day of school, or right before Christmas, then I’d get on my bike and ride down to the festival,” he recalls, still sounding amazed at seeing musicians he loved on the same downtown plaza stage where he’d skateboard. “One year, I ended up getting backstage and took a photo with Poncho Sanchez, who was a hero of mine. I couldn’t believe it!”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It was the feeling you get the last day of school, or right before Christmas, then I’d get on my bike and ride down to the festival,” he recalls, still sounding amazed at seeing musicians he loved on the same downtown plaza stage where he’d skateboard. “One year, I ended up getting backstage and took a photo with Poncho Sanchez, who was a hero of mine. I couldn’t believe it!”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>With \u003ca href=\"https://youtu.be/8SM3Cqm9xL0?si=kHiiK7v2lH323QWe\">today’s announcement\u003c/a> that Vela will take over as artistic director of that very same festival — now known as \u003ca href=\"https://summerfest.sanjosejazz.org/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=2085391436&gbraid=0AAAAAD_iJiL4JfAucAzI0YPHHUZqS8UDV&gclid=Cj0KCQjw3qLSBhDaARIsAFTiVh6rdHAuzfgsaXmd_1I1VarYYWt5M2bCDGwE3cNUQIWhS_t4ds-gRwsaAvNOEALw_wcB\">Summer Fest\u003c/a>, which from Aug. 7–9 brings dozens of jazz, blues, R&B, Latin and soul acts to downtown San José — he’s made a full-circle journey back to the organization that shaped his love of music.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>With \u003ca href=\"https://youtu.be/8SM3Cqm9xL0?si=kHiiK7v2lH323QWe\">today’s announcement\u003c/a> that Vela will take over as artistic director of that very same festival — now known as \u003ca href=\"https://summerfest.sanjosejazz.org/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=2085391436&gbraid=0AAAAAD_iJiL4JfAucAzI0YPHHUZqS8UDV&gclid=Cj0KCQjw3qLSBhDaARIsAFTiVh6rdHAuzfgsaXmd_1I1VarYYWt5M2bCDGwE3cNUQIWhS_t4ds-gRwsaAvNOEALw_wcB\">Summer Fest\u003c/a>, which from Aug. 7–9 brings dozens of jazz, blues, R&B, Latin and soul acts to downtown San José — he’s made a full-circle journey back to the organization that shaped his love of music.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Vela’s already made an impact since taking over as \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/san-jose-jazz\">San Jose Jazz\u003c/a>’s production manager in 2024, and his appointment last year as associate artistic director. He steps into the lead curator role in September, filling the big shoes of Bruce Labadie, the pervasively influential South Bay music programmer who’s booked Summer Fest since its inception in 1990.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Vela’s already made an impact since taking over as \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/san-jose-jazz\">San Jose Jazz\u003c/a>’s production manager in 2024, and his appointment last year as associate artistic director. He steps into the lead curator role in September, filling the big shoes of Bruce Labadie, the pervasively influential South Bay music programmer who’s booked Summer Fest since its inception in 1990.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>At 45, Vela brings a wealth of experience to the position — and not just from riding his bike to the festival each year as a teenager. He served as \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/sfjazz\">SFJAZZ\u003c/a>’s senior production manager for 11 years, from 2013-2024, followed by a year-long stint as COO of the Presidio Theatre. After coming back home, he’s spent the past two years under Labadie’s wing at San Jose Jazz.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Christian knows how to work with artists,” says Labadie, whose half-century career encompasses booking three dozen venues and festivals across the state, including last summer’s Monterey Jazz Festival. “He’s involved in all kinds of other things that San Jose Jazz is doing, like the Break Room, but Summer Fest is a different level. I cautioned him, it’s non-stop work.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Judging by his track record at the Break Room, an intimate venue that San Jose Jazz opened during the pandemic, Vela has already brought in a trove of new ideas. A self-described vinylphile, he added artist residencies into the Break Room mix, which includes taking musicians record hunting before they spin albums and discuss their formative influences for an audience.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s actually very selfish, bringing together all the things that I like,” Vela says. “My partner and I are into vinyl — she spins as DJ Weekend Girl — and I wanted to think of a unique way to introduce a vinyl night.” Another idea of Vela’s was having the resident artist join an all-ages jam session that takes place on \u003ca href=\"https://www.southfirstfridays.com/\">First Fridays\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>One of four children born in San José to parents from Ciudad Juárez, Vela got his start as a musician playing guitar in church. When a group of friends at Independence High School gained traction with the ska band Firme, he became their tour manager. As the keeper of the band’s van, he ended up providing transportation for Manu Chao, and struck up a friendship with the polyglot French-Spanish star.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Around 2011, Manu Chao’s people dropped his name to the Malian couple Amadou and Mariam, who at the time were seeking a tour manager. Despite speaking rudimentary French, Vela jumped into the role.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I did my homework on the instruments, learning how to set them up and mic them, and did my part in trying to learn French, taking courses on my phone,” Vela says. “I think they saw the effort I put forth, and I toured with them for almost three years.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He was ready to come off the road and spend some time at home when Amadou and Mariam concluded a long tour with an SFJAZZ performance at Davies Symphony Hall in 2013. “I’m like a roadrunner all over the place, and the SFJAZZ production manager on stage was watching me,” recalls Vela, who ended up signing on with the recently opened SFJAZZ Center. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If he was helping forge a new venue identity at SFJAZZ, he’s taking on a very different role at San Jose Jazz, which for decades has maintained one of the West Coast’s premiere festivals by building upon San José’s downtown resources, like the Tech Museum, Montgomery Theater and expansive plaza.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s one of my favorite festivals, and an advantage Christian has is that Bruce Labadie has given him a runway,” says bassist \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/marcus-shelby\">Marcus Shelby\u003c/a> — who, as the artistic director of Healdsburg Jazz since 2020, knows all about taking over programming from a festival’s founder.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s the perfect opportunity and situation for him,” Shelby adds. “He’s someone who loves and knows the heartbeat of the city.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>As a freewheeling kid growing up in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/san-jose\">East San Jose\u003c/a> in the late 1990s, Christian Vela anticipated each San Jose Jazz Festival with a mounting excitement that he can still recall vividly.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It was the feeling you get the last day of school, or right before Christmas, then I’d get on my bike and ride down to the festival,” he recalls, still sounding amazed at seeing musicians he loved on the same downtown plaza stage where he’d skateboard. “One year, I ended up getting backstage and took a photo with Poncho Sanchez, who was a hero of mine. I couldn’t believe it!”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>With \u003ca href=\"https://youtu.be/8SM3Cqm9xL0?si=kHiiK7v2lH323QWe\">today’s announcement\u003c/a> that Vela will take over as artistic director of that very same festival — now known as \u003ca href=\"https://summerfest.sanjosejazz.org/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=2085391436&gbraid=0AAAAAD_iJiL4JfAucAzI0YPHHUZqS8UDV&gclid=Cj0KCQjw3qLSBhDaARIsAFTiVh6rdHAuzfgsaXmd_1I1VarYYWt5M2bCDGwE3cNUQIWhS_t4ds-gRwsaAvNOEALw_wcB\">Summer Fest\u003c/a>, which from Aug. 7–9 brings dozens of jazz, blues, R&B, Latin and soul acts to downtown San José — he’s made a full-circle journey back to the organization that shaped his love of music.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Vela’s already made an impact since taking over as \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/san-jose-jazz\">San Jose Jazz\u003c/a>’s production manager in 2024, and his appointment last year as associate artistic director. He steps into the lead curator role in September, filling the big shoes of Bruce Labadie, the pervasively influential South Bay music programmer who’s booked Summer Fest since its inception in 1990.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1339\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/1986_Bruce_Labadie_with_Nancy_Wilson.jpg\" alt=\"A white man in a mustache and colorful sweatshirt poses against a wood paneled wall with a striking Black woman in a tan suit jacket and decorative rings.\" class=\"wp-image-13991321\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/1986_Bruce_Labadie_with_Nancy_Wilson.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/1986_Bruce_Labadie_with_Nancy_Wilson-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/1986_Bruce_Labadie_with_Nancy_Wilson-768x514.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/1986_Bruce_Labadie_with_Nancy_Wilson-1536x1028.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San Jose Jazz founder Bruce Labadie, at right, with singer Nancy Wilson in 1986. (Courtesy San Jose Jazz)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At 45, Vela brings a wealth of experience to the position — and not just from riding his bike to the festival each year as a teenager. He served as \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/sfjazz\">SFJAZZ\u003c/a>’s senior production manager for 11 years, from 2013-2024, followed by a year-long stint as COO of the Presidio Theatre. After coming back home, he’s spent the past two years under Labadie’s wing at San Jose Jazz.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Christian knows how to work with artists,” says Labadie, whose half-century career encompasses booking three dozen venues and festivals across the state, including last summer’s Monterey Jazz Festival. “He’s involved in all kinds of other things that San Jose Jazz is doing, like the Break Room, but Summer Fest is a different level. I cautioned him, it’s non-stop work.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Judging by his track record at the Break Room, an intimate venue that San Jose Jazz opened during the pandemic, Vela has already brought in a trove of new ideas. A self-described vinylphile, he added artist residencies into the Break Room mix, which includes taking musicians record hunting before they spin albums and discuss their formative influences for an audience.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1600\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/Christian-and-Chucho-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991322\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/Christian-and-Chucho-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/Christian-and-Chucho-1-160x128.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/Christian-and-Chucho-1-768x614.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/Christian-and-Chucho-1-1536x1229.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Christian Vela, at left, with the Cuban pianist Chucho Valdés. (Courtesy San Jose Jazz)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s actually very selfish, bringing together all the things that I like,” Vela says. “My partner and I are into vinyl — she spins as DJ Weekend Girl — and I wanted to think of a unique way to introduce a vinyl night.” Another idea of Vela’s was having the resident artist join an all-ages jam session that takes place on \u003ca href=\"https://www.southfirstfridays.com/\">First Fridays\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One of four children born in San José to parents from Ciudad Juárez, Vela got his start as a musician playing guitar in church. When a group of friends at Independence High School gained traction with the ska band Firme, he became their tour manager. As the keeper of the band’s van, he ended up providing transportation for Manu Chao, and struck up a friendship with the polyglot French-Spanish star.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Around 2011, Manu Chao’s people dropped his name to the Malian couple Amadou and Mariam, who at the time were seeking a tour manager. Despite speaking rudimentary French, Vela jumped into the role.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I did my homework on the instruments, learning how to set them up and mic them, and did my part in trying to learn French, taking courses on my phone,” Vela says. “I think they saw the effort I put forth, and I toured with them for almost three years.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He was ready to come off the road and spend some time at home when Amadou and Mariam concluded a long tour with an SFJAZZ performance at Davies Symphony Hall in 2013. “I’m like a roadrunner all over the place, and the SFJAZZ production manager on stage was watching me,” recalls Vela, who ended up signing on with the recently opened SFJAZZ Center. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1411\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/SJZ-SF_Kamasi-Washington_photo-by-Grason-Littles.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991323\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/SJZ-SF_Kamasi-Washington_photo-by-Grason-Littles.jpg 1411w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/SJZ-SF_Kamasi-Washington_photo-by-Grason-Littles-160x227.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/SJZ-SF_Kamasi-Washington_photo-by-Grason-Littles-768x1089.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/SJZ-SF_Kamasi-Washington_photo-by-Grason-Littles-1084x1536.jpg 1084w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1411px) 100vw, 1411px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Saxophonist Kamasi Washington performs as part of Summer Fest in downtown San José. (Grason Littles)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If he was helping forge a new venue identity at SFJAZZ, he’s taking on a very different role at San Jose Jazz, which for decades has maintained one of the West Coast’s premiere festivals by building upon San José’s downtown resources, like the Tech Museum, Montgomery Theater and expansive plaza.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s one of my favorite festivals, and an advantage Christian has is that Bruce Labadie has given him a runway,” says bassist \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/marcus-shelby\">Marcus Shelby\u003c/a> — who, as the artistic director of Healdsburg Jazz since 2020, knows all about taking over programming from a festival’s founder.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s the perfect opportunity and situation for him,” Shelby adds. “He’s someone who loves and knows the heartbeat of the city.”\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "hiero-day-2026-san-francisco-lineup-expansion-la-canada",
"title": "Hiero Day Announces San Francisco Lineup, Expansion to LA and Canada",
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"headTitle": "Hiero Day Announces San Francisco Lineup, Expansion to LA and Canada | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>It’s a big year for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/hieroglyphics\">Hieroglyphics\u003c/a>. The Oakland hip-hop crew announced this week that they’re returning to \u003ca href=\"https://www.tixr.com/groups/midwaysf/events/hiero-day-189661\">San Francisco’s Midway\u003c/a> for Hiero Day 2026, which they’re headlining with Killer Mike, DJ Jazzy Jeff and Mereba on Sept. 7. And they’re expanding their homegrown festival to \u003ca href=\"https://www.ticketmaster.com/hiero-day-l-a-2026-hollywood-08-30-2026/event/090064A946777FF1\">Los Angeles \u003c/a>and \u003ca href=\"https://www.hieroday.com/hiero-day-canada-2026\">British Columbia, Canada\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The LA stop brings Hieroglyphics, Lupe Fiasco, Coast Contra and Lxgit to the Hollywood Palladium on Aug. 30. On Sept. 11–13 at the Salmo River Ranch campground in southern British Columbia, Hieroglyphics takes the stage once again along with Chali 2na, Cut Chemist, Abstract Rude and more. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hiero Day began as a free Oakland block party in 2012 and continued in the Town until last year, when Hieroglyphics moved it to San Francisco for the first time. Tajai Massey, a festival organizer and Hieroglyphics MC, told KQED that once the event moved across the bridge, promoters from other cities started calling. He says Hiero Day could be hitting more stops across the country soon.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We got calls from New York. We’ve had calls from Denver, Seattle and also I think Albuquerque,” Massey says. “So you might be seeing the Hiero Day tour.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1020\" height=\"574\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/03/gettyimages-632359900_wide-75cfc86b44dfbaea982eba0457af104c57871411-1020x574.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13828022\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/03/gettyimages-632359900_wide-75cfc86b44dfbaea982eba0457af104c57871411-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/03/gettyimages-632359900_wide-75cfc86b44dfbaea982eba0457af104c57871411-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/03/gettyimages-632359900_wide-75cfc86b44dfbaea982eba0457af104c57871411-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/03/gettyimages-632359900_wide-75cfc86b44dfbaea982eba0457af104c57871411-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/03/gettyimages-632359900_wide-75cfc86b44dfbaea982eba0457af104c57871411-1920x1080.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/03/gettyimages-632359900_wide-75cfc86b44dfbaea982eba0457af104c57871411-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/03/gettyimages-632359900_wide-75cfc86b44dfbaea982eba0457af104c57871411-960x540.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/03/gettyimages-632359900_wide-75cfc86b44dfbaea982eba0457af104c57871411-240x135.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/03/gettyimages-632359900_wide-75cfc86b44dfbaea982eba0457af104c57871411-375x211.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/03/gettyimages-632359900_wide-75cfc86b44dfbaea982eba0457af104c57871411-520x293.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/03/gettyimages-632359900_wide-75cfc86b44dfbaea982eba0457af104c57871411.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1020px) 100vw, 1020px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Killer Mike performing in Atlanta in 2017. (David A. Smith/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But even as he sets his sights on expansion, Massey, who is currently living abroad in Panama, says the Bay Area hip-hop scene is on an upswing. Hieroglyphics is getting ready to put out their first album in over a decade, \u003cem>All Said and Done\u003c/em>, which the nine-person collective recorded together in their Oakland studio. (\u003ca href=\"https://www.shophiero.com/products/the-new-hieroglyphics-album-chief-supporters-campaign?srsltid=AfmBOorz1JRDp1nTqQ5jvU7SoNs5SMU36hQqn5X805-56nvCrATGBrCR\">The record\u003c/a> is already available for purchase, and hits streaming platforms Sept. 3.) \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Massey says he’s grateful that the group, which has remained close throughout the 33 years since their first hit — “’93 Til Infinity” by Hiero offshoot Souls of Mischief — continues to work together and push each other as artists. “I’m feeling good that we’ve had such a long, illustrious career, and it continues, and that we’re doing new things,” he says.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Hiero Day San Francisco lineup features Bay Area artists \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13985660/frak-four-square-mixtape\">Frak\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13976039/ruby-ibarra-npr-tiny-desk-contest-winner-bay-area\">Ruby Ibarra\u003c/a>, both of whom have risen to national prominence recently. Shady Nate, Young Bari, Boss Life Big Spence, DJ BlackWoman and DJ Kurren$i are just a few of the other homegrown artists on the bill. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Massey says he’s happy to see more cross-pollination and mutual support from all corners of the Bay Area hip-hop scene, a trend he hopes the festival can help continue. “I don’t think it’s out of survival,” he adds. “It’s out of mutual respect.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Hiero Day returns to the Midway (900 Marin St., San Francisco) on Sept. 7. \u003ca href=\"https://www.tixr.com/groups/midwaysf/events/hiero-day-189661\">Full lineup and details here\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It’s a big year for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/hieroglyphics\">Hieroglyphics\u003c/a>. The Oakland hip-hop crew announced this week that they’re returning to \u003ca href=\"https://www.tixr.com/groups/midwaysf/events/hiero-day-189661\">San Francisco’s Midway\u003c/a> for Hiero Day 2026, which they’re headlining with Killer Mike, DJ Jazzy Jeff and Mereba on Sept. 7. And they’re expanding their homegrown festival to \u003ca href=\"https://www.ticketmaster.com/hiero-day-l-a-2026-hollywood-08-30-2026/event/090064A946777FF1\">Los Angeles \u003c/a>and \u003ca href=\"https://www.hieroday.com/hiero-day-canada-2026\">British Columbia, Canada\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>It’s a big year for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/hieroglyphics\">Hieroglyphics\u003c/a>. The Oakland hip-hop crew announced this week that they’re returning to \u003ca href=\"https://www.tixr.com/groups/midwaysf/events/hiero-day-189661\">San Francisco’s Midway\u003c/a> for Hiero Day 2026, which they’re headlining with Killer Mike, DJ Jazzy Jeff and Mereba on Sept. 7. And they’re expanding their homegrown festival to \u003ca href=\"https://www.ticketmaster.com/hiero-day-l-a-2026-hollywood-08-30-2026/event/090064A946777FF1\">Los Angeles \u003c/a>and \u003ca href=\"https://www.hieroday.com/hiero-day-canada-2026\">British Columbia, Canada\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The LA stop brings Hieroglyphics, Lupe Fiasco, Coast Contra and Lxgit to the Hollywood Palladium on Aug. 30. On Sept. 11–13 at the Salmo River Ranch campground in southern British Columbia, Hieroglyphics takes the stage once again along with Chali 2na, Cut Chemist, Abstract Rude and more. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The LA stop brings Hieroglyphics, Lupe Fiasco, Coast Contra and Lxgit to the Hollywood Palladium on Aug. 30. On Sept. 11–13 at the Salmo River Ranch campground in southern British Columbia, Hieroglyphics takes the stage once again along with Chali 2na, Cut Chemist, Abstract Rude and more. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Hiero Day began as a free Oakland block party in 2012 and continued in the Town until last year, when Hieroglyphics moved it to San Francisco for the first time. Tajai Massey, a festival organizer and Hieroglyphics MC, told KQED that once the event moved across the bridge, promoters from other cities started calling. He says Hiero Day could be hitting more stops across the country soon.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Hiero Day began as a free Oakland block party in 2012 and continued in the Town until last year, when Hieroglyphics moved it to San Francisco for the first time. Tajai Massey, a festival organizer and Hieroglyphics MC, told KQED that once the event moved across the bridge, promoters from other cities started calling. He says Hiero Day could be hitting more stops across the country soon.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We got calls from New York. We’ve had calls from Denver, Seattle and also I think Albuquerque,” Massey says. “So you might be seeing the Hiero Day tour.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We got calls from New York. We’ve had calls from Denver, Seattle and also I think Albuquerque,” Massey says. “So you might be seeing the Hiero Day tour.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/03/gettyimages-632359900_wide-75cfc86b44dfbaea982eba0457af104c57871411-1020x574.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13828022\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/03/gettyimages-632359900_wide-75cfc86b44dfbaea982eba0457af104c57871411-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/03/gettyimages-632359900_wide-75cfc86b44dfbaea982eba0457af104c57871411-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/03/gettyimages-632359900_wide-75cfc86b44dfbaea982eba0457af104c57871411-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/03/gettyimages-632359900_wide-75cfc86b44dfbaea982eba0457af104c57871411-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/03/gettyimages-632359900_wide-75cfc86b44dfbaea982eba0457af104c57871411-1920x1080.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/03/gettyimages-632359900_wide-75cfc86b44dfbaea982eba0457af104c57871411-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/03/gettyimages-632359900_wide-75cfc86b44dfbaea982eba0457af104c57871411-960x540.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/03/gettyimages-632359900_wide-75cfc86b44dfbaea982eba0457af104c57871411-240x135.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/03/gettyimages-632359900_wide-75cfc86b44dfbaea982eba0457af104c57871411-375x211.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/03/gettyimages-632359900_wide-75cfc86b44dfbaea982eba0457af104c57871411-520x293.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/03/gettyimages-632359900_wide-75cfc86b44dfbaea982eba0457af104c57871411.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Killer Mike performing in Atlanta in 2017.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But even as he sets his sights on expansion, Massey, who is currently living abroad in Panama, says the Bay Area hip-hop scene is on an upswing. Hieroglyphics is getting ready to put out their first album in over a decade, \u003cem>All Said and Done\u003c/em>, which the nine-person collective recorded together in their Oakland studio. (\u003ca href=\"https://www.shophiero.com/products/the-new-hieroglyphics-album-chief-supporters-campaign?srsltid=AfmBOorz1JRDp1nTqQ5jvU7SoNs5SMU36hQqn5X805-56nvCrATGBrCR\">The record\u003c/a> is already available for purchase, and hits streaming platforms Sept. 3.) \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But even as he sets his sights on expansion, Massey, who is currently living abroad in Panama, says the Bay Area hip-hop scene is on an upswing. Hieroglyphics is getting ready to put out their first album in over a decade, \u003cem>All Said and Done\u003c/em>, which the nine-person collective recorded together in their Oakland studio. (\u003ca href=\"https://www.shophiero.com/products/the-new-hieroglyphics-album-chief-supporters-campaign?srsltid=AfmBOorz1JRDp1nTqQ5jvU7SoNs5SMU36hQqn5X805-56nvCrATGBrCR\">The record\u003c/a> is already available for purchase, and hits streaming platforms Sept. 3.) \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Massey says he’s grateful that the group, which has remained close throughout the 33 years since their first hit — “’93 Til Infinity” by Hiero offshoot Souls of Mischief — continues to work together and push each other as artists. “I’m feeling good that we’ve had such a long, illustrious career, and it continues, and that we’re doing new things,” he says.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Massey says he’s grateful that the group, which has remained close throughout the 33 years since their first hit — “’93 Til Infinity” by Hiero offshoot Souls of Mischief — continues to work together and push each other as artists. “I’m feeling good that we’ve had such a long, illustrious career, and it continues, and that we’re doing new things,” he says.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Hiero Day San Francisco lineup features Bay Area artists \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13985660/frak-four-square-mixtape\">Frak\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13976039/ruby-ibarra-npr-tiny-desk-contest-winner-bay-area\">Ruby Ibarra\u003c/a>, both of whom have risen to national prominence recently. Shady Nate, Young Bari, Boss Life Big Spence, DJ BlackWoman and DJ Kurren$i are just a few of the other homegrown artists on the bill. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Massey says he’s happy to see more cross-pollination and mutual support from all corners of the Bay Area hip-hop scene, a trend he hopes the festival can help continue. “I don’t think it’s out of survival,” he adds. “It’s out of mutual respect.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Hiero Day returns to the Midway (900 Marin St., San Francisco) on Sept. 7. \u003ca href=\"https://www.tixr.com/groups/midwaysf/events/hiero-day-189661\">Full lineup and details here\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Killer Mike, Mereba, DJ Jazzy Jeff and Hieroglyphics co-headline the Midway on Sept. 7.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>It’s a big year for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/hieroglyphics\">Hieroglyphics\u003c/a>. The Oakland hip-hop crew announced this week that they’re returning to \u003ca href=\"https://www.tixr.com/groups/midwaysf/events/hiero-day-189661\">San Francisco’s Midway\u003c/a> for Hiero Day 2026, which they’re headlining with Killer Mike, DJ Jazzy Jeff and Mereba on Sept. 7. And they’re expanding their homegrown festival to \u003ca href=\"https://www.ticketmaster.com/hiero-day-l-a-2026-hollywood-08-30-2026/event/090064A946777FF1\">Los Angeles \u003c/a>and \u003ca href=\"https://www.hieroday.com/hiero-day-canada-2026\">British Columbia, Canada\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The LA stop brings Hieroglyphics, Lupe Fiasco, Coast Contra and Lxgit to the Hollywood Palladium on Aug. 30. On Sept. 11–13 at the Salmo River Ranch campground in southern British Columbia, Hieroglyphics takes the stage once again along with Chali 2na, Cut Chemist, Abstract Rude and more. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hiero Day began as a free Oakland block party in 2012 and continued in the Town until last year, when Hieroglyphics moved it to San Francisco for the first time. Tajai Massey, a festival organizer and Hieroglyphics MC, told KQED that once the event moved across the bridge, promoters from other cities started calling. He says Hiero Day could be hitting more stops across the country soon.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We got calls from New York. We’ve had calls from Denver, Seattle and also I think Albuquerque,” Massey says. “So you might be seeing the Hiero Day tour.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1020\" height=\"574\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/03/gettyimages-632359900_wide-75cfc86b44dfbaea982eba0457af104c57871411-1020x574.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13828022\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/03/gettyimages-632359900_wide-75cfc86b44dfbaea982eba0457af104c57871411-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/03/gettyimages-632359900_wide-75cfc86b44dfbaea982eba0457af104c57871411-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/03/gettyimages-632359900_wide-75cfc86b44dfbaea982eba0457af104c57871411-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/03/gettyimages-632359900_wide-75cfc86b44dfbaea982eba0457af104c57871411-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/03/gettyimages-632359900_wide-75cfc86b44dfbaea982eba0457af104c57871411-1920x1080.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/03/gettyimages-632359900_wide-75cfc86b44dfbaea982eba0457af104c57871411-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/03/gettyimages-632359900_wide-75cfc86b44dfbaea982eba0457af104c57871411-960x540.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/03/gettyimages-632359900_wide-75cfc86b44dfbaea982eba0457af104c57871411-240x135.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/03/gettyimages-632359900_wide-75cfc86b44dfbaea982eba0457af104c57871411-375x211.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/03/gettyimages-632359900_wide-75cfc86b44dfbaea982eba0457af104c57871411-520x293.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/03/gettyimages-632359900_wide-75cfc86b44dfbaea982eba0457af104c57871411.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1020px) 100vw, 1020px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Killer Mike performing in Atlanta in 2017. (David A. Smith/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But even as he sets his sights on expansion, Massey, who is currently living abroad in Panama, says the Bay Area hip-hop scene is on an upswing. Hieroglyphics is getting ready to put out their first album in over a decade, \u003cem>All Said and Done\u003c/em>, which the nine-person collective recorded together in their Oakland studio. (\u003ca href=\"https://www.shophiero.com/products/the-new-hieroglyphics-album-chief-supporters-campaign?srsltid=AfmBOorz1JRDp1nTqQ5jvU7SoNs5SMU36hQqn5X805-56nvCrATGBrCR\">The record\u003c/a> is already available for purchase, and hits streaming platforms Sept. 3.) \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Massey says he’s grateful that the group, which has remained close throughout the 33 years since their first hit — “’93 Til Infinity” by Hiero offshoot Souls of Mischief — continues to work together and push each other as artists. “I’m feeling good that we’ve had such a long, illustrious career, and it continues, and that we’re doing new things,” he says.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Hiero Day San Francisco lineup features Bay Area artists \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13985660/frak-four-square-mixtape\">Frak\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13976039/ruby-ibarra-npr-tiny-desk-contest-winner-bay-area\">Ruby Ibarra\u003c/a>, both of whom have risen to national prominence recently. Shady Nate, Young Bari, Boss Life Big Spence, DJ BlackWoman and DJ Kurren$i are just a few of the other homegrown artists on the bill. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Massey says he’s happy to see more cross-pollination and mutual support from all corners of the Bay Area hip-hop scene, a trend he hopes the festival can help continue. “I don’t think it’s out of survival,” he adds. “It’s out of mutual respect.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Hiero Day returns to the Midway (900 Marin St., San Francisco) on Sept. 7. \u003ca href=\"https://www.tixr.com/groups/midwaysf/events/hiero-day-189661\">Full lineup and details here\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "A Huge, Free ‘Future of Us’ Fest Wants to Spark San Francisco’s Imagination",
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"content": "\u003cp>July 4 will mark 250 years since the United States declared independence from the British crown. But for many Americans facing \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12078615/how-skyrocketing-housing-costs-and-policy-choices-reshaped-the-bay-area\">widening inequality\u003c/a>, intensified \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/immigration\">immigration crackdowns\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jun/26/texas-protesters-anti-ice-convictions\">persecution of protesters\u003c/a>, the country’s milestone birthday doesn’t feel like a time for celebration. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In San Francisco, a group of artists, scientists and culture workers are launching a festival they hope will inspire everyday people to imagine a better future. On July 4–12, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.future-of-us.com/events\">Future of Us Festival\u003c/a> will bring over 50 interactive, free events — block parties, scavenger hunts, art-making sessions and environmental discussions — to neighborhoods from Bayview to the Richmond District. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>“\u003c/strong>A lot of people in the U.S. aren’t really happy with what’s going on … yet there’s so many incredible people that are here,” says \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/therealbpatt/\">B Patt\u003c/a>, a musician and founder of the creative agency Nothin But Hits. “What would the future of us look like if the artists, the creative entrepreneurs, the scientists, the people building community — all those who should really be leading the way — were the ones driving?\u003cem>”\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/Copy-of-2026_0303_FutureOfUs_Team_1358.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991249\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/Copy-of-2026_0303_FutureOfUs_Team_1358.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/Copy-of-2026_0303_FutureOfUs_Team_1358-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/Copy-of-2026_0303_FutureOfUs_Team_1358-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/Copy-of-2026_0303_FutureOfUs_Team_1358-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">B Patt, Alisa Ahmadian, Louise Wo, Jasmine Hiroko McAdams and Stephanie Fine Sasse (left to right) are some of the organizers of Future of Us Festival. (Courtesy of Future of Us Festival)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Neuroscientist and experience designer \u003ca href=\"https://stephaniefinesasse.info/about\">Stephanie Fine Sasse\u003c/a>, whose civic engagement nonprofit \u003ca href=\"https://theplenary.co/\">The Plenary, Co.\u003c/a> is the driving force behind Future of Us, teamed up with B Patt and a crew of interdisciplinary collaborators to produce the festival. The organizers also assembled an inaugural cohort of \u003ca href=\"https://www.future-of-us.com/collective\">Future Culture\u003c/a> fellows who’ve spent the past six months strategizing for social change through a variety of fields, including housing, tech and the arts. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We don’t have a lot of opportunities to come together and explore ideas together,” Fine Sasse says. “And we certainly don’t have a lot of opportunities to do that creatively and in community and in multi-sensory ways.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The festival kicks off \u003ca href=\"https://luma.com/future-of-us-250\">July 4 with an all-day block party\u003c/a> at the Pearl, a waterfront venue in the Dogpatch, which includes rooftop concerts from Tiny Desk-winning rapper \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/ruby-ibarra\">Ruby Ibarra\u003c/a>, hip-hop artist Ian Kelly and violinist Alexandra Santon. The \u003ca href=\"https://luma.com/future-sex-1\">Future of Sex\u003c/a> on July 7 and 8 at the Tenderloin Museum invites attendees to imagine they’re at a meeting of a San Francisco Sex Commission in the 22nd century.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On July 7, \u003ca href=\"https://luma.com/dateline\">Dateline 2046\u003c/a> offers interactive activities for youth to imagine their ideal third spaces where they can hang out and build community outside of school. And on July 8, \u003ca href=\"https://luma.com/bay-2051\">Bay City 2051\u003c/a> invites residents of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12088662/toxic-land-protest-targets-sf-housing-plans-at-contaminated-hunters-point-naval-shipyard\">Bayview-Hunters Point\u003c/a>, a neighborhood historically plagued by radioactive pollution and racist policies, to imagine what environmental justice would look like 25 years from now. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For her July 9 event \u003ca href=\"https://luma.com/futuretables-sf\">Future Tables\u003c/a>, Future Culture fellow and visual artist Dzigbodi Djugba has designed a ticketed dinner at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art where 10 artists and culture workers will mingle with 10 people from the tech sector. The idea, through interactive activities and prompts, is to inspire greater understanding of one another. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Let’s go ahead and sit down and talk, all right? Give your perspective, and it’s not meant to be anything argumentative,” says Djugba. “It really is meant to be very imaginative, which is why we put the element of food. I’m Ghanaian, so in my culture, food is a gathering place. It’s where you sit at the table, you just commune and you have sort of a family vibe.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That collaborative spirit — of coming together, engaging in dialogue and envisioning new ways of doing things — runs through the festival’s omnivorous programming. David Dawkins, a visual designer and illustrator who worked on a \u003cem>Hall of Anythings\u003c/em> art exhibit for the July 4 event, hopes the reverberations will last for years to come. For all the talk of San Francisco as a city of innovation and disruption, one that always chases the next Gold Rush, he wants Future of Us to inspire more emphasis on togetherness, mutual respect and care. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The 250 — like, let’s reclaim it,” Dawkins says. “We built this country. Let us rediscover what it means to care for our neighbors and our people and just show up for one another.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The Future of Us Festival takes place in San Francisco from July 4–12. \u003ca href=\"https://www.future-of-us.com/events\">Full schedule here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Neuroscientist and experience designer \u003ca href=\"https://stephaniefinesasse.info/about\">Stephanie Fine Sasse\u003c/a>, whose civic engagement nonprofit \u003ca href=\"https://theplenary.co/\">The Plenary, Co.\u003c/a> is the driving force behind Future of Us, teamed up with B Patt and a crew of interdisciplinary collaborators to produce the festival. The organizers also assembled an inaugural cohort of \u003ca href=\"https://www.future-of-us.com/collective\">Future Culture\u003c/a> fellows who’ve spent the past six months strategizing for social change through a variety of fields, including housing, tech and the arts. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We don’t have a lot of opportunities to come together and explore ideas together,” Fine Sasse says. “And we certainly don’t have a lot of opportunities to do that creatively and in community and in multi-sensory ways.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The festival kicks off \u003ca href=\"https://luma.com/future-of-us-250\">July 4 with an all-day block party\u003c/a> at the Pearl, a waterfront venue in the Dogpatch, which includes rooftop concerts from Tiny Desk-winning rapper \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/ruby-ibarra\">Ruby Ibarra\u003c/a>, hip-hop artist Ian Kelly and violinist Alexandra Santon. The \u003ca href=\"https://luma.com/future-sex-1\">Future of Sex\u003c/a> on July 7 and 8 at the Tenderloin Museum invites attendees to imagine they’re at a meeting of a San Francisco Sex Commission in the 22nd century.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On July 7, \u003ca href=\"https://luma.com/dateline\">Dateline 2046\u003c/a> offers interactive activities for youth to imagine their ideal third spaces where they can hang out and build community outside of school. And on July 8, \u003ca href=\"https://luma.com/bay-2051\">Bay City 2051\u003c/a> invites residents of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12088662/toxic-land-protest-targets-sf-housing-plans-at-contaminated-hunters-point-naval-shipyard\">Bayview-Hunters Point\u003c/a>, a neighborhood historically plagued by radioactive pollution and racist policies, to imagine what environmental justice would look like 25 years from now. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For her July 9 event \u003ca href=\"https://luma.com/futuretables-sf\">Future Tables\u003c/a>, Future Culture fellow and visual artist Dzigbodi Djugba has designed a ticketed dinner at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art where 10 artists and culture workers will mingle with 10 people from the tech sector. The idea, through interactive activities and prompts, is to inspire greater understanding of one another. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Let’s go ahead and sit down and talk, all right? Give your perspective, and it’s not meant to be anything argumentative,” says Djugba. “It really is meant to be very imaginative, which is why we put the element of food. I’m Ghanaian, so in my culture, food is a gathering place. It’s where you sit at the table, you just commune and you have sort of a family vibe.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That collaborative spirit — of coming together, engaging in dialogue and envisioning new ways of doing things — runs through the festival’s omnivorous programming. David Dawkins, a visual designer and illustrator who worked on a \u003cem>Hall of Anythings\u003c/em> art exhibit for the July 4 event, hopes the reverberations will last for years to come. For all the talk of San Francisco as a city of innovation and disruption, one that always chases the next Gold Rush, he wants Future of Us to inspire more emphasis on togetherness, mutual respect and care. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The 250 — like, let’s reclaim it,” Dawkins says. “We built this country. Let us rediscover what it means to care for our neighbors and our people and just show up for one another.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The Future of Us Festival takes place in San Francisco from July 4–12. \u003ca href=\"https://www.future-of-us.com/events\">Full schedule here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>July 4 will mark 250 years since the United States declared independence from the British crown. But for many Americans facing \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12078615/how-skyrocketing-housing-costs-and-policy-choices-reshaped-the-bay-area\">widening inequality\u003c/a>, intensified \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/immigration\">immigration crackdowns\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jun/26/texas-protesters-anti-ice-convictions\">persecution of protesters\u003c/a>, the country’s milestone birthday doesn’t feel like a time for celebration. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In San Francisco, a group of artists, scientists and culture workers are launching a festival they hope will inspire everyday people to imagine a better future. On July 4–12, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.future-of-us.com/events\">Future of Us Festival\u003c/a> will bring over 50 interactive, free events — block parties, scavenger hunts, art-making sessions and environmental discussions — to neighborhoods from Bayview to the Richmond District. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>“\u003c/strong>A lot of people in the U.S. aren’t really happy with what’s going on … yet there’s so many incredible people that are here,” says \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/therealbpatt/\">B Patt\u003c/a>, a musician and founder of the creative agency Nothin But Hits. “What would the future of us look like if the artists, the creative entrepreneurs, the scientists, the people building community — all those who should really be leading the way — were the ones driving?\u003cem>”\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/Copy-of-2026_0303_FutureOfUs_Team_1358.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991249\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/Copy-of-2026_0303_FutureOfUs_Team_1358.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/Copy-of-2026_0303_FutureOfUs_Team_1358-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/Copy-of-2026_0303_FutureOfUs_Team_1358-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/Copy-of-2026_0303_FutureOfUs_Team_1358-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">B Patt, Alisa Ahmadian, Louise Wo, Jasmine Hiroko McAdams and Stephanie Fine Sasse (left to right) are some of the organizers of Future of Us Festival. (Courtesy of Future of Us Festival)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Neuroscientist and experience designer \u003ca href=\"https://stephaniefinesasse.info/about\">Stephanie Fine Sasse\u003c/a>, whose civic engagement nonprofit \u003ca href=\"https://theplenary.co/\">The Plenary, Co.\u003c/a> is the driving force behind Future of Us, teamed up with B Patt and a crew of interdisciplinary collaborators to produce the festival. The organizers also assembled an inaugural cohort of \u003ca href=\"https://www.future-of-us.com/collective\">Future Culture\u003c/a> fellows who’ve spent the past six months strategizing for social change through a variety of fields, including housing, tech and the arts. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We don’t have a lot of opportunities to come together and explore ideas together,” Fine Sasse says. “And we certainly don’t have a lot of opportunities to do that creatively and in community and in multi-sensory ways.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The festival kicks off \u003ca href=\"https://luma.com/future-of-us-250\">July 4 with an all-day block party\u003c/a> at the Pearl, a waterfront venue in the Dogpatch, which includes rooftop concerts from Tiny Desk-winning rapper \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/ruby-ibarra\">Ruby Ibarra\u003c/a>, hip-hop artist Ian Kelly and violinist Alexandra Santon. The \u003ca href=\"https://luma.com/future-sex-1\">Future of Sex\u003c/a> on July 7 and 8 at the Tenderloin Museum invites attendees to imagine they’re at a meeting of a San Francisco Sex Commission in the 22nd century.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On July 7, \u003ca href=\"https://luma.com/dateline\">Dateline 2046\u003c/a> offers interactive activities for youth to imagine their ideal third spaces where they can hang out and build community outside of school. And on July 8, \u003ca href=\"https://luma.com/bay-2051\">Bay City 2051\u003c/a> invites residents of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12088662/toxic-land-protest-targets-sf-housing-plans-at-contaminated-hunters-point-naval-shipyard\">Bayview-Hunters Point\u003c/a>, a neighborhood historically plagued by radioactive pollution and racist policies, to imagine what environmental justice would look like 25 years from now. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For her July 9 event \u003ca href=\"https://luma.com/futuretables-sf\">Future Tables\u003c/a>, Future Culture fellow and visual artist Dzigbodi Djugba has designed a ticketed dinner at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art where 10 artists and culture workers will mingle with 10 people from the tech sector. The idea, through interactive activities and prompts, is to inspire greater understanding of one another. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Let’s go ahead and sit down and talk, all right? Give your perspective, and it’s not meant to be anything argumentative,” says Djugba. “It really is meant to be very imaginative, which is why we put the element of food. I’m Ghanaian, so in my culture, food is a gathering place. It’s where you sit at the table, you just commune and you have sort of a family vibe.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That collaborative spirit — of coming together, engaging in dialogue and envisioning new ways of doing things — runs through the festival’s omnivorous programming. David Dawkins, a visual designer and illustrator who worked on a \u003cem>Hall of Anythings\u003c/em> art exhibit for the July 4 event, hopes the reverberations will last for years to come. For all the talk of San Francisco as a city of innovation and disruption, one that always chases the next Gold Rush, he wants Future of Us to inspire more emphasis on togetherness, mutual respect and care. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The 250 — like, let’s reclaim it,” Dawkins says. “We built this country. Let us rediscover what it means to care for our neighbors and our people and just show up for one another.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The Future of Us Festival takes place in San Francisco from July 4–12. \u003ca href=\"https://www.future-of-us.com/events\">Full schedule here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "christopher-l-thompson-wins-san-francisco-symphony-emerging-black-composers-project",
"title": "Christopher L. Thompson Wins the San Francisco Symphony’s Emerging Black Composers Project",
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"headTitle": "Christopher L. Thompson Wins the San Francisco Symphony’s Emerging Black Composers Project | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>The San Francisco Symphony on Tuesday announced that the winner of its sixth annual \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfsymphony.org/EmergingBlackComposers/ABOUT\">Emerging Black Composers Project\u003c/a> (EBCP): Christopher L. Thompson.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It is always an amazing feeling to hear that others see and believe in your vision,” said Thompson in a release shared by the Symphony.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The award, made possible by the Symphony and the \u003ca href=\"https://sfcm.edu/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">San Francisco Conservatory of Music\u003c/a> (SFCM), comes with a $15,000 grant, mentorship from established composers and the opportunity to debut a commissioned piece at Davies Symphony Hall during the 2027-2028 season.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The EBCP is a competitive program launched in 2020 amid nationwide Black Lives Matter protests. The classical music repertory is well known to skew toward white male composers.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“[The] project is an attempt to address some of that, and to provide points of access to young people from a community that has often previously been denied access,” \u003ca href=\"https://www.danielbartholomewpoyser.com/bio\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser\u003c/a>, chair of the EBCP selection committee and the San Francisco Symphony’s resident conductor of engagement, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13909289/emerging-black-composers-project-san-francisco-symphony-conservatory-music-trevor-weston\">told KQED in 2022\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/735111956_1955487798466459_3825383235520291372_n-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A man in a white suit with a brown tie plays the xylophone.\" class=\"wp-image-13991218\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/735111956_1955487798466459_3825383235520291372_n-scaled.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/735111956_1955487798466459_3825383235520291372_n-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/735111956_1955487798466459_3825383235520291372_n-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/735111956_1955487798466459_3825383235520291372_n-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/735111956_1955487798466459_3825383235520291372_n-1536x2048.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Composer and percussionist Christopher L. Thompson, also known as ‘Master Christopher,’ is a proponent of blending musical genres and mixing traditional symphonic elements with notated raps. (Ricky A. Richardson)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thompson is a contemporary jazz musician and percussionist who blurs the lines between musical genres. By merging traditional symphonic elements with notated raps, he creates a new take on classical music. (His style is prominently shown on his debut album, \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://masterchristopher.bandcamp.com/album/music-desegregation\">Music Desegregation\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, released in July of 2022.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I can’t wait to explore the power of rap notation as a compositional force with the San Francisco Symphony in a way that is genuine and authentic, without sacrificing the ensemble’s classical identity and technical prowess,” said Thompson in a release.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Originally from North Carolina and currently based in Philadelphia, Thompson is a music lecturer at Kingsborough Community College in New York and a student at the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University, where he’s currently pursuing a doctoral degree in music composition.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>With an undergraduate degree from North Carolina A&T State University and a master’s degree from the University of North Carolina Greensboro School of Music, Thompson’s résumé also boasts performances at the John Coltrane International Jazz and Blues festival in North Carolina, the Eurovision Song Contest in Germany and other esteemed institutions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQpCu2dlgX0\n\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Looking forward to his time with the San Francisco Symphony, and anticipating the relationships to come by working with “a high-class group of musicians,” Thompson said winning this award feels like a dream come true.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I am truly honored to be selected for the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13901635/michael-morgan-visionary-oakland-symphony-conductor-dies-at-age-63\">Michael Morgan\u003c/a> Prize,” he says of the award, which is named for the late longtime head of the Oakland Symphony. Thompson joins previous award winners \u003ca href=\"https://tylertaylorcomposer.com/about/\">Tyler Taylor,\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://www.xaviermuzik.com/\">Xavier Muzik\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.seattlechambermusic.org/composers/kyle-rivera/\">Kyle Rivera\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.jensibsen.com/\">Jen Ibsen\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.trevorweston.com/about\">Trevor Weston\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Christopher Thompson was the clear favorite among the jurors this year,” said Bartholomew-Poyser in a release from the Symphony, noting his compelling voice, memorable music and detailed scores.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Christopher is poised to take the orchestral world in new directions,” Bartholomew-Poyser said.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The award, made possible by the Symphony and the \u003ca href=\"https://sfcm.edu/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">San Francisco Conservatory of Music\u003c/a> (SFCM), comes with a $15,000 grant, mentorship from established composers and the opportunity to debut a commissioned piece at Davies Symphony Hall during the 2027-2028 season.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“[The] project is an attempt to address some of that, and to provide points of access to young people from a community that has often previously been denied access,” \u003ca href=\"https://www.danielbartholomewpoyser.com/bio\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser\u003c/a>, chair of the EBCP selection committee and the San Francisco Symphony’s resident conductor of engagement, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13909289/emerging-black-composers-project-san-francisco-symphony-conservatory-music-trevor-weston\">told KQED in 2022\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“[The] project is an attempt to address some of that, and to provide points of access to young people from a community that has often previously been denied access,” \u003ca href=\"https://www.danielbartholomewpoyser.com/bio\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser\u003c/a>, chair of the EBCP selection committee and the San Francisco Symphony’s resident conductor of engagement, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13909289/emerging-black-composers-project-san-francisco-symphony-conservatory-music-trevor-weston\">told KQED in 2022\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I can’t wait to explore the power of rap notation as a compositional force with the San Francisco Symphony in a way that is genuine and authentic, without sacrificing the ensemble’s classical identity and technical prowess,” said Thompson in a release.\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>The San Francisco Symphony on Tuesday announced that the winner of its sixth annual \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfsymphony.org/EmergingBlackComposers/ABOUT\">Emerging Black Composers Project\u003c/a> (EBCP): Christopher L. Thompson.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It is always an amazing feeling to hear that others see and believe in your vision,” said Thompson in a release shared by the Symphony.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The award, made possible by the Symphony and the \u003ca href=\"https://sfcm.edu/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">San Francisco Conservatory of Music\u003c/a> (SFCM), comes with a $15,000 grant, mentorship from established composers and the opportunity to debut a commissioned piece at Davies Symphony Hall during the 2027-2028 season.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The EBCP is a competitive program launched in 2020 amid nationwide Black Lives Matter protests. The classical music repertory is well known to skew toward white male composers.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“[The] project is an attempt to address some of that, and to provide points of access to young people from a community that has often previously been denied access,” \u003ca href=\"https://www.danielbartholomewpoyser.com/bio\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser\u003c/a>, chair of the EBCP selection committee and the San Francisco Symphony’s resident conductor of engagement, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13909289/emerging-black-composers-project-san-francisco-symphony-conservatory-music-trevor-weston\">told KQED in 2022\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/735111956_1955487798466459_3825383235520291372_n-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A man in a white suit with a brown tie plays the xylophone.\" class=\"wp-image-13991218\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/735111956_1955487798466459_3825383235520291372_n-scaled.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/735111956_1955487798466459_3825383235520291372_n-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/735111956_1955487798466459_3825383235520291372_n-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/735111956_1955487798466459_3825383235520291372_n-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/735111956_1955487798466459_3825383235520291372_n-1536x2048.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Composer and percussionist Christopher L. Thompson, also known as ‘Master Christopher,’ is a proponent of blending musical genres and mixing traditional symphonic elements with notated raps. (Ricky A. Richardson)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thompson is a contemporary jazz musician and percussionist who blurs the lines between musical genres. By merging traditional symphonic elements with notated raps, he creates a new take on classical music. (His style is prominently shown on his debut album, \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://masterchristopher.bandcamp.com/album/music-desegregation\">Music Desegregation\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, released in July of 2022.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I can’t wait to explore the power of rap notation as a compositional force with the San Francisco Symphony in a way that is genuine and authentic, without sacrificing the ensemble’s classical identity and technical prowess,” said Thompson in a release.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Originally from North Carolina and currently based in Philadelphia, Thompson is a music lecturer at Kingsborough Community College in New York and a student at the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University, where he’s currently pursuing a doctoral degree in music composition.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>With an undergraduate degree from North Carolina A&T State University and a master’s degree from the University of North Carolina Greensboro School of Music, Thompson’s résumé also boasts performances at the John Coltrane International Jazz and Blues festival in North Carolina, the Eurovision Song Contest in Germany and other esteemed institutions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/SQpCu2dlgX0'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/SQpCu2dlgX0'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Looking forward to his time with the San Francisco Symphony, and anticipating the relationships to come by working with “a high-class group of musicians,” Thompson said winning this award feels like a dream come true.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I am truly honored to be selected for the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13901635/michael-morgan-visionary-oakland-symphony-conductor-dies-at-age-63\">Michael Morgan\u003c/a> Prize,” he says of the award, which is named for the late longtime head of the Oakland Symphony. Thompson joins previous award winners \u003ca href=\"https://tylertaylorcomposer.com/about/\">Tyler Taylor,\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://www.xaviermuzik.com/\">Xavier Muzik\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.seattlechambermusic.org/composers/kyle-rivera/\">Kyle Rivera\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.jensibsen.com/\">Jen Ibsen\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.trevorweston.com/about\">Trevor Weston\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Christopher Thompson was the clear favorite among the jurors this year,” said Bartholomew-Poyser in a release from the Symphony, noting his compelling voice, memorable music and detailed scores.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Christopher is poised to take the orchestral world in new directions,” Bartholomew-Poyser said.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Metallica Just Flew to the UK and Pretty Much Broke Wales",
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"content": "\u003cp>San Francisco rock legends Metallica brought the capital city of Wales to a screeching halt over the weekend with a series of firsts.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>To start with, June 28 was the first time the band had played the small Celtic nation (total population: 3 million) in 30 years. Then — possibly as a result of the length of time between visits — the metal icons managed to sell 76,000 tickets for a single show, making it the largest single concert to ever happen in Wales. At least 13 roads around the city center closed in preparation for the event.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Excitement built for days before the Principality Stadium gig, with fans and revelers holding full-blown Metallica street parties outside a variety of pubs, occasionally \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DaGq8wqsBeg/?hl=en\">spotting band members\u003c/a> as they did so. Then, during the show, bassist Rob Trujillo and guitarist Kirk Hammett performed \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1089392840935142\">a cover of Tom Jones’ “Delilah,”\u003c/a> a song the Welsh traditionally like to sing at weddings, parties and sporting events. “Delilah” was recently banned from the Principality Stadium for having lyrics that some domestic violence charities objected to. Still, a \u003ca href=\"https://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/music-nightlife-news/metallica-cardiff-review-waited-30-34201483\">review from WalesOnline\u003c/a> noted that the cover got “one of the biggest cheers of the night.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFKKCM1lXuQ&list=RDgFKKCM1lXuQ&start_radio=1\n\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But it was after Metallica left Cardiff that the Welsh really got a taste of Metallica’s mettle. The band donated £20,000 (roughly $26,500) to \u003ca href=\"https://cardiff.foodbank.org.uk/\">Cardiff Foodbank\u003c/a> — the largest celebrity donation the charity has ever received. (In June 2024 during her Eras tour, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/taylor-swift\">Taylor Swift\u003c/a> also gave Cardiff Foodbank enough cash to provide three-day emergency food parcels to 925 people.) \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rachel Biggs, chief executive of the organization, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DaLdI29Ax7L/\">told BBC Radio Wales\u003c/a> on Monday morning that the Metallica cash would provide 9,000 meals to a thousand people in need, in South Wales. “It’s incredible that celebrities are using their status to donate and raise awareness of causes such as ours,” Biggs noted. “It’s going to make an incredible difference.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While this financial offering took Wales entirely by surprise, Metallica has been donating to charities all over the world since 2017, when the band’s members and crew started the \u003ca href=\"https://www.allwithinmyhands.org/\">All Within My Hands\u003c/a> foundation (AWMH). The organization gives back to cities that welcome Metallica on tour and helps incentivize fans to participate in blood drives by giving participants limited edition merch.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.welsh-blood.org.uk/metallica/\">Metallica’s efforts in Wales\u003c/a> also marked the first time that UK blood services had ever partnered with a band to champion blood donation. Simon Campbell-Daves, of Welsh Blood Service, \u003ca href=\"https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cnv9elgvz5lo\">told the BBC\u003c/a>: “We cannot be any more thankful to [the fans that donated] and to Metallica for their support in making this happen. It’s been incredible.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Before Metallica had even arrived in Cardiff, Wales’ neighbors in Ireland were on the receiving end of even larger donations. After Metallica played Dublin’s Aviva Stadium on June 19 and 21, AWMH gave €40,000 (around $45,000) to anti-domestic violence organization \u003ca href=\"https://www.womensaid.ie/\">Women’s Aid\u003c/a> and another €40,000 to homeless charity, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.dubsimon.ie/\">Dublin Simon Community\u003c/a>. Back in 2020, AWMH donated $250,000 to five wildfire relief organizations on the west coast. According to a 2025 \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kg4kKVYAgYo&t=188s\">CBS news report\u003c/a>, AWMH has donated $10 million across the U.S. to workforce education programs.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the Bay Area, we have a tendency to take Metallica for granted a little bit — another band that’s simply part of the local fabric. It’s impossible not to appreciate the quartet on a fresh level after viewing them through the rest of the world’s eyes though. Cardiff magazine, \u003ca href=\"https://www.buzzmag.co.uk/metallica-gojira-knocked-loose-live-review-principality-stadium-cardiff/\">\u003cem>Buzz\u003c/em>, ended its Metallica live review\u003c/a> with an entreaty: “Come back soon please, lads.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>To start with, June 28 was the first time the band had played the small Celtic nation (total population: 3 million) in 30 years. Then — possibly as a result of the length of time between visits — the metal icons managed to sell 76,000 tickets for a single show, making it the largest single concert to ever happen in Wales. At least 13 roads around the city center closed in preparation for the event.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>To start with, June 28 was the first time the band had played the small Celtic nation (total population: 3 million) in 30 years. Then — possibly as a result of the length of time between visits — the metal icons managed to sell 76,000 tickets for a single show, making it the largest single concert to ever happen in Wales. At least 13 roads around the city center closed in preparation for the event.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Excitement built for days before the Principality Stadium gig, with fans and revelers holding full-blown Metallica street parties outside a variety of pubs, occasionally \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DaGq8wqsBeg/?hl=en\">spotting band members\u003c/a> as they did so. Then, during the show, bassist Rob Trujillo and guitarist Kirk Hammett performed \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1089392840935142\">a cover of Tom Jones’ “Delilah,”\u003c/a> a song the Welsh traditionally like to sing at weddings, parties and sporting events. “Delilah” was recently banned from the Principality Stadium for having lyrics that some domestic violence charities objected to. Still, a \u003ca href=\"https://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/music-nightlife-news/metallica-cardiff-review-waited-30-34201483\">review from WalesOnline\u003c/a> noted that the cover got “one of the biggest cheers of the night.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But it was after Metallica left Cardiff that the Welsh really got a taste of Metallica’s mettle. The band donated £20,000 (roughly $26,500) to \u003ca href=\"https://cardiff.foodbank.org.uk/\">Cardiff Foodbank\u003c/a> — the largest celebrity donation the charity has ever received. (In June 2024 during her Eras tour, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/taylor-swift\">Taylor Swift\u003c/a> also gave Cardiff Foodbank enough cash to provide three-day emergency food parcels to 925 people.) \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Rachel Biggs, chief executive of the organization, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DaLdI29Ax7L/\">told BBC Radio Wales\u003c/a> on Monday morning that the Metallica cash would provide 9,000 meals to a thousand people in need, in South Wales. “It’s incredible that celebrities are using their status to donate and raise awareness of causes such as ours,” Biggs noted. “It’s going to make an incredible difference.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While this financial offering took Wales entirely by surprise, Metallica has been donating to charities all over the world since 2017, when the band’s members and crew started the \u003ca href=\"https://www.allwithinmyhands.org/\">All Within My Hands\u003c/a> foundation (AWMH). The organization gives back to cities that welcome Metallica on tour and helps incentivize fans to participate in blood drives by giving participants limited edition merch.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.welsh-blood.org.uk/metallica/\">Metallica’s efforts in Wales\u003c/a> also marked the first time that UK blood services had ever partnered with a band to champion blood donation. Simon Campbell-Daves, of Welsh Blood Service, \u003ca href=\"https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cnv9elgvz5lo\">told the BBC\u003c/a>: “We cannot be any more thankful to [the fans that donated] and to Metallica for their support in making this happen. It’s been incredible.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Before Metallica had even arrived in Cardiff, Wales’ neighbors in Ireland were on the receiving end of even larger donations. After Metallica played Dublin’s Aviva Stadium on June 19 and 21, AWMH gave €40,000 (around $45,000) to anti-domestic violence organization \u003ca href=\"https://www.womensaid.ie/\">Women’s Aid\u003c/a> and another €40,000 to homeless charity, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.dubsimon.ie/\">Dublin Simon Community\u003c/a>. Back in 2020, AWMH donated $250,000 to five wildfire relief organizations on the west coast. According to a 2025 \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kg4kKVYAgYo&t=188s\">CBS news report\u003c/a>, AWMH has donated $10 million across the U.S. to workforce education programs.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Before Metallica had even arrived in Cardiff, Wales’ neighbors in Ireland were on the receiving end of even larger donations. After Metallica played Dublin’s Aviva Stadium on June 19 and 21, AWMH gave €40,000 (around $45,000) to anti-domestic violence organization \u003ca href=\"https://www.womensaid.ie/\">Women’s Aid\u003c/a> and another €40,000 to homeless charity, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.dubsimon.ie/\">Dublin Simon Community\u003c/a>. Back in 2020, AWMH donated $250,000 to five wildfire relief organizations on the west coast. According to a 2025 \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kg4kKVYAgYo&t=188s\">CBS news report\u003c/a>, AWMH has donated $10 million across the U.S. to workforce education programs.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the Bay Area, we have a tendency to take Metallica for granted a little bit — another band that’s simply part of the local fabric. It’s impossible not to appreciate the quartet on a fresh level after viewing them through the rest of the world’s eyes though. Cardiff magazine, \u003ca href=\"https://www.buzzmag.co.uk/metallica-gojira-knocked-loose-live-review-principality-stadium-cardiff/\">\u003cem>Buzz\u003c/em>, ended its Metallica live review\u003c/a> with an entreaty: “Come back soon please, lads.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "The SF icons entertained 76,000 fans in one night, boosted blood donation, then fed a thousand people.",
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"title": "The UK Loves Metallica Even More Than the Bay Does | KQED",
"description": "The SF icons entertained 76,000 fans in one night, boosted blood donation, then fed a thousand people.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>San Francisco rock legends Metallica brought the capital city of Wales to a screeching halt over the weekend with a series of firsts.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>To start with, June 28 was the first time the band had played the small Celtic nation (total population: 3 million) in 30 years. Then — possibly as a result of the length of time between visits — the metal icons managed to sell 76,000 tickets for a single show, making it the largest single concert to ever happen in Wales. At least 13 roads around the city center closed in preparation for the event.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Excitement built for days before the Principality Stadium gig, with fans and revelers holding full-blown Metallica street parties outside a variety of pubs, occasionally \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DaGq8wqsBeg/?hl=en\">spotting band members\u003c/a> as they did so. Then, during the show, bassist Rob Trujillo and guitarist Kirk Hammett performed \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1089392840935142\">a cover of Tom Jones’ “Delilah,”\u003c/a> a song the Welsh traditionally like to sing at weddings, parties and sporting events. “Delilah” was recently banned from the Principality Stadium for having lyrics that some domestic violence charities objected to. Still, a \u003ca href=\"https://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/music-nightlife-news/metallica-cardiff-review-waited-30-34201483\">review from WalesOnline\u003c/a> noted that the cover got “one of the biggest cheers of the night.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/gFKKCM1lXuQ'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/gFKKCM1lXuQ'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But it was after Metallica left Cardiff that the Welsh really got a taste of Metallica’s mettle. The band donated £20,000 (roughly $26,500) to \u003ca href=\"https://cardiff.foodbank.org.uk/\">Cardiff Foodbank\u003c/a> — the largest celebrity donation the charity has ever received. (In June 2024 during her Eras tour, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/taylor-swift\">Taylor Swift\u003c/a> also gave Cardiff Foodbank enough cash to provide three-day emergency food parcels to 925 people.) \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rachel Biggs, chief executive of the organization, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DaLdI29Ax7L/\">told BBC Radio Wales\u003c/a> on Monday morning that the Metallica cash would provide 9,000 meals to a thousand people in need, in South Wales. “It’s incredible that celebrities are using their status to donate and raise awareness of causes such as ours,” Biggs noted. “It’s going to make an incredible difference.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While this financial offering took Wales entirely by surprise, Metallica has been donating to charities all over the world since 2017, when the band’s members and crew started the \u003ca href=\"https://www.allwithinmyhands.org/\">All Within My Hands\u003c/a> foundation (AWMH). The organization gives back to cities that welcome Metallica on tour and helps incentivize fans to participate in blood drives by giving participants limited edition merch.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.welsh-blood.org.uk/metallica/\">Metallica’s efforts in Wales\u003c/a> also marked the first time that UK blood services had ever partnered with a band to champion blood donation. Simon Campbell-Daves, of Welsh Blood Service, \u003ca href=\"https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cnv9elgvz5lo\">told the BBC\u003c/a>: “We cannot be any more thankful to [the fans that donated] and to Metallica for their support in making this happen. It’s been incredible.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Before Metallica had even arrived in Cardiff, Wales’ neighbors in Ireland were on the receiving end of even larger donations. After Metallica played Dublin’s Aviva Stadium on June 19 and 21, AWMH gave €40,000 (around $45,000) to anti-domestic violence organization \u003ca href=\"https://www.womensaid.ie/\">Women’s Aid\u003c/a> and another €40,000 to homeless charity, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.dubsimon.ie/\">Dublin Simon Community\u003c/a>. Back in 2020, AWMH donated $250,000 to five wildfire relief organizations on the west coast. According to a 2025 \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kg4kKVYAgYo&t=188s\">CBS news report\u003c/a>, AWMH has donated $10 million across the U.S. to workforce education programs.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the Bay Area, we have a tendency to take Metallica for granted a little bit — another band that’s simply part of the local fabric. It’s impossible not to appreciate the quartet on a fresh level after viewing them through the rest of the world’s eyes though. Cardiff magazine, \u003ca href=\"https://www.buzzmag.co.uk/metallica-gojira-knocked-loose-live-review-principality-stadium-cardiff/\">\u003cem>Buzz\u003c/em>, ended its Metallica live review\u003c/a> with an entreaty: “Come back soon please, lads.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "mission-district-punk-generator-shows-san-francisco",
"title": "When Generator Punk Shows Ruled the Mission District",
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"headTitle": "When Generator Punk Shows Ruled the Mission District | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>The scene: 16th and Mission BART in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/san-francisco\">San Francisco\u003c/a>, 1998. Trains careen underground, while above, another kind of noise is happening.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ivy Jeanne’s raspy, blues-inflected voice screams out of PAs borrowed from friends, powered by a generator borrowed from other friends. Erica Lyle’s guitar wails into the ether, making its way to Capp Street. Young punks dance, free of harassment. The show is over before anyone really knows it.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Miami and Shotwell have just played an illegal show at BART.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“You’d roll up. Sometimes I was with whoever had the PA. You would just see punks on the periphery. Nobody was assembled in the plaza exactly. You could just see people around, and as soon as the gear started coming out, everyone would just descend,” said Karoline Collins, a local photographer and roadie for the band \u003ca href=\"https://mattyluv.com/\">Hickey\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1326\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Miami-9-Ivy-Pointing_BART-Show_Karoline-Hanson-Collins.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991192\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Miami-9-Ivy-Pointing_BART-Show_Karoline-Hanson-Collins.jpg 1326w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Miami-9-Ivy-Pointing_BART-Show_Karoline-Hanson-Collins-160x241.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Miami-9-Ivy-Pointing_BART-Show_Karoline-Hanson-Collins-768x1158.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Miami-9-Ivy-Pointing_BART-Show_Karoline-Hanson-Collins-1018x1536.jpg 1018w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1326px) 100vw, 1326px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ivy McClelland sings with the Mission District punk band Miami at 16th and Mission BART plaza, circa 2000. (Karoline Collins)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This would be one of many illegal generator-powered \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/punk\">punk\u003c/a> shows happening on Mission Street, a tradition that would carry into San Francisco’s present day. While San Francisco’s punk shows of the ’70s and ’80s had taken place in unlikely settings — a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13980619/mabuhay-gardens-reopening-sf-punk-club-north-beach\">Filipino restaurant\u003c/a>, a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13938024/old-san-francisco-punk-venues-deaf-club-farm-sound-music-tool-die\">social club for the deaf\u003c/a>, literal \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13902953/alternative-voices-1980s-san-francisco-punk-jeanne-hansen-photography-jonah-raskin\">beer vats\u003c/a> — the tradition of guerilla generator shows that flourished in Mission District’s ragged and dedicated punk scene of the ’90s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13923420/punk-show-on-bart\">continues today with bands like False Flag, Surprise Privilege and WIFE\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/mission-district\">Mission District\u003c/a>’s punk history runs deep, boasting bands like MDC and Jawbreaker, and venues like Tool & Die, Kommotion and Epicenter. But in the late ’90s, something shifted. A new wave of punks dedicated to cheap living, harm reduction and the DIY ethos took over the streets. From 1994 through 2002, bands like Hickey, Shotwell, 50 Million and the aforementioned Miami would creatively resist San Francisco’s then-Mayor \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/willie-brown\">Willie Brown\u003c/a> and the powers that be with both music and action.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Their headquarters would become Mission Records, and later 16th and Mission BART Plaza, for amplifying their frustrations with gentrification, war and the police.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>The City That Never Sleeps\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ivy Jeanne McClelland moved to San Francisco in 1997 after years of moving back and forth, sometimes by hopping trains, between her hometown of Miami and the East Bay as a teenage runaway. Though she’d crossed paths with Bay Area bands like Rancid, Green Day and Blatz, she decided to make San Francisco home thanks to Hickey. That year, McClelland hopped in the band’s van on their final tour, and moved into the band’s squalid apartment, the Hickey Hotel, on 24th Street.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1326\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Aesop-Kitchen-Patches_1996_Karoline-Hanson-Collins.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991186\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Aesop-Kitchen-Patches_1996_Karoline-Hanson-Collins.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Aesop-Kitchen-Patches_1996_Karoline-Hanson-Collins-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Aesop-Kitchen-Patches_1996_Karoline-Hanson-Collins-768x509.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Aesop-Kitchen-Patches_1996_Karoline-Hanson-Collins-1536x1018.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Aesop Dekker screenprints Hickey patches in the kitchen at the Hickey Hotel, circa mid-1990s. (Karoline Collins)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>McClelland had played in bands like the Tri-Rails and Los Canadians, but when she made it to San Francisco, she teamed up with best friend and fellow Floridian Erica Dawn Lyle to start a new band called Miami, bolstered by Dekker and Luv from Hickey.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>With more and more local venues like Klub Kommotion, Starcleaners Warehouse and Epicenter Records winding down operations, Miami and their longtime friends in the band Shotwell colluded to create a new commotion down Mission Street. Lyle and Broutis decided to host an illegal pop-up show, powered by generators, in front of the defunct Leed’s Shoes building at 22nd and Mission. Borrowing the idea from a band of buskers known as Rube Waddell, the two fueled their iteration with political angst.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The generator shows were a product of when gentrification really ramped up in the Mission,” said McClelland. “There was already this feeling of frustration and upset about all of these DIY show spaces that were targeted and shut down, and in our grumblings, we decided to have generator shows in response to them.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1326\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Miami-7-Matty_BART-Show_Karoline-Hanson-Collins.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991194\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Miami-7-Matty_BART-Show_Karoline-Hanson-Collins.jpg 1326w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Miami-7-Matty_BART-Show_Karoline-Hanson-Collins-160x241.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Miami-7-Matty_BART-Show_Karoline-Hanson-Collins-768x1158.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Miami-7-Matty_BART-Show_Karoline-Hanson-Collins-1018x1536.jpg 1018w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1326px) 100vw, 1326px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Matty Luv plays with Mission District punk band Miami at 16th and Mission BART Plaza, circa 2000. (Karoline Collins)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Miami didn’t last long, breaking up around 2001. Luv’s addiction to heroin had gotten more serious. He’d moved back to Florida for a time before being convinced to come back to San Francisco. Luv helped operate Mission Records in its near-final days, and played music with friends, but the scene was on its last legs.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Miami and its generator shows, to be clear, came from a lineage of Mission punks before them. Half of Miami, after all, had roots in a band that had started four years prior. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>The Naked Cult of Hickey\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Led by \u003ca href=\"https://www.mattyluv.com/\">Matty Luv\u003c/a>, a charismatic, manic frontman dedicated to a DIY anticapitalist interpretation of punk rock, Hickey was the band often called The Naked Cult of Hickey. With best friend Aesop Dekker behind the drum kit, the two produced a controlled chaos that would come to define the band. Originally accompanied by friend Chubby on bass, Hickey became known for confrontational antics and a prolific catalog of music, fueled by members’ use of both methamphetamine and heroin. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hickey burned bright and fast, touring constantly. Their song titles included “Hickey Is About Long Hair and Getting High” and “Everything I Know About Sex I Learned From KISS.” Live shows would often devolve into standoffs with the crowd, where the band might play one or two songs and then rant at the audience.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We would show up with the intention of being a band and playing our fucking songs as good as we could for an adoring crowd,” said Dekker. “A lot of times that would go fucky because the promoter was a dick, or, before we even played, would express how they weren’t going to pay us. Or the bands we were playing with were dicks.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The band’s live sets amplified their view on how punk rock should operate, with the members dedicated to an ethic that rebelled against the intrusion of money and power into their scene.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"766\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/HickeyLPs.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991199\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/HickeyLPs.jpg 1600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/HickeyLPs-160x77.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/HickeyLPs-768x368.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/HickeyLPs-1536x735.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(L–R) Hickey’s full-length self-titled LP, and ‘Various States of Disrepair,’ a compilation of songs released posthumously. (Probe Records / Poverty Records)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We hated the fucking corporatization of punk, and we hated people making money off of this. And we were at war with people that didn’t care about this shit,” said Dekker.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The chaos that famously propelled the band eventually led to their downfall. During a 1997 U.S. tour, the band decided to break up. The three members had a fight in Tuscon, Arizona, and realized that none of them wanted to continue with the project. After that decision, they felt a shift amongst themselves.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“A weird curse had been lifted, because we went back to our friend’s house and sat under the fire, drank and talked,” said Dekker. “We were friends again, like, this fucking weight had been lifted.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1326\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Ivy-in-Crowd-cool-hands_BART-Show_Karoline-Hanson-Collins.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991187\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Ivy-in-Crowd-cool-hands_BART-Show_Karoline-Hanson-Collins.jpg 1326w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Ivy-in-Crowd-cool-hands_BART-Show_Karoline-Hanson-Collins-160x241.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Ivy-in-Crowd-cool-hands_BART-Show_Karoline-Hanson-Collins-768x1158.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Ivy-in-Crowd-cool-hands_BART-Show_Karoline-Hanson-Collins-1018x1536.jpg 1018w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1326px) 100vw, 1326px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ivy McClelland (center) during a show at 16th and Mission BART plaza, circa 2000. (Karoline Collins)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mission Records \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After opening its doors in 1997, Mission Records, run by Adam White and Chris Myers, quickly became a place of refuge. Located at 2548 Mission Street, the shop soon had to move to its more permanent location across the street, on the corner of Mission and 19th, and gradually shifted to exist less as a record store and more as a living space and venue for shows.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It started off as a straight-up business proposition,” said White. “I got a bunch of credit cards. We both borrowed as much money as we could from whoever, and fucking went for it. And then, right away, we started getting decimated as a record store. It was the worst time. CDs were at their peak, and the internet was just starting to take the whole thing and destroy it. And we also didn’t know what the fuck we were doing.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As time went on, members of several bands lived at Mission Records, helping volunteer and put on shows. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1535\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/liveatleedsflier.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991188\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/liveatleedsflier.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/liveatleedsflier-160x123.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/liveatleedsflier-768x589.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/liveatleedsflier-1536x1179.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">‘The cops can shut down Mission punk clubs, but not Mission Street’: A flyer for a ‘short, illegal show’ on 22nd and Mission. (Erica Dawn Lyle)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Across the Bay, another wave of bands was gaining traction. Green Day had already signed to a major label and released their massive record \u003cem>Dookie\u003c/em>, and Rancid was taking off. The East Bay and San Francisco punk scenes weren’t completely isolated, and Mission District bands still made their way across the bridge. But in San Francisco, there was a different energy emanating. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Maybe they played faster, maybe they were more confrontational. And maybe it was the drugs.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It was all benzos,” said Broustis. “You go to Mission Records, and there’d be a band rehearsing there at two in the morning while people are trying to sleep.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Band members got drugs from local corner stores, and used that to fuel their productivity.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We did so much crystal meth in the fucking ’90s, and then it was heroin, and we were also eating lots of pills and drinking a lot — all the things that go with doing tons of crystal meth,” said Dekker. “That’s why we did so much in three years. Because we didn’t fucking sleep.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1319\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/LOW-RES-Matty_Broken-Tub_Hickey-Hotel_KHC.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991189\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/LOW-RES-Matty_Broken-Tub_Hickey-Hotel_KHC.jpg 1319w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/LOW-RES-Matty_Broken-Tub_Hickey-Hotel_KHC-160x243.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/LOW-RES-Matty_Broken-Tub_Hickey-Hotel_KHC-768x1165.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/LOW-RES-Matty_Broken-Tub_Hickey-Hotel_KHC-1013x1536.jpg 1013w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1319px) 100vw, 1319px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Matty Luv, and a broken bathtub, at the Hickey Hotel, circa mid-1990s. (Karoline Collins)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>A sudden shock \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As the drugs took their toll, elements of the scene wound down. Miami broke up, White left Mission Records, and increasingly, cops harassed local punks. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On Oct. 5, 2002, Matty Luv, 34, was found dead of a heroin overdose at the Hickey Hotel. He had spent the day helping out at Mission Records, while McClelland and other friends went to a protest against the Iraq war. The group of friends had crossed paths on the way to the protest, and Luv waved hi. It would be the last time many of them would see him. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The next day, a show at Mission Records was turned into a wake. Later, a number of his friends gathered at Dolores Park for his funeral, where \u003ca href=\"https://web.archive.org/web/20180107014931/https://archives.sfweekly.com/sanfrancisco/make-sure-there-arent-any-squares-at-my-funeral/Content?oid=2146143\">zines and Hickey records were handed out\u003c/a>, and where Luv was remembered by his friends as funny, prolific and intense.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Learning how to take better care of each other. I think that’s the lesson. And the wisdom of losing him was about really changing. It changed my relationship to what it meant to show up for people in need or in crisis,” said McClelland.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“He was the funniest person I’ve ever met, and I think I was the funniest person he ever met. And when we met, that was our bond, is that we felt the same way ideologically about everything, and we were both funny,” said Dekker.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Shortly after Luv’s death, Mission Records closed. White attempted to pass the business on to Buzz Lee, but the finances weren’t there. Dekker had recently found sobriety and become a father. McClelland continued to play in bands, and remains active in activism and harm reduction to this day.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1326\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Erica-Aesop_BART-Show_Karoline-Hanson-Collins.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991191\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Erica-Aesop_BART-Show_Karoline-Hanson-Collins.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Erica-Aesop_BART-Show_Karoline-Hanson-Collins-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Erica-Aesop_BART-Show_Karoline-Hanson-Collins-768x509.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Erica-Aesop_BART-Show_Karoline-Hanson-Collins-1536x1018.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(L–R) Erica Dawn Lyle and Aesop Dekker of the punk band Miami play a generator show at 16th and Mission BART plaza, circa 2000. (Karoline Collins)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Today, a new generation is picking up the torch. San Francisco bands False Flag and Surprise Privilege have played generator shows on the sidewalks in front of \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/groups/228217405293069/posts/1372002734247858/\">the Warfield \u003c/a>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13984468/best-concerts-2025-bay-area-live-music\">and the Castro Theatre\u003c/a>, and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13923420/punk-show-on-bart\">on a moving BART train\u003c/a>. (Their store \u003ca href=\"https://ihaterecords.com/pages/about-us\">I Hate Records\u003c/a>, in the Lower Haight, carries echoes of Mission Records.) A group known as the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/outhouse_sf/?hl=en\">Outhouse Collective\u003c/a> puts on their own generator shows, and have been taken under the wing by McClelland.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Last year saw the return of the \u003ca href=\"https://clarionalleymuralproject.org/clarion-alley-block-party/\">Clarion Alley Block Party\u003c/a>, which has largely been organized by McClelland since 1998. In its most recent installment, McClelland brought on members of Outhouse Collective to help organize the day’s live music. The combining of these two forces hints at an intergenerational cross-pollination which McClelland sees as essential for the continuation of the punk community into the future.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have shared visions, we have shared values. We have shared connection through these rad creative and rad political movements,” said McClelland. “When we are able to embrace people across community lines, build solidarity across race, gender, ability, mental health — finding those connections is really, really sacred.”\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The scene: 16th and Mission BART in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/san-francisco\">San Francisco\u003c/a>, 1998. Trains careen underground, while above, another kind of noise is happening.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The scene: 16th and Mission BART in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/san-francisco\">San Francisco\u003c/a>, 1998. Trains careen underground, while above, another kind of noise is happening.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Ivy Jeanne’s raspy, blues-inflected voice screams out of PAs borrowed from friends, powered by a generator borrowed from other friends. Erica Lyle’s guitar wails into the ether, making its way to Capp Street. Young punks dance, free of harassment. The show is over before anyone really knows it.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Ivy Jeanne’s raspy, blues-inflected voice screams out of PAs borrowed from friends, powered by a generator borrowed from other friends. Erica Lyle’s guitar wails into the ether, making its way to Capp Street. Young punks dance, free of harassment. The show is over before anyone really knows it.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Miami and Shotwell have just played an illegal show at BART.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Miami and Shotwell have just played an illegal show at BART.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“You’d roll up. Sometimes I was with whoever had the PA. You would just see punks on the periphery. Nobody was assembled in the plaza exactly. You could just see people around, and as soon as the gear started coming out, everyone would just descend,” said Karoline Collins, a local photographer and roadie for the band \u003ca href=\"https://mattyluv.com/\">Hickey\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“You’d roll up. Sometimes I was with whoever had the PA. You would just see punks on the periphery. Nobody was assembled in the plaza exactly. You could just see people around, and as soon as the gear started coming out, everyone would just descend,” said Karoline Collins, a local photographer and roadie for the band \u003ca href=\"https://mattyluv.com/\">Hickey\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Miami-9-Ivy-Pointing_BART-Show_Karoline-Hanson-Collins.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991192\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Miami-9-Ivy-Pointing_BART-Show_Karoline-Hanson-Collins.jpg 1326w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Miami-9-Ivy-Pointing_BART-Show_Karoline-Hanson-Collins-160x241.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Miami-9-Ivy-Pointing_BART-Show_Karoline-Hanson-Collins-768x1158.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Miami-9-Ivy-Pointing_BART-Show_Karoline-Hanson-Collins-1018x1536.jpg 1018w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ivy McClelland sings with the Mission District punk band Miami at 16th and Mission BART plaza, circa 2000.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Miami-9-Ivy-Pointing_BART-Show_Karoline-Hanson-Collins.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991192\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ivy McClelland sings with the Mission District punk band Miami at 16th and Mission BART plaza, circa 2000.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This would be one of many illegal generator-powered \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/punk\">punk\u003c/a> shows happening on Mission Street, a tradition that would carry into San Francisco’s present day. While San Francisco’s punk shows of the ’70s and ’80s had taken place in unlikely settings — a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13980619/mabuhay-gardens-reopening-sf-punk-club-north-beach\">Filipino restaurant\u003c/a>, a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13938024/old-san-francisco-punk-venues-deaf-club-farm-sound-music-tool-die\">social club for the deaf\u003c/a>, literal \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13902953/alternative-voices-1980s-san-francisco-punk-jeanne-hansen-photography-jonah-raskin\">beer vats\u003c/a> — the tradition of guerilla generator shows that flourished in Mission District’s ragged and dedicated punk scene of the ’90s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13923420/punk-show-on-bart\">continues today with bands like False Flag, Surprise Privilege and WIFE\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>This would be one of many illegal generator-powered \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/punk\">punk\u003c/a> shows happening on Mission Street, a tradition that would carry into San Francisco’s present day. While San Francisco’s punk shows of the ’70s and ’80s had taken place in unlikely settings — a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13980619/mabuhay-gardens-reopening-sf-punk-club-north-beach\">Filipino restaurant\u003c/a>, a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13938024/old-san-francisco-punk-venues-deaf-club-farm-sound-music-tool-die\">social club for the deaf\u003c/a>, literal \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13902953/alternative-voices-1980s-san-francisco-punk-jeanne-hansen-photography-jonah-raskin\">beer vats\u003c/a> — the tradition of guerilla generator shows that flourished in Mission District’s ragged and dedicated punk scene of the ’90s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13923420/punk-show-on-bart\">continues today with bands like False Flag, Surprise Privilege and WIFE\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/mission-district\">Mission District\u003c/a>’s punk history runs deep, boasting bands like MDC and Jawbreaker, and venues like Tool & Die, Kommotion and Epicenter. But in the late ’90s, something shifted. A new wave of punks dedicated to cheap living, harm reduction and the DIY ethos took over the streets. From 1994 through 2002, bands like Hickey, Shotwell, 50 Million and the aforementioned Miami would creatively resist San Francisco’s then-Mayor \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/willie-brown\">Willie Brown\u003c/a> and the powers that be with both music and action.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Their headquarters would become Mission Records, and later 16th and Mission BART Plaza, for amplifying their frustrations with gentrification, war and the police.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/mission-district\">Mission District\u003c/a>’s punk history runs deep, boasting bands like MDC and Jawbreaker, and venues like Tool & Die, Kommotion and Epicenter. But in the late ’90s, something shifted. A new wave of punks dedicated to cheap living, harm reduction and the DIY ethos took over the streets. From 1994 through 2002, bands like Hickey, Shotwell, 50 Million and the aforementioned Miami would creatively resist San Francisco’s then-Mayor \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/willie-brown\">Willie Brown\u003c/a> and the powers that be with both music and action.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Their headquarters would become Mission Records, and later 16th and Mission BART Plaza, for amplifying their frustrations with gentrification, war and the police.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>The City That Never Sleeps\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>The City That Never Sleeps\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Ivy Jeanne McClelland moved to San Francisco in 1997 after years of moving back and forth, sometimes by hopping trains, between her hometown of Miami and the East Bay as a teenage runaway. Though she’d crossed paths with Bay Area bands like Rancid, Green Day and Blatz, she decided to make San Francisco home thanks to Hickey. That year, McClelland hopped in the band’s van on their final tour, and moved into the band’s squalid apartment, the Hickey Hotel, on 24th Street.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Ivy Jeanne McClelland moved to San Francisco in 1997 after years of moving back and forth, sometimes by hopping trains, between her hometown of Miami and the East Bay as a teenage runaway. Though she’d crossed paths with Bay Area bands like Rancid, Green Day and Blatz, she decided to make San Francisco home thanks to Hickey. That year, McClelland hopped in the band’s van on their final tour, and moved into the band’s squalid apartment, the Hickey Hotel, on 24th Street.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Aesop-Kitchen-Patches_1996_Karoline-Hanson-Collins.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991186\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Aesop-Kitchen-Patches_1996_Karoline-Hanson-Collins.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Aesop-Kitchen-Patches_1996_Karoline-Hanson-Collins-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Aesop-Kitchen-Patches_1996_Karoline-Hanson-Collins-768x509.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Aesop-Kitchen-Patches_1996_Karoline-Hanson-Collins-1536x1018.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Aesop Dekker screenprints Hickey patches in the kitchen at the Hickey Hotel, circa mid-1990s. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Aesop-Kitchen-Patches_1996_Karoline-Hanson-Collins.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991186\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Aesop Dekker screenprints Hickey patches in the kitchen at the Hickey Hotel, circa mid-1990s. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>McClelland had played in bands like the Tri-Rails and Los Canadians, but when she made it to San Francisco, she teamed up with best friend and fellow Floridian Erica Dawn Lyle to start a new band called Miami, bolstered by Dekker and Luv from Hickey.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>McClelland had played in bands like the Tri-Rails and Los Canadians, but when she made it to San Francisco, she teamed up with best friend and fellow Floridian Erica Dawn Lyle to start a new band called Miami, bolstered by Dekker and Luv from Hickey.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>With more and more local venues like Klub Kommotion, Starcleaners Warehouse and Epicenter Records winding down operations, Miami and their longtime friends in the band Shotwell colluded to create a new commotion down Mission Street. Lyle and Broutis decided to host an illegal pop-up show, powered by generators, in front of the defunct Leed’s Shoes building at 22nd and Mission. Borrowing the idea from a band of buskers known as Rube Waddell, the two fueled their iteration with political angst.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>With more and more local venues like Klub Kommotion, Starcleaners Warehouse and Epicenter Records winding down operations, Miami and their longtime friends in the band Shotwell colluded to create a new commotion down Mission Street. Lyle and Broutis decided to host an illegal pop-up show, powered by generators, in front of the defunct Leed’s Shoes building at 22nd and Mission. Borrowing the idea from a band of buskers known as Rube Waddell, the two fueled their iteration with political angst.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The generator shows were a product of when gentrification really ramped up in the Mission,” said McClelland. “There was already this feeling of frustration and upset about all of these DIY show spaces that were targeted and shut down, and in our grumblings, we decided to have generator shows in response to them.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The generator shows were a product of when gentrification really ramped up in the Mission,” said McClelland. “There was already this feeling of frustration and upset about all of these DIY show spaces that were targeted and shut down, and in our grumblings, we decided to have generator shows in response to them.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Miami-7-Matty_BART-Show_Karoline-Hanson-Collins.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991194\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Miami-7-Matty_BART-Show_Karoline-Hanson-Collins.jpg 1326w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Miami-7-Matty_BART-Show_Karoline-Hanson-Collins-160x241.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Miami-7-Matty_BART-Show_Karoline-Hanson-Collins-768x1158.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Miami-7-Matty_BART-Show_Karoline-Hanson-Collins-1018x1536.jpg 1018w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Matty Luv plays with Mission District punk band Miami at 16th and Mission BART Plaza, circa 2000.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Miami-7-Matty_BART-Show_Karoline-Hanson-Collins.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991194\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Matty Luv plays with Mission District punk band Miami at 16th and Mission BART Plaza, circa 2000.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Miami didn’t last long, breaking up around 2001. Luv’s addiction to heroin had gotten more serious. He’d moved back to Florida for a time before being convinced to come back to San Francisco. Luv helped operate Mission Records in its near-final days, and played music with friends, but the scene was on its last legs.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Miami didn’t last long, breaking up around 2001. Luv’s addiction to heroin had gotten more serious. He’d moved back to Florida for a time before being convinced to come back to San Francisco. Luv helped operate Mission Records in its near-final days, and played music with friends, but the scene was on its last legs.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Miami and its generator shows, to be clear, came from a lineage of Mission punks before them. Half of Miami, after all, had roots in a band that had started four years prior. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Miami and its generator shows, to be clear, came from a lineage of Mission punks before them. Half of Miami, after all, had roots in a band that had started four years prior. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>The Naked Cult of Hickey\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Led by \u003ca href=\"https://www.mattyluv.com/\">Matty Luv\u003c/a>, a charismatic, manic frontman dedicated to a DIY anticapitalist interpretation of punk rock, Hickey was the band often called The Naked Cult of Hickey. With best friend Aesop Dekker behind the drum kit, the two produced a controlled chaos that would come to define the band. Originally accompanied by friend Chubby on bass, Hickey became known for confrontational antics and a prolific catalog of music, fueled by members’ use of both methamphetamine and heroin. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Led by \u003ca href=\"https://www.mattyluv.com/\">Matty Luv\u003c/a>, a charismatic, manic frontman dedicated to a DIY anticapitalist interpretation of punk rock, Hickey was the band often called The Naked Cult of Hickey. With best friend Aesop Dekker behind the drum kit, the two produced a controlled chaos that would come to define the band. Originally accompanied by friend Chubby on bass, Hickey became known for confrontational antics and a prolific catalog of music, fueled by members’ use of both methamphetamine and heroin. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Hickey burned bright and fast, touring constantly. Their song titles included “Hickey Is About Long Hair and Getting High” and “Everything I Know About Sex I Learned From KISS.” Live shows would often devolve into standoffs with the crowd, where the band might play one or two songs and then rant at the audience.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Hickey burned bright and fast, touring constantly. Their song titles included “Hickey Is About Long Hair and Getting High” and “Everything I Know About Sex I Learned From KISS.” Live shows would often devolve into standoffs with the crowd, where the band might play one or two songs and then rant at the audience.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We would show up with the intention of being a band and playing our fucking songs as good as we could for an adoring crowd,” said Dekker. “A lot of times that would go fucky because the promoter was a dick, or, before we even played, would express how they weren’t going to pay us. Or the bands we were playing with were dicks.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We would show up with the intention of being a band and playing our fucking songs as good as we could for an adoring crowd,” said Dekker. “A lot of times that would go fucky because the promoter was a dick, or, before we even played, would express how they weren’t going to pay us. Or the bands we were playing with were dicks.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The band’s live sets amplified their view on how punk rock should operate, with the members dedicated to an ethic that rebelled against the intrusion of money and power into their scene.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The band’s live sets amplified their view on how punk rock should operate, with the members dedicated to an ethic that rebelled against the intrusion of money and power into their scene.\u003c/p>\n"
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/HickeyLPs.jpg 1600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/HickeyLPs-160x77.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/HickeyLPs-768x368.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/HickeyLPs-1536x735.jpg 1536w",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/HickeyLPs.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991199\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/HickeyLPs.jpg 1600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/HickeyLPs-160x77.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/HickeyLPs-768x368.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/HickeyLPs-1536x735.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(L–R) Hickey’s full-length self-titled LP, and ‘Various States of Disrepair,’ a compilation of songs released posthumously. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/HickeyLPs.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991199\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(L–R) Hickey’s full-length self-titled LP, and ‘Various States of Disrepair,’ a compilation of songs released posthumously. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We hated the fucking corporatization of punk, and we hated people making money off of this. And we were at war with people that didn’t care about this shit,” said Dekker.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We hated the fucking corporatization of punk, and we hated people making money off of this. And we were at war with people that didn’t care about this shit,” said Dekker.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The chaos that famously propelled the band eventually led to their downfall. During a 1997 U.S. tour, the band decided to break up. The three members had a fight in Tuscon, Arizona, and realized that none of them wanted to continue with the project. After that decision, they felt a shift amongst themselves.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The chaos that famously propelled the band eventually led to their downfall. During a 1997 U.S. tour, the band decided to break up. The three members had a fight in Tuscon, Arizona, and realized that none of them wanted to continue with the project. After that decision, they felt a shift amongst themselves.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“A weird curse had been lifted, because we went back to our friend’s house and sat under the fire, drank and talked,” said Dekker. “We were friends again, like, this fucking weight had been lifted.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“A weird curse had been lifted, because we went back to our friend’s house and sat under the fire, drank and talked,” said Dekker. “We were friends again, like, this fucking weight had been lifted.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Ivy-in-Crowd-cool-hands_BART-Show_Karoline-Hanson-Collins.jpg 1326w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Ivy-in-Crowd-cool-hands_BART-Show_Karoline-Hanson-Collins-160x241.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Ivy-in-Crowd-cool-hands_BART-Show_Karoline-Hanson-Collins-768x1158.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Ivy-in-Crowd-cool-hands_BART-Show_Karoline-Hanson-Collins-1018x1536.jpg 1018w",
"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Ivy-in-Crowd-cool-hands_BART-Show_Karoline-Hanson-Collins.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991187\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Ivy-in-Crowd-cool-hands_BART-Show_Karoline-Hanson-Collins.jpg 1326w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Ivy-in-Crowd-cool-hands_BART-Show_Karoline-Hanson-Collins-160x241.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Ivy-in-Crowd-cool-hands_BART-Show_Karoline-Hanson-Collins-768x1158.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Ivy-in-Crowd-cool-hands_BART-Show_Karoline-Hanson-Collins-1018x1536.jpg 1018w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ivy McClelland (center) during a show at 16th and Mission BART plaza, circa 2000.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Ivy-in-Crowd-cool-hands_BART-Show_Karoline-Hanson-Collins.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991187\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ivy McClelland (center) during a show at 16th and Mission BART plaza, circa 2000.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mission Records \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mission Records \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>After opening its doors in 1997, Mission Records, run by Adam White and Chris Myers, quickly became a place of refuge. Located at 2548 Mission Street, the shop soon had to move to its more permanent location across the street, on the corner of Mission and 19th, and gradually shifted to exist less as a record store and more as a living space and venue for shows.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>After opening its doors in 1997, Mission Records, run by Adam White and Chris Myers, quickly became a place of refuge. Located at 2548 Mission Street, the shop soon had to move to its more permanent location across the street, on the corner of Mission and 19th, and gradually shifted to exist less as a record store and more as a living space and venue for shows.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It started off as a straight-up business proposition,” said White. “I got a bunch of credit cards. We both borrowed as much money as we could from whoever, and fucking went for it. And then, right away, we started getting decimated as a record store. It was the worst time. CDs were at their peak, and the internet was just starting to take the whole thing and destroy it. And we also didn’t know what the fuck we were doing.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It started off as a straight-up business proposition,” said White. “I got a bunch of credit cards. We both borrowed as much money as we could from whoever, and fucking went for it. And then, right away, we started getting decimated as a record store. It was the worst time. CDs were at their peak, and the internet was just starting to take the whole thing and destroy it. And we also didn’t know what the fuck we were doing.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As time went on, members of several bands lived at Mission Records, helping volunteer and put on shows. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>As time went on, members of several bands lived at Mission Records, helping volunteer and put on shows. \u003c/p>\n"
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"imageCredit": "Erica Dawn Lyle",
"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/liveatleedsflier.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/liveatleedsflier-160x123.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/liveatleedsflier-768x589.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/liveatleedsflier-1536x1179.jpg 1536w",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/liveatleedsflier.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991188\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/liveatleedsflier.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/liveatleedsflier-160x123.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/liveatleedsflier-768x589.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/liveatleedsflier-1536x1179.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">‘The cops can shut down Mission punk clubs, but not Mission Street’: A flyer for a ‘short, illegal show’ on 22nd and Mission. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/liveatleedsflier.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991188\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">‘The cops can shut down Mission punk clubs, but not Mission Street’: A flyer for a ‘short, illegal show’ on 22nd and Mission. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Across the Bay, another wave of bands was gaining traction. Green Day had already signed to a major label and released their massive record \u003cem>Dookie\u003c/em>, and Rancid was taking off. The East Bay and San Francisco punk scenes weren’t completely isolated, and Mission District bands still made their way across the bridge. But in San Francisco, there was a different energy emanating. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Across the Bay, another wave of bands was gaining traction. Green Day had already signed to a major label and released their massive record \u003cem>Dookie\u003c/em>, and Rancid was taking off. The East Bay and San Francisco punk scenes weren’t completely isolated, and Mission District bands still made their way across the bridge. But in San Francisco, there was a different energy emanating. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Maybe they played faster, maybe they were more confrontational. And maybe it was the drugs.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It was all benzos,” said Broustis. “You go to Mission Records, and there’d be a band rehearsing there at two in the morning while people are trying to sleep.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It was all benzos,” said Broustis. “You go to Mission Records, and there’d be a band rehearsing there at two in the morning while people are trying to sleep.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Band members got drugs from local corner stores, and used that to fuel their productivity.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Band members got drugs from local corner stores, and used that to fuel their productivity.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We did so much crystal meth in the fucking ’90s, and then it was heroin, and we were also eating lots of pills and drinking a lot — all the things that go with doing tons of crystal meth,” said Dekker. “That’s why we did so much in three years. Because we didn’t fucking sleep.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We did so much crystal meth in the fucking ’90s, and then it was heroin, and we were also eating lots of pills and drinking a lot — all the things that go with doing tons of crystal meth,” said Dekker. “That’s why we did so much in three years. Because we didn’t fucking sleep.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/LOW-RES-Matty_Broken-Tub_Hickey-Hotel_KHC.jpg 1319w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/LOW-RES-Matty_Broken-Tub_Hickey-Hotel_KHC-160x243.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/LOW-RES-Matty_Broken-Tub_Hickey-Hotel_KHC-768x1165.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/LOW-RES-Matty_Broken-Tub_Hickey-Hotel_KHC-1013x1536.jpg 1013w",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/LOW-RES-Matty_Broken-Tub_Hickey-Hotel_KHC.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991189\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/LOW-RES-Matty_Broken-Tub_Hickey-Hotel_KHC.jpg 1319w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/LOW-RES-Matty_Broken-Tub_Hickey-Hotel_KHC-160x243.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/LOW-RES-Matty_Broken-Tub_Hickey-Hotel_KHC-768x1165.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/LOW-RES-Matty_Broken-Tub_Hickey-Hotel_KHC-1013x1536.jpg 1013w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Matty Luv, and a broken bathtub, at the Hickey Hotel, circa mid-1990s. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/LOW-RES-Matty_Broken-Tub_Hickey-Hotel_KHC.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991189\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Matty Luv, and a broken bathtub, at the Hickey Hotel, circa mid-1990s. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>A sudden shock \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As the drugs took their toll, elements of the scene wound down. Miami broke up, White left Mission Records, and increasingly, cops harassed local punks. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On Oct. 5, 2002, Matty Luv, 34, was found dead of a heroin overdose at the Hickey Hotel. He had spent the day helping out at Mission Records, while McClelland and other friends went to a protest against the Iraq war. The group of friends had crossed paths on the way to the protest, and Luv waved hi. It would be the last time many of them would see him. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>On Oct. 5, 2002, Matty Luv, 34, was found dead of a heroin overdose at the Hickey Hotel. He had spent the day helping out at Mission Records, while McClelland and other friends went to a protest against the Iraq war. The group of friends had crossed paths on the way to the protest, and Luv waved hi. It would be the last time many of them would see him. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The next day, a show at Mission Records was turned into a wake. Later, a number of his friends gathered at Dolores Park for his funeral, where \u003ca href=\"https://web.archive.org/web/20180107014931/https://archives.sfweekly.com/sanfrancisco/make-sure-there-arent-any-squares-at-my-funeral/Content?oid=2146143\">zines and Hickey records were handed out\u003c/a>, and where Luv was remembered by his friends as funny, prolific and intense.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The next day, a show at Mission Records was turned into a wake. Later, a number of his friends gathered at Dolores Park for his funeral, where \u003ca href=\"https://web.archive.org/web/20180107014931/https://archives.sfweekly.com/sanfrancisco/make-sure-there-arent-any-squares-at-my-funeral/Content?oid=2146143\">zines and Hickey records were handed out\u003c/a>, and where Luv was remembered by his friends as funny, prolific and intense.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Learning how to take better care of each other. I think that’s the lesson. And the wisdom of losing him was about really changing. It changed my relationship to what it meant to show up for people in need or in crisis,” said McClelland.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Learning how to take better care of each other. I think that’s the lesson. And the wisdom of losing him was about really changing. It changed my relationship to what it meant to show up for people in need or in crisis,” said McClelland.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“He was the funniest person I’ve ever met, and I think I was the funniest person he ever met. And when we met, that was our bond, is that we felt the same way ideologically about everything, and we were both funny,” said Dekker.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“He was the funniest person I’ve ever met, and I think I was the funniest person he ever met. And when we met, that was our bond, is that we felt the same way ideologically about everything, and we were both funny,” said Dekker.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Shortly after Luv’s death, Mission Records closed. White attempted to pass the business on to Buzz Lee, but the finances weren’t there. Dekker had recently found sobriety and become a father. McClelland continued to play in bands, and remains active in activism and harm reduction to this day.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Shortly after Luv’s death, Mission Records closed. White attempted to pass the business on to Buzz Lee, but the finances weren’t there. Dekker had recently found sobriety and become a father. McClelland continued to play in bands, and remains active in activism and harm reduction to this day.\u003c/p>\n"
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Erica-Aesop_BART-Show_Karoline-Hanson-Collins.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Erica-Aesop_BART-Show_Karoline-Hanson-Collins-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Erica-Aesop_BART-Show_Karoline-Hanson-Collins-768x509.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Erica-Aesop_BART-Show_Karoline-Hanson-Collins-1536x1018.jpg 1536w",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Erica-Aesop_BART-Show_Karoline-Hanson-Collins.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991191\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Erica-Aesop_BART-Show_Karoline-Hanson-Collins.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Erica-Aesop_BART-Show_Karoline-Hanson-Collins-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Erica-Aesop_BART-Show_Karoline-Hanson-Collins-768x509.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Erica-Aesop_BART-Show_Karoline-Hanson-Collins-1536x1018.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(L–R) Erica Dawn Lyle and Aesop Dekker of the punk band Miami play a generator show at 16th and Mission BART plaza, circa 2000.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Erica-Aesop_BART-Show_Karoline-Hanson-Collins.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991191\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(L–R) Erica Dawn Lyle and Aesop Dekker of the punk band Miami play a generator show at 16th and Mission BART plaza, circa 2000.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Today, a new generation is picking up the torch. San Francisco bands False Flag and Surprise Privilege have played generator shows on the sidewalks in front of \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/groups/228217405293069/posts/1372002734247858/\">the Warfield \u003c/a>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13984468/best-concerts-2025-bay-area-live-music\">and the Castro Theatre\u003c/a>, and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13923420/punk-show-on-bart\">on a moving BART train\u003c/a>. (Their store \u003ca href=\"https://ihaterecords.com/pages/about-us\">I Hate Records\u003c/a>, in the Lower Haight, carries echoes of Mission Records.) A group known as the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/outhouse_sf/?hl=en\">Outhouse Collective\u003c/a> puts on their own generator shows, and have been taken under the wing by McClelland.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Today, a new generation is picking up the torch. San Francisco bands False Flag and Surprise Privilege have played generator shows on the sidewalks in front of \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/groups/228217405293069/posts/1372002734247858/\">the Warfield \u003c/a>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13984468/best-concerts-2025-bay-area-live-music\">and the Castro Theatre\u003c/a>, and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13923420/punk-show-on-bart\">on a moving BART train\u003c/a>. (Their store \u003ca href=\"https://ihaterecords.com/pages/about-us\">I Hate Records\u003c/a>, in the Lower Haight, carries echoes of Mission Records.) A group known as the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/outhouse_sf/?hl=en\">Outhouse Collective\u003c/a> puts on their own generator shows, and have been taken under the wing by McClelland.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Last year saw the return of the \u003ca href=\"https://clarionalleymuralproject.org/clarion-alley-block-party/\">Clarion Alley Block Party\u003c/a>, which has largely been organized by McClelland since 1998. In its most recent installment, McClelland brought on members of Outhouse Collective to help organize the day’s live music. The combining of these two forces hints at an intergenerational cross-pollination which McClelland sees as essential for the continuation of the punk community into the future.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Last year saw the return of the \u003ca href=\"https://clarionalleymuralproject.org/clarion-alley-block-party/\">Clarion Alley Block Party\u003c/a>, which has largely been organized by McClelland since 1998. In its most recent installment, McClelland brought on members of Outhouse Collective to help organize the day’s live music. The combining of these two forces hints at an intergenerational cross-pollination which McClelland sees as essential for the continuation of the punk community into the future.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We have shared visions, we have shared values. We have shared connection through these rad creative and rad political movements,” said McClelland. “When we are able to embrace people across community lines, build solidarity across race, gender, ability, mental health — finding those connections is really, really sacred.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We have shared visions, we have shared values. We have shared connection through these rad creative and rad political movements,” said McClelland. “When we are able to embrace people across community lines, build solidarity across race, gender, ability, mental health — finding those connections is really, really sacred.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "From 1994–2002, a group of scrappy punks forged a template for today's guerrilla shows in San Francisco.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>The scene: 16th and Mission BART in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/san-francisco\">San Francisco\u003c/a>, 1998. Trains careen underground, while above, another kind of noise is happening.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ivy Jeanne’s raspy, blues-inflected voice screams out of PAs borrowed from friends, powered by a generator borrowed from other friends. Erica Lyle’s guitar wails into the ether, making its way to Capp Street. Young punks dance, free of harassment. The show is over before anyone really knows it.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Miami and Shotwell have just played an illegal show at BART.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“You’d roll up. Sometimes I was with whoever had the PA. You would just see punks on the periphery. Nobody was assembled in the plaza exactly. You could just see people around, and as soon as the gear started coming out, everyone would just descend,” said Karoline Collins, a local photographer and roadie for the band \u003ca href=\"https://mattyluv.com/\">Hickey\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1326\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Miami-9-Ivy-Pointing_BART-Show_Karoline-Hanson-Collins.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991192\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Miami-9-Ivy-Pointing_BART-Show_Karoline-Hanson-Collins.jpg 1326w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Miami-9-Ivy-Pointing_BART-Show_Karoline-Hanson-Collins-160x241.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Miami-9-Ivy-Pointing_BART-Show_Karoline-Hanson-Collins-768x1158.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Miami-9-Ivy-Pointing_BART-Show_Karoline-Hanson-Collins-1018x1536.jpg 1018w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1326px) 100vw, 1326px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ivy McClelland sings with the Mission District punk band Miami at 16th and Mission BART plaza, circa 2000. (Karoline Collins)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This would be one of many illegal generator-powered \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/punk\">punk\u003c/a> shows happening on Mission Street, a tradition that would carry into San Francisco’s present day. While San Francisco’s punk shows of the ’70s and ’80s had taken place in unlikely settings — a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13980619/mabuhay-gardens-reopening-sf-punk-club-north-beach\">Filipino restaurant\u003c/a>, a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13938024/old-san-francisco-punk-venues-deaf-club-farm-sound-music-tool-die\">social club for the deaf\u003c/a>, literal \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13902953/alternative-voices-1980s-san-francisco-punk-jeanne-hansen-photography-jonah-raskin\">beer vats\u003c/a> — the tradition of guerilla generator shows that flourished in Mission District’s ragged and dedicated punk scene of the ’90s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13923420/punk-show-on-bart\">continues today with bands like False Flag, Surprise Privilege and WIFE\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/mission-district\">Mission District\u003c/a>’s punk history runs deep, boasting bands like MDC and Jawbreaker, and venues like Tool & Die, Kommotion and Epicenter. But in the late ’90s, something shifted. A new wave of punks dedicated to cheap living, harm reduction and the DIY ethos took over the streets. From 1994 through 2002, bands like Hickey, Shotwell, 50 Million and the aforementioned Miami would creatively resist San Francisco’s then-Mayor \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/willie-brown\">Willie Brown\u003c/a> and the powers that be with both music and action.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Their headquarters would become Mission Records, and later 16th and Mission BART Plaza, for amplifying their frustrations with gentrification, war and the police.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>The City That Never Sleeps\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ivy Jeanne McClelland moved to San Francisco in 1997 after years of moving back and forth, sometimes by hopping trains, between her hometown of Miami and the East Bay as a teenage runaway. Though she’d crossed paths with Bay Area bands like Rancid, Green Day and Blatz, she decided to make San Francisco home thanks to Hickey. That year, McClelland hopped in the band’s van on their final tour, and moved into the band’s squalid apartment, the Hickey Hotel, on 24th Street.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1326\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Aesop-Kitchen-Patches_1996_Karoline-Hanson-Collins.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991186\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Aesop-Kitchen-Patches_1996_Karoline-Hanson-Collins.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Aesop-Kitchen-Patches_1996_Karoline-Hanson-Collins-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Aesop-Kitchen-Patches_1996_Karoline-Hanson-Collins-768x509.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Aesop-Kitchen-Patches_1996_Karoline-Hanson-Collins-1536x1018.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Aesop Dekker screenprints Hickey patches in the kitchen at the Hickey Hotel, circa mid-1990s. (Karoline Collins)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>McClelland had played in bands like the Tri-Rails and Los Canadians, but when she made it to San Francisco, she teamed up with best friend and fellow Floridian Erica Dawn Lyle to start a new band called Miami, bolstered by Dekker and Luv from Hickey.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>With more and more local venues like Klub Kommotion, Starcleaners Warehouse and Epicenter Records winding down operations, Miami and their longtime friends in the band Shotwell colluded to create a new commotion down Mission Street. Lyle and Broutis decided to host an illegal pop-up show, powered by generators, in front of the defunct Leed’s Shoes building at 22nd and Mission. Borrowing the idea from a band of buskers known as Rube Waddell, the two fueled their iteration with political angst.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The generator shows were a product of when gentrification really ramped up in the Mission,” said McClelland. “There was already this feeling of frustration and upset about all of these DIY show spaces that were targeted and shut down, and in our grumblings, we decided to have generator shows in response to them.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1326\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Miami-7-Matty_BART-Show_Karoline-Hanson-Collins.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991194\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Miami-7-Matty_BART-Show_Karoline-Hanson-Collins.jpg 1326w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Miami-7-Matty_BART-Show_Karoline-Hanson-Collins-160x241.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Miami-7-Matty_BART-Show_Karoline-Hanson-Collins-768x1158.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Miami-7-Matty_BART-Show_Karoline-Hanson-Collins-1018x1536.jpg 1018w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1326px) 100vw, 1326px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Matty Luv plays with Mission District punk band Miami at 16th and Mission BART Plaza, circa 2000. (Karoline Collins)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Miami didn’t last long, breaking up around 2001. Luv’s addiction to heroin had gotten more serious. He’d moved back to Florida for a time before being convinced to come back to San Francisco. Luv helped operate Mission Records in its near-final days, and played music with friends, but the scene was on its last legs.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Miami and its generator shows, to be clear, came from a lineage of Mission punks before them. Half of Miami, after all, had roots in a band that had started four years prior. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>The Naked Cult of Hickey\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Led by \u003ca href=\"https://www.mattyluv.com/\">Matty Luv\u003c/a>, a charismatic, manic frontman dedicated to a DIY anticapitalist interpretation of punk rock, Hickey was the band often called The Naked Cult of Hickey. With best friend Aesop Dekker behind the drum kit, the two produced a controlled chaos that would come to define the band. Originally accompanied by friend Chubby on bass, Hickey became known for confrontational antics and a prolific catalog of music, fueled by members’ use of both methamphetamine and heroin. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hickey burned bright and fast, touring constantly. Their song titles included “Hickey Is About Long Hair and Getting High” and “Everything I Know About Sex I Learned From KISS.” Live shows would often devolve into standoffs with the crowd, where the band might play one or two songs and then rant at the audience.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We would show up with the intention of being a band and playing our fucking songs as good as we could for an adoring crowd,” said Dekker. “A lot of times that would go fucky because the promoter was a dick, or, before we even played, would express how they weren’t going to pay us. Or the bands we were playing with were dicks.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The band’s live sets amplified their view on how punk rock should operate, with the members dedicated to an ethic that rebelled against the intrusion of money and power into their scene.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"766\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/HickeyLPs.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991199\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/HickeyLPs.jpg 1600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/HickeyLPs-160x77.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/HickeyLPs-768x368.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/HickeyLPs-1536x735.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(L–R) Hickey’s full-length self-titled LP, and ‘Various States of Disrepair,’ a compilation of songs released posthumously. (Probe Records / Poverty Records)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We hated the fucking corporatization of punk, and we hated people making money off of this. And we were at war with people that didn’t care about this shit,” said Dekker.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The chaos that famously propelled the band eventually led to their downfall. During a 1997 U.S. tour, the band decided to break up. The three members had a fight in Tuscon, Arizona, and realized that none of them wanted to continue with the project. After that decision, they felt a shift amongst themselves.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“A weird curse had been lifted, because we went back to our friend’s house and sat under the fire, drank and talked,” said Dekker. “We were friends again, like, this fucking weight had been lifted.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1326\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Ivy-in-Crowd-cool-hands_BART-Show_Karoline-Hanson-Collins.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991187\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Ivy-in-Crowd-cool-hands_BART-Show_Karoline-Hanson-Collins.jpg 1326w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Ivy-in-Crowd-cool-hands_BART-Show_Karoline-Hanson-Collins-160x241.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Ivy-in-Crowd-cool-hands_BART-Show_Karoline-Hanson-Collins-768x1158.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Ivy-in-Crowd-cool-hands_BART-Show_Karoline-Hanson-Collins-1018x1536.jpg 1018w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1326px) 100vw, 1326px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ivy McClelland (center) during a show at 16th and Mission BART plaza, circa 2000. (Karoline Collins)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mission Records \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After opening its doors in 1997, Mission Records, run by Adam White and Chris Myers, quickly became a place of refuge. Located at 2548 Mission Street, the shop soon had to move to its more permanent location across the street, on the corner of Mission and 19th, and gradually shifted to exist less as a record store and more as a living space and venue for shows.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It started off as a straight-up business proposition,” said White. “I got a bunch of credit cards. We both borrowed as much money as we could from whoever, and fucking went for it. And then, right away, we started getting decimated as a record store. It was the worst time. CDs were at their peak, and the internet was just starting to take the whole thing and destroy it. And we also didn’t know what the fuck we were doing.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As time went on, members of several bands lived at Mission Records, helping volunteer and put on shows. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1535\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/liveatleedsflier.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991188\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/liveatleedsflier.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/liveatleedsflier-160x123.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/liveatleedsflier-768x589.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/liveatleedsflier-1536x1179.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">‘The cops can shut down Mission punk clubs, but not Mission Street’: A flyer for a ‘short, illegal show’ on 22nd and Mission. (Erica Dawn Lyle)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Across the Bay, another wave of bands was gaining traction. Green Day had already signed to a major label and released their massive record \u003cem>Dookie\u003c/em>, and Rancid was taking off. The East Bay and San Francisco punk scenes weren’t completely isolated, and Mission District bands still made their way across the bridge. But in San Francisco, there was a different energy emanating. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Maybe they played faster, maybe they were more confrontational. And maybe it was the drugs.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It was all benzos,” said Broustis. “You go to Mission Records, and there’d be a band rehearsing there at two in the morning while people are trying to sleep.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Band members got drugs from local corner stores, and used that to fuel their productivity.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We did so much crystal meth in the fucking ’90s, and then it was heroin, and we were also eating lots of pills and drinking a lot — all the things that go with doing tons of crystal meth,” said Dekker. “That’s why we did so much in three years. Because we didn’t fucking sleep.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1319\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/LOW-RES-Matty_Broken-Tub_Hickey-Hotel_KHC.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991189\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/LOW-RES-Matty_Broken-Tub_Hickey-Hotel_KHC.jpg 1319w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/LOW-RES-Matty_Broken-Tub_Hickey-Hotel_KHC-160x243.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/LOW-RES-Matty_Broken-Tub_Hickey-Hotel_KHC-768x1165.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/LOW-RES-Matty_Broken-Tub_Hickey-Hotel_KHC-1013x1536.jpg 1013w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1319px) 100vw, 1319px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Matty Luv, and a broken bathtub, at the Hickey Hotel, circa mid-1990s. (Karoline Collins)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>A sudden shock \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As the drugs took their toll, elements of the scene wound down. Miami broke up, White left Mission Records, and increasingly, cops harassed local punks. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On Oct. 5, 2002, Matty Luv, 34, was found dead of a heroin overdose at the Hickey Hotel. He had spent the day helping out at Mission Records, while McClelland and other friends went to a protest against the Iraq war. The group of friends had crossed paths on the way to the protest, and Luv waved hi. It would be the last time many of them would see him. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The next day, a show at Mission Records was turned into a wake. Later, a number of his friends gathered at Dolores Park for his funeral, where \u003ca href=\"https://web.archive.org/web/20180107014931/https://archives.sfweekly.com/sanfrancisco/make-sure-there-arent-any-squares-at-my-funeral/Content?oid=2146143\">zines and Hickey records were handed out\u003c/a>, and where Luv was remembered by his friends as funny, prolific and intense.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Learning how to take better care of each other. I think that’s the lesson. And the wisdom of losing him was about really changing. It changed my relationship to what it meant to show up for people in need or in crisis,” said McClelland.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“He was the funniest person I’ve ever met, and I think I was the funniest person he ever met. And when we met, that was our bond, is that we felt the same way ideologically about everything, and we were both funny,” said Dekker.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Shortly after Luv’s death, Mission Records closed. White attempted to pass the business on to Buzz Lee, but the finances weren’t there. Dekker had recently found sobriety and become a father. McClelland continued to play in bands, and remains active in activism and harm reduction to this day.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1326\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Erica-Aesop_BART-Show_Karoline-Hanson-Collins.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991191\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Erica-Aesop_BART-Show_Karoline-Hanson-Collins.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Erica-Aesop_BART-Show_Karoline-Hanson-Collins-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Erica-Aesop_BART-Show_Karoline-Hanson-Collins-768x509.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Erica-Aesop_BART-Show_Karoline-Hanson-Collins-1536x1018.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(L–R) Erica Dawn Lyle and Aesop Dekker of the punk band Miami play a generator show at 16th and Mission BART plaza, circa 2000. (Karoline Collins)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Today, a new generation is picking up the torch. San Francisco bands False Flag and Surprise Privilege have played generator shows on the sidewalks in front of \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/groups/228217405293069/posts/1372002734247858/\">the Warfield \u003c/a>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13984468/best-concerts-2025-bay-area-live-music\">and the Castro Theatre\u003c/a>, and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13923420/punk-show-on-bart\">on a moving BART train\u003c/a>. (Their store \u003ca href=\"https://ihaterecords.com/pages/about-us\">I Hate Records\u003c/a>, in the Lower Haight, carries echoes of Mission Records.) A group known as the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/outhouse_sf/?hl=en\">Outhouse Collective\u003c/a> puts on their own generator shows, and have been taken under the wing by McClelland.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Last year saw the return of the \u003ca href=\"https://clarionalleymuralproject.org/clarion-alley-block-party/\">Clarion Alley Block Party\u003c/a>, which has largely been organized by McClelland since 1998. In its most recent installment, McClelland brought on members of Outhouse Collective to help organize the day’s live music. The combining of these two forces hints at an intergenerational cross-pollination which McClelland sees as essential for the continuation of the punk community into the future.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have shared visions, we have shared values. We have shared connection through these rad creative and rad political movements,” said McClelland. “When we are able to embrace people across community lines, build solidarity across race, gender, ability, mental health — finding those connections is really, really sacred.”\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "kaleena-zanders-san-jose-dance-music",
"title": "For San José’s Kaleena Zanders, Dance Music Is ‘a Magical Experience’",
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"headTitle": "For San José’s Kaleena Zanders, Dance Music Is ‘a Magical Experience’ | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>As \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/kaleenazanders/?hl=en\">Kaleena Zanders\u003c/a>’ song “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31i2vFa7r8s\">The Light\u003c/a>” blasted through my headphones, I pedaled faster.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Soundtracked by energetic hi-hats, symphonic strings, a bass line from the underworld and Zanders’ heavenly vocals, my bike ride became a spiritual experience. And I’m clearly not the only one moved by Zanders’ music.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For more than a decade, Zanders has played nightclubs and festivals, and even once had a song featured in \u003ca href=\"https://www.ispot.tv/ad/waIE/toyota-super-bowl-2018-good-odds-song-by-kaleena-zanders\">a Super Bowl Toyota commercial\u003c/a>. Her debut album \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/album/0clTTK9wSXFKpTTtGq2sun\">Anything Goes\u003c/a>\u003c/em> dropped last month. It’s been highlighted by \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/up-coming-dance-artist-of-month-kaleena-zanders-april-2026-1236230807/\">Billboard\u003c/a>,\u003c/em> with two of its songs, “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDfP41vP8dQ\">Stronger Than Machines\u003c/a>” and “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1dPFBPt1_M\">Anything Goes\u003c/a>,” spotlighted by ESPN.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/IMG_20260625_125811.jpg\" alt=\"A person standing behind a DJ table at a crowded outdoors event.\" class=\"wp-image-13991110\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/IMG_20260625_125811.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/IMG_20260625_125811-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/IMG_20260625_125811-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/IMG_20260625_125811-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kaleena Zanders, pictured performing at Outside Lands in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park in 2024, grew up playing sports and frequenting Hot Topic in San José. (Harp Digital Media)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As Zanders launches \u003ca href=\"https://www.kaleenazanders.com/tour\">a multiple-city tour\u003c/a> with stops across the United States and Canada, she gives credit to her upbringing in San José for making it possible.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Emo fits and musical theater\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I ended up going to Independence High School,” Zanders tells me during a recent video call, “and I played a ton of sports.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As a teenage basketball and rugby player, Zanders also got deep into her emo bag with fits from Hot Topic at Eastridge Mall, across the street from where she lived. While fashion and athletics were important, art proved significant in her upbringing.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Musical theater was a huge part of my life,” says Zanders, who took classes at the \u003ca href=\"https://sanjoseacademyofmusic.com/san-jose-childrens-chorus/\">San Jose Children’s Choir \u003c/a>from the age of 8 to the age of 11. She had no problem singing to herself, but Zanders was a shy about appearing on stage.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I was really caught off guard that my mom would put me in these musical theater classes,” Zanders reflects. But it all makes sense now. “I remember coming alive on stage,” Zanders says. “I get it.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mO0mYdan3w\n\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Having a musical outlet proved vital as she navigated her teenage years.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Understanding that I’m queer,” says Zanders, “that was actually pretty hard for me in high school.” So she leaned into music, practicing on a piano in her mom’s garage, and eventually taking guitar lessons — which got her into rock music.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In college, Zanders played in a band, Moulder’s Lounge, which she calls “the most euphoric, life-changing experience.” The band allowed her to combine musical theater, instrumentation and rock music, and would’ve been big, Zanders believes, if they’d stayed together.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Zanders eventually moved to Los Angeles and enrolled at the Musicians Institute. One day, while she was working at Trader Joe’s in Hollywood, a friend told her about a DJ who needed someone to provide vocals for an EDM track. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I wasn’t the kind of kid that could go out and rave,” Zanders says with a laugh; her mother wouldn’t have allowed it. “I literally knew nothing of rave culture,” she says. But she quickly learned.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/IMG_20260625_125757-1.jpg\" alt=\"The crowd's view of a person standing behind the DJ tables.\" class=\"wp-image-13991111\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/IMG_20260625_125757-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/IMG_20260625_125757-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/IMG_20260625_125757-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/IMG_20260625_125757-1-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">‘I make music that’s rooted in love,’ says Kaleena Zanders, pictured performing in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park at Outside Lands in 2024. (Harp Digital Media)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘Big diva vocals’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Zanders now plays in nightclubs as well as sports arenas. They’re two very different settings, except that both are male-dominated. Simply by being present in those spaces, Zanders tells me, “as a woman, as a Black woman, as a queer woman, I naturally am gonna make some sort of statement. I don’t even need to say anything.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Pivoting from writing verses and choruses of rock lyrics to short top-lines for dance anthems wasn’t easy.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Simplifying her lyrics felt like “it was like a diss to the art,” Zanders says. “I’m like, ‘What do you mean you only need one or two lines?’” But after digging deeper into the history of dance, and the work of artists like \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robin_S.\">Robin S.\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonique_(musician)\">Sonique\u003c/a>, Zanders understood the power of “big diva vocals.” With only a few choice lyrics, Zanders affirms, one can “still very much understand, in a potent way, what the song is about.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Featuring Shift K3Y, Bipolar Sunshine and Hayley May, each of the seven songs on \u003cem>Anything Goes\u003c/em> pack in a load of emotions and storytelling. Even the album name has multiple meanings.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMl_XIjVAsg\n\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Heartbroken after an acquaintance stole something of hers, it hit Zanders that life is a free-for-all with no rules, for better or for worse.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Look at these motherfuckers, they’re out here just stealing shit,” she says. “Okay, fuck! Let me have the audacity to do what I wanna do, which is \u003cem>good\u003c/em> stuff. But let me not be afraid, because these people aren’t afraid.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A family lineage\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Anything Goes\u003c/em> could also describe Zanders herself. She’s an athletic pianist and former mohawked rocker who loves pop music and sings like gospel is in her blood. She also benefited from her mother’s guidance, inherited her’s father’s vocal abilities and stands on the shoulders of her grandmother.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“She was a prolific piano player,” Zanders says of her grandmother, a choir director who died when Zanders was just an infant but who left behind a trove of archival recordings. “Hearing that,” Zanders explains, “made me think, ‘Oh, okay, this is where some of my musical abilities come from.'”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Zanders does not claim any one faith. But whether her music’s blasting through a sound system in a New York nightclub, playing at an outdoors festival in Canada or slapping in the headphones of a journalist riding a bike in California, the spiritual element is evident.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Dance music,” Zanders professes, “it can be a magical experience.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Kaleena Zanders performs Friday, July 17 as part of the three-day Dirtybird Cookout and Northern Nights musical festival in Piercy, California. \u003ca href=\"https://www.tixr.com/groups/northernnights/events/dirtybird-campout-x-northern-nights-music-festival-2026-160064\">Tickets and more details here\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/kaleenazanders/?hl=en\">Kaleena Zanders\u003c/a>’ song “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31i2vFa7r8s\">The Light\u003c/a>” blasted through my headphones, I pedaled faster.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Soundtracked by energetic hi-hats, symphonic strings, a bass line from the underworld and Zanders’ heavenly vocals, my bike ride became a spiritual experience. And I’m clearly not the only one moved by Zanders’ music.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Soundtracked by energetic hi-hats, symphonic strings, a bass line from the underworld and Zanders’ heavenly vocals, my bike ride became a spiritual experience. And I’m clearly not the only one moved by Zanders’ music.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For more than a decade, Zanders has played nightclubs and festivals, and even once had a song featured in \u003ca href=\"https://www.ispot.tv/ad/waIE/toyota-super-bowl-2018-good-odds-song-by-kaleena-zanders\">a Super Bowl Toyota commercial\u003c/a>. Her debut album \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/album/0clTTK9wSXFKpTTtGq2sun\">Anything Goes\u003c/a>\u003c/em> dropped last month. It’s been highlighted by \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/up-coming-dance-artist-of-month-kaleena-zanders-april-2026-1236230807/\">Billboard\u003c/a>,\u003c/em> with two of its songs, “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDfP41vP8dQ\">Stronger Than Machines\u003c/a>” and “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1dPFBPt1_M\">Anything Goes\u003c/a>,” spotlighted by ESPN.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>For more than a decade, Zanders has played nightclubs and festivals, and even once had a song featured in \u003ca href=\"https://www.ispot.tv/ad/waIE/toyota-super-bowl-2018-good-odds-song-by-kaleena-zanders\">a Super Bowl Toyota commercial\u003c/a>. Her debut album \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/album/0clTTK9wSXFKpTTtGq2sun\">Anything Goes\u003c/a>\u003c/em> dropped last month. It’s been highlighted by \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/up-coming-dance-artist-of-month-kaleena-zanders-april-2026-1236230807/\">Billboard\u003c/a>,\u003c/em> with two of its songs, “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDfP41vP8dQ\">Stronger Than Machines\u003c/a>” and “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1dPFBPt1_M\">Anything Goes\u003c/a>,” spotlighted by ESPN.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/IMG_20260625_125811.jpg\" alt=\"A person standing behind a DJ table at a crowded outdoors event.\" class=\"wp-image-13991110\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/IMG_20260625_125811.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/IMG_20260625_125811-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/IMG_20260625_125811-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/IMG_20260625_125811-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kaleena Zanders, pictured performing at Outside Lands in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park in 2024, grew up playing sports and frequenting Hot Topic in San José.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/IMG_20260625_125811.jpg\" alt=\"A person standing behind a DJ table at a crowded outdoors event.\" class=\"wp-image-13991110\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kaleena Zanders, pictured performing at Outside Lands in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park in 2024, grew up playing sports and frequenting Hot Topic in San José.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As Zanders launches \u003ca href=\"https://www.kaleenazanders.com/tour\">a multiple-city tour\u003c/a> with stops across the United States and Canada, she gives credit to her upbringing in San José for making it possible.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>As Zanders launches \u003ca href=\"https://www.kaleenazanders.com/tour\">a multiple-city tour\u003c/a> with stops across the United States and Canada, she gives credit to her upbringing in San José for making it possible.\u003c/p>\n"
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"attrs": {
"text": "Emo fits and musical theater",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I ended up going to Independence High School,” Zanders tells me during a recent video call, “and I played a ton of sports.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I ended up going to Independence High School,” Zanders tells me during a recent video call, “and I played a ton of sports.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As a teenage basketball and rugby player, Zanders also got deep into her emo bag with fits from Hot Topic at Eastridge Mall, across the street from where she lived. While fashion and athletics were important, art proved significant in her upbringing.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>As a teenage basketball and rugby player, Zanders also got deep into her emo bag with fits from Hot Topic at Eastridge Mall, across the street from where she lived. While fashion and athletics were important, art proved significant in her upbringing.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Musical theater was a huge part of my life,” says Zanders, who took classes at the \u003ca href=\"https://sanjoseacademyofmusic.com/san-jose-childrens-chorus/\">San Jose Children’s Choir \u003c/a>from the age of 8 to the age of 11. She had no problem singing to herself, but Zanders was a shy about appearing on stage.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Musical theater was a huge part of my life,” says Zanders, who took classes at the \u003ca href=\"https://sanjoseacademyofmusic.com/san-jose-childrens-chorus/\">San Jose Children’s Choir \u003c/a>from the age of 8 to the age of 11. She had no problem singing to herself, but Zanders was a shy about appearing on stage.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I was really caught off guard that my mom would put me in these musical theater classes,” Zanders reflects. But it all makes sense now. “I remember coming alive on stage,” Zanders says. “I get it.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I was really caught off guard that my mom would put me in these musical theater classes,” Zanders reflects. But it all makes sense now. “I remember coming alive on stage,” Zanders says. “I get it.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mO0mYdan3w\n\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Having a musical outlet proved vital as she navigated her teenage years.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Understanding that I’m queer,” says Zanders, “that was actually pretty hard for me in high school.” So she leaned into music, practicing on a piano in her mom’s garage, and eventually taking guitar lessons — which got her into rock music.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Understanding that I’m queer,” says Zanders, “that was actually pretty hard for me in high school.” So she leaned into music, practicing on a piano in her mom’s garage, and eventually taking guitar lessons — which got her into rock music.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In college, Zanders played in a band, Moulder’s Lounge, which she calls “the most euphoric, life-changing experience.” The band allowed her to combine musical theater, instrumentation and rock music, and would’ve been big, Zanders believes, if they’d stayed together.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In college, Zanders played in a band, Moulder’s Lounge, which she calls “the most euphoric, life-changing experience.” The band allowed her to combine musical theater, instrumentation and rock music, and would’ve been big, Zanders believes, if they’d stayed together.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Zanders eventually moved to Los Angeles and enrolled at the Musicians Institute. One day, while she was working at Trader Joe’s in Hollywood, a friend told her about a DJ who needed someone to provide vocals for an EDM track. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Zanders eventually moved to Los Angeles and enrolled at the Musicians Institute. One day, while she was working at Trader Joe’s in Hollywood, a friend told her about a DJ who needed someone to provide vocals for an EDM track. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I wasn’t the kind of kid that could go out and rave,” Zanders says with a laugh; her mother wouldn’t have allowed it. “I literally knew nothing of rave culture,” she says. But she quickly learned.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I wasn’t the kind of kid that could go out and rave,” Zanders says with a laugh; her mother wouldn’t have allowed it. “I literally knew nothing of rave culture,” she says. But she quickly learned.\u003c/p>\n"
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/IMG_20260625_125757-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/IMG_20260625_125757-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/IMG_20260625_125757-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/IMG_20260625_125757-1-1536x1025.jpg 1536w",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/IMG_20260625_125757-1.jpg\" alt=\"The crowd's view of a person standing behind the DJ tables.\" class=\"wp-image-13991111\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/IMG_20260625_125757-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/IMG_20260625_125757-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/IMG_20260625_125757-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/IMG_20260625_125757-1-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">‘I make music that’s rooted in love,’ says Kaleena Zanders, pictured performing in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park at Outside Lands in 2024.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/IMG_20260625_125757-1.jpg\" alt=\"The crowd's view of a person standing behind the DJ tables.\" class=\"wp-image-13991111\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">‘I make music that’s rooted in love,’ says Kaleena Zanders, pictured performing in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park at Outside Lands in 2024.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Zanders now plays in nightclubs as well as sports arenas. They’re two very different settings, except that both are male-dominated. Simply by being present in those spaces, Zanders tells me, “as a woman, as a Black woman, as a queer woman, I naturally am gonna make some sort of statement. I don’t even need to say anything.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Zanders now plays in nightclubs as well as sports arenas. They’re two very different settings, except that both are male-dominated. Simply by being present in those spaces, Zanders tells me, “as a woman, as a Black woman, as a queer woman, I naturally am gonna make some sort of statement. I don’t even need to say anything.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Pivoting from writing verses and choruses of rock lyrics to short top-lines for dance anthems wasn’t easy.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Pivoting from writing verses and choruses of rock lyrics to short top-lines for dance anthems wasn’t easy.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Simplifying her lyrics felt like “it was like a diss to the art,” Zanders says. “I’m like, ‘What do you mean you only need one or two lines?’” But after digging deeper into the history of dance, and the work of artists like \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robin_S.\">Robin S.\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonique_(musician)\">Sonique\u003c/a>, Zanders understood the power of “big diva vocals.” With only a few choice lyrics, Zanders affirms, one can “still very much understand, in a potent way, what the song is about.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Simplifying her lyrics felt like “it was like a diss to the art,” Zanders says. “I’m like, ‘What do you mean you only need one or two lines?’” But after digging deeper into the history of dance, and the work of artists like \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robin_S.\">Robin S.\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonique_(musician)\">Sonique\u003c/a>, Zanders understood the power of “big diva vocals.” With only a few choice lyrics, Zanders affirms, one can “still very much understand, in a potent way, what the song is about.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Featuring Shift K3Y, Bipolar Sunshine and Hayley May, each of the seven songs on \u003cem>Anything Goes\u003c/em> pack in a load of emotions and storytelling. Even the album name has multiple meanings.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Featuring Shift K3Y, Bipolar Sunshine and Hayley May, each of the seven songs on \u003cem>Anything Goes\u003c/em> pack in a load of emotions and storytelling. Even the album name has multiple meanings.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMl_XIjVAsg\n\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMl_XIjVAsg\n\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Heartbroken after an acquaintance stole something of hers, it hit Zanders that life is a free-for-all with no rules, for better or for worse.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Heartbroken after an acquaintance stole something of hers, it hit Zanders that life is a free-for-all with no rules, for better or for worse.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Look at these motherfuckers, they’re out here just stealing shit,” she says. “Okay, fuck! Let me have the audacity to do what I wanna do, which is \u003cem>good\u003c/em> stuff. But let me not be afraid, because these people aren’t afraid.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Look at these motherfuckers, they’re out here just stealing shit,” she says. “Okay, fuck! Let me have the audacity to do what I wanna do, which is \u003cem>good\u003c/em> stuff. But let me not be afraid, because these people aren’t afraid.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Anything Goes\u003c/em> could also describe Zanders herself. She’s an athletic pianist and former mohawked rocker who loves pop music and sings like gospel is in her blood. She also benefited from her mother’s guidance, inherited her’s father’s vocal abilities and stands on the shoulders of her grandmother.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“She was a prolific piano player,” Zanders says of her grandmother, a choir director who died when Zanders was just an infant but who left behind a trove of archival recordings. “Hearing that,” Zanders explains, “made me think, ‘Oh, okay, this is where some of my musical abilities come from.'”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Zanders does not claim any one faith. But whether her music’s blasting through a sound system in a New York nightclub, playing at an outdoors festival in Canada or slapping in the headphones of a journalist riding a bike in California, the spiritual element is evident.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Kaleena Zanders performs Friday, July 17 as part of the three-day Dirtybird Cookout and Northern Nights musical festival in Piercy, California. \u003ca href=\"https://www.tixr.com/groups/northernnights/events/dirtybird-campout-x-northern-nights-music-festival-2026-160064\">Tickets and more details here\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "The producer and vocalist knows the power of transcendence — and the world is taking notice. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>As \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/kaleenazanders/?hl=en\">Kaleena Zanders\u003c/a>’ song “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31i2vFa7r8s\">The Light\u003c/a>” blasted through my headphones, I pedaled faster.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Soundtracked by energetic hi-hats, symphonic strings, a bass line from the underworld and Zanders’ heavenly vocals, my bike ride became a spiritual experience. And I’m clearly not the only one moved by Zanders’ music.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For more than a decade, Zanders has played nightclubs and festivals, and even once had a song featured in \u003ca href=\"https://www.ispot.tv/ad/waIE/toyota-super-bowl-2018-good-odds-song-by-kaleena-zanders\">a Super Bowl Toyota commercial\u003c/a>. Her debut album \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/album/0clTTK9wSXFKpTTtGq2sun\">Anything Goes\u003c/a>\u003c/em> dropped last month. It’s been highlighted by \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/up-coming-dance-artist-of-month-kaleena-zanders-april-2026-1236230807/\">Billboard\u003c/a>,\u003c/em> with two of its songs, “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDfP41vP8dQ\">Stronger Than Machines\u003c/a>” and “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1dPFBPt1_M\">Anything Goes\u003c/a>,” spotlighted by ESPN.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/IMG_20260625_125811.jpg\" alt=\"A person standing behind a DJ table at a crowded outdoors event.\" class=\"wp-image-13991110\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/IMG_20260625_125811.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/IMG_20260625_125811-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/IMG_20260625_125811-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/IMG_20260625_125811-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kaleena Zanders, pictured performing at Outside Lands in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park in 2024, grew up playing sports and frequenting Hot Topic in San José. (Harp Digital Media)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As Zanders launches \u003ca href=\"https://www.kaleenazanders.com/tour\">a multiple-city tour\u003c/a> with stops across the United States and Canada, she gives credit to her upbringing in San José for making it possible.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Emo fits and musical theater\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I ended up going to Independence High School,” Zanders tells me during a recent video call, “and I played a ton of sports.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As a teenage basketball and rugby player, Zanders also got deep into her emo bag with fits from Hot Topic at Eastridge Mall, across the street from where she lived. While fashion and athletics were important, art proved significant in her upbringing.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Musical theater was a huge part of my life,” says Zanders, who took classes at the \u003ca href=\"https://sanjoseacademyofmusic.com/san-jose-childrens-chorus/\">San Jose Children’s Choir \u003c/a>from the age of 8 to the age of 11. She had no problem singing to herself, but Zanders was a shy about appearing on stage.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I was really caught off guard that my mom would put me in these musical theater classes,” Zanders reflects. But it all makes sense now. “I remember coming alive on stage,” Zanders says. “I get it.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/0mO0mYdan3w'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/0mO0mYdan3w'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Having a musical outlet proved vital as she navigated her teenage years.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Understanding that I’m queer,” says Zanders, “that was actually pretty hard for me in high school.” So she leaned into music, practicing on a piano in her mom’s garage, and eventually taking guitar lessons — which got her into rock music.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In college, Zanders played in a band, Moulder’s Lounge, which she calls “the most euphoric, life-changing experience.” The band allowed her to combine musical theater, instrumentation and rock music, and would’ve been big, Zanders believes, if they’d stayed together.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Zanders eventually moved to Los Angeles and enrolled at the Musicians Institute. One day, while she was working at Trader Joe’s in Hollywood, a friend told her about a DJ who needed someone to provide vocals for an EDM track. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I wasn’t the kind of kid that could go out and rave,” Zanders says with a laugh; her mother wouldn’t have allowed it. “I literally knew nothing of rave culture,” she says. But she quickly learned.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/IMG_20260625_125757-1.jpg\" alt=\"The crowd's view of a person standing behind the DJ tables.\" class=\"wp-image-13991111\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/IMG_20260625_125757-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/IMG_20260625_125757-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/IMG_20260625_125757-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/IMG_20260625_125757-1-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">‘I make music that’s rooted in love,’ says Kaleena Zanders, pictured performing in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park at Outside Lands in 2024. (Harp Digital Media)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘Big diva vocals’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Zanders now plays in nightclubs as well as sports arenas. They’re two very different settings, except that both are male-dominated. Simply by being present in those spaces, Zanders tells me, “as a woman, as a Black woman, as a queer woman, I naturally am gonna make some sort of statement. I don’t even need to say anything.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Pivoting from writing verses and choruses of rock lyrics to short top-lines for dance anthems wasn’t easy.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Simplifying her lyrics felt like “it was like a diss to the art,” Zanders says. “I’m like, ‘What do you mean you only need one or two lines?’” But after digging deeper into the history of dance, and the work of artists like \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robin_S.\">Robin S.\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonique_(musician)\">Sonique\u003c/a>, Zanders understood the power of “big diva vocals.” With only a few choice lyrics, Zanders affirms, one can “still very much understand, in a potent way, what the song is about.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Featuring Shift K3Y, Bipolar Sunshine and Hayley May, each of the seven songs on \u003cem>Anything Goes\u003c/em> pack in a load of emotions and storytelling. Even the album name has multiple meanings.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/AMl_XIjVAsg'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/AMl_XIjVAsg'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Heartbroken after an acquaintance stole something of hers, it hit Zanders that life is a free-for-all with no rules, for better or for worse.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Look at these motherfuckers, they’re out here just stealing shit,” she says. “Okay, fuck! Let me have the audacity to do what I wanna do, which is \u003cem>good\u003c/em> stuff. But let me not be afraid, because these people aren’t afraid.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A family lineage\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Anything Goes\u003c/em> could also describe Zanders herself. She’s an athletic pianist and former mohawked rocker who loves pop music and sings like gospel is in her blood. She also benefited from her mother’s guidance, inherited her’s father’s vocal abilities and stands on the shoulders of her grandmother.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“She was a prolific piano player,” Zanders says of her grandmother, a choir director who died when Zanders was just an infant but who left behind a trove of archival recordings. “Hearing that,” Zanders explains, “made me think, ‘Oh, okay, this is where some of my musical abilities come from.'”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Zanders does not claim any one faith. But whether her music’s blasting through a sound system in a New York nightclub, playing at an outdoors festival in Canada or slapping in the headphones of a journalist riding a bike in California, the spiritual element is evident.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Dance music,” Zanders professes, “it can be a magical experience.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Kaleena Zanders performs Friday, July 17 as part of the three-day Dirtybird Cookout and Northern Nights musical festival in Piercy, California. \u003ca href=\"https://www.tixr.com/groups/northernnights/events/dirtybird-campout-x-northern-nights-music-festival-2026-160064\">Tickets and more details here\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youthradio.org/\">Youth Radio\u003c/a> is back.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a> nonprofit, which had supported youth involvement in media for more than 30 years before shutting down in 2024, announced Tuesday that it will resume operations effective this week.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Youth Radio will continue to be headquartered inside its longstanding location at 17th and Broadway in downtown Oakland, which it owns. Its programs restart on Wednesday, June 24, with an orientation for its first cohort of 16 participants.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The reopening is due to the volunteer efforts of a small group of former staff, students, plus “dedicated board members and community members,” according to Maeven McGovern, a longtime employee of the organization who has taken on the role of executive director.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Funding for the reopening has come from a variety of sources, including a group of small donors, along with grants from Elevate Youth California and the Wellness Foundation. Youth Radio also received a loan from Community Vision to assist with existing debt.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1400\" height=\"933\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/YouthRadio.building.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991018\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/YouthRadio.building.jpg 1400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/YouthRadio.building-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/YouthRadio.building-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Youth Radio’s headquarters in downtown Oakland. The community nonprofit owns the building at 17th and Broadway. (Courtesy Youth Radio)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A crowdfunding campaign, which launched in 2024 and raised roughly $18,000, “helped keep the lights on and keep things moving while we were figuring out how to reopen,” said McGovern.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Everyone involved with the reopening effort has a long history with Youth Radio, said McGovern, “but weren’t very involved with the leadership that was in place when it closed.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>So far, the staffing is modest, with one full-time program manager and three part-time instructors, along with McGovern. The organization, which expects to grow with time, is currently using consultants for administration.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Still, the reopening is a welcome return for a community organization that had become \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2024/11/12/yr-media-oakland-shuts-down/\">plagued by financial issues\u003c/a>. By the time it shut down in November 2024, staff had not been paid for more than a month, and employee health insurance insurance premiums had lapsed.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It marked a confounding end to a beloved program. Youth Radio had provided equipment, training and mentorship for all aspects of media, including film, radio, podcasting, music and photography. It counted among its alumni TV newscaster \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/lanayalewistv/?hl=en\">Lanaya Lewis\u003c/a>, music producer \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13816944/the-10-best-bay-area-albums-of-2017-1-o-a-k-riding-in-cars-with-girls\">1 O.A.K.\u003c/a>, rapper \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/iamsu\">IamSu\u003c/a> and \u003cem>Euphoria\u003c/em> actor \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13932485/tributes-angus-cloud-euphoria-oakland-osa-kehlani-zendaya-kev-choice-jwalt\">Angus Cloud\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"568\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/YouthRadio.1993opening.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991020\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/YouthRadio.1993opening.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/YouthRadio.1993opening-160x114.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/YouthRadio.1993opening-768x545.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A group of young people at Youth Radio in 1993, the year the organization was launched. (Courtesy Youth Radio)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>McGovern herself worked in various roles at Youth Radio for 13 years. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The skills and industry experience that young people gain from their experience at Youth Radio is probably what we’re really known for,” said McGovern. “But the sense of community that exists at the organization is what most people in it really remember. And honestly, when I heard about what happened, I just wanted to help in any way that I could.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The sessions starting this week are introductory training programs, with room to grow as more cohorts join. McGovern noted the rise of “content creators,” and said that while Youth Radio’s programs prioritized journalism, they would likely also see more vertical video editing, along with podcasting and music production. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One more change: after a branding change to “YR Media,” the name of the organization will once again be Youth Radio.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’ve gone back to the original brand, as part of going back to our original self, I would say,” McGovern said, “and really reconnecting with what made Youth Radio great.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>An \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DZ6NeXKGrSH/\">open house and information session\u003c/a> about Youth Radio takes place Friday, June 26, where potential applicants can meet instructors and learn about the programs on offer. \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DZ6NeXKGrSH/\">Details on the orientation here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a> nonprofit, which had supported youth involvement in media for more than 30 years before shutting down in 2024, announced Tuesday that it will resume operations effective this week.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Youth Radio will continue to be headquartered inside its longstanding location at 17th and Broadway in downtown Oakland, which it owns. Its programs restart on Wednesday, June 24, with an orientation for its first cohort of 16 participants.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The reopening is due to the volunteer efforts of a small group of former staff, students, plus “dedicated board members and community members,” according to Maeven McGovern, a longtime employee of the organization who has taken on the role of executive director.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>An \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DZ6NeXKGrSH/\">open house and information session\u003c/a> about Youth Radio takes place Friday, June 26, where potential applicants can meet instructors and learn about the programs on offer. \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DZ6NeXKGrSH/\">Details on the orientation here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youthradio.org/\">Youth Radio\u003c/a> is back.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a> nonprofit, which had supported youth involvement in media for more than 30 years before shutting down in 2024, announced Tuesday that it will resume operations effective this week.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Youth Radio will continue to be headquartered inside its longstanding location at 17th and Broadway in downtown Oakland, which it owns. Its programs restart on Wednesday, June 24, with an orientation for its first cohort of 16 participants.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The reopening is due to the volunteer efforts of a small group of former staff, students, plus “dedicated board members and community members,” according to Maeven McGovern, a longtime employee of the organization who has taken on the role of executive director.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Funding for the reopening has come from a variety of sources, including a group of small donors, along with grants from Elevate Youth California and the Wellness Foundation. Youth Radio also received a loan from Community Vision to assist with existing debt.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1400\" height=\"933\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/YouthRadio.building.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991018\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/YouthRadio.building.jpg 1400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/YouthRadio.building-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/YouthRadio.building-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Youth Radio’s headquarters in downtown Oakland. The community nonprofit owns the building at 17th and Broadway. (Courtesy Youth Radio)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A crowdfunding campaign, which launched in 2024 and raised roughly $18,000, “helped keep the lights on and keep things moving while we were figuring out how to reopen,” said McGovern.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Everyone involved with the reopening effort has a long history with Youth Radio, said McGovern, “but weren’t very involved with the leadership that was in place when it closed.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>So far, the staffing is modest, with one full-time program manager and three part-time instructors, along with McGovern. The organization, which expects to grow with time, is currently using consultants for administration.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Still, the reopening is a welcome return for a community organization that had become \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2024/11/12/yr-media-oakland-shuts-down/\">plagued by financial issues\u003c/a>. By the time it shut down in November 2024, staff had not been paid for more than a month, and employee health insurance insurance premiums had lapsed.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It marked a confounding end to a beloved program. Youth Radio had provided equipment, training and mentorship for all aspects of media, including film, radio, podcasting, music and photography. It counted among its alumni TV newscaster \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/lanayalewistv/?hl=en\">Lanaya Lewis\u003c/a>, music producer \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13816944/the-10-best-bay-area-albums-of-2017-1-o-a-k-riding-in-cars-with-girls\">1 O.A.K.\u003c/a>, rapper \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/iamsu\">IamSu\u003c/a> and \u003cem>Euphoria\u003c/em> actor \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13932485/tributes-angus-cloud-euphoria-oakland-osa-kehlani-zendaya-kev-choice-jwalt\">Angus Cloud\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"568\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/YouthRadio.1993opening.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991020\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/YouthRadio.1993opening.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/YouthRadio.1993opening-160x114.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/YouthRadio.1993opening-768x545.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A group of young people at Youth Radio in 1993, the year the organization was launched. (Courtesy Youth Radio)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>McGovern herself worked in various roles at Youth Radio for 13 years. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The skills and industry experience that young people gain from their experience at Youth Radio is probably what we’re really known for,” said McGovern. “But the sense of community that exists at the organization is what most people in it really remember. And honestly, when I heard about what happened, I just wanted to help in any way that I could.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The sessions starting this week are introductory training programs, with room to grow as more cohorts join. McGovern noted the rise of “content creators,” and said that while Youth Radio’s programs prioritized journalism, they would likely also see more vertical video editing, along with podcasting and music production. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One more change: after a branding change to “YR Media,” the name of the organization will once again be Youth Radio.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’ve gone back to the original brand, as part of going back to our original self, I would say,” McGovern said, “and really reconnecting with what made Youth Radio great.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>An \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DZ6NeXKGrSH/\">open house and information session\u003c/a> about Youth Radio takes place Friday, June 26, where potential applicants can meet instructors and learn about the programs on offer. \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DZ6NeXKGrSH/\">Details on the orientation here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"tagline": "The flip side of gentrification, told through one town",
"info": "Gentrification is changing cities across America, forcing people from neighborhoods they have long called home. Call them the displaced. Now those priced out of the Bay Area are looking for a better life in an unlikely place. American Suburb follows this migration to one California town along the Delta, 45 miles from San Francisco. But is this once sleepy suburb ready for them?",
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"tagline": "Exploring the Bay Area, one question at a time",
"info": "KQED’s new podcast, Bay Curious, gets to the bottom of the mysteries — both profound and peculiar — that give the Bay Area its unique identity. And we’ll do it with your help! You ask the questions. You decide what Bay Curious investigates. And you join us on the journey to find the answers.",
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"order": 8
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},
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"info": "\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em>, which listeners will hear in the first part of the hour, has fearless and much-needed conversations about race. Hosted by journalists of color, the show tackles the subject of race head-on, exploring how it impacts every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, sports and more.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em>, which will be in the second part of the hour, guides you through spaces and feelings no one prepares you for — from finances to mental health, from workplace microaggressions to imposter syndrome, from relationships to parenting. The show features experts with real world experience and shares their knowledge. Because everyone needs a little help being human.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510312/codeswitch\">\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/lifekit\">\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />",
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"title": "Commonwealth Club of California Podcast",
"info": "The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. As a non-partisan forum, The Club brings to the public airwaves diverse viewpoints on important topics. The Club's weekly radio broadcast - the oldest in the U.S., dating back to 1924 - is carried across the nation on public radio stations and is now podcasting. Our website archive features audio of our recent programs, as well as selected speeches from our long and distinguished history. This podcast feed is usually updated twice a week and is always un-edited.",
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"source": "Commonwealth Club of California"
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"info": "KQED’s live call-in program discussing local, state, national and international issues, as well as in-depth interviews.",
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"order": 9
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"hidden-brain": {
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"airtime": "SUN 7pm-8pm",
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"airtime": "SUN 7:30pm-8pm",
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"info": "What kind of no sabo word is Hyphenación? For us, it’s about living within a hyphenation. Like being a third-gen Mexican-American from the Texas border now living that Bay Area Chicano life. Like Xorje! Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to talk all about personal life choices: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. ",
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"title": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"tagline": "Lessons from a lifetime in politics",
"info": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown brings listeners the wisdom of the former Governor, Mayor, and presidential candidate. Scott Shafer interviewed Brown for more than 40 hours, covering the former governor's life and half-century in the political game – and Brown has some lessons he'd like to share. ",
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"order": 18
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"id": "latino-usa",
"title": "Latino USA",
"airtime": "MON 1am-2am, SUN 6pm-7pm",
"info": "Latino USA, the radio journal of news and culture, is the only national, English-language radio program produced from a Latino perspective.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/latinoUsa.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://latinousa.org/",
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},
"link": "/radio/program/latino-usa",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510016/podcast.xml"
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},
"marketplace": {
"id": "marketplace",
"title": "Marketplace",
"info": "Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 4pm-4:30pm, MON-WED 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Marketplace-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.marketplace.org/",
"meta": {
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"source": "American Public Media"
},
"link": "/radio/program/marketplace",
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"rss": "https://feeds.publicradio.org/public_feeds/marketplace-pm/rss/rss"
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},
"masters-of-scale": {
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"title": "Masters of Scale",
"info": "Masters of Scale is an original podcast in which LinkedIn co-founder and Greylock Partner Reid Hoffman sets out to describe and prove theories that explain how great entrepreneurs take their companies from zero to a gazillion in ingenious fashion.",
"airtime": "Every other Wednesday June 12 through October 16 at 8pm (repeats Thursdays at 2am)",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "https://mastersofscale.com/",
"meta": {
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"source": "WaitWhat"
},
"link": "/radio/program/masters-of-scale",
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"rss": "https://rss.art19.com/masters-of-scale"
}
},
"mindshift": {
"id": "mindshift",
"title": "MindShift",
"tagline": "A podcast about the future of learning and how we raise our kids",
"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
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