KQED’s Arts & Culture desk brings daily, in-depth cultural commentary and coverage of the Bay Area with a mission to enrich lives and inspire participation. Who We Are
The San Francisco Couple Whose Lifelong Love Changed America
Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon, 'mothers of lesbian visibility,' spent their lives writing, organizing and celebrating their relationship.
A Battle Between Science and Religion, With Galileo Caught in the Middle
The world premiere of 'Galileo' at Berkeley Rep is good, but long, and packed with rock music.
Two New Novels Investigate What Makes Magic, What Is Real and Imagined
‘Pages of Mourning’ and ‘The Cemetery of Untold Stories’ both walk an open road of remembering love, grief, and fate.
10 Great Jazz and Classical Shows in the Bay Area This Summer
From the community center to the concert hall, this summer brings exciting jazz and classical performances.
5 Books to (Finally) Read This Summer
With long days ahead, there's no better time to catch up on these page-turners, which are perfect for the beach — or for BART.
Original Joe’s Westlake Is a Time Warp to Red Sauce Heaven
One of the best ways to experience this Daly City classic? Walk up to the counter late at night.
Amid Upheaval, a New CEO Steps in at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
Interim CEO Jim Rettew wants to rebuild public trust after the art center's censorship controversies.
Funding for KQED Arts & Culture is provided by:
The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Akonadi Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, Yogen and Peggy Dalal, Diane B. Wilsey, the William and Gretchen Kimball Fund, Campaign 21 and the members of KQED.
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Get daily Arts & Culture updates by following us on \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/kqedarts/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Instagram\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/kqedarts/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Facebook\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/KQEDarts\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Twitter\u003c/a>, or \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13883176/hey-bay-area-have-a-story-to-share-we-want-to-listen\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">contact us\u003c/a>."},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-kqed-section-overview\">\u003c/div>\n","innerContent":["\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-kqed-section-overview\">\u003c/div>\n"]},{"blockName":"kqed/post-list","attrs":{"layout":"cardSeriesShowcase","query":"posts/?tag=thedolist&queryId=16fd8a6895e","title":"The Do List","sectionUrl":"/thedolist","buttonText":"More from The Do List"},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"","innerContent":[]},{"blockName":"kqed/post-list","attrs":{"layout":"cardSeriesShowcase","query":"posts/bayareabites,arts,food?category=food&queryId=e02f7c7951","title":"Food","sectionUrl":"/food","buttonText":"More from Food"},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"","innerContent":[]},{"blockName":"kqed/ad","attrs":{"adType":"inHouse"},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"","innerContent":[]},{"blockName":"kqed/post-list","attrs":{"layout":"cardsRecent","query":"posts/arts?tag=tmw-latest&queryId=cd24719a31","title":"That’s My Word","sectionUrl":"/bayareahiphop","buttonText":"More Bay Area Hip Hop"},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"","innerContent":[]},{"blockName":"kqed/section-overview","attrs":{"html":"KQED’s Arts & Culture desk brings daily, in-depth cultural commentary and coverage of the Bay Area with a mission to enrich lives and inspire participation.\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"/arts/staff\">Who We Are\u003c/a>"},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-kqed-section-overview\">\u003c/div>\n","innerContent":["\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-kqed-section-overview\">\u003c/div>\n"]},{"blockName":"kqed/ad","attrs":[],"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"","innerContent":[]},{"blockName":"kqed/post-list","attrs":{"layout":"cardSeriesShowcase","query":"posts?tag=rebelgirls&queryId=90837d0322","title":"Rebel Girls From Bay Area History","sectionUrl":"/rebelgirls","buttonText":"More about Rebel Girls From Bay Area History"},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"","innerContent":[]},{"blockName":"kqed/post-list","attrs":{"layout":"cardTextHeavyLarge","query":"posts/arts?&queryId=17424051d6d","title":"More Arts","seeMore":true},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"","innerContent":[]},{"blockName":"kqed/funding-credits","attrs":{"text":"Funding for KQED Arts & Culture is provided by:\u003cbr>\u003cbr>The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Akonadi Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, Yogen and Peggy Dalal, Diane B. Wilsey, the William and Gretchen Kimball Fund, Campaign 21 and the members of KQED."},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"","innerContent":[]}],"status":"publish","parent":0,"modified":1711145205,"format":"standard","path":"/arts","redirect":{"type":"internal","url":"/arts"},"audioTrackLength":null,"parsedContent":[{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-kqed-header\">\u003c/div>\n\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-kqed-columns\">\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-kqed-column\">\u003c/div>\n\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-kqed-column\">\u003c/div>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-kqed-section-overview\">\u003c/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-kqed-section-overview\">\u003c/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"fullwidth"},"numeric":["fullwidth"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}}],"label":"root-site","isLoading":false}},"postsReducer":{"stream_live":{"type":"live","id":"stream_live","audioUrl":"https://streams.kqed.org/kqedradio","title":"Live Stream","excerpt":"Live Stream information currently unavailable.","link":"/radio","featImg":"","label":{"name":"KQED Live","link":"/"}},"stream_kqedNewscast":{"type":"posts","id":"stream_kqedNewscast","audioUrl":"https://www.kqed.org/.stream/anon/radio/RDnews/newscast.mp3?_=1","title":"KQED Newscast","featImg":"","label":{"name":"88.5 FM","link":"/"}},"arts_13957999":{"type":"posts","id":"arts_13957999","meta":{"index":"posts_1591205157","site":"arts","id":"13957999","score":null,"sort":[1715958028000]},"guestAuthors":[],"slug":"best-jazz-and-classical-shows-bay-area-summer","title":"10 Great Jazz and Classical Shows in the Bay Area This Summer","publishDate":1715958028,"format":"aside","headTitle":"10 Great Jazz and Classical Shows in the Bay Area This Summer | KQED","labelTerm":{},"content":"\u003cp>I know, I know — summertime is for staying out ’til 2 a.m., losing your mind to ear-splitting bass and dancing for hours. Not exactly the realm of classical music or jazz.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But there’s balance in all things, and this summer offers some exciting, not-to-be-missed jazz and classical performances in the Bay Area’s community centers, nightclubs and concert halls. Here are just 10 of them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13933558\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68119_20230818-GaryBartz-04-JY-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"Gary Bartz poses for a portrait with his saxophone\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13933558\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68119_20230818-GaryBartz-04-JY-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68119_20230818-GaryBartz-04-JY-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68119_20230818-GaryBartz-04-JY-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68119_20230818-GaryBartz-04-JY-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68119_20230818-GaryBartz-04-JY-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68119_20230818-GaryBartz-04-JY-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68119_20230818-GaryBartz-04-JY-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Gary Bartz poses for a portrait with his saxophone at KQED in San Francisco, Calif., on Friday, Aug. 18, 2023. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfjazz.org/tickets/productions/41st-san-francisco-jazz-festival/gary-bartz/\">Gary Bartz Ntu Troop Revisited\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>June 9, 2024\u003cbr>\nSFJAZZ Center, San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Saxophonist Gary Bartz may be 83 years old, but each time I’ve seen him, he’s played with more imagination and spirit than many musicians half his age. For this show, Bartz reassembles his Ntu Troop project, responsible for classics like “Celestial Blues,” and the Langston Hughes poem set to music, “I’ve Known Rivers,” which he performed earlier this month \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2024/05/13/1250054477/tiny-desk-concert-gary-bartz\">at NPR’s Tiny Desk\u003c/a>. (He was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13935159/8-over-80-gary-bartz\">also part of KQED’s 8 Over 80 cohort\u003c/a> last year.) Bartz is joined on this show by fellow East Bay resident Ambrose Akinmusire, a phenomenal trumpet talent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13958057\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 940px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GardenofMemory.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"940\" height=\"470\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13958057\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GardenofMemory.jpg 940w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GardenofMemory-800x400.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GardenofMemory-160x80.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GardenofMemory-768x384.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 940px) 100vw, 940px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘Garden of Memory’ at Chapel of the Chimes presents new music soloists and groups throughout the century-old columbarium once a year. \u003ccite>(Garden of Memory )\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.gardenofmemory.com/\">Garden of Memory\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>June 21, 2024\u003cbr>\nChapel of the Chimes, Piedmont\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This annual event is one of the Bay Area’s best hidden gems. The idea is simple: place over 50 musicians throughout the Julia Morgan-designed columbarium, and let the public walk through to hear new sounds in jazz, classical and experimental music. The day includes Bay Area legends like ROVA, Sarah Cahill, Paul Dresher, Lisa Mezzacappa and Will Bernard, but the experience is less about marquee names and more about discovery. Surrounded by beautiful urns and receptacles for the dead, it’s also a meditation on existence itself.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13958051\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1131px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/LilianFarahani.MauriceLammertsvanBueren.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1131\" height=\"731\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13958051\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/LilianFarahani.MauriceLammertsvanBueren.jpg 1131w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/LilianFarahani.MauriceLammertsvanBueren-800x517.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/LilianFarahani.MauriceLammertsvanBueren-1020x659.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/LilianFarahani.MauriceLammertsvanBueren-160x103.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/LilianFarahani.MauriceLammertsvanBueren-768x496.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1131px) 100vw, 1131px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lilian Farahani, who plays the role of the bride in ‘Innocence’ at San Francisco Opera. \u003ccite>(Maurice Lammerts van Bueren)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfopera.com/operas/innocence/\">‘Innocence’\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>June 1–21, 2024\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>War Memorial Opera House\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An opera about… a \u003cem>school shooting\u003c/em>? Believe it. San Francisco Opera hosts the U.S. premiere of this contemporary opera, about a wedding thrown into turmoil when the bride suddenly learns that her husband-to-be is the brother of the gunman from a school shooting from 10 years prior. Exploring themes of love and betrayal, and interweaving teachers and students — and ghosts — with the events of the wedding, \u003cem>Innocence\u003c/em> has been \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/07/arts/music/innocence-saariaho-opera-aix.html\">hailed as a masterpiece\u003c/a>. (A supplemental event, \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfopera.com/operas/innocence/beyond-innocence/\">Beyond Innocence\u003c/a>, brings the discussion of gun violence in focus with a variety of local figures from the church, public policy, television, public media and hip-hop.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13958053\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Lawrence-Azar.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1373\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13958053\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Lawrence-Azar.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Lawrence-Azar-800x572.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Lawrence-Azar-1020x729.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Lawrence-Azar-160x114.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Lawrence-Azar-768x549.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Lawrence-Azar-1536x1098.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Azar Lawrence. \u003ccite>(Artist photo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://yoshis.com/events/buy-tickets/azar-lawrence-1/detail\">The Azar Lawrence Experience\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>June 19, 2024\u003cbr>\nYoshi’s, Oakland\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A saxophonist of compelling power, Azar Lawrence may be the only musician who can say he’s collaborated with Marvin Gaye, Busta Rhymes, Tina Turner \u003cem>and\u003c/em> famed John Coltrane drummer Elvin Jones. A Coltrane acolyte, Lawrence has played nearly every style of music and returned home to searing, exploratory jazz; when I saw him at a Pharoah Sanders tribute last year, his playing was crisp and emotive. (Pro tip: If, like me, you make a tradition of going to \u003ca href=\"https://www.homeofchickenandwaffles.com/\">Home of Chicken and Waffles\u003c/a> after shows at Yoshi’s, know that they \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/the_homeofchickenandwaffles/\">recently closed\u003c/a> and plan to reopen soon, six blocks away.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13958055\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 914px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/557.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"914\" height=\"615\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13958055\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/557.jpg 914w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/557-800x538.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/557-160x108.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/557-768x517.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 914px) 100vw, 914px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">David Murray and Kahil El’Zabar. \u003ccite>(Delmark Records)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/C6-WGmdL8V9/\">Kahil El’Zabar and David Murray\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>June 15, 2024\u003cbr>\nEastside Cultural Center, Oakland\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.eastsideartsalliance.org/\">Eastside Cultural Center\u003c/a> is a small community space doing important work in the neighborhood; it’s also an excellent, intimate place for a jazz show. This exciting evening features two legends in a duo setting: multi-instrumentalist Kahil El’Zabar, who just released the 18th album with his Ethnic Heritage Ensemble, and tenor titan David Murray, who brought down the sold-out house when his quartet appeared at Eastside last year. While they could easily perform at the Bay Area’s more traditional jazz clubs, it’s a testament to Eastside’s mission that Murray and El’Zabar chose the grassroots option in East Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13958056\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/FrancescoLecceChong.SusanandNeilSilvermanPhotography.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1486\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13958056\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/FrancescoLecceChong.SusanandNeilSilvermanPhotography.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/FrancescoLecceChong.SusanandNeilSilvermanPhotography-800x619.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/FrancescoLecceChong.SusanandNeilSilvermanPhotography-1020x789.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/FrancescoLecceChong.SusanandNeilSilvermanPhotography-160x124.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/FrancescoLecceChong.SusanandNeilSilvermanPhotography-768x594.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/FrancescoLecceChong.SusanandNeilSilvermanPhotography-1536x1189.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Santa Rosa Symphony Music Director Francesco Lecce-Chong. \u003ccite>(Susan and Neil Silverman Photography)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.srsymphony.org/event/road-to-100-the-complete-beethoven-symphonies-year-1/\">Road to 100: The Complete Beethoven Symphonies, Year 1\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>June 9, 2024\u003cbr>\nGreen Music Center, Rohnert Park\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Santa Rosa Symphony didn’t exactly have auspicious beginnings: its first performance, in 1928, was at an Elks Club. Now, nearly 100 years later, the orchestra performs at a world-class music hall, led by the inventive, energetic director Francesco Lecce-Chong. To celebrate its upcoming centennial, the Santa Rosa Symphony plans to perform all of Beethoven’s symphonies over the next five years, starting with Nos. 1 and 3. And who said classical music is stuffy? Afterward, Lecce-Chong and the musicians will join a “Beethoven BBQ” on the lawn outside, chowing down on chicken drumsticks and chillin’ with the audience.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13958058\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1067px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/64c031e9d67135e187def3a1_Price.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1067\" height=\"720\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13958058\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/64c031e9d67135e187def3a1_Price.jpg 1067w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/64c031e9d67135e187def3a1_Price-800x540.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/64c031e9d67135e187def3a1_Price-1020x688.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/64c031e9d67135e187def3a1_Price-160x108.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/64c031e9d67135e187def3a1_Price-768x518.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1067px) 100vw, 1067px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Florence Price.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.leftcoastensemble.org/pathways\">‘Pathways: Florence Price Piano Quintet’\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>June 8 and 9, 2024\u003cbr>\nRuth Williams Opera House, Bayview, San Francisco\u003cbr>\nPiedmont Center for the Arts, Piedmont\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2009, the new owners of a house in Illinois stumbled upon reams of music manuscripts. They turned out to be the works of the late Black composer Florence Price, sparking a renaissance for Price’s music once the newly discovered pieces were performed and recorded. One of them, the Piano Quintet in A Minor, forms the centerpiece of these two shows by the Left Coast Chamber Ensemble. Pairing Price’s quintet with a piece by American composer David Sanford, as well as new works seeing their world premieres, the performances should open new possibilities in classical music, both past and future.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13958050\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1200px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/KronosQuartet2_creditLennyGonzalez.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"689\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13958050\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/KronosQuartet2_creditLennyGonzalez.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/KronosQuartet2_creditLennyGonzalez-800x459.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/KronosQuartet2_creditLennyGonzalez-1020x586.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/KronosQuartet2_creditLennyGonzalez-160x92.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/KronosQuartet2_creditLennyGonzalez-768x441.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kronos Quartet. \u003ccite>(Lenny Gonzalez)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://kronosquartet.org/kronos-festival-2024/\">Kronos Festival 2024\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>June 20–23, 2024\u003cbr>\nSFJAZZ Center, San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s a new era for the venerable, ever-searching Kronos Quartet: violinist John Sherba and violist Hank Dutt are retiring after 46 years with the group. This year’s annual Kronos Festival is their send-off, and what a party it is. Over four days, pieces by Terry Riley, Mahsa Vahdat, Sun Ra, Nicole Lizée, Zachary James Watkins and many others will get the full Kronos treatment. The festivities conclude with a performance of the “live documentary” \u003cem>A Thousand Thoughts\u003c/em>, and a farewell to Sherba and Dutt. Expect a long standing ovation; they deserve it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13958052\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Sheku-Song-Photo-5-Credit_-Ollie-Ali.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13958052\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Sheku-Song-Photo-5-Credit_-Ollie-Ali.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Sheku-Song-Photo-5-Credit_-Ollie-Ali-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Sheku-Song-Photo-5-Credit_-Ollie-Ali-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Sheku-Song-Photo-5-Credit_-Ollie-Ali-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Sheku-Song-Photo-5-Credit_-Ollie-Ali-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Sheku-Song-Photo-5-Credit_-Ollie-Ali-1536x1536.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sheku Kanneh-Mason. \u003ccite>(Ollie Ali)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfsymphony.org/Buy-Tickets/2023-24/SALONEN-KANNEH-MASON\">Esa-Pekka Salonen & Sheku Kanneh-Mason\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>June 13–15, 2024\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What with Esa-Pekka Salonen’s impending departure — \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13954297/san-francisco-symphony-musicians-urge-leadership-to-keep-esa-pekka-salonen\">not without controversy\u003c/a> — from the San Francisco Symphony, I can’t be the only one making plans to catch him on the podium as much as possible in the coming year. An attractive option comes with Salonen conducting Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto No. 1, with the British cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason. Shortly afterward in June, Salonen conducts \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfsymphony.org/Buy-Tickets/2023-24/SALONEN-BRONFMAN\">Schumann’s Piano Concerto\u003c/a> as well as \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfsymphony.org/Buy-Tickets/2023-24/SALONEN-CONDUCTS-MAHLER-3\">Mahler’s Third\u003c/a>, but my money’s on Shostakovich, and the cellist who, yes, \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TeDB27cq3fE\">performed at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13958054\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1600px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Arturo-Marquez-1600x900-1-e1651870192402.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1600\" height=\"900\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13958054\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Arturo-Marquez-1600x900-1-e1651870192402.jpg 1600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Arturo-Marquez-1600x900-1-e1651870192402-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Arturo-Marquez-1600x900-1-e1651870192402-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Arturo-Marquez-1600x900-1-e1651870192402-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Arturo-Marquez-1600x900-1-e1651870192402-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Arturo-Marquez-1600x900-1-e1651870192402-1536x864.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mexican composer Arturo Márquez.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.symphonysanjose.org/attend/current-season/classics-at-the-california/remember-the-titans/\">Remember the Titans: Mahler, Mozart and Márquez\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>June 1 and 2, 2024\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>California Theatre, San Jos\u003c/em>e\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>San Francisco can’t have a \u003cem>complete\u003c/em> lock on Mahler, now, can it? In this cheekily titled program, Symphony San Jose performs Mahler’s First — the “Titan” symphony — a tone poem–esque work that marked the beginning of a legendary run. In another shade of the harmonic spectrum is Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 21, used to great effect in the film \u003cem>Elvira Madigan\u003c/em>. Rounding out the program is \u003cem>Danzon No. 2\u003c/em>, by the living Mexican composer Arturo Márquez, which captures the lively rhythms and flavors of mariachi.\u003c/p>\n\n","blocks":[],"excerpt":"From the community center to the concert hall, this summer brings exciting jazz and classical performances.","status":"publish","parent":0,"modified":1715959423,"stats":{"hasAudio":false,"hasVideo":false,"hasChartOrMap":false,"iframeSrcs":[],"hasGoogleForm":false,"hasGallery":false,"hasHearkenModule":false,"hasPolis":false,"paragraphCount":24,"wordCount":1380},"headData":{"title":"10 Great Jazz and Classical Shows in the Bay Area This Summer | KQED","description":"From the community center to the concert hall, this summer brings exciting jazz and classical performances.","ogTitle":"","ogDescription":"","ogImgId":"","twTitle":"","twDescription":"","twImgId":"","schema":{"@context":"http://schema.org","@type":"Article","headline":"10 Great Jazz and Classical Shows in the Bay Area This Summer","datePublished":"2024-05-17T08:00:28-07:00","dateModified":"2024-05-17T08:23:43-07:00","image":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"}},"source":"Summer Guide 2024","sourceUrl":"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/summer-guide-2024","sticky":false,"nprStoryId":"kqed-13957999","templateType":"standard","featuredImageType":"standard","excludeFromSiteSearch":"Include","articleAge":"0","path":"/arts/13957999/best-jazz-and-classical-shows-bay-area-summer","audioTrackLength":null,"parsedContent":[{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>I know, I know — summertime is for staying out ’til 2 a.m., losing your mind to ear-splitting bass and dancing for hours. Not exactly the realm of classical music or jazz.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But there’s balance in all things, and this summer offers some exciting, not-to-be-missed jazz and classical performances in the Bay Area’s community centers, nightclubs and concert halls. Here are just 10 of them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13933558\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68119_20230818-GaryBartz-04-JY-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"Gary Bartz poses for a portrait with his saxophone\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13933558\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68119_20230818-GaryBartz-04-JY-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68119_20230818-GaryBartz-04-JY-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68119_20230818-GaryBartz-04-JY-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68119_20230818-GaryBartz-04-JY-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68119_20230818-GaryBartz-04-JY-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68119_20230818-GaryBartz-04-JY-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68119_20230818-GaryBartz-04-JY-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Gary Bartz poses for a portrait with his saxophone at KQED in San Francisco, Calif., on Friday, Aug. 18, 2023. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfjazz.org/tickets/productions/41st-san-francisco-jazz-festival/gary-bartz/\">Gary Bartz Ntu Troop Revisited\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>June 9, 2024\u003cbr>\nSFJAZZ Center, San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Saxophonist Gary Bartz may be 83 years old, but each time I’ve seen him, he’s played with more imagination and spirit than many musicians half his age. For this show, Bartz reassembles his Ntu Troop project, responsible for classics like “Celestial Blues,” and the Langston Hughes poem set to music, “I’ve Known Rivers,” which he performed earlier this month \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2024/05/13/1250054477/tiny-desk-concert-gary-bartz\">at NPR’s Tiny Desk\u003c/a>. (He was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13935159/8-over-80-gary-bartz\">also part of KQED’s 8 Over 80 cohort\u003c/a> last year.) Bartz is joined on this show by fellow East Bay resident Ambrose Akinmusire, a phenomenal trumpet talent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13958057\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 940px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GardenofMemory.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"940\" height=\"470\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13958057\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GardenofMemory.jpg 940w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GardenofMemory-800x400.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GardenofMemory-160x80.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GardenofMemory-768x384.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 940px) 100vw, 940px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘Garden of Memory’ at Chapel of the Chimes presents new music soloists and groups throughout the century-old columbarium once a year. \u003ccite>(Garden of Memory )\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.gardenofmemory.com/\">Garden of Memory\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>June 21, 2024\u003cbr>\nChapel of the Chimes, Piedmont\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"fullwidth"},"numeric":["fullwidth"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This annual event is one of the Bay Area’s best hidden gems. The idea is simple: place over 50 musicians throughout the Julia Morgan-designed columbarium, and let the public walk through to hear new sounds in jazz, classical and experimental music. The day includes Bay Area legends like ROVA, Sarah Cahill, Paul Dresher, Lisa Mezzacappa and Will Bernard, but the experience is less about marquee names and more about discovery. Surrounded by beautiful urns and receptacles for the dead, it’s also a meditation on existence itself.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13958051\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1131px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/LilianFarahani.MauriceLammertsvanBueren.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1131\" height=\"731\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13958051\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/LilianFarahani.MauriceLammertsvanBueren.jpg 1131w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/LilianFarahani.MauriceLammertsvanBueren-800x517.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/LilianFarahani.MauriceLammertsvanBueren-1020x659.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/LilianFarahani.MauriceLammertsvanBueren-160x103.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/LilianFarahani.MauriceLammertsvanBueren-768x496.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1131px) 100vw, 1131px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lilian Farahani, who plays the role of the bride in ‘Innocence’ at San Francisco Opera. \u003ccite>(Maurice Lammerts van Bueren)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfopera.com/operas/innocence/\">‘Innocence’\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>June 1–21, 2024\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>War Memorial Opera House\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An opera about… a \u003cem>school shooting\u003c/em>? Believe it. San Francisco Opera hosts the U.S. premiere of this contemporary opera, about a wedding thrown into turmoil when the bride suddenly learns that her husband-to-be is the brother of the gunman from a school shooting from 10 years prior. Exploring themes of love and betrayal, and interweaving teachers and students — and ghosts — with the events of the wedding, \u003cem>Innocence\u003c/em> has been \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/07/arts/music/innocence-saariaho-opera-aix.html\">hailed as a masterpiece\u003c/a>. (A supplemental event, \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfopera.com/operas/innocence/beyond-innocence/\">Beyond Innocence\u003c/a>, brings the discussion of gun violence in focus with a variety of local figures from the church, public policy, television, public media and hip-hop.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13958053\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Lawrence-Azar.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1373\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13958053\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Lawrence-Azar.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Lawrence-Azar-800x572.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Lawrence-Azar-1020x729.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Lawrence-Azar-160x114.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Lawrence-Azar-768x549.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Lawrence-Azar-1536x1098.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Azar Lawrence. \u003ccite>(Artist photo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://yoshis.com/events/buy-tickets/azar-lawrence-1/detail\">The Azar Lawrence Experience\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>June 19, 2024\u003cbr>\nYoshi’s, Oakland\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A saxophonist of compelling power, Azar Lawrence may be the only musician who can say he’s collaborated with Marvin Gaye, Busta Rhymes, Tina Turner \u003cem>and\u003c/em> famed John Coltrane drummer Elvin Jones. A Coltrane acolyte, Lawrence has played nearly every style of music and returned home to searing, exploratory jazz; when I saw him at a Pharoah Sanders tribute last year, his playing was crisp and emotive. (Pro tip: If, like me, you make a tradition of going to \u003ca href=\"https://www.homeofchickenandwaffles.com/\">Home of Chicken and Waffles\u003c/a> after shows at Yoshi’s, know that they \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/the_homeofchickenandwaffles/\">recently closed\u003c/a> and plan to reopen soon, six blocks away.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13958055\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 914px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/557.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"914\" height=\"615\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13958055\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/557.jpg 914w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/557-800x538.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/557-160x108.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/557-768x517.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 914px) 100vw, 914px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">David Murray and Kahil El’Zabar. \u003ccite>(Delmark Records)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/C6-WGmdL8V9/\">Kahil El’Zabar and David Murray\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>June 15, 2024\u003cbr>\nEastside Cultural Center, Oakland\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.eastsideartsalliance.org/\">Eastside Cultural Center\u003c/a> is a small community space doing important work in the neighborhood; it’s also an excellent, intimate place for a jazz show. This exciting evening features two legends in a duo setting: multi-instrumentalist Kahil El’Zabar, who just released the 18th album with his Ethnic Heritage Ensemble, and tenor titan David Murray, who brought down the sold-out house when his quartet appeared at Eastside last year. While they could easily perform at the Bay Area’s more traditional jazz clubs, it’s a testament to Eastside’s mission that Murray and El’Zabar chose the grassroots option in East Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13958056\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/FrancescoLecceChong.SusanandNeilSilvermanPhotography.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1486\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13958056\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/FrancescoLecceChong.SusanandNeilSilvermanPhotography.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/FrancescoLecceChong.SusanandNeilSilvermanPhotography-800x619.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/FrancescoLecceChong.SusanandNeilSilvermanPhotography-1020x789.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/FrancescoLecceChong.SusanandNeilSilvermanPhotography-160x124.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/FrancescoLecceChong.SusanandNeilSilvermanPhotography-768x594.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/FrancescoLecceChong.SusanandNeilSilvermanPhotography-1536x1189.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Santa Rosa Symphony Music Director Francesco Lecce-Chong. \u003ccite>(Susan and Neil Silverman Photography)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.srsymphony.org/event/road-to-100-the-complete-beethoven-symphonies-year-1/\">Road to 100: The Complete Beethoven Symphonies, Year 1\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>June 9, 2024\u003cbr>\nGreen Music Center, Rohnert Park\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Santa Rosa Symphony didn’t exactly have auspicious beginnings: its first performance, in 1928, was at an Elks Club. Now, nearly 100 years later, the orchestra performs at a world-class music hall, led by the inventive, energetic director Francesco Lecce-Chong. To celebrate its upcoming centennial, the Santa Rosa Symphony plans to perform all of Beethoven’s symphonies over the next five years, starting with Nos. 1 and 3. And who said classical music is stuffy? Afterward, Lecce-Chong and the musicians will join a “Beethoven BBQ” on the lawn outside, chowing down on chicken drumsticks and chillin’ with the audience.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13958058\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1067px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/64c031e9d67135e187def3a1_Price.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1067\" height=\"720\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13958058\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/64c031e9d67135e187def3a1_Price.jpg 1067w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/64c031e9d67135e187def3a1_Price-800x540.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/64c031e9d67135e187def3a1_Price-1020x688.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/64c031e9d67135e187def3a1_Price-160x108.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/64c031e9d67135e187def3a1_Price-768x518.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1067px) 100vw, 1067px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Florence Price.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.leftcoastensemble.org/pathways\">‘Pathways: Florence Price Piano Quintet’\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>June 8 and 9, 2024\u003cbr>\nRuth Williams Opera House, Bayview, San Francisco\u003cbr>\nPiedmont Center for the Arts, Piedmont\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2009, the new owners of a house in Illinois stumbled upon reams of music manuscripts. They turned out to be the works of the late Black composer Florence Price, sparking a renaissance for Price’s music once the newly discovered pieces were performed and recorded. One of them, the Piano Quintet in A Minor, forms the centerpiece of these two shows by the Left Coast Chamber Ensemble. Pairing Price’s quintet with a piece by American composer David Sanford, as well as new works seeing their world premieres, the performances should open new possibilities in classical music, both past and future.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13958050\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1200px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/KronosQuartet2_creditLennyGonzalez.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"689\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13958050\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/KronosQuartet2_creditLennyGonzalez.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/KronosQuartet2_creditLennyGonzalez-800x459.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/KronosQuartet2_creditLennyGonzalez-1020x586.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/KronosQuartet2_creditLennyGonzalez-160x92.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/KronosQuartet2_creditLennyGonzalez-768x441.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kronos Quartet. \u003ccite>(Lenny Gonzalez)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://kronosquartet.org/kronos-festival-2024/\">Kronos Festival 2024\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>June 20–23, 2024\u003cbr>\nSFJAZZ Center, San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s a new era for the venerable, ever-searching Kronos Quartet: violinist John Sherba and violist Hank Dutt are retiring after 46 years with the group. This year’s annual Kronos Festival is their send-off, and what a party it is. Over four days, pieces by Terry Riley, Mahsa Vahdat, Sun Ra, Nicole Lizée, Zachary James Watkins and many others will get the full Kronos treatment. The festivities conclude with a performance of the “live documentary” \u003cem>A Thousand Thoughts\u003c/em>, and a farewell to Sherba and Dutt. Expect a long standing ovation; they deserve it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13958052\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Sheku-Song-Photo-5-Credit_-Ollie-Ali.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13958052\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Sheku-Song-Photo-5-Credit_-Ollie-Ali.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Sheku-Song-Photo-5-Credit_-Ollie-Ali-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Sheku-Song-Photo-5-Credit_-Ollie-Ali-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Sheku-Song-Photo-5-Credit_-Ollie-Ali-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Sheku-Song-Photo-5-Credit_-Ollie-Ali-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Sheku-Song-Photo-5-Credit_-Ollie-Ali-1536x1536.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sheku Kanneh-Mason. \u003ccite>(Ollie Ali)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfsymphony.org/Buy-Tickets/2023-24/SALONEN-KANNEH-MASON\">Esa-Pekka Salonen & Sheku Kanneh-Mason\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>June 13–15, 2024\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What with Esa-Pekka Salonen’s impending departure — \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13954297/san-francisco-symphony-musicians-urge-leadership-to-keep-esa-pekka-salonen\">not without controversy\u003c/a> — from the San Francisco Symphony, I can’t be the only one making plans to catch him on the podium as much as possible in the coming year. An attractive option comes with Salonen conducting Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto No. 1, with the British cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason. Shortly afterward in June, Salonen conducts \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfsymphony.org/Buy-Tickets/2023-24/SALONEN-BRONFMAN\">Schumann’s Piano Concerto\u003c/a> as well as \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfsymphony.org/Buy-Tickets/2023-24/SALONEN-CONDUCTS-MAHLER-3\">Mahler’s Third\u003c/a>, but my money’s on Shostakovich, and the cellist who, yes, \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TeDB27cq3fE\">performed at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13958054\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1600px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Arturo-Marquez-1600x900-1-e1651870192402.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1600\" height=\"900\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13958054\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Arturo-Marquez-1600x900-1-e1651870192402.jpg 1600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Arturo-Marquez-1600x900-1-e1651870192402-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Arturo-Marquez-1600x900-1-e1651870192402-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Arturo-Marquez-1600x900-1-e1651870192402-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Arturo-Marquez-1600x900-1-e1651870192402-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Arturo-Marquez-1600x900-1-e1651870192402-1536x864.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mexican composer Arturo Márquez.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.symphonysanjose.org/attend/current-season/classics-at-the-california/remember-the-titans/\">Remember the Titans: Mahler, Mozart and Márquez\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>June 1 and 2, 2024\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>California Theatre, San Jos\u003c/em>e\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"floatright"},"numeric":["floatright"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>San Francisco can’t have a \u003cem>complete\u003c/em> lock on Mahler, now, can it? In this cheekily titled program, Symphony San Jose performs Mahler’s First — the “Titan” symphony — a tone poem–esque work that marked the beginning of a legendary run. In another shade of the harmonic spectrum is Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 21, used to great effect in the film \u003cem>Elvira Madigan\u003c/em>. Rounding out the program is \u003cem>Danzon No. 2\u003c/em>, by the living Mexican composer Arturo Márquez, which captures the lively rhythms and flavors of mariachi.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}}],"link":"/arts/13957999/best-jazz-and-classical-shows-bay-area-summer","authors":["185"],"programs":["arts_140"],"categories":["arts_1","arts_69"],"tags":["arts_1312","arts_10278","arts_1420","arts_1367","arts_2960","arts_3316","arts_2048","arts_585","arts_4107"],"featImg":"arts_13958055","label":"source_arts_13957999"},"arts_13955066":{"type":"posts","id":"arts_13955066","meta":{"index":"posts_1591205157","site":"arts","id":"13955066","score":null,"sort":[1715978902000]},"guestAuthors":[],"slug":"del-martin-phyllis-lyon-lesbian-icons-lgbt-daughters-of-bilitis","title":"The San Francisco Couple Whose Lifelong Love Changed America","publishDate":1715978902,"format":"standard","headTitle":"The San Francisco Couple Whose Lifelong Love Changed America | KQED","labelTerm":{"term":8978,"site":"arts"},"content":"\u003cp>[dropcap]W[/dropcap]hen Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon co-authored \u003cem>Lesbian/Woman\u003c/em> in 1972, the effect was seismic. Dedicated to “daughters throughout the world who are struggling with their identity,” the book began with a clear, unequivocal explanation:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>A Lesbian is a woman whose primary erotic, psychological, emotional and social interest is in a member of her own sex.\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>That a book about lesbian culture would even require such a definition feels bizarre today. But the lifelong work of San Francisco couple Martin and Lyon is one of the reasons that so few people require such annotations now. \u003cem>Lesbian/Woman\u003c/em> didn’t just demystify same-sex female relationships — it calmly and clearly sought to normalize them. At the time, few representations of lesbians existed outside of lurid pulp fiction or psychology textbooks. \u003cem>Lesbian/Woman\u003c/em> changed the conversation and reassured queer women everywhere that there was nothing wrong with them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13889944']When Martin and Lyon began their relationship in 1952, after two years of friendship, America was a terrifying place to be LGBTQ. Looking back in 1995, the couple wrote an essay recalling the “climate of fear, rejection and oppression” that marked the earliest days of their 56-year romance. “Lesbians and gay men, if found out,” the pair wrote, “were subject to reprisals from all quarters of society: employers, police, military, government, family and friends.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With that in mind — after moving into a Castro District apartment together on Valentine’s Day in 1953 — Martin and Lyon sought friendships with fellow lesbians outside of the oft-raided gay bars. That led to the establishment in 1955 of the \u003ca href=\"https://guides.loc.gov/lgbtq-studies/before-stonewall/daughters-of-bilitis\">Daughters of Bilitis\u003c/a> (DOB), the first lesbian-rights organization in the U.S.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Originally the idea of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/queeriodicals/p/CFaBsyuAVGF/?img_index=1\">Rosalie Bamberger\u003c/a>, a local Filipina factory worker, the nonprofit started with just four couples. Martin was the club’s first president, and by the end of its first year, DOB had 15 official members. From there, the group expanded their ranks via the Daughters of Bilitis newsletter and, starting in October 1956, \u003ca href=\"https://archive.org/details/pub_ladder\">\u003cem>The Ladder\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, a groundbreaking lesbian magazine edited by Lyon. She held a degree in journalism from UC Berkeley, and had worked in magazines and newspapers since the ’40s — but here, she published under the pseudonym Ann Ferguson.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13958039\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13958039\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/the-ladder-scaled-e1715901912416.jpg\" alt=\"Three black and white covers of magazines. The first shows an androgynous person, the second features two cats, and the third is a sketch of a couple, viewed from behind, watching a sunset.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"891\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Issues of ‘The Ladder,’ a magazine for lesbians that began publishing in 1956. \u003ccite>(The Internet Archive)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Lyon’s pen name wasn’t the only reflection of the fear-of-being-found-out that marked the era: Daughters of Bilitis’ name came from \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Songs_of_Bilitis#:~:text=The%20Songs%20of%20Bilitis%20(%2Fb,work%20is%20considered%20a%20pseudotranslation.\">Songs of Bilitis\u003c/a>, \u003c/em>a collection of lesbian love poems published in 1894 by Pierre Louÿs, who claimed the text was based on ancient Greek scripts. If anyone asked, the women could say that DOB was merely a club for women who were passionate about Greek poetry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And in 1960, when the organization’s first conference was held in the penthouse of San Francisco’s \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hotel_Whitcomb\">Hotel Whitcomb\u003c/a>, all attendees were careful to wear skirts and dresses, lest they be accused of cross-dressing. (They were right to do so: SFPD’s “homosexual detail” showed up to see if anything nefarious was going on.) At one point, Martin and Lyon were so concerned about their office being raided and the DOB mailing list being exposed, they hid the document in the back of their station wagon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, DOB persisted, acting as a support and social group, and as a source of information for its members. Even in the organization’s earliest days, Martin carried herself with an unrivaled fortitude. In 1959, she attended a Mattachine Society convention in Denver to voice her dissatisfaction with the gay organization’s attitude towards women. Pointing out that the group was 99% male, Martin announced from the stage: “Lesbians are not satisfied to be auxiliary members or second-class homosexuals. One of Mattachine’s aims is that of sexual equality. May I suggest that you start with the lesbian?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Martin channeled that energy into her writing as well. Her first solo book, \u003ca href=\"https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/1142351\">\u003cem>Battered Wives\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, was published in 1976, becoming the first American book to discuss domestic violence in depth. By then, Martin was also the first out lesbian to have served on the National Organization of Women’s board of directors. Lyon was a fellow NOW member, which made them the first out lesbian couple to join.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he ’70s were a time of great change for Martin and Lyon. Daughters of Bilitis and \u003cem>The Ladder\u003c/em> both came to an unceremonious halt in 1970 because of intragroup politics and a couple of bad actors. Without either entity to pour their energy into, Martin and Lyon instead focused on writing \u003cem>Lesbian/Woman —\u003c/em> and this time, with incredible bravery, they used their real names. A year later came \u003cem>Lesbian Love and Liberation: The Yes Book of Sex, \u003c/em>a sex-positive guide that Martin and Lyon wrote to encourage tolerance, consent and frankness in the bedroom. The very first page came out guns blazing:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>Yes, everyone has a right to a good sex life — including persons who have physical disabilities. Yes, sexuality is the most individualistic part of a person’s life. It is up to each individual to determine and then to assume responsibility for her or his own sexuality. Yes, sex is okay in its varying modes of expression — if people know what they are doing, feel good about it and don’t harm others.\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>Less than two years after \u003cem>Lesbian/Woman’\u003c/em>s release, and just months after \u003cem>Lesbian Love and Liberation\u003c/em> came out, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders finally stopped defining homosexuality as a mental illness.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By 1979, the couple had established the \u003ca href=\"https://lyon-martin.org/\">Lyon-Martin Women’s Health Center\u003c/a> in San Francisco — a safe space for lesbian couples to receive healthcare. “We were trying to help lesbians find themselves,” Lyon said in 1989. “I mean, you can’t have a movement if you don’t have people that see that they’re worthwhile.” (Today, the clinic is also focused on serving trans, non-binary, gender non-conforming and intersex people.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13870056']Throughout the ’90s, as LGBTQ people increasingly found acceptance in America, Martin and Lyon celebrated how far they had come in a series of interviews and essays. While the \u003cem>San Francisco Examiner\u003c/em> referred to them as “the mothers of lesbian visibility,” the couple remained hilariously open about how long it took them to figure themselves out. In one 1992 interview, Martin joked about Lyon being a “straight lesbian for a while,” even after they were living together as a couple. Lyon laughed at the memory, admitting, “I was a little slow…”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2004, Martin and Lyon became the first same-sex couple to marry in San Francisco. At a mass wedding reception for 600 newlyweds on Feb. 23, 2004, Lyon said: “I think it’s important for a lot of the people that got married … but also for our friends who didn’t get married.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13958064\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13958064\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/20240402_161657-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A 2004 San Francisco marriage license.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"2362\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/20240402_161657-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/20240402_161657-800x738.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/20240402_161657-1020x941.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/20240402_161657-160x148.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/20240402_161657-768x709.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/20240402_161657-1536x1417.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/20240402_161657-2048x1890.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/20240402_161657-1920x1771.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon’s first marriage certificate. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of the San Francisco History Center)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The unions were frustratingly short-lived — within a month, the California Supreme Court had declared every same-sex marriage that had just taken place in San Francisco invalid.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But four years later, Lyon and Martin proudly returned to City Hall and made things official once more, after the California Supreme Court’s landmark decision on marriage equality. The couple were literally first in line, just as they had been in 2004, and were married by then-Mayor Gavin Newsom — the man who had sanctioned their first wedding. They even wore the same \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GLBT_Historical_Society#/media/File:GLBTHistoryMuseum.WeddingPantsuits12_10.jpg\">mauve and turquoise suits\u003c/a> they had worn for their first ceremony. (Those outfits are now held in San Francisco’s GLBT Historical Society’s permanent collection.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='pop_102855']It was an enormously meaningful day for the couple. When Martin died at the age of 87, less than three months after their wedding, Lyon said: “I am devastated, but I take some solace in knowing we were able to enjoy the ultimate rite of love and commitment before she passed.” Castro’s Pride flag and the flags at City Hall flew at half-mast in Martin’s honor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lyon soldiered on without her love for another 12 years. She died in 2020, aged 95, at home in San Francisco. On learning of the news, Gavin Newsom tweeted: “Phyllis — It was the honor of a lifetime to marry you & Del. Your courage changed the course of history.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It would be a gross understatement to say that Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon’s love, and their willingness to speak openly and often about it, impacted America’s view of same-sex unions. The couple spent their whole lives putting themselves in the spotlight — and sometimes grave danger — to raise awareness, and to help women still struggling with their own sexualities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2017, Lyon reminded the world why she and Martin had lived their lives in service. “If you’ve got stuff you want to change, you have to get out and work on it,” she said. “You can’t just sit around and say ‘I wish this or that was different.’ You have to fight for it.”\u003c/p>\n\n","blocks":[],"excerpt":"Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon, 'mothers of lesbian visibility,' spent their lives writing, organizing and celebrating their relationship.","status":"publish","parent":0,"modified":1715979465,"stats":{"hasAudio":false,"hasVideo":false,"hasChartOrMap":false,"iframeSrcs":[],"hasGoogleForm":false,"hasGallery":false,"hasHearkenModule":false,"hasPolis":false,"paragraphCount":24,"wordCount":1623},"headData":{"title":"Honoring Lesbian Icons Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon | KQED","description":"Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon, 'mothers of lesbian visibility,' spent their lives writing, organizing and celebrating their relationship.","ogTitle":"The San Francisco Couple Whose Lifelong Love Changed America","ogDescription":"","ogImgId":"","twTitle":"The San Francisco Couple Whose Lifelong Love Changed America","twDescription":"","twImgId":"","socialTitle":"Honoring Lesbian Icons Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon%%page%% %%sep%% KQED","schema":{"@context":"http://schema.org","@type":"Article","headline":"The San Francisco Couple Whose Lifelong Love Changed America","datePublished":"2024-05-17T13:48:22-07:00","dateModified":"2024-05-17T13:57:45-07:00","image":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"}},"sticky":false,"templateType":"standard","featuredImageType":"standard","excludeFromSiteSearch":"Include","articleAge":"0","path":"/arts/13955066/del-martin-phyllis-lyon-lesbian-icons-lgbt-daughters-of-bilitis","audioTrackLength":null,"parsedContent":[{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__dropcapShortcode__dropcap\">W\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>hen Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon co-authored \u003cem>Lesbian/Woman\u003c/em> in 1972, the effect was seismic. Dedicated to “daughters throughout the world who are struggling with their identity,” the book began with a clear, unequivocal explanation:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>A Lesbian is a woman whose primary erotic, psychological, emotional and social interest is in a member of her own sex.\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>That a book about lesbian culture would even require such a definition feels bizarre today. But the lifelong work of San Francisco couple Martin and Lyon is one of the reasons that so few people require such annotations now. \u003cem>Lesbian/Woman\u003c/em> didn’t just demystify same-sex female relationships — it calmly and clearly sought to normalize them. At the time, few representations of lesbians existed outside of lurid pulp fiction or psychology textbooks. \u003cem>Lesbian/Woman\u003c/em> changed the conversation and reassured queer women everywhere that there was nothing wrong with them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"aside","attributes":{"named":{"postid":"arts_13889944","label":""},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>When Martin and Lyon began their relationship in 1952, after two years of friendship, America was a terrifying place to be LGBTQ. Looking back in 1995, the couple wrote an essay recalling the “climate of fear, rejection and oppression” that marked the earliest days of their 56-year romance. “Lesbians and gay men, if found out,” the pair wrote, “were subject to reprisals from all quarters of society: employers, police, military, government, family and friends.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With that in mind — after moving into a Castro District apartment together on Valentine’s Day in 1953 — Martin and Lyon sought friendships with fellow lesbians outside of the oft-raided gay bars. That led to the establishment in 1955 of the \u003ca href=\"https://guides.loc.gov/lgbtq-studies/before-stonewall/daughters-of-bilitis\">Daughters of Bilitis\u003c/a> (DOB), the first lesbian-rights organization in the U.S.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Originally the idea of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/queeriodicals/p/CFaBsyuAVGF/?img_index=1\">Rosalie Bamberger\u003c/a>, a local Filipina factory worker, the nonprofit started with just four couples. Martin was the club’s first president, and by the end of its first year, DOB had 15 official members. From there, the group expanded their ranks via the Daughters of Bilitis newsletter and, starting in October 1956, \u003ca href=\"https://archive.org/details/pub_ladder\">\u003cem>The Ladder\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, a groundbreaking lesbian magazine edited by Lyon. She held a degree in journalism from UC Berkeley, and had worked in magazines and newspapers since the ’40s — but here, she published under the pseudonym Ann Ferguson.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13958039\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13958039\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/the-ladder-scaled-e1715901912416.jpg\" alt=\"Three black and white covers of magazines. The first shows an androgynous person, the second features two cats, and the third is a sketch of a couple, viewed from behind, watching a sunset.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"891\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Issues of ‘The Ladder,’ a magazine for lesbians that began publishing in 1956. \u003ccite>(The Internet Archive)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Lyon’s pen name wasn’t the only reflection of the fear-of-being-found-out that marked the era: Daughters of Bilitis’ name came from \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Songs_of_Bilitis#:~:text=The%20Songs%20of%20Bilitis%20(%2Fb,work%20is%20considered%20a%20pseudotranslation.\">Songs of Bilitis\u003c/a>, \u003c/em>a collection of lesbian love poems published in 1894 by Pierre Louÿs, who claimed the text was based on ancient Greek scripts. If anyone asked, the women could say that DOB was merely a club for women who were passionate about Greek poetry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"fullwidth"},"numeric":["fullwidth"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And in 1960, when the organization’s first conference was held in the penthouse of San Francisco’s \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hotel_Whitcomb\">Hotel Whitcomb\u003c/a>, all attendees were careful to wear skirts and dresses, lest they be accused of cross-dressing. (They were right to do so: SFPD’s “homosexual detail” showed up to see if anything nefarious was going on.) At one point, Martin and Lyon were so concerned about their office being raided and the DOB mailing list being exposed, they hid the document in the back of their station wagon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, DOB persisted, acting as a support and social group, and as a source of information for its members. Even in the organization’s earliest days, Martin carried herself with an unrivaled fortitude. In 1959, she attended a Mattachine Society convention in Denver to voice her dissatisfaction with the gay organization’s attitude towards women. Pointing out that the group was 99% male, Martin announced from the stage: “Lesbians are not satisfied to be auxiliary members or second-class homosexuals. One of Mattachine’s aims is that of sexual equality. May I suggest that you start with the lesbian?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Martin channeled that energy into her writing as well. Her first solo book, \u003ca href=\"https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/1142351\">\u003cem>Battered Wives\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, was published in 1976, becoming the first American book to discuss domestic violence in depth. By then, Martin was also the first out lesbian to have served on the National Organization of Women’s board of directors. Lyon was a fellow NOW member, which made them the first out lesbian couple to join.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__dropcapShortcode__dropcap\">T\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>he ’70s were a time of great change for Martin and Lyon. Daughters of Bilitis and \u003cem>The Ladder\u003c/em> both came to an unceremonious halt in 1970 because of intragroup politics and a couple of bad actors. Without either entity to pour their energy into, Martin and Lyon instead focused on writing \u003cem>Lesbian/Woman —\u003c/em> and this time, with incredible bravery, they used their real names. A year later came \u003cem>Lesbian Love and Liberation: The Yes Book of Sex, \u003c/em>a sex-positive guide that Martin and Lyon wrote to encourage tolerance, consent and frankness in the bedroom. The very first page came out guns blazing:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>Yes, everyone has a right to a good sex life — including persons who have physical disabilities. Yes, sexuality is the most individualistic part of a person’s life. It is up to each individual to determine and then to assume responsibility for her or his own sexuality. Yes, sex is okay in its varying modes of expression — if people know what they are doing, feel good about it and don’t harm others.\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>Less than two years after \u003cem>Lesbian/Woman’\u003c/em>s release, and just months after \u003cem>Lesbian Love and Liberation\u003c/em> came out, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders finally stopped defining homosexuality as a mental illness.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By 1979, the couple had established the \u003ca href=\"https://lyon-martin.org/\">Lyon-Martin Women’s Health Center\u003c/a> in San Francisco — a safe space for lesbian couples to receive healthcare. “We were trying to help lesbians find themselves,” Lyon said in 1989. “I mean, you can’t have a movement if you don’t have people that see that they’re worthwhile.” (Today, the clinic is also focused on serving trans, non-binary, gender non-conforming and intersex people.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"aside","attributes":{"named":{"postid":"arts_13870056","label":""},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Throughout the ’90s, as LGBTQ people increasingly found acceptance in America, Martin and Lyon celebrated how far they had come in a series of interviews and essays. While the \u003cem>San Francisco Examiner\u003c/em> referred to them as “the mothers of lesbian visibility,” the couple remained hilariously open about how long it took them to figure themselves out. In one 1992 interview, Martin joked about Lyon being a “straight lesbian for a while,” even after they were living together as a couple. Lyon laughed at the memory, admitting, “I was a little slow…”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2004, Martin and Lyon became the first same-sex couple to marry in San Francisco. At a mass wedding reception for 600 newlyweds on Feb. 23, 2004, Lyon said: “I think it’s important for a lot of the people that got married … but also for our friends who didn’t get married.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13958064\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13958064\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/20240402_161657-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A 2004 San Francisco marriage license.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"2362\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/20240402_161657-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/20240402_161657-800x738.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/20240402_161657-1020x941.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/20240402_161657-160x148.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/20240402_161657-768x709.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/20240402_161657-1536x1417.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/20240402_161657-2048x1890.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/20240402_161657-1920x1771.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon’s first marriage certificate. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of the San Francisco History Center)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The unions were frustratingly short-lived — within a month, the California Supreme Court had declared every same-sex marriage that had just taken place in San Francisco invalid.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But four years later, Lyon and Martin proudly returned to City Hall and made things official once more, after the California Supreme Court’s landmark decision on marriage equality. The couple were literally first in line, just as they had been in 2004, and were married by then-Mayor Gavin Newsom — the man who had sanctioned their first wedding. They even wore the same \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GLBT_Historical_Society#/media/File:GLBTHistoryMuseum.WeddingPantsuits12_10.jpg\">mauve and turquoise suits\u003c/a> they had worn for their first ceremony. (Those outfits are now held in San Francisco’s GLBT Historical Society’s permanent collection.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"aside","attributes":{"named":{"postid":"pop_102855","label":""},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>It was an enormously meaningful day for the couple. When Martin died at the age of 87, less than three months after their wedding, Lyon said: “I am devastated, but I take some solace in knowing we were able to enjoy the ultimate rite of love and commitment before she passed.” Castro’s Pride flag and the flags at City Hall flew at half-mast in Martin’s honor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lyon soldiered on without her love for another 12 years. She died in 2020, aged 95, at home in San Francisco. On learning of the news, Gavin Newsom tweeted: “Phyllis — It was the honor of a lifetime to marry you & Del. Your courage changed the course of history.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It would be a gross understatement to say that Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon’s love, and their willingness to speak openly and often about it, impacted America’s view of same-sex unions. The couple spent their whole lives putting themselves in the spotlight — and sometimes grave danger — to raise awareness, and to help women still struggling with their own sexualities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"floatright"},"numeric":["floatright"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2017, Lyon reminded the world why she and Martin had lived their lives in service. “If you’ve got stuff you want to change, you have to get out and work on it,” she said. “You can’t just sit around and say ‘I wish this or that was different.’ You have to fight for it.”\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}}],"link":"/arts/13955066/del-martin-phyllis-lyon-lesbian-icons-lgbt-daughters-of-bilitis","authors":["11242"],"programs":["arts_8978"],"categories":["arts_1","arts_7862","arts_11615"],"tags":["arts_3226","arts_8177","arts_21841","arts_8263"],"featImg":"arts_13955067","label":"arts_8978"},"arts_13958082":{"type":"posts","id":"arts_13958082","meta":{"index":"posts_1591205157","site":"arts","id":"13958082","score":null,"sort":[1715972105000]},"guestAuthors":[],"slug":"galileo-review-theater-berkeley-rep","title":"A Battle Between Science and Religion, With Galileo Caught in the Middle","publishDate":1715972105,"format":"standard","headTitle":"A Battle Between Science and Religion, With Galileo Caught in the Middle | KQED","labelTerm":{"term":140,"site":"arts"},"content":"\u003cp>During the Renaissance era, the conflicting bedfellows of religion and science had clear delineations, dictated by Earth’s highest stewards to Heaven’s gates. “Science asks questions, but the Bible gives the answers,” thundered Pope Urban VIII, verbalizing the view of many in Europe’s 16th and 17th centuries. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While Galileo Galilei fancied himself a strong purveyor of both the scientific and theological, his moral core of truth at the center of his existence faced a brutal reckoning — one that ultimately ripped both his body and soul to shreds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13957684']In the spellbinding yet problematic world premiere musical \u003cem>Galileo\u003c/em>, which opened May 15 at Berkeley Repertory Theatre, discoveries made in both science and religion complicate matters. Its storyline is greatly informed by the modern-day war on truth, loaded with a ceaselessly high-octane rock music score exploited mightily by the wicked talents of director Michael Mayer. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13958078\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_147.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1278\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13958078\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_147.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_147-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_147-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_147-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_147-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_147-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jeremy Kushnier (Bishop Maffeo Barberini) and Raúl Esparza (Galileo Galilei) in the world premiere of ‘Galileo: A Rock Musical’ at Berkeley Repertory Theatre. \u003ccite>(Kevin Berne)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Galileo Galilei (Raúl Esparza) has taken root in his laboratory, a man of 45 who has trouble blindly accepting the religious view that Earth is the center of the universe. After all, that view had been challenged years prior by fellow polymath Nicolaus Copernicus in the famed heliocentric model, where Earth and other planets were shown to revolve around the sun.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An affirmation of those teachings, thanks to Galileo’s enhancement of the telescope, has proved unsatisfactory to the dominant biblical divinity of Catholic doctrine, which citizens believe to be infallible. Yet Galileo still carries some support, despite the dominance of Cardinal Morosini (Javier Muñoz), who gives no space for what he perceives as anti-Bible sentiments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13957845']The support of Galileo’s close ally Bishop Barberini (Jeremy Kushnier) contributes greatly to his desire to continue locking horns with the Catholic establishment, and when Barberini is elevated as pontiff and becomes Pope Urban VIII, Galileo is poised to break through and declare truth the victor. Yet an effort by the pope to slow the public acceleration of Galileo’s scientific theories, introduced in Galileo’s book comparing the Copernican system with the accepted and less truthful Ptolemaic system, comes with an offensive slight, accelerating Galileo’s demise. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13958080\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_060.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1278\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13958080\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_060.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_060-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_060-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_060-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_060-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_060-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Raúl Esparza (Galileo Galilei, center) and the cast of ‘Galileo: A Rock Musical’ at Berkeley Repertory Theatre. \u003ccite>(Kevin Berne)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>So many elements of spectacle allow the musical to brew and breathe within a white-hot fire, with music thrusting itself to the top of the ticket. Composers Michael Weiner and Zoe Sarnak unleash consecutive bangers, challenging their vocalists with vein-popping verve, melodies and divine harmonies as persistent as Galileo himself. Those compositions are nestled neatly inside Danny Strong’s book. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Each challenge is accepted by the cast, led by Broadway stalwart Esparza, who digs mightily into every ounce of his scintillating, grizzled register. A delicious counterpoint to Esparza’s wide-ranging vocals is his commitment to Galileo’s painful and joyous discoveries. His eyes accentuate each arc in every moment, a broken and beaten man who is constantly reminded that power decides truth, not the other way around.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13958077\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_102.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1278\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13958077\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_102.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_102-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_102-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_102-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_102-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_102-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Christian Magby (Alessandro Tarantola) and Madalynn Mathews (Virginia Galilei) in the world premiere of ‘Galileo: A Rock Musical’ at Berkeley Repertory Theatre.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Kushnier’s mellifluity lives within its own constellation, a buttery-smooth falsetto that spotlights tenderness and admiration for Galileo, especially in his solo “By Thy Light I See.” Muñoz, Esparza’s fellow Broadway star, commands respect as the uncompromising Morosini, and Madelynn Mathews as Galileo’s embattled daughter Virginia, whose illegitimacy thrusts her away from love and into a cloistered life, gives a master class in vocals and empathy. These four craft a narrative that elevates the entire company in a show that gets louder and louder as time passes. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Where the piece needs harnessing begins late in the second act, when a certain theme carries on much too long, ultimately diluting the critical nature of its voice. It’s as if the concept of truth and its virtues need constant repeating, which drags the entire narrative down. A piece that moves towards three hours needs to slap incessantly; this is not the case here. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13958081\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_188.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1278\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13958081\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_188.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_188-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_188-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_188-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_188-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_188-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Raúl Esparza (Galileo Galilei) and the cast of ‘Galileo: A Rock Musical’ at Berkeley Repertory Theatre. \u003ccite>(Kevin Berne)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Still, the show feels as if it’s hurtling somewhere with no expense spared, especially through the technical design. Scenic work by Tony Award winner Rachel Hauck pairs beautifully with Anita Yavich’s nuanced and sparkly costume plot. Jason H. Thompson, along with Kaitlyn Pietras, go all in on Christian symbolism through their passionate projection design, combined sharply with the lighting of Kevin Adams. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are many morsels that challenge in Strong’s book, and a critical question is posed: “When does the truth cost too much?” Thankfully for Galileo, and in a lesson for the masses, a legacy and the truth are not for sale. \u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘Galileo’ runs through June 23 at Berkeley Repertory Theatre in downtown Berkeley. \u003ca href=\"https://www.berkeleyrep.org/shows/galileo/\">Details here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em> \u003c/p>\n\n","blocks":[],"excerpt":"The world premiere of 'Galileo' at Berkeley Rep is good, but long, and packed with rock music.","status":"publish","parent":0,"modified":1715972175,"stats":{"hasAudio":false,"hasVideo":false,"hasChartOrMap":false,"iframeSrcs":[],"hasGoogleForm":false,"hasGallery":false,"hasHearkenModule":false,"hasPolis":false,"paragraphCount":15,"wordCount":896},"headData":{"title":"Review: 'Galileo' at Berkeley Rep Is a Long Battle of Science and Religion | KQED","description":"The world premiere of 'Galileo' at Berkeley Rep is good, but long, and packed with rock music.","ogTitle":"A Battle Between Science and Religion, With Galileo Caught in the Middle","ogDescription":"","ogImgId":"","twTitle":"A Battle Between Science and Religion, With Galileo Caught in the Middle","twDescription":"","twImgId":"","socialTitle":"Review: 'Galileo' at Berkeley Rep Is a Long Battle of Science and Religion %%page%% %%sep%% KQED","schema":{"@context":"http://schema.org","@type":"Article","headline":"A Battle Between Science and Religion, With Galileo Caught in the Middle","datePublished":"2024-05-17T11:55:05-07:00","dateModified":"2024-05-17T11:56:15-07:00","image":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"}},"sticky":false,"nprStoryId":"kqed-13958082","templateType":"standard","featuredImageType":"standard","excludeFromSiteSearch":"Include","articleAge":"0","path":"/arts/13958082/galileo-review-theater-berkeley-rep","audioTrackLength":null,"parsedContent":[{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>During the Renaissance era, the conflicting bedfellows of religion and science had clear delineations, dictated by Earth’s highest stewards to Heaven’s gates. “Science asks questions, but the Bible gives the answers,” thundered Pope Urban VIII, verbalizing the view of many in Europe’s 16th and 17th centuries. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While Galileo Galilei fancied himself a strong purveyor of both the scientific and theological, his moral core of truth at the center of his existence faced a brutal reckoning — one that ultimately ripped both his body and soul to shreds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"aside","attributes":{"named":{"postid":"arts_13957684","label":""},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>In the spellbinding yet problematic world premiere musical \u003cem>Galileo\u003c/em>, which opened May 15 at Berkeley Repertory Theatre, discoveries made in both science and religion complicate matters. Its storyline is greatly informed by the modern-day war on truth, loaded with a ceaselessly high-octane rock music score exploited mightily by the wicked talents of director Michael Mayer. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13958078\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_147.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1278\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13958078\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_147.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_147-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_147-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_147-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_147-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_147-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jeremy Kushnier (Bishop Maffeo Barberini) and Raúl Esparza (Galileo Galilei) in the world premiere of ‘Galileo: A Rock Musical’ at Berkeley Repertory Theatre. \u003ccite>(Kevin Berne)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Galileo Galilei (Raúl Esparza) has taken root in his laboratory, a man of 45 who has trouble blindly accepting the religious view that Earth is the center of the universe. After all, that view had been challenged years prior by fellow polymath Nicolaus Copernicus in the famed heliocentric model, where Earth and other planets were shown to revolve around the sun.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An affirmation of those teachings, thanks to Galileo’s enhancement of the telescope, has proved unsatisfactory to the dominant biblical divinity of Catholic doctrine, which citizens believe to be infallible. Yet Galileo still carries some support, despite the dominance of Cardinal Morosini (Javier Muñoz), who gives no space for what he perceives as anti-Bible sentiments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"fullwidth"},"numeric":["fullwidth"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"aside","attributes":{"named":{"postid":"arts_13957845","label":""},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The support of Galileo’s close ally Bishop Barberini (Jeremy Kushnier) contributes greatly to his desire to continue locking horns with the Catholic establishment, and when Barberini is elevated as pontiff and becomes Pope Urban VIII, Galileo is poised to break through and declare truth the victor. Yet an effort by the pope to slow the public acceleration of Galileo’s scientific theories, introduced in Galileo’s book comparing the Copernican system with the accepted and less truthful Ptolemaic system, comes with an offensive slight, accelerating Galileo’s demise. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13958080\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_060.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1278\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13958080\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_060.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_060-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_060-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_060-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_060-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_060-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Raúl Esparza (Galileo Galilei, center) and the cast of ‘Galileo: A Rock Musical’ at Berkeley Repertory Theatre. \u003ccite>(Kevin Berne)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>So many elements of spectacle allow the musical to brew and breathe within a white-hot fire, with music thrusting itself to the top of the ticket. Composers Michael Weiner and Zoe Sarnak unleash consecutive bangers, challenging their vocalists with vein-popping verve, melodies and divine harmonies as persistent as Galileo himself. Those compositions are nestled neatly inside Danny Strong’s book. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Each challenge is accepted by the cast, led by Broadway stalwart Esparza, who digs mightily into every ounce of his scintillating, grizzled register. A delicious counterpoint to Esparza’s wide-ranging vocals is his commitment to Galileo’s painful and joyous discoveries. His eyes accentuate each arc in every moment, a broken and beaten man who is constantly reminded that power decides truth, not the other way around.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13958077\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_102.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1278\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13958077\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_102.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_102-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_102-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_102-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_102-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_102-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Christian Magby (Alessandro Tarantola) and Madalynn Mathews (Virginia Galilei) in the world premiere of ‘Galileo: A Rock Musical’ at Berkeley Repertory Theatre.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Kushnier’s mellifluity lives within its own constellation, a buttery-smooth falsetto that spotlights tenderness and admiration for Galileo, especially in his solo “By Thy Light I See.” Muñoz, Esparza’s fellow Broadway star, commands respect as the uncompromising Morosini, and Madelynn Mathews as Galileo’s embattled daughter Virginia, whose illegitimacy thrusts her away from love and into a cloistered life, gives a master class in vocals and empathy. These four craft a narrative that elevates the entire company in a show that gets louder and louder as time passes. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Where the piece needs harnessing begins late in the second act, when a certain theme carries on much too long, ultimately diluting the critical nature of its voice. It’s as if the concept of truth and its virtues need constant repeating, which drags the entire narrative down. A piece that moves towards three hours needs to slap incessantly; this is not the case here. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13958081\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_188.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1278\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13958081\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_188.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_188-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_188-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_188-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_188-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GLO_188-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Raúl Esparza (Galileo Galilei) and the cast of ‘Galileo: A Rock Musical’ at Berkeley Repertory Theatre. \u003ccite>(Kevin Berne)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Still, the show feels as if it’s hurtling somewhere with no expense spared, especially through the technical design. Scenic work by Tony Award winner Rachel Hauck pairs beautifully with Anita Yavich’s nuanced and sparkly costume plot. Jason H. Thompson, along with Kaitlyn Pietras, go all in on Christian symbolism through their passionate projection design, combined sharply with the lighting of Kevin Adams. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are many morsels that challenge in Strong’s book, and a critical question is posed: “When does the truth cost too much?” Thankfully for Galileo, and in a lesson for the masses, a legacy and the truth are not for sale. \u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘Galileo’ runs through June 23 at Berkeley Repertory Theatre in downtown Berkeley. \u003ca href=\"https://www.berkeleyrep.org/shows/galileo/\">Details here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em> \u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}}],"link":"/arts/13958082/galileo-review-theater-berkeley-rep","authors":["11905"],"programs":["arts_140"],"categories":["arts_1","arts_967"],"tags":["arts_1270","arts_1237","arts_769","arts_585"],"featImg":"arts_13958079","label":"arts_140"},"arts_13958092":{"type":"posts","id":"arts_13958092","meta":{"index":"posts_1591205157","site":"arts","id":"13958092","score":null,"sort":[1715971194000]},"guestAuthors":[],"slug":"new-novels-pages-of-mourning-morrison-cemetery-untold-stories-alvarez","title":"Two New Novels Investigate What Makes Magic, What Is Real and Imagined","publishDate":1715971194,"format":"standard","headTitle":"Two New Novels Investigate What Makes Magic, What Is Real and Imagined | KQED","labelTerm":{"term":140,"site":"arts"},"content":"\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In an enchanted world, where does mystery begin? Two authors pose this question in new novels out this spring.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13957814']In \u003cem>Pages of Mourning\u003c/em> by the Mexican magical realism interrogator-author Diego Gerard Morrison, the protagonist is a Mexican writer named Aureliano Más II who is at war with his memory of familial sorrow and — you guessed it — magical realism. And the protagonist Alma Cruz in Julia Alvarez’s latest novel, \u003cem>The Cemetery of Untold Stories, \u003c/em>is also a writer. Alma seeks to bury her unpublished stories in a graveyard of her own making, in order to find peace in their repose — and meaning from the vulnerability that comes from unheard stories.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Both of these novels, one from an emerging writer and one from a long celebrated author, walk an open road of remembering love, grief, and fate. Both find a destiny not in death, but in the reality of abandonment and in dreams that come from a hope for reunion. At this intersection of memory and meaning, their storytelling diverges.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>‘Pages of Mourning’\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Pages of Mourning,\u003c/em> out this month, is set in 2017, three years after 43 students disappear from the Ayotzinapa Rural Teachers’ College after being abducted in \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iguala\">Iguala\u003c/a>, Guerrero, Mexico. The main character, Aureliano, is attempting to write the Great Mexican Novel that reflects this crisis and his mother’s own unexplained disappearance when he was a boy. He’s also struggling with the idea of magical realism as literary genre — he holds resentment over being named after the protagonist in \u003cem>100 Years of Solitude,\u003c/em> which fits squarely within it. He sets out on a journey with his maternal aunt to find his father, ask questions about his mother, and deal with his drinking problem and various earthquakes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13956128']Morrison’s voice reflects his \u003ca href=\"https://www.disonare.com/acerca\">work as a writer, editor and translator \u003c/a>based in Mexico City, who seeks to interrogate “the concept of dissonance” through blended art forms such as poetry and fiction, translation and criticism. His story could be seen as an archetype, criticism, or a reflection through linguistic cadence on Pan American literature. His novel name drops and alludes to American, Mexican and Latin American writers including Walt Whitman, Juan Rulfo, Gabriel Garcia Márquez — and even himself. There’s an earnest use of adjectives to accompany the lived dissonance of his characters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s nothing magical, in the genre sense, in Morrison’s story. There are no magical rivers, enchanted messages, babies born with tails. Morrison’s dissonance is real — people get disappeared, they suffer addictions, writer’s block, crazy parents, crazier shamans, blank pages, corruption, the loss of loved ones. In this depiction of real Pan-American life — because all of this we are also explicitly suffering up North — Morrison finds his magic. His Aureliano is our Aureliano. He’s someone we know. Probably someone we loved — someone trying so hard to live.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cem>The Cemetery of Untold Stories\u003c/em>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>From the author of \u003cem>In the Time of the Butterflies\u003c/em> and \u003cem>How the García Girls Lost Their Accents\u003c/em>, \u003cem>The Cemetery of Untold Stories\u003c/em> is Julia Alvarez’s seventh novel. It’s a story that’s both languorous and urgent in conjuring a world from magical happenings. The source of these happenings, in a graveyard in the Dominican Republic, is the confrontation between memories and lived agendas. Alvarez is an acclaimed storyteller and teacher, a writer of poetry, non-fiction and children’s books, \u003ca href=\"https://www.arts.gov/honors/medals/julia-alvarez\">honored in 2013 with the National Medal of Arts\u003c/a>. She continues her luminous virtuosity with the story of Alma Cruz.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13957998']Alma, the writer at the heart of \u003cem>The Cemetery of Untold Stories\u003c/em>, has a goal — not to go crazy from the delayed promise of cartons of unpublished stories she has stored away. When she inherits land in her origin country — the Dominican Republic — she decides to retire there, and design a graveyard to bury her manuscript drafts, along with the characters whose fictional lives demand their own unrequited recompense. Her sisters think she’s nuts, and wasting their inheritance. Filomena, a local woman Alma hires to watch over the cemetery, finds solace in a steady paycheck and her unusual workplace.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Alma wants peace for herself and her characters. But they have their own agendas and, once buried, begin to make them known: They speak to each other and Filomena, rewriting and revising Alma’s creativity in order to reclaim themselves.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In this new story, Alvarez creates a world where everyone is on a quest to achieve a dream — retirement, literary fame, a steady job, peace of mind, authenticity. Things get complicated during the rewrites, when ambitions and memories bump into the reality of no money, getting arrested, no imagination, jealousy, and the grace of humble competence. Alma’s sisters, Filomena, the townspeople — all make a claim over Alma’s aspiration to find a final resting place for her memories. Alvarez sprinkles their journey with dialogue and phrases in Spanish and one — “\u003cem>no hay mal que por bien no venga\u003c/em>” (there is goodness in every woe) — emerges as the oral talisman of her story. There is always something magical to discover in a story, and that is especially true in Alvarez’s landing place.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://www.tcginsights.com/\">\u003cem>Marcela Davison Avilés\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is a writer and independent producer living in Northern California.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n","blocks":[],"excerpt":"‘Pages of Mourning’ and ‘The Cemetery of Untold Stories’ both walk an open road of remembering love, grief, and fate.","status":"publish","parent":0,"modified":1715971222,"stats":{"hasAudio":false,"hasVideo":false,"hasChartOrMap":false,"iframeSrcs":[],"hasGoogleForm":false,"hasGallery":false,"hasHearkenModule":false,"hasPolis":false,"paragraphCount":13,"wordCount":931},"headData":{"title":"New Books: Diego Gerard Morrison, Julia Alvarez Explore Magic | KQED","description":"‘Pages of Mourning’ and ‘The Cemetery of Untold Stories’ both walk an open road of remembering love, grief, and fate.","ogTitle":"Two New Novels Investigate What Makes Magic, What Is Real and Imagined","ogDescription":"","ogImgId":"","twTitle":"Two New Novels Investigate What Makes Magic, What Is Real and Imagined","twDescription":"","twImgId":"","socialTitle":"New Books: Diego Gerard Morrison, Julia Alvarez Explore Magic %%page%% %%sep%% KQED","schema":{"@context":"http://schema.org","@type":"Article","headline":"Two New Novels Investigate What Makes Magic, What Is Real and Imagined","datePublished":"2024-05-17T11:39:54-07:00","dateModified":"2024-05-17T11:40:22-07:00","image":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"}},"sticky":false,"nprByline":"Marcela Davison Avilés, NPR","nprStoryId":"1250919110","nprHtmlLink":"https://www.npr.org/2024/05/15/1250919110/the-cemetery-of-untold-stories-pages-of-mourning-book-review","nprRetrievedStory":"1","nprPubDate":"2024-05-15T06:00:10-04:00","nprStoryDate":"2024-05-15T06:00:10-04:00","nprLastModifiedDate":"2024-05-15T06:00:10-04:00","templateType":"standard","featuredImageType":"standard","excludeFromSiteSearch":"Include","showOnAuthorArchivePages":"No","articleAge":"0","path":"/arts/13958092/new-novels-pages-of-mourning-morrison-cemetery-untold-stories-alvarez","audioTrackLength":null,"parsedContent":[{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In an enchanted world, where does mystery begin? Two authors pose this question in new novels out this spring.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"aside","attributes":{"named":{"postid":"arts_13957814","label":""},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>In \u003cem>Pages of Mourning\u003c/em> by the Mexican magical realism interrogator-author Diego Gerard Morrison, the protagonist is a Mexican writer named Aureliano Más II who is at war with his memory of familial sorrow and — you guessed it — magical realism. And the protagonist Alma Cruz in Julia Alvarez’s latest novel, \u003cem>The Cemetery of Untold Stories, \u003c/em>is also a writer. Alma seeks to bury her unpublished stories in a graveyard of her own making, in order to find peace in their repose — and meaning from the vulnerability that comes from unheard stories.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Both of these novels, one from an emerging writer and one from a long celebrated author, walk an open road of remembering love, grief, and fate. Both find a destiny not in death, but in the reality of abandonment and in dreams that come from a hope for reunion. At this intersection of memory and meaning, their storytelling diverges.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>‘Pages of Mourning’\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Pages of Mourning,\u003c/em> out this month, is set in 2017, three years after 43 students disappear from the Ayotzinapa Rural Teachers’ College after being abducted in \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iguala\">Iguala\u003c/a>, Guerrero, Mexico. The main character, Aureliano, is attempting to write the Great Mexican Novel that reflects this crisis and his mother’s own unexplained disappearance when he was a boy. He’s also struggling with the idea of magical realism as literary genre — he holds resentment over being named after the protagonist in \u003cem>100 Years of Solitude,\u003c/em> which fits squarely within it. He sets out on a journey with his maternal aunt to find his father, ask questions about his mother, and deal with his drinking problem and various earthquakes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"aside","attributes":{"named":{"postid":"arts_13956128","label":""},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Morrison’s voice reflects his \u003ca href=\"https://www.disonare.com/acerca\">work as a writer, editor and translator \u003c/a>based in Mexico City, who seeks to interrogate “the concept of dissonance” through blended art forms such as poetry and fiction, translation and criticism. His story could be seen as an archetype, criticism, or a reflection through linguistic cadence on Pan American literature. His novel name drops and alludes to American, Mexican and Latin American writers including Walt Whitman, Juan Rulfo, Gabriel Garcia Márquez — and even himself. There’s an earnest use of adjectives to accompany the lived dissonance of his characters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"fullwidth"},"numeric":["fullwidth"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s nothing magical, in the genre sense, in Morrison’s story. There are no magical rivers, enchanted messages, babies born with tails. Morrison’s dissonance is real — people get disappeared, they suffer addictions, writer’s block, crazy parents, crazier shamans, blank pages, corruption, the loss of loved ones. In this depiction of real Pan-American life — because all of this we are also explicitly suffering up North — Morrison finds his magic. His Aureliano is our Aureliano. He’s someone we know. Probably someone we loved — someone trying so hard to live.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cem>The Cemetery of Untold Stories\u003c/em>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>From the author of \u003cem>In the Time of the Butterflies\u003c/em> and \u003cem>How the García Girls Lost Their Accents\u003c/em>, \u003cem>The Cemetery of Untold Stories\u003c/em> is Julia Alvarez’s seventh novel. It’s a story that’s both languorous and urgent in conjuring a world from magical happenings. The source of these happenings, in a graveyard in the Dominican Republic, is the confrontation between memories and lived agendas. Alvarez is an acclaimed storyteller and teacher, a writer of poetry, non-fiction and children’s books, \u003ca href=\"https://www.arts.gov/honors/medals/julia-alvarez\">honored in 2013 with the National Medal of Arts\u003c/a>. She continues her luminous virtuosity with the story of Alma Cruz.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"aside","attributes":{"named":{"postid":"arts_13957998","label":""},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Alma, the writer at the heart of \u003cem>The Cemetery of Untold Stories\u003c/em>, has a goal — not to go crazy from the delayed promise of cartons of unpublished stories she has stored away. When she inherits land in her origin country — the Dominican Republic — she decides to retire there, and design a graveyard to bury her manuscript drafts, along with the characters whose fictional lives demand their own unrequited recompense. Her sisters think she’s nuts, and wasting their inheritance. Filomena, a local woman Alma hires to watch over the cemetery, finds solace in a steady paycheck and her unusual workplace.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Alma wants peace for herself and her characters. But they have their own agendas and, once buried, begin to make them known: They speak to each other and Filomena, rewriting and revising Alma’s creativity in order to reclaim themselves.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In this new story, Alvarez creates a world where everyone is on a quest to achieve a dream — retirement, literary fame, a steady job, peace of mind, authenticity. Things get complicated during the rewrites, when ambitions and memories bump into the reality of no money, getting arrested, no imagination, jealousy, and the grace of humble competence. Alma’s sisters, Filomena, the townspeople — all make a claim over Alma’s aspiration to find a final resting place for her memories. Alvarez sprinkles their journey with dialogue and phrases in Spanish and one — “\u003cem>no hay mal que por bien no venga\u003c/em>” (there is goodness in every woe) — emerges as the oral talisman of her story. There is always something magical to discover in a story, and that is especially true in Alvarez’s landing place.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://www.tcginsights.com/\">\u003cem>Marcela Davison Avilés\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is a writer and independent producer living in Northern California.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}}],"link":"/arts/13958092/new-novels-pages-of-mourning-morrison-cemetery-untold-stories-alvarez","authors":["byline_arts_13958092"],"programs":["arts_140"],"categories":["arts_1","arts_73","arts_835"],"tags":["arts_769","arts_585"],"affiliates":["arts_137"],"featImg":"arts_13958093","label":"arts_140"},"arts_13957998":{"type":"posts","id":"arts_13957998","meta":{"index":"posts_1591205157","site":"arts","id":"13957998","score":null,"sort":[1715950828000]},"guestAuthors":[],"slug":"5-books-to-finally-read-this-summer","title":"5 Books to (Finally) Read This Summer","publishDate":1715950828,"format":"standard","headTitle":"5 Books to (Finally) Read This Summer | KQED","labelTerm":{"term":140,"site":"arts"},"content":"\u003cp>On a sunny day, there are few things that give me greater joy than grabbing a book, finding a spot at a San Francisco park, cracking open a cold beverage and reading the day away. Luckily for me, we’re entering the perfect season for outdoor reading in the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Whether you plan to read during your commute, on a plane, poolside or at home, here are five highly engaging books that you might have missed over the past few years, categorized to suit different needs. They’re mostly by Bay Area authors, and all are available at your local bookstore.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957979\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1357px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/TheBoys.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957979\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/TheBoys.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1357\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/TheBoys.jpg 1357w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/TheBoys-800x1132.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/TheBoys-1020x1443.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/TheBoys-160x226.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/TheBoys-768x1087.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/TheBoys-1086x1536.jpg 1086w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1357px) 100vw, 1357px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘The Boys,’ by Katie Hafner \u003ccite>(Spiegel & Grau)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>If you want a jaw-dropping twist with your cold drink\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003cem>The Boys\u003c/em> by Katie Hafner (2022)\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In modern fiction, it has become increasingly more challenging for authors to come up with reveals that leave an avid reader in shock. But San Francisco author Katie Hafner managed to catch me off guard with the plot twist in \u003cem>The Boys\u003c/em>, her first published novel. I picked up a copy on a whim at the bookstore and did not want to put it down. At its core, \u003cem>The Boys\u003c/em> explores the way one couple’s relationship evolves through time, including some discussions on how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the pair (which manage to not feel forced). It’s partially set in Italy, so if traveling to Europe isn’t in the cards for you this summer, reading about the bike trip “the boys” take through small Italian villages might help fend off the wanderlust.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957980\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1272px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/EvilEye.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13957980 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/EvilEye.jpg\" alt=\"a light blue book cover with the text 'Evil Eye' by Etaf Rum\" width=\"1272\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/EvilEye.jpg 1272w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/EvilEye-800x1208.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/EvilEye-1020x1540.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/EvilEye-160x242.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/EvilEye-768x1159.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/EvilEye-1018x1536.jpg 1018w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1272px) 100vw, 1272px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘Evil Eye,’ by Etaf Rum \u003ccite>(HarperCollins)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>If you want a book cover that doubles as a misfortune repellant\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003cem>Evil Eye\u003c/em> by Etaf Rum (2023)\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Evil Eye\u003c/em> stirred up so many emotions as I flipped through its pages. In protagonist Yara’s journey, Palestinian American author Etaf Rum packs a plethora of thoughtful reflections on mental health, intersectional feminism and a sheltered upbringing in an immigrant community. This novel felt frustrating to read at times, but I don’t think that was accidental: It merely mirrors real-life experiences of women in Yara’s position. Excerpts from Yara’s journal are a nice touch that the author uses to detangle the character’s upbringing and her relationship with her family over time. This is a powerful story told by a brilliant voice; I’ll be keeping a close eye on Rum from now on.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957978\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1245px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/paul-takes-the-form-of-a-mortal-girl-2.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957978\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/paul-takes-the-form-of-a-mortal-girl-2.jpg\" alt=\"a dark pink book cover with the title 'Paul takes the form of a mortal girl'\" width=\"1245\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/paul-takes-the-form-of-a-mortal-girl-2.jpg 1245w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/paul-takes-the-form-of-a-mortal-girl-2-800x1234.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/paul-takes-the-form-of-a-mortal-girl-2-1020x1573.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/paul-takes-the-form-of-a-mortal-girl-2-160x247.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/paul-takes-the-form-of-a-mortal-girl-2-768x1184.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/paul-takes-the-form-of-a-mortal-girl-2-996x1536.jpg 996w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1245px) 100vw, 1245px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl,’ by Andrea Lawlor. \u003ccite>(Penguin Random House)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>If you want to get double-takes from your fellow BART riders\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl \u003c/strong>\u003c/em>\u003cstrong>by Andrea Lawlor (2017)\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are three quotes on the cover of this book: “Tight,” “Deep” and “Hot.” Sure, it gets steamy here and there, but it’s much more than what a quick glance at the cover might lead strangers to believe. The protagonist, Paul, has a secret superpower — the ability to control his physical appearance at will. This is an invigorating read about gender, and how Paul, who exists beyond the traditional binary, experiences it, with a journey that includes a lesbian relationship in which he becomes “Polly.” The latter part of the novel leads Paul to 1990’s San Francisco, where he continues to explore sexuality and intimacy. The author, who identifies as nonbinary, masterfully depicts both a path to self-discovery and the beauty of San Francisco in the final few pages. A must-read.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957981\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1289px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/RealAmericans.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957981\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/RealAmericans.jpg\" alt=\"a green and blue book cover with the title 'Real Americans Rachel Khong'\" width=\"1289\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/RealAmericans.jpg 1289w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/RealAmericans-800x1192.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/RealAmericans-1020x1519.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/RealAmericans-160x238.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/RealAmericans-768x1144.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/RealAmericans-1031x1536.jpg 1031w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1289px) 100vw, 1289px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘Real Americans,’ by Rachel Khong \u003ccite>(HarperCollins)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>If you want your crush to think you’re on the cutting edge of the lit scene\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003cem>Real Americans \u003c/em>by Rachel Khong (2024)\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hot off the press, San Francisco author Rachel Khong’s sophomore novel is an ambitious undertaking. In three parts, the novel spans the duration of protagonists Lily and Matthew’s relationship and its aftermath. This followup to \u003cem>Goodbye, Vitamin\u003c/em> is a refreshing showcase of Khong’s growth as a writer and willingness to take risks, as she hooks the reader in with elements of magical realism and mystery. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13956847/real-americans-rachel-khong-new-book-review-philsophy\">\u003cem>Real Americans\u003c/em>\u003c/a> is a page-turner, and the perfect new release to have on your radar this summer as you wander a bookstore — or your local public library.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957982\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1271px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Afterparties.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957982\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Afterparties.jpg\" alt=\"a book cover showing a truck parked at the beach with the title 'Afterparties,' by ANthony Veasna So\" width=\"1271\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Afterparties.jpg 1271w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Afterparties-800x1208.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Afterparties-1020x1541.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Afterparties-160x242.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Afterparties-768x1160.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Afterparties-1017x1536.jpg 1017w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1271px) 100vw, 1271px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘Afterparties,’ by Anthony Veasna So. \u003ccite>(HarperCollins)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>If you can’t commit to a novel\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003cem>Afterparties\u003c/em> by Anthony Veasna So (2021)\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Born and raised in Stockton, Anthony Veasna So was a rising star in the literary world when he died tragically in 2020 at the age of 28. \u003cem>Afterparties\u003c/em>, his posthumous collection of short stories that skillfully surveys the lives of Cambodian Americans in California, was published the following year to universal acclaim. My favorite thing about this collection is the breadth of emotion it manages to squeeze into these stories and out of these characters. You won’t be sobbing the entire time — there will be laughs, cheers and some difficult truths to internalize. I recommend savoring this book slowly, letting each of the 10 stories simmer before you dive into the next.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n","blocks":[],"excerpt":"With long days ahead, there's no better time to catch up on these page-turners, which are perfect for the beach — or for BART.","status":"publish","parent":0,"modified":1715967802,"stats":{"hasAudio":false,"hasVideo":false,"hasChartOrMap":false,"iframeSrcs":[],"hasGoogleForm":false,"hasGallery":false,"hasHearkenModule":false,"hasPolis":false,"paragraphCount":14,"wordCount":885},"headData":{"title":"5 Books to (Finally) Read This Summer | KQED","description":"With long days ahead, there's no better time to catch up on these page-turners, which are perfect for the beach — or for BART.","ogTitle":"","ogDescription":"","ogImgId":"","twTitle":"","twDescription":"","twImgId":"","schema":{"@context":"http://schema.org","@type":"Article","headline":"5 Books to (Finally) Read This Summer","datePublished":"2024-05-17T06:00:28-07:00","dateModified":"2024-05-17T10:43:22-07:00","image":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"}},"sticky":false,"nprStoryId":"kqed-13957998","templateType":"standard","featuredImageType":"standard","excludeFromSiteSearch":"Include","articleAge":"0","path":"/arts/13957998/5-books-to-finally-read-this-summer","audioTrackLength":null,"parsedContent":[{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>On a sunny day, there are few things that give me greater joy than grabbing a book, finding a spot at a San Francisco park, cracking open a cold beverage and reading the day away. Luckily for me, we’re entering the perfect season for outdoor reading in the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Whether you plan to read during your commute, on a plane, poolside or at home, here are five highly engaging books that you might have missed over the past few years, categorized to suit different needs. They’re mostly by Bay Area authors, and all are available at your local bookstore.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957979\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1357px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/TheBoys.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957979\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/TheBoys.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1357\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/TheBoys.jpg 1357w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/TheBoys-800x1132.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/TheBoys-1020x1443.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/TheBoys-160x226.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/TheBoys-768x1087.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/TheBoys-1086x1536.jpg 1086w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1357px) 100vw, 1357px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘The Boys,’ by Katie Hafner \u003ccite>(Spiegel & Grau)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>If you want a jaw-dropping twist with your cold drink\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003cem>The Boys\u003c/em> by Katie Hafner (2022)\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In modern fiction, it has become increasingly more challenging for authors to come up with reveals that leave an avid reader in shock. But San Francisco author Katie Hafner managed to catch me off guard with the plot twist in \u003cem>The Boys\u003c/em>, her first published novel. I picked up a copy on a whim at the bookstore and did not want to put it down. At its core, \u003cem>The Boys\u003c/em> explores the way one couple’s relationship evolves through time, including some discussions on how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the pair (which manage to not feel forced). It’s partially set in Italy, so if traveling to Europe isn’t in the cards for you this summer, reading about the bike trip “the boys” take through small Italian villages might help fend off the wanderlust.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957980\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1272px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/EvilEye.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13957980 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/EvilEye.jpg\" alt=\"a light blue book cover with the text 'Evil Eye' by Etaf Rum\" width=\"1272\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/EvilEye.jpg 1272w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/EvilEye-800x1208.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/EvilEye-1020x1540.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/EvilEye-160x242.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/EvilEye-768x1159.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/EvilEye-1018x1536.jpg 1018w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1272px) 100vw, 1272px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘Evil Eye,’ by Etaf Rum \u003ccite>(HarperCollins)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>If you want a book cover that doubles as a misfortune repellant\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003cem>Evil Eye\u003c/em> by Etaf Rum (2023)\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Evil Eye\u003c/em> stirred up so many emotions as I flipped through its pages. In protagonist Yara’s journey, Palestinian American author Etaf Rum packs a plethora of thoughtful reflections on mental health, intersectional feminism and a sheltered upbringing in an immigrant community. This novel felt frustrating to read at times, but I don’t think that was accidental: It merely mirrors real-life experiences of women in Yara’s position. Excerpts from Yara’s journal are a nice touch that the author uses to detangle the character’s upbringing and her relationship with her family over time. This is a powerful story told by a brilliant voice; I’ll be keeping a close eye on Rum from now on.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957978\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1245px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/paul-takes-the-form-of-a-mortal-girl-2.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957978\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/paul-takes-the-form-of-a-mortal-girl-2.jpg\" alt=\"a dark pink book cover with the title 'Paul takes the form of a mortal girl'\" width=\"1245\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/paul-takes-the-form-of-a-mortal-girl-2.jpg 1245w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/paul-takes-the-form-of-a-mortal-girl-2-800x1234.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/paul-takes-the-form-of-a-mortal-girl-2-1020x1573.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/paul-takes-the-form-of-a-mortal-girl-2-160x247.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/paul-takes-the-form-of-a-mortal-girl-2-768x1184.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/paul-takes-the-form-of-a-mortal-girl-2-996x1536.jpg 996w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1245px) 100vw, 1245px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl,’ by Andrea Lawlor. \u003ccite>(Penguin Random House)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>If you want to get double-takes from your fellow BART riders\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl \u003c/strong>\u003c/em>\u003cstrong>by Andrea Lawlor (2017)\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are three quotes on the cover of this book: “Tight,” “Deep” and “Hot.” Sure, it gets steamy here and there, but it’s much more than what a quick glance at the cover might lead strangers to believe. The protagonist, Paul, has a secret superpower — the ability to control his physical appearance at will. This is an invigorating read about gender, and how Paul, who exists beyond the traditional binary, experiences it, with a journey that includes a lesbian relationship in which he becomes “Polly.” The latter part of the novel leads Paul to 1990’s San Francisco, where he continues to explore sexuality and intimacy. The author, who identifies as nonbinary, masterfully depicts both a path to self-discovery and the beauty of San Francisco in the final few pages. A must-read.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957981\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1289px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/RealAmericans.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957981\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/RealAmericans.jpg\" alt=\"a green and blue book cover with the title 'Real Americans Rachel Khong'\" width=\"1289\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/RealAmericans.jpg 1289w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/RealAmericans-800x1192.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/RealAmericans-1020x1519.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/RealAmericans-160x238.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/RealAmericans-768x1144.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/RealAmericans-1031x1536.jpg 1031w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1289px) 100vw, 1289px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘Real Americans,’ by Rachel Khong \u003ccite>(HarperCollins)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>If you want your crush to think you’re on the cutting edge of the lit scene\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003cem>Real Americans \u003c/em>by Rachel Khong (2024)\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hot off the press, San Francisco author Rachel Khong’s sophomore novel is an ambitious undertaking. In three parts, the novel spans the duration of protagonists Lily and Matthew’s relationship and its aftermath. This followup to \u003cem>Goodbye, Vitamin\u003c/em> is a refreshing showcase of Khong’s growth as a writer and willingness to take risks, as she hooks the reader in with elements of magical realism and mystery. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13956847/real-americans-rachel-khong-new-book-review-philsophy\">\u003cem>Real Americans\u003c/em>\u003c/a> is a page-turner, and the perfect new release to have on your radar this summer as you wander a bookstore — or your local public library.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957982\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1271px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Afterparties.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957982\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Afterparties.jpg\" alt=\"a book cover showing a truck parked at the beach with the title 'Afterparties,' by ANthony Veasna So\" width=\"1271\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Afterparties.jpg 1271w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Afterparties-800x1208.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Afterparties-1020x1541.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Afterparties-160x242.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Afterparties-768x1160.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Afterparties-1017x1536.jpg 1017w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1271px) 100vw, 1271px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘Afterparties,’ by Anthony Veasna So. \u003ccite>(HarperCollins)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>If you can’t commit to a novel\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003cem>Afterparties\u003c/em> by Anthony Veasna So (2021)\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Born and raised in Stockton, Anthony Veasna So was a rising star in the literary world when he died tragically in 2020 at the age of 28. \u003cem>Afterparties\u003c/em>, his posthumous collection of short stories that skillfully surveys the lives of Cambodian Americans in California, was published the following year to universal acclaim. My favorite thing about this collection is the breadth of emotion it manages to squeeze into these stories and out of these characters. You won’t be sobbing the entire time — there will be laughs, cheers and some difficult truths to internalize. I recommend savoring this book slowly, letting each of the 10 stories simmer before you dive into the next.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"fullwidth"},"numeric":["fullwidth"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}}],"link":"/arts/13957998/5-books-to-finally-read-this-summer","authors":["11883"],"programs":["arts_140"],"categories":["arts_1","arts_73"],"tags":["arts_928","arts_22150","arts_22140","arts_585"],"featImg":"arts_13957976","label":"arts_140"},"arts_13958041":{"type":"posts","id":"arts_13958041","meta":{"index":"posts_1591205157","site":"arts","id":"13958041","score":null,"sort":[1715905147000]},"guestAuthors":[],"slug":"original-joes-westlake-red-sauce-italian-steak-late-night-daly-city","title":"Original Joe’s Westlake Is a Time Warp to Red Sauce Heaven","publishDate":1715905147,"format":"aside","headTitle":"Original Joe’s Westlake Is a Time Warp to Red Sauce Heaven | KQED","labelTerm":{},"content":"\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13958045\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13958045\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/originsljoes1.jpg\" alt=\"Man devouring a steak while sitting at the counter at a restaurant.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/originsljoes1.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/originsljoes1-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/originsljoes1-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/originsljoes1-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/originsljoes1-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/originsljoes1-1536x1536.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Original Joe’s Westlake is one of the few places where you can get both good steak *and* red sauce Italian. \u003ccite>(Thien Pham)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/the-midnight-diners\">\u003ci>The Midnight Diners\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> is a regular collaboration between KQED food editor Luke Tsai and graphic novelist \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thiendog/?hl=en\">\u003ci>Thien Pham\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci>. Follow them each week as they explore the hot pot restaurants, taco carts and 24-hour casino buffets that make up the Bay Area’s after-hours dining scene.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I never ate the old Joe’s of Westlake, which opened in 1956. As far as I can gather, the Italian chop house stayed perfectly frozen in time for nearly six decades — serving the same char-broiled steaks and heaping plates of pasta to multiple generations of Daly City families. Eventually, the restaurant was sold to the owners of the North Beach Original Joe’s, who \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/arcanumarchitecture/p/CxOGBirRWCR/?img_index=1\">lovingly renovated\u003c/a> the place and reopened it \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/restaurants/article/Joe-s-of-Westlake-returns-in-over-the-top-6838178.php\">to much fanfare\u003c/a> in 2016.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But even post-renovation, Original Joe’s Westlake still feels like a bit of a time warp. The handsome, low-slung building, with its neon signage and vaguely space-age, curvilinear architectural design, looks straight out of the ’60s, as do the waiters in tuxedos offering to grind fresh black pepper on your linguine. The whole dining room is full of quaint mid-century details: starburst chandeliers and shiny leather booths.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nor has the restaurant’s popularity diminished. Now, as always, Westlake Joe’s at peak dinner hours is one of the hardest reservations to land on the Peninsula. What I like to do, then, is stroll in at around 10 p.m. on a Friday night, an hour before closing, when it’s usually possible to snag one of the swivel seats at the counter without having to wait. (Prior to the pandemic, the restaurant used to stay open until midnight, but we’ll take what we can get.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As grand as the cushy, classic mid-century green leather booths are, the counter spots are the best seats in the house, with their close-up view of the finely orchestrated chaos of the open kitchen: six or seven line cooks standing shoulder to shoulder, cranking out dish after dish with no wasted motion. One of them, a thickly bearded chef in a black headband, handled the charcoal broiler where most of the meat cooks — the heart of the whole operation — all on his own like a magician, tending to the hot coals and nimbly flipping the seven or eight steaks that he had going at once.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13958046\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13958046\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/original-joe2.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: Red facade of Original Joe's Westlake lit up at night.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/original-joe2.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/original-joe2-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/original-joe2-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/original-joe2-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/original-joe2-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/original-joe2-1536x1536.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">On weekends, the Westlake location of Original Joe’s is open until 11 p.m. \u003ccite>(Thien Pham)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Original Joe’s is your quintessential birthday/anniversary/Father’s Day kind of restaurant, and when I’ve come for big celebratory dinners, I’ve always gotten the 24-ounce bone-in porterhouse: a richly marbled, special occasion-worthy steak. But for a casual, slip-in-for-a-quick-meal-at-the-bar kind of night, the $32 Steak Ala Bruno (one of the old Joe’s signatures) is more my speed. It’s a 10-ounce flat iron steak marinated in garlic, olive oil and rosemary, then char-broiled to a phenomenally tender, juicy medium-rare. It’s fantastic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Two of my biggest complaints about the Bay Area dining scene are 1) how few proper steakhouses there are, and 2) how difficult it is to find good red-sauce Italian, which constituted one of the four major food groups of my East Coast upbringing. The beauty of Original Joe’s is that those are precisely the two areas where it excels. You don’t even have to convince your dining partner to go halfsies to have them both in one meal; you just need to opt for the ravioli as your chosen side. Steak \u003ci>and \u003c/i>plump, meat sauce–laden ravioli. Unspeakable luxury.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cspan style=\"color: #2b2b2b;font-weight: 400\">[aside postID='arts_13957599,arts_13956683,arts_13951914']\u003c/span>\u003c/span>There are, of course also pasta entrees, served on comically oversized plates: rich, oozy bricks of lasagna and a child’s Platonic ideal of spaghetti and meatballs (in large enough a portion to feed five children). There’s an unorthodox version of shrimp scampi linguine that comes tossed in a lemony garlic cream sauce.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even when you’re seated at the bar, Original Joe’s offers the kind of impeccable service that feels both understated and a little bit old-fashioned. To start the meal, we’d ordered a Louie salad to share, and without saying anything, our kindly server had the kitchen split it into two bowls, each one piled high with tiny pink bay shrimp and slices of avocado and hard-boiled egg — the kind of small gesture that made us feel well taken care of.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Looking around a happily buzzing dining room, still more than half full well past 10 o’clock, we saw we clearly weren’t the only ones. Maybe my favorite thing about Original Joe’s Westlake is that it’s that rare “fancy” restaurant — along with \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkOZPxo3qPM\">House of Prime Rib\u003c/a> and a handful of others — that feels both timeless and oddly democratic. It’s not an inexpensive restaurant, and there’s an Old World kind of formality to the servers in their black vests and starched white shirts. But you’ll find more diversity here than you will at just about any of the trendy hotspots a couple of miles north in San Francisco — diners of all ages (with the over-80 crowd especially well represented). All ethnicities. Folks in T-shirts and sweatpants and folks in full-on power suits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Everyone seemed to be celebrating something. And everyone looked like they were having a good time.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.originaljoes.com/westlake\">\u003ci>Original Joe’s Westlake\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> is open until 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and until 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. The restaurant is located at 11 Glenwood Ave. in Daly City.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n","blocks":[],"excerpt":"One of the best ways to experience this Daly City classic? Walk up to the counter late at night.","status":"publish","parent":0,"modified":1715915412,"stats":{"hasAudio":false,"hasVideo":false,"hasChartOrMap":false,"iframeSrcs":[],"hasGoogleForm":false,"hasGallery":false,"hasHearkenModule":false,"hasPolis":false,"paragraphCount":14,"wordCount":1012},"headData":{"title":"Original Joe’s Westlake Serves Late-Night Italian in Daly City | KQED","description":"One of the best ways to experience this Daly City classic? Walk up to the counter late at night.","ogTitle":"Original Joe’s Westlake Is a Time Warp to Red Sauce Heaven","ogDescription":"","ogImgId":"","twTitle":"Original Joe’s Westlake Is a Time Warp to Red Sauce Heaven","twDescription":"","twImgId":"","socialTitle":"Original Joe’s Westlake Serves Late-Night Italian in Daly City %%page%% %%sep%% KQED","schema":{"@context":"http://schema.org","@type":"Article","headline":"Original Joe’s Westlake Is a Time Warp to Red Sauce Heaven","datePublished":"2024-05-16T17:19:07-07:00","dateModified":"2024-05-16T20:10:12-07:00","image":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"}},"source":"The Midnight Diners","sourceUrl":"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/the-midnight-diners","sticky":false,"nprStoryId":"kqed-13958041","excludeFromSiteSearch":"Include","articleAge":"0","path":"/arts/13958041/original-joes-westlake-red-sauce-italian-steak-late-night-daly-city","audioTrackLength":null,"parsedContent":[{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13958045\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13958045\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/originsljoes1.jpg\" alt=\"Man devouring a steak while sitting at the counter at a restaurant.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/originsljoes1.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/originsljoes1-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/originsljoes1-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/originsljoes1-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/originsljoes1-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/originsljoes1-1536x1536.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Original Joe’s Westlake is one of the few places where you can get both good steak *and* red sauce Italian. \u003ccite>(Thien Pham)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/the-midnight-diners\">\u003ci>The Midnight Diners\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> is a regular collaboration between KQED food editor Luke Tsai and graphic novelist \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thiendog/?hl=en\">\u003ci>Thien Pham\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci>. Follow them each week as they explore the hot pot restaurants, taco carts and 24-hour casino buffets that make up the Bay Area’s after-hours dining scene.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I never ate the old Joe’s of Westlake, which opened in 1956. As far as I can gather, the Italian chop house stayed perfectly frozen in time for nearly six decades — serving the same char-broiled steaks and heaping plates of pasta to multiple generations of Daly City families. Eventually, the restaurant was sold to the owners of the North Beach Original Joe’s, who \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/arcanumarchitecture/p/CxOGBirRWCR/?img_index=1\">lovingly renovated\u003c/a> the place and reopened it \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/restaurants/article/Joe-s-of-Westlake-returns-in-over-the-top-6838178.php\">to much fanfare\u003c/a> in 2016.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But even post-renovation, Original Joe’s Westlake still feels like a bit of a time warp. The handsome, low-slung building, with its neon signage and vaguely space-age, curvilinear architectural design, looks straight out of the ’60s, as do the waiters in tuxedos offering to grind fresh black pepper on your linguine. The whole dining room is full of quaint mid-century details: starburst chandeliers and shiny leather booths.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nor has the restaurant’s popularity diminished. Now, as always, Westlake Joe’s at peak dinner hours is one of the hardest reservations to land on the Peninsula. What I like to do, then, is stroll in at around 10 p.m. on a Friday night, an hour before closing, when it’s usually possible to snag one of the swivel seats at the counter without having to wait. (Prior to the pandemic, the restaurant used to stay open until midnight, but we’ll take what we can get.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As grand as the cushy, classic mid-century green leather booths are, the counter spots are the best seats in the house, with their close-up view of the finely orchestrated chaos of the open kitchen: six or seven line cooks standing shoulder to shoulder, cranking out dish after dish with no wasted motion. One of them, a thickly bearded chef in a black headband, handled the charcoal broiler where most of the meat cooks — the heart of the whole operation — all on his own like a magician, tending to the hot coals and nimbly flipping the seven or eight steaks that he had going at once.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13958046\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13958046\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/original-joe2.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: Red facade of Original Joe's Westlake lit up at night.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/original-joe2.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/original-joe2-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/original-joe2-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/original-joe2-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/original-joe2-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/original-joe2-1536x1536.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">On weekends, the Westlake location of Original Joe’s is open until 11 p.m. \u003ccite>(Thien Pham)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Original Joe’s is your quintessential birthday/anniversary/Father’s Day kind of restaurant, and when I’ve come for big celebratory dinners, I’ve always gotten the 24-ounce bone-in porterhouse: a richly marbled, special occasion-worthy steak. But for a casual, slip-in-for-a-quick-meal-at-the-bar kind of night, the $32 Steak Ala Bruno (one of the old Joe’s signatures) is more my speed. It’s a 10-ounce flat iron steak marinated in garlic, olive oil and rosemary, then char-broiled to a phenomenally tender, juicy medium-rare. It’s fantastic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"fullwidth"},"numeric":["fullwidth"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Two of my biggest complaints about the Bay Area dining scene are 1) how few proper steakhouses there are, and 2) how difficult it is to find good red-sauce Italian, which constituted one of the four major food groups of my East Coast upbringing. The beauty of Original Joe’s is that those are precisely the two areas where it excels. You don’t even have to convince your dining partner to go halfsies to have them both in one meal; you just need to opt for the ravioli as your chosen side. Steak \u003ci>and \u003c/i>plump, meat sauce–laden ravioli. Unspeakable luxury.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cspan style=\"color: #2b2b2b;font-weight: 400\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"aside","attributes":{"named":{"postid":"arts_13957599,arts_13956683,arts_13951914","label":""},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/span>\u003c/span>There are, of course also pasta entrees, served on comically oversized plates: rich, oozy bricks of lasagna and a child’s Platonic ideal of spaghetti and meatballs (in large enough a portion to feed five children). There’s an unorthodox version of shrimp scampi linguine that comes tossed in a lemony garlic cream sauce.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even when you’re seated at the bar, Original Joe’s offers the kind of impeccable service that feels both understated and a little bit old-fashioned. To start the meal, we’d ordered a Louie salad to share, and without saying anything, our kindly server had the kitchen split it into two bowls, each one piled high with tiny pink bay shrimp and slices of avocado and hard-boiled egg — the kind of small gesture that made us feel well taken care of.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Looking around a happily buzzing dining room, still more than half full well past 10 o’clock, we saw we clearly weren’t the only ones. Maybe my favorite thing about Original Joe’s Westlake is that it’s that rare “fancy” restaurant — along with \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkOZPxo3qPM\">House of Prime Rib\u003c/a> and a handful of others — that feels both timeless and oddly democratic. It’s not an inexpensive restaurant, and there’s an Old World kind of formality to the servers in their black vests and starched white shirts. But you’ll find more diversity here than you will at just about any of the trendy hotspots a couple of miles north in San Francisco — diners of all ages (with the over-80 crowd especially well represented). All ethnicities. Folks in T-shirts and sweatpants and folks in full-on power suits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Everyone seemed to be celebrating something. And everyone looked like they were having a good time.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.originaljoes.com/westlake\">\u003ci>Original Joe’s Westlake\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> is open until 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and until 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. The restaurant is located at 11 Glenwood Ave. in Daly City.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}}],"link":"/arts/13958041/original-joes-westlake-red-sauce-italian-steak-late-night-daly-city","authors":["11743","11753"],"categories":["arts_1","arts_12276"],"tags":["arts_2854","arts_10278","arts_1297","arts_8805","arts_21928"],"featImg":"arts_13958043","label":"source_arts_13958041"},"arts_13957481":{"type":"posts","id":"arts_13957481","meta":{"index":"posts_1591205157","site":"arts","id":"13957481","score":null,"sort":[1715248831000]},"guestAuthors":[],"slug":"ear-hustle-introduces-us-to-the-seniors-of-california-institution-for-women","title":"‘Ear Hustle’ Introduces Us to Seniors in the California Institution for Women","publishDate":1715248831,"format":"audio","headTitle":"‘Ear Hustle’ Introduces Us to Seniors in the California Institution for Women | KQED","labelTerm":{"term":8720,"site":"arts"},"content":"\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"#episode-transcript\">\u003ci>View the full episode transcript.\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As we celebrate Mother’s Day, we’re taking some time to honor all the kinds of relationships that people have with their mothers. We’re especially thinking about those who are missing their mothers or mothers who are missing their children.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>More than just thinking about them, we’re hearing from them. This week we’re passing the mic to our friends over at the podcast \u003ca href=\"https://www.earhustlesq.com/episodes/2023/9/20/once-youre-in-the-ocean-youre-going-everywhere\">Ear Hustle\u003c/a>, from PRX’s Radiotopia. It’s a special episode that highlights the stories of elderly mothers who are incarcerated at the California Institution for Women, a prison located in Chino, CA.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Their tales of aging behind bars while yearning for family are gut-wrenching but necessary. We can’t grow as a people unless we understand the plight of those on the margins of society. And when it comes to ensuring that we grow as a people, that’s something that mothers know best.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Happy Mother’s Day from the Rightnowish family!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=KQINC2810419346\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2 id=\"episode-transcript\">Episode Transcript\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This is a computer-generated transcript. While our team has reviewed it, there may be errors.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw, Rightnowish Host:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Hey ya’ll, welcome to Rightnowish. I’m your host Pendarvis Harshaw. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It’s Mother’s Day weekend, a day for celebration — and for some, a day that opens wounds. I want to give some love to those who have strained relationships or are missing their moms in one way or another. I’m also thinking about the mothers who are missing their children.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Today, we’re going to hear from some mothers who are incarcerated, particularly senior women with adult children. We’ll do that by passing the mic to our friends at Radiotopia’s Ear Hustle, a podcast that shares the daily realities of life inside prison, from those living it.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In this episode, co-hosts Earlonne Woods and Nigel Poor pay a visit to the senior center located at the California Institution for Women, and talk to residents about aging and navigating family relationships from within prison walls. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">A heavy, but much needed discussion, coming up right after this.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor, Ear Hustle Co-Host: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I’m just going to describe the scene a little bit. There’s a big television on the wall. It was probably about 54 inches and we’re watching PBS and there’s a woman stretching and Earlonne is really getting into it. He’s doing modern dance right now. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods, Ear Hustle Co-Host: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Jeans, Nigel. These are not yoga pants. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">He’s still doing a really good job. And Bruce is even jumping in a little bit. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I can do that. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[workout audio playing in the background] \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This was at the California Institution for Women, a prison near LA where you and I have been spending a lot of time these days, Nyge. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And we are in a room they call the Senior Center. But don’t think about some big fancy complex. It’s basically a large carpeted windowless room in a structure that is kind of like a double-wide trailer. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Right. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Leslie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Where’s your rhythm? You done threw us off.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[background chattering] \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">She’s going there. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Leslie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I got a bad knee and a replaced knee now, y’all. \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[laughter] \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You know how they always tell us we have to keep our distance inside prison? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Mm-hmm. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I loved how we could just kind of let our guard down a little bit. It was really fun to kick back and try to keep up with those ladies. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah, I felt like I got my workout in for the day. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[chuckles]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I feel it. I definitely feel it. I feel stretched. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I’m putting my shoes back on. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Wait a minute. Hold on. What you mean you putting your shoes back on? Nigel, we only two minutes into this. Leslie’s still going. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I know. She’s good. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Leslie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Are you done? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Our friend, Leslie, is kind of the ringleader here at the Senior Center, which come to think of it, just got a rebranding. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yes, it did. So right now, we are in the She Shed, which I like better than the Senior Center, I have to say. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Leslie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah, it’s kind of fun. We’ll see how it goes over. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah. It brings up conversation when you say it. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Leslie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You know, Nyge, with all the time that they give you in California, the prison population is kind of old. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It’s aging. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">There are segments that are and have been there for a long time. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Definitely. And Leslie is part of that. She’s been in prison, I mean, since her 20s. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah, 19. So, her idea for the Senior Center was, how can we make prison more accommodating for old people? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So, Leslie convinced the prison to open up this room, and she got some boardgames and some greenery and lamps and started getting the word out. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Leslie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">At first, I thought I would be like Julie from The Love Boat, create these programs, social director and all this. But it’s been a long, slow process of getting people curious and interested. At first, there was, I think, a feeling that this was a Band-Aid on an ongoing problem of the aging population, and so they weren’t going to come. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Were people angry at you or resentful that you were wanting to spearhead this? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Leslie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I don’t think that– it could have been, and I missed it, but I think it was just more angry that they’re still incarcerated. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[pensive music] \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Leslie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">We can’t do much about the diet, but we can stay in mental shape and physical and spiritual. This is hopefully more of a holistic thing to stay sharp and good and also being recognized, because I don’t think people are aware that there’s so many women over 60 incarcerated. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Gladys Ortiz: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">My name is Gladys Ortiz. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">What do you love about the Senior Center? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Gladys Ortiz: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">There’s so much to do there. Yeah, and you get to socialize with people your age.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">How long have you been incarcerated? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Gladys Ortiz: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Seven. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And what is your sentence? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Gladys Ortiz: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I got 15 years. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Oka\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">y. How old were you when you came to prison? \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Gladys Ortiz: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">60 years old. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Had you ever been to prison before? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Gladys Ortiz: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Never. It’s a little embarrassing too, because I have my grown children who now have to learn how to maneuver prison. And then, I learned about 50-minute phone calls. I never thought I’d be here. Never. It’s like, wow. None of my friends back home– I’ve disappeared, I’ve just fallen off the face of the earth. Nobody knows I’m here. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">What do they think happened to you? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Gladys Ortiz: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I don’t know. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">These older women, you don’t really see them when you’re walking around the main part of the prison. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Nah, they don’t hang out like that. They probably spend a lot of their time in the cell. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So, it’s actually cool when you get to the Senior Center and it’s a place just for them. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yep. It’s a cubbyhole, you know what I’m saying? They get to go hang out. They got air conditioning and you definitely need that in that part of California. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You definitely want air conditioning. So, I think that makes it attractive. But it’s open every day and they have so many activities, like the exercising. They have different people coming in to give talks. And once a week, I think at least once a week, they show movies. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Have you all seen The Notebook? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Female Speaker: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Leslie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Oh, yeah. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">What do you think of it? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Leslie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I wasn’t into it. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Men love this movie and women are like, “Really?” Oh, wait a minute. You said you loved it? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Female Speaker: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yes, I loved it. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Oh, okay. I take back what I said. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[laughter] \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Female Speaker: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I thought it was interesting and educational for people who’ve never had an instance to recognize Alzheimer’s.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>\u003cbr>\n\u003c/b>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Earlonne I love this. Men see The Notebook as a romance movie, and women, at least here at the Senior Center, see it as an Alzheimer’s movie. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Female Speaker: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Okay. It’s quite a distressing disease, not only for the person suffering, but for all of the family as well. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So, you were more drawn to it because of that, not because of the romance? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Female Speaker: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Oh, not the romance. [laughs] I want you to see how they portray the Alzheimer’s. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Leslie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The romance seemed a little corny. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I just have to say this, I’ve never met so many men in my life that cried over this movie than at San Quentin. Even this dude got all teary about it. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Did I? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Leslie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Oh, we need to rewatch it and think about that. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You told me you did, you find it very emotional. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It was a cool story. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So, one of the most popular things to do in this little area are these bicycles. \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Really? Bicycles? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I mean well, they’re like miniatures. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">They’re like little pedals on the ground. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Pedals, sprockets. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So, after the stretching, I think we wanted to redeem ourselves, so we both sat down and started pedaling. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I’m Earlonne Woods. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I’m Nigel. Nigel Poor. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>LaVelma: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Nigel. Earlonne. And? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Bruce: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Bruce. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>LaVelma Byrd: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Bruce. LaVelma Byrd. Yes, thank you. Pleased to meet you all. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">How long have you been here, LaVelma? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>LaVelma: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Well, 29 years. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">What are you doing right now. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>LaVelma Byrd: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You seen that little thing on TV where people sit in their chair and work their legs? That’s what this is. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>\u003cbr>\n\u003c/b>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It’s like a bike. A little bike. And are you a senior? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>LaVelma Byrd: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I’m 72. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">72, okay. What is this? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>LaVelma Byrd: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Because I have arthritis in both of my hands and the bouncing, I made this little soft cushion for my hands when I’m walking with my walker. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Do you remember LaVelma and her walker? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah, yeah. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It was all decked out. She’d done all this handiwork crocheting to make the handles softer and give it some personality. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah, she was cool. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Do you find that do you stay separate from the younger people? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>LaVelma Byrd: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">As much as possible. [laughs] I’m going to be totally honest. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Are they bullies, or they just have a different way? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>LaVelma Byrd: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yes. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Do you think it would be a good idea to have younger people house separately? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>LaVelma Byrd: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yes, ma’am. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>LaVelma Byrd: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And some of the old rowdy ones too. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[laughter] \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>LaVelma Byrd: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Don’t leave them out. There’s a few of them too. They’re up in age. They should know better. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">When you stepped in here 29 years ago, how was you moving? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>LaVelma Byrd: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Oh, I was out working out every day. I was running 30 laps around the track every day. I was in good shape when I came here. But now, gravity and everything else have caught up with me. \u003cem>[laughs] \u003c/em>\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Christine: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I’m Ms. Christine. We started calling each other– the older people started calling us by our first names, but we say Miss. So, Ms. Lainey, Ms. Candice, Ms. Christine, Ms. Leslie. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Leslie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I didn’t know that. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[laughter] \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You remember Christine, right?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yep. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">She definitely spends a lot of time down the Senior Center. And she had that beautiful long \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Braid. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">-silver braid. And she’s the type of person that likes to sit against the wall and kind of take in the whole scene, makes sure she knows everything that’s happening down there. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Christine: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I’ve been here four years and was three years in Chowchilla, so I haven’t been here as long as some people. I came to prison when I was 72. Not all of us are lifelong criminals. And speaking for myself, most of my friends have been teachers and nurses and lawyers, and one is a doctor. And we are not lifelong criminals, and we’d really prefer not to be around criminal activity in prison. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I know I’m a criminal. I did commit a crime when I was 71. But as a person, I am not a criminal. I’ve not ever led a criminal lifestyle. I was never arrested before. And many of these older people are in the same boat that I’m in. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It took 71 years to commit a crime? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Christine: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yes. Alcohol and a loaded gun, and one second, and now I’m a criminal for the rest of my life. But I’m not asking for sympathy. I know that’s what happened, and I know that I’m here. I just would prefer while in prison not to be around people who led a criminal lifestyle. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Now, we don’t normally do this, but you brought it up. Can we ask you what your crime was? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Christine: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yes. I killed someone when I was drunk and a loaded gun was there. I am here for first-degree murder, and not only first degree, but also gun enhancement, which means that I’ll never get out. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And who did you kill? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Christine: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I killed a close relative. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So, what we really wanted to talk to you about is what is it like, as you were saying, to come to prison at 71 when you’ve lived a long, professional life? I believe you were– \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Christine: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I was a retired nurse. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And how does someone adjust? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Christine: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It’s a rude shock. [chuckles] It’s a very rude shock. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah. I mean, did you ever see this in your future? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Christine: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">No. I never thought about prison. I never considered prison. It was totally not in my world. I always thought that really, really bad, hardened people who had committed terrible crimes went to prison, obviously. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Tell us, what is it like when you’re 71 to walk into a prison? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Christine: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">They gave me an upper bunk, first of all, which it was hard. It was hard because I have to get up and pee during the night. So, it means you have to come down carefully, get to the bathroom, get up carefully without waking anybody up and all that a couple of times a night. It was very difficult. I was put in with people that fought in the room, had fights with each other, girlfriends, always these jealousy fights and blood, women having sex with each other in the shower or over to the side of me. And I got used to all of that. But people being up all night because they were tweaking and they were up all night making noise, and I couldn’t sleep. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I moved into a room with this couple, and they liked to play the radio really loud, and it was rap music. And I asked them one day if they would turn it down, and they just turned on me [chuckles] like wild beasts. And they told me, “Get out of the room.” And I got out of the room for a while. But you can absolutely not tell anybody in the room in Chowchilla what kind of noise they can make or can’t make. That’s a huge issue. I had no clout at all. I had no clout. I had nothing. I didn’t sell drugs. I didn’t have any stature there at all. So I was like at the bottom of the heap. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You were just an old person in prison. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Christine: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I was an old person without a whole lot to offer. And I wasn’t even an interesting old person that could do drugs or something or that had anything going for me in prison at all. I didn’t have anything. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Lanie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">My name’s Lanie. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">How long have you been in prison? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Lanie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Since 1988. I’m sorry I have a new partial– \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[laughs]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and I’m having a hard time in case I sound a little old lady stuff. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Lanie came in, she had those bright eyes with the short hairstyle, and she was very engaging. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah. I mean, I found her proper. I don’t know what else to say. Hospitable. And she seemed to me like a character out of a southern novel. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Kentucky Derby. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Maybe, with the hat and the gloves. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The hat and the gloves. Betting on horses. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Ooh. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[laughter] \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">How old are you? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Lanie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I’m 76 now. I was 41 then. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">What’s your sentence? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Lanie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">LWOP.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">LWOP stands for life without parole. Most people say life without the possibility of parole, but it’s life without parole. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Right. And considering that’s what she’s dealing with, there’s a lot more going on with her beyond this proper southern lady description we gave. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Oh, definitely. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">What is the Senior Center about? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Lanie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">When it first opened, I wasn’t real impressed because I thought it was just a way for them to say they did something for us when we’re really used to being invisible. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">When you say invisible, do you mean being someone who’s in prison or being a woman, being someone who’s older? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Lanie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Being elderly. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Can you talk about that invisibility? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Lanie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This is set up for young people, basically. Even at 50, I felt young. You can do it. You can keep up with the program. You can hustle. You just keep the pace. It’s a fast pace. And at 76, I don’t care how hard you try, and I’ve got two hip replacements and deteriorating bones. You can’t keep the pace anymore. You just can’t. The getting up, even getting ready and getting out the door, it’s a challenge. Or to get to the shower and to have to use a particular shower because another shower is slippery and you might fall. There are struggles everywhere. I don’t want to go around saying, “I can’t do this,” or, “I can’t do that.” I got the cane and I won’t make it. The grace of God, I’m going to be okay. But it makes it so much more difficult. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">We have a lot of people here now who are over 70, 75, 80 years old, and I don’t think they’ve ever had this kind of accumulation of elderly before. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So, when you came in at 41, is that what you said, were there elderly women? \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cb>Lanie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Very, very few. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And do you remember seeing any older women– \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Lanie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Oh, yes. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And what did you think when–? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Lanie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Oh, my heart went out to them because I had wonderful relationships with my grandparents. And so, you try to help them. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But when you saw them, did it worry you, like, “Oh, my God, that could be me one day”? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Lanie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I never thought that this would last that long. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">When I first came into the women’s prison, I was thrown by seeing older women in prison. It wasn’t even in my mindset. I didn’t even think older women would be in prison. And I spent a long time in men prison. I’m used to seeing older men, and when I seen it, I was like, “Damn.” I don’t know, that was one of them days you just left depleted. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Lanie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Are there a lot of older men in prison? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yes. Earlonne and I have talked about this a lot. We find it way harder to see older women in prison. I don’t think about it when I’m at a men’s prison and there’s plenty of old men there. Why do you think it’s so much harder for us to see older women in prison? Like you said, it’s draining. It is really heavy. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Lanie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Well, that’s a good question. And it’s interesting because to me, it would be sad to see older men too. It’s sad with women because the saddest thing for me is family. I’ll start crying if I talk about it, so I’d rather not. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah, but why do you think it affects us so much? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Lanie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Well, because we’re maternal. Mothers are not meant to make mistakes and commit crimes and come to prison. We’re just not. And I hate the fact that I did this to my family. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I feel like older women are not supposed to be in prison, and I’m trying to figure out why I don’t have that feeling about older men. You know what I mean? It’s very hard for me to separate my heart feeling. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Lanie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Were you very close to your mother? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I’m very close to my mother. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Lanie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I think, like I said before, we’re all a product of our environment. Just like me, I had a great relationship, as I said, not only with my grandparents, but with my mother. So, when I would see these elderly ladies in prison when I first came, I’d make their beds, I’d do their laundry, anything I could to help them. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Your supposition is that the three of us have very close relationships with older women in our lives, or did. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Lanie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Maybe if not even with your inner family, with someone older that influenced your life. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But now, I’m smiling because what does that say about what we think about men? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Lanie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Well, did you have a great relationship with your father? [laughs] \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I have very different feelings about men than I have about women. And now, I’m wondering–\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> [crosstalk] \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Lanie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And I do too. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Thank you for that revelation. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[chuckles] \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Lanie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And I’m ready for the hereafter. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You are? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Lanie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yes. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">How so? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Lanie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Well, I believe I’m going to heaven. I believe in heaven. I don’t have a real close personal relationship with my grandchildren because my son was raised coming to prison to see mom. He was only six at the time. And he has decided he doesn’t want his children to know that I’m in prison. And I have to respect that. My son and I talk a couple of times a week, and I get tons and tons of pictures and videos and everything of the kids, but we tiptoe around it, and it’s heartbreaking. My daughter-in-law is a schoolteacher, and she’s wonderful. But she was trying to get him to go to a funeral one day. He who’s usually very accommodating and kind, said, “I’m not going to any funerals. I live with the death that never ends.” Meaning I can’t take anymore. He’s very emotional. And so, I think once I’m gone I’m gone, and he don’t have to continue living the death that never ends. “My mom’s gone, and she can’t come home.” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Lanie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So, it’s heavy. It’s heavy aging in prison and not just dealing with it myself but trying to help others to deal with it. My family, especially my child. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Lanie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The heartache never ends. You accept it, but it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t hurt.\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw, Rightnowish Host: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">That was an excerpt from Radiotopia’s podcast, Ear Hustle. To listen to the rest of this episode look up “Ep 94: Once You’re in the Ocean, You’re Going Everywhere” on ear hustlesq.com. To hear other Ear Hustle episodes- they have 13 seasons so plenty to immerse yourself in- find them on your favorite podcast app. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Big ups to their team! Ear Hustle is produced by Nigel Poor, Earlonne Woods, Amy Standen, Bruce Wallace, and Rahsaan “New York” Thomas. Shabnam Sigman is the managing producer. The producing team inside San Quentin includes Steve Brooks, Derrell Sadiq Davis, Tony de Trinidad, Tam Nguyen and Tony Tafoya. Earlonne Woods sound designs and engineers the show with help from Fernando Arruda and Derrell Sadiq Davis. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This episode was made possible by The Just Trust, working to amplify the voices, vision and power of communities that are transforming the justice system. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Thanks y’all. Love on your people. Peace.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003cem>Rightnowish is an arts and culture podcast produced at KQED. Listen to it wherever you get your podcasts or click the play button at the top of this page and subscribe to the show on \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/721590300/rightnowish\">NPR One\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/show/7kEJuafTzTVan7B78ttz1I\">Spotify\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rightnowish/id1482187648\">Apple Podcasts\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://tunein.com/podcasts/Arts--Culture-Podcasts/Rightnowish-p1258245/\">TuneIn\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/rightnowish\">Stitcher\u003c/a> or wherever you get your podcasts. \u003c/em>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]=\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n","blocks":[],"excerpt":"Prisons weren’t designed for older folks, and the California Institution for Women is no exception.","status":"publish","parent":0,"modified":1715213135,"stats":{"hasAudio":true,"hasVideo":false,"hasChartOrMap":false,"iframeSrcs":[],"hasGoogleForm":false,"hasGallery":false,"hasHearkenModule":false,"hasPolis":false,"paragraphCount":215,"wordCount":4973},"headData":{"title":"‘Ear Hustle’ Introduces Us to Seniors in the California Institution for Women | KQED","description":"We're sharing an episode of "Ear Hustle" podcast from PRX’s Radiotopia. It highlights the stories of seniors who are incarcerated at California's Institution for Women, a prison located in Chino, CA.","ogTitle":"","ogDescription":"","ogImgId":"","twTitle":"","twDescription":"","twImgId":"","socialDescription":"We're sharing an episode of "Ear Hustle" podcast from PRX’s Radiotopia. It highlights the stories of seniors who are incarcerated at California's Institution for Women, a prison located in Chino, CA.","schema":{"@context":"http://schema.org","@type":"Article","headline":"‘Ear Hustle’ Introduces Us to Seniors in the California Institution for Women","datePublished":"2024-05-09T03:00:31-07:00","dateModified":"2024-05-08T17:05:35-07:00","image":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"}},"audioUrl":"https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/chrt.fm/track/G6C7C3/traffic.megaphone.fm/KQINC2810419346.mp3?updated=1715202639","sticky":false,"templateType":"standard","featuredImageType":"standard","excludeFromSiteSearch":"Include","articleAge":"0","path":"/arts/13957481/ear-hustle-introduces-us-to-the-seniors-of-california-institution-for-women","audioTrackLength":null,"parsedContent":[{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"#episode-transcript\">\u003ci>View the full episode transcript.\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As we celebrate Mother’s Day, we’re taking some time to honor all the kinds of relationships that people have with their mothers. We’re especially thinking about those who are missing their mothers or mothers who are missing their children.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>More than just thinking about them, we’re hearing from them. This week we’re passing the mic to our friends over at the podcast \u003ca href=\"https://www.earhustlesq.com/episodes/2023/9/20/once-youre-in-the-ocean-youre-going-everywhere\">Ear Hustle\u003c/a>, from PRX’s Radiotopia. It’s a special episode that highlights the stories of elderly mothers who are incarcerated at the California Institution for Women, a prison located in Chino, CA.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Their tales of aging behind bars while yearning for family are gut-wrenching but necessary. We can’t grow as a people unless we understand the plight of those on the margins of society. And when it comes to ensuring that we grow as a people, that’s something that mothers know best.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Happy Mother’s Day from the Rightnowish family!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=KQINC2810419346\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2 id=\"episode-transcript\">Episode Transcript\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This is a computer-generated transcript. While our team has reviewed it, there may be errors.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw, Rightnowish Host:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Hey ya’ll, welcome to Rightnowish. I’m your host Pendarvis Harshaw. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It’s Mother’s Day weekend, a day for celebration — and for some, a day that opens wounds. I want to give some love to those who have strained relationships or are missing their moms in one way or another. I’m also thinking about the mothers who are missing their children.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Today, we’re going to hear from some mothers who are incarcerated, particularly senior women with adult children. We’ll do that by passing the mic to our friends at Radiotopia’s Ear Hustle, a podcast that shares the daily realities of life inside prison, from those living it.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In this episode, co-hosts Earlonne Woods and Nigel Poor pay a visit to the senior center located at the California Institution for Women, and talk to residents about aging and navigating family relationships from within prison walls. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">A heavy, but much needed discussion, coming up right after this.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor, Ear Hustle Co-Host: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I’m just going to describe the scene a little bit. There’s a big television on the wall. It was probably about 54 inches and we’re watching PBS and there’s a woman stretching and Earlonne is really getting into it. He’s doing modern dance right now. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods, Ear Hustle Co-Host: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Jeans, Nigel. These are not yoga pants. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">He’s still doing a really good job. And Bruce is even jumping in a little bit. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I can do that. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[workout audio playing in the background] \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This was at the California Institution for Women, a prison near LA where you and I have been spending a lot of time these days, Nyge. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And we are in a room they call the Senior Center. But don’t think about some big fancy complex. It’s basically a large carpeted windowless room in a structure that is kind of like a double-wide trailer. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Right. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Leslie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Where’s your rhythm? You done threw us off.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[background chattering] \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">She’s going there. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Leslie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I got a bad knee and a replaced knee now, y’all. \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[laughter] \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You know how they always tell us we have to keep our distance inside prison? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Mm-hmm. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I loved how we could just kind of let our guard down a little bit. It was really fun to kick back and try to keep up with those ladies. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah, I felt like I got my workout in for the day. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[chuckles]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I feel it. I definitely feel it. I feel stretched. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I’m putting my shoes back on. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Wait a minute. Hold on. What you mean you putting your shoes back on? Nigel, we only two minutes into this. Leslie’s still going. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I know. She’s good. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Leslie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Are you done? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Our friend, Leslie, is kind of the ringleader here at the Senior Center, which come to think of it, just got a rebranding. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yes, it did. So right now, we are in the She Shed, which I like better than the Senior Center, I have to say. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Leslie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah, it’s kind of fun. We’ll see how it goes over. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah. It brings up conversation when you say it. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Leslie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You know, Nyge, with all the time that they give you in California, the prison population is kind of old. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It’s aging. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">There are segments that are and have been there for a long time. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Definitely. And Leslie is part of that. She’s been in prison, I mean, since her 20s. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah, 19. So, her idea for the Senior Center was, how can we make prison more accommodating for old people? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So, Leslie convinced the prison to open up this room, and she got some boardgames and some greenery and lamps and started getting the word out. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Leslie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">At first, I thought I would be like Julie from The Love Boat, create these programs, social director and all this. But it’s been a long, slow process of getting people curious and interested. At first, there was, I think, a feeling that this was a Band-Aid on an ongoing problem of the aging population, and so they weren’t going to come. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Were people angry at you or resentful that you were wanting to spearhead this? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Leslie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I don’t think that– it could have been, and I missed it, but I think it was just more angry that they’re still incarcerated. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[pensive music] \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Leslie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">We can’t do much about the diet, but we can stay in mental shape and physical and spiritual. This is hopefully more of a holistic thing to stay sharp and good and also being recognized, because I don’t think people are aware that there’s so many women over 60 incarcerated. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Gladys Ortiz: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">My name is Gladys Ortiz. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">What do you love about the Senior Center? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Gladys Ortiz: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">There’s so much to do there. Yeah, and you get to socialize with people your age.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">How long have you been incarcerated? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Gladys Ortiz: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Seven. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And what is your sentence? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Gladys Ortiz: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I got 15 years. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Oka\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">y. How old were you when you came to prison? \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Gladys Ortiz: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">60 years old. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Had you ever been to prison before? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Gladys Ortiz: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Never. It’s a little embarrassing too, because I have my grown children who now have to learn how to maneuver prison. And then, I learned about 50-minute phone calls. I never thought I’d be here. Never. It’s like, wow. None of my friends back home– I’ve disappeared, I’ve just fallen off the face of the earth. Nobody knows I’m here. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">What do they think happened to you? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Gladys Ortiz: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I don’t know. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">These older women, you don’t really see them when you’re walking around the main part of the prison. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Nah, they don’t hang out like that. They probably spend a lot of their time in the cell. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So, it’s actually cool when you get to the Senior Center and it’s a place just for them. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yep. It’s a cubbyhole, you know what I’m saying? They get to go hang out. They got air conditioning and you definitely need that in that part of California. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You definitely want air conditioning. So, I think that makes it attractive. But it’s open every day and they have so many activities, like the exercising. They have different people coming in to give talks. And once a week, I think at least once a week, they show movies. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Have you all seen The Notebook? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Female Speaker: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Leslie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Oh, yeah. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">What do you think of it? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Leslie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I wasn’t into it. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Men love this movie and women are like, “Really?” Oh, wait a minute. You said you loved it? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Female Speaker: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yes, I loved it. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Oh, okay. I take back what I said. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[laughter] \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Female Speaker: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I thought it was interesting and educational for people who’ve never had an instance to recognize Alzheimer’s.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>\u003cbr>\n\u003c/b>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Earlonne I love this. Men see The Notebook as a romance movie, and women, at least here at the Senior Center, see it as an Alzheimer’s movie. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Female Speaker: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Okay. It’s quite a distressing disease, not only for the person suffering, but for all of the family as well. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So, you were more drawn to it because of that, not because of the romance? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Female Speaker: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Oh, not the romance. [laughs] I want you to see how they portray the Alzheimer’s. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Leslie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The romance seemed a little corny. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I just have to say this, I’ve never met so many men in my life that cried over this movie than at San Quentin. Even this dude got all teary about it. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Did I? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Leslie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Oh, we need to rewatch it and think about that. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You told me you did, you find it very emotional. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It was a cool story. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So, one of the most popular things to do in this little area are these bicycles. \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Really? Bicycles? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I mean well, they’re like miniatures. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">They’re like little pedals on the ground. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Pedals, sprockets. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So, after the stretching, I think we wanted to redeem ourselves, so we both sat down and started pedaling. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I’m Earlonne Woods. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I’m Nigel. Nigel Poor. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>LaVelma: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Nigel. Earlonne. And? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Bruce: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Bruce. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>LaVelma Byrd: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Bruce. LaVelma Byrd. Yes, thank you. Pleased to meet you all. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">How long have you been here, LaVelma? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>LaVelma: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Well, 29 years. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">What are you doing right now. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>LaVelma Byrd: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You seen that little thing on TV where people sit in their chair and work their legs? That’s what this is. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>\u003cbr>\n\u003c/b>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It’s like a bike. A little bike. And are you a senior? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>LaVelma Byrd: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I’m 72. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">72, okay. What is this? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>LaVelma Byrd: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Because I have arthritis in both of my hands and the bouncing, I made this little soft cushion for my hands when I’m walking with my walker. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Do you remember LaVelma and her walker? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah, yeah. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It was all decked out. She’d done all this handiwork crocheting to make the handles softer and give it some personality. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah, she was cool. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Do you find that do you stay separate from the younger people? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>LaVelma Byrd: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">As much as possible. [laughs] I’m going to be totally honest. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Are they bullies, or they just have a different way? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>LaVelma Byrd: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yes. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Do you think it would be a good idea to have younger people house separately? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>LaVelma Byrd: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yes, ma’am. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>LaVelma Byrd: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And some of the old rowdy ones too. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[laughter] \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>LaVelma Byrd: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Don’t leave them out. There’s a few of them too. They’re up in age. They should know better. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">When you stepped in here 29 years ago, how was you moving? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>LaVelma Byrd: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Oh, I was out working out every day. I was running 30 laps around the track every day. I was in good shape when I came here. But now, gravity and everything else have caught up with me. \u003cem>[laughs] \u003c/em>\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Christine: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I’m Ms. Christine. We started calling each other– the older people started calling us by our first names, but we say Miss. So, Ms. Lainey, Ms. Candice, Ms. Christine, Ms. Leslie. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Leslie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I didn’t know that. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[laughter] \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You remember Christine, right?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yep. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">She definitely spends a lot of time down the Senior Center. And she had that beautiful long \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Braid. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">-silver braid. And she’s the type of person that likes to sit against the wall and kind of take in the whole scene, makes sure she knows everything that’s happening down there. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Christine: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I’ve been here four years and was three years in Chowchilla, so I haven’t been here as long as some people. I came to prison when I was 72. Not all of us are lifelong criminals. And speaking for myself, most of my friends have been teachers and nurses and lawyers, and one is a doctor. And we are not lifelong criminals, and we’d really prefer not to be around criminal activity in prison. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I know I’m a criminal. I did commit a crime when I was 71. But as a person, I am not a criminal. I’ve not ever led a criminal lifestyle. I was never arrested before. And many of these older people are in the same boat that I’m in. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It took 71 years to commit a crime? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Christine: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yes. Alcohol and a loaded gun, and one second, and now I’m a criminal for the rest of my life. But I’m not asking for sympathy. I know that’s what happened, and I know that I’m here. I just would prefer while in prison not to be around people who led a criminal lifestyle. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Now, we don’t normally do this, but you brought it up. Can we ask you what your crime was? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Christine: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yes. I killed someone when I was drunk and a loaded gun was there. I am here for first-degree murder, and not only first degree, but also gun enhancement, which means that I’ll never get out. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And who did you kill? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Christine: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I killed a close relative. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So, what we really wanted to talk to you about is what is it like, as you were saying, to come to prison at 71 when you’ve lived a long, professional life? I believe you were– \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Christine: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I was a retired nurse. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And how does someone adjust? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Christine: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It’s a rude shock. [chuckles] It’s a very rude shock. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah. I mean, did you ever see this in your future? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Christine: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">No. I never thought about prison. I never considered prison. It was totally not in my world. I always thought that really, really bad, hardened people who had committed terrible crimes went to prison, obviously. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Tell us, what is it like when you’re 71 to walk into a prison? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Christine: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">They gave me an upper bunk, first of all, which it was hard. It was hard because I have to get up and pee during the night. So, it means you have to come down carefully, get to the bathroom, get up carefully without waking anybody up and all that a couple of times a night. It was very difficult. I was put in with people that fought in the room, had fights with each other, girlfriends, always these jealousy fights and blood, women having sex with each other in the shower or over to the side of me. And I got used to all of that. But people being up all night because they were tweaking and they were up all night making noise, and I couldn’t sleep. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I moved into a room with this couple, and they liked to play the radio really loud, and it was rap music. And I asked them one day if they would turn it down, and they just turned on me [chuckles] like wild beasts. And they told me, “Get out of the room.” And I got out of the room for a while. But you can absolutely not tell anybody in the room in Chowchilla what kind of noise they can make or can’t make. That’s a huge issue. I had no clout at all. I had no clout. I had nothing. I didn’t sell drugs. I didn’t have any stature there at all. So I was like at the bottom of the heap. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You were just an old person in prison. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Christine: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I was an old person without a whole lot to offer. And I wasn’t even an interesting old person that could do drugs or something or that had anything going for me in prison at all. I didn’t have anything. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Lanie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">My name’s Lanie. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">How long have you been in prison? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Lanie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Since 1988. I’m sorry I have a new partial– \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[laughs]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and I’m having a hard time in case I sound a little old lady stuff. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Lanie came in, she had those bright eyes with the short hairstyle, and she was very engaging. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah. I mean, I found her proper. I don’t know what else to say. Hospitable. And she seemed to me like a character out of a southern novel. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Kentucky Derby. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Maybe, with the hat and the gloves. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The hat and the gloves. Betting on horses. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Ooh. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[laughter] \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">How old are you? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Lanie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I’m 76 now. I was 41 then. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">What’s your sentence? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Lanie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">LWOP.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">LWOP stands for life without parole. Most people say life without the possibility of parole, but it’s life without parole. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Right. And considering that’s what she’s dealing with, there’s a lot more going on with her beyond this proper southern lady description we gave. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Oh, definitely. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">What is the Senior Center about? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Lanie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">When it first opened, I wasn’t real impressed because I thought it was just a way for them to say they did something for us when we’re really used to being invisible. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">When you say invisible, do you mean being someone who’s in prison or being a woman, being someone who’s older? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Lanie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Being elderly. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Can you talk about that invisibility? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Lanie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This is set up for young people, basically. Even at 50, I felt young. You can do it. You can keep up with the program. You can hustle. You just keep the pace. It’s a fast pace. And at 76, I don’t care how hard you try, and I’ve got two hip replacements and deteriorating bones. You can’t keep the pace anymore. You just can’t. The getting up, even getting ready and getting out the door, it’s a challenge. Or to get to the shower and to have to use a particular shower because another shower is slippery and you might fall. There are struggles everywhere. I don’t want to go around saying, “I can’t do this,” or, “I can’t do that.” I got the cane and I won’t make it. The grace of God, I’m going to be okay. But it makes it so much more difficult. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">We have a lot of people here now who are over 70, 75, 80 years old, and I don’t think they’ve ever had this kind of accumulation of elderly before. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So, when you came in at 41, is that what you said, were there elderly women? \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cb>Lanie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Very, very few. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And do you remember seeing any older women– \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Lanie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Oh, yes. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And what did you think when–? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Lanie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Oh, my heart went out to them because I had wonderful relationships with my grandparents. And so, you try to help them. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But when you saw them, did it worry you, like, “Oh, my God, that could be me one day”? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Lanie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I never thought that this would last that long. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Earlonne Woods: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">When I first came into the women’s prison, I was thrown by seeing older women in prison. It wasn’t even in my mindset. I didn’t even think older women would be in prison. And I spent a long time in men prison. I’m used to seeing older men, and when I seen it, I was like, “Damn.” I don’t know, that was one of them days you just left depleted. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Lanie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Are there a lot of older men in prison? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yes. Earlonne and I have talked about this a lot. We find it way harder to see older women in prison. I don’t think about it when I’m at a men’s prison and there’s plenty of old men there. Why do you think it’s so much harder for us to see older women in prison? Like you said, it’s draining. It is really heavy. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Lanie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Well, that’s a good question. And it’s interesting because to me, it would be sad to see older men too. It’s sad with women because the saddest thing for me is family. I’ll start crying if I talk about it, so I’d rather not. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah, but why do you think it affects us so much? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Lanie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Well, because we’re maternal. Mothers are not meant to make mistakes and commit crimes and come to prison. We’re just not. And I hate the fact that I did this to my family. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I feel like older women are not supposed to be in prison, and I’m trying to figure out why I don’t have that feeling about older men. You know what I mean? It’s very hard for me to separate my heart feeling. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Lanie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Were you very close to your mother? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I’m very close to my mother. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Lanie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I think, like I said before, we’re all a product of our environment. Just like me, I had a great relationship, as I said, not only with my grandparents, but with my mother. So, when I would see these elderly ladies in prison when I first came, I’d make their beds, I’d do their laundry, anything I could to help them. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Your supposition is that the three of us have very close relationships with older women in our lives, or did. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Lanie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Maybe if not even with your inner family, with someone older that influenced your life. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But now, I’m smiling because what does that say about what we think about men? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Lanie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Well, did you have a great relationship with your father? [laughs] \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I have very different feelings about men than I have about women. And now, I’m wondering–\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> [crosstalk] \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Lanie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And I do too. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Thank you for that revelation. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[chuckles] \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Lanie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And I’m ready for the hereafter. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You are? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Lanie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yes. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">How so? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Lanie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Well, I believe I’m going to heaven. I believe in heaven. I don’t have a real close personal relationship with my grandchildren because my son was raised coming to prison to see mom. He was only six at the time. And he has decided he doesn’t want his children to know that I’m in prison. And I have to respect that. My son and I talk a couple of times a week, and I get tons and tons of pictures and videos and everything of the kids, but we tiptoe around it, and it’s heartbreaking. My daughter-in-law is a schoolteacher, and she’s wonderful. But she was trying to get him to go to a funeral one day. He who’s usually very accommodating and kind, said, “I’m not going to any funerals. I live with the death that never ends.” Meaning I can’t take anymore. He’s very emotional. And so, I think once I’m gone I’m gone, and he don’t have to continue living the death that never ends. “My mom’s gone, and she can’t come home.” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Lanie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So, it’s heavy. It’s heavy aging in prison and not just dealing with it myself but trying to help others to deal with it. My family, especially my child. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Lanie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The heartache never ends. You accept it, but it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t hurt.\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cb>Nigel Poor: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw, Rightnowish Host: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">That was an excerpt from Radiotopia’s podcast, Ear Hustle. To listen to the rest of this episode look up “Ep 94: Once You’re in the Ocean, You’re Going Everywhere” on ear hustlesq.com. To hear other Ear Hustle episodes- they have 13 seasons so plenty to immerse yourself in- find them on your favorite podcast app. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Big ups to their team! Ear Hustle is produced by Nigel Poor, Earlonne Woods, Amy Standen, Bruce Wallace, and Rahsaan “New York” Thomas. Shabnam Sigman is the managing producer. The producing team inside San Quentin includes Steve Brooks, Derrell Sadiq Davis, Tony de Trinidad, Tam Nguyen and Tony Tafoya. Earlonne Woods sound designs and engineers the show with help from Fernando Arruda and Derrell Sadiq Davis. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This episode was made possible by The Just Trust, working to amplify the voices, vision and power of communities that are transforming the justice system. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Thanks y’all. Love on your people. Peace.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003cem>Rightnowish is an arts and culture podcast produced at KQED. Listen to it wherever you get your podcasts or click the play button at the top of this page and subscribe to the show on \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/721590300/rightnowish\">NPR One\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/show/7kEJuafTzTVan7B78ttz1I\">Spotify\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rightnowish/id1482187648\">Apple Podcasts\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://tunein.com/podcasts/Arts--Culture-Podcasts/Rightnowish-p1258245/\">TuneIn\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/rightnowish\">Stitcher\u003c/a> or wherever you get your podcasts. \u003c/em>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"fullwidth"},"numeric":["fullwidth"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>=\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"floatright"},"numeric":["floatright"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}}],"link":"/arts/13957481/ear-hustle-introduces-us-to-the-seniors-of-california-institution-for-women","authors":["11491","11528"],"programs":["arts_8720"],"categories":["arts_1"],"tags":["arts_1893","arts_22085","arts_1526"],"featImg":"arts_13957488","label":"arts_8720"},"arts_13956839":{"type":"posts","id":"arts_13956839","meta":{"index":"posts_1591205157","site":"arts","id":"13956839","score":null,"sort":[1714644031000]},"guestAuthors":[],"slug":"dj-d-sharp","title":"D Sharp: The DJ with Four NBA Championship Rings","publishDate":1714644031,"format":"audio","headTitle":"D Sharp: The DJ with Four NBA Championship Rings | KQED","labelTerm":{"term":8720,"site":"arts"},"content":"\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"#episode-transcript\">\u003ci>View the full episode transcript.\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Golden State Warriors had a rough 2023-2024 campaign, but at least the music was slappin’.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During timeouts, breaks between quarters and sometimes even when the ball was in play, the Chase Center’s speakers would vibrate with the sounds of legendary Bay Area hip-hop artists. The person often on the turntables making it happen: \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/djdsharp/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">DJ D Sharp\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13956841\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13956841\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/DJDSharp-by-Squint-2-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"Man with headphones on looks into the camera with an upbeat expression. \" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/DJDSharp-by-Squint-2-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/DJDSharp-by-Squint-2-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/DJDSharp-by-Squint-2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/DJDSharp-by-Squint-2-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/DJDSharp-by-Squint-2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/DJDSharp-by-Squint-2-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/DJDSharp-by-Squint-2-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">DJ D Sharp on the ones and twos at Chase Center. \u003ccite>(Squint)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>He’s been the Warriors in-house DJ for a decade, providing the soundtrack for Steph, Klay, Draymond and company during their legendary run of four NBA championships. DJ D Sharp, clearly an essential part of the team, even has four NBA championship rings of his own.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Outside of the arena, DJ D Sharp is a radio show host for 106.1 KMEL and producer for Bay Area hip-hop artists. Over the past year, he’s produced projects for North Oakland’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/stspittin/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ST Spittin\u003c/a>, the East Bay collective \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/macarthurmaze/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">MacArthur Maze\u003c/a> and a soon-to-be released project with East Oakland’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/firstnameian/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ian Kelly\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Raised in East Oakland himself, DJ D Sharp has been a producer and DJ since his teens. Given all his accomplishments, from working with the likes of Lauryn Hill and Kelly Rowland to making an appearance at the 2024 NBA All-Star Game, DJ D Sharp has a lot to be proud of. This week, we talk about providing a soundtrack for the Warriors’ dynasty while building a lasting legacy for his family and community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=KQINC7887334509\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003ch2 id=\"episode-transcript\">Episode Transcript\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>This is a computer-generated transcript. While our team has reviewed it, there may be errors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[Music playing]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw, Host:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> What’s up Rightnowish listeners, it’s your guy, Pendarvis Harshaw. Tapping in with my Warriors fans out there. \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Sigh]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> What a season, talk about some highs and some lows, maybe the end of a dynasty. Who knows? Look, I’m not trying to wallow in the sad news– cause there’s always next year, right? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">At least there’s one thing we know for sure: in 2025 the NBA-All Stars game is coming to the Bay, so you know it’s gonna be lit with events in the Town and in Frisco and one person who is sure to be in the mix: DJ D Sharp.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">He’s the Warriors in-house DJ, which means during a game, when there’s a break in the action or even sometimes while the ball is in play, you can hear him on the 1s and 2s. And every once in a while you can even look up and see him stunting on the jumbotron. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">On top of being the Warriors DJ, he’s a hip-hop producer. Recently he’s done projects with North Oakland’s ST Spittin and the group, MacArthur Maze. He’s been producing for just about as long as he’s been a DJ– dating back to his teens. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">As a guy who was raised in East Oakland, DJ D Sharp says it’s been a dream being a part of the Warriors franchise.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>DJ D Sharp, guest:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> I don’t take none of it for granted. Like, it’s an amazing experience to deejay in front of 20,000 people every night and to get the love from the people too. It’s just amazing, bro. Like, I’m blessed. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> So for this episode, we chop it up about his journey to the Warriors, providing the soundtrack for a basketball dynasty and what legacy he’s building for the Town and his family, coming up after this. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Bringing you into the discussion today, excited to talk to you because you are at the helm of something very important: you provide the soundtrack to one of my favorite sports teams. And you’ve produced some really tight projects over the last couple of years out of, out of the East Bay. Let’s start at the start. What came first: deejaying or producing?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>DJ D Sharp: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Deejaying most definitely came first. I was collecting records and like, the \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yo! MTV Rap\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> era, like, it was just like, I loved it and I couldn’t, you know, step away from the TV. I was always tuned in, dialed in. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">What was the first piece of equipment you had?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003cb>DJ D Sharp:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The first piece of equipment I had was my mom’s turn table. It was some off-brand name. I was on that thing learning. And then I was like, oh, I need a mixer and then I got a mixer from the homie down the street.\u003c/span> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But my pops is uh, he’s a musician and he played the keyboards and he had bands and all that kind of stuff. So he’d buy the latest drum machine, and then I’d just be playing on it, and then next thing you know, he’d forget about it and he giving it to me.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music playing]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>DJ D Sharp: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I caught on a real fast to the point where I think that’s why people started giving me equipment, giving me records and giving me stuff because they were seeing it. They was like, yo, he got it. Like, take this and go play. Go, go, go, go, experiment with this and then come back to me. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">What age are we talking about here?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>DJ D Sharp: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> 12. 13. 14.\u003c/span>\u003cb> I \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">had homies in Richmond, who I would go spend a weekend, every other weekend with them. My boy Aaron ,we were the same age, so we would we would hang out and his brothers was deejays. So I go to they house and just get equipment. Like, I come home with records.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It was a community effort.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003cb>DJ D Sharp: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It was a community effort for sure.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So a lot of these factors pouring into you, a lot of Bay area energy. You said either in the town or in Richmond. You did mention that \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yo! MTV Raps\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> having that influence on you as well.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>DJ D Sharp:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> I’m wondering like, does this whole trope about, you know, all Bay area music all sounds the same and how like there’s an east coast sound and a west coast sound, did that ever play a part in you developing your style?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cb>DJ D Sharp: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">When people heard me out deejaying and it’d be like the first question they asked me all the time was, was I from the east coast, “because you don’t you don’t deejay like these other cats. Like you, where are you from?” I’m like ‘I’m from East Oakland.’ Like, you know what I’m saying? They’d be like, “What?” I’d be like, ‘Yeah.’\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You know, being from the Town, you know, it’s all about the knock. It’s all about the slump. It’s all about, you know,415’s. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music playing]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cb> \u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>DJ D Sharp: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So I came from that but also came from the choppin’ samples and that side of hip hop is the drum breaks and stuff like that. So like I’m taking the drum breaking and adding 808 to it, you get what I’m saying, like, you know,Too $hort, like, “In The Trunk” Like you listen to “In The Trunk” that’s what that is. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You can hear it in my sound in a production, like, for me, I grew up loving Gang Starr as much as I love Ant Banks and Spice 1. I love Too $hort just as much as I loved Big Daddy Kane.\u003c/span> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I was just immersed in hip hop.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Those early days of getting into the game and you start working with some, some pretty heavyweight names in the industry.\u003c/span> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">For a time period, you were tour deejay for Lauryn Hill?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003cb>DJ D Sharp: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yes! ‘Cause Kev Choice had tapped me to be the tour DJ for Lauryn because she tapped him to be the music director. Me and Kev go way back to Brookfield Elementary. You know, anytime he thinks of a DJ, anytime I think of, some, a multi instrumentalist, I think, of Kev. So we collab and we always look out for each other.\u003c/span> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So, yeah, Lauryn Hill was craz and it was a dope run, and I learned a lot from her. We all did.\u003c/span> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And I became a tour deejay all the way up until 2010, so you talking ten years.\u003c/span> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">We toured heavy with will.i.am. And I saw will.i.am at a Warriors game. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music playing]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And he was like, “You the Warriors Dj?” He was like “Oh okay, that’s whats up,” you know what I mean. So it all be a full circle moment.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Clip of promotional video] \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“One more time, give it up for DJ D Sharp, come on!”\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> [basketball arena crowd cheers] \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You’ve mentioned The Warriors, you’ve been there over a dozen years now. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>DJ D Sharp: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yes. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Bring me back to the start. How do you land that gig?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003cb>DJ D Sharp: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">God bless the dead DJ Solomon. He was the first deejay for the Warriors and I argue that he might have been the first deejay in the NBA. \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>DJ D Sharp: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">He taught me a lot. He was a peer but he was also a mentor and I met him at a Blackalicious show. He he approached me and he said, “Bro, like your scratching, bro, it’s so crazy. Like, I DJ for the Warriors and you know, we’d love to have you come and just do a 2 x 4 set with me.” I was like ‘Yeah it’s all good,’ we exchanged numbers.” We killed it. We had a good time. \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And then he was like, “Let’s do it again.”\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> And then he would do it with other deejays as well in the community. But then, he got busy, like, he was a part of the whole Serato situation. For those who don’t know, Serrato was the software used by DJs, just like, the number one software. But like, if you look back at the promo, bro is on the promo with like Z trip, DJ Jazzy Jeff, like Qbert, like with all the these heavy hitter deejays. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">He got busy. So he couldn’t do a lot of games. So he would, like, send out these emails to a bunch of DJs and, and, you know, for some reason, it felt like I was always the one who answered the emails.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This is when the Warriors sucked too, right. This is like pre, “we believe.” And then when “we believe” came like I was still filling in for him. But he did like all that playoff run and all that kind of stuff. And then up until 2012, he… man, yeah, he passed away, man, and then the Warriors offered me the gig.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Before the Dynasty and Steph, Klay and Dre like in the early days like what does it mean to be a part of the entertainment of a team that’s not performing too well?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>DJ D Sharp: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">That was what it was all about. It was about the entertainment, right? because the team wasn’t good. So if you, if you, remember we had Thunder.\u003c/span>\u003cb> \u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music playing, crowd cheering]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Thunder was the mascot for the Warriors. Thunder was the highlight, you know, dunking and doing his thing and going all around the arena ya know what I mean? Thunder was the man.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Shout out Brett Yamaguchi, who was the head of all the entertainment. He made it where the entertainment was top notch. Like the t-shirt toss and like, the Warriors dance team and like all of that stuff, like, you know those timeouts, those breaks, those contests, like, all of that stuff was more exciting than the game itself \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[laughs]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> You get what I’m saying?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Warriors chant]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I do remember the arena always being filled. Like, people will always show up for the warriors, like, regardless of the losing seasons and all of that kinda stuff. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I’m rolling. I’m sorry. Yeah. You’re like “it was always packed,” like, yeah, because people got free tickets from the library, from Lucky’s, Round Table. But yeah, those were good times. You know, there was no winning in sight. I couldn’t foresee a Steph, Klay, Dray, like, dynasty like we have now.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>DJ D Sharp: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">No one could bro. And that’s the, that’s the magic and the beauty of it all, right?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Yeah. Do you have a certain song that you go to for a certain situation? like say, I don’t know, it’s 24 seconds left on the clock and the Warriors got the ball, they down, you know, a point and you want the crowd to get amped during that half, during that timeout right before the ball comes into play. Do you have a song that will play for folks?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>DJ D Sharp: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The only song that really that I go like, is a go to song when it’s cracking and is going stupid in there,I did like a house remix for the E-40 remix. So I do that a lot because it’s a lot of energy. “Everybody say Warriors, Warriors” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music playing]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>DJ D Sharp: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> I play that in moments like that. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You deejay for the Warriors during this, like historical run, right, for this past decade. And when they play these clips as these players Steph, Klay, Dre go into the Hall of Fame, they’ll have those songs in the background as the clips play. Like, does that ever like, occur to you that you’re kind of laying the soundtrack for history?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003cb>DJ D Sharp: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah, I think about it, you know ? Because it’s like, you know, I mean, I’ve had Steph, I’ve had Coach Kerr, I’ve had Loon, even GP too like, like I’ve had these brothers come up to me telling me, I make an impact. So it’s dope to hear that. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">With that said, you’re a valued member of the team. You’ve got championship rings, multiple.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>DJ D Sharp: yeah, \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">No. It’s crazy. There’s one for each member of my family. Me, my wife and my two sons. We got four.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">For you personally this year,while, the team has had its ups and downs, and a lot of down, you personally have had some some pretty big highlights, All Sar, All Star 2024?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003cb>DJ D Sharp: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yes, I was tapped to go and do All Star 2024. I did the celebrity game and that was fun. You know, that experience is amazing and is coming to the Bay area.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You think that this means a lot to the entire Bay area, I’m assuming?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003cb>DJ D Sharp: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Oh for sure, for sure, man.I think the Bay is getting a bad rap right now from the homelessness to everything that’s going on with the crime and bippin’ and all that kind of stuff.\u003c/span> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But when you talk to people and you talk to family in other cities and other locations, like, this is going on across the country, across the world, like bippin’ is happening, like it’s worse in Atlanta as far as I know. But it don’t get amplified like it does here in the Bay for some reason.\u003c/span> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Oakland gets a bad rap, especially like, we been lost all of our teams. It’s like they trying to like, cleanse us of Oakland. It’s like, what are we doing? Like, no, Oakland is beautiful and it needs to be put on a pedestal.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music playing]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cb> \u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>DJ D Sharp:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It’s heartbreaking to see. But at the same time, I think Oakland gonna eventually end up being on top like we always are.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Yeah, as you talk about it, it’s kind of wild to me that you see it on both sides like the professional, the sports team, you were there for the Warriors move away from the town and through the music. The music is always an underdog to the bigger cities. And so playing that role, you’re carrying a lot of weight there!\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003cb>DJ D Sharp: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Again, I see us, like, rising from the ashes like we here, Like, this is what we do. So, yeah, we’ll be aight.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music playing]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So beyond basketball, you’re also part owner of the Oakland Roots soccer team. Like, how did how did that come to be?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>DJ D Sharp: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">That sound crazy, don’t it, right? Shout out my sister, she hit me up. She was like, you know, “There’s rare opportunity to be a part of this, the growth of what’s going on with the Oakland Roots, Oakland Soul.” And she sent me the information and it was kind of like, a no brainer. And it’s going back to like, my kids, like, I’m looking at that. Like, I’m trying to set up something for them.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And on top of that, you look at Oakland Soul and you look at Oakland Roots, right. They are here. They are Oakland. You get what I’m saying? And I don’t, I don’t never see them, you know, packing up and going out. I only see them growing. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">My sons are humongous soccer fans, so they know all the players. They know everything about it. So, it was just a wonderful opportunity that I had to kind of just, I had to do it. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So you, where you are in your career again, both in the the DJ realm, the production realm, you also have these two little ones that you mentioned before, your children, and also your wife, I’m like, your family, what does it mean to them to see you in the position that you’re in?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003cb>DJ D Sharp: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I tell you this about my boys, man, and one of the things I love the most, because they love music and they love basketball. I’m able to provide them resources that I didn’t have coming up, which is a blessing. I mean, these boys are playing AAU basketball, you know, karate, soccer league, they doing all the sports. \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">They have a story within themselves, like, they were able to be in a parade twice. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music playing]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>DJ D Sharp:\u003c/strong> So my whole family, we had our own car in a parade, and they waving to people and doing all this stuff, so it’s like, especially my 11 year old, to see his confidence. And, you know, I love it. Like, he’s a confident kid. He’s like, real headstrong. He knows what he wants and he he goes for it. That’s all I can ask, man.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Sounds like you’re passing on more than a championship ring.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>DJ D Sharp: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">That’s the whole thing about fatherhood, you just want, you want to give them what you didn’t have, but you also want to teach them things, valuable lessons you’ve learned and pass them on, so yeah.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Congrats to that!\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>DJ D Sharp: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Thank you:\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw, host: \u003c/b>One more time for DJ D Sharp. Thank you for your time, your story and your work!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All the info on his latest music projects can be found on his Instagram at DJD Sharp, all one word. Or check out his music on any streaming platform, under DJ D Sharp.\u003cb>\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This episode was hosted by me, Pendarvis Harshaw. Marisol Medina-Cadena produced this episode. Chris Egusa and Chris Hambrick both held it down for edits. We call that the Chris cross connection. Christopher Beale engineered this joint. The music you heard was courtesy of D Sharp. The Rightnowish team is also supported by Jen Chien, Ugur Dursun, Holly Kernan, Cesar Saldaña, and Katie Sprenger.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you like what you hear and have the means to do so, we ask that you consider supporting dope local programming like this show. Visit KQED dot org slash donate. We appreciate ya.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rightnowish is a KQED production. Until next time, peace\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>DJ D Sharp, guest:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Thunder was the mascot for the Warriors. You probably know this story, Pen, the story about how they went to China and he never came back. Like, he got married and settled and had a family over there.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> I did not hear this story at all.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>DJ D Sharp: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I don’t know if it was PR or it was a fan. It’s crazy, look it up.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pen Harshaw, host\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">: We did look it up. And buried on the Warriors official Youtube page, we found this: a 10 year old video explaining why the Dubs’ beloved mascot Thunder is no longer with the team.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Clip from “Thunder: Found in China”:\u003c/b> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I came to China with the Warriors for the NBA China Games in 2008, and I started dancing with Chinese fans like I had never danced before. I also met the love of my life here in China and never looked back and I’m not coming back.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Life, love, dunking and dancing, China has it all for me. At first there were struggles fitting in, but I found an inner peace. And I want you to know. While I miss you dearly, Warriors fans, you taught me what it was to be thunder. But now my home is China. Sincerely, Léijong \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003cem>Rightnowish is an arts and culture podcast produced at KQED. Listen to it wherever you get your podcasts or click the play button at the top of this page and subscribe to the show on \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/721590300/rightnowish\">NPR One\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/show/7kEJuafTzTVan7B78ttz1I\">Spotify\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rightnowish/id1482187648\">Apple Podcasts\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://tunein.com/podcasts/Arts--Culture-Podcasts/Rightnowish-p1258245/\">TuneIn\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/rightnowish\">Stitcher\u003c/a> or wherever you get your podcasts. \u003c/em>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n","blocks":[],"excerpt":"DJ D Sharp talks about spinning for Golden State Warriors games while building a legacy for his family.","status":"publish","parent":0,"modified":1714676977,"stats":{"hasAudio":true,"hasVideo":false,"hasChartOrMap":false,"iframeSrcs":[],"hasGoogleForm":false,"hasGallery":false,"hasHearkenModule":false,"hasPolis":false,"paragraphCount":85,"wordCount":3938},"headData":{"title":"D Sharp: The DJ with Four NBA Championship Rings | KQED","description":"The Golden State Warriors had a rough 2023-2024 campaign, but at least the music was slappin'. During timeouts, breaks between quarters and sometimes even when the ball was in play, the Chase Center's speakers would vibrate with the sounds of legendary Bay Area hip-hop artists. The person often on the turntables making it happen: DJ D Sharp.","ogTitle":"","ogDescription":"","ogImgId":"","twTitle":"","twDescription":"","twImgId":"","socialDescription":"The Golden State Warriors had a rough 2023-2024 campaign, but at least the music was slappin'. During timeouts, breaks between quarters and sometimes even when the ball was in play, the Chase Center's speakers would vibrate with the sounds of legendary Bay Area hip-hop artists. The person often on the turntables making it happen: DJ D Sharp.","schema":{"@context":"http://schema.org","@type":"Article","headline":"D Sharp: The DJ with Four NBA Championship Rings","datePublished":"2024-05-02T03:00:31-07:00","dateModified":"2024-05-02T12:09:37-07:00","image":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"}},"audioUrl":"https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/chrt.fm/track/G6C7C3/traffic.megaphone.fm/KQINC7887334509.mp3?updated=1714612024","sticky":false,"templateType":"standard","featuredImageType":"standard","excludeFromSiteSearch":"Include","articleAge":"0","path":"/arts/13956839/dj-d-sharp","audioTrackLength":null,"parsedContent":[{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"#episode-transcript\">\u003ci>View the full episode transcript.\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Golden State Warriors had a rough 2023-2024 campaign, but at least the music was slappin’.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During timeouts, breaks between quarters and sometimes even when the ball was in play, the Chase Center’s speakers would vibrate with the sounds of legendary Bay Area hip-hop artists. The person often on the turntables making it happen: \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/djdsharp/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">DJ D Sharp\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13956841\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13956841\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/DJDSharp-by-Squint-2-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"Man with headphones on looks into the camera with an upbeat expression. \" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/DJDSharp-by-Squint-2-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/DJDSharp-by-Squint-2-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/DJDSharp-by-Squint-2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/DJDSharp-by-Squint-2-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/DJDSharp-by-Squint-2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/DJDSharp-by-Squint-2-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/DJDSharp-by-Squint-2-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">DJ D Sharp on the ones and twos at Chase Center. \u003ccite>(Squint)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>He’s been the Warriors in-house DJ for a decade, providing the soundtrack for Steph, Klay, Draymond and company during their legendary run of four NBA championships. DJ D Sharp, clearly an essential part of the team, even has four NBA championship rings of his own.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Outside of the arena, DJ D Sharp is a radio show host for 106.1 KMEL and producer for Bay Area hip-hop artists. Over the past year, he’s produced projects for North Oakland’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/stspittin/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ST Spittin\u003c/a>, the East Bay collective \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/macarthurmaze/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">MacArthur Maze\u003c/a> and a soon-to-be released project with East Oakland’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/firstnameian/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ian Kelly\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Raised in East Oakland himself, DJ D Sharp has been a producer and DJ since his teens. Given all his accomplishments, from working with the likes of Lauryn Hill and Kelly Rowland to making an appearance at the 2024 NBA All-Star Game, DJ D Sharp has a lot to be proud of. This week, we talk about providing a soundtrack for the Warriors’ dynasty while building a lasting legacy for his family and community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=KQINC7887334509\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003ch2 id=\"episode-transcript\">Episode Transcript\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>This is a computer-generated transcript. While our team has reviewed it, there may be errors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[Music playing]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw, Host:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> What’s up Rightnowish listeners, it’s your guy, Pendarvis Harshaw. Tapping in with my Warriors fans out there. \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Sigh]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> What a season, talk about some highs and some lows, maybe the end of a dynasty. Who knows? Look, I’m not trying to wallow in the sad news– cause there’s always next year, right? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">At least there’s one thing we know for sure: in 2025 the NBA-All Stars game is coming to the Bay, so you know it’s gonna be lit with events in the Town and in Frisco and one person who is sure to be in the mix: DJ D Sharp.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">He’s the Warriors in-house DJ, which means during a game, when there’s a break in the action or even sometimes while the ball is in play, you can hear him on the 1s and 2s. And every once in a while you can even look up and see him stunting on the jumbotron. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">On top of being the Warriors DJ, he’s a hip-hop producer. Recently he’s done projects with North Oakland’s ST Spittin and the group, MacArthur Maze. He’s been producing for just about as long as he’s been a DJ– dating back to his teens. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">As a guy who was raised in East Oakland, DJ D Sharp says it’s been a dream being a part of the Warriors franchise.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>DJ D Sharp, guest:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> I don’t take none of it for granted. Like, it’s an amazing experience to deejay in front of 20,000 people every night and to get the love from the people too. It’s just amazing, bro. Like, I’m blessed. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> So for this episode, we chop it up about his journey to the Warriors, providing the soundtrack for a basketball dynasty and what legacy he’s building for the Town and his family, coming up after this. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Bringing you into the discussion today, excited to talk to you because you are at the helm of something very important: you provide the soundtrack to one of my favorite sports teams. And you’ve produced some really tight projects over the last couple of years out of, out of the East Bay. Let’s start at the start. What came first: deejaying or producing?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>DJ D Sharp: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Deejaying most definitely came first. I was collecting records and like, the \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yo! MTV Rap\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> era, like, it was just like, I loved it and I couldn’t, you know, step away from the TV. I was always tuned in, dialed in. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">What was the first piece of equipment you had?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003cb>DJ D Sharp:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The first piece of equipment I had was my mom’s turn table. It was some off-brand name. I was on that thing learning. And then I was like, oh, I need a mixer and then I got a mixer from the homie down the street.\u003c/span> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But my pops is uh, he’s a musician and he played the keyboards and he had bands and all that kind of stuff. So he’d buy the latest drum machine, and then I’d just be playing on it, and then next thing you know, he’d forget about it and he giving it to me.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music playing]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>DJ D Sharp: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I caught on a real fast to the point where I think that’s why people started giving me equipment, giving me records and giving me stuff because they were seeing it. They was like, yo, he got it. Like, take this and go play. Go, go, go, go, experiment with this and then come back to me. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">What age are we talking about here?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>DJ D Sharp: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> 12. 13. 14.\u003c/span>\u003cb> I \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">had homies in Richmond, who I would go spend a weekend, every other weekend with them. My boy Aaron ,we were the same age, so we would we would hang out and his brothers was deejays. So I go to they house and just get equipment. Like, I come home with records.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It was a community effort.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003cb>DJ D Sharp: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It was a community effort for sure.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So a lot of these factors pouring into you, a lot of Bay area energy. You said either in the town or in Richmond. You did mention that \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yo! MTV Raps\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> having that influence on you as well.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>DJ D Sharp:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> I’m wondering like, does this whole trope about, you know, all Bay area music all sounds the same and how like there’s an east coast sound and a west coast sound, did that ever play a part in you developing your style?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cb>DJ D Sharp: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">When people heard me out deejaying and it’d be like the first question they asked me all the time was, was I from the east coast, “because you don’t you don’t deejay like these other cats. Like you, where are you from?” I’m like ‘I’m from East Oakland.’ Like, you know what I’m saying? They’d be like, “What?” I’d be like, ‘Yeah.’\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You know, being from the Town, you know, it’s all about the knock. It’s all about the slump. It’s all about, you know,415’s. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music playing]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cb> \u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>DJ D Sharp: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So I came from that but also came from the choppin’ samples and that side of hip hop is the drum breaks and stuff like that. So like I’m taking the drum breaking and adding 808 to it, you get what I’m saying, like, you know,Too $hort, like, “In The Trunk” Like you listen to “In The Trunk” that’s what that is. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You can hear it in my sound in a production, like, for me, I grew up loving Gang Starr as much as I love Ant Banks and Spice 1. I love Too $hort just as much as I loved Big Daddy Kane.\u003c/span> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I was just immersed in hip hop.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Those early days of getting into the game and you start working with some, some pretty heavyweight names in the industry.\u003c/span> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">For a time period, you were tour deejay for Lauryn Hill?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003cb>DJ D Sharp: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yes! ‘Cause Kev Choice had tapped me to be the tour DJ for Lauryn because she tapped him to be the music director. Me and Kev go way back to Brookfield Elementary. You know, anytime he thinks of a DJ, anytime I think of, some, a multi instrumentalist, I think, of Kev. So we collab and we always look out for each other.\u003c/span> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So, yeah, Lauryn Hill was craz and it was a dope run, and I learned a lot from her. We all did.\u003c/span> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And I became a tour deejay all the way up until 2010, so you talking ten years.\u003c/span> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">We toured heavy with will.i.am. And I saw will.i.am at a Warriors game. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music playing]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And he was like, “You the Warriors Dj?” He was like “Oh okay, that’s whats up,” you know what I mean. So it all be a full circle moment.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Clip of promotional video] \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“One more time, give it up for DJ D Sharp, come on!”\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> [basketball arena crowd cheers] \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You’ve mentioned The Warriors, you’ve been there over a dozen years now. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>DJ D Sharp: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yes. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Bring me back to the start. How do you land that gig?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003cb>DJ D Sharp: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">God bless the dead DJ Solomon. He was the first deejay for the Warriors and I argue that he might have been the first deejay in the NBA. \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>DJ D Sharp: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">He taught me a lot. He was a peer but he was also a mentor and I met him at a Blackalicious show. He he approached me and he said, “Bro, like your scratching, bro, it’s so crazy. Like, I DJ for the Warriors and you know, we’d love to have you come and just do a 2 x 4 set with me.” I was like ‘Yeah it’s all good,’ we exchanged numbers.” We killed it. We had a good time. \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And then he was like, “Let’s do it again.”\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> And then he would do it with other deejays as well in the community. But then, he got busy, like, he was a part of the whole Serato situation. For those who don’t know, Serrato was the software used by DJs, just like, the number one software. But like, if you look back at the promo, bro is on the promo with like Z trip, DJ Jazzy Jeff, like Qbert, like with all the these heavy hitter deejays. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">He got busy. So he couldn’t do a lot of games. So he would, like, send out these emails to a bunch of DJs and, and, you know, for some reason, it felt like I was always the one who answered the emails.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This is when the Warriors sucked too, right. This is like pre, “we believe.” And then when “we believe” came like I was still filling in for him. But he did like all that playoff run and all that kind of stuff. And then up until 2012, he… man, yeah, he passed away, man, and then the Warriors offered me the gig.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Before the Dynasty and Steph, Klay and Dre like in the early days like what does it mean to be a part of the entertainment of a team that’s not performing too well?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>DJ D Sharp: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">That was what it was all about. It was about the entertainment, right? because the team wasn’t good. So if you, if you, remember we had Thunder.\u003c/span>\u003cb> \u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music playing, crowd cheering]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Thunder was the mascot for the Warriors. Thunder was the highlight, you know, dunking and doing his thing and going all around the arena ya know what I mean? Thunder was the man.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Shout out Brett Yamaguchi, who was the head of all the entertainment. He made it where the entertainment was top notch. Like the t-shirt toss and like, the Warriors dance team and like all of that stuff, like, you know those timeouts, those breaks, those contests, like, all of that stuff was more exciting than the game itself \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[laughs]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> You get what I’m saying?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Warriors chant]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I do remember the arena always being filled. Like, people will always show up for the warriors, like, regardless of the losing seasons and all of that kinda stuff. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I’m rolling. I’m sorry. Yeah. You’re like “it was always packed,” like, yeah, because people got free tickets from the library, from Lucky’s, Round Table. But yeah, those were good times. You know, there was no winning in sight. I couldn’t foresee a Steph, Klay, Dray, like, dynasty like we have now.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>DJ D Sharp: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">No one could bro. And that’s the, that’s the magic and the beauty of it all, right?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Yeah. Do you have a certain song that you go to for a certain situation? like say, I don’t know, it’s 24 seconds left on the clock and the Warriors got the ball, they down, you know, a point and you want the crowd to get amped during that half, during that timeout right before the ball comes into play. Do you have a song that will play for folks?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>DJ D Sharp: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The only song that really that I go like, is a go to song when it’s cracking and is going stupid in there,I did like a house remix for the E-40 remix. So I do that a lot because it’s a lot of energy. “Everybody say Warriors, Warriors” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music playing]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>DJ D Sharp: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> I play that in moments like that. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You deejay for the Warriors during this, like historical run, right, for this past decade. And when they play these clips as these players Steph, Klay, Dre go into the Hall of Fame, they’ll have those songs in the background as the clips play. Like, does that ever like, occur to you that you’re kind of laying the soundtrack for history?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003cb>DJ D Sharp: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah, I think about it, you know ? Because it’s like, you know, I mean, I’ve had Steph, I’ve had Coach Kerr, I’ve had Loon, even GP too like, like I’ve had these brothers come up to me telling me, I make an impact. So it’s dope to hear that. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">With that said, you’re a valued member of the team. You’ve got championship rings, multiple.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>DJ D Sharp: yeah, \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">No. It’s crazy. There’s one for each member of my family. Me, my wife and my two sons. We got four.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">For you personally this year,while, the team has had its ups and downs, and a lot of down, you personally have had some some pretty big highlights, All Sar, All Star 2024?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003cb>DJ D Sharp: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yes, I was tapped to go and do All Star 2024. I did the celebrity game and that was fun. You know, that experience is amazing and is coming to the Bay area.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You think that this means a lot to the entire Bay area, I’m assuming?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003cb>DJ D Sharp: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Oh for sure, for sure, man.I think the Bay is getting a bad rap right now from the homelessness to everything that’s going on with the crime and bippin’ and all that kind of stuff.\u003c/span> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But when you talk to people and you talk to family in other cities and other locations, like, this is going on across the country, across the world, like bippin’ is happening, like it’s worse in Atlanta as far as I know. But it don’t get amplified like it does here in the Bay for some reason.\u003c/span> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Oakland gets a bad rap, especially like, we been lost all of our teams. It’s like they trying to like, cleanse us of Oakland. It’s like, what are we doing? Like, no, Oakland is beautiful and it needs to be put on a pedestal.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music playing]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cb> \u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>DJ D Sharp:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It’s heartbreaking to see. But at the same time, I think Oakland gonna eventually end up being on top like we always are.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Yeah, as you talk about it, it’s kind of wild to me that you see it on both sides like the professional, the sports team, you were there for the Warriors move away from the town and through the music. The music is always an underdog to the bigger cities. And so playing that role, you’re carrying a lot of weight there!\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003cb>DJ D Sharp: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Again, I see us, like, rising from the ashes like we here, Like, this is what we do. So, yeah, we’ll be aight.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music playing]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So beyond basketball, you’re also part owner of the Oakland Roots soccer team. Like, how did how did that come to be?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>DJ D Sharp: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">That sound crazy, don’t it, right? Shout out my sister, she hit me up. She was like, you know, “There’s rare opportunity to be a part of this, the growth of what’s going on with the Oakland Roots, Oakland Soul.” And she sent me the information and it was kind of like, a no brainer. And it’s going back to like, my kids, like, I’m looking at that. Like, I’m trying to set up something for them.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And on top of that, you look at Oakland Soul and you look at Oakland Roots, right. They are here. They are Oakland. You get what I’m saying? And I don’t, I don’t never see them, you know, packing up and going out. I only see them growing. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">My sons are humongous soccer fans, so they know all the players. They know everything about it. So, it was just a wonderful opportunity that I had to kind of just, I had to do it. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So you, where you are in your career again, both in the the DJ realm, the production realm, you also have these two little ones that you mentioned before, your children, and also your wife, I’m like, your family, what does it mean to them to see you in the position that you’re in?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003cb>DJ D Sharp: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I tell you this about my boys, man, and one of the things I love the most, because they love music and they love basketball. I’m able to provide them resources that I didn’t have coming up, which is a blessing. I mean, these boys are playing AAU basketball, you know, karate, soccer league, they doing all the sports. \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">They have a story within themselves, like, they were able to be in a parade twice. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music playing]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>DJ D Sharp:\u003c/strong> So my whole family, we had our own car in a parade, and they waving to people and doing all this stuff, so it’s like, especially my 11 year old, to see his confidence. And, you know, I love it. Like, he’s a confident kid. He’s like, real headstrong. He knows what he wants and he he goes for it. That’s all I can ask, man.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Sounds like you’re passing on more than a championship ring.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>DJ D Sharp: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">That’s the whole thing about fatherhood, you just want, you want to give them what you didn’t have, but you also want to teach them things, valuable lessons you’ve learned and pass them on, so yeah.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Congrats to that!\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>DJ D Sharp: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Thank you:\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw, host: \u003c/b>One more time for DJ D Sharp. Thank you for your time, your story and your work!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All the info on his latest music projects can be found on his Instagram at DJD Sharp, all one word. Or check out his music on any streaming platform, under DJ D Sharp.\u003cb>\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This episode was hosted by me, Pendarvis Harshaw. Marisol Medina-Cadena produced this episode. Chris Egusa and Chris Hambrick both held it down for edits. We call that the Chris cross connection. Christopher Beale engineered this joint. The music you heard was courtesy of D Sharp. The Rightnowish team is also supported by Jen Chien, Ugur Dursun, Holly Kernan, Cesar Saldaña, and Katie Sprenger.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you like what you hear and have the means to do so, we ask that you consider supporting dope local programming like this show. Visit KQED dot org slash donate. We appreciate ya.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rightnowish is a KQED production. Until next time, peace\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>DJ D Sharp, guest:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Thunder was the mascot for the Warriors. You probably know this story, Pen, the story about how they went to China and he never came back. Like, he got married and settled and had a family over there.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> I did not hear this story at all.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>DJ D Sharp: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I don’t know if it was PR or it was a fan. It’s crazy, look it up.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pen Harshaw, host\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">: We did look it up. And buried on the Warriors official Youtube page, we found this: a 10 year old video explaining why the Dubs’ beloved mascot Thunder is no longer with the team.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Clip from “Thunder: Found in China”:\u003c/b> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I came to China with the Warriors for the NBA China Games in 2008, and I started dancing with Chinese fans like I had never danced before. I also met the love of my life here in China and never looked back and I’m not coming back.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Life, love, dunking and dancing, China has it all for me. At first there were struggles fitting in, but I found an inner peace. And I want you to know. While I miss you dearly, Warriors fans, you taught me what it was to be thunder. But now my home is China. Sincerely, Léijong \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003cem>Rightnowish is an arts and culture podcast produced at KQED. Listen to it wherever you get your podcasts or click the play button at the top of this page and subscribe to the show on \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/721590300/rightnowish\">NPR One\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/show/7kEJuafTzTVan7B78ttz1I\">Spotify\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rightnowish/id1482187648\">Apple Podcasts\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://tunein.com/podcasts/Arts--Culture-Podcasts/Rightnowish-p1258245/\">TuneIn\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/rightnowish\">Stitcher\u003c/a> or wherever you get your podcasts. \u003c/em>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"fullwidth"},"numeric":["fullwidth"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"floatright"},"numeric":["floatright"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}}],"link":"/arts/13956839/dj-d-sharp","authors":["11491","11528"],"programs":["arts_8720"],"categories":["arts_1","arts_69","arts_13238"],"tags":["arts_5786","arts_1331","arts_2852","arts_831","arts_1143","arts_3298"],"featImg":"arts_13956840","label":"arts_8720"},"arts_13956388":{"type":"posts","id":"arts_13956388","meta":{"index":"posts_1591205157","site":"arts","id":"13956388","score":null,"sort":[1714039226000]},"guestAuthors":[],"slug":"nic-feliciano-is-blessed-with-the-curse-of-an-overactive-creative-mind","title":"nic feliciano Is Blessed With The ‘Curse of an Overactive Creative Mind’","publishDate":1714039226,"format":"audio","headTitle":"nic feliciano Is Blessed With The ‘Curse of an Overactive Creative Mind’ | KQED","labelTerm":{"term":8720,"site":"arts"},"content":"\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"#episode-transcript\">\u003ci>View the full episode transcript.\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>nic feliciano will find a way to creatively express herself, no matter what.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>feliciano (who also goes by \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/cocomachetz/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Coco Machete\u003c/a>) contains multitudes. She’s a fashionista who currently resides in Berkeley, but was born in the Philippines and spent her teenage years in Southern California. After moving to the East Bay for school two decades ago, she’s grown into a playwright, chef, thespian and — as she says — “a master of fun.” She’s also a former MC and member of the Bay Area-based hip-hop group \u003ca href=\"https://hottuboakland.bandcamp.com/album/3-the-hard-way\">HOTTUB\u003c/a>, which made Miami Bass–inspired rap songs from roughly 2006 to 2013.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When it comes to her work, there are two important things to understand: first, she incorporates her Filipina identity into everything she creates. Second, her “work” isn’t really work at all.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13956529\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13956529 size-medium\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/coco-machete-2-800x1207.jpg\" alt=\"A woman poses in a squat stance with her left hand holding her chin. She wears neon green clogs, black tights and a zebra print skirt. In the background are shelves holding recycled water jugs and plastic pots.\" width=\"800\" height=\"1207\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/coco-machete-2-800x1207.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/coco-machete-2-1020x1538.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/coco-machete-2-160x241.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/coco-machete-2-768x1158.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/coco-machete-2-1018x1536.jpg 1018w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/coco-machete-2-1358x2048.jpg 1358w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/coco-machete-2-1920x2896.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/coco-machete-2-scaled.jpg 1697w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">nic feliciano is a writer, performer and cook based in Berkeley by way of the Philippines. \u003ccite>(Kate Buenconsejo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>feliciano proudly maintains flexible daytime employment to pay her bills, while letting her creative juices flow during the evening hours. This separation allows her to stay inspired, penning funny sketches that she performs as a part of her \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/grannycartgangstas?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==\">Grannycart Gangstas\u003c/a> act at \u003ca href=\"https://www.bindlestiffstudio.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Blindlestiff Studio\u003c/a> in San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>feliciano’s creations go beyond the stage. She’s currently writing a comic book in which she gives a modern spin on the mythological creature from Filipino folklore, the Manananggal. The storyline sheds light on the exploitation that workers in the Philippines face working as contractors for Big Tech.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This week, we talk about how the Bay Area has assisted feliciano’s artistic endeavors, from rapping over bass-heavy hip-hop beats in the early 2000s to forging a “creative family of misfit Filipino kids who didn’t follow the path.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=KQINC8148943076\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2 id=\"episode-transcript\">Episode Transcript\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This is a computer-generated transcript. While our team has reviewed it, there may be errors.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw, Host:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Hey what’s up Rightnowish listeners. I’m your host, Pendarvis Harshaw. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">For this episode, we hear from cook, slash writer, slash actor, slash musician and all around funny person, nic feliciano, who goes by the moniker Coco Machete. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">At age 10, nic, along with her mother and sister, left the Philippines and settled in Orange County. Itching to find like-minded folks, nic eventually left SoCal and moved to Berkeley for community college… and she’s been here ever since. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">As y’all may know, juggling day jobs and side gigs to pay the bills comes with the territory of being an artist in the Bay. But for nic, she’s not pressed to let how she pays the rent define her.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>nic feliciano, Guest: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The true art and what I do is just kind of like surviving. Like my mom to me is an artist because of- she’s never picked up a paintbrush in her life. But like, the way she moves through life and the way she like, makes shit happen and the way she like, figures this out over that or whatever. Like, damn, that’s like such art to me!\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Rightnowish producer Marisol Medina-Cadena and I dive into the splendor that is nic’s mind, and discuss how she honors Filipino brilliance in all that she does. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">That and more right after this. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Ad break]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">When we spoke on the phone a while ago, you said something that just really crystallized your creative practice for me. You said you were in your “expansive era.” I feel like that expression really speaks volumes about where you’re at with your relationship to artmaking. So what does your expansive area look like? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>nic feliciano: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It’s more of just a consciousness whenever I can… if I try- if I have a moment to like meditate on something, it’s just asking for guidance in terms of like how I- how this experience can make me a little bit more expansive and a little bit more able to hold more empathy, more love. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">If I forget to remind myself that I’m in that space right now, it’s very easy for everything to knock it down, and feel tired and unaligned. And so I’m kind of using that as a way to stay the course and create some stamina… trying to come from as much love as I can in these crazy times because it’s harder and harder. \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Laughs]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I know that you have a day job outside of your creative practice. And maybe there’s overlap but they’re not really contingent on each other. How do you structure your life in a way that you have the passion and the desire to still make art outside of, like what pays your bills? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>nic feliciano: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I always like, kind of gave myself a hard time about that and been like, what’s wrong with you? Like, why wouldn’t you want to go all in on your art and like, really be about it, live it or whatnot? And I think that for me, not depending on it financially has always sustained it. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I think I just am one of those people who were blessed or cursed with an overactive creative mind that is constantly feeling the need to like express and release or whatever. But I realized that every time it got to a point where it was time to take it serious, or even like the idea of living off of my art, or like any of that, I feel like — personally, like it kind of kills it a little bit and it doesn’t feel super aligned. I’m not super inspired by it. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So it’s just about like finding work that’s not going to keep me there, \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Laughs]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> like beyond the hours that I need to be. And my brain doesn’t get going until the nighttime anyway. So like, I take advantage of like whatever time, you know, I have outside of that.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And so, I’m grateful, I feel grateful that my day jobs haven’t completely, like, overshadowed my my creative work. You know, how I pay my bills is kind of like the smallest part of my identity. \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Laughs]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> It’s just… no to careers and no to making art a career either, I don’t know. \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Laughs]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Balance. It sounds like balance. And also making sure that you work within what’s best for you. You said your night hours, you know, being at home. You know yourself. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>nic feliciano: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I’m trying you know, it’s the journey. It’s part of the ride! \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Laughs]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Diving into your artistic endeavors. You’re on the cusp of finishing your first comic book, so I hear. And it’s a sci-fi thriller based on Filipino folklore?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>nic feliciano: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah, gosh!\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Please tell me about the inspiration for this. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>nic feliciano: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This has been in the works for quite a while. Inspired by a PBS documentary called The Cleaners, which was about a third party company in the Philippines that was being hired by, like, the Googles, the Facebooks, all that kind of stuff. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Basically, when something gets flagged on any of these platforms, they’re going to these workers — oftentimes, you know, in the Global South: Philippines, India, and a human is processing these images and they’re deciding whether to delete or to keep. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>nic feliciano: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">They’re getting PTSD. They’re like processing 8,000 images a day, you know, just like constant, just the worst images you can imagine!\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">One of my favorite folkloric creatures in Filipino folklore is this creature called the manananggal. And it’s oftentimes a femme creature. They stay in the trees, they’re kind of vampiric or what have you. And their top half comes off, and that’s what goes flying around at night looking for food, primarily victims or whatnot. They’re known to suck the life through belly buttons.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Typically, it’s represented as a scary thing that, you know, growing up, if you didn’t, like, go to sleep right away, they’d be like, “oh, the Manananggal is going to come get you.” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">As I’ve like, gotten older and whatnot, I’m just like, well, like, what if it actually was like a creature that, like, went out and did stuff for justice, you know what I mean? I just, like, made up all this stuff in my head. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So anyway, I wrote this short one act play that was from the perspective of this Manananggalgal who didn’t realize they were a Manananggal until they were exploited super hard at work. They snap. And they go and kill, like, all the CEOs. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Thank god Bindlestiff Studios, shout out to Bindlestiff Studios over there in the SOMA, 6th and Howard. The only place for Filipino and Filippinx performing arts, like, they put this play up. It’s pretty ridiculous, but I’m obsessed with this world, like… it’s kind of like the prequel to this piece that I wrote. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And so I feel like — comic book, that’s a good way to kind of… not so much lighten it, but like not make it so realistic. The fact that it’s not the real thing, I think feels sort of liberating to tell the story in the way that it is in my head, without it being too, like, real. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And I’m really excited about it, and it’s taken a while, but I’m glad we’ve taken our time because I’ve been collaborating with this incredible illustrator Corpser. Shout out Corpser from Bulacan, in the Philippines. He and I have been going back and forth and he’s illustrated the whole thing and he snapped on the illustration. Neither of us had done this before, but oh man, like, with his vision and my crazy, gross world building. It’s nasty and I can’t wait to share it. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You’ve spoken a lot about Bindlestiff, can you tell us what drew you to that space? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>nic feliciano: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So it’s just my mom, my sister and I here in the U.S., everybody else is back in Manila.\u003c/span>\u003cb> \u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Sound design: birds chirping]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I have like 25 cousins back home that I when I’m there, like everyone’s around and just kind of really missing like that sense of home, or what have you.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And so this thing happens to me every time I go back and forth where my reality gets really shook up. Like, I can’t tell what’s real. I feel a lot of guilt of living here and not being a part of what my family back home has to go through to survive, you know what I mean? It’s very- our lives are very different, and jumping back and forth is kind of a challenging thing for me. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And so I remember being on the bus on my way home from work, and I saw that Bindlestiff- I was in their mailing list somehow, and I saw that they were auditioning for Tagalog speaking actors.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And I was like, “Oh, maybe… that’s scary, I don’t know.” And then a month later, I see it again. And so I was like, “Okay, they’re still looking. Obviously it’s been a month. Like, maybe this is a sign I should just go and just do it.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">By the grace of God, I somehow still remember, like the Tagalog Pledge of Allegiance from school! \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Giggles]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> I pulled up and I did the best pledge of allegiance with feelings that I could like a fool, and sang my little song, and I guess they were down because they called me back! \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">From that point on, I’ve never said no to anything Bindlestiff-related again. It’s just 30 years, volunteer-run. Beyond just the theater space, the amount of work that they do in the SOMA neighborhood, like over the pandemic, their artistic director, Irene, ran a program where a bunch of, like, actors were volunteering- everyone, like, delivering groceries to the elders around there.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It’s put so much purpose to my art. I’ve had to reverse engineer my, even my own knowledge of, like, Philippine history and pre-colonial history. Like, I wouldn’t have probably learned that there, but coming here and being around other people in diaspora and learning about how other cultures have looked inward to be able to, like, get through our experiences out here — I feel like, in some sense, we owe it to really center like those who are still living in the land and the and the realities that they face every day and support their art. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I feel like Bindlestiff does a really good job doing that. Like, they’re in direct communication with the community here and always trying to, like, bridge that- that ocean, you know, those thousands and thousands of miles ya know? So it feels good. I’m so grateful to have found them and create a- like a creative family of misfit Filipino kids who didn’t follow the path. \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Laughs]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You’re a part of a crew called Granny Cart Gangstas. What does that entail?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>nic feliciano: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So, Granny Cart Gangstas is an open-door \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Laughs]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> comedy troupe — mostly Asian American, femme, multi-gender folks — who have been around for ten years, thank you very much. We just celebrated our ten-year anniversary last year. Basically, yeah, we- we’re a sketch comedy troupe. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Our two founders, Aureen and Ava, came up with the name because they’re always riding around with their granny cart, getting on the bus with it, you know, like as you see all around town. People move when it’s time to roll the granny cart full of laundry or groceries or whatever. It’s like, okay! So that’s kind of what inspired the name. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">We do 2 to 3 week shows once a year at Bindlestiff. We all write all our own material. And we- when it’s time to put it up. Oh, man. It’s a hoot. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Video Clip, Granny Cart Gangstas: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Good evening. I am Lauren Goodman, and welcome to \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Quarantine Now\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Our top story is about the “Adobo Hoes,” a retired roller derby squad. They are leading the way in roller skating security escort tactics. Now being adopted around the San Francisco Bay Area to protect Asian American seniors. The community at large is now reporting feeling more confident and more secure with the hoes working the streets.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Before you got into theater, you were part of a group called HOTTUB…\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>nic feliciano: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Oh my gosh.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah, we’re going there. You were involved in Oakland’s underground music scene — a lot of warehouse parties. Tell me about that music and how that era really shaped your perspective on life today? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>nic feliciano: \u003c/b>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Exhales breath]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> That era was wild, number one. Proved to be unsustainable. It started mid-2000s, like 2006 and we’re pretty active all the way to 2013. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">There was so much reaction to, kind of like now, like to what was going on there. That was, like, the tail end of the, kind of like, Bush era. Oh my gosh, Occupy- like the Occupy Movement. So there was a lot of just like tension, especially in the East Bay, where the, the, the trickle of like what was going on in San Francisco hadn’t quite made it over there, but you could still start to feel it. And there was just a real sort of tension there. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And I think out of that came just a very confrontational time, I would say. There wasn’t a lot of, like, femme acts at the time when we were, when, when we were performing. And so it’s three girls to the front, you know, it was, like, rough! \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In that vein of like being you said confrontational, loud, using your voice to claim space on stage. Sonically, what did your set sound like? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>nic feliciano: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">My gosh, a battle. Like our producers Jaysonic, Funky Finger Mark. We would bring out an MPC drum machine and a ASR ten sampler keyboard. Those were like our two things. They didn’t have, like, didn’t use laptops, nothing. And these are, like, really textured, heavy sounds that are going straight into sound systems. And then three girl MC chanting banshees like wild women. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music: “Shoot the Lights Out” by HOTTUB]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Looking at my Casio it’s about that time\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I’m ’bout to pick it up stat on my hustle and grind\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I got nothin in my pocket but motha-fuckin’ fuck it\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I can get a fat loan if you can co-sign it\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But who cares!\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I ain’t tripin’ I ain’t tryin to trick for the man\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Just to get a couple grand in my hand…\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>nic feliciano: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The original concept of HOTTUB was, was going to be like Tagalog-Miami bass-type stuff. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I was always represent- you know, representing my, my shit. And so when I would write raps in Tagalog, lucky for us, we’re here in the Bay area with hella Filipinos. So every so often, like someone would be like “Yo!!!!” you know, and really like kind of recognizing. And that’s always, like, such a gift. But even though it feels like screaming in the void, like I- it just, feels great! \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Shoot the lights out shoot the lights out!\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Shoot the lights out shoot the lights out, oh!!\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Shoot the lights out shoot the lights out!\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Shoot the lights out shoot the lights out, whoa!!\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cb>nic feliciano: \u003c/b>I’m so glad that I was able to come up creatively during that time because it never felt like there was so much to lose, because it was already coming from nothing. It was like so beyond DIY, you know, like… There was no fear in what we wanted to say. And we could just confront, like, every issue- You know, creating like this, like safe space for like, femme energy to kind of aggressively take over! \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music: “M.A.N.B.I.T.C.H” by HOTTUB]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Don’t disrespect\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You gotta come correct\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I’m tired of your nasty-ass…\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cb>nic feliciano: \u003c/b>It really was so empowering to- to be doing this with two of my best friends, you know, Jen and Amber shout out. Just making the most noise and just trying to, like, \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Yells]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> get it out! \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Definitely formative. And it, it it it gave me the guts to do things that are creative and to actually allow yourself to express, like, some of the stuff that’s going on in, in our minds takes so much guts. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I’m so grateful for that time in my life. And I’m also so grateful that I’ve recovered. \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Laughs] \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> It’s out. It’s done. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">M. A. N. B. I. T. C. H.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">We know what it is,\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It’s written all over your face!\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Just hearing you talk, there’s like this throughline between the comic book, the band HOTTUB, the work you do with Bindlestiff, of like centering Filipino culture. Is there like a thesis or like mission statement behind that, or is that just who you are? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>nic feliciano:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> I think about this all the time. I think it’s just who I’ve always been. The very first day of school, of American school, ten years old, Orange County of all places. It was just so clear that I was not… of here. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">There’s so many times that my creative mind and like this idea of trying to reconcile, you know, my- my existence here to home. Like I still think Philippines is home. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I was five years old when the Philippine Revolution happened. So in 1986, the Filipino people banded together, got the support of the military, and ousted Ferdinand Marcos, who was dictator for like, the last 26 years or whatever. And so I kind of feel like I’m a kid of revolution. Like, I understand that there is… that people can really get together and like, do something great, like, I believe in it, I seen it happen with my own eyes. And I feel like coming here, there’s always just been this sense of, like, refusing to be erased. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The last question that we have for you is: being in your expansive era now, and all the personal values you have for yourself. What do you need from, like, the art scene or your peers or art spaces to do the kind of work you want to do? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>nic feliciano: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Watching how — especially here in the Bay Area — watching how artists come together to like, really fight for what they believe in, and really, like, put their necks on the line and really support certain movements, like it’s fired up right now. And I think that, you know, what we can all do for each other is provide ways that we can build our stamina, because I really think that’s what we’re gonna need. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And the more of that we use our art as leverage and as power, and the more that we understand how powerful we are together… I think that’s probably my greatest ask for myself and our community. It’s like, figure out ways to build stamina because we’re really gonna need it for the long haul.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Credits music]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Big thank you nic feliciano for dropping by the KQED stu’ to talk about the important things and for making us laugh through it all. You can find her on instagram @cocomachetez. That’s spelled c-o-c-o-m-a-c-h-e-t-e-z. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">From May 16th through June 1st, nic will be taking part in an original production at Bindlestiff Studios called Dark Heart. Be sure to check that out. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This episode was hosted by me, Pendarvis Harshaw. Marisol Medina-Cadena produced this episode. Chris Hambrick held it down for edits on this one. Christopher Beale engineered this joint. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The music you heard was courtesy of HOTTUB and Audio Network.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Rightnowish team is also supported by Jen Chien, Ugur Dursun, Holly Kernan, Cesar Saldaña and Katie Sprenger. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Thank you all for listening! For longtime fans of the show, y’all know how we roll. But if you’re new here, welcome! We’re glad to have you, it’s our honor to introduce you to Bay Area culture keepers and change makers you may not have the privilege of knowing… yet. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So, if you enjoy what we’re doing at Rightnowish, please share the podcast with a friend or a coworker. Subscribe and rate the podcast on whatever platform you choose. Every little action goes a long way. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Ok, y’all be easy! \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Rightnowish is a KQED production.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Peace.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003cem>Rightnowish is an arts and culture podcast produced at KQED. Listen to it wherever you get your podcasts or click the play button at the top of this page and subscribe to the show on \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/721590300/rightnowish\">NPR One\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/show/7kEJuafTzTVan7B78ttz1I\">Spotify\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rightnowish/id1482187648\">Apple Podcasts\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://tunein.com/podcasts/Arts--Culture-Podcasts/Rightnowish-p1258245/\">TuneIn\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/rightnowish\">Stitcher\u003c/a> or wherever you get your podcasts. \u003c/em>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n","blocks":[],"excerpt":"The fashionista, playwright, chef, thespian and 'master of fun' discusses her many artistic endeavors.","status":"publish","parent":0,"modified":1714070065,"stats":{"hasAudio":true,"hasVideo":false,"hasChartOrMap":false,"iframeSrcs":[],"hasGoogleForm":false,"hasGallery":false,"hasHearkenModule":false,"hasPolis":false,"paragraphCount":118,"wordCount":4185},"headData":{"title":"nic feliciano Is Blessed With The ‘Curse of an Overactive Creative Mind’ | KQED","description":"nic feliciano (who also goes by Coco Machete) contains multitudes. She's a fashionista who currently resides in the East Bay, but was born in the Philippines and raised in Southern California. After moving to Berkeley for school two decades ago, she's grown into a playwright, comedian, chef and thespian. She's also a former MC and member of the Bay Area-based hip-hop group, HOTTUB, which made Miami-boom bass inspired rap songs from about 2006 to 2013.","ogTitle":"","ogDescription":"","ogImgId":"","twTitle":"","twDescription":"","twImgId":"","socialDescription":"nic feliciano (who also goes by Coco Machete) contains multitudes. She's a fashionista who currently resides in the East Bay, but was born in the Philippines and raised in Southern California. After moving to Berkeley for school two decades ago, she's grown into a playwright, comedian, chef and thespian. She's also a former MC and member of the Bay Area-based hip-hop group, HOTTUB, which made Miami-boom bass inspired rap songs from about 2006 to 2013.","schema":{"@context":"http://schema.org","@type":"Article","headline":"nic feliciano Is Blessed With The ‘Curse of an Overactive Creative Mind’","datePublished":"2024-04-25T03:00:26-07:00","dateModified":"2024-04-25T11:34:25-07:00","image":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"}},"audioUrl":"https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/chrt.fm/track/G6C7C3/traffic.megaphone.fm/KQINC8148943076.mp3?updated=1714006490","sticky":false,"nprStoryId":"kqed-13956388","templateType":"standard","featuredImageType":"standard","excludeFromSiteSearch":"Include","articleAge":"0","path":"/arts/13956388/nic-feliciano-is-blessed-with-the-curse-of-an-overactive-creative-mind","audioTrackLength":null,"parsedContent":[{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"#episode-transcript\">\u003ci>View the full episode transcript.\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>nic feliciano will find a way to creatively express herself, no matter what.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>feliciano (who also goes by \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/cocomachetz/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Coco Machete\u003c/a>) contains multitudes. She’s a fashionista who currently resides in Berkeley, but was born in the Philippines and spent her teenage years in Southern California. After moving to the East Bay for school two decades ago, she’s grown into a playwright, chef, thespian and — as she says — “a master of fun.” She’s also a former MC and member of the Bay Area-based hip-hop group \u003ca href=\"https://hottuboakland.bandcamp.com/album/3-the-hard-way\">HOTTUB\u003c/a>, which made Miami Bass–inspired rap songs from roughly 2006 to 2013.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When it comes to her work, there are two important things to understand: first, she incorporates her Filipina identity into everything she creates. Second, her “work” isn’t really work at all.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13956529\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13956529 size-medium\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/coco-machete-2-800x1207.jpg\" alt=\"A woman poses in a squat stance with her left hand holding her chin. She wears neon green clogs, black tights and a zebra print skirt. In the background are shelves holding recycled water jugs and plastic pots.\" width=\"800\" height=\"1207\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/coco-machete-2-800x1207.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/coco-machete-2-1020x1538.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/coco-machete-2-160x241.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/coco-machete-2-768x1158.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/coco-machete-2-1018x1536.jpg 1018w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/coco-machete-2-1358x2048.jpg 1358w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/coco-machete-2-1920x2896.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/coco-machete-2-scaled.jpg 1697w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">nic feliciano is a writer, performer and cook based in Berkeley by way of the Philippines. \u003ccite>(Kate Buenconsejo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>feliciano proudly maintains flexible daytime employment to pay her bills, while letting her creative juices flow during the evening hours. This separation allows her to stay inspired, penning funny sketches that she performs as a part of her \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/grannycartgangstas?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==\">Grannycart Gangstas\u003c/a> act at \u003ca href=\"https://www.bindlestiffstudio.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Blindlestiff Studio\u003c/a> in San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>feliciano’s creations go beyond the stage. She’s currently writing a comic book in which she gives a modern spin on the mythological creature from Filipino folklore, the Manananggal. The storyline sheds light on the exploitation that workers in the Philippines face working as contractors for Big Tech.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This week, we talk about how the Bay Area has assisted feliciano’s artistic endeavors, from rapping over bass-heavy hip-hop beats in the early 2000s to forging a “creative family of misfit Filipino kids who didn’t follow the path.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=KQINC8148943076\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2 id=\"episode-transcript\">Episode Transcript\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This is a computer-generated transcript. While our team has reviewed it, there may be errors.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw, Host:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Hey what’s up Rightnowish listeners. I’m your host, Pendarvis Harshaw. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">For this episode, we hear from cook, slash writer, slash actor, slash musician and all around funny person, nic feliciano, who goes by the moniker Coco Machete. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">At age 10, nic, along with her mother and sister, left the Philippines and settled in Orange County. Itching to find like-minded folks, nic eventually left SoCal and moved to Berkeley for community college… and she’s been here ever since. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">As y’all may know, juggling day jobs and side gigs to pay the bills comes with the territory of being an artist in the Bay. But for nic, she’s not pressed to let how she pays the rent define her.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>nic feliciano, Guest: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The true art and what I do is just kind of like surviving. Like my mom to me is an artist because of- she’s never picked up a paintbrush in her life. But like, the way she moves through life and the way she like, makes shit happen and the way she like, figures this out over that or whatever. Like, damn, that’s like such art to me!\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Rightnowish producer Marisol Medina-Cadena and I dive into the splendor that is nic’s mind, and discuss how she honors Filipino brilliance in all that she does. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">That and more right after this. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Ad break]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">When we spoke on the phone a while ago, you said something that just really crystallized your creative practice for me. You said you were in your “expansive era.” I feel like that expression really speaks volumes about where you’re at with your relationship to artmaking. So what does your expansive area look like? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>nic feliciano: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It’s more of just a consciousness whenever I can… if I try- if I have a moment to like meditate on something, it’s just asking for guidance in terms of like how I- how this experience can make me a little bit more expansive and a little bit more able to hold more empathy, more love. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">If I forget to remind myself that I’m in that space right now, it’s very easy for everything to knock it down, and feel tired and unaligned. And so I’m kind of using that as a way to stay the course and create some stamina… trying to come from as much love as I can in these crazy times because it’s harder and harder. \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Laughs]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I know that you have a day job outside of your creative practice. And maybe there’s overlap but they’re not really contingent on each other. How do you structure your life in a way that you have the passion and the desire to still make art outside of, like what pays your bills? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>nic feliciano: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I always like, kind of gave myself a hard time about that and been like, what’s wrong with you? Like, why wouldn’t you want to go all in on your art and like, really be about it, live it or whatnot? And I think that for me, not depending on it financially has always sustained it. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I think I just am one of those people who were blessed or cursed with an overactive creative mind that is constantly feeling the need to like express and release or whatever. But I realized that every time it got to a point where it was time to take it serious, or even like the idea of living off of my art, or like any of that, I feel like — personally, like it kind of kills it a little bit and it doesn’t feel super aligned. I’m not super inspired by it. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So it’s just about like finding work that’s not going to keep me there, \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Laughs]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> like beyond the hours that I need to be. And my brain doesn’t get going until the nighttime anyway. So like, I take advantage of like whatever time, you know, I have outside of that.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And so, I’m grateful, I feel grateful that my day jobs haven’t completely, like, overshadowed my my creative work. You know, how I pay my bills is kind of like the smallest part of my identity. \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Laughs]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> It’s just… no to careers and no to making art a career either, I don’t know. \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Laughs]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Balance. It sounds like balance. And also making sure that you work within what’s best for you. You said your night hours, you know, being at home. You know yourself. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>nic feliciano: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I’m trying you know, it’s the journey. It’s part of the ride! \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Laughs]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Diving into your artistic endeavors. You’re on the cusp of finishing your first comic book, so I hear. And it’s a sci-fi thriller based on Filipino folklore?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>nic feliciano: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah, gosh!\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Please tell me about the inspiration for this. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>nic feliciano: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This has been in the works for quite a while. Inspired by a PBS documentary called The Cleaners, which was about a third party company in the Philippines that was being hired by, like, the Googles, the Facebooks, all that kind of stuff. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Basically, when something gets flagged on any of these platforms, they’re going to these workers — oftentimes, you know, in the Global South: Philippines, India, and a human is processing these images and they’re deciding whether to delete or to keep. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>nic feliciano: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">They’re getting PTSD. They’re like processing 8,000 images a day, you know, just like constant, just the worst images you can imagine!\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">One of my favorite folkloric creatures in Filipino folklore is this creature called the manananggal. And it’s oftentimes a femme creature. They stay in the trees, they’re kind of vampiric or what have you. And their top half comes off, and that’s what goes flying around at night looking for food, primarily victims or whatnot. They’re known to suck the life through belly buttons.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Typically, it’s represented as a scary thing that, you know, growing up, if you didn’t, like, go to sleep right away, they’d be like, “oh, the Manananggal is going to come get you.” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">As I’ve like, gotten older and whatnot, I’m just like, well, like, what if it actually was like a creature that, like, went out and did stuff for justice, you know what I mean? I just, like, made up all this stuff in my head. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So anyway, I wrote this short one act play that was from the perspective of this Manananggalgal who didn’t realize they were a Manananggal until they were exploited super hard at work. They snap. And they go and kill, like, all the CEOs. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Thank god Bindlestiff Studios, shout out to Bindlestiff Studios over there in the SOMA, 6th and Howard. The only place for Filipino and Filippinx performing arts, like, they put this play up. It’s pretty ridiculous, but I’m obsessed with this world, like… it’s kind of like the prequel to this piece that I wrote. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And so I feel like — comic book, that’s a good way to kind of… not so much lighten it, but like not make it so realistic. The fact that it’s not the real thing, I think feels sort of liberating to tell the story in the way that it is in my head, without it being too, like, real. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And I’m really excited about it, and it’s taken a while, but I’m glad we’ve taken our time because I’ve been collaborating with this incredible illustrator Corpser. Shout out Corpser from Bulacan, in the Philippines. He and I have been going back and forth and he’s illustrated the whole thing and he snapped on the illustration. Neither of us had done this before, but oh man, like, with his vision and my crazy, gross world building. It’s nasty and I can’t wait to share it. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You’ve spoken a lot about Bindlestiff, can you tell us what drew you to that space? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>nic feliciano: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So it’s just my mom, my sister and I here in the U.S., everybody else is back in Manila.\u003c/span>\u003cb> \u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Sound design: birds chirping]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I have like 25 cousins back home that I when I’m there, like everyone’s around and just kind of really missing like that sense of home, or what have you.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And so this thing happens to me every time I go back and forth where my reality gets really shook up. Like, I can’t tell what’s real. I feel a lot of guilt of living here and not being a part of what my family back home has to go through to survive, you know what I mean? It’s very- our lives are very different, and jumping back and forth is kind of a challenging thing for me. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And so I remember being on the bus on my way home from work, and I saw that Bindlestiff- I was in their mailing list somehow, and I saw that they were auditioning for Tagalog speaking actors.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And I was like, “Oh, maybe… that’s scary, I don’t know.” And then a month later, I see it again. And so I was like, “Okay, they’re still looking. Obviously it’s been a month. Like, maybe this is a sign I should just go and just do it.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">By the grace of God, I somehow still remember, like the Tagalog Pledge of Allegiance from school! \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Giggles]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> I pulled up and I did the best pledge of allegiance with feelings that I could like a fool, and sang my little song, and I guess they were down because they called me back! \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">From that point on, I’ve never said no to anything Bindlestiff-related again. It’s just 30 years, volunteer-run. Beyond just the theater space, the amount of work that they do in the SOMA neighborhood, like over the pandemic, their artistic director, Irene, ran a program where a bunch of, like, actors were volunteering- everyone, like, delivering groceries to the elders around there.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It’s put so much purpose to my art. I’ve had to reverse engineer my, even my own knowledge of, like, Philippine history and pre-colonial history. Like, I wouldn’t have probably learned that there, but coming here and being around other people in diaspora and learning about how other cultures have looked inward to be able to, like, get through our experiences out here — I feel like, in some sense, we owe it to really center like those who are still living in the land and the and the realities that they face every day and support their art. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I feel like Bindlestiff does a really good job doing that. Like, they’re in direct communication with the community here and always trying to, like, bridge that- that ocean, you know, those thousands and thousands of miles ya know? So it feels good. I’m so grateful to have found them and create a- like a creative family of misfit Filipino kids who didn’t follow the path. \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Laughs]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You’re a part of a crew called Granny Cart Gangstas. What does that entail?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>nic feliciano: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So, Granny Cart Gangstas is an open-door \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Laughs]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> comedy troupe — mostly Asian American, femme, multi-gender folks — who have been around for ten years, thank you very much. We just celebrated our ten-year anniversary last year. Basically, yeah, we- we’re a sketch comedy troupe. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Our two founders, Aureen and Ava, came up with the name because they’re always riding around with their granny cart, getting on the bus with it, you know, like as you see all around town. People move when it’s time to roll the granny cart full of laundry or groceries or whatever. It’s like, okay! So that’s kind of what inspired the name. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">We do 2 to 3 week shows once a year at Bindlestiff. We all write all our own material. And we- when it’s time to put it up. Oh, man. It’s a hoot. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Video Clip, Granny Cart Gangstas: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Good evening. I am Lauren Goodman, and welcome to \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Quarantine Now\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Our top story is about the “Adobo Hoes,” a retired roller derby squad. They are leading the way in roller skating security escort tactics. Now being adopted around the San Francisco Bay Area to protect Asian American seniors. The community at large is now reporting feeling more confident and more secure with the hoes working the streets.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Before you got into theater, you were part of a group called HOTTUB…\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>nic feliciano: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Oh my gosh.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah, we’re going there. You were involved in Oakland’s underground music scene — a lot of warehouse parties. Tell me about that music and how that era really shaped your perspective on life today? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>nic feliciano: \u003c/b>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Exhales breath]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> That era was wild, number one. Proved to be unsustainable. It started mid-2000s, like 2006 and we’re pretty active all the way to 2013. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">There was so much reaction to, kind of like now, like to what was going on there. That was, like, the tail end of the, kind of like, Bush era. Oh my gosh, Occupy- like the Occupy Movement. So there was a lot of just like tension, especially in the East Bay, where the, the, the trickle of like what was going on in San Francisco hadn’t quite made it over there, but you could still start to feel it. And there was just a real sort of tension there. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And I think out of that came just a very confrontational time, I would say. There wasn’t a lot of, like, femme acts at the time when we were, when, when we were performing. And so it’s three girls to the front, you know, it was, like, rough! \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In that vein of like being you said confrontational, loud, using your voice to claim space on stage. Sonically, what did your set sound like? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>nic feliciano: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">My gosh, a battle. Like our producers Jaysonic, Funky Finger Mark. We would bring out an MPC drum machine and a ASR ten sampler keyboard. Those were like our two things. They didn’t have, like, didn’t use laptops, nothing. And these are, like, really textured, heavy sounds that are going straight into sound systems. And then three girl MC chanting banshees like wild women. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music: “Shoot the Lights Out” by HOTTUB]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Looking at my Casio it’s about that time\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I’m ’bout to pick it up stat on my hustle and grind\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I got nothin in my pocket but motha-fuckin’ fuck it\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I can get a fat loan if you can co-sign it\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But who cares!\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I ain’t tripin’ I ain’t tryin to trick for the man\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Just to get a couple grand in my hand…\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>nic feliciano: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The original concept of HOTTUB was, was going to be like Tagalog-Miami bass-type stuff. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I was always represent- you know, representing my, my shit. And so when I would write raps in Tagalog, lucky for us, we’re here in the Bay area with hella Filipinos. So every so often, like someone would be like “Yo!!!!” you know, and really like kind of recognizing. And that’s always, like, such a gift. But even though it feels like screaming in the void, like I- it just, feels great! \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Shoot the lights out shoot the lights out!\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Shoot the lights out shoot the lights out, oh!!\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Shoot the lights out shoot the lights out!\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Shoot the lights out shoot the lights out, whoa!!\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cb>nic feliciano: \u003c/b>I’m so glad that I was able to come up creatively during that time because it never felt like there was so much to lose, because it was already coming from nothing. It was like so beyond DIY, you know, like… There was no fear in what we wanted to say. And we could just confront, like, every issue- You know, creating like this, like safe space for like, femme energy to kind of aggressively take over! \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music: “M.A.N.B.I.T.C.H” by HOTTUB]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Don’t disrespect\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You gotta come correct\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I’m tired of your nasty-ass…\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cb>nic feliciano: \u003c/b>It really was so empowering to- to be doing this with two of my best friends, you know, Jen and Amber shout out. Just making the most noise and just trying to, like, \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Yells]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> get it out! \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Definitely formative. And it, it it it gave me the guts to do things that are creative and to actually allow yourself to express, like, some of the stuff that’s going on in, in our minds takes so much guts. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I’m so grateful for that time in my life. And I’m also so grateful that I’ve recovered. \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Laughs] \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> It’s out. It’s done. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">M. A. N. B. I. T. C. H.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">We know what it is,\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It’s written all over your face!\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Just hearing you talk, there’s like this throughline between the comic book, the band HOTTUB, the work you do with Bindlestiff, of like centering Filipino culture. Is there like a thesis or like mission statement behind that, or is that just who you are? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>nic feliciano:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> I think about this all the time. I think it’s just who I’ve always been. The very first day of school, of American school, ten years old, Orange County of all places. It was just so clear that I was not… of here. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">There’s so many times that my creative mind and like this idea of trying to reconcile, you know, my- my existence here to home. Like I still think Philippines is home. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I was five years old when the Philippine Revolution happened. So in 1986, the Filipino people banded together, got the support of the military, and ousted Ferdinand Marcos, who was dictator for like, the last 26 years or whatever. And so I kind of feel like I’m a kid of revolution. Like, I understand that there is… that people can really get together and like, do something great, like, I believe in it, I seen it happen with my own eyes. And I feel like coming here, there’s always just been this sense of, like, refusing to be erased. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The last question that we have for you is: being in your expansive era now, and all the personal values you have for yourself. What do you need from, like, the art scene or your peers or art spaces to do the kind of work you want to do? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>nic feliciano: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Watching how — especially here in the Bay Area — watching how artists come together to like, really fight for what they believe in, and really, like, put their necks on the line and really support certain movements, like it’s fired up right now. And I think that, you know, what we can all do for each other is provide ways that we can build our stamina, because I really think that’s what we’re gonna need. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And the more of that we use our art as leverage and as power, and the more that we understand how powerful we are together… I think that’s probably my greatest ask for myself and our community. It’s like, figure out ways to build stamina because we’re really gonna need it for the long haul.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Credits music]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Big thank you nic feliciano for dropping by the KQED stu’ to talk about the important things and for making us laugh through it all. You can find her on instagram @cocomachetez. That’s spelled c-o-c-o-m-a-c-h-e-t-e-z. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">From May 16th through June 1st, nic will be taking part in an original production at Bindlestiff Studios called Dark Heart. Be sure to check that out. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This episode was hosted by me, Pendarvis Harshaw. Marisol Medina-Cadena produced this episode. Chris Hambrick held it down for edits on this one. Christopher Beale engineered this joint. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The music you heard was courtesy of HOTTUB and Audio Network.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Rightnowish team is also supported by Jen Chien, Ugur Dursun, Holly Kernan, Cesar Saldaña and Katie Sprenger. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Thank you all for listening! For longtime fans of the show, y’all know how we roll. But if you’re new here, welcome! We’re glad to have you, it’s our honor to introduce you to Bay Area culture keepers and change makers you may not have the privilege of knowing… yet. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So, if you enjoy what we’re doing at Rightnowish, please share the podcast with a friend or a coworker. Subscribe and rate the podcast on whatever platform you choose. Every little action goes a long way. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Ok, y’all be easy! \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Rightnowish is a KQED production.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Peace.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003cem>Rightnowish is an arts and culture podcast produced at KQED. Listen to it wherever you get your podcasts or click the play button at the top of this page and subscribe to the show on \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/721590300/rightnowish\">NPR One\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/show/7kEJuafTzTVan7B78ttz1I\">Spotify\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rightnowish/id1482187648\">Apple Podcasts\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://tunein.com/podcasts/Arts--Culture-Podcasts/Rightnowish-p1258245/\">TuneIn\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/rightnowish\">Stitcher\u003c/a> or wherever you get your podcasts. \u003c/em>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"fullwidth"},"numeric":["fullwidth"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"floatright"},"numeric":["floatright"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}}],"link":"/arts/13956388/nic-feliciano-is-blessed-with-the-curse-of-an-overactive-creative-mind","authors":["11491","11528"],"programs":["arts_8720"],"categories":["arts_1","arts_73","arts_968","arts_835","arts_69","arts_1003"],"tags":["arts_820","arts_549","arts_7584","arts_1942","arts_10278","arts_2855","arts_831","arts_1072"],"featImg":"arts_13956394","label":"arts_8720"},"arts_13958007":{"type":"posts","id":"arts_13958007","meta":{"index":"posts_1591205157","site":"arts","id":"13958007","score":null,"sort":[1715897916000]},"guestAuthors":[],"slug":"ybca-new-interim-ceo-jim-rettew","title":"Amid Upheaval, a New CEO Steps in at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts","publishDate":1715897916,"format":"standard","headTitle":"Amid Upheaval, a New CEO Steps in at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts | KQED","labelTerm":{"site":"arts"},"content":"\u003cp>A new CEO has stepped in to lead \u003ca href=\"https://ybca.org/\">Yerba Buena Center for the Arts\u003c/a> (YBCA), the embattled San Francisco arts organization whose \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13953653/ybca-ceo-resigns-after-pro-palestinian-protest-and-boycott\">previous interim CEO abruptly resigned\u003c/a> in March during the fallout of a pro-Palestinian protest.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jim Rettew, the new interim CEO, has previously held five interim leadership roles at various nonprofits. His background as a crisis management expert will be put to the test at YBCA, which has been embroiled in controversy since a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13952460/artists-deface-work-ybca-pro-palestine-protest\">Feb. 15 protest\u003c/a> during which eight artists spray painted and draped pro-Palestinian messages onto their own works in the \u003ci>Bay Area Now 9\u003c/i> exhibit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13958014\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 906px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13958014\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Jim-Rettew.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"906\" height=\"1155\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Jim-Rettew.jpg 906w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Jim-Rettew-800x1020.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Jim-Rettew-160x204.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Jim-Rettew-768x979.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 906px) 100vw, 906px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jim Rettew is YBCA’s new interim CEO. \u003ccite>(Jim Rettew)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In response to the protest, former interim CEO Sara Fenske Bahat and the board closed the galleries, which remained shuttered for a month. In open letters, \u003ca href=\"https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZAoljeQycemJrzYNDyVoSN0gc6ogp5B3jUzj77qua2g/edit\">artists\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdLNnUvnx74rLWZKIJaHUsMt4qOogFrBZ2OIeUjKjM2gblk6Q/viewform\">staff\u003c/a> accused YBCA leaders of censorship. Bahat resigned on March 3, citing “antisemitic backlash” and “the actions of some of our own employees” in her letter to the board. (Staff and leadership denied each other’s allegations.) San Francisco Supervisor Hillary Ronen, meanwhile, voiced support for the artists, and proposed an examination of the city’s support of YBCA at an upcoming Board of Supervisors meeting.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13952460,arts_13953653']YBCA reopened in mid-March, but the turmoil continued. At least nine staff members have resigned in protest, according to employee comments during a public meeting. And YBCA now faces scrutiny from San Francisco’s Director of Cultural Affairs, who has proposed changes that would drastically alter how YBCA operates.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In an email interview, Rettew told KQED that he sees rebuilding public trust as one of YBCA’s biggest challenges, and that he’s spent his first few weeks on the job listening to employees.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m now using those essential conversations to work with our staff to help deliver on the promises and aspirations of our organization,” he wrote. “I think that in many ways, the protest on Feb. 15 was a reflection of people asking the question: what do people expect from a cultural institution in 2024? We are working tirelessly to try to answer that question, and to create a space that is authentic and valuable to the public.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13954248\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13954248\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/240313-YBCAARTISTS-JY-014-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/240313-YBCAARTISTS-JY-014-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/240313-YBCAARTISTS-JY-014-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/240313-YBCAARTISTS-JY-014-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/240313-YBCAARTISTS-JY-014-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/240313-YBCAARTISTS-JY-014-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/240313-YBCAARTISTS-JY-014-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/240313-YBCAARTISTS-JY-014-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bay Area Artists Against Genocide (B.A.A.A.G.) member Paz G displays design options at a screen-printing event artists organized outside of YBCA while the art center was closed in March 2024. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>An art center on taxpayer-funded property\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>YBCA is under particular scrutiny because the private nonprofit enjoys significant, taxpayer-funded subsidies from the City and County of San Francisco. It occupies a city-owned building, rent free, on public land under a contract that’s subject to renewal through 2094. YBCA has also received tens of millions in taxpayer dollars since its founding in 1993; according to its most recent financial report, for fiscal year 2023, about 6% of its revenue and support came from the City and County of San Francisco. [ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yerba Buena Gardens Conservancy, another nonprofit, manages the YBCA property, acting as an intermediary between YBCA and the city. In exchange for financial support and subsidies, YBCA is contractually obligated to offer “high-quality artistic programming to San Francisco residents and visitors.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the Conservancy’s most recent public board meeting on April 10, San Francisco’s Director of Cultural Affairs, Ralph Remington, sharply criticized YBCA for what he considers its failure to do so.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“With the level of subsidy YBCA receives … they should have been operating and maintaining the cultural facilities in a way that presents themselves as a world-class performing arts presenting, producing, exhibiting organization,” Remington said. “You’d have to go back into the distant past to see when that actually happened.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13958015\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13958015\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Ralph-Remington-3_Photo-Credit-Aminda-Villa_0-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Ralph-Remington-3_Photo-Credit-Aminda-Villa_0-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Ralph-Remington-3_Photo-Credit-Aminda-Villa_0-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Ralph-Remington-3_Photo-Credit-Aminda-Villa_0-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Ralph-Remington-3_Photo-Credit-Aminda-Villa_0-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Ralph-Remington-3_Photo-Credit-Aminda-Villa_0-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Ralph-Remington-3_Photo-Credit-Aminda-Villa_0-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Ralph-Remington-3_Photo-Credit-Aminda-Villa_0-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Ralph-Remington-3_Photo-Credit-Aminda-Villa_0-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">San Francisco Director of Cultural Affairs Ralph Remington said YBCA needs to be ‘reined in’ at a recent board meeting. \u003ccite>(Aminda Villa)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Indeed, YBCA significantly reduced its film programming in 2018 after \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13841205/curatorial-crisis-bay-area-art-institutions\">laying off the two-person department\u003c/a>. In 2020, it launched the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13880296/ybca-launches-artist-power-center-resource-for-financially-struggling-artists\">Artist Power Center\u003c/a>, an online platform meant to connect artists to grants and job opportunities; it has since sunsetted that project.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It turned into some kind of weird thinktank that should’ve been out in the woods somewhere, maybe,” said Remington at the Conservancy board meeting. “But for the level of public subsidy in the middle of the city … YBCA, in my opinion, needs to be reined in.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the board meeting, Remington contrasted YBCA with SOMArts, a significantly less resourced nonprofit that’s also located in a city-owned building. While YBCA enjoys a spacious, modern, centrally located facility, SOMArts needs significant seismic improvements, and is in a much less desirable location, below a freeway underpass and away from BART and downtown offices. [aside postid='arts_13955613']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I would put on the table that we could move SOMArts into YBCA to share with SOMA Pilipinas,” said Remington, referring to another vibrant, less resourced arts organization, “and they could activate the building.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a follow-up interview, Remington told KQED that these proposals are in their “embryonic” stages. He credited the Feb. 15 protesters, who now call themselves Bay Area Artists Against Genocide, with spurring important conversations about reforms at YBCA.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think the activists ultimately were successful because they drew attention to the issues at YBCA; they drew attention to the issue that they were actually protesting about,” he said in a video call. “And they brought about ultimate change that will happen with that organization as a result of these bold actions. … This is why civil disobedience and protest and having your voice heard is so important.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952464\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952464\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240215-YBCAGazaProtest-29-BL_qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240215-YBCAGazaProtest-29-BL_qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240215-YBCAGazaProtest-29-BL_qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240215-YBCAGazaProtest-29-BL_qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240215-YBCAGazaProtest-29-BL_qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240215-YBCAGazaProtest-29-BL_qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240215-YBCAGazaProtest-29-BL_qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Demonstators chant during a protest calling for a ceasefire in Gaza at the show ‘Bay Area Now’ at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco on Feb. 15, 2024. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Staff members reveal a schism with leadership\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>During the April 10 Conservancy board meeting, a handful of YBCA staff members spoke out during public comment, painting an image of broken trust between the art center’s leadership and YBCA workers. The employees said that, even amid leadership changes, they’ve spent years building relationships with artists and the public, and they now feel those relationships are in jeopardy due to the actions of the board and former CEO.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rettew told KQED that he sees rebuilding trust with staff as one of his first priorities. (He declined to comment on recent staff resignations.) He also said that he’s working to make sure the art center fulfills its commitment to the city and its visitors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I cannot undo decisions that were made, or change what happened,” he said. “What I can do is help this organization move forward with integrity.” [aside postid='arts_13956575']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When asked about issues raised in the Feb. 15 protest, Rettew said YBCA would not join the Palestinian Campaign for an Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI), as artists demanded. (The boycott encourages international institutions to divest from Israeli institutions until Israel ends its siege and occupation of Gaza and the West Bank, among other conditions.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When asked if YBCA would take a different approach to political messages in artists’ work, Rettew didn’t specify any changes. But he said that the censorship allegations “remain one of the most challenging and contentious issues of the past few months,” and underscored the institutions’ need to balance artistic expression with curatorial context.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13953036\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13953036\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240215-YBCAGazaProtest-07-BL_qut.jpg\" alt='A sign over a wool rug reads \"No More Blood Money - Ceasefire Now!\"' width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240215-YBCAGazaProtest-07-BL_qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240215-YBCAGazaProtest-07-BL_qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240215-YBCAGazaProtest-07-BL_qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240215-YBCAGazaProtest-07-BL_qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240215-YBCAGazaProtest-07-BL_qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240215-YBCAGazaProtest-07-BL_qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A sign covers art by Tracy Ren during a protest calling for a ceasefire in Gaza at the show Bay Area Now at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco on Feb. 15, 2024. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Rettew is now focused on YBCA’s upcoming programming. “I recognize that it is now our job to prove ourselves as a trustworthy partner to the community, and to artists, and the way that we will do that is by doubling down on our commitment to put on engaging and thought-provoking exhibitions, by filling our theater as many nights as possible, by putting together compelling public programs, and by working with our neighbors to continue the important work of bringing people downtown to the Yerba Buena District,” he wrote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>YBCA’s next exhibition, a \u003ca href=\"https://ybca.org/ybca-announces-nick-dong-11-to-88-an-immersive-solo-exhibition/\">solo show by Oakland artist Nick Dong\u003c/a>, opens on June 6 and will be on view through Aug. 25. A spring dance festival presented by San Francisco Ballet School is slated for May 22-24; there’s also a free, all-ages art workshop scheduled for May 22.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, Remington hopes the Yerba Buena Gardens Conservancy will arrive at a plan of action for YBCA by the fall. The proposed San Francisco Board of Supervisors public hearing on censorship allegations at YBCA has not been scheduled.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n","blocks":[],"excerpt":"Interim CEO Jim Rettew wants to rebuild public trust after the art center's censorship controversies. ","status":"publish","parent":0,"modified":1715980497,"stats":{"hasAudio":false,"hasVideo":false,"hasChartOrMap":false,"iframeSrcs":[],"hasGoogleForm":false,"hasGallery":false,"hasHearkenModule":false,"hasPolis":false,"paragraphCount":25,"wordCount":1524},"headData":{"title":"Amid Upheaval, a New CEO Steps in at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts | KQED","description":"Interim CEO Jim Rettew wants to rebuild public trust after the art center's censorship controversies. ","ogTitle":"","ogDescription":"","ogImgId":"","twTitle":"","twDescription":"","twImgId":"","schema":{"@context":"http://schema.org","@type":"Article","headline":"Amid Upheaval, a New CEO Steps in at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts","datePublished":"2024-05-16T15:18:36-07:00","dateModified":"2024-05-17T14:14:57-07:00","image":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"}},"sticky":false,"nprStoryId":"kqed-13958007","templateType":"standard","featuredImageType":"standard","excludeFromSiteSearch":"Include","articleAge":"0","path":"/arts/13958007/ybca-new-interim-ceo-jim-rettew","audioTrackLength":null,"parsedContent":[{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>A new CEO has stepped in to lead \u003ca href=\"https://ybca.org/\">Yerba Buena Center for the Arts\u003c/a> (YBCA), the embattled San Francisco arts organization whose \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13953653/ybca-ceo-resigns-after-pro-palestinian-protest-and-boycott\">previous interim CEO abruptly resigned\u003c/a> in March during the fallout of a pro-Palestinian protest.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jim Rettew, the new interim CEO, has previously held five interim leadership roles at various nonprofits. His background as a crisis management expert will be put to the test at YBCA, which has been embroiled in controversy since a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13952460/artists-deface-work-ybca-pro-palestine-protest\">Feb. 15 protest\u003c/a> during which eight artists spray painted and draped pro-Palestinian messages onto their own works in the \u003ci>Bay Area Now 9\u003c/i> exhibit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13958014\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 906px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13958014\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Jim-Rettew.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"906\" height=\"1155\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Jim-Rettew.jpg 906w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Jim-Rettew-800x1020.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Jim-Rettew-160x204.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Jim-Rettew-768x979.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 906px) 100vw, 906px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jim Rettew is YBCA’s new interim CEO. \u003ccite>(Jim Rettew)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In response to the protest, former interim CEO Sara Fenske Bahat and the board closed the galleries, which remained shuttered for a month. In open letters, \u003ca href=\"https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZAoljeQycemJrzYNDyVoSN0gc6ogp5B3jUzj77qua2g/edit\">artists\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdLNnUvnx74rLWZKIJaHUsMt4qOogFrBZ2OIeUjKjM2gblk6Q/viewform\">staff\u003c/a> accused YBCA leaders of censorship. Bahat resigned on March 3, citing “antisemitic backlash” and “the actions of some of our own employees” in her letter to the board. (Staff and leadership denied each other’s allegations.) San Francisco Supervisor Hillary Ronen, meanwhile, voiced support for the artists, and proposed an examination of the city’s support of YBCA at an upcoming Board of Supervisors meeting.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"aside","attributes":{"named":{"postid":"arts_13952460,arts_13953653","label":""},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>YBCA reopened in mid-March, but the turmoil continued. At least nine staff members have resigned in protest, according to employee comments during a public meeting. And YBCA now faces scrutiny from San Francisco’s Director of Cultural Affairs, who has proposed changes that would drastically alter how YBCA operates.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In an email interview, Rettew told KQED that he sees rebuilding public trust as one of YBCA’s biggest challenges, and that he’s spent his first few weeks on the job listening to employees.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m now using those essential conversations to work with our staff to help deliver on the promises and aspirations of our organization,” he wrote. “I think that in many ways, the protest on Feb. 15 was a reflection of people asking the question: what do people expect from a cultural institution in 2024? We are working tirelessly to try to answer that question, and to create a space that is authentic and valuable to the public.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13954248\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13954248\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/240313-YBCAARTISTS-JY-014-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/240313-YBCAARTISTS-JY-014-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/240313-YBCAARTISTS-JY-014-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/240313-YBCAARTISTS-JY-014-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/240313-YBCAARTISTS-JY-014-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/240313-YBCAARTISTS-JY-014-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/240313-YBCAARTISTS-JY-014-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/240313-YBCAARTISTS-JY-014-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bay Area Artists Against Genocide (B.A.A.A.G.) member Paz G displays design options at a screen-printing event artists organized outside of YBCA while the art center was closed in March 2024. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>An art center on taxpayer-funded property\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>YBCA is under particular scrutiny because the private nonprofit enjoys significant, taxpayer-funded subsidies from the City and County of San Francisco. It occupies a city-owned building, rent free, on public land under a contract that’s subject to renewal through 2094. YBCA has also received tens of millions in taxpayer dollars since its founding in 1993; according to its most recent financial report, for fiscal year 2023, about 6% of its revenue and support came from the City and County of San Francisco. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"fullwidth"},"numeric":["fullwidth"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yerba Buena Gardens Conservancy, another nonprofit, manages the YBCA property, acting as an intermediary between YBCA and the city. In exchange for financial support and subsidies, YBCA is contractually obligated to offer “high-quality artistic programming to San Francisco residents and visitors.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the Conservancy’s most recent public board meeting on April 10, San Francisco’s Director of Cultural Affairs, Ralph Remington, sharply criticized YBCA for what he considers its failure to do so.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“With the level of subsidy YBCA receives … they should have been operating and maintaining the cultural facilities in a way that presents themselves as a world-class performing arts presenting, producing, exhibiting organization,” Remington said. “You’d have to go back into the distant past to see when that actually happened.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13958015\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13958015\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Ralph-Remington-3_Photo-Credit-Aminda-Villa_0-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Ralph-Remington-3_Photo-Credit-Aminda-Villa_0-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Ralph-Remington-3_Photo-Credit-Aminda-Villa_0-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Ralph-Remington-3_Photo-Credit-Aminda-Villa_0-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Ralph-Remington-3_Photo-Credit-Aminda-Villa_0-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Ralph-Remington-3_Photo-Credit-Aminda-Villa_0-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Ralph-Remington-3_Photo-Credit-Aminda-Villa_0-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Ralph-Remington-3_Photo-Credit-Aminda-Villa_0-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Ralph-Remington-3_Photo-Credit-Aminda-Villa_0-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">San Francisco Director of Cultural Affairs Ralph Remington said YBCA needs to be ‘reined in’ at a recent board meeting. \u003ccite>(Aminda Villa)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Indeed, YBCA significantly reduced its film programming in 2018 after \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13841205/curatorial-crisis-bay-area-art-institutions\">laying off the two-person department\u003c/a>. In 2020, it launched the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13880296/ybca-launches-artist-power-center-resource-for-financially-struggling-artists\">Artist Power Center\u003c/a>, an online platform meant to connect artists to grants and job opportunities; it has since sunsetted that project.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It turned into some kind of weird thinktank that should’ve been out in the woods somewhere, maybe,” said Remington at the Conservancy board meeting. “But for the level of public subsidy in the middle of the city … YBCA, in my opinion, needs to be reined in.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the board meeting, Remington contrasted YBCA with SOMArts, a significantly less resourced nonprofit that’s also located in a city-owned building. While YBCA enjoys a spacious, modern, centrally located facility, SOMArts needs significant seismic improvements, and is in a much less desirable location, below a freeway underpass and away from BART and downtown offices. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"aside","attributes":{"named":{"postid":"arts_13955613","label":""},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I would put on the table that we could move SOMArts into YBCA to share with SOMA Pilipinas,” said Remington, referring to another vibrant, less resourced arts organization, “and they could activate the building.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a follow-up interview, Remington told KQED that these proposals are in their “embryonic” stages. He credited the Feb. 15 protesters, who now call themselves Bay Area Artists Against Genocide, with spurring important conversations about reforms at YBCA.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think the activists ultimately were successful because they drew attention to the issues at YBCA; they drew attention to the issue that they were actually protesting about,” he said in a video call. “And they brought about ultimate change that will happen with that organization as a result of these bold actions. … This is why civil disobedience and protest and having your voice heard is so important.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952464\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952464\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240215-YBCAGazaProtest-29-BL_qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240215-YBCAGazaProtest-29-BL_qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240215-YBCAGazaProtest-29-BL_qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240215-YBCAGazaProtest-29-BL_qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240215-YBCAGazaProtest-29-BL_qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240215-YBCAGazaProtest-29-BL_qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240215-YBCAGazaProtest-29-BL_qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Demonstators chant during a protest calling for a ceasefire in Gaza at the show ‘Bay Area Now’ at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco on Feb. 15, 2024. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Staff members reveal a schism with leadership\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>During the April 10 Conservancy board meeting, a handful of YBCA staff members spoke out during public comment, painting an image of broken trust between the art center’s leadership and YBCA workers. The employees said that, even amid leadership changes, they’ve spent years building relationships with artists and the public, and they now feel those relationships are in jeopardy due to the actions of the board and former CEO.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rettew told KQED that he sees rebuilding trust with staff as one of his first priorities. (He declined to comment on recent staff resignations.) He also said that he’s working to make sure the art center fulfills its commitment to the city and its visitors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I cannot undo decisions that were made, or change what happened,” he said. “What I can do is help this organization move forward with integrity.” \u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"aside","attributes":{"named":{"postid":"arts_13956575","label":""},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When asked about issues raised in the Feb. 15 protest, Rettew said YBCA would not join the Palestinian Campaign for an Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI), as artists demanded. (The boycott encourages international institutions to divest from Israeli institutions until Israel ends its siege and occupation of Gaza and the West Bank, among other conditions.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When asked if YBCA would take a different approach to political messages in artists’ work, Rettew didn’t specify any changes. But he said that the censorship allegations “remain one of the most challenging and contentious issues of the past few months,” and underscored the institutions’ need to balance artistic expression with curatorial context.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13953036\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13953036\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240215-YBCAGazaProtest-07-BL_qut.jpg\" alt='A sign over a wool rug reads \"No More Blood Money - Ceasefire Now!\"' width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240215-YBCAGazaProtest-07-BL_qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240215-YBCAGazaProtest-07-BL_qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240215-YBCAGazaProtest-07-BL_qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240215-YBCAGazaProtest-07-BL_qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240215-YBCAGazaProtest-07-BL_qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240215-YBCAGazaProtest-07-BL_qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A sign covers art by Tracy Ren during a protest calling for a ceasefire in Gaza at the show Bay Area Now at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco on Feb. 15, 2024. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Rettew is now focused on YBCA’s upcoming programming. “I recognize that it is now our job to prove ourselves as a trustworthy partner to the community, and to artists, and the way that we will do that is by doubling down on our commitment to put on engaging and thought-provoking exhibitions, by filling our theater as many nights as possible, by putting together compelling public programs, and by working with our neighbors to continue the important work of bringing people downtown to the Yerba Buena District,” he wrote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>YBCA’s next exhibition, a \u003ca href=\"https://ybca.org/ybca-announces-nick-dong-11-to-88-an-immersive-solo-exhibition/\">solo show by Oakland artist Nick Dong\u003c/a>, opens on June 6 and will be on view through Aug. 25. A spring dance festival presented by San Francisco Ballet School is slated for May 22-24; there’s also a free, all-ages art workshop scheduled for May 22.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, Remington hopes the Yerba Buena Gardens Conservancy will arrive at a plan of action for YBCA by the fall. The proposed San Francisco Board of Supervisors public hearing on censorship allegations at YBCA has not been scheduled.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"floatright"},"numeric":["floatright"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}}],"link":"/arts/13958007/ybca-new-interim-ceo-jim-rettew","authors":["11387"],"categories":["arts_1","arts_235"],"tags":["arts_10342","arts_10278","arts_3648","arts_1146","arts_1040","arts_1955"],"featImg":"arts_13954250","label":"arts"},"arts_13957645":{"type":"posts","id":"arts_13957645","meta":{"index":"posts_1591205157","site":"arts","id":"13957645","score":null,"sort":[1715374658000]},"guestAuthors":[],"slug":"100-million-gift-affordable-artist-housing-mcroskey-mattress-san-francisco","title":"$100 Million Gift Paves Way for Affordable Artist Housing in San Francisco","publishDate":1715374658,"format":"aside","headTitle":"$100 Million Gift Paves Way for Affordable Artist Housing in San Francisco | KQED","labelTerm":{"site":"arts"},"content":"\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957614\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2160px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/1687-Market-Street.png\" alt=\"A computer rendering of a 17-story building, on a street with people and cars.\" width=\"2160\" height=\"2160\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957614\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/1687-Market-Street.png 2160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/1687-Market-Street-800x800.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/1687-Market-Street-1020x1020.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/1687-Market-Street-160x160.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/1687-Market-Street-768x768.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/1687-Market-Street-1536x1536.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/1687-Market-Street-2048x2048.png 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/1687-Market-Street-1920x1920.png 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2160px) 100vw, 2160px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A rendering of the proposed artist housing at 1687 Market Street, planned with 100 affordable artist units, studio and rehearsal spaces, a community center and a black box theater. \u003ccite>(Mark Cavagnero Associates Architects)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>A new San Francisco development that would provide affordable housing and studio space for artists took its first step toward completion Friday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Buoyed by a $100 million gift from an anonymous donor, two nonprofits, \u003ca href=\"https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/880678308\">Artists Hub on Market\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.mercyhousing.org/california/\">Mercy Housing of California\u003c/a>, filed plans with the city for 1687 Market St., the current site of the McRoskey Mattress Co. showroom.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The plans call for a 17-story building with 100 affordable apartments for artists, as well as studio space, practice rooms, a community center and a 99-seat black box theater. Though the construction price is not finalized, the gift was “based around the initial estimate” for such a project, according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13910898/randall-kline-stepping-down-from-sfjazz\">Randall Kline\u003c/a>, the president of Artists Hub on Market.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='news_11973656']Kline said the project was inspired by the ongoing exodus of artists priced out of San Francisco as rents have skyrocketed and spaces closed. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When I came to San Francisco almost 50 years ago, I was an aspiring artist, and I could live quite cheaply here,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think everyone’s in agreement that this would be a really great thing for the benefit of artists and the cultural life of San Francisco,” said Kline, who as founder and former director of SFJAZZ shepherded construction of the $64 million SFJAZZ Center, which opened in 2013 at Franklin and Fell Streets, six blocks from the proposed housing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13928729\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/Randall.Kline_.2023.Gala_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1281\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13928729\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/Randall.Kline_.2023.Gala_.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/Randall.Kline_.2023.Gala_-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/Randall.Kline_.2023.Gala_-1020x681.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/Randall.Kline_.2023.Gala_-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/Randall.Kline_.2023.Gala_-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/Randall.Kline_.2023.Gala_-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">SFJAZZ founder Randall Kline accepts the Lifetime Achievement Award at the organization’s annual gala in San Francisco on May 4, 2023. \u003ccite>(Drew Alitzer Photography)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>According to Kline, both Mayor London Breed and San Francisco’s planning department have so far been enthusiastic about the project, known simply as 1687 Market. The project would be fast-tracked by \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11923146/these-california-affordable-housing-bills-could-create-more-than-a-million-apartments-if-labor-unions-can-agree-on-terms\">Assembly Bill 2011\u003c/a>, approved in 2022, which encourages affordable housing on commercially zoned land.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The hope is to begin construction in late 2025, with completion sometime in 2027. Overseeing the project is San Francisco architect \u003ca href=\"https://www.cavagnero.com/\">Mark Cavagnero\u003c/a>, whose projects include the SFJAZZ Center as well as the nearby San Francisco Conservatory of Music. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13910898']It is “far too soon” to provide an estimated monthly rent for space at 1687 Market, Kline said. Applications for artist housing in San Francisco are typically subject to a lottery, though \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13828581/san-francisco-looks-to-create-low-cost-housing-preference-for-artists\">that process has at times been onerous\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As an inspiration for 1867 Market, Kline cited New York City’s Manhattan Plaza, an artist building that has been home to many jazz musicians, as well as singer Alicia Keys, writer Tennessee Williams, actor Timothée Chalamet and others.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s a building older than that, also, called Westbeth,” Kline said, referring to the downtown New York building that has housed jazz guitarist John Scofield, visual artist Nam June Paik, choreographer Merce Cunningham and actor Robert de Niro.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957654\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GettyImages-1321602984.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1304\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957654\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GettyImages-1321602984.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GettyImages-1321602984-800x543.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GettyImages-1321602984-1020x693.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GettyImages-1321602984-160x109.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GettyImages-1321602984-768x522.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GettyImages-1321602984-1536x1043.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Robin McRoskey Azevedo, pictured in 2010 at the McRoskey Mattress Co. on Market Street in San Francisco. The building site is planned for new artist housing. \u003ccite>(Liz Hafalia/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The existing \u003ca href=\"https://www.mcroskey.com/heritage\">McRoskey Mattress Co.\u003c/a> building would be demolished to make way for the new housing. Building owner Robin McRoskey Azevedo sold the mattress company, which was founded in 1899, to Fresno-based Pleasant Mattress in 2018. In its factory loft, the building has hosted events with the San Francisco Silent Film Festival, for which Azevedo is a board member. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The project is coming about thanks to a combination of AB 2011, support from the city and a central location, Kline said, as well as \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13910898/randall-kline-stepping-down-from-sfjazz\">his decision last year to step down from SFJAZZ\u003c/a>. The anonymous donor, meanwhile, was crucial. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I mean, what a gift to the city,” Kline said. “This is really a person who doesn’t care about notoriety, but does care about the artistic and cultural life of the city.”\u003c/p>\n\n","blocks":[],"excerpt":"Plans for the 100-unit building on Market Street were filed with the city on Friday.","status":"publish","parent":0,"modified":1715977809,"stats":{"hasAudio":false,"hasVideo":false,"hasChartOrMap":false,"iframeSrcs":[],"hasGoogleForm":false,"hasGallery":false,"hasHearkenModule":false,"hasPolis":false,"paragraphCount":16,"wordCount":688},"headData":{"title":"$100 Million Gift Paves Way for Affordable Artist Housing in San Francisco | KQED","description":"Plans for the 100-unit building on Market Street were filed with the city on Friday.","ogTitle":"","ogDescription":"","ogImgId":"","twTitle":"","twDescription":"","twImgId":"","schema":{"@context":"http://schema.org","@type":"Article","headline":"$100 Million Gift Paves Way for Affordable Artist Housing in San Francisco","datePublished":"2024-05-10T13:57:38-07:00","dateModified":"2024-05-17T13:30:09-07:00","image":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"}},"sticky":false,"nprStoryId":"kqed-13957645","templateType":"standard","featuredImageType":"standard","excludeFromSiteSearch":"Include","articleAge":"0","path":"/arts/13957645/100-million-gift-affordable-artist-housing-mcroskey-mattress-san-francisco","audioTrackLength":null,"parsedContent":[{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957614\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2160px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/1687-Market-Street.png\" alt=\"A computer rendering of a 17-story building, on a street with people and cars.\" width=\"2160\" height=\"2160\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957614\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/1687-Market-Street.png 2160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/1687-Market-Street-800x800.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/1687-Market-Street-1020x1020.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/1687-Market-Street-160x160.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/1687-Market-Street-768x768.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/1687-Market-Street-1536x1536.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/1687-Market-Street-2048x2048.png 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/1687-Market-Street-1920x1920.png 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2160px) 100vw, 2160px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A rendering of the proposed artist housing at 1687 Market Street, planned with 100 affordable artist units, studio and rehearsal spaces, a community center and a black box theater. \u003ccite>(Mark Cavagnero Associates Architects)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>A new San Francisco development that would provide affordable housing and studio space for artists took its first step toward completion Friday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Buoyed by a $100 million gift from an anonymous donor, two nonprofits, \u003ca href=\"https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/880678308\">Artists Hub on Market\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.mercyhousing.org/california/\">Mercy Housing of California\u003c/a>, filed plans with the city for 1687 Market St., the current site of the McRoskey Mattress Co. showroom.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The plans call for a 17-story building with 100 affordable apartments for artists, as well as studio space, practice rooms, a community center and a 99-seat black box theater. Though the construction price is not finalized, the gift was “based around the initial estimate” for such a project, according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13910898/randall-kline-stepping-down-from-sfjazz\">Randall Kline\u003c/a>, the president of Artists Hub on Market.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"aside","attributes":{"named":{"postid":"news_11973656","label":""},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Kline said the project was inspired by the ongoing exodus of artists priced out of San Francisco as rents have skyrocketed and spaces closed. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When I came to San Francisco almost 50 years ago, I was an aspiring artist, and I could live quite cheaply here,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"fullwidth"},"numeric":["fullwidth"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think everyone’s in agreement that this would be a really great thing for the benefit of artists and the cultural life of San Francisco,” said Kline, who as founder and former director of SFJAZZ shepherded construction of the $64 million SFJAZZ Center, which opened in 2013 at Franklin and Fell Streets, six blocks from the proposed housing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13928729\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/Randall.Kline_.2023.Gala_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1281\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13928729\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/Randall.Kline_.2023.Gala_.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/Randall.Kline_.2023.Gala_-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/Randall.Kline_.2023.Gala_-1020x681.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/Randall.Kline_.2023.Gala_-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/Randall.Kline_.2023.Gala_-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/Randall.Kline_.2023.Gala_-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">SFJAZZ founder Randall Kline accepts the Lifetime Achievement Award at the organization’s annual gala in San Francisco on May 4, 2023. \u003ccite>(Drew Alitzer Photography)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>According to Kline, both Mayor London Breed and San Francisco’s planning department have so far been enthusiastic about the project, known simply as 1687 Market. The project would be fast-tracked by \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11923146/these-california-affordable-housing-bills-could-create-more-than-a-million-apartments-if-labor-unions-can-agree-on-terms\">Assembly Bill 2011\u003c/a>, approved in 2022, which encourages affordable housing on commercially zoned land.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The hope is to begin construction in late 2025, with completion sometime in 2027. Overseeing the project is San Francisco architect \u003ca href=\"https://www.cavagnero.com/\">Mark Cavagnero\u003c/a>, whose projects include the SFJAZZ Center as well as the nearby San Francisco Conservatory of Music. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"aside","attributes":{"named":{"postid":"arts_13910898","label":""},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>It is “far too soon” to provide an estimated monthly rent for space at 1687 Market, Kline said. Applications for artist housing in San Francisco are typically subject to a lottery, though \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13828581/san-francisco-looks-to-create-low-cost-housing-preference-for-artists\">that process has at times been onerous\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As an inspiration for 1867 Market, Kline cited New York City’s Manhattan Plaza, an artist building that has been home to many jazz musicians, as well as singer Alicia Keys, writer Tennessee Williams, actor Timothée Chalamet and others.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s a building older than that, also, called Westbeth,” Kline said, referring to the downtown New York building that has housed jazz guitarist John Scofield, visual artist Nam June Paik, choreographer Merce Cunningham and actor Robert de Niro.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957654\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GettyImages-1321602984.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1304\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957654\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GettyImages-1321602984.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GettyImages-1321602984-800x543.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GettyImages-1321602984-1020x693.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GettyImages-1321602984-160x109.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GettyImages-1321602984-768x522.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GettyImages-1321602984-1536x1043.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Robin McRoskey Azevedo, pictured in 2010 at the McRoskey Mattress Co. on Market Street in San Francisco. The building site is planned for new artist housing. \u003ccite>(Liz Hafalia/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The existing \u003ca href=\"https://www.mcroskey.com/heritage\">McRoskey Mattress Co.\u003c/a> building would be demolished to make way for the new housing. Building owner Robin McRoskey Azevedo sold the mattress company, which was founded in 1899, to Fresno-based Pleasant Mattress in 2018. In its factory loft, the building has hosted events with the San Francisco Silent Film Festival, for which Azevedo is a board member. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The project is coming about thanks to a combination of AB 2011, support from the city and a central location, Kline said, as well as \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13910898/randall-kline-stepping-down-from-sfjazz\">his decision last year to step down from SFJAZZ\u003c/a>. The anonymous donor, meanwhile, was crucial. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I mean, what a gift to the city,” Kline said. “This is really a person who doesn’t care about notoriety, but does care about the artistic and cultural life of the city.”\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}}],"link":"/arts/13957645/100-million-gift-affordable-artist-housing-mcroskey-mattress-san-francisco","authors":["185"],"categories":["arts_1","arts_235"],"tags":["arts_10342","arts_10278","arts_4544","arts_163","arts_2216","arts_2048"],"featImg":"arts_13957653","label":"arts"},"arts_13957530":{"type":"posts","id":"arts_13957530","meta":{"index":"posts_1591205157","site":"arts","id":"13957530","score":null,"sort":[1715220738000]},"guestAuthors":[],"slug":"barbara-stauffacher-solomon-supergraphics-obituary","title":"Barbara Stauffacher Solomon, Visionary Artist Who Invented Supergraphics, Dies at 95","publishDate":1715220738,"format":"aside","headTitle":"Barbara Stauffacher Solomon, Visionary Artist Who Invented Supergraphics, Dies at 95 | KQED","labelTerm":{"site":"arts"},"content":"\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957526\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1436px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Barbara.top_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1436\" height=\"1920\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957526\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Barbara.top_.jpg 1436w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Barbara.top_-800x1070.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Barbara.top_-1020x1364.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Barbara.top_-160x214.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Barbara.top_-768x1027.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Barbara.top_-1149x1536.jpg 1149w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1436px) 100vw, 1436px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Barbara Stauffacher Solomon, seen here surrounded by her designs. The artist and pioneer of supergraphics died at her home Tuesday night at age 95. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Chris Grunder)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Barbara Stauffacher Solomon, a giant in the worlds of landscape architecture and graphic design who spearheaded the colorful supergraphics movement of the 1960s and ’70s, died last night at her home in San Francisco. She was 95.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to her daughter, the Los Angeles-based artist Nellie King Solomon, Stauffacher Solomon had been in hospice care for some time, and had reached the point where she was no longer able to eat, drink or talk. “Her body expired,” Solomon said. “She had a huge life! There’s no tragedy.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In spite of her declining health, Stauffacher Solomon was a prolific artist up until the very end. Recent projects include a series of drawings displayed on the walls above a \u003ca href=\"https://staircase.place/\">red-painted staircase\u003c/a> in the Inner Richmond, a \u003ca href=\"https://www.vonbartha.com/events/welcome-sign-st-moritz/\">95-foot-long “WELCOME” sign\u003c/a> installed on the retaining wall outside the train station in Moritz, Switzerland, and a large-scale, stripe-themed installation that currently occupies the entire \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfmoma.org/exhibition/barbara-stauffacher-solomon-strips-of-stripes/\">second-floor lobby of SFMOMA\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“She died with Liquid Paper on her hands,” Solomon said. “She wrestled it with the nurses.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13938883\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Barbara-Stauffacher-Solomon-Stripes-of-Stripes-SFMOMA-installation-view-4-2023-photo-by-Don-Ross_2000.jpg\" alt=\"Red and black stripes painted on white walls and ceilings of lobby space\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13938883\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Barbara-Stauffacher-Solomon-Stripes-of-Stripes-SFMOMA-installation-view-4-2023-photo-by-Don-Ross_2000.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Barbara-Stauffacher-Solomon-Stripes-of-Stripes-SFMOMA-installation-view-4-2023-photo-by-Don-Ross_2000-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Barbara-Stauffacher-Solomon-Stripes-of-Stripes-SFMOMA-installation-view-4-2023-photo-by-Don-Ross_2000-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Barbara-Stauffacher-Solomon-Stripes-of-Stripes-SFMOMA-installation-view-4-2023-photo-by-Don-Ross_2000-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Barbara-Stauffacher-Solomon-Stripes-of-Stripes-SFMOMA-installation-view-4-2023-photo-by-Don-Ross_2000-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Barbara-Stauffacher-Solomon-Stripes-of-Stripes-SFMOMA-installation-view-4-2023-photo-by-Don-Ross_2000-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Barbara-Stauffacher-Solomon-Stripes-of-Stripes-SFMOMA-installation-view-4-2023-photo-by-Don-Ross_2000-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Barbara Stauffacher Solomon, ‘Strips of Stripes’ at SFMOMA. \u003ccite>(Don Ross)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Chris Grunder, a San Francisco artist who worked as Stauffacher Solomon’s studio assistant and informal caregiver for much of the past few years, said that he was inspired by her ability to overcome adversity — “reinventing herself five times over in 70-plus years,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After her first husband, the filmmaker Frank Stauffacher, died, Stauffacher Solomon moved to Basel, Switzerland, to study graphic design and learn skills that she could use to support herself and her young child. She returned to San Francisco in the early ’60s to open her own graphic design firm. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13839100\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/Event_Artist-Talk_2018-08-16_Barbara-Stauffacher-Solomon_001_640.jpg\" alt=\"Barbara Stauffacher Solomon in 1955.\" width=\"640\" height=\"865\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13839100\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/Event_Artist-Talk_2018-08-16_Barbara-Stauffacher-Solomon_001_640.jpg 640w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/Event_Artist-Talk_2018-08-16_Barbara-Stauffacher-Solomon_001_640-160x216.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/Event_Artist-Talk_2018-08-16_Barbara-Stauffacher-Solomon_001_640-240x324.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/Event_Artist-Talk_2018-08-16_Barbara-Stauffacher-Solomon_001_640-375x507.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/Event_Artist-Talk_2018-08-16_Barbara-Stauffacher-Solomon_001_640-520x703.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Barbara Stauffacher Solomon in 1955. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of BAMPFA)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Soon after, Stauffacher Solomon took on the design project that she will likely be remembered most for, at an experimental housing development known as \u003ca href=\"https://www.tsra.org/\">Sea Ranch\u003c/a> on the Sonoma coast. She designed the ram’s horn–inspired logo, as well as the bold, large-scale graphic elements that are painted inside several buildings at Sea Ranch, including, most famously, its \u003ca href=\"https://searanch.ced.berkeley.edu/s/sea-ranch/page/moonraker\">athletic center\u003c/a>. The new style of graphics and environmental architecture that she created came to be known as supergraphics — a design movement that blended “the rigor of Swiss modernism with the color and style of [Stauffacher Solomon’s] West Coast sensibility,” as KQED’s Sarah Hotchkiss described it in a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13839094/barbara-stauffacher-solomon-bampfa-art-wall\">2018 profile of the artist\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957527\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GettyImages-1240494355.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1281\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957527\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GettyImages-1240494355.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GettyImages-1240494355-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GettyImages-1240494355-1020x681.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GettyImages-1240494355-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GettyImages-1240494355-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GettyImages-1240494355-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The rams horns at the Sea Ranch Lodge as designed by artist Barbara Stauffacher Solomon. \u003ccite>(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But Solomon asserted that the “hard-edged” supergraphics are only one part of her mother’s artistic legacy. “There was this whole schmaltzy side to her,” she said. She loved 1930s French music; she loved gardens and meadows; she spent years working primarily as a landscape architect. Some of Solomon’s favorite memories with her mother were of “breaking and entering” into historical gardens — experiences that she documented in her 1989 book, \u003cem>Green Architecture & the Agrarian Garden\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In more recent years, Stauffacher Solomon revisited the supergraphics style that she helped popularize, perhaps most notably for her recent SFMOMA atrium project. Joseph Becker, SFMOMA’s Associate Curator of Architecture and Design, said he had been collaborating with Stauffacher Solomon for years, describing her as “an incredible sparring partner and visionary who suffered no fools.” \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957524\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/DSC00061.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1079\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957524\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/DSC00061.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/DSC00061-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/DSC00061-1020x573.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/DSC00061-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/DSC00061-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/DSC00061-1536x863.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Barbara Stauffacher Solomon with her daughter Nellie and granddaughter Fia. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Nellie King Solomon)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“She overcame tremendous adversity in the early part of her career, developing her own graphic design practice in a world not hospitable to women setting out on their own and making a name for themselves,” Becker said. “One of the reasons was because she had an exacting vision and attitude. To work with someone like that, even though she was 95, her clarity was undeniable. She knew exactly what she wanted, saw all sides of the project.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The museum currently has new Stauffacher Solomon work that it’s partnering with the City of San Francisco to present: a massive, 300-foot-long \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfartscommission.org/content/minna-natoma-art-corridor-project-street-paving\">street paving project on Minna Street\u003c/a> featuring a graphic pattern made of red boots as an homage to Minna Rae Simpson, the street’s supposed namesake.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What an absolute San Francisco treasure,” Becker said of Stauffacher Solomon. “Hands down, one of the best.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957523\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/IMG_9498.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1443\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957523\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/IMG_9498.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/IMG_9498-800x601.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/IMG_9498-1020x767.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/IMG_9498-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/IMG_9498-768x577.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/IMG_9498-1536x1154.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Barbara Stauffacher Solomon, going through some of her many files. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Chris Grunder)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Grunder, who met Stauffacher Solomon in 2019, said he “clicked [with her] in a way I never clicked with any friend ever.” Working closely with her as her “accomplice” these past few years, he says what he learned most from her is that you “can have an absolutely wonderful life without trying to please everybody.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Truthfully, she was incredibly prickly to a lot of people, and incredibly sweet and devoted to others,” Grunder said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In recent years, he said, what Stauffacher Solomon seemed proudest of were her books — many of them an eccentric mix of drawings, abstractions and some rhyming text. The one she’d just completed, \u003cem>See the Invisible\u003c/em>, due to be released by \u003ca href=\"https://www.colpapress.com/collections/frontpage\">Colpa Press\u003c/a> later this year, focuses on a theme Grunder says Stauffacher Solomon was obsessed with: making things that are visible invisible — with how design can be almost entirely invisible.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13839103\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/BAMPFA-Mural_8-18_007_COVER.jpg\" alt=\"Installation view of Barbara Stauffacher Solomon's 'Land(e)scape 2018' at BAMPFA.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13839103\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/BAMPFA-Mural_8-18_007_COVER.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/BAMPFA-Mural_8-18_007_COVER-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/BAMPFA-Mural_8-18_007_COVER-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/BAMPFA-Mural_8-18_007_COVER-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/BAMPFA-Mural_8-18_007_COVER-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/BAMPFA-Mural_8-18_007_COVER-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/BAMPFA-Mural_8-18_007_COVER-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/BAMPFA-Mural_8-18_007_COVER-960x540.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/BAMPFA-Mural_8-18_007_COVER-240x135.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/BAMPFA-Mural_8-18_007_COVER-375x211.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/BAMPFA-Mural_8-18_007_COVER-520x293.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Installation view of Barbara Stauffacher Solomon’s ‘Land(e)scape 2018’ at BAMPFA. \u003ccite>(Johnna Arnold)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Grunder recalls a time when Stauffacher Solomon referred, offhandedly, to her signs on Market Street in San Francisco. “Maybe you’re confused,” Grunder remembers saying to her. When did she ever get commissioned to do an installation on Market Street? So, she sent him down to Market and 3rd and had him look: “There, there,” she told him.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As it turns out, Stauffacher Solomon had designed the \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.google.com/maps/@37.7879043,-122.4033387,3a,75y,204.09h,101.03t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1shUg8nuEWC6jtk-GaO4ZOgA!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fpanoid%3DhUg8nuEWC6jtk-GaO4ZOgA%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.share%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26yaw%3D204.08666956826983%26pitch%3D-11.025780054833689%26thumbfov%3D90!7i16384!8i8192?coh=205410&entry=ttu\">actual street signs\u003c/a>\u003c/em>. “Ta-da,” she said, when he finally made the connection.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As SFMOMA’s Becker put it, “We’re surrounded by works by Bobbie even if we’re not aware of it,” using the name used by Stauffacher Solomon’s friends.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957525\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/IMG_1041.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957525\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/IMG_1041.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/IMG_1041-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/IMG_1041-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/IMG_1041-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/IMG_1041-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/IMG_1041-1536x1536.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Barbara Stauffacher Solomon with her daughter Nellie, granddaughter Fia, and a display of her work. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Nellie King Solomon)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Having spent much of the past decade fielding questions about legacy, Stauffacher Solomon was delighted to surprise one such inquisitor by saying she’d like to be remembered “for being a good mommy.” According to Solomon, her mother really did view herself as a mother and a grandmother first, even before her career, as someone who made the conscious choice to “build the next generation and have the best work of your life.” \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Because the art world and the design world are primarily a man’s world, they want you to choose between the two. I think that’s antiquated and ridiculous,” Solomon said. In that way, she believes that she and her own 16-year-old daughter, Fia — a budding singer-songwriter in her own right — are tasked with carrying on Stauffacher Solomon’s true legacy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Sunday, May 12, at 3 p.m., the family will hold a public memorial for Stauffacher Solomon at \u003ca href=\"https://presidio.gov/explore/attractions/crissy-field-east-beach\">Crissy Field East Beach\u003c/a>, in front of the changing rooms. “That was where she used to walk her dog Jake,” Solomon said. “The beach is where she hung out.” \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She hopes friends, colleagues and other well-wishers who knew her mother will come ready with stories to share to give her a proper send-off.\u003c/p>\n\n","blocks":[],"excerpt":"The San Francisco-born designer and landscape architect was known for her colorful, oversized work.","status":"publish","parent":0,"modified":1715977757,"stats":{"hasAudio":false,"hasVideo":false,"hasChartOrMap":false,"iframeSrcs":[],"hasGoogleForm":false,"hasGallery":false,"hasHearkenModule":false,"hasPolis":false,"paragraphCount":24,"wordCount":1357},"headData":{"title":"Artist Barbara Stauffacher Solomon Dies at 95 | KQED","description":"The San Francisco-born designer and landscape architect was known for her colorful, oversized work.","ogTitle":"Barbara Stauffacher Solomon, Visionary Artist Who Invented Supergraphics, Dies at 95","ogDescription":"","ogImgId":"","twTitle":"Barbara Stauffacher Solomon, Visionary Artist Who Invented Supergraphics, Dies at 95","twDescription":"","twImgId":"","socialTitle":"Artist Barbara Stauffacher Solomon Dies at 95 %%page%% %%sep%% KQED","schema":{"@context":"http://schema.org","@type":"Article","headline":"Barbara Stauffacher Solomon, Visionary Artist Who Invented Supergraphics, Dies at 95","datePublished":"2024-05-08T19:12:18-07:00","dateModified":"2024-05-17T13:29:17-07:00","image":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"}},"sticky":false,"nprStoryId":"kqed-13957530","templateType":"standard","featuredImageType":"standard","excludeFromSiteSearch":"Include","articleAge":"0","path":"/arts/13957530/barbara-stauffacher-solomon-supergraphics-obituary","audioTrackLength":null,"parsedContent":[{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957526\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1436px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Barbara.top_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1436\" height=\"1920\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957526\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Barbara.top_.jpg 1436w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Barbara.top_-800x1070.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Barbara.top_-1020x1364.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Barbara.top_-160x214.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Barbara.top_-768x1027.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Barbara.top_-1149x1536.jpg 1149w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1436px) 100vw, 1436px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Barbara Stauffacher Solomon, seen here surrounded by her designs. The artist and pioneer of supergraphics died at her home Tuesday night at age 95. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Chris Grunder)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Barbara Stauffacher Solomon, a giant in the worlds of landscape architecture and graphic design who spearheaded the colorful supergraphics movement of the 1960s and ’70s, died last night at her home in San Francisco. She was 95.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to her daughter, the Los Angeles-based artist Nellie King Solomon, Stauffacher Solomon had been in hospice care for some time, and had reached the point where she was no longer able to eat, drink or talk. “Her body expired,” Solomon said. “She had a huge life! There’s no tragedy.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In spite of her declining health, Stauffacher Solomon was a prolific artist up until the very end. Recent projects include a series of drawings displayed on the walls above a \u003ca href=\"https://staircase.place/\">red-painted staircase\u003c/a> in the Inner Richmond, a \u003ca href=\"https://www.vonbartha.com/events/welcome-sign-st-moritz/\">95-foot-long “WELCOME” sign\u003c/a> installed on the retaining wall outside the train station in Moritz, Switzerland, and a large-scale, stripe-themed installation that currently occupies the entire \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfmoma.org/exhibition/barbara-stauffacher-solomon-strips-of-stripes/\">second-floor lobby of SFMOMA\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“She died with Liquid Paper on her hands,” Solomon said. “She wrestled it with the nurses.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13938883\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Barbara-Stauffacher-Solomon-Stripes-of-Stripes-SFMOMA-installation-view-4-2023-photo-by-Don-Ross_2000.jpg\" alt=\"Red and black stripes painted on white walls and ceilings of lobby space\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13938883\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Barbara-Stauffacher-Solomon-Stripes-of-Stripes-SFMOMA-installation-view-4-2023-photo-by-Don-Ross_2000.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Barbara-Stauffacher-Solomon-Stripes-of-Stripes-SFMOMA-installation-view-4-2023-photo-by-Don-Ross_2000-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Barbara-Stauffacher-Solomon-Stripes-of-Stripes-SFMOMA-installation-view-4-2023-photo-by-Don-Ross_2000-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Barbara-Stauffacher-Solomon-Stripes-of-Stripes-SFMOMA-installation-view-4-2023-photo-by-Don-Ross_2000-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Barbara-Stauffacher-Solomon-Stripes-of-Stripes-SFMOMA-installation-view-4-2023-photo-by-Don-Ross_2000-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Barbara-Stauffacher-Solomon-Stripes-of-Stripes-SFMOMA-installation-view-4-2023-photo-by-Don-Ross_2000-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Barbara-Stauffacher-Solomon-Stripes-of-Stripes-SFMOMA-installation-view-4-2023-photo-by-Don-Ross_2000-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Barbara Stauffacher Solomon, ‘Strips of Stripes’ at SFMOMA. \u003ccite>(Don Ross)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Chris Grunder, a San Francisco artist who worked as Stauffacher Solomon’s studio assistant and informal caregiver for much of the past few years, said that he was inspired by her ability to overcome adversity — “reinventing herself five times over in 70-plus years,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"fullwidth"},"numeric":["fullwidth"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After her first husband, the filmmaker Frank Stauffacher, died, Stauffacher Solomon moved to Basel, Switzerland, to study graphic design and learn skills that she could use to support herself and her young child. She returned to San Francisco in the early ’60s to open her own graphic design firm. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13839100\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/Event_Artist-Talk_2018-08-16_Barbara-Stauffacher-Solomon_001_640.jpg\" alt=\"Barbara Stauffacher Solomon in 1955.\" width=\"640\" height=\"865\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13839100\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/Event_Artist-Talk_2018-08-16_Barbara-Stauffacher-Solomon_001_640.jpg 640w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/Event_Artist-Talk_2018-08-16_Barbara-Stauffacher-Solomon_001_640-160x216.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/Event_Artist-Talk_2018-08-16_Barbara-Stauffacher-Solomon_001_640-240x324.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/Event_Artist-Talk_2018-08-16_Barbara-Stauffacher-Solomon_001_640-375x507.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/Event_Artist-Talk_2018-08-16_Barbara-Stauffacher-Solomon_001_640-520x703.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Barbara Stauffacher Solomon in 1955. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of BAMPFA)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Soon after, Stauffacher Solomon took on the design project that she will likely be remembered most for, at an experimental housing development known as \u003ca href=\"https://www.tsra.org/\">Sea Ranch\u003c/a> on the Sonoma coast. She designed the ram’s horn–inspired logo, as well as the bold, large-scale graphic elements that are painted inside several buildings at Sea Ranch, including, most famously, its \u003ca href=\"https://searanch.ced.berkeley.edu/s/sea-ranch/page/moonraker\">athletic center\u003c/a>. The new style of graphics and environmental architecture that she created came to be known as supergraphics — a design movement that blended “the rigor of Swiss modernism with the color and style of [Stauffacher Solomon’s] West Coast sensibility,” as KQED’s Sarah Hotchkiss described it in a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13839094/barbara-stauffacher-solomon-bampfa-art-wall\">2018 profile of the artist\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957527\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GettyImages-1240494355.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1281\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957527\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GettyImages-1240494355.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GettyImages-1240494355-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GettyImages-1240494355-1020x681.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GettyImages-1240494355-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GettyImages-1240494355-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/GettyImages-1240494355-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The rams horns at the Sea Ranch Lodge as designed by artist Barbara Stauffacher Solomon. \u003ccite>(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But Solomon asserted that the “hard-edged” supergraphics are only one part of her mother’s artistic legacy. “There was this whole schmaltzy side to her,” she said. She loved 1930s French music; she loved gardens and meadows; she spent years working primarily as a landscape architect. Some of Solomon’s favorite memories with her mother were of “breaking and entering” into historical gardens — experiences that she documented in her 1989 book, \u003cem>Green Architecture & the Agrarian Garden\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In more recent years, Stauffacher Solomon revisited the supergraphics style that she helped popularize, perhaps most notably for her recent SFMOMA atrium project. Joseph Becker, SFMOMA’s Associate Curator of Architecture and Design, said he had been collaborating with Stauffacher Solomon for years, describing her as “an incredible sparring partner and visionary who suffered no fools.” \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957524\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/DSC00061.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1079\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957524\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/DSC00061.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/DSC00061-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/DSC00061-1020x573.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/DSC00061-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/DSC00061-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/DSC00061-1536x863.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Barbara Stauffacher Solomon with her daughter Nellie and granddaughter Fia. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Nellie King Solomon)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“She overcame tremendous adversity in the early part of her career, developing her own graphic design practice in a world not hospitable to women setting out on their own and making a name for themselves,” Becker said. “One of the reasons was because she had an exacting vision and attitude. To work with someone like that, even though she was 95, her clarity was undeniable. She knew exactly what she wanted, saw all sides of the project.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The museum currently has new Stauffacher Solomon work that it’s partnering with the City of San Francisco to present: a massive, 300-foot-long \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfartscommission.org/content/minna-natoma-art-corridor-project-street-paving\">street paving project on Minna Street\u003c/a> featuring a graphic pattern made of red boots as an homage to Minna Rae Simpson, the street’s supposed namesake.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What an absolute San Francisco treasure,” Becker said of Stauffacher Solomon. “Hands down, one of the best.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957523\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/IMG_9498.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1443\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957523\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/IMG_9498.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/IMG_9498-800x601.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/IMG_9498-1020x767.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/IMG_9498-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/IMG_9498-768x577.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/IMG_9498-1536x1154.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Barbara Stauffacher Solomon, going through some of her many files. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Chris Grunder)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Grunder, who met Stauffacher Solomon in 2019, said he “clicked [with her] in a way I never clicked with any friend ever.” Working closely with her as her “accomplice” these past few years, he says what he learned most from her is that you “can have an absolutely wonderful life without trying to please everybody.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Truthfully, she was incredibly prickly to a lot of people, and incredibly sweet and devoted to others,” Grunder said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In recent years, he said, what Stauffacher Solomon seemed proudest of were her books — many of them an eccentric mix of drawings, abstractions and some rhyming text. The one she’d just completed, \u003cem>See the Invisible\u003c/em>, due to be released by \u003ca href=\"https://www.colpapress.com/collections/frontpage\">Colpa Press\u003c/a> later this year, focuses on a theme Grunder says Stauffacher Solomon was obsessed with: making things that are visible invisible — with how design can be almost entirely invisible.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13839103\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/BAMPFA-Mural_8-18_007_COVER.jpg\" alt=\"Installation view of Barbara Stauffacher Solomon's 'Land(e)scape 2018' at BAMPFA.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13839103\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/BAMPFA-Mural_8-18_007_COVER.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/BAMPFA-Mural_8-18_007_COVER-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/BAMPFA-Mural_8-18_007_COVER-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/BAMPFA-Mural_8-18_007_COVER-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/BAMPFA-Mural_8-18_007_COVER-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/BAMPFA-Mural_8-18_007_COVER-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/BAMPFA-Mural_8-18_007_COVER-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/BAMPFA-Mural_8-18_007_COVER-960x540.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/BAMPFA-Mural_8-18_007_COVER-240x135.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/BAMPFA-Mural_8-18_007_COVER-375x211.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/BAMPFA-Mural_8-18_007_COVER-520x293.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Installation view of Barbara Stauffacher Solomon’s ‘Land(e)scape 2018’ at BAMPFA. \u003ccite>(Johnna Arnold)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Grunder recalls a time when Stauffacher Solomon referred, offhandedly, to her signs on Market Street in San Francisco. “Maybe you’re confused,” Grunder remembers saying to her. When did she ever get commissioned to do an installation on Market Street? So, she sent him down to Market and 3rd and had him look: “There, there,” she told him.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As it turns out, Stauffacher Solomon had designed the \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.google.com/maps/@37.7879043,-122.4033387,3a,75y,204.09h,101.03t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1shUg8nuEWC6jtk-GaO4ZOgA!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fpanoid%3DhUg8nuEWC6jtk-GaO4ZOgA%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.share%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26yaw%3D204.08666956826983%26pitch%3D-11.025780054833689%26thumbfov%3D90!7i16384!8i8192?coh=205410&entry=ttu\">actual street signs\u003c/a>\u003c/em>. “Ta-da,” she said, when he finally made the connection.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As SFMOMA’s Becker put it, “We’re surrounded by works by Bobbie even if we’re not aware of it,” using the name used by Stauffacher Solomon’s friends.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957525\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/IMG_1041.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957525\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/IMG_1041.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/IMG_1041-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/IMG_1041-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/IMG_1041-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/IMG_1041-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/IMG_1041-1536x1536.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Barbara Stauffacher Solomon with her daughter Nellie, granddaughter Fia, and a display of her work. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Nellie King Solomon)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Having spent much of the past decade fielding questions about legacy, Stauffacher Solomon was delighted to surprise one such inquisitor by saying she’d like to be remembered “for being a good mommy.” According to Solomon, her mother really did view herself as a mother and a grandmother first, even before her career, as someone who made the conscious choice to “build the next generation and have the best work of your life.” \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Because the art world and the design world are primarily a man’s world, they want you to choose between the two. I think that’s antiquated and ridiculous,” Solomon said. In that way, she believes that she and her own 16-year-old daughter, Fia — a budding singer-songwriter in her own right — are tasked with carrying on Stauffacher Solomon’s true legacy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Sunday, May 12, at 3 p.m., the family will hold a public memorial for Stauffacher Solomon at \u003ca href=\"https://presidio.gov/explore/attractions/crissy-field-east-beach\">Crissy Field East Beach\u003c/a>, in front of the changing rooms. “That was where she used to walk her dog Jake,” Solomon said. “The beach is where she hung out.” \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"floatright"},"numeric":["floatright"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She hopes friends, colleagues and other well-wishers who knew her mother will come ready with stories to share to give her a proper send-off.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}}],"link":"/arts/13957530/barbara-stauffacher-solomon-supergraphics-obituary","authors":["11743"],"categories":["arts_1","arts_235","arts_1564","arts_70"],"tags":["arts_10342","arts_10278","arts_1091","arts_21789","arts_1146","arts_1381"],"featImg":"arts_13957522","label":"arts"},"arts_13957889":{"type":"posts","id":"arts_13957889","meta":{"index":"posts_1591205157","site":"arts","id":"13957889","score":null,"sort":[1715797354000]},"guestAuthors":[],"slug":"oakland-potluck-art-show-gaza-fundraiser","title":"An Oakland Potluck and Group Show for Humanitarian Efforts in Gaza","publishDate":1715797354,"format":"standard","headTitle":"An Oakland Potluck and Group Show for Humanitarian Efforts in Gaza | KQED","labelTerm":{},"content":"\u003cp>Artists and food industry figures, including chef Reem Assil, artist Jeffrey Cheung and local eatery Tacos Oscar, will come together this Saturday at Clay Clubhouse in Oakland’s Dimond District to raise money for Palestinian humanitarian efforts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We want to make sure Palestine is recognized for all the beauty and art it brings to the world, even as people are trying to erase it,” said co-organizer Sam Sundos.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13928345']As the number of people killed in Gaza in the ongoing Israeli military offensive reaches over 35,0000, fundraiser organizers \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13928345/mishmish-vegan-palestinian-pop-up\">Michelle Nazzal\u003c/a>, an Oakland chef, and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/sabri/?hl=en\">Sundos\u003c/a>, a Brooklyn artist, say they wanted to bring together other chefs and artists who’ve been vocal about it. To honor those folks, they’ve named the event “Aswat,” which means “voices” in Arabic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Seeing people really educating themselves about what’s happening in Palestine and speaking up — it really means a lot,” Nazzal said. “And we really wanted to keep the focus on Palestinians, who are trying to figure out how to leave or stay there and build a life.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The fundraiser takes the form of a group show and a community potluck. All proceeds from art sales will go to \u003ca href=\"https://docs.google.com/document/u/0/d/19BVbPh9eNmzfqJGM2qeG2UhNLyPIHtLURZnZSA7vkR0/mobilebasic\">Gaza Mutual Aid Solidarity\u003c/a>, a volunteer mutual aid group which helps families in Gaza to meet basic needs, says Sundos. Nazzal and Sundos have framed the event as a “micro-fundraiser,” and hope to inspire others in the community to follow suit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957901\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 481px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/000379840017_720.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"481\" height=\"622\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957901\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/000379840017_720.jpg 481w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/000379840017_720-160x207.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 481px) 100vw, 481px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">San Sundos, one of the organizers of ‘Aswat.’ \u003ccite>(Farah Alimi)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“The mutual aid fund we’re contributing to is working directly with people in Gaza,” Nazzal said. “A micro-fundraiser means it’s more grassroots — it means the community coming together to raise whatever money they can.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In an effort to make supporting Palestine more accessible, the duo asked the artists to price their work between $100 and $300.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think it lowers the barrier of entry,” Sundos said. “We’re opening the doors for anyone who wants to come in.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13956017']Sundos, who’s traveling from New York to the Bay for the event, will lead a workshop on traditional Palestinian embroidery called tatreez for Saturday’s event, and is selling one of his embroidery pieces in the show. Nazzal, who runs the Palestinian food pop-up in Oakland Mishmish, will give a talk about food sovereignty and will make stuffed grape leaves, hummus and labna made from cashews for the potluck.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nazzal and Sundos both have deep family history in the Palestinian region. Pro-Israeli forces expelled Sundos’ family from Palestine in 1948, alongside \u003ca href=\"https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/palestinians-mark-the-nakba-the-original-catastrophe-of-mass-expulsion\">700,000 other Palestinians\u003c/a>, he says. Rallying their community around their shared culture and shedding light on the ongoing atrocities are the central themes of “Aswat.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The connections I’ve made through fundraising actions for families in Gaza have been super heartwarming, especially with artists and chefs who already have a hard time scraping by,” Sundos said.\u003c/p>\n\n","blocks":[],"excerpt":"Chefs and artists come together for a mutual aid 'micro-fundraiser' at Clay Clubhouse.","status":"publish","parent":0,"modified":1715798516,"stats":{"hasAudio":false,"hasVideo":false,"hasChartOrMap":false,"iframeSrcs":[],"hasGoogleForm":false,"hasGallery":false,"hasHearkenModule":false,"hasPolis":false,"paragraphCount":13,"wordCount":529},"headData":{"title":"An Oakland Potluck and Group Show for Humanitarian Efforts in Gaza | KQED","description":"Chefs and artists come together for a mutual aid 'micro-fundraiser' at Clay Clubhouse.","ogTitle":"","ogDescription":"","ogImgId":"","twTitle":"","twDescription":"","twImgId":"","schema":{"@context":"http://schema.org","@type":"Article","headline":"An Oakland Potluck and Group Show for Humanitarian Efforts in Gaza","datePublished":"2024-05-15T11:22:34-07:00","dateModified":"2024-05-15T11:41:56-07:00","image":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"}},"source":"Food","sourceUrl":"https://www.kqed.org/food","sticky":false,"nprStoryId":"kqed-13957889","templateType":"standard","featuredImageType":"standard","excludeFromSiteSearch":"Include","articleAge":"0","path":"/arts/13957889/oakland-potluck-art-show-gaza-fundraiser","audioTrackLength":null,"parsedContent":[{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Artists and food industry figures, including chef Reem Assil, artist Jeffrey Cheung and local eatery Tacos Oscar, will come together this Saturday at Clay Clubhouse in Oakland’s Dimond District to raise money for Palestinian humanitarian efforts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We want to make sure Palestine is recognized for all the beauty and art it brings to the world, even as people are trying to erase it,” said co-organizer Sam Sundos.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"aside","attributes":{"named":{"postid":"arts_13928345","label":""},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>As the number of people killed in Gaza in the ongoing Israeli military offensive reaches over 35,0000, fundraiser organizers \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13928345/mishmish-vegan-palestinian-pop-up\">Michelle Nazzal\u003c/a>, an Oakland chef, and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/sabri/?hl=en\">Sundos\u003c/a>, a Brooklyn artist, say they wanted to bring together other chefs and artists who’ve been vocal about it. To honor those folks, they’ve named the event “Aswat,” which means “voices” in Arabic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Seeing people really educating themselves about what’s happening in Palestine and speaking up — it really means a lot,” Nazzal said. “And we really wanted to keep the focus on Palestinians, who are trying to figure out how to leave or stay there and build a life.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The fundraiser takes the form of a group show and a community potluck. All proceeds from art sales will go to \u003ca href=\"https://docs.google.com/document/u/0/d/19BVbPh9eNmzfqJGM2qeG2UhNLyPIHtLURZnZSA7vkR0/mobilebasic\">Gaza Mutual Aid Solidarity\u003c/a>, a volunteer mutual aid group which helps families in Gaza to meet basic needs, says Sundos. Nazzal and Sundos have framed the event as a “micro-fundraiser,” and hope to inspire others in the community to follow suit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957901\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 481px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/000379840017_720.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"481\" height=\"622\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957901\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/000379840017_720.jpg 481w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/000379840017_720-160x207.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 481px) 100vw, 481px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">San Sundos, one of the organizers of ‘Aswat.’ \u003ccite>(Farah Alimi)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“The mutual aid fund we’re contributing to is working directly with people in Gaza,” Nazzal said. “A micro-fundraiser means it’s more grassroots — it means the community coming together to raise whatever money they can.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"fullwidth"},"numeric":["fullwidth"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In an effort to make supporting Palestine more accessible, the duo asked the artists to price their work between $100 and $300.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think it lowers the barrier of entry,” Sundos said. “We’re opening the doors for anyone who wants to come in.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"aside","attributes":{"named":{"postid":"arts_13956017","label":""},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Sundos, who’s traveling from New York to the Bay for the event, will lead a workshop on traditional Palestinian embroidery called tatreez for Saturday’s event, and is selling one of his embroidery pieces in the show. Nazzal, who runs the Palestinian food pop-up in Oakland Mishmish, will give a talk about food sovereignty and will make stuffed grape leaves, hummus and labna made from cashews for the potluck.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nazzal and Sundos both have deep family history in the Palestinian region. Pro-Israeli forces expelled Sundos’ family from Palestine in 1948, alongside \u003ca href=\"https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/palestinians-mark-the-nakba-the-original-catastrophe-of-mass-expulsion\">700,000 other Palestinians\u003c/a>, he says. Rallying their community around their shared culture and shedding light on the ongoing atrocities are the central themes of “Aswat.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The connections I’ve made through fundraising actions for families in Gaza have been super heartwarming, especially with artists and chefs who already have a hard time scraping by,” Sundos said.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}}],"link":"/arts/13957889/oakland-potluck-art-show-gaza-fundraiser","authors":["11872"],"programs":["arts_140"],"categories":["arts_1","arts_12276","arts_70"],"tags":["arts_1297","arts_22153","arts_8838","arts_22155","arts_22154","arts_585"],"featImg":"arts_13957891","label":"source_arts_13957889"},"arts_13957666":{"type":"posts","id":"arts_13957666","meta":{"index":"posts_1591205157","site":"arts","id":"13957666","score":null,"sort":[1715720422000]},"guestAuthors":[],"slug":"best-boba-shops-bay-area-berkeley-cupertino-sf","title":"8 Refreshing Bay Area Boba Shops to Help Beat the Summer Heat","publishDate":1715720422,"format":"standard","headTitle":"8 Refreshing Bay Area Boba Shops to Help Beat the Summer Heat | KQED","labelTerm":{},"content":"\u003cp>We are living in a golden age of boba in the Bay Area. In certain swaths of Berkeley, San Jose and Cupertino, you can find a boba shop literally on every block, and the sheer variety of drinks — from the cheese foam–topped to the nitro-chilled — has never been more robust.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, any true bubble tea connoisseur will tell you that beverage quality varies wildly from boba shop to boba shop — and, if I can say the quiet part out loud, the vast majority of Bay Area spots are mediocre at best. Unless you \u003ci>like\u003c/i> stale tapioca balls and excruciatingly sweet, watered-down tea made from powder mixes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But listen: Friends don’t let friends drink bad boba. And because I care about you, dear reader, I’ve decided to share my running list of the best the Bay Area has to offer. As the parched, sun-soaked days of summer draw near, these are the spots where I’ll be posting up to quench my thirst.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957737\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957737\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tp-tea.jpg\" alt=\"Two boba drinks on a wooden table.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1482\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tp-tea.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tp-tea-800x618.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tp-tea-1020x787.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tp-tea-160x124.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tp-tea-768x593.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tp-tea-1536x1186.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">TP Tea is a good choice for boba drinkers who want to be able to taste the tea. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>TP Tea\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>2383 Telegraph Ave., Berkeley\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here’s where I’ll remind you that the boba balls themselves are merely a \u003ci>topping\u003c/i>, and an optional one at that. A boba shop serving tea that doesn’t taste good on its own would never survive in Taiwan (or any serious tea-drinking country). And so the highest praise I can give to \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/tptea.california/\">TP Tea\u003c/a> is that it’s the kind of boba shop where you can order the most basic-sounding tea (say, the “Signature Black Tea”) with minimal (30%) sugar added and no toppings whatsoever — and the drink will taste good as hell. The tea drinks here actually taste like tea, including the elegantly smooth Tie Guan Yin milk tea, a contender for my favorite milk tea in the Bay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s for good reason, then, that TP’s UC Berkeley location is by far the busiest boba shop on a couple-block stretch of Telegraph Avenue packed with six or seven others. (Also, “Taiwan Professional Tea” is the best name for a boba chain, hands down.)\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Asha Tea House\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>2086 University Ave., Berkeley\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://eastbayexpress.com/two-local-teashops-that-could-make-you-care-about-tea-1/\">As the story goes\u003c/a>, this Berkeley institution opened as a vehicle for evangelizing the pleasures of fine Asian teas, and offered a simple boba menu as just one part of that mission. But the boba drinks were so wildly popular, they quickly overshadowed all of the shop’s higher-end offerings. More than probably any other Bay Area boba shop, the focus at \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/ashateahouse/?hl=en\">Asha\u003c/a> rests squarely on the quality of the tea itself rather than on any bells and whistles. All of my favorites have been on the menu from day one: the potent, condensed milk–sweetened Hong Kong milk tea, which is delicious hot or cold, with or without boba. Or any of the seasonal fruit teas, which rely on no artificial flavorings. Instead, they’re just pure tea, supplemented with one of Asha’s pulpy housemade fruit purees. When available, the strawberry black tea and the Asian pear oolong are especially elite.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957738\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957738\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/dek-doi-mango.jpg\" alt=\"A mango smoothie topped with whipped cream.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/dek-doi-mango.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/dek-doi-mango-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/dek-doi-mango-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/dek-doi-mango-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/dek-doi-mango-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/dek-doi-mango-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dek Doi sells standard boba drinks, but its boba-adjacent Thai beverages — like the “Mango Sunset” — are where the Piedmont Avenue shop really shines. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Dek Doi Cafe\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>4125 Piedmont Ave., Oakland\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s a testament to the beverage’s mainstream universal appeal these days that this little Thai cafe has a whole section of its menu dedicated to boba, which doesn’t have any traditional roots in Thailand. That said, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/dekdoicafe/\">Dek Doi’s\u003c/a> boba drink selection is fairly basic, so you’d be better off choosing one of its boba-adjacent Thai drinks — like the “Mango Sunset,” which is just an S-tier exemplar of the kind of slushie mango smoothie that many shops sell. This version comes topped with whipped cream and crispy mung beans. Or try Thailand’s famous “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13925310/dek-doi-cafe-pink-milk-thai-bl-oakland\">pink milk\u003c/a>,” or nom chompuu, which is made with red palm fruit syrup and resembles, and vaguely tastes similar to, a retro diner–style strawberry milk with tropical undertones. Note that the drinks here run sweet, but, like at any respectable boba shop, the sweetness level is customizable: For me, 50% was just right.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957746\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957746\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/urban-ritual-creme-brulee.jpg\" alt=\"A creamy boba drink sits on a table in front of a pillow.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/urban-ritual-creme-brulee.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/urban-ritual-creme-brulee-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/urban-ritual-creme-brulee-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/urban-ritual-creme-brulee-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/urban-ritual-creme-brulee-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/urban-ritual-creme-brulee-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The crème brûlée milk tea is one of Urban Ritual’s many excellent toppings-forward drinks. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Urban Ritual\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>488 Fell St., San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Just when I got done saying boba isn’t all about all the toppings, here comes a boba shop that is, to a large extent, \u003ci>all about the toppings\u003c/i>. And yet I love it, unreservedly. Actually, the tea at \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/urbanritualcafe/?hl=en\">Urban Ritual\u003c/a> tastes quite good, and the texture of the boba itself is unimpeachable. But what sets the shop apart is its next-generation approach to creative flavor and topping combinations. The most obvious example is its signature crème brûlée milk tea, which combines black tea, cream, tapioca balls and crème brûlée — both the eggy pudding and the crunchy-smoky torched sugar bits. This is Urban Ritual’s greatest innovation: the way it introduces textures other than the classic “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13897410/taiwanese-food-texture-q-boba-love-boat\">QQ\u003c/a>” chew of the boba.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And if you want to tell me that some of these drinks are more of a dessert than a beverage? You would be correct — but who is going to complain as long as they know that going in?\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957748\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957748\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/teaspoon-1.jpg\" alt=\"Two boba drinks — one green and fruity, the other one creamy — on a wooden picnic table.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/teaspoon-1.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/teaspoon-1-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/teaspoon-1-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/teaspoon-1-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/teaspoon-1-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/teaspoon-1-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Teaspoon’s Corte Madera location might be the best boba option in the North Bay. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Teaspoon\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>132 Corte Madera Town Center, Corte Madera\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cspan style=\"color: #2b2b2b;font-weight: 400\">[aside postID='arts_13915004,arts_13957599']\u003c/span>\u003c/span>Marin County has long been a bit of a boba wasteland, as the big, trendy brands from Taiwan haven’t, to this point, seen the region’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11307601/why-is-marin-county-so-white\">small Asian population\u003c/a> as a worthwhile market. It was a happy day, then, when Teaspoon, one of the more well-regarded local (and now \u003ca href=\"https://order.teaspoonlife.com/\">national\u003c/a>) chains, opened a branch in a Corte Madera shopping plaza. Teaspoon’s offerings tend toward sweet and aesthetically pleasing, with creative flavor combinations that only occasionally veer into stunt beverage territory (there’s a line of Red Bull boba drinks??). They’re also undeniably tasty: The creamy, caramelly Black Sugar Assam is a well-executed take on the black sugar boba trend. And the “Grasshopper,” which combines lychee green tea and fresh cucumber juice, is fun and refreshing — a nod, perhaps, toward the kind of pepino agua fresca you might find at a local taqueria.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Yifang Taiwan Fruit Tea \u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>34133 Fremont Blvd., Fremont\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In some ways this may feel like a basic pick: This Taiwanese chain has had a foothold in Northern California for years now, with more than a dozen locations, and it’s been a minute since the brand was super-relevant on the Taipei scene. But what \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/yifang.cal/?hl=en\">Yifang\u003c/a> still does better than any other Bay Area chain is its fruit-flavored teas — whether it’s pineapple teas (made with housemade pineapple jam), old-school Taiwanese tastes like winter melon tea or lemon aiyu or, best of all, the shop’s signature Yifang Fruit Tea, which comes loaded fresh apple, orange and passion fruit, like a beverage and fruit salad all in one.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This is another spot where you’ll want to be careful about the sweetness levels, which vary widely from drink to drink. I’ve ordered the Yifang Fruit Tea at 0% sweetness and still found it to be plenty sweet enough!\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957754\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957754\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/chicha-san-chen_totes.jpg\" alt=\"Close-up of a man holding two boba drinks using boba totes made of twine.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/chicha-san-chen_totes.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/chicha-san-chen_totes-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/chicha-san-chen_totes-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/chicha-san-chen_totes-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/chicha-san-chen_totes-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/chicha-san-chen_totes-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chicha San Chen’s hallmark is that it brews the tea for each individual boba drink to order. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Chicha San Chen\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>20688 Stevens Creek Blvd., Cupertino\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cspan style=\"color: #2b2b2b;font-weight: 400\">[aside postID='arts_13904913,arts_13929494']\u003c/span>\u003c/span>This one is for the diehards — or at least for tea lovers who have about an hour to kill. The current title holder in the contest for buzziest Bay Area boba shop, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/chichasanchen.norcal/?hl=en\">Chicha San Chen\u003c/a> touts its award-winning tea drinks, which are individually brewed to order using the company’s patented, very Third-Wave-esque “teaspresso” machines. Is it all a little bit precious? Sure. But it does make for tasty tea. Word to the wise: If you’re going to go through all the trouble of waiting in line for half an hour (and then \u003ci>another\u003c/i> half hour for them to make your drink), then you’d better be a person who appreciates the flavor of tea for tea’s sake — and you’d be well-advised to order one of the simpler drinks, so the taste of that tea actually shines through. I love the floral, slightly tannic, minimally sweetened honey osmanthus oolong in particular.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bonus points for packaging that’s cute \u003ci>and\u003c/i> convenient: Every cup comes with a disposable \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/C13nPlqLXle/?hl=en\">boba tote\u003c/a> made of twine. But if you want to wait another six months for the hype to die down a bit, I wouldn’t blame you in the least.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957757\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957757\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/soyful.jpg\" alt=\"A soy pudding drink with many colorful toppings.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1439\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/soyful.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/soyful-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/soyful-1020x764.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/soyful-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/soyful-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/soyful-1536x1151.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The #8 combination at Soyful desserts is a hybrid of boba, soy pudding and chè. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Soyful Desserts\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>999 Story Rd., San Jose\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of the joys of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13904913/vietnamese-drinks-boba-che-guide-san-jose\">San Jose’s vibrant, colorful drinks scene\u003c/a> is the way that Taiwanese, Chinese and Vietnamese influences have fused together to create their own unique, hybridized thing. \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/soyfuldesserts/\">Soyful Desserts\u003c/a> is probably the peak example of that synthesis, with its concise menu of Hong Kong-style milk teas, soy pudding drinks and shaved ice–laden Vietnamese chè. As the shop’s name indicates, the star here is the soy pudding (aka tofu pudding), a silky, refreshing treat equally beloved in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Vietnam. To experience this fusion in all its glory, try the #8 soy pudding combination, which comes filled to the brim with ginger syrup–soaked tofu pudding, shaved ice, basil seeds, pandan jelly, grass jelly, sweet red beans and probably a handful of other toppings I’m forgetting.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’m well aware that this is a “drink” that’s more solid than liquid — that it, in fact, constitutes a full meal in itself. But that doesn’t make it any less fun or delicious.\u003c/p>\n\n","blocks":[],"excerpt":"Because friends don’t let friends drink bad boba.","status":"publish","parent":0,"modified":1715724893,"stats":{"hasAudio":false,"hasVideo":false,"hasChartOrMap":false,"iframeSrcs":[],"hasGoogleForm":false,"hasGallery":false,"hasHearkenModule":false,"hasPolis":false,"paragraphCount":26,"wordCount":1779},"headData":{"title":"The 8 Best Boba Shops in the Bay Area | KQED","description":"Because friends don’t let friends drink bad boba.","ogTitle":"8 Refreshing Bay Area Boba Shops to Help Beat the Summer Heat","ogDescription":"","ogImgId":"","twTitle":"8 Refreshing Bay Area Boba Shops to Help Beat the Summer Heat","twDescription":"","twImgId":"","socialTitle":"The 8 Best Boba Shops in the Bay Area%%page%% %%sep%% KQED","schema":{"@context":"http://schema.org","@type":"Article","headline":"8 Refreshing Bay Area Boba Shops to Help Beat the Summer Heat","datePublished":"2024-05-14T14:00:22-07:00","dateModified":"2024-05-14T15:14:53-07:00","image":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"}},"source":"Summer Guide 2024","sourceUrl":"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/summer-guide-2024","sticky":false,"nprStoryId":"kqed-13957666","templateType":"standard","featuredImageType":"standard","excludeFromSiteSearch":"Include","articleAge":"0","path":"/arts/13957666/best-boba-shops-bay-area-berkeley-cupertino-sf","audioTrackLength":null,"parsedContent":[{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>We are living in a golden age of boba in the Bay Area. In certain swaths of Berkeley, San Jose and Cupertino, you can find a boba shop literally on every block, and the sheer variety of drinks — from the cheese foam–topped to the nitro-chilled — has never been more robust.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, any true bubble tea connoisseur will tell you that beverage quality varies wildly from boba shop to boba shop — and, if I can say the quiet part out loud, the vast majority of Bay Area spots are mediocre at best. Unless you \u003ci>like\u003c/i> stale tapioca balls and excruciatingly sweet, watered-down tea made from powder mixes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But listen: Friends don’t let friends drink bad boba. And because I care about you, dear reader, I’ve decided to share my running list of the best the Bay Area has to offer. As the parched, sun-soaked days of summer draw near, these are the spots where I’ll be posting up to quench my thirst.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957737\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957737\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tp-tea.jpg\" alt=\"Two boba drinks on a wooden table.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1482\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tp-tea.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tp-tea-800x618.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tp-tea-1020x787.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tp-tea-160x124.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tp-tea-768x593.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tp-tea-1536x1186.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">TP Tea is a good choice for boba drinkers who want to be able to taste the tea. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>TP Tea\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>2383 Telegraph Ave., Berkeley\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here’s where I’ll remind you that the boba balls themselves are merely a \u003ci>topping\u003c/i>, and an optional one at that. A boba shop serving tea that doesn’t taste good on its own would never survive in Taiwan (or any serious tea-drinking country). And so the highest praise I can give to \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/tptea.california/\">TP Tea\u003c/a> is that it’s the kind of boba shop where you can order the most basic-sounding tea (say, the “Signature Black Tea”) with minimal (30%) sugar added and no toppings whatsoever — and the drink will taste good as hell. The tea drinks here actually taste like tea, including the elegantly smooth Tie Guan Yin milk tea, a contender for my favorite milk tea in the Bay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"fullwidth"},"numeric":["fullwidth"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s for good reason, then, that TP’s UC Berkeley location is by far the busiest boba shop on a couple-block stretch of Telegraph Avenue packed with six or seven others. (Also, “Taiwan Professional Tea” is the best name for a boba chain, hands down.)\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Asha Tea House\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>2086 University Ave., Berkeley\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://eastbayexpress.com/two-local-teashops-that-could-make-you-care-about-tea-1/\">As the story goes\u003c/a>, this Berkeley institution opened as a vehicle for evangelizing the pleasures of fine Asian teas, and offered a simple boba menu as just one part of that mission. But the boba drinks were so wildly popular, they quickly overshadowed all of the shop’s higher-end offerings. More than probably any other Bay Area boba shop, the focus at \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/ashateahouse/?hl=en\">Asha\u003c/a> rests squarely on the quality of the tea itself rather than on any bells and whistles. All of my favorites have been on the menu from day one: the potent, condensed milk–sweetened Hong Kong milk tea, which is delicious hot or cold, with or without boba. Or any of the seasonal fruit teas, which rely on no artificial flavorings. Instead, they’re just pure tea, supplemented with one of Asha’s pulpy housemade fruit purees. When available, the strawberry black tea and the Asian pear oolong are especially elite.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957738\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957738\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/dek-doi-mango.jpg\" alt=\"A mango smoothie topped with whipped cream.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/dek-doi-mango.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/dek-doi-mango-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/dek-doi-mango-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/dek-doi-mango-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/dek-doi-mango-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/dek-doi-mango-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dek Doi sells standard boba drinks, but its boba-adjacent Thai beverages — like the “Mango Sunset” — are where the Piedmont Avenue shop really shines. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Dek Doi Cafe\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>4125 Piedmont Ave., Oakland\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s a testament to the beverage’s mainstream universal appeal these days that this little Thai cafe has a whole section of its menu dedicated to boba, which doesn’t have any traditional roots in Thailand. That said, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/dekdoicafe/\">Dek Doi’s\u003c/a> boba drink selection is fairly basic, so you’d be better off choosing one of its boba-adjacent Thai drinks — like the “Mango Sunset,” which is just an S-tier exemplar of the kind of slushie mango smoothie that many shops sell. This version comes topped with whipped cream and crispy mung beans. Or try Thailand’s famous “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13925310/dek-doi-cafe-pink-milk-thai-bl-oakland\">pink milk\u003c/a>,” or nom chompuu, which is made with red palm fruit syrup and resembles, and vaguely tastes similar to, a retro diner–style strawberry milk with tropical undertones. Note that the drinks here run sweet, but, like at any respectable boba shop, the sweetness level is customizable: For me, 50% was just right.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957746\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957746\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/urban-ritual-creme-brulee.jpg\" alt=\"A creamy boba drink sits on a table in front of a pillow.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/urban-ritual-creme-brulee.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/urban-ritual-creme-brulee-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/urban-ritual-creme-brulee-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/urban-ritual-creme-brulee-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/urban-ritual-creme-brulee-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/urban-ritual-creme-brulee-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The crème brûlée milk tea is one of Urban Ritual’s many excellent toppings-forward drinks. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Urban Ritual\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>488 Fell St., San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Just when I got done saying boba isn’t all about all the toppings, here comes a boba shop that is, to a large extent, \u003ci>all about the toppings\u003c/i>. And yet I love it, unreservedly. Actually, the tea at \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/urbanritualcafe/?hl=en\">Urban Ritual\u003c/a> tastes quite good, and the texture of the boba itself is unimpeachable. But what sets the shop apart is its next-generation approach to creative flavor and topping combinations. The most obvious example is its signature crème brûlée milk tea, which combines black tea, cream, tapioca balls and crème brûlée — both the eggy pudding and the crunchy-smoky torched sugar bits. This is Urban Ritual’s greatest innovation: the way it introduces textures other than the classic “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13897410/taiwanese-food-texture-q-boba-love-boat\">QQ\u003c/a>” chew of the boba.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And if you want to tell me that some of these drinks are more of a dessert than a beverage? You would be correct — but who is going to complain as long as they know that going in?\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957748\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957748\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/teaspoon-1.jpg\" alt=\"Two boba drinks — one green and fruity, the other one creamy — on a wooden picnic table.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/teaspoon-1.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/teaspoon-1-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/teaspoon-1-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/teaspoon-1-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/teaspoon-1-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/teaspoon-1-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Teaspoon’s Corte Madera location might be the best boba option in the North Bay. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Teaspoon\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>132 Corte Madera Town Center, Corte Madera\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cspan style=\"color: #2b2b2b;font-weight: 400\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"aside","attributes":{"named":{"postid":"arts_13915004,arts_13957599","label":""},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/span>\u003c/span>Marin County has long been a bit of a boba wasteland, as the big, trendy brands from Taiwan haven’t, to this point, seen the region’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11307601/why-is-marin-county-so-white\">small Asian population\u003c/a> as a worthwhile market. It was a happy day, then, when Teaspoon, one of the more well-regarded local (and now \u003ca href=\"https://order.teaspoonlife.com/\">national\u003c/a>) chains, opened a branch in a Corte Madera shopping plaza. Teaspoon’s offerings tend toward sweet and aesthetically pleasing, with creative flavor combinations that only occasionally veer into stunt beverage territory (there’s a line of Red Bull boba drinks??). They’re also undeniably tasty: The creamy, caramelly Black Sugar Assam is a well-executed take on the black sugar boba trend. And the “Grasshopper,” which combines lychee green tea and fresh cucumber juice, is fun and refreshing — a nod, perhaps, toward the kind of pepino agua fresca you might find at a local taqueria.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Yifang Taiwan Fruit Tea \u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>34133 Fremont Blvd., Fremont\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In some ways this may feel like a basic pick: This Taiwanese chain has had a foothold in Northern California for years now, with more than a dozen locations, and it’s been a minute since the brand was super-relevant on the Taipei scene. But what \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/yifang.cal/?hl=en\">Yifang\u003c/a> still does better than any other Bay Area chain is its fruit-flavored teas — whether it’s pineapple teas (made with housemade pineapple jam), old-school Taiwanese tastes like winter melon tea or lemon aiyu or, best of all, the shop’s signature Yifang Fruit Tea, which comes loaded fresh apple, orange and passion fruit, like a beverage and fruit salad all in one.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This is another spot where you’ll want to be careful about the sweetness levels, which vary widely from drink to drink. I’ve ordered the Yifang Fruit Tea at 0% sweetness and still found it to be plenty sweet enough!\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957754\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957754\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/chicha-san-chen_totes.jpg\" alt=\"Close-up of a man holding two boba drinks using boba totes made of twine.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/chicha-san-chen_totes.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/chicha-san-chen_totes-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/chicha-san-chen_totes-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/chicha-san-chen_totes-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/chicha-san-chen_totes-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/chicha-san-chen_totes-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chicha San Chen’s hallmark is that it brews the tea for each individual boba drink to order. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Chicha San Chen\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>20688 Stevens Creek Blvd., Cupertino\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cspan style=\"color: #2b2b2b;font-weight: 400\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"aside","attributes":{"named":{"postid":"arts_13904913,arts_13929494","label":""},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/span>\u003c/span>This one is for the diehards — or at least for tea lovers who have about an hour to kill. The current title holder in the contest for buzziest Bay Area boba shop, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/chichasanchen.norcal/?hl=en\">Chicha San Chen\u003c/a> touts its award-winning tea drinks, which are individually brewed to order using the company’s patented, very Third-Wave-esque “teaspresso” machines. Is it all a little bit precious? Sure. But it does make for tasty tea. Word to the wise: If you’re going to go through all the trouble of waiting in line for half an hour (and then \u003ci>another\u003c/i> half hour for them to make your drink), then you’d better be a person who appreciates the flavor of tea for tea’s sake — and you’d be well-advised to order one of the simpler drinks, so the taste of that tea actually shines through. I love the floral, slightly tannic, minimally sweetened honey osmanthus oolong in particular.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bonus points for packaging that’s cute \u003ci>and\u003c/i> convenient: Every cup comes with a disposable \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/C13nPlqLXle/?hl=en\">boba tote\u003c/a> made of twine. But if you want to wait another six months for the hype to die down a bit, I wouldn’t blame you in the least.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957757\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957757\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/soyful.jpg\" alt=\"A soy pudding drink with many colorful toppings.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1439\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/soyful.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/soyful-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/soyful-1020x764.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/soyful-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/soyful-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/soyful-1536x1151.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The #8 combination at Soyful desserts is a hybrid of boba, soy pudding and chè. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Soyful Desserts\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>999 Story Rd., San Jose\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of the joys of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13904913/vietnamese-drinks-boba-che-guide-san-jose\">San Jose’s vibrant, colorful drinks scene\u003c/a> is the way that Taiwanese, Chinese and Vietnamese influences have fused together to create their own unique, hybridized thing. \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/soyfuldesserts/\">Soyful Desserts\u003c/a> is probably the peak example of that synthesis, with its concise menu of Hong Kong-style milk teas, soy pudding drinks and shaved ice–laden Vietnamese chè. As the shop’s name indicates, the star here is the soy pudding (aka tofu pudding), a silky, refreshing treat equally beloved in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Vietnam. To experience this fusion in all its glory, try the #8 soy pudding combination, which comes filled to the brim with ginger syrup–soaked tofu pudding, shaved ice, basil seeds, pandan jelly, grass jelly, sweet red beans and probably a handful of other toppings I’m forgetting.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"floatright"},"numeric":["floatright"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’m well aware that this is a “drink” that’s more solid than liquid — that it, in fact, constitutes a full meal in itself. But that doesn’t make it any less fun or delicious.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}}],"link":"/arts/13957666/best-boba-shops-bay-area-berkeley-cupertino-sf","authors":["11743"],"categories":["arts_1","arts_12276"],"tags":["arts_1270","arts_14423","arts_6902","arts_10278","arts_1297","arts_1084","arts_22150","arts_22140"],"featImg":"arts_13957736","label":"source_arts_13957666"},"arts_13955802":{"type":"posts","id":"arts_13955802","meta":{"index":"posts_1591205157","site":"arts","id":"13955802","score":null,"sort":[1713390752000]},"guestAuthors":[],"slug":"bay-area-rappers-food-lyrics-illustrations-e-40-larry-june","title":"Here’s What Bay Area Rappers Are Eating (According to Their Lyrics)","publishDate":1713390752,"format":"standard","headTitle":"Here’s What Bay Area Rappers Are Eating (According to Their Lyrics) | KQED","labelTerm":{},"content":"\u003cp>[dropcap]W[/dropcap]hen conveying what it means to really be from the Bay Area, I often return to this simple yet revelatory \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/mac-dre\">Mac Dre\u003c/a> lyric: “In the Bay Area, we dance a little different.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Whether it’s in our music, political activism or technological contributions, there’s a certain out-of-box forwardness that tends to manifest from Bay Area minds — and a pride in how we approach everything with a savvy sprinkling of game, hustlership and top-tier ideation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The same can be said for the Bay Area’s food scene, which ranks among the nation’s best and most imaginative. From sourdough bread to the eternal Mission-style burrito, the Bay’s foodmakers have often been ahead of the curve, helping to revolutionize menus nationwide with their fresh farm-to-table approach. To borrow from the great Mac, one could say that in the Bay Area, we \u003ci>eat\u003c/i> a little different.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[aside postID='arts_13907726,arts_13934248']\u003c/span>It’s no surprise, then, that in the history of local rap, food has always been a strong reference point — a metaphorical kitchen for creative exchange. An endless platter of well-seasoned slang. For decades, our rappers have delivered punchlines involving sauce, lasagna and \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMah0rX6pGU\">lumpia\u003c/a>; dropped verses that generously reference \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkBJR5L2nas\">desserts and bakeries\u003c/a>; and supplied entire songs about stacking bread, cheese and lettuce as lucrative sandwiches.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/restaurants/article/bay-area-rap-shrimp-crab-17915372.php\">Food-loving Bay Area rappers\u003c/a> have always been bold when it comes to transmorphing culinary items and kitchen utensils into slang that others then appropriate and even misuse (see: “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13908052/food-doesnt-slap\">food doesn’t slap\u003c/a>”). Shock G once talked about getting busy in a Burger King bathroom and declared, “I like my oatmeal lumpy.” On “Dreganomics,” Mac Dre himself asked, “What’s spaghetti without the sauce?” We’ve got Suga T (sweet) and Spice 1 (hot). Berner founded \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/cookiessf/?hl=en\">Cookies\u003c/a>. And just a few weeks ago, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13900085/stunnaman02-and-the-big-steppin-energy-in-the-room\">Stunnaman02\u003c/a> dropped a whole series of viral videos centered on his latest single. His focus? \u003ca href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/@jayworrld/video/7340701934355254574\">Eating a salad\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s a unifying ethos in Bay Area food and rap: \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6GU3PmttyI\">Everybody eats\u003c/a>. So here’s a brief ode to some of our region’s most skilled vocabulary chefs and the tasteful ways they’ve reimagined the ingredients of language that are possible in a kitchen — and the recording studio.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13956090\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13956090\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/E40-Color-1.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration of the rapper E-40 in sunglasses and a beige apron, holding a glass of red wine. In front of him are a burrito and a grilled cheese sandwich.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/E40-Color-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/E40-Color-1-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/E40-Color-1-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/E40-Color-1-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/E40-Color-1-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/E40-Color-1-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/E40-Color-1-1920x1920.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">E-40 might be the most prolific inventor of food-related slang words in the English language. He’s a head chef in the Bay Area’s rap kingdom. \u003ccite>(Torre / @torre.pentel)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>E-40: Green eggs, hams, candy yams, Spam, cheese, peanut butter and jam on “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etIBcRriUJY\">The Slap\u003c/a>”\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>“Digital scale, green eggs and hams / Yams, candy yams, Spam, damn! / Loaded, my cheese, peanut butter and jam / Sammich, mannish, me and my Hispanics / Vanish, talkin’ in codes like we from different planets.”\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Though it may sound like gibberish to the uninitiated, rest assured that \u003ca href=\"https://firstwefeast.com/eat/2013/12/food-rap-decoded-with-e-40-video\">99.99% of anything 40 Water vocalizes has a cleverly associative meaning\u003c/a>. For anyone who has listened to one of the more than 25 studio albums from Vallejo’s kingpin, you’ve surely heard him mention food — perhaps in a variety of languages (some real, some ingeniously invented). In addition to the smorgasbord he notes above in “The Slap,” he has pioneered rhymes across generations that give new meanings to Gouda, feta, mozzarella, lettuce, bread, sausage, salami, paninis, spaghetti, tacos and enchiladas — ad infinitum. Unsurprisingly, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13907726/e-40-goon-with-the-spoon-bay-area-rappers-food-entrepreneurs-hustle\">Mr. Fonzarelli is an actual purveyor of foods and beverages\u003c/a>, with a line of products that includes malt liquor, ice cream and burritos; he even co-owns \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thelumpiacompany/\">The Lumpia Company\u003c/a>. There’s no one with a bigger million-dollar mouthpiece who can distribute as much word candy (“S-L-A-N-G”) quite as flavorfully as the Goon With The Spoon himself.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Andre Nickatina: TOGO’s #41 sandwich with the hot peppers on “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FU1XdPE6lM\">Fa Show\u003c/a>”\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>“Baby don’t act dumb, I’m number 41, high stepper / TOGO’s sandwich with the hot peppers / At 90 degrees I might freeze, so when it’s hot I sport leather.”\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fillmore’s finest, and among \u003ca href=\"https://www.passionweiss.com/2016/11/17/andre-nickatina/\">the most criminally underrated San Francisco rappers in history\u003c/a>, Andre Nickatina has always had a penchant for the spicy, the flavorful, the extemporaneously saucy. From rapping about eating Cap’n Crunch around drug dealers to sarcastically handing out Baskin Robbins dollars to his enemies, Nicky Nicotine (formerly known as Dre Dog) raps about food as casually as any rapper would ever dare. Unlike many of today’s international rap personalities, who seem to only eat at \u003ca href=\"https://www.reddit.com/r/OutOfTheLoop/comments/6frbt9/why_are_rappers_obsessed_with_nobu_sushi/\">high-priced sushi conglomerates\u003c/a>, Nickatina is a Bay Area real one, electing to stay fed at a regional sandwich chain from San Jose. The enigmatic “number 41” on the \u003ca href=\"https://www.togos.com/menu/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwoPOwBhAeEiwAJuXRh69gJ2fS8J9qmnAKJEnCmI5720psTxEmhEmkgFAemWoe3auyNuuxExoCTm0QAvD_BwE\">Togo’s menu\u003c/a> has since been discontinued, but a spokesperson for the restaurant IDed it as a sirloin steak and mushroom sandwich that was introduced as a seasonal special back in 2002 — the same year “Fa Show” was released. There is no doubt it must’ve been fire, given its endorsement by a legend who knows how to professionally “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8TXpoi-goE\">Break Bread\u003c/a>.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13956088\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13956088\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/KAMAIYAH-Color-1.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration of the rapper Kamaiyah eating from a plate of chicken alfredo tucked under her arm. Next to her is a bottle of champagne.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/KAMAIYAH-Color-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/KAMAIYAH-Color-1-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/KAMAIYAH-Color-1-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/KAMAIYAH-Color-1-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/KAMAIYAH-Color-1-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/KAMAIYAH-Color-1-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/KAMAIYAH-Color-1-1920x1920.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kamaiyah’s album covers often feature food, Hennessey and champagne — a reflection of the rapper’s saucy, bossy lifestyle. \u003ccite>(Torre / @torre.pentel)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Kamaiyah: Champagne and chicken on “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yls2dMJ63tM\">Whatever Whenever\u003c/a>”\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>“Just drink champagne with all my chicken meals.”\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s fitting that East Oakland’s Kamaiyah — who cooked up the searingly hot single “How Does It Feel” on her transcendent debut, \u003ci>A Good Night in the Ghetto\u003c/i> — continued to double down on aspirational living and good eating with her sophomore release, \u003ci>Got It Made\u003c/i>. As always, the bodacious trapper rhymes over a synth-laced, floaty-spaceship soundscape while bragging about her California riches — and cuisine. The music video for “Whatever Whenever” features Kamaiyah roaming the untainted grounds of a Napa Valley-esque chateau. Her album covers over the years have also featured bags of potato chips, Hennessy and double-fisted bottles of champagne. It’s always bottoms up when Kamaiyah is on the track.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Too $hort: Macaroni, steak and collard greens on “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ru5B8cFskaw\">All My B*tches Are Gone\u003c/a>”\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>“Eat some shit up / macaroni, steak, collard greens, or whatever the fuck.”\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With over 35 years of classic albums like \u003ci>Cocktails\u003c/i> and \u003ci>Gettin’ It\u003c/i>, there’s no doubt that Short Dogg knows how to feed his multi-generational fanbase. He doesn’t shy away from straightforward lyrics — or having a large appetite for nefarious activities — and he has continued to make seasoned slaps for precisely 225,000 hours and counting (“get a calculator, do the math”). This OG’s plate of choice includes classic soul food staples served with a slab of steak. As the veteran unmistakably outlines on “This How We Eat”: “We make money, we eat, we feed.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13956087\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13956087\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/LARRY-JUNE-Color-1.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration of the rapper Larry June in an SF Giants cap, holding a crab cracker in one hand and a fork in the other. In front of him is a whole lobster on a plate.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/LARRY-JUNE-Color-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/LARRY-JUNE-Color-1-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/LARRY-JUNE-Color-1-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/LARRY-JUNE-Color-1-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/LARRY-JUNE-Color-1-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/LARRY-JUNE-Color-1-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/LARRY-JUNE-Color-1-1920x1920.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Besides establishing himself as the healthiest rapper in Bay Area lore, Larry June is also known for sporting vintage muscle cars and cracking lobsters in Sausalito as part of his luxurious lifestyle. \u003ccite>(Torre / @torre.pentel)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Larry June: Crab legs on “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luIhlZBrJos\">Lifetime Income\u003c/a>”\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>“This not my girlfriend, we just eatin’ crab legs.”\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you know Larry June, then you know he’s all about smoothies, green teas, organic juices and oranges (yee hee!). But just as buttery are his numerously silky references to luxury meals and late-night outings with a seemingly endless rotation of women friends. Without question, the Hunters Point rapper has one of the healthiest appetites of anyone around a microphone, regularly dropping rhymes about his organic sustenance. Since Uncle Larry makes a living off his out-of-pocket food references, he merits an honorable mention for dropping other absolute bangers like “I might write a motherfuckin’ smoothie book or somethin’ … Sell this shit for thirty dollars” and “Watermelon juice riding bikes with my latest chick / I don’t do the clubs that often, I got a check to get.” It’s fitting that \u003ca href=\"https://uproxx.com/music/larry-june-interview-san-francisco/\">he also co-owns Honeybear Boba in the Dogpatch\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Iamsu!: Chicken strips and Moscato on “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQcxMU3uvLg\">Don’t Stop\u003c/a>”\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>“Keep it real I don’t brag though… / Chicken strips, no escargot / [sippin’] on the Moscato.”\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To be fair, this lyric is from a young, mixtape-era Iamsu! and might not reflect the current palate of the multi-platinum rapper and producer from Richmond. (In fact, that’s probably true of every rapper on this list, so take these lyrics with a grain of salt.) But when I first heard this song in my 20s, it’s a line that did — and still does — resonate for its unglamorized celebration of living on a low-budget microwaveable diet while maintaining a glimmer of high-life ambition. Personally, I’d take chicken strips over escargot nine out of ten times. And, from the sound of it, so would Suzy 6 Speed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13956086\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13956086\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/PLO-Color-1.jpg\" alt=\"The rapper P-Lo wiggles his fingers in delight over a plate of chicken wings sitting on a bed of dollar bills.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/PLO-Color-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/PLO-Color-1-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/PLO-Color-1-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/PLO-Color-1-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/PLO-Color-1-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/PLO-Color-1-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/PLO-Color-1-1920x1920.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">P-Lo often raps about his love of chicken (chicken adobo, fried chicken, chicken wings), and his favorite food-related slang word is also “chicken” (as a stand in for “money”). \u003ccite>(Torre / @torre.pentel)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>P-Lo: Chicken wings in the strip club on “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-ajtPhAQ1U\">Going To Work\u003c/a>”\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>“In the strip club eating chicken wings.”\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[aside postID='arts_13938479']\u003c/span>There may not be another rapper on this list with as much love for chicken wings as Pinole’s P-Lo. For starters, the lyricist and producer launched a transnational food tour, teaming up with Filipino restaurants around the U.S. and Canada to deliver collaborative one-off dishes, including \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13935891/p-lo-senor-sisig-filipino-food-tour-oakland\">his own spicy sinigang wings at Señor Sisig in Oakland\u003c/a>. If that’s not enough, he has popped up on popular social media channels like \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/bayareafoodz/?hl=en\">Bay Area Foodz\u003c/a> as \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJYkVcpM6E0\">he searches for the best wings around the Yay\u003c/a>. His songs are even featured on \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/reel/CwyzdhfrNCE/\">national commercials for Wingstop\u003c/a>. For P-Lo, it’s always time to bring back the bass — and taste.\u003cb>\u003ci>\u003c/i>\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Guap (formerly Guapdad 4000): Chicken adobo on “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DaovaJgytE\">Chicken Adobo\u003c/a>”\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>“How I fell in love with you it was beautiful / Like chicken adobo how you fill me up.”\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For the Black Filipino American rapper from West Oakland, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13905208/a-new-generation-of-filipino-hip-hop-builds-on-a-deep-bay-area-legacy\">food has always played a central role in his upbringing\u003c/a>. The anime-loving, Marvel comics fan grew up in a Filipino household eating champorado, and his songs have never shied away from references to his dual cultures. In what might be his most well-known song, Guap equates romantic satiation to filling up on a bowl of chicken adobo. His love of food goes beyond the booth — he recently spoke out on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13950363/keith-lee-tiktok-oakland-sf-bay-area-struggles\">the recent Keith Lee fiasco\u003c/a>, and he also put together\u003ca href=\"https://trippin.world/guide/oaklands-top-food-joints-with-rapper-guapdad-4000\"> a map of his favorite places to eat around The Town\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Cellski: Canadian bacon, hash browns and cheddar cheese on “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6wFRZOd7n8\">Chedda\u003c/a>”\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>“Gotta get the cheddar, fuck the [federals].”\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As most food mentions in Bay Area rap goes, Cellski’s mention of this quintessentially North American breakfast combo isn’t exactly a homage to the real ingredients, as much as it is a reference to his hustling. His 1998 \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/release/841568-Cellski-Canadian-Bacon-Hash-Browns/image/SW1hZ2U6NDg3ODMxNzk=\">album cover\u003c/a> for \u003ci>Canadian Bacon & Hash Browns \u003c/i>features a cartoon depiction of the rapper getting pulled over and arrested by a Canadian mountie, with an open trunk revealing pounds of medicinal herbs. Nonetheless, there’s a good chance that the veteran San Francisco spitter actually does like to carry Canadian bacon, hash browns and cheddar around — \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13922141/cellskis-big-mafi-burgers-come-with-a-side-of-sf-rap-history\">he’s a part-time foodie who runs his own burger pop-up, after all\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13956089\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13956089\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/DRU-DOWN-Color-1.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration of the rapper Dru Down in gold sunglasses and a black trench coat, holding an ice cream cone in one hand and an ice cream sundae on the table in front of him.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/DRU-DOWN-Color-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/DRU-DOWN-Color-1-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/DRU-DOWN-Color-1-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/DRU-DOWN-Color-1-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/DRU-DOWN-Color-1-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/DRU-DOWN-Color-1-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/DRU-DOWN-Color-1-1920x1920.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">In a famous 1996 beef, Dru Down and the Luniz accused New Orleans rapper Master P (who started his musical career in the Bay Area) for stealing their concept of the “Ice Cream Man” — slang for a narcotics dealer. \u003ccite>(Torre / @torre.pentel)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Dru Down: Ice cream on “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uNv2qAje-Q\">Ice Cream Man\u003c/a>” (with the Luniz)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>“Get your ice cream, ice cream / Not Ice-T, not Ice Cube, ice cream.”\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Not intended for children, the classic 1993 anthem off Dru Down’s \u003ci>Fools From The Street \u003c/i>paints a startling picture of addiction and illicit drug distribution around Oakland in the wake of Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan’s War on Drugs. Despite its unapologetic content, “Ice Cream Man” went on to establish an indisputably popular food motif in national rap music: ice cream as a stand-in for drug dealing. Since the production includes an audio sampling of an ice cream truck’s inimitable tune, listening to it evokes a sense of nostalgia for the frozen treat — and for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop\">golden-era Bay Area hip-hop\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n","blocks":[],"excerpt":"A brief look at some of the Bay Area’s most notoriously hungry rappers — and the foods they’ve lyricized about.","status":"publish","parent":0,"modified":1713412777,"stats":{"hasAudio":false,"hasVideo":false,"hasChartOrMap":false,"iframeSrcs":[],"hasGoogleForm":false,"hasGallery":false,"hasHearkenModule":false,"hasPolis":false,"paragraphCount":28,"wordCount":2211},"headData":{"title":"Bay Area Rappers and Food Lyrics | KQED","description":"A brief look at some of the Bay Area’s most notoriously hungry rappers — and the foods they’ve lyricized about.","ogTitle":"Here’s What Bay Area Rappers Are Eating (According to Their Lyrics)","ogDescription":"","ogImgId":"","twTitle":"Here’s What Bay Area Rappers Are Eating (According to Their Lyrics)","twDescription":"","twImgId":"","socialTitle":"Bay Area Rappers and Food Lyrics %%page%% %%sep%% KQED","schema":{"@context":"http://schema.org","@type":"Article","headline":"Here’s What Bay Area Rappers Are Eating (According to Their Lyrics)","datePublished":"2024-04-17T14:52:32-07:00","dateModified":"2024-04-17T20:59:37-07:00","image":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"}},"source":"Food","sourceUrl":"https://www.kqed.org/food","sticky":false,"excludeFromSiteSearch":"Include","articleAge":"0","path":"/arts/13955802/bay-area-rappers-food-lyrics-illustrations-e-40-larry-june","audioTrackLength":null,"parsedContent":[{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__dropcapShortcode__dropcap\">W\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>hen conveying what it means to really be from the Bay Area, I often return to this simple yet revelatory \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/mac-dre\">Mac Dre\u003c/a> lyric: “In the Bay Area, we dance a little different.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Whether it’s in our music, political activism or technological contributions, there’s a certain out-of-box forwardness that tends to manifest from Bay Area minds — and a pride in how we approach everything with a savvy sprinkling of game, hustlership and top-tier ideation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The same can be said for the Bay Area’s food scene, which ranks among the nation’s best and most imaginative. From sourdough bread to the eternal Mission-style burrito, the Bay’s foodmakers have often been ahead of the curve, helping to revolutionize menus nationwide with their fresh farm-to-table approach. To borrow from the great Mac, one could say that in the Bay Area, we \u003ci>eat\u003c/i> a little different.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"aside","attributes":{"named":{"postid":"arts_13907726,arts_13934248","label":""},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/span>It’s no surprise, then, that in the history of local rap, food has always been a strong reference point — a metaphorical kitchen for creative exchange. An endless platter of well-seasoned slang. For decades, our rappers have delivered punchlines involving sauce, lasagna and \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMah0rX6pGU\">lumpia\u003c/a>; dropped verses that generously reference \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkBJR5L2nas\">desserts and bakeries\u003c/a>; and supplied entire songs about stacking bread, cheese and lettuce as lucrative sandwiches.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/restaurants/article/bay-area-rap-shrimp-crab-17915372.php\">Food-loving Bay Area rappers\u003c/a> have always been bold when it comes to transmorphing culinary items and kitchen utensils into slang that others then appropriate and even misuse (see: “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13908052/food-doesnt-slap\">food doesn’t slap\u003c/a>”). Shock G once talked about getting busy in a Burger King bathroom and declared, “I like my oatmeal lumpy.” On “Dreganomics,” Mac Dre himself asked, “What’s spaghetti without the sauce?” We’ve got Suga T (sweet) and Spice 1 (hot). Berner founded \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/cookiessf/?hl=en\">Cookies\u003c/a>. And just a few weeks ago, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13900085/stunnaman02-and-the-big-steppin-energy-in-the-room\">Stunnaman02\u003c/a> dropped a whole series of viral videos centered on his latest single. His focus? \u003ca href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/@jayworrld/video/7340701934355254574\">Eating a salad\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"fullwidth"},"numeric":["fullwidth"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s a unifying ethos in Bay Area food and rap: \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6GU3PmttyI\">Everybody eats\u003c/a>. So here’s a brief ode to some of our region’s most skilled vocabulary chefs and the tasteful ways they’ve reimagined the ingredients of language that are possible in a kitchen — and the recording studio.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13956090\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13956090\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/E40-Color-1.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration of the rapper E-40 in sunglasses and a beige apron, holding a glass of red wine. In front of him are a burrito and a grilled cheese sandwich.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/E40-Color-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/E40-Color-1-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/E40-Color-1-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/E40-Color-1-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/E40-Color-1-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/E40-Color-1-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/E40-Color-1-1920x1920.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">E-40 might be the most prolific inventor of food-related slang words in the English language. He’s a head chef in the Bay Area’s rap kingdom. \u003ccite>(Torre / @torre.pentel)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>E-40: Green eggs, hams, candy yams, Spam, cheese, peanut butter and jam on “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etIBcRriUJY\">The Slap\u003c/a>”\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>“Digital scale, green eggs and hams / Yams, candy yams, Spam, damn! / Loaded, my cheese, peanut butter and jam / Sammich, mannish, me and my Hispanics / Vanish, talkin’ in codes like we from different planets.”\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Though it may sound like gibberish to the uninitiated, rest assured that \u003ca href=\"https://firstwefeast.com/eat/2013/12/food-rap-decoded-with-e-40-video\">99.99% of anything 40 Water vocalizes has a cleverly associative meaning\u003c/a>. For anyone who has listened to one of the more than 25 studio albums from Vallejo’s kingpin, you’ve surely heard him mention food — perhaps in a variety of languages (some real, some ingeniously invented). In addition to the smorgasbord he notes above in “The Slap,” he has pioneered rhymes across generations that give new meanings to Gouda, feta, mozzarella, lettuce, bread, sausage, salami, paninis, spaghetti, tacos and enchiladas — ad infinitum. Unsurprisingly, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13907726/e-40-goon-with-the-spoon-bay-area-rappers-food-entrepreneurs-hustle\">Mr. Fonzarelli is an actual purveyor of foods and beverages\u003c/a>, with a line of products that includes malt liquor, ice cream and burritos; he even co-owns \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thelumpiacompany/\">The Lumpia Company\u003c/a>. There’s no one with a bigger million-dollar mouthpiece who can distribute as much word candy (“S-L-A-N-G”) quite as flavorfully as the Goon With The Spoon himself.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Andre Nickatina: TOGO’s #41 sandwich with the hot peppers on “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FU1XdPE6lM\">Fa Show\u003c/a>”\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>“Baby don’t act dumb, I’m number 41, high stepper / TOGO’s sandwich with the hot peppers / At 90 degrees I might freeze, so when it’s hot I sport leather.”\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fillmore’s finest, and among \u003ca href=\"https://www.passionweiss.com/2016/11/17/andre-nickatina/\">the most criminally underrated San Francisco rappers in history\u003c/a>, Andre Nickatina has always had a penchant for the spicy, the flavorful, the extemporaneously saucy. From rapping about eating Cap’n Crunch around drug dealers to sarcastically handing out Baskin Robbins dollars to his enemies, Nicky Nicotine (formerly known as Dre Dog) raps about food as casually as any rapper would ever dare. Unlike many of today’s international rap personalities, who seem to only eat at \u003ca href=\"https://www.reddit.com/r/OutOfTheLoop/comments/6frbt9/why_are_rappers_obsessed_with_nobu_sushi/\">high-priced sushi conglomerates\u003c/a>, Nickatina is a Bay Area real one, electing to stay fed at a regional sandwich chain from San Jose. The enigmatic “number 41” on the \u003ca href=\"https://www.togos.com/menu/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwoPOwBhAeEiwAJuXRh69gJ2fS8J9qmnAKJEnCmI5720psTxEmhEmkgFAemWoe3auyNuuxExoCTm0QAvD_BwE\">Togo’s menu\u003c/a> has since been discontinued, but a spokesperson for the restaurant IDed it as a sirloin steak and mushroom sandwich that was introduced as a seasonal special back in 2002 — the same year “Fa Show” was released. There is no doubt it must’ve been fire, given its endorsement by a legend who knows how to professionally “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8TXpoi-goE\">Break Bread\u003c/a>.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13956088\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13956088\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/KAMAIYAH-Color-1.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration of the rapper Kamaiyah eating from a plate of chicken alfredo tucked under her arm. Next to her is a bottle of champagne.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/KAMAIYAH-Color-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/KAMAIYAH-Color-1-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/KAMAIYAH-Color-1-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/KAMAIYAH-Color-1-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/KAMAIYAH-Color-1-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/KAMAIYAH-Color-1-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/KAMAIYAH-Color-1-1920x1920.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kamaiyah’s album covers often feature food, Hennessey and champagne — a reflection of the rapper’s saucy, bossy lifestyle. \u003ccite>(Torre / @torre.pentel)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Kamaiyah: Champagne and chicken on “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yls2dMJ63tM\">Whatever Whenever\u003c/a>”\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>“Just drink champagne with all my chicken meals.”\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s fitting that East Oakland’s Kamaiyah — who cooked up the searingly hot single “How Does It Feel” on her transcendent debut, \u003ci>A Good Night in the Ghetto\u003c/i> — continued to double down on aspirational living and good eating with her sophomore release, \u003ci>Got It Made\u003c/i>. As always, the bodacious trapper rhymes over a synth-laced, floaty-spaceship soundscape while bragging about her California riches — and cuisine. The music video for “Whatever Whenever” features Kamaiyah roaming the untainted grounds of a Napa Valley-esque chateau. Her album covers over the years have also featured bags of potato chips, Hennessy and double-fisted bottles of champagne. It’s always bottoms up when Kamaiyah is on the track.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Too $hort: Macaroni, steak and collard greens on “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ru5B8cFskaw\">All My B*tches Are Gone\u003c/a>”\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>“Eat some shit up / macaroni, steak, collard greens, or whatever the fuck.”\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With over 35 years of classic albums like \u003ci>Cocktails\u003c/i> and \u003ci>Gettin’ It\u003c/i>, there’s no doubt that Short Dogg knows how to feed his multi-generational fanbase. He doesn’t shy away from straightforward lyrics — or having a large appetite for nefarious activities — and he has continued to make seasoned slaps for precisely 225,000 hours and counting (“get a calculator, do the math”). This OG’s plate of choice includes classic soul food staples served with a slab of steak. As the veteran unmistakably outlines on “This How We Eat”: “We make money, we eat, we feed.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13956087\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13956087\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/LARRY-JUNE-Color-1.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration of the rapper Larry June in an SF Giants cap, holding a crab cracker in one hand and a fork in the other. In front of him is a whole lobster on a plate.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/LARRY-JUNE-Color-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/LARRY-JUNE-Color-1-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/LARRY-JUNE-Color-1-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/LARRY-JUNE-Color-1-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/LARRY-JUNE-Color-1-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/LARRY-JUNE-Color-1-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/LARRY-JUNE-Color-1-1920x1920.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Besides establishing himself as the healthiest rapper in Bay Area lore, Larry June is also known for sporting vintage muscle cars and cracking lobsters in Sausalito as part of his luxurious lifestyle. \u003ccite>(Torre / @torre.pentel)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Larry June: Crab legs on “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luIhlZBrJos\">Lifetime Income\u003c/a>”\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>“This not my girlfriend, we just eatin’ crab legs.”\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you know Larry June, then you know he’s all about smoothies, green teas, organic juices and oranges (yee hee!). But just as buttery are his numerously silky references to luxury meals and late-night outings with a seemingly endless rotation of women friends. Without question, the Hunters Point rapper has one of the healthiest appetites of anyone around a microphone, regularly dropping rhymes about his organic sustenance. Since Uncle Larry makes a living off his out-of-pocket food references, he merits an honorable mention for dropping other absolute bangers like “I might write a motherfuckin’ smoothie book or somethin’ … Sell this shit for thirty dollars” and “Watermelon juice riding bikes with my latest chick / I don’t do the clubs that often, I got a check to get.” It’s fitting that \u003ca href=\"https://uproxx.com/music/larry-june-interview-san-francisco/\">he also co-owns Honeybear Boba in the Dogpatch\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Iamsu!: Chicken strips and Moscato on “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQcxMU3uvLg\">Don’t Stop\u003c/a>”\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>“Keep it real I don’t brag though… / Chicken strips, no escargot / [sippin’] on the Moscato.”\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To be fair, this lyric is from a young, mixtape-era Iamsu! and might not reflect the current palate of the multi-platinum rapper and producer from Richmond. (In fact, that’s probably true of every rapper on this list, so take these lyrics with a grain of salt.) But when I first heard this song in my 20s, it’s a line that did — and still does — resonate for its unglamorized celebration of living on a low-budget microwaveable diet while maintaining a glimmer of high-life ambition. Personally, I’d take chicken strips over escargot nine out of ten times. And, from the sound of it, so would Suzy 6 Speed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13956086\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13956086\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/PLO-Color-1.jpg\" alt=\"The rapper P-Lo wiggles his fingers in delight over a plate of chicken wings sitting on a bed of dollar bills.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/PLO-Color-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/PLO-Color-1-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/PLO-Color-1-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/PLO-Color-1-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/PLO-Color-1-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/PLO-Color-1-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/PLO-Color-1-1920x1920.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">P-Lo often raps about his love of chicken (chicken adobo, fried chicken, chicken wings), and his favorite food-related slang word is also “chicken” (as a stand in for “money”). \u003ccite>(Torre / @torre.pentel)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>P-Lo: Chicken wings in the strip club on “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-ajtPhAQ1U\">Going To Work\u003c/a>”\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>“In the strip club eating chicken wings.”\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"aside","attributes":{"named":{"postid":"arts_13938479","label":""},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/span>There may not be another rapper on this list with as much love for chicken wings as Pinole’s P-Lo. For starters, the lyricist and producer launched a transnational food tour, teaming up with Filipino restaurants around the U.S. and Canada to deliver collaborative one-off dishes, including \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13935891/p-lo-senor-sisig-filipino-food-tour-oakland\">his own spicy sinigang wings at Señor Sisig in Oakland\u003c/a>. If that’s not enough, he has popped up on popular social media channels like \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/bayareafoodz/?hl=en\">Bay Area Foodz\u003c/a> as \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJYkVcpM6E0\">he searches for the best wings around the Yay\u003c/a>. His songs are even featured on \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/reel/CwyzdhfrNCE/\">national commercials for Wingstop\u003c/a>. For P-Lo, it’s always time to bring back the bass — and taste.\u003cb>\u003ci>\u003c/i>\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Guap (formerly Guapdad 4000): Chicken adobo on “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DaovaJgytE\">Chicken Adobo\u003c/a>”\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>“How I fell in love with you it was beautiful / Like chicken adobo how you fill me up.”\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For the Black Filipino American rapper from West Oakland, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13905208/a-new-generation-of-filipino-hip-hop-builds-on-a-deep-bay-area-legacy\">food has always played a central role in his upbringing\u003c/a>. The anime-loving, Marvel comics fan grew up in a Filipino household eating champorado, and his songs have never shied away from references to his dual cultures. In what might be his most well-known song, Guap equates romantic satiation to filling up on a bowl of chicken adobo. His love of food goes beyond the booth — he recently spoke out on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13950363/keith-lee-tiktok-oakland-sf-bay-area-struggles\">the recent Keith Lee fiasco\u003c/a>, and he also put together\u003ca href=\"https://trippin.world/guide/oaklands-top-food-joints-with-rapper-guapdad-4000\"> a map of his favorite places to eat around The Town\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Cellski: Canadian bacon, hash browns and cheddar cheese on “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6wFRZOd7n8\">Chedda\u003c/a>”\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>“Gotta get the cheddar, fuck the [federals].”\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As most food mentions in Bay Area rap goes, Cellski’s mention of this quintessentially North American breakfast combo isn’t exactly a homage to the real ingredients, as much as it is a reference to his hustling. His 1998 \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/release/841568-Cellski-Canadian-Bacon-Hash-Browns/image/SW1hZ2U6NDg3ODMxNzk=\">album cover\u003c/a> for \u003ci>Canadian Bacon & Hash Browns \u003c/i>features a cartoon depiction of the rapper getting pulled over and arrested by a Canadian mountie, with an open trunk revealing pounds of medicinal herbs. Nonetheless, there’s a good chance that the veteran San Francisco spitter actually does like to carry Canadian bacon, hash browns and cheddar around — \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13922141/cellskis-big-mafi-burgers-come-with-a-side-of-sf-rap-history\">he’s a part-time foodie who runs his own burger pop-up, after all\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13956089\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13956089\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/DRU-DOWN-Color-1.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration of the rapper Dru Down in gold sunglasses and a black trench coat, holding an ice cream cone in one hand and an ice cream sundae on the table in front of him.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/DRU-DOWN-Color-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/DRU-DOWN-Color-1-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/DRU-DOWN-Color-1-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/DRU-DOWN-Color-1-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/DRU-DOWN-Color-1-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/DRU-DOWN-Color-1-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/DRU-DOWN-Color-1-1920x1920.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">In a famous 1996 beef, Dru Down and the Luniz accused New Orleans rapper Master P (who started his musical career in the Bay Area) for stealing their concept of the “Ice Cream Man” — slang for a narcotics dealer. \u003ccite>(Torre / @torre.pentel)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Dru Down: Ice cream on “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uNv2qAje-Q\">Ice Cream Man\u003c/a>” (with the Luniz)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>“Get your ice cream, ice cream / Not Ice-T, not Ice Cube, ice cream.”\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"floatright"},"numeric":["floatright"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Not intended for children, the classic 1993 anthem off Dru Down’s \u003ci>Fools From The Street \u003c/i>paints a startling picture of addiction and illicit drug distribution around Oakland in the wake of Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan’s War on Drugs. Despite its unapologetic content, “Ice Cream Man” went on to establish an indisputably popular food motif in national rap music: ice cream as a stand-in for drug dealing. Since the production includes an audio sampling of an ice cream truck’s inimitable tune, listening to it evokes a sense of nostalgia for the frozen treat — and for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop\">golden-era Bay Area hip-hop\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}}],"link":"/arts/13955802/bay-area-rappers-food-lyrics-illustrations-e-40-larry-june","authors":["11748"],"categories":["arts_1","arts_12276","arts_69"],"tags":["arts_21883","arts_5397","arts_1601","arts_10278","arts_1297","arts_3771","arts_831","arts_21738","arts_1558","arts_9337","arts_1143","arts_1803","arts_1146","arts_19942","arts_19347","arts_3478","arts_3800"],"featImg":"arts_13956152","label":"source_arts_13955802"},"arts_13952260":{"type":"posts","id":"arts_13952260","meta":{"index":"posts_1591205157","site":"arts","id":"13952260","score":null,"sort":[1707929631000]},"guestAuthors":[],"slug":"turntablism-invisibl-skratch-piklz-legacy-impact","title":"Turntablism’s Mightiest Heroes: The Legacy, Impact and Aesthetics of the Invisibl Skratch Piklz","publishDate":1707929631,"format":"aside","headTitle":"Turntablism’s Mightiest Heroes: The Legacy, Impact and Aesthetics of the Invisibl Skratch Piklz | KQED","labelTerm":{},"content":"\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952272\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1080px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952272\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP-backstage-in-SF-2017.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1080\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP-backstage-in-SF-2017.jpg 1080w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP-backstage-in-SF-2017-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP-backstage-in-SF-2017-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP-backstage-in-SF-2017-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP-backstage-in-SF-2017-768x768.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Invisibl Skratch Piklz’ cultural impact over the past 40 years has been felt around the globe. The crew is pictured here backstage in San Francisco in 2017. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Shortkut)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>Editor’s note\u003c/strong>: This story is part of \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop/\">That’s My Word\u003c/a>\u003cem>, KQED’s story series on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop/\">Bay Area hip-hop\u003c/a> history.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On an overcast November day in Oakland, DJ Shortkut – a member of the Invisibl Skratch Piklz DJ crew – was the featured performer on a boat cruise, as part of the DMC World DJ Finals festivities. The weather didn’t get too rough during the two-hour tour, which meandered out to the Bay Bridge and back to port at Jack London Square. The worst was some mildly choppy squalls into fierce headwinds. Because this wasn’t your average boat cruise – its attendees mainly consisted of DJs from all over the world in town for the DMC battle – the ship’s crew circled around Treasure Island for a bit, instead of heading further out into the open sea.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The calmer waters allowed Shortkut, who had been playing a vibrant set of mostly classic midtempo hip-hop, to show off his mixing and scratching skills a bit. As the boat headed back toward its East Bay dock, Shortkut unleashed an impressive display of scratching skills that lasted for a good five minutes. As the boat neared its mooring, the DJ called his peers to the turntables. What followed was an unforgettable, and super-fun, display of global turntablism at its best, as each DJ in succession laid down a wicked scratch segment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13937761\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13937761\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231103-DMCBattle-22-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A person with a shaved head stands at a table as a screen behind them shows the images of several people.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231103-DMCBattle-22-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231103-DMCBattle-22-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231103-DMCBattle-22-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231103-DMCBattle-22-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231103-DMCBattle-22-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231103-DMCBattle-22-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231103-DMCBattle-22-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Shortkut performs with Invisibl Skratch Piklz during the DMC World DJ Finals at The Midway in San Francisco, Calif., on Nov. 3, 2023. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>It seemed appropriate for Shortkut to be leading the activities. Once a battle entrant in the DMCs himself and understudy to fellow Piklz Qbert, Apollo, and Mix Master Mike, Shortkut has become an accomplished master in his own right – most recently playing an opening set on LL Cool J’s star-studded Hip Hop 50 tour. The message to the younger DJs on the boat was clear: keep developing your skills and be a balanced DJ who can rise to any occasion – scratching and beat-juggling skills are nice, but rocking a party with impeccable selection while displaying your skills is even better.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Perfecting – and Teaching – the Art\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The Piklz first rose to prominence during the ’90s, winning multiple world DJ battle titles as a crew and individually while displaying innovative new techniques that elevated turntablism to unprecedented heights. After revolutionizing the artform and birthing scratch music as a genre, by the decade’s end, they had left an indelible mark on DJ culture and furthered its global reach.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952265\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1759px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952265\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.japan_.decks_.93.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1759\" height=\"1196\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.japan_.decks_.93.jpg 1759w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.japan_.decks_.93-800x544.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.japan_.decks_.93-1020x694.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.japan_.decks_.93-160x109.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.japan_.decks_.93-768x522.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.japan_.decks_.93-1536x1044.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1759px) 100vw, 1759px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Invisibl Skratch Piklz in Japan in 1993. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Alex Aquino)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Christie Zee, the organizer for 2023’s DMC World Battle, held in San Francisco, has worked off and on for the London-based organization since 1998. She first became aware of the Piklz from an old boyfriend’s copy of DJ Qbert’s \u003cem>Demolition Pumpkin Squeeze Musik\u003c/em> mixtape – “It just had so much scratching and it was so fun,” she says. She recalls meeting the crew for the first time in 1999, at the DMC World Finals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m really delicate, really careful about (saying) \u003cem>pioneer\u003c/em> versus \u003cem>legend\u003c/em>, but I do think they were pioneering, because of things they’ve innovated and presented and invented,” she says. “They didn’t invent the scratch, but they just progressed the hell out of it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Obviously they have titles under their belts,” says Rob Swift, a founding member of the X-Men/X-Ecutioners, the New York turntablists who famously battled the Piklz in 1996. “But for me, I would say their most pivotal contribution to DJing is teaching the art. Before the Invisibl Skratch Piklz, nobody was teaching. DJing was a secret art.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952266\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1759px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952266\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.japan2_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1759\" height=\"1192\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.japan2_.jpg 1759w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.japan2_-800x542.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.japan2_-1020x691.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.japan2_-160x108.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.japan2_-768x520.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.japan2_-1536x1041.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1759px) 100vw, 1759px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Invisibl Skratch Piklz with Japanese fans, 1993. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Alex Aquino)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Swift – who’s been teaching a DJ course at the New School for Liberal Arts in New York since 2014 – speaks from experience. Within months of Qbert developing the crab scratch, Swift was using the technique in battles. He cites the instructional \u003cem>Turntable TV\u003c/em> series of video tutorials as not only an inspiration for the X-Men, but also for other DJs and even corporate entities. As a result, more people started DJing and the culture grew.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Before the Piklz, all of us had our own personal terminology for DJing. But the Piklz started (creating) terms that globally started to become accepted and become the consensus terms… Q started giving individual techniques specific names. In doing so, it made the art teachable, because you can’t teach someone by saying, yo, make it go \u003cem>wigga wigga wigga wigga\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Now these guys are selling videos to kids in Japan, kids in Canada, kids across the country, kids in Europe that had no clue how to do this shit… Myself, (Roc) Raida, Mista Sinista, (Total) Eclipse, we were inspired by Q, and we started teaching how to juggle, and we made videotapes just like them.” Without the Picklz, he says, there wouldn’t be “the ripple effects of what we see now, of all these DJ schools, all of these people teaching on YouTube, all these online tutorials, all these companies designing gear with all these effects.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952270\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1759px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952270\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.Japan_.vestax.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1759\" height=\"1156\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.Japan_.vestax.jpg 1759w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.Japan_.vestax-800x526.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.Japan_.vestax-1020x670.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.Japan_.vestax-160x105.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.Japan_.vestax-768x505.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.Japan_.vestax-1536x1009.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1759px) 100vw, 1759px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Invisibl Skratch Piklz at Vestax headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, to preview their signature mixer. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Alex Aquino)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Signature Models and Scratch Technique\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The Piklz also served as consultants to audio companies like Vestax and Ortofon to develop ISP-branded mixers and needles; more recently, Shortkut served as a brand ambassador for Serato’s vinyl emulation software. In a 2022 video tutorial for \u003cem>Wired\u003c/em>, the master turntablist demonstrates 15 levels of scratching, from the basic “baby scratch” to complex combos, rhythm and drum scratches, and the beat-juggle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to Shortkut, beat-juggling is “live manual remixing, basically, with two turntables and a mixer” utilizing two copies of the same record, or two different records. When done properly, the technique creates an entirely new beat using existing sounds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mix Master Mike estimates that he and Qbert have named hundreds of specific scratches. Among his original contributions is the “Tweaker,” which was developed accidentally, due to a power outage. “When you cut a turntable off, the sound still comes out of it” when the needle is left on the record. “You got to manually move the belt with your hand, which (makes) a totally way-out, dragging sound from the record.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952268\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1759px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.3fromsideshortkut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1759\" height=\"1186\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952268\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.3fromsideshortkut.jpg 1759w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.3fromsideshortkut-800x539.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.3fromsideshortkut-1020x688.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.3fromsideshortkut-160x108.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.3fromsideshortkut-768x518.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.3fromsideshortkut-1536x1036.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1759px) 100vw, 1759px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Invisibl Skratch Piklz, mid-routine in Seattle, 1994. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Alex Aquino)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In live shows, Mike deploys an arsenal of sound banks with trees of various audio samples for different instruments. He often improvises his sets – rarely playing the same scratch solo twice. With all the scratches he’s invented, “If I’m performing live, it’s all about if I can remember it on the spot.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Qbert’s most ubiquitous scratch may be the crab, which uses the crossfader to chop the audio signal, similar to the transformer scratch. Unlike the transformer – performed with just thumb and forefinger – the crab utilizes a rapid tapping motion with the other three fingers, resulting in finer chops, like a triplet of 1/16th notes instead of quarter-notes. The crab can then be combined with other techniques like the stab, the tear, or the orbit to create an infinite number of scratch patterns.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Q says the crab has nothing to do with crustaceans, actually. It was originally called the crepe, based off a food order he’d made in Lebanon. Except no one could pronounce the rolled r’s of a Lebanese accent correctly. Among the other scratches he’s named personally, “there’s like the hydro, the laser, the phaser, the swipe, oh man, let’s see, there’s the clover tear, the prism scratch. … there’s so many.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952274\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 749px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952274\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/1996-Vestax-ISP-ad.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"749\" height=\"960\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/1996-Vestax-ISP-ad.jpg 749w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/1996-Vestax-ISP-ad-160x205.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 749px) 100vw, 749px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A Vestax advertisement for the Invisibl Skratch Piklz’ signature mixer. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Shortkut)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>100mph Backsliding Turkey Kuts\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The Piklz began developing tools for DJs with the original \u003cem>Battle Breaks\u003c/em> vinyl record, which resampled various sound effects and verbal phrases, making them more scratch-friendly and accessible. Their imprint Dirt Style has released dozens of such records over the decades with names like \u003cem>Bionic Booger Breaks\u003c/em>, \u003cem>Buttcrack Breaks\u003c/em>, or \u003cem>Scratch Fetishes of the Third Kind\u003c/em>. These records are sometimes credited to DJ Qbert, DJ Flare or Mix Master Mike, and sometimes credited to aliases like the Psychedelic Scratch Bastards, The Wax Fondler and Darth Fader.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Battle Breaks\u003c/em> led to another innovation: the \u003cem>Scratchy Seal\u003c/em> series of skipless records. As Qbert explains, there’s a science behind this. “If you look at the turntable, it spins at 33 ⅓ — 33.33333 (revolutions) per minute. If you just make the BPM of the sound effect 33-point-dee dee dee dee dee dee dee dee dee dee, the magic number, it’s all going to be repetitive. No matter where the needle jumps, it’s going to land on the same sound again.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952264\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952264\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AAA_Q_MMM_best_PhotobyJeffStrawBranding-2000.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AAA_Q_MMM_best_PhotobyJeffStrawBranding-2000.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AAA_Q_MMM_best_PhotobyJeffStrawBranding-2000-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AAA_Q_MMM_best_PhotobyJeffStrawBranding-2000-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AAA_Q_MMM_best_PhotobyJeffStrawBranding-2000-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AAA_Q_MMM_best_PhotobyJeffStrawBranding-2000-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AAA_Q_MMM_best_PhotobyJeffStrawBranding-2000-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Qbert and Mix Master Mike backstage at the 2023 DMC championships in San Francisco. \u003ccite>(Jeff Straw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>How\u003c/em> the Piklz scratched also made a difference. According to crew member D-Styles, prior to the Piklz, “a lot of the scratch styles were straight ahead. It was very on the beat. ” He likens the Piklz’ approach to Bird and Dizzy’s excursions in the bebop era – “being ahead of the beat, or behind the beat, being more free with it, not so (much) in the line.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While there were other DJ crews before the Piklz, Swift says, the idea of a turntable orchestra was uncharted territory. “One guy would take a horn hit, another guy would take drums, the other guy would take vocals. Nobody was doing that before the Piklz.” This became a common practice, and led to the introduction of team routines in major battles. Qbert remarks that he and the other Piklz have been doing synchronized routines for so long, the communication between them has become telepathic. “It’s just kind of like walking in step.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952269\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1759px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.Qbert_.buckethead.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1759\" height=\"1173\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952269\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.Qbert_.buckethead.jpg 1759w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.Qbert_.buckethead-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.Qbert_.buckethead-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.Qbert_.buckethead-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.Qbert_.buckethead-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.Qbert_.buckethead-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1759px) 100vw, 1759px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Qbert onstage with guitarist Buckethead at the Jazznojazz Festival in Zurich, 1995. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Alex Aquino)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Another advancement was the first all-scratching record, i.e. a musical composition consisting entirely of scratched sounds. The scratch music trend resulted in a slew of solo releases — many of them on the now-defunct Bomb Hip Hop label – as well as group albums from the X-Ecutioners, The Allies, and Birdy Nam Nam, and one-offs like El Stew, an alternative supergroup featuring guitarist Buckethead, ISP alumni DJ Disk and producer Eddie Def. After turntablism’s initial wave died down in the early 2000s, the Piklz continued to develop the genre, which Shortkut says has become its own culture.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a niche market,” Qbert says. “But I’m totally immersed in it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952275\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952275\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/IMG_2459.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/IMG_2459.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/IMG_2459-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/IMG_2459-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/IMG_2459-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/IMG_2459-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/IMG_2459-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Invisibl Skratch Piklz at a Red Bull event. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Shortkut)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘It’s Just Some Human Shit, and It’s a Beautiful Thing’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>On his solo albums, Qbert has frequently explored sci-fi themes, beginning with 1998’s \u003cem>Wave Twisters\u003c/em>, and continuing with 2014’s \u003cem>Extraterrestria\u003c/em> and \u003cem>Galaxxxian\u003c/em>, 2020’s \u003cem>Origins (Wave Twisters 0)\u003c/em>, and 2022’s \u003cem>Next Cosmos\u003c/em>. He’s imagined what scratch music from across the galaxy might sound like, evoking starships navigating irradiated asteroid belts, alien creatures scurrying across cratered landscapes, and underwater temples emanating immemorial chants over percussive beats, while turning Rakim and Too Short phrases into Zen mantras. He’s done all this by embracing the musical possibilities of the turntable.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“On what other equipment could you make the sounds go backwards and forwards and just do all these weird things with it? You know, with your hands,” he says. Unlike pressing buttons on a computer, “this is like fucking connected to your soul. It’s not like AI can do it. It’s just some human shit, and it’s a beautiful thing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mix Master Mike served as the official DJ for the Beastie Boys from 1998 up until 2012, later joined Cypress Hill, and has toured with arena rock giants Metallica, Guns ‘N’ Roses, and Godsmack, playing to crowds of up to 50,000. His solo catalog has expanded the turntablism field into new arenas – literally. “I’ve always targeted the rock audience,” Mike says. “I’m not just hip-hop. I’m everything around it. The greatness is having to conquer uncharted territories.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I like to remain mysterious in that sense as far as being a mysterious artist and being unpredictable. I’m the risk taker, right? It’s therapeutic for me at this point, but it’s like I’m just taking it as a mission because nobody’s doing this.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952267\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1759px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952267\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.MMMonthedecks.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1759\" height=\"1196\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.MMMonthedecks.jpg 1759w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.MMMonthedecks-800x544.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.MMMonthedecks-1020x694.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.MMMonthedecks-160x109.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.MMMonthedecks-768x522.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.MMMonthedecks-1536x1044.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1759px) 100vw, 1759px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mix Master Mike. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Alex Aquino)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>This philosophy extends from live shows to recordings. “Growing up, I was always listening to soundtrack music. Lalo Schifrin, Quincy Jones, Ennio Morricone.” His goal in making records is to capture a cinematic sense, to make “a soundtrack that can live forever.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>His newest release, 2023’s \u003cem>Opus X Magnum\u003c/em>, is a headphone album with arena sensibilities. Or vice-versa. There’s lots of subtle instrumental and sound effect-y passages, along with chest-pumping drums and serpentine basslines. The quieter moments are few, but precious. MMM’s Pikl heritage is evident in the way horns, keyboards and vocal phrases are scratched vicariously, resulting in twisty turns that keep your ears guessing what’s next. To the artist’s credit, \u003cem>Opus\u003c/em> does sound epically cinematic throughout, its constantly changing moods and textures suggesting perpetual motion and a full dose of adrenaline.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>D-Styles’ two solo albums, released 17 years apart, illustrate his artistic growth. 2002’s \u003cem>Phantazmagorea\u003c/em> delves into dark themes, with vocal phrases seemingly selected for shock value, along with recognizable scratched snippets from KRS-One and Stetsasonic. 2019’s \u003cem>Noises In the Right Order\u003c/em> – inspired by a residency at Low End Theory, a club night frequented by lo-fi producers – recalls DJ Shadow’s \u003cem>Endtroducing\u003c/em> and the trip-hop era, while still using found vocals as documentary. D-Styles says \u003cem>Noises\u003c/em> was about being “more musical and less technical.” There’s plenty of scratching, but the emphasis is on overall composition.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952271\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 597px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952271\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP-at-HEIRO-DAY-2016.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"597\" height=\"506\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP-at-HEIRO-DAY-2016.jpg 597w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP-at-HEIRO-DAY-2016-160x136.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 597px) 100vw, 597px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Invisibl Skratch Piklz at Hiero Day 2016 in Oakland. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Shortkut)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Being a turntable composer, D-Styles maintains, means using scratching’s vocabulary as a musical language. “You look at it like an alphabet. You got chirps, you got flares, you got crabs, you got autobahns, you got Stewie’s, and all of that stuff. You can add swing to it, you could be ahead of the beat. Behind the beat. You can accent. There’s so much that goes into putting these combinations together.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Many Styles\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Apollo and Shortkut, meanwhile, joined forces with former ITF World Champion Vin Roc in 1999 to form Triple Threat, a DJ crew whose mission was to integrate turntablism into party-rocking live sets. “Just coming up as turntablists, we kind of like, created little monsters everywhere,” Apollo says. “All they would do is scratch in their bedrooms.” There’s more to DJing, he says, than just doing tricks and scratching and juggling.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Triple Threat released a well-received 2003 album, \u003cem>Many Styles\u003c/em>, which blended turntablist-oriented tracks with emcee features from Planet Asia, Black Thought, Souls of Mischief and Zion-I. The trio toured the United States and Asia regularly, and remained active up until the late 2010s. Apollo – who judged the DMC World Finals last year – still identifies as a Pikl, and says his focus nowadays is on upgrading his studio and reestablishing himself as a producer; he hopes to contribute some tracks to future ISP albums.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952276\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1440px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/LLCoolJ.Ztrip_.shortkut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1440\" height=\"1920\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952276\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/LLCoolJ.Ztrip_.shortkut.jpg 1440w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/LLCoolJ.Ztrip_.shortkut-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/LLCoolJ.Ztrip_.shortkut-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/LLCoolJ.Ztrip_.shortkut-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/LLCoolJ.Ztrip_.shortkut-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/LLCoolJ.Ztrip_.shortkut-1152x1536.jpg 1152w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1440px) 100vw, 1440px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Shortkut, at right, on the F.O.R.C.E. Tour with (L–R) DJ Z-Trip, LL Cool J and DJ Jazzy Jeff. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Shortkut)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Shortkut’s recorded output mainly consists of DJ mixtapes covering a wide variety of genres, but he did produce 2012’s “Twelve,” a funky, fun track with “Sesame Street”-esque vocal samples, for the Beat Junkies 45 Series, as well as 2017’s “Mini-Wheels,” a 7-inch single for Thud Rumble, and “Short Rugs,” a limited-edition slipmat designed for 45 rpm records and a 7-inch record with three skipless vinyl scratch tracks. He’s been an occasional headliner at DJ Platurn’s 45 Sessions party; playing all-vinyl sets, he says, helps him maintain his sanity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After a lengthy break following 2000’s “final” performance, Qbert, Shortkut and D-Styles officially reformed as ISP for 2015’s \u003cem>The 13th Floor\u003c/em>, their first full-length release. “This was the first time as a scratch artist that I’ve felt able to do shows with the Piklz where people know the songs,” Shortkut says. The album’s moods range from dark to soulful to jazzy, and were intended to be templates for live performances that typically involve improvised scratch soloing over a structured song with defined instrumental parts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952273\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952273\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP-making-of-The-13th-Floor-album-Japan-2015.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1500\" height=\"1000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP-making-of-The-13th-Floor-album-Japan-2015.jpg 1500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP-making-of-The-13th-Floor-album-Japan-2015-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP-making-of-The-13th-Floor-album-Japan-2015-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP-making-of-The-13th-Floor-album-Japan-2015-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP-making-of-The-13th-Floor-album-Japan-2015-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Invisibl Skratch Piklz in Japan, making their ’13th Floor’ album in 2015. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Shortkut)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Many of \u003cem>The 13th Floor\u003c/em>’s compositional elements were developed by D-Styles, who went on to become an online instructor at the Beat Junkies Institute of Sound in 2019. He notes the Piklz are more than halfway through their next, as-yet-untitled album — several tracks from which they previewed live during their recent DMC showcase in San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My strength is, I’m always in the studio,” says D-Styles. “I always have these ideas, these sketches that I’ll try at home by myself. But I always have parts in mind, so if i have drums, I’ll be like, this is perfect for Shortkut. And then I have these keyboards, you know, these notes. So I’ll carry that side. And then I’ll give Q this (vocal) phrase. And I know he’ll know what to do with it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Aesthetics That ‘Vibrate a Certain Way’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Qbert maintains he’s still a student, trying to learn new things after all these years. He keeps pushing himself to new levels because he doesn’t want to repeat what he’s already done. “You got to come unique and original, or else it’s like, fucking wack. Or it’s, \u003cem>ah… he did the same shit last time\u003c/em>, you know? I don’t want to hear that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952294\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1811px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.Qbert_.LPs_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1811\" height=\"600\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952294\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.Qbert_.LPs_.jpg 1811w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.Qbert_.LPs_-800x265.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.Qbert_.LPs_-1020x338.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.Qbert_.LPs_-160x53.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.Qbert_.LPs_-768x254.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.Qbert_.LPs_-1536x509.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1811px) 100vw, 1811px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A sample of Qbert’s visual aesthetic from three full-length albums: ‘Extraterrestria,’ ‘Origins Wave Twisters 0,’ and ‘Next Cosmos in 5D.’\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The most sublime aspect of the Piklz legacy may be their aesthetic, best described as part kung-fu, part sci-fi, part zany humor, yet firmly grounded in DJ culture and hip-hop expression. This is reflected in Mike and Q’s outsize personalities. “Those two in particular are very much outside of this Earth,” says Christie Z, noting that Mike’s custom Serato vinyl is covered in Zectarian language. (In 2017, Qbert joined Mike for a duo performance of MMM’s alienesque single “Channel Zecktar” live at the NAMM showcase.) Artists are sometimes kooky, she says, but she’s used to it by now. “That’s what they do.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Unsurprisingly, perhaps, Mike sees himself as a glowing, ultramagnetic, cosmic antenna. “I would say, you know, my brain is like a super cerebral satellite dish that I’m just logging into the channels in my mind, and I call it the access to the interstellar network, my own interstellar network that’s going on in my head.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As for Qbert, “nowadays I work off of karma,” he says. Though he’s consulted for audio companies before, when he’s asked for input, he doesn’t insist on contractual agreements. “I’ll give you the honest truth.” If a mixer could be sleeker and more ergonomic, he’ll say so. He feels equipment makers could be more visionary and futuristic with their products. “They could put chromatherapy in these things, you know, they vibrate a certain way to make it heal you as a human.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For all of Qbert’s zany sense of humor and embracing of otherworldliness, he’s remarkably down to earth at times. That is to say, his ideology isn’t illogical at all – just advanced.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“With any art, if you’re deep into it, you’re already touching infinity,” he says. “So you could do so many things in it that you haven’t done. And there’s freakin’ a bag of infinity left — that is never-ending.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-11687704\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Turntable.Break_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"60\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Turntable.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Turntable.Break_-400x30.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Turntable.Break_-768x58.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\n","blocks":[],"excerpt":"The Skratch Piklz' innovations in scratch technique, education and battle tools have impacted the globe. ","status":"publish","parent":0,"modified":1708071864,"stats":{"hasAudio":false,"hasVideo":false,"hasChartOrMap":false,"iframeSrcs":[],"hasGoogleForm":false,"hasGallery":false,"hasHearkenModule":false,"hasPolis":false,"paragraphCount":46,"wordCount":3685},"headData":{"title":"Turntablism’s Mightiest Heroes: The Legacy, Impact and Aesthetics of the Invisibl Skratch Piklz | KQED","description":"The Skratch Piklz' innovations in scratch technique, education and battle tools have impacted the globe. ","ogTitle":"","ogDescription":"","ogImgId":"","twTitle":"","twDescription":"","twImgId":"","schema":{"@context":"http://schema.org","@type":"Article","headline":"Turntablism’s Mightiest Heroes: The Legacy, Impact and Aesthetics of the Invisibl Skratch Piklz","datePublished":"2024-02-14T08:53:51-08:00","dateModified":"2024-02-16T00:24:24-08:00","image":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"}},"source":"That's My Word","sourceUrl":"https://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop","sticky":false,"templateType":"standard","featuredImageType":"standard","excludeFromSiteSearch":"Include","articleAge":"0","path":"/arts/13952260/turntablism-invisibl-skratch-piklz-legacy-impact","audioTrackLength":null,"parsedContent":[{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952272\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1080px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952272\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP-backstage-in-SF-2017.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1080\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP-backstage-in-SF-2017.jpg 1080w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP-backstage-in-SF-2017-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP-backstage-in-SF-2017-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP-backstage-in-SF-2017-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP-backstage-in-SF-2017-768x768.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Invisibl Skratch Piklz’ cultural impact over the past 40 years has been felt around the globe. The crew is pictured here backstage in San Francisco in 2017. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Shortkut)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>Editor’s note\u003c/strong>: This story is part of \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop/\">That’s My Word\u003c/a>\u003cem>, KQED’s story series on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop/\">Bay Area hip-hop\u003c/a> history.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On an overcast November day in Oakland, DJ Shortkut – a member of the Invisibl Skratch Piklz DJ crew – was the featured performer on a boat cruise, as part of the DMC World DJ Finals festivities. The weather didn’t get too rough during the two-hour tour, which meandered out to the Bay Bridge and back to port at Jack London Square. The worst was some mildly choppy squalls into fierce headwinds. Because this wasn’t your average boat cruise – its attendees mainly consisted of DJs from all over the world in town for the DMC battle – the ship’s crew circled around Treasure Island for a bit, instead of heading further out into the open sea.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The calmer waters allowed Shortkut, who had been playing a vibrant set of mostly classic midtempo hip-hop, to show off his mixing and scratching skills a bit. As the boat headed back toward its East Bay dock, Shortkut unleashed an impressive display of scratching skills that lasted for a good five minutes. As the boat neared its mooring, the DJ called his peers to the turntables. What followed was an unforgettable, and super-fun, display of global turntablism at its best, as each DJ in succession laid down a wicked scratch segment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13937761\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13937761\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231103-DMCBattle-22-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A person with a shaved head stands at a table as a screen behind them shows the images of several people.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231103-DMCBattle-22-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231103-DMCBattle-22-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231103-DMCBattle-22-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231103-DMCBattle-22-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231103-DMCBattle-22-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231103-DMCBattle-22-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231103-DMCBattle-22-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Shortkut performs with Invisibl Skratch Piklz during the DMC World DJ Finals at The Midway in San Francisco, Calif., on Nov. 3, 2023. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>It seemed appropriate for Shortkut to be leading the activities. Once a battle entrant in the DMCs himself and understudy to fellow Piklz Qbert, Apollo, and Mix Master Mike, Shortkut has become an accomplished master in his own right – most recently playing an opening set on LL Cool J’s star-studded Hip Hop 50 tour. The message to the younger DJs on the boat was clear: keep developing your skills and be a balanced DJ who can rise to any occasion – scratching and beat-juggling skills are nice, but rocking a party with impeccable selection while displaying your skills is even better.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Perfecting – and Teaching – the Art\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The Piklz first rose to prominence during the ’90s, winning multiple world DJ battle titles as a crew and individually while displaying innovative new techniques that elevated turntablism to unprecedented heights. After revolutionizing the artform and birthing scratch music as a genre, by the decade’s end, they had left an indelible mark on DJ culture and furthered its global reach.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952265\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1759px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952265\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.japan_.decks_.93.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1759\" height=\"1196\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.japan_.decks_.93.jpg 1759w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.japan_.decks_.93-800x544.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.japan_.decks_.93-1020x694.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.japan_.decks_.93-160x109.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.japan_.decks_.93-768x522.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.japan_.decks_.93-1536x1044.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1759px) 100vw, 1759px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Invisibl Skratch Piklz in Japan in 1993. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Alex Aquino)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Christie Zee, the organizer for 2023’s DMC World Battle, held in San Francisco, has worked off and on for the London-based organization since 1998. She first became aware of the Piklz from an old boyfriend’s copy of DJ Qbert’s \u003cem>Demolition Pumpkin Squeeze Musik\u003c/em> mixtape – “It just had so much scratching and it was so fun,” she says. She recalls meeting the crew for the first time in 1999, at the DMC World Finals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"fullwidth"},"numeric":["fullwidth"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m really delicate, really careful about (saying) \u003cem>pioneer\u003c/em> versus \u003cem>legend\u003c/em>, but I do think they were pioneering, because of things they’ve innovated and presented and invented,” she says. “They didn’t invent the scratch, but they just progressed the hell out of it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Obviously they have titles under their belts,” says Rob Swift, a founding member of the X-Men/X-Ecutioners, the New York turntablists who famously battled the Piklz in 1996. “But for me, I would say their most pivotal contribution to DJing is teaching the art. Before the Invisibl Skratch Piklz, nobody was teaching. DJing was a secret art.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952266\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1759px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952266\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.japan2_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1759\" height=\"1192\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.japan2_.jpg 1759w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.japan2_-800x542.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.japan2_-1020x691.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.japan2_-160x108.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.japan2_-768x520.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.japan2_-1536x1041.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1759px) 100vw, 1759px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Invisibl Skratch Piklz with Japanese fans, 1993. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Alex Aquino)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Swift – who’s been teaching a DJ course at the New School for Liberal Arts in New York since 2014 – speaks from experience. Within months of Qbert developing the crab scratch, Swift was using the technique in battles. He cites the instructional \u003cem>Turntable TV\u003c/em> series of video tutorials as not only an inspiration for the X-Men, but also for other DJs and even corporate entities. As a result, more people started DJing and the culture grew.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Before the Piklz, all of us had our own personal terminology for DJing. But the Piklz started (creating) terms that globally started to become accepted and become the consensus terms… Q started giving individual techniques specific names. In doing so, it made the art teachable, because you can’t teach someone by saying, yo, make it go \u003cem>wigga wigga wigga wigga\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Now these guys are selling videos to kids in Japan, kids in Canada, kids across the country, kids in Europe that had no clue how to do this shit… Myself, (Roc) Raida, Mista Sinista, (Total) Eclipse, we were inspired by Q, and we started teaching how to juggle, and we made videotapes just like them.” Without the Picklz, he says, there wouldn’t be “the ripple effects of what we see now, of all these DJ schools, all of these people teaching on YouTube, all these online tutorials, all these companies designing gear with all these effects.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952270\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1759px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952270\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.Japan_.vestax.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1759\" height=\"1156\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.Japan_.vestax.jpg 1759w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.Japan_.vestax-800x526.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.Japan_.vestax-1020x670.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.Japan_.vestax-160x105.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.Japan_.vestax-768x505.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.Japan_.vestax-1536x1009.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1759px) 100vw, 1759px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Invisibl Skratch Piklz at Vestax headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, to preview their signature mixer. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Alex Aquino)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Signature Models and Scratch Technique\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The Piklz also served as consultants to audio companies like Vestax and Ortofon to develop ISP-branded mixers and needles; more recently, Shortkut served as a brand ambassador for Serato’s vinyl emulation software. In a 2022 video tutorial for \u003cem>Wired\u003c/em>, the master turntablist demonstrates 15 levels of scratching, from the basic “baby scratch” to complex combos, rhythm and drum scratches, and the beat-juggle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to Shortkut, beat-juggling is “live manual remixing, basically, with two turntables and a mixer” utilizing two copies of the same record, or two different records. When done properly, the technique creates an entirely new beat using existing sounds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mix Master Mike estimates that he and Qbert have named hundreds of specific scratches. Among his original contributions is the “Tweaker,” which was developed accidentally, due to a power outage. “When you cut a turntable off, the sound still comes out of it” when the needle is left on the record. “You got to manually move the belt with your hand, which (makes) a totally way-out, dragging sound from the record.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952268\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1759px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.3fromsideshortkut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1759\" height=\"1186\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952268\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.3fromsideshortkut.jpg 1759w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.3fromsideshortkut-800x539.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.3fromsideshortkut-1020x688.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.3fromsideshortkut-160x108.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.3fromsideshortkut-768x518.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.3fromsideshortkut-1536x1036.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1759px) 100vw, 1759px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Invisibl Skratch Piklz, mid-routine in Seattle, 1994. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Alex Aquino)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In live shows, Mike deploys an arsenal of sound banks with trees of various audio samples for different instruments. He often improvises his sets – rarely playing the same scratch solo twice. With all the scratches he’s invented, “If I’m performing live, it’s all about if I can remember it on the spot.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Qbert’s most ubiquitous scratch may be the crab, which uses the crossfader to chop the audio signal, similar to the transformer scratch. Unlike the transformer – performed with just thumb and forefinger – the crab utilizes a rapid tapping motion with the other three fingers, resulting in finer chops, like a triplet of 1/16th notes instead of quarter-notes. The crab can then be combined with other techniques like the stab, the tear, or the orbit to create an infinite number of scratch patterns.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Q says the crab has nothing to do with crustaceans, actually. It was originally called the crepe, based off a food order he’d made in Lebanon. Except no one could pronounce the rolled r’s of a Lebanese accent correctly. Among the other scratches he’s named personally, “there’s like the hydro, the laser, the phaser, the swipe, oh man, let’s see, there’s the clover tear, the prism scratch. … there’s so many.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952274\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 749px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952274\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/1996-Vestax-ISP-ad.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"749\" height=\"960\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/1996-Vestax-ISP-ad.jpg 749w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/1996-Vestax-ISP-ad-160x205.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 749px) 100vw, 749px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A Vestax advertisement for the Invisibl Skratch Piklz’ signature mixer. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Shortkut)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>100mph Backsliding Turkey Kuts\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The Piklz began developing tools for DJs with the original \u003cem>Battle Breaks\u003c/em> vinyl record, which resampled various sound effects and verbal phrases, making them more scratch-friendly and accessible. Their imprint Dirt Style has released dozens of such records over the decades with names like \u003cem>Bionic Booger Breaks\u003c/em>, \u003cem>Buttcrack Breaks\u003c/em>, or \u003cem>Scratch Fetishes of the Third Kind\u003c/em>. These records are sometimes credited to DJ Qbert, DJ Flare or Mix Master Mike, and sometimes credited to aliases like the Psychedelic Scratch Bastards, The Wax Fondler and Darth Fader.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Battle Breaks\u003c/em> led to another innovation: the \u003cem>Scratchy Seal\u003c/em> series of skipless records. As Qbert explains, there’s a science behind this. “If you look at the turntable, it spins at 33 ⅓ — 33.33333 (revolutions) per minute. If you just make the BPM of the sound effect 33-point-dee dee dee dee dee dee dee dee dee dee, the magic number, it’s all going to be repetitive. No matter where the needle jumps, it’s going to land on the same sound again.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952264\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952264\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AAA_Q_MMM_best_PhotobyJeffStrawBranding-2000.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AAA_Q_MMM_best_PhotobyJeffStrawBranding-2000.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AAA_Q_MMM_best_PhotobyJeffStrawBranding-2000-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AAA_Q_MMM_best_PhotobyJeffStrawBranding-2000-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AAA_Q_MMM_best_PhotobyJeffStrawBranding-2000-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AAA_Q_MMM_best_PhotobyJeffStrawBranding-2000-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AAA_Q_MMM_best_PhotobyJeffStrawBranding-2000-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Qbert and Mix Master Mike backstage at the 2023 DMC championships in San Francisco. \u003ccite>(Jeff Straw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>How\u003c/em> the Piklz scratched also made a difference. According to crew member D-Styles, prior to the Piklz, “a lot of the scratch styles were straight ahead. It was very on the beat. ” He likens the Piklz’ approach to Bird and Dizzy’s excursions in the bebop era – “being ahead of the beat, or behind the beat, being more free with it, not so (much) in the line.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While there were other DJ crews before the Piklz, Swift says, the idea of a turntable orchestra was uncharted territory. “One guy would take a horn hit, another guy would take drums, the other guy would take vocals. Nobody was doing that before the Piklz.” This became a common practice, and led to the introduction of team routines in major battles. Qbert remarks that he and the other Piklz have been doing synchronized routines for so long, the communication between them has become telepathic. “It’s just kind of like walking in step.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952269\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1759px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.Qbert_.buckethead.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1759\" height=\"1173\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952269\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.Qbert_.buckethead.jpg 1759w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.Qbert_.buckethead-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.Qbert_.buckethead-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.Qbert_.buckethead-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.Qbert_.buckethead-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.Qbert_.buckethead-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1759px) 100vw, 1759px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Qbert onstage with guitarist Buckethead at the Jazznojazz Festival in Zurich, 1995. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Alex Aquino)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Another advancement was the first all-scratching record, i.e. a musical composition consisting entirely of scratched sounds. The scratch music trend resulted in a slew of solo releases — many of them on the now-defunct Bomb Hip Hop label – as well as group albums from the X-Ecutioners, The Allies, and Birdy Nam Nam, and one-offs like El Stew, an alternative supergroup featuring guitarist Buckethead, ISP alumni DJ Disk and producer Eddie Def. After turntablism’s initial wave died down in the early 2000s, the Piklz continued to develop the genre, which Shortkut says has become its own culture.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a niche market,” Qbert says. “But I’m totally immersed in it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952275\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952275\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/IMG_2459.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/IMG_2459.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/IMG_2459-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/IMG_2459-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/IMG_2459-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/IMG_2459-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/IMG_2459-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Invisibl Skratch Piklz at a Red Bull event. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Shortkut)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘It’s Just Some Human Shit, and It’s a Beautiful Thing’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>On his solo albums, Qbert has frequently explored sci-fi themes, beginning with 1998’s \u003cem>Wave Twisters\u003c/em>, and continuing with 2014’s \u003cem>Extraterrestria\u003c/em> and \u003cem>Galaxxxian\u003c/em>, 2020’s \u003cem>Origins (Wave Twisters 0)\u003c/em>, and 2022’s \u003cem>Next Cosmos\u003c/em>. He’s imagined what scratch music from across the galaxy might sound like, evoking starships navigating irradiated asteroid belts, alien creatures scurrying across cratered landscapes, and underwater temples emanating immemorial chants over percussive beats, while turning Rakim and Too Short phrases into Zen mantras. He’s done all this by embracing the musical possibilities of the turntable.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“On what other equipment could you make the sounds go backwards and forwards and just do all these weird things with it? You know, with your hands,” he says. Unlike pressing buttons on a computer, “this is like fucking connected to your soul. It’s not like AI can do it. It’s just some human shit, and it’s a beautiful thing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mix Master Mike served as the official DJ for the Beastie Boys from 1998 up until 2012, later joined Cypress Hill, and has toured with arena rock giants Metallica, Guns ‘N’ Roses, and Godsmack, playing to crowds of up to 50,000. His solo catalog has expanded the turntablism field into new arenas – literally. “I’ve always targeted the rock audience,” Mike says. “I’m not just hip-hop. I’m everything around it. The greatness is having to conquer uncharted territories.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I like to remain mysterious in that sense as far as being a mysterious artist and being unpredictable. I’m the risk taker, right? It’s therapeutic for me at this point, but it’s like I’m just taking it as a mission because nobody’s doing this.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952267\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1759px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952267\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.MMMonthedecks.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1759\" height=\"1196\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.MMMonthedecks.jpg 1759w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.MMMonthedecks-800x544.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.MMMonthedecks-1020x694.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.MMMonthedecks-160x109.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.MMMonthedecks-768x522.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.MMMonthedecks-1536x1044.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1759px) 100vw, 1759px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mix Master Mike. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Alex Aquino)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>This philosophy extends from live shows to recordings. “Growing up, I was always listening to soundtrack music. Lalo Schifrin, Quincy Jones, Ennio Morricone.” His goal in making records is to capture a cinematic sense, to make “a soundtrack that can live forever.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>His newest release, 2023’s \u003cem>Opus X Magnum\u003c/em>, is a headphone album with arena sensibilities. Or vice-versa. There’s lots of subtle instrumental and sound effect-y passages, along with chest-pumping drums and serpentine basslines. The quieter moments are few, but precious. MMM’s Pikl heritage is evident in the way horns, keyboards and vocal phrases are scratched vicariously, resulting in twisty turns that keep your ears guessing what’s next. To the artist’s credit, \u003cem>Opus\u003c/em> does sound epically cinematic throughout, its constantly changing moods and textures suggesting perpetual motion and a full dose of adrenaline.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>D-Styles’ two solo albums, released 17 years apart, illustrate his artistic growth. 2002’s \u003cem>Phantazmagorea\u003c/em> delves into dark themes, with vocal phrases seemingly selected for shock value, along with recognizable scratched snippets from KRS-One and Stetsasonic. 2019’s \u003cem>Noises In the Right Order\u003c/em> – inspired by a residency at Low End Theory, a club night frequented by lo-fi producers – recalls DJ Shadow’s \u003cem>Endtroducing\u003c/em> and the trip-hop era, while still using found vocals as documentary. D-Styles says \u003cem>Noises\u003c/em> was about being “more musical and less technical.” There’s plenty of scratching, but the emphasis is on overall composition.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952271\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 597px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952271\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP-at-HEIRO-DAY-2016.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"597\" height=\"506\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP-at-HEIRO-DAY-2016.jpg 597w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP-at-HEIRO-DAY-2016-160x136.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 597px) 100vw, 597px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Invisibl Skratch Piklz at Hiero Day 2016 in Oakland. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Shortkut)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Being a turntable composer, D-Styles maintains, means using scratching’s vocabulary as a musical language. “You look at it like an alphabet. You got chirps, you got flares, you got crabs, you got autobahns, you got Stewie’s, and all of that stuff. You can add swing to it, you could be ahead of the beat. Behind the beat. You can accent. There’s so much that goes into putting these combinations together.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Many Styles\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Apollo and Shortkut, meanwhile, joined forces with former ITF World Champion Vin Roc in 1999 to form Triple Threat, a DJ crew whose mission was to integrate turntablism into party-rocking live sets. “Just coming up as turntablists, we kind of like, created little monsters everywhere,” Apollo says. “All they would do is scratch in their bedrooms.” There’s more to DJing, he says, than just doing tricks and scratching and juggling.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Triple Threat released a well-received 2003 album, \u003cem>Many Styles\u003c/em>, which blended turntablist-oriented tracks with emcee features from Planet Asia, Black Thought, Souls of Mischief and Zion-I. The trio toured the United States and Asia regularly, and remained active up until the late 2010s. Apollo – who judged the DMC World Finals last year – still identifies as a Pikl, and says his focus nowadays is on upgrading his studio and reestablishing himself as a producer; he hopes to contribute some tracks to future ISP albums.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952276\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1440px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/LLCoolJ.Ztrip_.shortkut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1440\" height=\"1920\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952276\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/LLCoolJ.Ztrip_.shortkut.jpg 1440w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/LLCoolJ.Ztrip_.shortkut-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/LLCoolJ.Ztrip_.shortkut-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/LLCoolJ.Ztrip_.shortkut-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/LLCoolJ.Ztrip_.shortkut-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/LLCoolJ.Ztrip_.shortkut-1152x1536.jpg 1152w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1440px) 100vw, 1440px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Shortkut, at right, on the F.O.R.C.E. Tour with (L–R) DJ Z-Trip, LL Cool J and DJ Jazzy Jeff. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Shortkut)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Shortkut’s recorded output mainly consists of DJ mixtapes covering a wide variety of genres, but he did produce 2012’s “Twelve,” a funky, fun track with “Sesame Street”-esque vocal samples, for the Beat Junkies 45 Series, as well as 2017’s “Mini-Wheels,” a 7-inch single for Thud Rumble, and “Short Rugs,” a limited-edition slipmat designed for 45 rpm records and a 7-inch record with three skipless vinyl scratch tracks. He’s been an occasional headliner at DJ Platurn’s 45 Sessions party; playing all-vinyl sets, he says, helps him maintain his sanity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After a lengthy break following 2000’s “final” performance, Qbert, Shortkut and D-Styles officially reformed as ISP for 2015’s \u003cem>The 13th Floor\u003c/em>, their first full-length release. “This was the first time as a scratch artist that I’ve felt able to do shows with the Piklz where people know the songs,” Shortkut says. The album’s moods range from dark to soulful to jazzy, and were intended to be templates for live performances that typically involve improvised scratch soloing over a structured song with defined instrumental parts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952273\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952273\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP-making-of-The-13th-Floor-album-Japan-2015.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1500\" height=\"1000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP-making-of-The-13th-Floor-album-Japan-2015.jpg 1500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP-making-of-The-13th-Floor-album-Japan-2015-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP-making-of-The-13th-Floor-album-Japan-2015-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP-making-of-The-13th-Floor-album-Japan-2015-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP-making-of-The-13th-Floor-album-Japan-2015-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Invisibl Skratch Piklz in Japan, making their ’13th Floor’ album in 2015. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Shortkut)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Many of \u003cem>The 13th Floor\u003c/em>’s compositional elements were developed by D-Styles, who went on to become an online instructor at the Beat Junkies Institute of Sound in 2019. He notes the Piklz are more than halfway through their next, as-yet-untitled album — several tracks from which they previewed live during their recent DMC showcase in San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My strength is, I’m always in the studio,” says D-Styles. “I always have these ideas, these sketches that I’ll try at home by myself. But I always have parts in mind, so if i have drums, I’ll be like, this is perfect for Shortkut. And then I have these keyboards, you know, these notes. So I’ll carry that side. And then I’ll give Q this (vocal) phrase. And I know he’ll know what to do with it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Aesthetics That ‘Vibrate a Certain Way’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Qbert maintains he’s still a student, trying to learn new things after all these years. He keeps pushing himself to new levels because he doesn’t want to repeat what he’s already done. “You got to come unique and original, or else it’s like, fucking wack. Or it’s, \u003cem>ah… he did the same shit last time\u003c/em>, you know? I don’t want to hear that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952294\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1811px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.Qbert_.LPs_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1811\" height=\"600\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952294\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.Qbert_.LPs_.jpg 1811w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.Qbert_.LPs_-800x265.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.Qbert_.LPs_-1020x338.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.Qbert_.LPs_-160x53.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.Qbert_.LPs_-768x254.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.Qbert_.LPs_-1536x509.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1811px) 100vw, 1811px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A sample of Qbert’s visual aesthetic from three full-length albums: ‘Extraterrestria,’ ‘Origins Wave Twisters 0,’ and ‘Next Cosmos in 5D.’\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The most sublime aspect of the Piklz legacy may be their aesthetic, best described as part kung-fu, part sci-fi, part zany humor, yet firmly grounded in DJ culture and hip-hop expression. This is reflected in Mike and Q’s outsize personalities. “Those two in particular are very much outside of this Earth,” says Christie Z, noting that Mike’s custom Serato vinyl is covered in Zectarian language. (In 2017, Qbert joined Mike for a duo performance of MMM’s alienesque single “Channel Zecktar” live at the NAMM showcase.) Artists are sometimes kooky, she says, but she’s used to it by now. “That’s what they do.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Unsurprisingly, perhaps, Mike sees himself as a glowing, ultramagnetic, cosmic antenna. “I would say, you know, my brain is like a super cerebral satellite dish that I’m just logging into the channels in my mind, and I call it the access to the interstellar network, my own interstellar network that’s going on in my head.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As for Qbert, “nowadays I work off of karma,” he says. Though he’s consulted for audio companies before, when he’s asked for input, he doesn’t insist on contractual agreements. “I’ll give you the honest truth.” If a mixer could be sleeker and more ergonomic, he’ll say so. He feels equipment makers could be more visionary and futuristic with their products. “They could put chromatherapy in these things, you know, they vibrate a certain way to make it heal you as a human.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For all of Qbert’s zany sense of humor and embracing of otherworldliness, he’s remarkably down to earth at times. That is to say, his ideology isn’t illogical at all – just advanced.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“With any art, if you’re deep into it, you’re already touching infinity,” he says. “So you could do so many things in it that you haven’t done. And there’s freakin’ a bag of infinity left — that is never-ending.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"floatright"},"numeric":["floatright"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-11687704\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Turntable.Break_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"60\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Turntable.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Turntable.Break_-400x30.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Turntable.Break_-768x58.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}}],"link":"/arts/13952260/turntablism-invisibl-skratch-piklz-legacy-impact","authors":["11839"],"categories":["arts_1","arts_69"],"tags":["arts_2854","arts_21712","arts_2852","arts_17218","arts_21940","arts_1146","arts_19347","arts_21711"],"featImg":"arts_13952262","label":"source_arts_13952260"},"arts_13952208":{"type":"posts","id":"arts_13952208","meta":{"index":"posts_1591205157","site":"arts","id":"13952208","score":null,"sort":[1707929580000]},"guestAuthors":[],"slug":"invisibl-skratch-piklz-filipino-djs-daly-city-san-francisco-turntablism-history","title":"How The Invisibl Skratch Piklz Put San Francisco Turntablism on the DJ Map","publishDate":1707929580,"format":"standard","headTitle":"How The Invisibl Skratch Piklz Put San Francisco Turntablism on the DJ Map | KQED","labelTerm":{"site":"arts"},"content":"\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>Editor’s note\u003c/strong>: This story is part of \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop/\">That’s My Word\u003c/a>\u003cem>, KQED’s story series on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop/\">Bay Area hip-hop\u003c/a> history.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On a recent Friday night in San Francisco, a couple thousand fans of DJ culture crammed into the cavernous main room of a nightclub in Hunters Point.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Inside The Midway, it was elbow room-only from the stage to the back patio; many of those in the crowd were DJs themselves. The scene recalled the late ’90s-early 2000s glory days of the Bay Area, when turntablism seemed destined to become the Next Big Thing, and DJ nights dominated SF’s club scene. No one was there to dance; it wasn’t that kind of party.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13937762\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13937762\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231103-DMCBattle-28-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A person wearing a baseball cap stands at a table under fluorescent lighting.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231103-DMCBattle-28-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231103-DMCBattle-28-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231103-DMCBattle-28-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231103-DMCBattle-28-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231103-DMCBattle-28-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231103-DMCBattle-28-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231103-DMCBattle-28-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">DJ Qbert performs with Invisibl Skratch Piklz during the DMC World DJ Finals at The Midway in San Francisco, Calif., on Nov. 3, 2023. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The occasion was the DMC World Championship DJ Battle Finals, with some of the best DJs in the world competing against each other. But there was another attraction too: live showcases by the Invisibl Skratch Piklz and Mix Master Mike, the legendary DJs who transformed the Bay Area into a turntablist Mecca during a seminal era for local hip-hop. DMC event organizer Christie Zee put the proceedings into their proper context: “You can’t have a battle in the Bay without the Skratch Piklz.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As midnight approached, the lights dimmed, and the Piklz – Qbert, Shortkut and D-Styles – were announced to cheers that echoed throughout the high-ceilinged room. The Piklz opened with the 2015 ISP track “Fresh Out of FVCKs,” with its ominous electric organ melody that transitions into repeating melodic chords. A snare drum beat came in, followed by a rhythmically scratched snippet of a stuttering vocal phrase. The electric organ chords shifted into a chopped melody as the snare dropped out, then returned. And that’s all before the mind-bending scratch solos that followed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Piklz proceeded to display their musicality, keeping their technical acumen within the groove pocket with synchronized timing. As is customary with the Piklz, each played the part of a specific instrumentalist: D-Styles as the keyboardist, Shortkut as the drummer, and Qbert as the scratch soloist.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952244\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952244\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/MMM_DJ_mixer_PhotobyJeffStrawBranding-2275.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/MMM_DJ_mixer_PhotobyJeffStrawBranding-2275.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/MMM_DJ_mixer_PhotobyJeffStrawBranding-2275-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/MMM_DJ_mixer_PhotobyJeffStrawBranding-2275-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/MMM_DJ_mixer_PhotobyJeffStrawBranding-2275-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/MMM_DJ_mixer_PhotobyJeffStrawBranding-2275-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/MMM_DJ_mixer_PhotobyJeffStrawBranding-2275-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mix Master Mike at the DMC World DJ Finals at The Midway in San Francisco, Calif., on Nov. 3, 2023. \u003ccite>(Jeff Straw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>A live version of “Death By A Thousand Paper Cuts” – a song from D-Styles’ 2019 album \u003cem>Noises In the Right Order\u003c/em> – and several unreleased ISP songs showed that \u003ca href=\"https://ccnmtl.columbia.edu/projects/jazzglossary/g/ghost_note.html\">ghost notes\u003c/a> aren’t just associated with jazz music. The turntable trio used the spaces between to impart a sense of presence and feel, a minimalist approach that allowed their scratches, cuts and juggles to resonate with maximum impact.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This would have been a hard act to follow for anyone but Mix Master Mike. The ISP co-founder, who’s been a solo artist since 1995 or so, has a gigantic stage presence and skills to match. A one-man musical blender, MMM unleashed a maelstrom of sonic fury, with bone-crunching drums, an entire range of musical and vocal phrases, and precise turntable cuts that deconstructed the individual pieces of a live performance — only to reconstruct all the fragments into an emotionally-thrilling pastiche. After his set, when Mike was celebrated with a Lifetime Achievement Award, the honor was clearly well-deserved.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Invisible Skratch Piklz were celebrating, too – 2023 marks their 30th anniversary – and it’s safe to say no Bay Area crew has done more to advance the DJ artform. Along with New York’s X-Ecutioners and LA’s Beat Junkies, ISP have defined the term turntablist, carving out a cultural niche that rests on a hip-hop foundation but exists in its own space.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13937759\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13937759\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231103-DMCBattle-13-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"People stand in a crowd leaning on a barrier indoors.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231103-DMCBattle-13-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231103-DMCBattle-13-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231103-DMCBattle-13-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231103-DMCBattle-13-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231103-DMCBattle-13-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231103-DMCBattle-13-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231103-DMCBattle-13-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A crowd watches finalists compete during the DMC World DJ Finals at The Midway in San Francisco, Calif., on Nov. 3, 2023. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The Piklz have counted many firsts. As hip-hop’s relationship with the DJ has flipped from essential to inconsequential, they’ve maintained the DJ tradition for future generations, and extended its global reach. Over the past four decades, they’ve gone from students of the scratch to wizened masters of turntable music.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And like most cultural icons, their backstory is involved, multilayered and fascinating.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952236\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1528px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952236\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/q.sta_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1528\" height=\"1032\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/q.sta_.jpg 1528w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/q.sta_-800x540.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/q.sta_-1020x689.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/q.sta_-160x108.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/q.sta_-768x519.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1528px) 100vw, 1528px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A young Qbert at a community hall mobile DJ dance party. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Shortkut)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>The Garage Party Era\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The Invisibl Skratch Piklz story begins in what former ISP manager Alex Aquino calls the “pre-hip-hop era” of the late ’70s-early ’80s, when youth-oriented street dance intersected with pioneering mobile DJ crews and a Filipino-American tradition of garage parties.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This was before breakdancing,” Aquino says. He recalls being 6 or 7 and seeing strutters, poppers and elements of DJ culture – including the Filipino mobile DJ crews who established a scene built around vinyl records, large stereo systems and frequent dance parties.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of those Filipino DJs was Apollo Novicio, a.k.a. DJ Apollo, a founding member of ISP who spent his early childhood roaming around the Mission District. By the time he reached middle school, his family had relocated to Daly City – where he likely attended some of the same parties as Aquino. “Back in the day, they’d have garage parties and there would be a DJ in the corner of the garage, set up on a washing machine and dryer and stuff like that. And at the parties, they would have popping and locking circles. Strutting, popping and locking. Breakdancing wasn’t even here yet, really. This was, I’d say, early ’80s, and that was pretty much my first exposure to the DJing and dancing element of it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952292\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1004px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.mobiledjparty.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1004\" height=\"674\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952292\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.mobiledjparty.png 1004w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.mobiledjparty-800x537.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.mobiledjparty-160x107.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.mobiledjparty-768x516.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1004px) 100vw, 1004px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Setup for a typical mobile DJ party in the early 1990s. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Shortkut)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In 1982, Aquino remembers, a New York transplant named Oscar Sop had introduced B-boying and fat laces to the neighborhood, becoming one of the Bay Area’s first breakdancers. Meanwhile, the DJ crews were becoming more professional, and getting hired for weddings, quinceaneras, traditional Filipino celebrations and the occasional school dance party.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Apollo recalls “doing the strutting, popping, locking thing before B-boying got here.” Back then, “I didn’t even know it was hip-hop. I was such a young age. I’m like, just doing it and like, later on find out, oh, this is a hip-hop culture.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition to dancing being popular among Filipino youth, he remembers DJ groups proliferating at local high schools. “It was just kind of like the thing to do,” he says. “All the kids would form DJ groups.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I don’t know how to explain (why), but there was a lot of Filipino mobile disc jockey groups,” says DJ Apollo. ”Back in the seventies, my older brothers and sisters, they used to collect music and listen to music. Everybody had to go to the record store and buy vinyl.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952212\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1030px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952212\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.mobileDJparty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1030\" height=\"778\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.mobileDJparty.jpg 1030w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.mobileDJparty-800x604.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.mobileDJparty-1020x770.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.mobileDJparty-160x121.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.mobileDJparty-768x580.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1030px) 100vw, 1030px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A mobile DJ party in 1991. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Shortkut)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Dr. Oliver Wang, author of \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.dukeupress.edu/legions-of-boom\">Legions of Boom: Filipino American Mobile DJ Crews in the San Francisco Bay Area\u003c/a>\u003c/em> and a professor of sociology at CSU Long Beach, explains that “the mobile DJ scene that the Piklz’ members got their start in wasn’t an exclusively Filipino phenomenon at all; there were Black, White, Latino and Chinese crews around then too. But the Fil-Am scene flourished above and beyond those other groups because they had distinct advantages coming from an immigrant community with strong social ties and large social networks.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition, Wang says, “Filipino American families have parties for practically any occasion — birthdays, debuts, christenings, graduations, or just plain house/garage parties for the heck of it. Importantly, those parties all wanted music, and that meant that DJs had all these opportunities to find gigs.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By the time breakdancing became popularized through movies like \u003cem>Beat Street\u003c/em> and \u003cem>Breakin’,\u003c/em> Apollo says, “DJing was already here… there were dances every weekend, and DJ battles and showcases almost every other weekend. That’s how it was when I was growing up around the San Francisco and Daly City area in the early ’80s.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952219\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1163px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/rscdjs.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1163\" height=\"831\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952219\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/rscdjs.jpg 1163w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/rscdjs-800x572.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/rscdjs-1020x729.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/rscdjs-160x114.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/rscdjs-768x549.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1163px) 100vw, 1163px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Appearing as FM2O (Furious Minds 2 Observe), Qbert, Mix Master Mike and Apollo perform at an ‘eco-rap’ show in San Francisco, circa 1989–1990. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Apollo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>One of the top mobile DJ crews at that time was Unlimited Sounds. “They were like the biggest group from Daly City, and they were already established,” Apollo says. Many of the crew members were older and attended Jefferson High School. Apollo remembers hanging out at Serra Bowl, becoming friends with Unlimited Sounds and gradually being drawn into the world of DJing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Every day after school, I would just hang out at their garage and practice,” he says. “All the equipment was there, the records were all there, the lights, everything.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Apollo saved his allowance and lunch money to buy his first set of turntables, and formed makeshift DJ crews with his friends. “We would gather our parents’ equipment, like home stereo equipment and gather it all up. I would get my parents’ home stereo system combined with my homies’ parents’ stereo system, combined with my other homie’s house system. And then we would put all the equipment together and we saw we had a DJ group.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Apollo started making mixtapes — he still remembers the first time he had enough records to make an all-hip-hop tape — and eventually became good enough to join Unlimited Sounds in 1985, who at the time had gigs all over the Bay Area. That experience gave him a solid foundation in DJing parties and playing a wide variety of records, but he was more interested in “scratching, juggling, trick-mixing — turntablism before it was even called that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952233\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 600px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/RSC-DJs-Psycho-City-Cover.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"401\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952233\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/RSC-DJs-Psycho-City-Cover.jpeg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/RSC-DJs-Psycho-City-Cover-160x107.jpeg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Rock City DJs at the famed San Francisco graffiti spot Psycho City, January 1993. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Shortkut)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Prior to joining Unlimited Sounds, Apollo had hooked up with another up-and-coming DJ who was becoming known for his pause-tape mixes and obsessive focus on scratching: Michael Anthony Schwartz, a.k.a. Mix Master Mike, a Filipino-German kid who attended Jeffferson, the same high school as Aquino and Apollo. Rather than practice the blends and beat-matching typically used at parties, though, Apollo and Mix Master Mike would “do more scratching or tricks, routines and that type of stuff.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With those bedroom routines, a reimagining of the turntable’s possibilities had begun.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘Oh, Snap — What Did We Just Do?’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Mix Master Mike didn’t come up in the mobile DJ scene. His early inspiration was seeing Run-DMC’s Jam Master Jay live.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Watching Jay DJ for DMC and Run, he says, he remembers thinking, “Oh, they’re using records, but they sound more like they’re a full-fledged band, you know? That was just profound to me, that he was using records and rocking the house, \u003cem>with just records\u003c/em>. And that’s when I immediately knew that’s what I wanted to be.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952222\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1732px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952222\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.MMM_.japan_.subway.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1732\" height=\"1177\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.MMM_.japan_.subway.jpg 1732w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.MMM_.japan_.subway-800x544.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.MMM_.japan_.subway-1020x693.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.MMM_.japan_.subway-160x109.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.MMM_.japan_.subway-768x522.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.MMM_.japan_.subway-1536x1044.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1732px) 100vw, 1732px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mix Master Mike on the subway in Japan, 1993. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Alex Aquino)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Not long after Run-DMC brought their Raising Hell tour to a sold-out Oakland Coliseum arena, Apollo and Mike formed an informal DJ crew called Together With Style (not to be confused with the SF graffiti crew of the same name) and held long practice sessions in Apollo’s garage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But with Mike, “we did go hard on scratching and tricks and juggling – which later on turned into turntablism.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Individually, they would take turns on Apollo’s set of turntables. But one day, they decided to work in tandem — a moment that altered the course of DJ history.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As Apollo remembers it: “Me and Mike were messing around with the turntables and… we’re like, well, let’s just do something together, since we don’t have to wait our turn (to practice). So I grabbed one turntable, and he grabbed the other turntable and we kind of just started making a beat with two records and one mixer. I got the bass kick and he grabbed the snare and we just started making a beat like, \u003cem>boom, cha, boom boom boom cha, boom boom\u003c/em>, you know? And then we’re just like, ‘Oh, snap, what did we just do? That was crazy.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952218\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 604px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952218\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/10423_136960922731_697132731_2526758_2429020_n.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"604\" height=\"408\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/10423_136960922731_697132731_2526758_2429020_n.jpg 604w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/10423_136960922731_697132731_2526758_2429020_n-160x108.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 604px) 100vw, 604px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Rock Steady Crew DJs in 1991. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Apollo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Apollo and Mike would perfect the two-man routine over a period of several years, “and we just started performing it all over the place at showcases and dances, you know, wherever. People were seeing it and being amazed. We were amazed by it ourselves.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[pullquote size='large' align='center' citation='DJ Apollo']I got the bass kick and he grabbed the snare and we just started making a beat like, boom, cha, boom boom boom cha, boom boom, you know? And then we’re just like, ‘Oh, snap, what did we just do?” [/pullquote] \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One witness to the early routine was Richard Quitevis, an acquaintance of Mike and Apollo who went by the name DJ Qbert.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Qbert saw it one time and he was amazed by it. He’s like, \u003cem>Oh, what is that?!?\u003c/em>,” Apollo says.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Qbert Enters the Picture\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>DJ Qbert grew up in San Francisco’s Excelsior district. Like Apollo, his first exposure to hip-hop precedes the term itself. He recalls fishing at Pier 39 at the age of 12 and seeing the Fillmore dance crew \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weKkAF9NdCI\">Demons of the Mind\u003c/a>. “There would be all these poppers; at the time they were called strutters. They would be playing this really fast electro music. And it was like, ‘Look at these robot-like guys in shiny little outfits with these silver hats.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Qbert was fascinated not only with the vibrant dancers, but the sounds. “I was like, ‘Man, this is crazy. I love it, but where are they getting this music from?’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952215\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1371px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952215\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP-in-bologna.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1371\" height=\"984\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP-in-bologna.jpg 1371w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP-in-bologna-800x574.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP-in-bologna-1020x732.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP-in-bologna-160x115.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP-in-bologna-768x551.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1371px) 100vw, 1371px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Shortkut, Mix Master Mike and Qbert gettin’ up in Bologna, Italy. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Shortkut)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Qbert remembers early attempts at breakdancing with his friends, who fashioned their own makeshift outfits. But it was the DJ scratch – particularly the skills displayed by Mix Master Ice on UTFO’s 1985 single “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KE3-IyLsg8\">Leader of the Pack\u003c/a>” – that really drew his interest. “I just started collecting the music, always collecting the music. And that’s what made me become a DJ.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One day, Qbert was asked to DJ a garage party. “Everybody was about 12, 13, 14, 15, and everybody was breaking in the garage. And we were playing all my records on a big-ass giant box. Like, you open the top and you put the record in, and you just let that play. And the kids were spinning and they couldn’t control themselves. They would spin and they would spin, right into the DJ box, the turntable box. That was my first time being a mobile DJ.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He explains his early attraction to turntables and scratching: “You could manipulate sound by grabbing (the record), moving forward and backward,” he says, imitating a scratch sound. “It was like a toy. A toy that was like a musical instrument. I didn’t even know it was a musical instrument. I was just thinking of it as like, it just sounds crazy. You just pull sound out of the air and move it, like, ‘Oh, what a weird contraption.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Eventually, Q joined a mobile DJ crew called Live Style Productions, and came to the attention of Apollo and Mix Master Mike, who remember going to Balboa High School to see him spin.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Q, we just knew from around the way,” Apollo says. “We would go to different showcases on the weekends and see him perform. And so we knew about Q.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952240\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 600px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952240\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/600_us_champ_trophy.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"407\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/600_us_champ_trophy.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/600_us_champ_trophy-160x109.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Invisibl Skratch Piklz with the U.S. Championship trophy. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Shortkut)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In 1991, Qbert entered the DMCs, winning the U.S. Championships and advancing all the way to the World Finals in London, where he took 2nd place. Aquino claims Qbert’s technical skills were so advanced, they went over most of the audience’s heads, but Qbert admits he got cocky and didn’t practice before his set: “I was sloppy,” he says. That loss instilled in him the importance of practicing, which he took to with rigorous discipline.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The Turntables Might Wobble\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Hip-hop journalist and author Adisa Banjoko, a friend, recalls once being at Qbert’s house and hearing him scratch the rhythms of Rakim’s verses from Eric B. & Rakim’s “I Ain’t No Joke” – using entirely scratched tones to replicate Rakim’s stanzas. “You gotta record that,” Banjoko told Q, who just shrugged and said, “Nah, I do that all the time.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Around this time, Apollo and Mike were honing their two-man routine and making beats with the intention of forming a rap crew, with them as producers and DJs. After returning from London with his U.S. title, Qbert introduced Mike and Apollo to a rapper who used to hang out at his house named Nim-FHD.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is where it all comes together,” Apollo says. “Me and Mike were making beats, and we always wanted to find a voice for our beats. And so when Qbert introduced us to this rapper, and when me and Mike heard that guy’s voice, Nim’s voice, we were like, ‘Oh man, that’s the voice for our music.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952232\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 604px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952232\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/n1071373619_171639_1875.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"604\" height=\"416\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/n1071373619_171639_1875.jpg 604w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/n1071373619_171639_1875-160x110.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 604px) 100vw, 604px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The extended crew. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Apollo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Apollo explained his vision to Nim, and they enlisted H2O, another emcee they met through Qbert, who also joined the group. “We told Q, do you want to be a part of the ‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sd5gFx001qg\">Peter Piper\u003c/a>’ routine? And he was like, overjoyed. Like, ‘Let’s do it. Absolutely, let’s do it.’ So then we’re like… why don’t we become the DJs for this group that will be the first rap group with three DJs and two rappers? And we’ll do all the beats and scratching.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They christened themselves FM2O – an acronym for “Furious Minds To Observe” — the first iteration of what would become the Invisibl Skratch Piklz. As Mike says, “it was definitely a meant-to-be moment, when I hooked up with Q.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The group was managed by Aquino, who had left Unlimited Sounds and started throwing parties while trying to establish an independent hip-hop label, Ace Beat. While working on a demo tape, FM2O played local venues and music industry showcases like the Gavin Convention and New Music Seminar. In 1992, they appeared at the Omni in Oakland on a bill with Banjoko’s crew, Freedom T.R.O.O.P. 187, plus Organized Konfusion, Gangstarr and headliner Body Count. Epic as that lineup is, Apollo, Mike and Qbert’s orchestrated turntable segment during FM2O’s set was the absolute showstopper.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>FM2O’s music was slightly ahead of its time; in the early ’90s, “alternative hip-hop” hadn’t yet established itself in the mainstream. No hip-hop group had ever featured three DJs, all of them scratch fanatics.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While Aquino tried unsuccessfully to secure FM2O a label deal, the DJs made moves in the battle scene.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952242\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952242\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AAA_MMM_jacket_PhotobyJeffStrawBranding-2387.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AAA_MMM_jacket_PhotobyJeffStrawBranding-2387.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AAA_MMM_jacket_PhotobyJeffStrawBranding-2387-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AAA_MMM_jacket_PhotobyJeffStrawBranding-2387-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AAA_MMM_jacket_PhotobyJeffStrawBranding-2387-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AAA_MMM_jacket_PhotobyJeffStrawBranding-2387-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AAA_MMM_jacket_PhotobyJeffStrawBranding-2387-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mix Master Mike with his DMC Legend jacket at The Midway in San Francisco, 2023. \u003ccite>(Jeff Straw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>The First Major World Titles\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Qbert’s second-place 1991 DMC finish earned him props from Clark Kent, a well-respected New York DJ and producer of the New Music Seminar DJ Battle for World Supremacy. Kent asked Qbert to judge the 1992 battle alongside NYC heavyweights like EPMD’s DJ Scratch and Gangstarr’s DJ Premier. Mix Master Mike, meanwhile, entered as a contestant – and ended up winning the battle. (Ironically, Aquino says, instead of practicing before his routine, Mike had stayed up all night.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLRprNA_GSk\">Video of the battle\u003c/a> – during which Mike performs eight different routines, besting Japan’s DJ Honda in the final showdown before taking on defending champ Supreme in a challenge match – confirms he was on a mission to crush all competition. He doubles up Word of Mouth’s “King Kut” with blinding speed and finesse, blends Schooly D and Flavor Flav phrases to dis “sucker DJs,” slows down the records to juggle entirely new beats, deconstructs the wax into a series of melodic tones, and maintains a sense of rhythmic mastery that’s chaotic and jarring but never veers out of control. Boisterous shouts from the crowd testify to Mike’s determined brilliance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Billed as the Rocksteady DJs (with the blessing of Bronx B-boy legend Crazy Legs, from the Rock Steady Crew), Qbert, Mike and Apollo won the DMCs that same year with the “Peter Piper” routine. The following year, with DJ Apollo unavailable while touring as the Souls of Mischief’s DJ, Mike and Qbert, billed as the Dream Team, again won the DMC World Championship. Mike still remembers the anticipation and energy that went into the preparations for the battle, along with the ginseng they imbibed before their set “like Chinese martial arts masters.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952237\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 600px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/l_f99accf3c766cef703abeb72c042e21e.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"397\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952237\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/l_f99accf3c766cef703abeb72c042e21e.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/l_f99accf3c766cef703abeb72c042e21e-160x106.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mix Master Mike, pictured at center: ‘It was a discovery. Right? ‘Oh, shit. We could take this and flip it anyway we want to,’ you know?’ \u003ccite>(Courtesy Shortkut)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>These victories were culturally significant. Not only had no West Coast DJ ever been crowned a World Champion before, but no Filipino DJ had ever placed that high in a major competition.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To explain just how significant, it’s necessary to understand the evolution of the DJ artform.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The first development, playing “break” sections of records (known as breakbeats), was initially a clumsy needle-drop technique originated by hip-hop pioneer Kool Herc. Grandmaster Flash refined the DJ vocabulary with backspinning, cueing, cutting, punch phrasing, quick-mixing and reading the record like a clock. Grand Wizzard Theodore developed the basic scratch. Steve Dee invented the beat-juggle. But no DJ was doing synchronized team routines that reimagined the turntables as individual instruments prior to the Rocksteady DJs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That was an awesome thing,” Mike says. “It just started from a thought. The collective team, it was like it was a unit. We all had the same aspirations and goals of doing things people had never, ever seen or heard before. And it just spawned this whole movement. And it’s just something that we love to do. It was a discovery. Right? ‘Oh, shit. We could take this and flip it anyway we want to,’ you know? And that was the beauty of it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952220\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952220\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.japan_.jackets-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1715\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.japan_.jackets-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.japan_.jackets-800x536.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.japan_.jackets-1020x683.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.japan_.jackets-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.japan_.jackets-768x515.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.japan_.jackets-1536x1029.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.japan_.jackets-2048x1372.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.japan_.jackets-1920x1286.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sporting championship jackets in Tokyo, 1993. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Alex Aquino)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Their succession of three major titles in two years elevated the DJ artform and raised the bar for battles. Teams of three or more DJs would soon proliferate throughout the DJ universe, and battle routines became more well-rounded, with emphasis on scratching, beat-juggling, and musicality or rhythmic coherence, as well as sheer technical ability.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It also led to a backlash of sorts: Mike confirms that after dominating for three years in a row, his crew was politely asked to retire from the DMC competition. He characterizes the request as a “giving other people a chance to win type deal.” But to him and his other Bay Area battlers, “We felt like it wasn’t fair to us because we got a lot in the tank. Let’s go. Keep going. See how far we can go… we were ready to defend the next year. But unfortunately they wanted to make us judges.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As it turned out, stepping away from the competitive battle scene proved to be a blessing in disguise. “After we stopped battling,” Mike says, “I was like, okay, what’s next? We’re going to make records now. I’m gonna become a full fledged artist, you know? I don’t want to be this DJ dude. I don’t want to be a DJ guy that’s playing other people’s records standing up there. We’ve done that already. I’m going to get in the studio and be a producer, and I’m going to make music out of this whole thing, like, springboard into making original compositions. And so that’s what I’m doing, to this day.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952238\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1430px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952238\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP-in-Hawaii-1996.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1430\" height=\"1039\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP-in-Hawaii-1996.jpg 1430w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP-in-Hawaii-1996-800x581.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP-in-Hawaii-1996-1020x741.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP-in-Hawaii-1996-160x116.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP-in-Hawaii-1996-768x558.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1430px) 100vw, 1430px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Invisibl Skratch Piklz in Hawaii, 1996. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Shortkut)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But first, the crew needed a new name. During their time DJing for FM2O, the three DJs were collectively known as Shadow of the Prophet, or simply, The Shadow. A chance encounter with an early-career DJ Shadow – who apologetically offered to change his name – led to Qbert graciously telling him that he could keep the name “Shadow,” and that he’d change his group’s name instead. “Rocksteady DJs” and “The Dream Team” were one-offs, for the most part. They needed something catchy that also reflected who they were.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One day it came to them. As Qbert recounts, “We was on one, and we were laughing and laughing. And I think Mix Master Mike said, “Why don’t we be called the Invisible Pickles? We were just cracking up and we were thinking about, you know, an invisible pickle.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The next day, Qbert got a call from his pal Lou Quintanilla, a.k.a. DJ Disk. “And he said, ‘How about Invisible Scratch Pickles?’ I was like, that kind of sounds dope.” (Though it may sound abstract, the name is rooted in a concrete concept: the turntable as an “invisible instrument” that could be almost any instrument – drums, guitar, vocals, anything.) The crew’s offbeat sense of humor reflected in their new name had long been evident; in 1992, they released \u003cem>Battle Breaks\u003c/em>, one of the first DJ tool records specifically designed for scratching, officially credited to the Psychedelic Scratch Bastards on the Dirt Style label. In later years they would put out various releases under an affiliate record label that they named Galactic Butt Hair.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Before settling on the new name, though, they ran it by a younger DJ who was asked to join the crew — Jonathan Cruz, a.k.a. DJ Shortkut.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952228\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1759px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952228\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.shortkut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1759\" height=\"1193\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.shortkut.jpg 1759w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.shortkut-800x543.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.shortkut-1020x692.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.shortkut-160x109.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.shortkut-768x521.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.shortkut-1536x1042.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1759px) 100vw, 1759px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Shortkut. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Alex Aquino)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Electro and the Art of the Quick Mix\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Growing up in Daly City, Shortkut caught the DJ bug thanks to a Filipino mobile crew who played his 6th grade dance. He started DJing at age 13, after the local Filipino sound system culture had cycled through disco, metal, and New Wave, before arriving at hip-hop, freestyle and Miami bass.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of Shortkut’s first exposures to a DJ battle took place in a large hall.“There would be about four to six sound systems separately set up in the one room with their own individual sound systems. Each group would get about like 20 minutes to do their thing, and then at the end of the night, whoever won. The word got out that group won, and then that’s who everyone wanted to book for school dances or birthday parties.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shortkut joined a crew called Just 2 Hype, which played freestyle, Miami bass and 808-laced Mantronix singles. “That’s why I think the Bay Area is specifically more scratch-DJ based,” he says, “because everyone scratched to fast beats, all the classic electro stuff.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He also worked on perfecting the art of the quick-mix, changing up the record every four or eight bars. But records like DJ Jazzy Jeff’s “Live At Union Square” drew him into the world of scratch-mixing. “When I first started scratching, I just listened to records, basically. All the early records I used to buy, I would just try to copy what I heard on record.”\u003cbr>\nIn the late ’80s and early ’90s, he says, “I really got into embracing hip-hop” – catching up with records that hadn’t been hugely popular in the Filipino scene, and becoming further enthralled with scratching and beat-juggling. “That’s when I was first hearing about Qbert and Apollo and Mix Master Mike,” he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952223\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1742px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.japan1_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1742\" height=\"1190\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952223\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.japan1_.jpg 1742w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.japan1_-800x546.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.japan1_-1020x697.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.japan1_-160x109.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.japan1_-768x525.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.japan1_-1536x1049.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1742px) 100vw, 1742px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">First trip to Japan, 1993. At far left is B-boy and dancer Richard Colón, a.k.a. Crazy Legs from the Rock Steady Crew. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Alex Aquino)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Back then, Apollo was the big name, being from Unlimited Sounds. “He was the party rocker. But he was kind of the B-boy out of all the Filipino guys I knew.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As he attempted to build his DJ skills, Shortkut remembers listening to cassette tapes of Qbert scratching and mixing. Initially, he had only basic equipment, and used belt-driven turntables. “I got better once I got to direct-drives because I already knew how to handle it and have a certain feel to it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Qbert winning the U.S. DMC Championship in 1991 was huge, he says. “We didn’t really have any role models, as a Filipino kid.” He took the win as validation – and inspiration.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I lived about five minutes from Q’s house,” he says. “I used to go to Q’s house with the guy who taught me how to DJ. We both cold-called Q because we knew he was the one who had all the battle videos. So we would go to his house and dub the videos and while they were dubbing, me and Q would scratch.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During this time, Shortkut says, Mike had moved to Sacramento, and Apollo was DJing for Branford Marsalis, “so I would hook up with Q and Disk a lot.” Q used to bring Shortkut and Disk along when he opened up shows in the Bay – affording the younger DJs valuable stage experience. Shortkut, Mike, and Q eventually formed a crew briefly called the Turntable Dragons, pre-ISP. Then, in 1993, Shortkut, Mike, and Q played a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13935467/the-bomb-magazine-label-san-francisco-turntablism-djs\">Bomb Hip-Hop\u003c/a> Party – possibly the first time they had been billed as the Invisibl Skratch Piklz.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952239\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 250px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952239\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/invisblskratchp_002-h.gif\" alt=\"\" width=\"250\" height=\"250\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The five-man crew. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Shortkut)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘Everyone That Worked There Was Filipino’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Dave Paul, publisher of \u003cem>Bomb Hip Hop Magazine\u003c/em>, coincidentally also began as a mobile DJ in 1984 with a crew called Midnight Connections. He tells a funny story about working an after-school job for Chevron. “I wasn’t that great. So they moved me from, like, the main Chevron on Geary Street over to one on California Street. And everyone that worked there was Filipino. Turned out everyone that worked there was also a DJ.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Paul knew of Apollo from Unlimited Sounds, and had seen Qbert perform a famous “Mary Had A Little Lamb” routine during a San Jose battle around 1989 or 1990. “That really got his name out,” he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During the annual Gavin Convention in San Francisco, Bomb Hip Hop magazine would present live performance showcases. Paul booked the Piklz on multiple occasions, beginning in 1992, when they were still called the Rocksteady DJs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to Paul, the vibe of those early performances “was always sort of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDLzGtQmMyw\">don’t-give-a-fuck style\u003c/a>. Like, things didn’t have to be clean. They were just really raw. And it was just ill. They were doing stuff that no one else was doing at the time.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_10345320\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-10345320\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/01/QBertMain.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/01/QBertMain.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/01/QBertMain-400x225.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">DJ QBert. \u003ccite>(Thud Rumble)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>After releasing a now-legendary compilation tape that featured Qbert along with a Canadian MC named Madchild, as well as local underground artists like Homeless Derelix, Blackalicious, Bored Stiff, and Mystik Journeymen, Bomb Hip Hop became a record label in 1995 with the release of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13937489/best-bay-area-turntablism-scratch-dj-albums\">\u003cem>Return of the DJ Vol. 1\u003c/em>\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That record essentially started the movement of turntablism as a musical genre. The Skratch Piklz (at that time, Qbert, Shortkut and Disk) were featured on “Invasion of the Octopus People,” while Mix Master Mike contributed his first official solo production, “Terrorwrist.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Return of the DJ \u003c/em>evolved into a compilation series spanning multiple volumes, and inspired numerous others, like Om Records’ \u003cem>Deep Concentration\u003c/em> and Ubiquity’s \u003cem>Audio Alchemy\u003c/em> compilations. Asphodel, an alternative label known for ultra-underground somnolent, ambient, droney electronic music, signed the Skratch Piklz to a deal, which resulted in 1996’s single “Invisibl Skratch Piklz vs. Da Klamz Uv Deth,” which featured Qbert, Shortkut, and Mix Master Mike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952246\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1938px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952246\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ezgif-3-ae00e595ca.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1938\" height=\"1882\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ezgif-3-ae00e595ca.jpg 1938w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ezgif-3-ae00e595ca-800x777.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ezgif-3-ae00e595ca-1020x991.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ezgif-3-ae00e595ca-160x155.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ezgif-3-ae00e595ca-768x746.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ezgif-3-ae00e595ca-1536x1492.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ezgif-3-ae00e595ca-1920x1865.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1938px) 100vw, 1938px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘Invisibl Skratch Piklz vs. Da Clamz Uv Deth,’ 1997. \u003ccite>(Asphodel Records)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“A very strange thing about that (single) is, I had just invented scratch music,” Qbert says. “Which is this thing where every sound is scratched. Drums are scratched, the hi-hats are scratched, the snare and vocals are scratched, the chords, every single thing is scratched! No matter what is in there. So that was tracked out — like, every track was off the turntables, making a complete scratch song.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Turntablism spread quickly through San Francisco’s progressive club scene in the mid-’90s. Mark Herlihy’s art/performance collective Future Primitive established itself as an avant garde music label with a live recording of Shortkut and Cut Chemist at Cat’s Alley, on Folsom Street. An outer Tenderloin hole in the wall, Deco, became a headquarters for unfiltered, ultra-creative DJ expression in its basement, via “Many Styles” nights curated by Apollo. Qbert was part of the groundbreaking alternative hip-hop group Dr. Octagon along with producer Dan the Automator and MC Kool Keith, who recorded an indie classic that got re-released nationally by Dreamworks. To this day, Qbert’s scratch solo on Dr. Octagon’s “Earth People” stands out as a particular flashpoint, the turntable equivalent, perhaps, of the guitar solos on “Hotel California” or “Comfortably Numb.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Needless to say, it’s not an empty boast when Mix Master Mike says he and the Skratch Piklz “pretty much created this genre of music.” No one was doing it before them, and many followed in their footsteps. Locally, the Bullet Proof Scratch Hamsters (aka the Space Travelers), Supernatural Turntable Artists, and the Oakland Faders all scratched and juggled. Live bands incorporating turntablists included Live Human (DJ Quest) and Soulstice (Mei-Lwun). New York’s X-Ecutioners were probably ISP’s closest counterparts nationally, having formed in 1989. But despite their turntable innovations, even they weren’t performing or recording as a \u003cem>band\u003c/em> until after the Skratch Piklz.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952245\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952245\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AAA_Q_ISP_11_JeffStraw-2144.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AAA_Q_ISP_11_JeffStraw-2144.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AAA_Q_ISP_11_JeffStraw-2144-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AAA_Q_ISP_11_JeffStraw-2144-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AAA_Q_ISP_11_JeffStraw-2144-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AAA_Q_ISP_11_JeffStraw-2144-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AAA_Q_ISP_11_JeffStraw-2144-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Invisibl Skratch Piklz at the DMC World DJ Finals at The Midway in San Francisco, Calif., on Nov. 3, 2023. \u003ccite>(Jeff Straw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Back when they were known as the X-Men, the X-Ecutioners faced off against the Piklz in a landmark 1996 battle in New York’s Manhattan Center – a contest so epic, it’s listed among \u003cem>Mixmag\u003c/em>’s \u003ca href=\"https://mixmag.net/feature/the-10-best-dj-scratch-battles-of-all-time\">Top 10 DJ Scratch Battles of All Time\u003c/a>. X-Ecutioners member and DJ historian Rob Swift says Qbert first came on his radar in 1991, when he beat X-Ecutioners founder Steve Dee to win the US DMC Finals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We thought he was Hawaiian,” Swift says, because Qbert appeared to be wearing a lei in the battle video. “We didn’t know that he was this Filipino DJ that came out of this Filipino community of DJs in the Bay Area. We didn’t know that there \u003cem>were\u003c/em> DJs out there.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Swift later entered the 1991 New Music Seminar battle, where Qbert was a judge; the two exchanged numbers and began calling each other and exchanging videos regularly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When rappers began increasingly excluding the DJ throughout the ’90s, he says he and Qbert would discuss what to do about it., “We would both be like, ‘You’ve got these rappers (not respecting the DJ). Fuck them, and we’re going to create our own DJ scene. If the music industry is going to turn their backs on DJing, we need to figure out a way to just create our own scene.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“And,” he adds, “that’s exactly what we did.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952225\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1759px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952225\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.Lebanon.trophy.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1759\" height=\"1166\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.Lebanon.trophy.jpg 1759w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.Lebanon.trophy-800x530.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.Lebanon.trophy-1020x676.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.Lebanon.trophy-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.Lebanon.trophy-768x509.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.Lebanon.trophy-1536x1018.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1759px) 100vw, 1759px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Invisibl Skratch Piklz in Lebanon. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Alex Aquino)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Enter the ITF — and D-Styles\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>When the Pilkz battled the X-Ecutioners, it was as much about gaining respect for turntable culture as it was about individual bragging rights. Though the court of public opinion is still split on who won, the battle put a spotlight on both crews. As Swift says, “We started strategizing ways to book our own tours and create all-DJ competitions (like) the ITF, the International Turntablist Federation,” who organized the historic battle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Founded by Alex Aquino with help from Shortkut, the ITF was established in 1995 and stayed active until 2005. It was intended as a cultural organization, and as somewhat of a critique of the DMC, which had become the only major DJ competition, following the demise of the New Music Seminar.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Without the DMC,” Aquino says, “we wouldn’t have this world stage for the guys to be on. But after Q lost that first battle, we were like, something has to change.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Specifically, the criteria. “And so, we were like, let’s do our own battle. Let’s have real turntablists and DJs judge it, like a New Music Seminar, but instead of just the one-on-one battle, the advancement class for the belt, let’s do a scratching category. Let’s do a beat-juggling category. And let’s do a team category. And that’s how we started out.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952211\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1366px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952211\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.japan_.magazine.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1366\" height=\"1834\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.japan_.magazine.jpg 1366w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.japan_.magazine-800x1074.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.japan_.magazine-1020x1369.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.japan_.magazine-160x215.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.japan_.magazine-768x1031.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.japan_.magazine-1144x1536.jpg 1144w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1366px) 100vw, 1366px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">In a Japanese magazine, date unknown. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Shortkut)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>DJs like Vin Roc, Babu, Craze, and A-Trak all won ITF titles, as did teams like the Allies and Beat Junkies. The ITF succeeded in giving turntablists a visible platform to showcase their skills and in further popularizing the artform in the U.S. and internationally. (In 1999, the DMC would add a team category, and the organization currently rotates additional categories, including Scratch, Portablist, and Beat Juggling.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After \u003cem>Return of the DJ\u003c/em>’s “Octopus People,” with Apollo unavailable and Mix Master Mike pursuing a solo career, the Skratch Piklz needed new blood. For the next few years, ISP membership became somewhat fluid, swelling and contracting as new members joined for a while, before going off to do other projects. DJ Disk, DJ Flare, Canadian teenage prodigy A-Trak, and former Thud Rumble label manager Ritche Desuasido, a.k.a. Yogafrog, were all ISP members at one time or another, along with Shortkut.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 1996, Beat Junkies member Dave Cuasito, a.k.a. D-Styles, joined the Piklz and became a linchpin for the group; Aquino calls him “the hidden master.” Though not as flashy or famous as Qbert, he’s well-respected in turntablist circles and has helped focus the Pilkz on compositional elements in their music while also being able to scratch, cut and juggle at a high level.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Born in the Philippines, D-Styles grew up in San Jose. Like the other Piklz, he was exposed to hip-hop through breaking and its accompanying soundtrack. “I would hear the songs that they were playing, but then they would scratch certain words and certain parts of that song. And so I was always curious how they were doing it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952229\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1759px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952229\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.qbert_.dst_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1759\" height=\"1168\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.qbert_.dst_.jpg 1759w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.qbert_.dst_-800x531.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.qbert_.dst_-1020x677.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.qbert_.dst_-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.qbert_.dst_-768x510.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.qbert_.dst_-1536x1020.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1759px) 100vw, 1759px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Grandmaster DXT and Qbert. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Alex Aquino)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>His answer came when he saw Grandmixer DST (now known as DXT)’s scratch segment on Herbie Hancock’s “Rockit.” After getting a basic Realistic mixer for his birthday, he, too, joined a mobile DJ crew (Sound City), who pooled their equipment like so many others – and spent their meager proceeds on post-gig Denny’s meals. After taking part in typical mobile battles with crews exchanging 20-minute sets, he discovered there was a battle specifically for scratch DJs, and competed in the 1993 DMC.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 1996, he moved to San Francisco to attend college, but what he really wanted was to pursue music. He was already familiar with Mike, Qbert and Shortkut from the battle scene, and from hanging out on Tuesday night at Deco, a small speakeasy-style jazz bar with open turntables in the basement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“One strange night, I got a phone call on my answering machine and it was Yogafrog and Q, and they were like, ‘Hey, man’ – I don’t know if they were drunk or what – but they were like, ‘we need to talk, man. We think we should all come together and form a crew.” They met up and talked, and soon after, he was asked to officially join the group.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>D-Styles stoic demeanor compliments the other Piklz, yet beneath his focused concentration lies a punk rock attitude that aligns with Qbert’s philosophy that the only rule is there are no rules. Likewise, his turntable-composition approach balances the others’ battle-DJ backgrounds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952235\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 636px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952235\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/SK-A-TRAK-1997-at-Qs.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"636\" height=\"474\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/SK-A-TRAK-1997-at-Qs.png 636w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/SK-A-TRAK-1997-at-Qs-160x119.png 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 636px) 100vw, 636px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Shortkut and A-Trak at Qbert’s place, 1997. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Shortkut)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“As far as a turntable composer, I feel like we definitely embrace the more musical side of it, and less technical,” he says. “For the battle DJs, they really try to spray like a Uzi, you know what I mean? And just get off a bunch of power stuff and try to wow the the crowd and the judges. For music, it’s more about the long-term thing. We want to make music that’s timeless. And it’s not based off of a five-minute routine.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With the core Piklz now set with Qbert, Shortkut and D-Styles, Mix Master Mike – who remained affiliated with the crew – says, “I felt like we had the perfect stew. Everyone had their own style, their own identity.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Around this time, Mike began putting together his first solo album, \u003cem>Anti-Theft Device\u003c/em>, which he envisioned as “not an underground album (but) a worldwide release.” He imagined himself as a sonic transducer, attracting and reshaping matter into different forms. He drew on inspirations like Led Zeppelin’s John Bonham, early Public Enemy, Thelonious Monk, Rage Against the Machine and Ennio Morricone. He contemplated the subtlety of silence, of ghost notes and pregnant pauses. And then he went out and made an album with booming, deafening drums and thumping bass on nearly every track.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I focused on the drums first,” Mike says. “I wanted to make sure those drums were hitting really hard.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952249\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952249\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/MMM.antitheft.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1000\" height=\"984\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/MMM.antitheft.jpg 1000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/MMM.antitheft-800x787.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/MMM.antitheft-160x157.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/MMM.antitheft-768x756.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mix Master Mike’s ‘Anti-Theft Device,’ 1998. \u003ccite>(Asphodel Records)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>On \u003cem>Anti-Theft Device\u003c/em>, the found sounds and quirky vocal samples (“NASA maintains this is \u003cem>not\u003c/em> Colonel Blaha’s voice”) often present on DJ mix tapes resurface often, along with boom-bap beats and scratched phrases, instruments and sound effects. There are elements of intoxicated or altered reality, and bug-out moments that suggest turboized vocoders spouting underwater propellers, or seemingly random musical sample generators harnessing infinite libraries of sound, from raga to reggae to rock.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“At the end of the day,” Mike says, “it’s about spearheading the evolution of the battle DJ – as artist, composer, tastemaker.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While Mike was the first Pikl to make a solo album, Qbert crafted an especially ambitious concept for his first official solo debut. As Mike tells it, he had some extra tracks left over, which he gave to Qbert. “And he fuckin’, just like, went crazy on those beats. And then, yeah. It became \u003cem>Wave Twisters\u003c/em>.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952250\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 600px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952250\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/R-16932444-1610670653-3566.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/R-16932444-1610670653-3566.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/R-16932444-1610670653-3566-160x160.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">DJ Qbert’s ‘Wave Twisters,’ 1998. The album spawned a cult-classic 2001 animated film of the same name. \u003ccite>(Galactic Butt Hair Records)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Wave Twisters, the Beasties and Beyond\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Wave Twisters\u003c/em> holds the rare distinction of being a soundtrack around which a movie was later designed. The album received extremely positive reviews, making many music critics’ year-end lists. To this day, it’s regarded as one of the best turntablism albums of all time. Tracks like “Destination: Quasar 16.33.45.78” took ISP battle routines to new levels, imagining a battle in inner space between a heroic dental hygienist and the minions of a villain named Lord Ook. The track revels in sci-fi tropes, with vocal cues like “Attention, starship!” coloring the scratched, transformed and cut-up audio landscape.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to Qbert, \u003cem>Wave Twisters\u003c/em> was willed into existence. “I intentionally foresaw it because in the back of my head, I was like, I’m gonna make every song like a storyline. It’s going to be a thing. And somebody’s going to animate this. And then out of nowhere, the universe made it all work.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13937489']Meanwhile, Mix Master Mike was setting his own intentions – around becoming a member of the Beastie Boys. A longtime fan of their music, he says, “even before I met them, I always thought I was the fourth Beastie, and I was the missing element.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After meeting the Beasties’ MCA during a Rock Steady Crew anniversary in 1996, Mike took an unusual route to make his dreams come true. “I went up to MCA and introduced myself,” he recalls. “He knew who I was through all the competitions and the battles, and we exchanged phone numbers and went back home. And late at night, I would just leave these scratch messages on his answering machine. Two, three in the morning, just leaving these scratches on his machine, hoping that these transmissions would penetrate. Fortunately they did. \u003ca href=\"http://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop/timeline#mix-master-mike-becomes-the-beastie-boys-dj\">And the rest is history\u003c/a>.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952251\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952251\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/Beasties.MixMasterMike.2004-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1611\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/Beasties.MixMasterMike.2004-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/Beasties.MixMasterMike.2004-800x503.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/Beasties.MixMasterMike.2004-1020x642.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/Beasties.MixMasterMike.2004-160x101.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/Beasties.MixMasterMike.2004-768x483.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/Beasties.MixMasterMike.2004-1536x967.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/Beasties.MixMasterMike.2004-2048x1289.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/Beasties.MixMasterMike.2004-1920x1208.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(L-R) Mixmaster Mike, Mike Diamond, Adam ‘MCA’ Yauch, and Adam ‘Ad-Rock’ Horovitz of The Beastie Boys attend the MTV Europe Music Awards 2004 at Tor di Valle Nov. 18, 2004 in Rome, Italy. \u003ccite>(Bruno Vincent/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Mike joined the Beasties in time for 1998’s \u003cem>Hello Nasty\u003c/em> album, remaining part of the group until MCA died of cancer in 2012 and the Beastie Boys disbanded. “So at the end of the day,” Mike says, “it’s all about power of intention, right? And my intention was to get in the band or work with the band.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the ’90s drew to a close, the Piklz weren’t quite done. They produced Skratchcon 2000, a scratching convention, bringing together pioneering masters and acolytes of DJ scratch music. “That was our old manager, Yogafrog,” Qbert says. “His idea to put on a convention called Scratchcon, that was a genius idea of his, and we should do a Part II. We got all the best, most popular scratchers on the planet to come through. It was huge. Steve Dee was there, even Aladdin, all the X-Ecutioners, everybody. It was amazing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952252\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952252\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.Garage.Group_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1500\" height=\"983\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.Garage.Group_.jpg 1500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.Garage.Group_-800x524.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.Garage.Group_-1020x668.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.Garage.Group_-160x105.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.Garage.Group_-768x503.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(L–R) Shortkut, D-Styles, Mix Master Mike, Yogafrog and QBert in QBert’s garage in the Excelsior District of San Francisco, 1998. \u003ccite>(Liz Hafalia /The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images))\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Skratchcon drew fans from all over the country, in addition to current and historic scratch DJs,for live showcases and demonstrations like DJ Radar’s introduction of scratch notation. The convention culminated with a live concert at the Fillmore Auditorium, billed at the time as the ISP’s last official performance. To this day, it stands as one of the highpoints of a decade overflowing with revolutionary developments in hip-hop DJ culture, which saw the Invisibl Skratch Piklz make history and become iconic representatives of turntablism.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As Mix Master Mike says, “There is no ceiling to this. No, it’s whatever you think about is whatever you create and whatever you can apply.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-11687704\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Turntable.Break_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"60\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Turntable.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Turntable.Break_-400x30.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Turntable.Break_-768x58.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\n","blocks":[],"excerpt":"A comprehensive history of the pioneering DJ crew, from Daly City garage parties to world domination.","status":"publish","parent":0,"modified":1708071724,"stats":{"hasAudio":false,"hasVideo":false,"hasChartOrMap":false,"iframeSrcs":[],"hasGoogleForm":false,"hasGallery":false,"hasHearkenModule":false,"hasPolis":false,"paragraphCount":121,"wordCount":8314},"headData":{"title":"How The Invisibl Skratch Piklz Put San Francisco Turntablism on the DJ Map | KQED","description":"A comprehensive history of the pioneering DJ crew, from Daly City garage parties to world domination.","ogTitle":"","ogDescription":"","ogImgId":"","twTitle":"","twDescription":"","twImgId":"","schema":{"@context":"http://schema.org","@type":"Article","headline":"How The Invisibl Skratch Piklz Put San Francisco Turntablism on the DJ Map","datePublished":"2024-02-14T08:53:00-08:00","dateModified":"2024-02-16T00:22:04-08:00","image":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"}},"sticky":false,"templateType":"standard","featuredImageType":"standard","excludeFromSiteSearch":"Include","articleAge":"0","path":"/arts/13952208/invisibl-skratch-piklz-filipino-djs-daly-city-san-francisco-turntablism-history","audioTrackLength":null,"parsedContent":[{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>Editor’s note\u003c/strong>: This story is part of \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop/\">That’s My Word\u003c/a>\u003cem>, KQED’s story series on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop/\">Bay Area hip-hop\u003c/a> history.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On a recent Friday night in San Francisco, a couple thousand fans of DJ culture crammed into the cavernous main room of a nightclub in Hunters Point.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Inside The Midway, it was elbow room-only from the stage to the back patio; many of those in the crowd were DJs themselves. The scene recalled the late ’90s-early 2000s glory days of the Bay Area, when turntablism seemed destined to become the Next Big Thing, and DJ nights dominated SF’s club scene. No one was there to dance; it wasn’t that kind of party.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13937762\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13937762\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231103-DMCBattle-28-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A person wearing a baseball cap stands at a table under fluorescent lighting.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231103-DMCBattle-28-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231103-DMCBattle-28-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231103-DMCBattle-28-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231103-DMCBattle-28-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231103-DMCBattle-28-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231103-DMCBattle-28-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231103-DMCBattle-28-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">DJ Qbert performs with Invisibl Skratch Piklz during the DMC World DJ Finals at The Midway in San Francisco, Calif., on Nov. 3, 2023. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The occasion was the DMC World Championship DJ Battle Finals, with some of the best DJs in the world competing against each other. But there was another attraction too: live showcases by the Invisibl Skratch Piklz and Mix Master Mike, the legendary DJs who transformed the Bay Area into a turntablist Mecca during a seminal era for local hip-hop. DMC event organizer Christie Zee put the proceedings into their proper context: “You can’t have a battle in the Bay without the Skratch Piklz.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As midnight approached, the lights dimmed, and the Piklz – Qbert, Shortkut and D-Styles – were announced to cheers that echoed throughout the high-ceilinged room. The Piklz opened with the 2015 ISP track “Fresh Out of FVCKs,” with its ominous electric organ melody that transitions into repeating melodic chords. A snare drum beat came in, followed by a rhythmically scratched snippet of a stuttering vocal phrase. The electric organ chords shifted into a chopped melody as the snare dropped out, then returned. And that’s all before the mind-bending scratch solos that followed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"fullwidth"},"numeric":["fullwidth"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Piklz proceeded to display their musicality, keeping their technical acumen within the groove pocket with synchronized timing. As is customary with the Piklz, each played the part of a specific instrumentalist: D-Styles as the keyboardist, Shortkut as the drummer, and Qbert as the scratch soloist.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952244\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952244\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/MMM_DJ_mixer_PhotobyJeffStrawBranding-2275.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/MMM_DJ_mixer_PhotobyJeffStrawBranding-2275.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/MMM_DJ_mixer_PhotobyJeffStrawBranding-2275-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/MMM_DJ_mixer_PhotobyJeffStrawBranding-2275-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/MMM_DJ_mixer_PhotobyJeffStrawBranding-2275-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/MMM_DJ_mixer_PhotobyJeffStrawBranding-2275-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/MMM_DJ_mixer_PhotobyJeffStrawBranding-2275-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mix Master Mike at the DMC World DJ Finals at The Midway in San Francisco, Calif., on Nov. 3, 2023. \u003ccite>(Jeff Straw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>A live version of “Death By A Thousand Paper Cuts” – a song from D-Styles’ 2019 album \u003cem>Noises In the Right Order\u003c/em> – and several unreleased ISP songs showed that \u003ca href=\"https://ccnmtl.columbia.edu/projects/jazzglossary/g/ghost_note.html\">ghost notes\u003c/a> aren’t just associated with jazz music. The turntable trio used the spaces between to impart a sense of presence and feel, a minimalist approach that allowed their scratches, cuts and juggles to resonate with maximum impact.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This would have been a hard act to follow for anyone but Mix Master Mike. The ISP co-founder, who’s been a solo artist since 1995 or so, has a gigantic stage presence and skills to match. A one-man musical blender, MMM unleashed a maelstrom of sonic fury, with bone-crunching drums, an entire range of musical and vocal phrases, and precise turntable cuts that deconstructed the individual pieces of a live performance — only to reconstruct all the fragments into an emotionally-thrilling pastiche. After his set, when Mike was celebrated with a Lifetime Achievement Award, the honor was clearly well-deserved.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Invisible Skratch Piklz were celebrating, too – 2023 marks their 30th anniversary – and it’s safe to say no Bay Area crew has done more to advance the DJ artform. Along with New York’s X-Ecutioners and LA’s Beat Junkies, ISP have defined the term turntablist, carving out a cultural niche that rests on a hip-hop foundation but exists in its own space.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13937759\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13937759\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231103-DMCBattle-13-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"People stand in a crowd leaning on a barrier indoors.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231103-DMCBattle-13-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231103-DMCBattle-13-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231103-DMCBattle-13-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231103-DMCBattle-13-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231103-DMCBattle-13-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231103-DMCBattle-13-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231103-DMCBattle-13-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A crowd watches finalists compete during the DMC World DJ Finals at The Midway in San Francisco, Calif., on Nov. 3, 2023. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The Piklz have counted many firsts. As hip-hop’s relationship with the DJ has flipped from essential to inconsequential, they’ve maintained the DJ tradition for future generations, and extended its global reach. Over the past four decades, they’ve gone from students of the scratch to wizened masters of turntable music.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And like most cultural icons, their backstory is involved, multilayered and fascinating.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952236\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1528px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952236\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/q.sta_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1528\" height=\"1032\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/q.sta_.jpg 1528w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/q.sta_-800x540.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/q.sta_-1020x689.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/q.sta_-160x108.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/q.sta_-768x519.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1528px) 100vw, 1528px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A young Qbert at a community hall mobile DJ dance party. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Shortkut)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>The Garage Party Era\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The Invisibl Skratch Piklz story begins in what former ISP manager Alex Aquino calls the “pre-hip-hop era” of the late ’70s-early ’80s, when youth-oriented street dance intersected with pioneering mobile DJ crews and a Filipino-American tradition of garage parties.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This was before breakdancing,” Aquino says. He recalls being 6 or 7 and seeing strutters, poppers and elements of DJ culture – including the Filipino mobile DJ crews who established a scene built around vinyl records, large stereo systems and frequent dance parties.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of those Filipino DJs was Apollo Novicio, a.k.a. DJ Apollo, a founding member of ISP who spent his early childhood roaming around the Mission District. By the time he reached middle school, his family had relocated to Daly City – where he likely attended some of the same parties as Aquino. “Back in the day, they’d have garage parties and there would be a DJ in the corner of the garage, set up on a washing machine and dryer and stuff like that. And at the parties, they would have popping and locking circles. Strutting, popping and locking. Breakdancing wasn’t even here yet, really. This was, I’d say, early ’80s, and that was pretty much my first exposure to the DJing and dancing element of it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952292\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1004px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.mobiledjparty.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1004\" height=\"674\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952292\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.mobiledjparty.png 1004w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.mobiledjparty-800x537.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.mobiledjparty-160x107.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.mobiledjparty-768x516.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1004px) 100vw, 1004px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Setup for a typical mobile DJ party in the early 1990s. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Shortkut)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In 1982, Aquino remembers, a New York transplant named Oscar Sop had introduced B-boying and fat laces to the neighborhood, becoming one of the Bay Area’s first breakdancers. Meanwhile, the DJ crews were becoming more professional, and getting hired for weddings, quinceaneras, traditional Filipino celebrations and the occasional school dance party.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Apollo recalls “doing the strutting, popping, locking thing before B-boying got here.” Back then, “I didn’t even know it was hip-hop. I was such a young age. I’m like, just doing it and like, later on find out, oh, this is a hip-hop culture.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition to dancing being popular among Filipino youth, he remembers DJ groups proliferating at local high schools. “It was just kind of like the thing to do,” he says. “All the kids would form DJ groups.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I don’t know how to explain (why), but there was a lot of Filipino mobile disc jockey groups,” says DJ Apollo. ”Back in the seventies, my older brothers and sisters, they used to collect music and listen to music. Everybody had to go to the record store and buy vinyl.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952212\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1030px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952212\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.mobileDJparty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1030\" height=\"778\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.mobileDJparty.jpg 1030w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.mobileDJparty-800x604.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.mobileDJparty-1020x770.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.mobileDJparty-160x121.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.mobileDJparty-768x580.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1030px) 100vw, 1030px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A mobile DJ party in 1991. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Shortkut)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Dr. Oliver Wang, author of \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.dukeupress.edu/legions-of-boom\">Legions of Boom: Filipino American Mobile DJ Crews in the San Francisco Bay Area\u003c/a>\u003c/em> and a professor of sociology at CSU Long Beach, explains that “the mobile DJ scene that the Piklz’ members got their start in wasn’t an exclusively Filipino phenomenon at all; there were Black, White, Latino and Chinese crews around then too. But the Fil-Am scene flourished above and beyond those other groups because they had distinct advantages coming from an immigrant community with strong social ties and large social networks.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition, Wang says, “Filipino American families have parties for practically any occasion — birthdays, debuts, christenings, graduations, or just plain house/garage parties for the heck of it. Importantly, those parties all wanted music, and that meant that DJs had all these opportunities to find gigs.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By the time breakdancing became popularized through movies like \u003cem>Beat Street\u003c/em> and \u003cem>Breakin’,\u003c/em> Apollo says, “DJing was already here… there were dances every weekend, and DJ battles and showcases almost every other weekend. That’s how it was when I was growing up around the San Francisco and Daly City area in the early ’80s.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952219\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1163px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/rscdjs.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1163\" height=\"831\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952219\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/rscdjs.jpg 1163w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/rscdjs-800x572.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/rscdjs-1020x729.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/rscdjs-160x114.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/rscdjs-768x549.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1163px) 100vw, 1163px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Appearing as FM2O (Furious Minds 2 Observe), Qbert, Mix Master Mike and Apollo perform at an ‘eco-rap’ show in San Francisco, circa 1989–1990. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Apollo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>One of the top mobile DJ crews at that time was Unlimited Sounds. “They were like the biggest group from Daly City, and they were already established,” Apollo says. Many of the crew members were older and attended Jefferson High School. Apollo remembers hanging out at Serra Bowl, becoming friends with Unlimited Sounds and gradually being drawn into the world of DJing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Every day after school, I would just hang out at their garage and practice,” he says. “All the equipment was there, the records were all there, the lights, everything.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Apollo saved his allowance and lunch money to buy his first set of turntables, and formed makeshift DJ crews with his friends. “We would gather our parents’ equipment, like home stereo equipment and gather it all up. I would get my parents’ home stereo system combined with my homies’ parents’ stereo system, combined with my other homie’s house system. And then we would put all the equipment together and we saw we had a DJ group.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Apollo started making mixtapes — he still remembers the first time he had enough records to make an all-hip-hop tape — and eventually became good enough to join Unlimited Sounds in 1985, who at the time had gigs all over the Bay Area. That experience gave him a solid foundation in DJing parties and playing a wide variety of records, but he was more interested in “scratching, juggling, trick-mixing — turntablism before it was even called that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952233\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 600px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/RSC-DJs-Psycho-City-Cover.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"401\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952233\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/RSC-DJs-Psycho-City-Cover.jpeg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/RSC-DJs-Psycho-City-Cover-160x107.jpeg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Rock City DJs at the famed San Francisco graffiti spot Psycho City, January 1993. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Shortkut)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Prior to joining Unlimited Sounds, Apollo had hooked up with another up-and-coming DJ who was becoming known for his pause-tape mixes and obsessive focus on scratching: Michael Anthony Schwartz, a.k.a. Mix Master Mike, a Filipino-German kid who attended Jeffferson, the same high school as Aquino and Apollo. Rather than practice the blends and beat-matching typically used at parties, though, Apollo and Mix Master Mike would “do more scratching or tricks, routines and that type of stuff.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With those bedroom routines, a reimagining of the turntable’s possibilities had begun.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘Oh, Snap — What Did We Just Do?’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Mix Master Mike didn’t come up in the mobile DJ scene. His early inspiration was seeing Run-DMC’s Jam Master Jay live.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Watching Jay DJ for DMC and Run, he says, he remembers thinking, “Oh, they’re using records, but they sound more like they’re a full-fledged band, you know? That was just profound to me, that he was using records and rocking the house, \u003cem>with just records\u003c/em>. And that’s when I immediately knew that’s what I wanted to be.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952222\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1732px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952222\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.MMM_.japan_.subway.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1732\" height=\"1177\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.MMM_.japan_.subway.jpg 1732w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.MMM_.japan_.subway-800x544.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.MMM_.japan_.subway-1020x693.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.MMM_.japan_.subway-160x109.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.MMM_.japan_.subway-768x522.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.MMM_.japan_.subway-1536x1044.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1732px) 100vw, 1732px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mix Master Mike on the subway in Japan, 1993. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Alex Aquino)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Not long after Run-DMC brought their Raising Hell tour to a sold-out Oakland Coliseum arena, Apollo and Mike formed an informal DJ crew called Together With Style (not to be confused with the SF graffiti crew of the same name) and held long practice sessions in Apollo’s garage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But with Mike, “we did go hard on scratching and tricks and juggling – which later on turned into turntablism.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Individually, they would take turns on Apollo’s set of turntables. But one day, they decided to work in tandem — a moment that altered the course of DJ history.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As Apollo remembers it: “Me and Mike were messing around with the turntables and… we’re like, well, let’s just do something together, since we don’t have to wait our turn (to practice). So I grabbed one turntable, and he grabbed the other turntable and we kind of just started making a beat with two records and one mixer. I got the bass kick and he grabbed the snare and we just started making a beat like, \u003cem>boom, cha, boom boom boom cha, boom boom\u003c/em>, you know? And then we’re just like, ‘Oh, snap, what did we just do? That was crazy.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952218\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 604px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952218\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/10423_136960922731_697132731_2526758_2429020_n.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"604\" height=\"408\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/10423_136960922731_697132731_2526758_2429020_n.jpg 604w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/10423_136960922731_697132731_2526758_2429020_n-160x108.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 604px) 100vw, 604px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Rock Steady Crew DJs in 1991. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Apollo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Apollo and Mike would perfect the two-man routine over a period of several years, “and we just started performing it all over the place at showcases and dances, you know, wherever. People were seeing it and being amazed. We were amazed by it ourselves.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"I got the bass kick and he grabbed the snare and we just started making a beat like, boom, cha, boom boom boom cha, boom boom, you know? And then we’re just like, ‘Oh, snap, what did we just do?” ","name":"pullquote","attributes":{"named":{"size":"large","align":"center","citation":"DJ Apollo","label":""},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One witness to the early routine was Richard Quitevis, an acquaintance of Mike and Apollo who went by the name DJ Qbert.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Qbert saw it one time and he was amazed by it. He’s like, \u003cem>Oh, what is that?!?\u003c/em>,” Apollo says.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Qbert Enters the Picture\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>DJ Qbert grew up in San Francisco’s Excelsior district. Like Apollo, his first exposure to hip-hop precedes the term itself. He recalls fishing at Pier 39 at the age of 12 and seeing the Fillmore dance crew \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weKkAF9NdCI\">Demons of the Mind\u003c/a>. “There would be all these poppers; at the time they were called strutters. They would be playing this really fast electro music. And it was like, ‘Look at these robot-like guys in shiny little outfits with these silver hats.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Qbert was fascinated not only with the vibrant dancers, but the sounds. “I was like, ‘Man, this is crazy. I love it, but where are they getting this music from?’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952215\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1371px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952215\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP-in-bologna.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1371\" height=\"984\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP-in-bologna.jpg 1371w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP-in-bologna-800x574.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP-in-bologna-1020x732.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP-in-bologna-160x115.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP-in-bologna-768x551.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1371px) 100vw, 1371px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Shortkut, Mix Master Mike and Qbert gettin’ up in Bologna, Italy. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Shortkut)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Qbert remembers early attempts at breakdancing with his friends, who fashioned their own makeshift outfits. But it was the DJ scratch – particularly the skills displayed by Mix Master Ice on UTFO’s 1985 single “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KE3-IyLsg8\">Leader of the Pack\u003c/a>” – that really drew his interest. “I just started collecting the music, always collecting the music. And that’s what made me become a DJ.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One day, Qbert was asked to DJ a garage party. “Everybody was about 12, 13, 14, 15, and everybody was breaking in the garage. And we were playing all my records on a big-ass giant box. Like, you open the top and you put the record in, and you just let that play. And the kids were spinning and they couldn’t control themselves. They would spin and they would spin, right into the DJ box, the turntable box. That was my first time being a mobile DJ.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He explains his early attraction to turntables and scratching: “You could manipulate sound by grabbing (the record), moving forward and backward,” he says, imitating a scratch sound. “It was like a toy. A toy that was like a musical instrument. I didn’t even know it was a musical instrument. I was just thinking of it as like, it just sounds crazy. You just pull sound out of the air and move it, like, ‘Oh, what a weird contraption.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Eventually, Q joined a mobile DJ crew called Live Style Productions, and came to the attention of Apollo and Mix Master Mike, who remember going to Balboa High School to see him spin.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Q, we just knew from around the way,” Apollo says. “We would go to different showcases on the weekends and see him perform. And so we knew about Q.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952240\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 600px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952240\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/600_us_champ_trophy.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"407\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/600_us_champ_trophy.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/600_us_champ_trophy-160x109.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Invisibl Skratch Piklz with the U.S. Championship trophy. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Shortkut)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In 1991, Qbert entered the DMCs, winning the U.S. Championships and advancing all the way to the World Finals in London, where he took 2nd place. Aquino claims Qbert’s technical skills were so advanced, they went over most of the audience’s heads, but Qbert admits he got cocky and didn’t practice before his set: “I was sloppy,” he says. That loss instilled in him the importance of practicing, which he took to with rigorous discipline.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The Turntables Might Wobble\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Hip-hop journalist and author Adisa Banjoko, a friend, recalls once being at Qbert’s house and hearing him scratch the rhythms of Rakim’s verses from Eric B. & Rakim’s “I Ain’t No Joke” – using entirely scratched tones to replicate Rakim’s stanzas. “You gotta record that,” Banjoko told Q, who just shrugged and said, “Nah, I do that all the time.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Around this time, Apollo and Mike were honing their two-man routine and making beats with the intention of forming a rap crew, with them as producers and DJs. After returning from London with his U.S. title, Qbert introduced Mike and Apollo to a rapper who used to hang out at his house named Nim-FHD.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is where it all comes together,” Apollo says. “Me and Mike were making beats, and we always wanted to find a voice for our beats. And so when Qbert introduced us to this rapper, and when me and Mike heard that guy’s voice, Nim’s voice, we were like, ‘Oh man, that’s the voice for our music.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952232\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 604px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952232\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/n1071373619_171639_1875.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"604\" height=\"416\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/n1071373619_171639_1875.jpg 604w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/n1071373619_171639_1875-160x110.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 604px) 100vw, 604px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The extended crew. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Apollo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Apollo explained his vision to Nim, and they enlisted H2O, another emcee they met through Qbert, who also joined the group. “We told Q, do you want to be a part of the ‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sd5gFx001qg\">Peter Piper\u003c/a>’ routine? And he was like, overjoyed. Like, ‘Let’s do it. Absolutely, let’s do it.’ So then we’re like… why don’t we become the DJs for this group that will be the first rap group with three DJs and two rappers? And we’ll do all the beats and scratching.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They christened themselves FM2O – an acronym for “Furious Minds To Observe” — the first iteration of what would become the Invisibl Skratch Piklz. As Mike says, “it was definitely a meant-to-be moment, when I hooked up with Q.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The group was managed by Aquino, who had left Unlimited Sounds and started throwing parties while trying to establish an independent hip-hop label, Ace Beat. While working on a demo tape, FM2O played local venues and music industry showcases like the Gavin Convention and New Music Seminar. In 1992, they appeared at the Omni in Oakland on a bill with Banjoko’s crew, Freedom T.R.O.O.P. 187, plus Organized Konfusion, Gangstarr and headliner Body Count. Epic as that lineup is, Apollo, Mike and Qbert’s orchestrated turntable segment during FM2O’s set was the absolute showstopper.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>FM2O’s music was slightly ahead of its time; in the early ’90s, “alternative hip-hop” hadn’t yet established itself in the mainstream. No hip-hop group had ever featured three DJs, all of them scratch fanatics.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While Aquino tried unsuccessfully to secure FM2O a label deal, the DJs made moves in the battle scene.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952242\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952242\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AAA_MMM_jacket_PhotobyJeffStrawBranding-2387.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AAA_MMM_jacket_PhotobyJeffStrawBranding-2387.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AAA_MMM_jacket_PhotobyJeffStrawBranding-2387-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AAA_MMM_jacket_PhotobyJeffStrawBranding-2387-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AAA_MMM_jacket_PhotobyJeffStrawBranding-2387-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AAA_MMM_jacket_PhotobyJeffStrawBranding-2387-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AAA_MMM_jacket_PhotobyJeffStrawBranding-2387-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mix Master Mike with his DMC Legend jacket at The Midway in San Francisco, 2023. \u003ccite>(Jeff Straw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>The First Major World Titles\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Qbert’s second-place 1991 DMC finish earned him props from Clark Kent, a well-respected New York DJ and producer of the New Music Seminar DJ Battle for World Supremacy. Kent asked Qbert to judge the 1992 battle alongside NYC heavyweights like EPMD’s DJ Scratch and Gangstarr’s DJ Premier. Mix Master Mike, meanwhile, entered as a contestant – and ended up winning the battle. (Ironically, Aquino says, instead of practicing before his routine, Mike had stayed up all night.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLRprNA_GSk\">Video of the battle\u003c/a> – during which Mike performs eight different routines, besting Japan’s DJ Honda in the final showdown before taking on defending champ Supreme in a challenge match – confirms he was on a mission to crush all competition. He doubles up Word of Mouth’s “King Kut” with blinding speed and finesse, blends Schooly D and Flavor Flav phrases to dis “sucker DJs,” slows down the records to juggle entirely new beats, deconstructs the wax into a series of melodic tones, and maintains a sense of rhythmic mastery that’s chaotic and jarring but never veers out of control. Boisterous shouts from the crowd testify to Mike’s determined brilliance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Billed as the Rocksteady DJs (with the blessing of Bronx B-boy legend Crazy Legs, from the Rock Steady Crew), Qbert, Mike and Apollo won the DMCs that same year with the “Peter Piper” routine. The following year, with DJ Apollo unavailable while touring as the Souls of Mischief’s DJ, Mike and Qbert, billed as the Dream Team, again won the DMC World Championship. Mike still remembers the anticipation and energy that went into the preparations for the battle, along with the ginseng they imbibed before their set “like Chinese martial arts masters.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952237\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 600px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/l_f99accf3c766cef703abeb72c042e21e.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"397\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952237\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/l_f99accf3c766cef703abeb72c042e21e.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/l_f99accf3c766cef703abeb72c042e21e-160x106.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mix Master Mike, pictured at center: ‘It was a discovery. Right? ‘Oh, shit. We could take this and flip it anyway we want to,’ you know?’ \u003ccite>(Courtesy Shortkut)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>These victories were culturally significant. Not only had no West Coast DJ ever been crowned a World Champion before, but no Filipino DJ had ever placed that high in a major competition.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To explain just how significant, it’s necessary to understand the evolution of the DJ artform.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The first development, playing “break” sections of records (known as breakbeats), was initially a clumsy needle-drop technique originated by hip-hop pioneer Kool Herc. Grandmaster Flash refined the DJ vocabulary with backspinning, cueing, cutting, punch phrasing, quick-mixing and reading the record like a clock. Grand Wizzard Theodore developed the basic scratch. Steve Dee invented the beat-juggle. But no DJ was doing synchronized team routines that reimagined the turntables as individual instruments prior to the Rocksteady DJs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That was an awesome thing,” Mike says. “It just started from a thought. The collective team, it was like it was a unit. We all had the same aspirations and goals of doing things people had never, ever seen or heard before. And it just spawned this whole movement. And it’s just something that we love to do. It was a discovery. Right? ‘Oh, shit. We could take this and flip it anyway we want to,’ you know? And that was the beauty of it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952220\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952220\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.japan_.jackets-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1715\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.japan_.jackets-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.japan_.jackets-800x536.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.japan_.jackets-1020x683.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.japan_.jackets-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.japan_.jackets-768x515.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.japan_.jackets-1536x1029.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.japan_.jackets-2048x1372.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.japan_.jackets-1920x1286.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sporting championship jackets in Tokyo, 1993. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Alex Aquino)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Their succession of three major titles in two years elevated the DJ artform and raised the bar for battles. Teams of three or more DJs would soon proliferate throughout the DJ universe, and battle routines became more well-rounded, with emphasis on scratching, beat-juggling, and musicality or rhythmic coherence, as well as sheer technical ability.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It also led to a backlash of sorts: Mike confirms that after dominating for three years in a row, his crew was politely asked to retire from the DMC competition. He characterizes the request as a “giving other people a chance to win type deal.” But to him and his other Bay Area battlers, “We felt like it wasn’t fair to us because we got a lot in the tank. Let’s go. Keep going. See how far we can go… we were ready to defend the next year. But unfortunately they wanted to make us judges.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As it turned out, stepping away from the competitive battle scene proved to be a blessing in disguise. “After we stopped battling,” Mike says, “I was like, okay, what’s next? We’re going to make records now. I’m gonna become a full fledged artist, you know? I don’t want to be this DJ dude. I don’t want to be a DJ guy that’s playing other people’s records standing up there. We’ve done that already. I’m going to get in the studio and be a producer, and I’m going to make music out of this whole thing, like, springboard into making original compositions. And so that’s what I’m doing, to this day.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952238\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1430px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952238\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP-in-Hawaii-1996.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1430\" height=\"1039\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP-in-Hawaii-1996.jpg 1430w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP-in-Hawaii-1996-800x581.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP-in-Hawaii-1996-1020x741.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP-in-Hawaii-1996-160x116.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP-in-Hawaii-1996-768x558.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1430px) 100vw, 1430px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Invisibl Skratch Piklz in Hawaii, 1996. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Shortkut)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But first, the crew needed a new name. During their time DJing for FM2O, the three DJs were collectively known as Shadow of the Prophet, or simply, The Shadow. A chance encounter with an early-career DJ Shadow – who apologetically offered to change his name – led to Qbert graciously telling him that he could keep the name “Shadow,” and that he’d change his group’s name instead. “Rocksteady DJs” and “The Dream Team” were one-offs, for the most part. They needed something catchy that also reflected who they were.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One day it came to them. As Qbert recounts, “We was on one, and we were laughing and laughing. And I think Mix Master Mike said, “Why don’t we be called the Invisible Pickles? We were just cracking up and we were thinking about, you know, an invisible pickle.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The next day, Qbert got a call from his pal Lou Quintanilla, a.k.a. DJ Disk. “And he said, ‘How about Invisible Scratch Pickles?’ I was like, that kind of sounds dope.” (Though it may sound abstract, the name is rooted in a concrete concept: the turntable as an “invisible instrument” that could be almost any instrument – drums, guitar, vocals, anything.) The crew’s offbeat sense of humor reflected in their new name had long been evident; in 1992, they released \u003cem>Battle Breaks\u003c/em>, one of the first DJ tool records specifically designed for scratching, officially credited to the Psychedelic Scratch Bastards on the Dirt Style label. In later years they would put out various releases under an affiliate record label that they named Galactic Butt Hair.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Before settling on the new name, though, they ran it by a younger DJ who was asked to join the crew — Jonathan Cruz, a.k.a. DJ Shortkut.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952228\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1759px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952228\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.shortkut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1759\" height=\"1193\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.shortkut.jpg 1759w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.shortkut-800x543.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.shortkut-1020x692.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.shortkut-160x109.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.shortkut-768x521.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.shortkut-1536x1042.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1759px) 100vw, 1759px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Shortkut. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Alex Aquino)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Electro and the Art of the Quick Mix\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Growing up in Daly City, Shortkut caught the DJ bug thanks to a Filipino mobile crew who played his 6th grade dance. He started DJing at age 13, after the local Filipino sound system culture had cycled through disco, metal, and New Wave, before arriving at hip-hop, freestyle and Miami bass.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of Shortkut’s first exposures to a DJ battle took place in a large hall.“There would be about four to six sound systems separately set up in the one room with their own individual sound systems. Each group would get about like 20 minutes to do their thing, and then at the end of the night, whoever won. The word got out that group won, and then that’s who everyone wanted to book for school dances or birthday parties.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shortkut joined a crew called Just 2 Hype, which played freestyle, Miami bass and 808-laced Mantronix singles. “That’s why I think the Bay Area is specifically more scratch-DJ based,” he says, “because everyone scratched to fast beats, all the classic electro stuff.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He also worked on perfecting the art of the quick-mix, changing up the record every four or eight bars. But records like DJ Jazzy Jeff’s “Live At Union Square” drew him into the world of scratch-mixing. “When I first started scratching, I just listened to records, basically. All the early records I used to buy, I would just try to copy what I heard on record.”\u003cbr>\nIn the late ’80s and early ’90s, he says, “I really got into embracing hip-hop” – catching up with records that hadn’t been hugely popular in the Filipino scene, and becoming further enthralled with scratching and beat-juggling. “That’s when I was first hearing about Qbert and Apollo and Mix Master Mike,” he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952223\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1742px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.japan1_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1742\" height=\"1190\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952223\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.japan1_.jpg 1742w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.japan1_-800x546.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.japan1_-1020x697.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.japan1_-160x109.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.japan1_-768x525.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.japan1_-1536x1049.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1742px) 100vw, 1742px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">First trip to Japan, 1993. At far left is B-boy and dancer Richard Colón, a.k.a. Crazy Legs from the Rock Steady Crew. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Alex Aquino)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Back then, Apollo was the big name, being from Unlimited Sounds. “He was the party rocker. But he was kind of the B-boy out of all the Filipino guys I knew.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As he attempted to build his DJ skills, Shortkut remembers listening to cassette tapes of Qbert scratching and mixing. Initially, he had only basic equipment, and used belt-driven turntables. “I got better once I got to direct-drives because I already knew how to handle it and have a certain feel to it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Qbert winning the U.S. DMC Championship in 1991 was huge, he says. “We didn’t really have any role models, as a Filipino kid.” He took the win as validation – and inspiration.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I lived about five minutes from Q’s house,” he says. “I used to go to Q’s house with the guy who taught me how to DJ. We both cold-called Q because we knew he was the one who had all the battle videos. So we would go to his house and dub the videos and while they were dubbing, me and Q would scratch.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During this time, Shortkut says, Mike had moved to Sacramento, and Apollo was DJing for Branford Marsalis, “so I would hook up with Q and Disk a lot.” Q used to bring Shortkut and Disk along when he opened up shows in the Bay – affording the younger DJs valuable stage experience. Shortkut, Mike, and Q eventually formed a crew briefly called the Turntable Dragons, pre-ISP. Then, in 1993, Shortkut, Mike, and Q played a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13935467/the-bomb-magazine-label-san-francisco-turntablism-djs\">Bomb Hip-Hop\u003c/a> Party – possibly the first time they had been billed as the Invisibl Skratch Piklz.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952239\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 250px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952239\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/invisblskratchp_002-h.gif\" alt=\"\" width=\"250\" height=\"250\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The five-man crew. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Shortkut)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘Everyone That Worked There Was Filipino’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Dave Paul, publisher of \u003cem>Bomb Hip Hop Magazine\u003c/em>, coincidentally also began as a mobile DJ in 1984 with a crew called Midnight Connections. He tells a funny story about working an after-school job for Chevron. “I wasn’t that great. So they moved me from, like, the main Chevron on Geary Street over to one on California Street. And everyone that worked there was Filipino. Turned out everyone that worked there was also a DJ.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Paul knew of Apollo from Unlimited Sounds, and had seen Qbert perform a famous “Mary Had A Little Lamb” routine during a San Jose battle around 1989 or 1990. “That really got his name out,” he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During the annual Gavin Convention in San Francisco, Bomb Hip Hop magazine would present live performance showcases. Paul booked the Piklz on multiple occasions, beginning in 1992, when they were still called the Rocksteady DJs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to Paul, the vibe of those early performances “was always sort of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDLzGtQmMyw\">don’t-give-a-fuck style\u003c/a>. Like, things didn’t have to be clean. They were just really raw. And it was just ill. They were doing stuff that no one else was doing at the time.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_10345320\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-10345320\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/01/QBertMain.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/01/QBertMain.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/01/QBertMain-400x225.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">DJ QBert. \u003ccite>(Thud Rumble)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>After releasing a now-legendary compilation tape that featured Qbert along with a Canadian MC named Madchild, as well as local underground artists like Homeless Derelix, Blackalicious, Bored Stiff, and Mystik Journeymen, Bomb Hip Hop became a record label in 1995 with the release of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13937489/best-bay-area-turntablism-scratch-dj-albums\">\u003cem>Return of the DJ Vol. 1\u003c/em>\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That record essentially started the movement of turntablism as a musical genre. The Skratch Piklz (at that time, Qbert, Shortkut and Disk) were featured on “Invasion of the Octopus People,” while Mix Master Mike contributed his first official solo production, “Terrorwrist.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Return of the DJ \u003c/em>evolved into a compilation series spanning multiple volumes, and inspired numerous others, like Om Records’ \u003cem>Deep Concentration\u003c/em> and Ubiquity’s \u003cem>Audio Alchemy\u003c/em> compilations. Asphodel, an alternative label known for ultra-underground somnolent, ambient, droney electronic music, signed the Skratch Piklz to a deal, which resulted in 1996’s single “Invisibl Skratch Piklz vs. Da Klamz Uv Deth,” which featured Qbert, Shortkut, and Mix Master Mike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952246\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1938px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952246\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ezgif-3-ae00e595ca.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1938\" height=\"1882\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ezgif-3-ae00e595ca.jpg 1938w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ezgif-3-ae00e595ca-800x777.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ezgif-3-ae00e595ca-1020x991.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ezgif-3-ae00e595ca-160x155.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ezgif-3-ae00e595ca-768x746.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ezgif-3-ae00e595ca-1536x1492.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ezgif-3-ae00e595ca-1920x1865.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1938px) 100vw, 1938px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘Invisibl Skratch Piklz vs. Da Clamz Uv Deth,’ 1997. \u003ccite>(Asphodel Records)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“A very strange thing about that (single) is, I had just invented scratch music,” Qbert says. “Which is this thing where every sound is scratched. Drums are scratched, the hi-hats are scratched, the snare and vocals are scratched, the chords, every single thing is scratched! No matter what is in there. So that was tracked out — like, every track was off the turntables, making a complete scratch song.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Turntablism spread quickly through San Francisco’s progressive club scene in the mid-’90s. Mark Herlihy’s art/performance collective Future Primitive established itself as an avant garde music label with a live recording of Shortkut and Cut Chemist at Cat’s Alley, on Folsom Street. An outer Tenderloin hole in the wall, Deco, became a headquarters for unfiltered, ultra-creative DJ expression in its basement, via “Many Styles” nights curated by Apollo. Qbert was part of the groundbreaking alternative hip-hop group Dr. Octagon along with producer Dan the Automator and MC Kool Keith, who recorded an indie classic that got re-released nationally by Dreamworks. To this day, Qbert’s scratch solo on Dr. Octagon’s “Earth People” stands out as a particular flashpoint, the turntable equivalent, perhaps, of the guitar solos on “Hotel California” or “Comfortably Numb.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Needless to say, it’s not an empty boast when Mix Master Mike says he and the Skratch Piklz “pretty much created this genre of music.” No one was doing it before them, and many followed in their footsteps. Locally, the Bullet Proof Scratch Hamsters (aka the Space Travelers), Supernatural Turntable Artists, and the Oakland Faders all scratched and juggled. Live bands incorporating turntablists included Live Human (DJ Quest) and Soulstice (Mei-Lwun). New York’s X-Ecutioners were probably ISP’s closest counterparts nationally, having formed in 1989. But despite their turntable innovations, even they weren’t performing or recording as a \u003cem>band\u003c/em> until after the Skratch Piklz.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952245\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952245\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AAA_Q_ISP_11_JeffStraw-2144.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AAA_Q_ISP_11_JeffStraw-2144.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AAA_Q_ISP_11_JeffStraw-2144-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AAA_Q_ISP_11_JeffStraw-2144-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AAA_Q_ISP_11_JeffStraw-2144-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AAA_Q_ISP_11_JeffStraw-2144-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AAA_Q_ISP_11_JeffStraw-2144-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Invisibl Skratch Piklz at the DMC World DJ Finals at The Midway in San Francisco, Calif., on Nov. 3, 2023. \u003ccite>(Jeff Straw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Back when they were known as the X-Men, the X-Ecutioners faced off against the Piklz in a landmark 1996 battle in New York’s Manhattan Center – a contest so epic, it’s listed among \u003cem>Mixmag\u003c/em>’s \u003ca href=\"https://mixmag.net/feature/the-10-best-dj-scratch-battles-of-all-time\">Top 10 DJ Scratch Battles of All Time\u003c/a>. X-Ecutioners member and DJ historian Rob Swift says Qbert first came on his radar in 1991, when he beat X-Ecutioners founder Steve Dee to win the US DMC Finals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We thought he was Hawaiian,” Swift says, because Qbert appeared to be wearing a lei in the battle video. “We didn’t know that he was this Filipino DJ that came out of this Filipino community of DJs in the Bay Area. We didn’t know that there \u003cem>were\u003c/em> DJs out there.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Swift later entered the 1991 New Music Seminar battle, where Qbert was a judge; the two exchanged numbers and began calling each other and exchanging videos regularly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When rappers began increasingly excluding the DJ throughout the ’90s, he says he and Qbert would discuss what to do about it., “We would both be like, ‘You’ve got these rappers (not respecting the DJ). Fuck them, and we’re going to create our own DJ scene. If the music industry is going to turn their backs on DJing, we need to figure out a way to just create our own scene.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“And,” he adds, “that’s exactly what we did.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952225\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1759px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952225\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.Lebanon.trophy.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1759\" height=\"1166\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.Lebanon.trophy.jpg 1759w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.Lebanon.trophy-800x530.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.Lebanon.trophy-1020x676.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.Lebanon.trophy-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.Lebanon.trophy-768x509.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.Lebanon.trophy-1536x1018.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1759px) 100vw, 1759px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Invisibl Skratch Piklz in Lebanon. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Alex Aquino)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Enter the ITF — and D-Styles\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>When the Pilkz battled the X-Ecutioners, it was as much about gaining respect for turntable culture as it was about individual bragging rights. Though the court of public opinion is still split on who won, the battle put a spotlight on both crews. As Swift says, “We started strategizing ways to book our own tours and create all-DJ competitions (like) the ITF, the International Turntablist Federation,” who organized the historic battle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Founded by Alex Aquino with help from Shortkut, the ITF was established in 1995 and stayed active until 2005. It was intended as a cultural organization, and as somewhat of a critique of the DMC, which had become the only major DJ competition, following the demise of the New Music Seminar.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Without the DMC,” Aquino says, “we wouldn’t have this world stage for the guys to be on. But after Q lost that first battle, we were like, something has to change.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Specifically, the criteria. “And so, we were like, let’s do our own battle. Let’s have real turntablists and DJs judge it, like a New Music Seminar, but instead of just the one-on-one battle, the advancement class for the belt, let’s do a scratching category. Let’s do a beat-juggling category. And let’s do a team category. And that’s how we started out.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952211\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1366px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952211\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.japan_.magazine.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1366\" height=\"1834\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.japan_.magazine.jpg 1366w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.japan_.magazine-800x1074.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.japan_.magazine-1020x1369.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.japan_.magazine-160x215.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.japan_.magazine-768x1031.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.japan_.magazine-1144x1536.jpg 1144w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1366px) 100vw, 1366px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">In a Japanese magazine, date unknown. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Shortkut)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>DJs like Vin Roc, Babu, Craze, and A-Trak all won ITF titles, as did teams like the Allies and Beat Junkies. The ITF succeeded in giving turntablists a visible platform to showcase their skills and in further popularizing the artform in the U.S. and internationally. (In 1999, the DMC would add a team category, and the organization currently rotates additional categories, including Scratch, Portablist, and Beat Juggling.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After \u003cem>Return of the DJ\u003c/em>’s “Octopus People,” with Apollo unavailable and Mix Master Mike pursuing a solo career, the Skratch Piklz needed new blood. For the next few years, ISP membership became somewhat fluid, swelling and contracting as new members joined for a while, before going off to do other projects. DJ Disk, DJ Flare, Canadian teenage prodigy A-Trak, and former Thud Rumble label manager Ritche Desuasido, a.k.a. Yogafrog, were all ISP members at one time or another, along with Shortkut.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 1996, Beat Junkies member Dave Cuasito, a.k.a. D-Styles, joined the Piklz and became a linchpin for the group; Aquino calls him “the hidden master.” Though not as flashy or famous as Qbert, he’s well-respected in turntablist circles and has helped focus the Pilkz on compositional elements in their music while also being able to scratch, cut and juggle at a high level.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Born in the Philippines, D-Styles grew up in San Jose. Like the other Piklz, he was exposed to hip-hop through breaking and its accompanying soundtrack. “I would hear the songs that they were playing, but then they would scratch certain words and certain parts of that song. And so I was always curious how they were doing it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952229\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1759px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952229\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.qbert_.dst_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1759\" height=\"1168\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.qbert_.dst_.jpg 1759w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.qbert_.dst_-800x531.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.qbert_.dst_-1020x677.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.qbert_.dst_-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.qbert_.dst_-768x510.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.qbert_.dst_-1536x1020.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1759px) 100vw, 1759px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Grandmaster DXT and Qbert. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Alex Aquino)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>His answer came when he saw Grandmixer DST (now known as DXT)’s scratch segment on Herbie Hancock’s “Rockit.” After getting a basic Realistic mixer for his birthday, he, too, joined a mobile DJ crew (Sound City), who pooled their equipment like so many others – and spent their meager proceeds on post-gig Denny’s meals. After taking part in typical mobile battles with crews exchanging 20-minute sets, he discovered there was a battle specifically for scratch DJs, and competed in the 1993 DMC.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 1996, he moved to San Francisco to attend college, but what he really wanted was to pursue music. He was already familiar with Mike, Qbert and Shortkut from the battle scene, and from hanging out on Tuesday night at Deco, a small speakeasy-style jazz bar with open turntables in the basement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“One strange night, I got a phone call on my answering machine and it was Yogafrog and Q, and they were like, ‘Hey, man’ – I don’t know if they were drunk or what – but they were like, ‘we need to talk, man. We think we should all come together and form a crew.” They met up and talked, and soon after, he was asked to officially join the group.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>D-Styles stoic demeanor compliments the other Piklz, yet beneath his focused concentration lies a punk rock attitude that aligns with Qbert’s philosophy that the only rule is there are no rules. Likewise, his turntable-composition approach balances the others’ battle-DJ backgrounds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952235\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 636px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952235\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/SK-A-TRAK-1997-at-Qs.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"636\" height=\"474\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/SK-A-TRAK-1997-at-Qs.png 636w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/SK-A-TRAK-1997-at-Qs-160x119.png 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 636px) 100vw, 636px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Shortkut and A-Trak at Qbert’s place, 1997. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Shortkut)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“As far as a turntable composer, I feel like we definitely embrace the more musical side of it, and less technical,” he says. “For the battle DJs, they really try to spray like a Uzi, you know what I mean? And just get off a bunch of power stuff and try to wow the the crowd and the judges. For music, it’s more about the long-term thing. We want to make music that’s timeless. And it’s not based off of a five-minute routine.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With the core Piklz now set with Qbert, Shortkut and D-Styles, Mix Master Mike – who remained affiliated with the crew – says, “I felt like we had the perfect stew. Everyone had their own style, their own identity.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Around this time, Mike began putting together his first solo album, \u003cem>Anti-Theft Device\u003c/em>, which he envisioned as “not an underground album (but) a worldwide release.” He imagined himself as a sonic transducer, attracting and reshaping matter into different forms. He drew on inspirations like Led Zeppelin’s John Bonham, early Public Enemy, Thelonious Monk, Rage Against the Machine and Ennio Morricone. He contemplated the subtlety of silence, of ghost notes and pregnant pauses. And then he went out and made an album with booming, deafening drums and thumping bass on nearly every track.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I focused on the drums first,” Mike says. “I wanted to make sure those drums were hitting really hard.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952249\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952249\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/MMM.antitheft.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1000\" height=\"984\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/MMM.antitheft.jpg 1000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/MMM.antitheft-800x787.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/MMM.antitheft-160x157.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/MMM.antitheft-768x756.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mix Master Mike’s ‘Anti-Theft Device,’ 1998. \u003ccite>(Asphodel Records)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>On \u003cem>Anti-Theft Device\u003c/em>, the found sounds and quirky vocal samples (“NASA maintains this is \u003cem>not\u003c/em> Colonel Blaha’s voice”) often present on DJ mix tapes resurface often, along with boom-bap beats and scratched phrases, instruments and sound effects. There are elements of intoxicated or altered reality, and bug-out moments that suggest turboized vocoders spouting underwater propellers, or seemingly random musical sample generators harnessing infinite libraries of sound, from raga to reggae to rock.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“At the end of the day,” Mike says, “it’s about spearheading the evolution of the battle DJ – as artist, composer, tastemaker.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While Mike was the first Pikl to make a solo album, Qbert crafted an especially ambitious concept for his first official solo debut. As Mike tells it, he had some extra tracks left over, which he gave to Qbert. “And he fuckin’, just like, went crazy on those beats. And then, yeah. It became \u003cem>Wave Twisters\u003c/em>.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952250\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 600px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952250\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/R-16932444-1610670653-3566.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/R-16932444-1610670653-3566.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/R-16932444-1610670653-3566-160x160.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">DJ Qbert’s ‘Wave Twisters,’ 1998. The album spawned a cult-classic 2001 animated film of the same name. \u003ccite>(Galactic Butt Hair Records)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Wave Twisters, the Beasties and Beyond\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Wave Twisters\u003c/em> holds the rare distinction of being a soundtrack around which a movie was later designed. The album received extremely positive reviews, making many music critics’ year-end lists. To this day, it’s regarded as one of the best turntablism albums of all time. Tracks like “Destination: Quasar 16.33.45.78” took ISP battle routines to new levels, imagining a battle in inner space between a heroic dental hygienist and the minions of a villain named Lord Ook. The track revels in sci-fi tropes, with vocal cues like “Attention, starship!” coloring the scratched, transformed and cut-up audio landscape.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to Qbert, \u003cem>Wave Twisters\u003c/em> was willed into existence. “I intentionally foresaw it because in the back of my head, I was like, I’m gonna make every song like a storyline. It’s going to be a thing. And somebody’s going to animate this. And then out of nowhere, the universe made it all work.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"aside","attributes":{"named":{"postid":"arts_13937489","label":""},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Meanwhile, Mix Master Mike was setting his own intentions – around becoming a member of the Beastie Boys. A longtime fan of their music, he says, “even before I met them, I always thought I was the fourth Beastie, and I was the missing element.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After meeting the Beasties’ MCA during a Rock Steady Crew anniversary in 1996, Mike took an unusual route to make his dreams come true. “I went up to MCA and introduced myself,” he recalls. “He knew who I was through all the competitions and the battles, and we exchanged phone numbers and went back home. And late at night, I would just leave these scratch messages on his answering machine. Two, three in the morning, just leaving these scratches on his machine, hoping that these transmissions would penetrate. Fortunately they did. \u003ca href=\"http://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop/timeline#mix-master-mike-becomes-the-beastie-boys-dj\">And the rest is history\u003c/a>.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952251\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952251\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/Beasties.MixMasterMike.2004-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1611\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/Beasties.MixMasterMike.2004-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/Beasties.MixMasterMike.2004-800x503.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/Beasties.MixMasterMike.2004-1020x642.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/Beasties.MixMasterMike.2004-160x101.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/Beasties.MixMasterMike.2004-768x483.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/Beasties.MixMasterMike.2004-1536x967.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/Beasties.MixMasterMike.2004-2048x1289.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/Beasties.MixMasterMike.2004-1920x1208.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(L-R) Mixmaster Mike, Mike Diamond, Adam ‘MCA’ Yauch, and Adam ‘Ad-Rock’ Horovitz of The Beastie Boys attend the MTV Europe Music Awards 2004 at Tor di Valle Nov. 18, 2004 in Rome, Italy. \u003ccite>(Bruno Vincent/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Mike joined the Beasties in time for 1998’s \u003cem>Hello Nasty\u003c/em> album, remaining part of the group until MCA died of cancer in 2012 and the Beastie Boys disbanded. “So at the end of the day,” Mike says, “it’s all about power of intention, right? And my intention was to get in the band or work with the band.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the ’90s drew to a close, the Piklz weren’t quite done. They produced Skratchcon 2000, a scratching convention, bringing together pioneering masters and acolytes of DJ scratch music. “That was our old manager, Yogafrog,” Qbert says. “His idea to put on a convention called Scratchcon, that was a genius idea of his, and we should do a Part II. We got all the best, most popular scratchers on the planet to come through. It was huge. Steve Dee was there, even Aladdin, all the X-Ecutioners, everybody. It was amazing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952252\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952252\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.Garage.Group_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1500\" height=\"983\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.Garage.Group_.jpg 1500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.Garage.Group_-800x524.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.Garage.Group_-1020x668.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.Garage.Group_-160x105.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/ISP.Garage.Group_-768x503.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(L–R) Shortkut, D-Styles, Mix Master Mike, Yogafrog and QBert in QBert’s garage in the Excelsior District of San Francisco, 1998. \u003ccite>(Liz Hafalia /The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images))\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Skratchcon drew fans from all over the country, in addition to current and historic scratch DJs,for live showcases and demonstrations like DJ Radar’s introduction of scratch notation. The convention culminated with a live concert at the Fillmore Auditorium, billed at the time as the ISP’s last official performance. To this day, it stands as one of the highpoints of a decade overflowing with revolutionary developments in hip-hop DJ culture, which saw the Invisibl Skratch Piklz make history and become iconic representatives of turntablism.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As Mix Master Mike says, “There is no ceiling to this. No, it’s whatever you think about is whatever you create and whatever you can apply.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"floatright"},"numeric":["floatright"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-11687704\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Turntable.Break_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"60\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Turntable.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Turntable.Break_-400x30.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Turntable.Break_-768x58.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}}],"link":"/arts/13952208/invisibl-skratch-piklz-filipino-djs-daly-city-san-francisco-turntablism-history","authors":["11839"],"categories":["arts_1","arts_69"],"tags":["arts_2854","arts_21712","arts_2852","arts_10278","arts_831","arts_17218","arts_21940","arts_1146","arts_19347","arts_21711"],"featImg":"arts_13952226","label":"arts"},"arts_13950520":{"type":"posts","id":"arts_13950520","meta":{"index":"posts_1591205157","site":"arts","id":"13950520","score":null,"sort":[1707948014000]},"guestAuthors":[],"slug":"ruth-beckford-dance-black-panthers-free-breakfast-program","title":"The Dancer Who Helped Start the Black Panthers’ Free Breakfast Program","publishDate":1707948014,"format":"standard","headTitle":"The Dancer Who Helped Start the Black Panthers’ Free Breakfast Program | KQED","labelTerm":{"term":8978,"site":"arts"},"content":"\u003cp>[dropcap]I[/dropcap]n the late 1960s, an uncommonly energetic 43-year-old named Ruth Beckford was teaching an Afro-Haitian dance class in Oakland. A dancing pro since the age of eight, Beckford had a habit of taking a close personal interest in her students. She taught the youngest ones a combination of life skills and etiquette to set them up for bright futures. She encouraged teens and young women to love themselves and pursue their dreams. And when one of her students told Beckford about her involvement with the Black Panther Party, Beckford was keen to be of assistance with that, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The student in question was LaVerne Anderson, who happened to be the girlfriend of Huey P. Newton. Beckford began by accompanying Anderson to some of Newton’s 1968 trial dates. In September of that year, when the idea for the Panthers’ Free Breakfast for School Children Program first came up, it was Beckford who sprang into action and made it happen.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13874853']Beckford had long been a parishioner at Oakland’s \u003ca href=\"https://staugepiscopal.org/\">St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church\u003c/a>, then situated at West and 27th Streets. Beckford approached her priest there, Father Earl A. Neil, to find out if St. Augustine’s was willing to host a daily program there to feed neighborhood kids. Father Neil agreed, and he and Beckford went about building a health code-safe kitchen and dining space, as well as a nutritionally balanced menu.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On the first day — a Monday in January 1969 — 11 children came to eat. By Friday, that number had swelled to 135. Beckford and Father Neil made such a success of the free breakfasts, the program was soon mandatory in all Black Panther chapters nationwide. It was also a shining example of Beckford’s ability to turn ideas into action, and to plant seeds that would one day create mighty forests. That’s something she had already been doing in her dance classes for 22 years before she got involved with the Panthers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952106\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952106\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/GettyImages-939585344-scaled-e1707777665615.jpg\" alt=\"Several young Black boys, one of whom is wearing a suit, raise their hands to speak as they sit around a table, paper plates of food in front of them.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1298\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Black Panther Party’s Free Breakfast for Children program — like this one in New York City in 1969 — combined education and good nutrition. \u003ccite>(Bev Grant/ Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>[dropcap]B[/dropcap]eckford was born on Dec. 7, 1925 in Oakland’s \u003ca href=\"https://localwiki.org/oakland/Providence_Hospital\">Providence Hospital\u003c/a> to a Jamaican father and a mother from Los Angeles. Beckford was the youngest of four — she had a big sister and a pair of twin brothers — and was raised on 38th Avenue and MacArthur Boulevard. She grew up in a household so supportive that, when they saw her kicking along to music in her crib as a baby, her parents pledged to get her into dance class as soon as she was old enough.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At three years old, Beckford began training in “every kind of dance,” her dedicated mom sewing all her costumes. It was clear from the beginning that the young girl was naturally gifted, and that dance was indeed her calling. By eight, she was a vaudeville dancer. By 14, she was teaching other children. At 17, she toured with the prestigious Katherine Dunham Company, where she fully embraced African and Caribbean dance for the first time. Beckford loved the work but declined a seven-year contract from Dunham so she could attend UC Berkeley instead. (Dunham remained a mentor and friend for life, and Beckford taught in her New York dance school in 1953.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13926548,pop_102326,arts_13916612']During her studies, Beckford was the only Black dancer in UC Berkeley’s dance club, Orchesis. The experience prepared her for working in majority-white companies later on. In her 20s, as the only Black dancer with the \u003ca href=\"https://calisphere.org/item/8c65bcebbbc335b04faa0cd457e3ebd7/\">Anna Halprin and Welland Lathrop\u003c/a> modern dance company, Beckford said she could sometimes hear the audience gasp as she arrived on San Francisco’s Herbst Theatre stage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Once Beckford had graduated with a modern dance degree, she was keen to serve her community while doing what she loved most. First, she started an annual modern dance showcase that ran for over a decade. Then in 1947, aged just 21, Beckford started the Oakland Recreation Modern Dance Department — the first city-funded dance classes in the United States — and remained project director there for 20 years. Beckford insisted the classes be free so that anyone, no matter their means, would be able to attend. By the time she left in 1967, the department was running 34 modern dance classes for 700 students of all ages and abilities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Of the importance of this program, Beckford later stated: “My philosophy for the young girls was, I would get them in through dance, but my whole goal was to make them be strong, free spirits. The girls got a lot of doses of self-empowerment training, self-esteem training,” she said. “Out of the thousands of girls that I taught, I knew a few would be dancers, but they all had to become women. I wanted them all to be strong young ladies — and it worked.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These relationships were so important to Beckford, she prioritized them over having children of her own. “I feel if I had had children,” she said in 2000, “I would not have been the mentor to the hundreds and hundreds of girls I mentored. I would give them all the attention. I would tell them they were special.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>From 1954 on, Beckford was also running her own company, the Ruth Beckford African Haitian Dance Company. Her understanding of traditional styles was so exhaustive, she was invited to choreograph a folk festival in Haiti in 1958. At home, her company’s performances — comprised of six dancers accompanied by three drummers — were unlike anything most dance fans had seen in the Bay Area before. For a start, the company was comprised entirely of Black dancers — a refreshing contrast to the companies Beckford had grown up in.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13951198\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13951198 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/GettyImages-576842076-scaled-e1706578196329.jpg\" alt=\"A Black male dancer does the splits in mid-air, while two Black women dance either side of him.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1516\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Students and members of Ruth Beckford’s dance group rehearse a number in Oakland. \u003ccite>(Ted Streshinsky/ CORBIS/ Corbis via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>[dropcap]A[/dropcap]fter Beckford retired from teaching in 1975, there was still no stopping her. She became an author, writing an autobiography, two cookbooks and a \u003ca href=\"https://www.jstor.org/stable/2784188\">Katherine Dunham biography\u003c/a>. She also co-authored \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.everand.com/book/502678421/The-Picture-Man-From-the-Collection-of-Bay-Area-Photographer-E-F-Joseph-1927-1979\">The Picture Man\u003c/a>,\u003c/em> about Black Bay Area photographer E.F. Joseph. Her final work, \u003ca href=\"https://www.amazon.com/Still-Groovin-Affirmations-Women-Second/dp/0829813373\">\u003cem>Still Groovin’\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, was a book of spiritual advice and affirmations aimed squarely at mature women. “Women are sort of out there by themselves,” she said, “and women have to mentor each other. My book is a tool to help them become stronger.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Still Groovin’\u003c/em> wasn’t her only means of trying to empower her peers. Between 1984 and 1988, Beckford wrote a trilogy of plays titled \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">’\u003c/span>\u003cem>Tis the Morning of My Life\u003c/em>, about a woman named Roxie Youngblood who finds herself in a relationship with a much younger man. Beckford admitted the story was inspired by her own life.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='pop_102855']“I have a different energy, I think, to most men my age,” she once explained. “As long as I have this energy, I’m going to use it and have fun with younger people. Younger men have the energy I have, and I feel mine is worthy of that.” On another occasion, she noted: “Older women are marrying younger men nowadays because they find they have much more in common.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When a New York theater asked permission to stage her first play, Beckford agreed only if the original Bay Area cast could perform it. “It’s time for New York to see what the West Coast can do,” she insisted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For a lot of people, co-founding the Black Panthers’ Free Breakfast program would have been the pinnacle achievement of a lifetime. That Beckford then went on to mentor generations of young Black women was a huge deal. And the sheer number of ways Beckford sought to be of service throughout her life is ultimately breathtaking.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She served on the Board of Oakland\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">’s\u003c/span> African American Museum and Library, where she also founded an oral history program. She counseled homeless people in Berkeley, and women in shelters and prisons around the state. She served on a dance panel at the National Endowment for the Arts and campaigned for better theater facilities in Oakland. She founded a women’s golf club. She even spent Thursday afternoons in the late 1990s volunteering in Jack London Square’s information booth so that she might pass on her passion for all things Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ruth Beckford remained indefatigable (despite surviving five back surgeries and a hip replacement) until her death at age 93. Shortly before her passing on May 8, 2019, Beckford reflected on a life thoroughly well lived.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I have a joyous life, I have a good time,” she said. “I choreographed my life. Step-by-step, year-by-year.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-800x78.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>To learn about other Rebel Girls from Bay Area History, visit the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/rebelgirls\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Rebel Girls homepage\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n","blocks":[],"excerpt":"Ruth Beckford used dance as a means to mentor thousands of young women in Oakland. She never stopped serving her community.","status":"publish","parent":0,"modified":1710265590,"stats":{"hasAudio":false,"hasVideo":false,"hasChartOrMap":false,"iframeSrcs":[],"hasGoogleForm":false,"hasGallery":false,"hasHearkenModule":false,"hasPolis":false,"paragraphCount":23,"wordCount":1542},"headData":{"title":"The Dancer Who Helped Start the Black Panthers’ Free Breakfast Program | KQED","description":"Ruth Beckford used dance as a means to mentor thousands of young women in Oakland. She never stopped serving her community.","ogTitle":"","ogDescription":"","ogImgId":"","twTitle":"","twDescription":"","twImgId":"","schema":{"@context":"http://schema.org","@type":"Article","headline":"The Dancer Who Helped Start the Black Panthers’ Free Breakfast Program","datePublished":"2024-02-14T14:00:14-08:00","dateModified":"2024-03-12T10:46:30-07:00","image":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"}},"audioUrl":"https://traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/0af137ef-751e-4b19-a055-aaef00d2d578/ffca7e9f-6831-4[…]f-aaef00f5a073/6767ea25-cddc-42bd-baac-b12c0136bde8/audio.mp3","sticky":false,"templateType":"standard","featuredImageType":"standard","excludeFromSiteSearch":"Include","articleAge":"0","path":"/arts/13950520/ruth-beckford-dance-black-panthers-free-breakfast-program","audioTrackLength":null,"parsedContent":[{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__dropcapShortcode__dropcap\">I\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>n the late 1960s, an uncommonly energetic 43-year-old named Ruth Beckford was teaching an Afro-Haitian dance class in Oakland. A dancing pro since the age of eight, Beckford had a habit of taking a close personal interest in her students. She taught the youngest ones a combination of life skills and etiquette to set them up for bright futures. She encouraged teens and young women to love themselves and pursue their dreams. And when one of her students told Beckford about her involvement with the Black Panther Party, Beckford was keen to be of assistance with that, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The student in question was LaVerne Anderson, who happened to be the girlfriend of Huey P. Newton. Beckford began by accompanying Anderson to some of Newton’s 1968 trial dates. In September of that year, when the idea for the Panthers’ Free Breakfast for School Children Program first came up, it was Beckford who sprang into action and made it happen.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"aside","attributes":{"named":{"postid":"arts_13874853","label":""},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Beckford had long been a parishioner at Oakland’s \u003ca href=\"https://staugepiscopal.org/\">St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church\u003c/a>, then situated at West and 27th Streets. Beckford approached her priest there, Father Earl A. Neil, to find out if St. Augustine’s was willing to host a daily program there to feed neighborhood kids. Father Neil agreed, and he and Beckford went about building a health code-safe kitchen and dining space, as well as a nutritionally balanced menu.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On the first day — a Monday in January 1969 — 11 children came to eat. By Friday, that number had swelled to 135. Beckford and Father Neil made such a success of the free breakfasts, the program was soon mandatory in all Black Panther chapters nationwide. It was also a shining example of Beckford’s ability to turn ideas into action, and to plant seeds that would one day create mighty forests. That’s something she had already been doing in her dance classes for 22 years before she got involved with the Panthers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952106\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952106\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/GettyImages-939585344-scaled-e1707777665615.jpg\" alt=\"Several young Black boys, one of whom is wearing a suit, raise their hands to speak as they sit around a table, paper plates of food in front of them.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1298\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Black Panther Party’s Free Breakfast for Children program — like this one in New York City in 1969 — combined education and good nutrition. \u003ccite>(Bev Grant/ Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__dropcapShortcode__dropcap\">B\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>eckford was born on Dec. 7, 1925 in Oakland’s \u003ca href=\"https://localwiki.org/oakland/Providence_Hospital\">Providence Hospital\u003c/a> to a Jamaican father and a mother from Los Angeles. Beckford was the youngest of four — she had a big sister and a pair of twin brothers — and was raised on 38th Avenue and MacArthur Boulevard. She grew up in a household so supportive that, when they saw her kicking along to music in her crib as a baby, her parents pledged to get her into dance class as soon as she was old enough.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"fullwidth"},"numeric":["fullwidth"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At three years old, Beckford began training in “every kind of dance,” her dedicated mom sewing all her costumes. It was clear from the beginning that the young girl was naturally gifted, and that dance was indeed her calling. By eight, she was a vaudeville dancer. By 14, she was teaching other children. At 17, she toured with the prestigious Katherine Dunham Company, where she fully embraced African and Caribbean dance for the first time. Beckford loved the work but declined a seven-year contract from Dunham so she could attend UC Berkeley instead. (Dunham remained a mentor and friend for life, and Beckford taught in her New York dance school in 1953.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"aside","attributes":{"named":{"postid":"arts_13926548,pop_102326,arts_13916612","label":""},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>During her studies, Beckford was the only Black dancer in UC Berkeley’s dance club, Orchesis. The experience prepared her for working in majority-white companies later on. In her 20s, as the only Black dancer with the \u003ca href=\"https://calisphere.org/item/8c65bcebbbc335b04faa0cd457e3ebd7/\">Anna Halprin and Welland Lathrop\u003c/a> modern dance company, Beckford said she could sometimes hear the audience gasp as she arrived on San Francisco’s Herbst Theatre stage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Once Beckford had graduated with a modern dance degree, she was keen to serve her community while doing what she loved most. First, she started an annual modern dance showcase that ran for over a decade. Then in 1947, aged just 21, Beckford started the Oakland Recreation Modern Dance Department — the first city-funded dance classes in the United States — and remained project director there for 20 years. Beckford insisted the classes be free so that anyone, no matter their means, would be able to attend. By the time she left in 1967, the department was running 34 modern dance classes for 700 students of all ages and abilities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Of the importance of this program, Beckford later stated: “My philosophy for the young girls was, I would get them in through dance, but my whole goal was to make them be strong, free spirits. The girls got a lot of doses of self-empowerment training, self-esteem training,” she said. “Out of the thousands of girls that I taught, I knew a few would be dancers, but they all had to become women. I wanted them all to be strong young ladies — and it worked.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These relationships were so important to Beckford, she prioritized them over having children of her own. “I feel if I had had children,” she said in 2000, “I would not have been the mentor to the hundreds and hundreds of girls I mentored. I would give them all the attention. I would tell them they were special.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>From 1954 on, Beckford was also running her own company, the Ruth Beckford African Haitian Dance Company. Her understanding of traditional styles was so exhaustive, she was invited to choreograph a folk festival in Haiti in 1958. At home, her company’s performances — comprised of six dancers accompanied by three drummers — were unlike anything most dance fans had seen in the Bay Area before. For a start, the company was comprised entirely of Black dancers — a refreshing contrast to the companies Beckford had grown up in.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13951198\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13951198 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/GettyImages-576842076-scaled-e1706578196329.jpg\" alt=\"A Black male dancer does the splits in mid-air, while two Black women dance either side of him.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1516\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Students and members of Ruth Beckford’s dance group rehearse a number in Oakland. \u003ccite>(Ted Streshinsky/ CORBIS/ Corbis via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__dropcapShortcode__dropcap\">A\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>fter Beckford retired from teaching in 1975, there was still no stopping her. She became an author, writing an autobiography, two cookbooks and a \u003ca href=\"https://www.jstor.org/stable/2784188\">Katherine Dunham biography\u003c/a>. She also co-authored \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.everand.com/book/502678421/The-Picture-Man-From-the-Collection-of-Bay-Area-Photographer-E-F-Joseph-1927-1979\">The Picture Man\u003c/a>,\u003c/em> about Black Bay Area photographer E.F. Joseph. Her final work, \u003ca href=\"https://www.amazon.com/Still-Groovin-Affirmations-Women-Second/dp/0829813373\">\u003cem>Still Groovin’\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, was a book of spiritual advice and affirmations aimed squarely at mature women. “Women are sort of out there by themselves,” she said, “and women have to mentor each other. My book is a tool to help them become stronger.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Still Groovin’\u003c/em> wasn’t her only means of trying to empower her peers. Between 1984 and 1988, Beckford wrote a trilogy of plays titled \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">’\u003c/span>\u003cem>Tis the Morning of My Life\u003c/em>, about a woman named Roxie Youngblood who finds herself in a relationship with a much younger man. Beckford admitted the story was inspired by her own life.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"aside","attributes":{"named":{"postid":"pop_102855","label":""},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“I have a different energy, I think, to most men my age,” she once explained. “As long as I have this energy, I’m going to use it and have fun with younger people. Younger men have the energy I have, and I feel mine is worthy of that.” On another occasion, she noted: “Older women are marrying younger men nowadays because they find they have much more in common.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When a New York theater asked permission to stage her first play, Beckford agreed only if the original Bay Area cast could perform it. “It’s time for New York to see what the West Coast can do,” she insisted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For a lot of people, co-founding the Black Panthers’ Free Breakfast program would have been the pinnacle achievement of a lifetime. That Beckford then went on to mentor generations of young Black women was a huge deal. And the sheer number of ways Beckford sought to be of service throughout her life is ultimately breathtaking.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She served on the Board of Oakland\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">’s\u003c/span> African American Museum and Library, where she also founded an oral history program. She counseled homeless people in Berkeley, and women in shelters and prisons around the state. She served on a dance panel at the National Endowment for the Arts and campaigned for better theater facilities in Oakland. She founded a women’s golf club. She even spent Thursday afternoons in the late 1990s volunteering in Jack London Square’s information booth so that she might pass on her passion for all things Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ruth Beckford remained indefatigable (despite surviving five back surgeries and a hip replacement) until her death at age 93. Shortly before her passing on May 8, 2019, Beckford reflected on a life thoroughly well lived.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I have a joyous life, I have a good time,” she said. “I choreographed my life. Step-by-step, year-by-year.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-800x78.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"floatright"},"numeric":["floatright"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>To learn about other Rebel Girls from Bay Area History, visit the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/rebelgirls\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Rebel Girls homepage\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}}],"link":"/arts/13950520/ruth-beckford-dance-black-panthers-free-breakfast-program","authors":["11242"],"programs":["arts_8978"],"categories":["arts_1","arts_835","arts_966","arts_7862","arts_11615"],"tags":["arts_6775","arts_1346","arts_10278","arts_7408","arts_1143","arts_21841"],"featImg":"arts_13951421","label":"arts_8978"},"arts_13937270":{"type":"posts","id":"arts_13937270","meta":{"index":"posts_1591205157","site":"arts","id":"13937270","score":null,"sort":[1699894805000]},"guestAuthors":[],"slug":"the-pregnant-teen-who-captained-a-clipper-ship-in-1856","title":"The Pregnant Teen Who Captained a Clipper Ship in 1856","publishDate":1699894805,"format":"standard","headTitle":"The Pregnant Teen Who Captained a Clipper Ship in 1856 | KQED","labelTerm":{"term":8978,"site":"arts"},"content":"\u003cp>On Nov. 13, 1856, witnesses on San Francisco’s shoreline were astonished by the sight of a pregnant 19-year-old girl guiding a grand, 216-foot-long clipper ship into port. Mary Ann Patten had spent the previous two months leading the crew and cargo of the Neptune’s Car to safety from Chile’s Cape Horn. It was a role the young woman stepped up and took on after her husband — respected captain and master mariner, Joshua Adams Patten — contracted \u003ca href=\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK541015/#:~:text=Tuberculous%20meningitis%20(TBM)%20is%20caused,to%20be%20infected%20with%20MTB.\">tuberculous meningitis\u003c/a> and pneumonia, rendering him blind, incoherent and bedridden.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That Mary had successfully overseen the ship’s safe passage — even while nursing her ailing husband — made her an instant celebrity. That she was the first American woman to captain a merchant vessel made her a nautical legend.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13932525']The end of the Pattens’ journey on Neptune’s Car in many ways stands as a testament to their partnership. Joshua and Mary were married when she was just 16. The refined and intelligent girl was born in East Boston to immigrant parents from England, and always had a passion for learning. Joshua was widely viewed as a man of strong principles and good character. Though he was ten years Mary’s senior, the pair quickly developed a deep dedication to one another that was rooted in mutual respect.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That dedication was in evidence after the original captain of the Neptune’s Car became ill and Joshua was asked to take his place on an 18-month around-the world voyage. Keen to accept the business opportunity but loathe to leave Mary for so long, Joshua contacted New York’s Foster & Nickerson shipping company and said that he would accept the job only under one unusual condition — that his wife be allowed to go with him. His bosses agreed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13937748\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1596px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13937748\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Screen-Shot-2023-11-07-at-11.15.33-PM.png\" alt=\"A 19th century painting of a vast clipper ship at sea.\" width=\"1596\" height=\"1130\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Screen-Shot-2023-11-07-at-11.15.33-PM.png 1596w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Screen-Shot-2023-11-07-at-11.15.33-PM-800x566.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Screen-Shot-2023-11-07-at-11.15.33-PM-1020x722.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Screen-Shot-2023-11-07-at-11.15.33-PM-160x113.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Screen-Shot-2023-11-07-at-11.15.33-PM-768x544.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Screen-Shot-2023-11-07-at-11.15.33-PM-1536x1088.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1596px) 100vw, 1596px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Neptune’s Car, the ship that Mary Ann Patten would later captain, as seen in Hong Kong Harbor in the early 1850s.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Conditions aboard clipper ships in the 1850s were far from romantic. Everyday life was cold, wet and grueling. Food rations were limited, illness was common on long journeys and, though sick sailors were isolated as soon as possible, it wasn’t unusual for disease to spread in the tight living quarters. Despite what was sure to be a challenging environment, Mary had no fear about joining Joshua on the epic journey. Having been born into a family of seafarers, she held a reverence and love for the open ocean.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For her first year aboard Neptune’s Car, Mary spent her time wisely and constructively. She studied marinery in Joshua’s library. She assisted her husband with his duties, even keeping the captain’s log. She also took the time to learn how to use the ship’s chronometers — tools to aid celestial navigation. Thanks to her curious mind and diligent personality, by the time Joshua fell ill, Mary had a solid understanding of how to run the ship effectively. It’s a good thing: If she hadn’t, the fate of Neptune’s Car would have been much bleaker.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13892514']The reason it was left to Mary to captain the vessel was because the ship’s first and second mates were incapable of doing so themselves. The second mate had never learned how to navigate, and the first — a man named Keeler — was grossly incompetent to the point of dangerous. (Keeler was a hasty replacement for the original first mate, who had broken his leg just before Neptune’s Car set sail.) Keeler was such a liability that he was removed from duty while Joshua was still in charge. One 1877 newspaper article even reported that Keeler was “put in irons” after trying to start a mutiny.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Soon after Mary took over, Keeler wrote her a letter from the brig to try and persuade her that she was ill-equipped to take charge of the ship. He, rather absurdly, suggested that he might take the job instead. Mary responded simply that her husband had not trusted Keeler, so she wasn’t inclined to either. Mary already knew that she had the trust of the rest of the crew, who had adapted remarkably quickly to taking orders from a woman — a diminutive one at that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In March 1857, the \u003cem>Star of the North\u003c/em> newspaper reported:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>The rough sailors all obeyed the ‘little woman’ as they called her, with a will, and eyed her curiously and affectionately through the cabin windows while deep in the calculations on which her life and theirs depended … Her time was spent between the bedside of her delirious husband and the writing desk, working up the intricate calculations incident to nautical observations, making entries in the log book in her own delicate penmanship and tracing out with accuracy the position of the ship from the charts in the cabin.\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>When Neptune’s Car finally arrived in San Francisco safely, Mary’s first priority was getting Joshua home and to medical attention. Because he was a member of their fraternal organization, the California Masonic Temple quickly arranged travel for Joshua and Mary back to Boston.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13908327']Soon, news broke that Foster & Nickerson were refusing to pay Joshua’s wages. The resulting public outcry was so great that the New York Board of Underwriters awarded Mary $1,000 and the companies whose cargo she had safely delivered gave her an additional $1,500. (All told, that adds up to around $90,000 in 2023 money.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After receiving the money, Mary responded with a humble and widely circulated letter. In it, she wrote: “I … endeavored to perform that which seemed to me, under the circumstances, only the plain duty of a wife towards a good husband.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sadly, just eight months after the Pattens’ return home, and four months after Mary had given birth to their son, Joshua finally succumbed to his long illness at the McLean Asylum in Somerville, Massachusetts. An obituary published July 25, 1857 stated:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>Deaf and blind and sick as he has been for months past, [Joshua’s] heroic wife refused to surrender him to the care of strangers. It was not until Friday, when it was apparent that his reason was gone and he was utterly unmanageable, that she consented to his removal to the Asylum. Mary had a fever herself at the time. The patience in suffering and the energy in emergencies which she has hitherto displayed may carry her over this, which she regards as the greatest of her sorrows.\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>Mary was not long without Joshua. She died of tuberculosis just one month before her 24th birthday, leaving her son, Joshua Jr., to be raised by his maternal grandmother. Today, Mary and Joshua are buried side-by-side in Woodlawn Cemetery, Massachusetts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nearby, there is a white stone etched with the words: “Are there seas in heaven, Joshua? And is there such a vessel as our Neptune’s Car? If there is, wait for me and we shall explore the vast and boundless reaches of eternity.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-800x78.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>To learn about other Rebel Girls from Bay Area History, visit the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/rebelgirls\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Rebel Girls homepage\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n","blocks":[],"excerpt":"Mary Ann Patten was aboard Neptune's Car when her husband, the captain, fell ill. She navigated the vessel to safety.","status":"publish","parent":0,"modified":1705092195,"stats":{"hasAudio":false,"hasVideo":false,"hasChartOrMap":false,"iframeSrcs":[],"hasGoogleForm":false,"hasGallery":false,"hasHearkenModule":false,"hasPolis":false,"paragraphCount":21,"wordCount":1237},"headData":{"title":"The Pregnant Teen Who Captained a Clipper Ship in 1856 | KQED","description":"Mary Ann Patten was aboard Neptune's Car when her husband, the captain, fell ill. She navigated the vessel to safety.","ogTitle":"","ogDescription":"","ogImgId":"","twTitle":"","twDescription":"","twImgId":"","schema":{"@context":"http://schema.org","@type":"Article","headline":"The Pregnant Teen Who Captained a Clipper Ship in 1856","datePublished":"2023-11-13T09:00:05-08:00","dateModified":"2024-01-12T12:43:15-08:00","image":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"}},"audioUrl":"https://traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/0af137ef-751e-4b19-a055-aaef00d2d578/ffca7e9f-6831-4[…]f-aaef00f5a073/07cbfb3d-2008-4e9f-b066-b0bc01444a1f/audio.mp3","sticky":false,"templateType":"standard","featuredImageType":"standard","excludeFromSiteSearch":"Include","articleAge":"0","path":"/arts/13937270/the-pregnant-teen-who-captained-a-clipper-ship-in-1856","audioTrackLength":null,"parsedContent":[{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>On Nov. 13, 1856, witnesses on San Francisco’s shoreline were astonished by the sight of a pregnant 19-year-old girl guiding a grand, 216-foot-long clipper ship into port. Mary Ann Patten had spent the previous two months leading the crew and cargo of the Neptune’s Car to safety from Chile’s Cape Horn. It was a role the young woman stepped up and took on after her husband — respected captain and master mariner, Joshua Adams Patten — contracted \u003ca href=\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK541015/#:~:text=Tuberculous%20meningitis%20(TBM)%20is%20caused,to%20be%20infected%20with%20MTB.\">tuberculous meningitis\u003c/a> and pneumonia, rendering him blind, incoherent and bedridden.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That Mary had successfully overseen the ship’s safe passage — even while nursing her ailing husband — made her an instant celebrity. That she was the first American woman to captain a merchant vessel made her a nautical legend.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"aside","attributes":{"named":{"postid":"arts_13932525","label":""},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The end of the Pattens’ journey on Neptune’s Car in many ways stands as a testament to their partnership. Joshua and Mary were married when she was just 16. The refined and intelligent girl was born in East Boston to immigrant parents from England, and always had a passion for learning. Joshua was widely viewed as a man of strong principles and good character. Though he was ten years Mary’s senior, the pair quickly developed a deep dedication to one another that was rooted in mutual respect.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That dedication was in evidence after the original captain of the Neptune’s Car became ill and Joshua was asked to take his place on an 18-month around-the world voyage. Keen to accept the business opportunity but loathe to leave Mary for so long, Joshua contacted New York’s Foster & Nickerson shipping company and said that he would accept the job only under one unusual condition — that his wife be allowed to go with him. His bosses agreed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13937748\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1596px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13937748\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Screen-Shot-2023-11-07-at-11.15.33-PM.png\" alt=\"A 19th century painting of a vast clipper ship at sea.\" width=\"1596\" height=\"1130\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Screen-Shot-2023-11-07-at-11.15.33-PM.png 1596w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Screen-Shot-2023-11-07-at-11.15.33-PM-800x566.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Screen-Shot-2023-11-07-at-11.15.33-PM-1020x722.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Screen-Shot-2023-11-07-at-11.15.33-PM-160x113.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Screen-Shot-2023-11-07-at-11.15.33-PM-768x544.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Screen-Shot-2023-11-07-at-11.15.33-PM-1536x1088.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1596px) 100vw, 1596px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Neptune’s Car, the ship that Mary Ann Patten would later captain, as seen in Hong Kong Harbor in the early 1850s.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Conditions aboard clipper ships in the 1850s were far from romantic. Everyday life was cold, wet and grueling. Food rations were limited, illness was common on long journeys and, though sick sailors were isolated as soon as possible, it wasn’t unusual for disease to spread in the tight living quarters. Despite what was sure to be a challenging environment, Mary had no fear about joining Joshua on the epic journey. Having been born into a family of seafarers, she held a reverence and love for the open ocean.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"fullwidth"},"numeric":["fullwidth"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For her first year aboard Neptune’s Car, Mary spent her time wisely and constructively. She studied marinery in Joshua’s library. She assisted her husband with his duties, even keeping the captain’s log. She also took the time to learn how to use the ship’s chronometers — tools to aid celestial navigation. Thanks to her curious mind and diligent personality, by the time Joshua fell ill, Mary had a solid understanding of how to run the ship effectively. It’s a good thing: If she hadn’t, the fate of Neptune’s Car would have been much bleaker.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"aside","attributes":{"named":{"postid":"arts_13892514","label":""},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The reason it was left to Mary to captain the vessel was because the ship’s first and second mates were incapable of doing so themselves. The second mate had never learned how to navigate, and the first — a man named Keeler — was grossly incompetent to the point of dangerous. (Keeler was a hasty replacement for the original first mate, who had broken his leg just before Neptune’s Car set sail.) Keeler was such a liability that he was removed from duty while Joshua was still in charge. One 1877 newspaper article even reported that Keeler was “put in irons” after trying to start a mutiny.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Soon after Mary took over, Keeler wrote her a letter from the brig to try and persuade her that she was ill-equipped to take charge of the ship. He, rather absurdly, suggested that he might take the job instead. Mary responded simply that her husband had not trusted Keeler, so she wasn’t inclined to either. Mary already knew that she had the trust of the rest of the crew, who had adapted remarkably quickly to taking orders from a woman — a diminutive one at that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In March 1857, the \u003cem>Star of the North\u003c/em> newspaper reported:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>The rough sailors all obeyed the ‘little woman’ as they called her, with a will, and eyed her curiously and affectionately through the cabin windows while deep in the calculations on which her life and theirs depended … Her time was spent between the bedside of her delirious husband and the writing desk, working up the intricate calculations incident to nautical observations, making entries in the log book in her own delicate penmanship and tracing out with accuracy the position of the ship from the charts in the cabin.\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>When Neptune’s Car finally arrived in San Francisco safely, Mary’s first priority was getting Joshua home and to medical attention. Because he was a member of their fraternal organization, the California Masonic Temple quickly arranged travel for Joshua and Mary back to Boston.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"aside","attributes":{"named":{"postid":"arts_13908327","label":""},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Soon, news broke that Foster & Nickerson were refusing to pay Joshua’s wages. The resulting public outcry was so great that the New York Board of Underwriters awarded Mary $1,000 and the companies whose cargo she had safely delivered gave her an additional $1,500. (All told, that adds up to around $90,000 in 2023 money.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After receiving the money, Mary responded with a humble and widely circulated letter. In it, she wrote: “I … endeavored to perform that which seemed to me, under the circumstances, only the plain duty of a wife towards a good husband.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sadly, just eight months after the Pattens’ return home, and four months after Mary had given birth to their son, Joshua finally succumbed to his long illness at the McLean Asylum in Somerville, Massachusetts. An obituary published July 25, 1857 stated:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>Deaf and blind and sick as he has been for months past, [Joshua’s] heroic wife refused to surrender him to the care of strangers. It was not until Friday, when it was apparent that his reason was gone and he was utterly unmanageable, that she consented to his removal to the Asylum. Mary had a fever herself at the time. The patience in suffering and the energy in emergencies which she has hitherto displayed may carry her over this, which she regards as the greatest of her sorrows.\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>Mary was not long without Joshua. She died of tuberculosis just one month before her 24th birthday, leaving her son, Joshua Jr., to be raised by his maternal grandmother. Today, Mary and Joshua are buried side-by-side in Woodlawn Cemetery, Massachusetts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nearby, there is a white stone etched with the words: “Are there seas in heaven, Joshua? And is there such a vessel as our Neptune’s Car? If there is, wait for me and we shall explore the vast and boundless reaches of eternity.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-800x78.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"floatright"},"numeric":["floatright"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>To learn about other Rebel Girls from Bay Area History, visit the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/rebelgirls\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Rebel Girls homepage\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}}],"link":"/arts/13937270/the-pregnant-teen-who-captained-a-clipper-ship-in-1856","authors":["11242"],"programs":["arts_8978"],"categories":["arts_1","arts_7862","arts_11615"],"tags":["arts_10278","arts_21841"],"featImg":"arts_13937666","label":"arts_8978"}},"programsReducer":{"possible":{"id":"possible","title":"Possible","info":"Possible is hosted by entrepreneur Reid Hoffman and writer Aria Finger. Together in Possible, Hoffman and Finger lead enlightening discussions about building a brighter collective future. The show features interviews with visionary guests like Trevor Noah, Sam Altman and Janette Sadik-Khan. Possible paints an optimistic portrait of the world we can create through science, policy, business, art and our shared humanity. It asks: What if everything goes right for once? How can we get there? Each episode also includes a short fiction story generated by advanced AI GPT-4, serving as a thought-provoking springboard to speculate how humanity could leverage technology for good.","airtime":"SUN 2pm","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Possible-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.possible.fm/","meta":{"site":"news","source":"Possible"},"link":"/radio/program/possible","subscribe":{"apple":"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/possible/id1677184070","spotify":"https://open.spotify.com/show/730YpdUSNlMyPQwNnyjp4k"}},"1a":{"id":"1a","title":"1A","info":"1A is home to the national conversation. 1A brings on great guests and frames the best debate in ways that make you think, share and engage.","airtime":"MON-THU 11pm-12am","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/1a.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://the1a.org/","meta":{"site":"news","source":"npr"},"link":"/radio/program/1a","subscribe":{"npr":"https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/RBrW","apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=1188724250&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/1A-p947376/","rss":"https://feeds.npr.org/510316/podcast.xml"}},"all-things-considered":{"id":"all-things-considered","title":"All Things Considered","info":"Every weekday, \u003cem>All Things Considered\u003c/em> hosts Robert Siegel, Audie Cornish, Ari Shapiro, and Kelly McEvers present the program's trademark mix of news, interviews, commentaries, reviews, and offbeat features. 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You ask the questions. You decide what Bay Curious investigates. 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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>","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Mindshift-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg","imageAlt":"KQED MindShift: How We Will Learn","officialWebsiteLink":"/mindshift/","meta":{"site":"news","source":"kqed","order":"2"},"link":"/podcasts/mindshift","subscribe":{"apple":"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mindshift-podcast/id1078765985","google":"https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1NzY0NjAwNDI5","npr":"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/464615685/mind-shift-podcast","stitcher":"https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/stories-teachers-share","spotify":"https://open.spotify.com/show/0MxSpNYZKNprFLCl7eEtyx"}},"morning-edition":{"id":"morning-edition","title":"Morning Edition","info":"\u003cem>Morning Edition\u003c/em> takes listeners around the country and the world with multi-faceted stories and commentaries every weekday. 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On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. 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