Episodes: Masonry

Episode 11: Soul to Soul at 50

On March 6, 1971, a group of some of the top musicians from the United States -– Ike and Tina Turner, Wilson Pickett, the Staple Singers, and more -– boarded a plane bound for Ghana to perform in a musical celebration that was dubbed the “Soul to Soul Festival.” Thousands of audience members filled Accra’s...

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Episode 10: A Plea for Peace: Leonard Bernstein, Richard Nixon, and the Music of the 1973 Inauguration

As we gather this week to witness the inauguration of our new president, we find our nation in a state of great political unrest.  While certain recent events of violence at the Capitol are no doubt unprecedented, it is certainly not the first time an inauguration in our country has been met with divide.   In 1973,...

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Episode 9: From Broadway to the Ballot – The Unexpected Story Behind ‘I Like Ike’

Some candidates have their campaigns for presidency planned out before they can even vote.  For others, such as General Eisenhower, it took a little Broadway magic to coax him into the race.   On this episode of The Echo Chamber, we bring you a special election episode – filled with a closer look into some unknown,...

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Episode 8: Yoko Arimichi

This is an expanded version of a story that originally aired on KALW in 2018 when Yoko Arimichi and her Powell Street Blues Band were celebrating their 40th anniversary at The Saloon in North Beach.  The band formed when Yoko was busking around Powell and Market Streets in the late 70s.   Yoko Arimichi and...

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Episode 7: The Osaka Ramones – The International Impact of Shonen Knife

On this episode of The Echo Chamber, Shonen Knife – a story of cultural exchange through the cassette tape. But also a story of an era in history just before the stronghold of the looming internet drastically changed, among so many other things, the way we consume and discover music.  It was a time when...

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Episode 6: The Past, Present & Future of Maximum Rocknroll

On today’s episode, Maximum Rocknoll – the story behind the famed punk institution.   Beginning in 1977, a group of Bay Area music fans led by Tim Yohannan,  began a weekly radio show out of the studio at KPFA in Berkeley, California. The driving impulse behind the show was simple – an unabashed uncompromising world...

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Episode 5: The Rise of the Mabuhay Gardens

The story of a small Filipino nightclub that transformed into one of San Francisco’s most influential punk venues.   “To play, you need a place – be it where you live, the street, a venue.  For unrestricted play, you need an unrestricted playground.  Dirk Dirksen envisioned The Fab Mab just as such a playground.  Without him...

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Episode 4: Brubeck sons on their legendary father

This bonus episode features my interview with two of Dave Brubeck’s sons, Dan and Chris Brubeck.  Excellent musicians in their own right, the two shared intimate memories of growing up with their father and his legendary contributions to modern jazz. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1369MM9B40 The Brubeck Brothers Chris Brubeck:  We’re sitting about 10 miles away from the house...

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Episode 3: Dave Brubeck and The Jazz Ambassadors

In 1958, the Dave Brubeck Quartet embarked on a tour of Europe and Asia sponsored by the U.S. State Department.  HEAR THE STORY. This episode features interviews with Keith Hatschek, Program Director for Music Management and Music Industry Studies at the University of Pacific; and Mike Wurtz, Assistant Professor and Head of Special Collections and Archives at...

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Episode 2: Joel Selvin

Rock critic Joel Selvin on the origins of psychedelic rock in San Francisco–including Ken Kesey and his Acid Tests, the Trips Festival, and birth of bands such as the Grateful Dead and Big Brother and the Holding Company. Joel Selvin:  In San Francisco in 1965, ’66, ’67, there was such an explosion of music, great...

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The Echo Chamber Live Taping // April 25th at 6:30 PM

Betabrand Podcast Theatre Presents The Echo Chamber! Tickets are FREE (but require eventbrite RSVP) and there will be free beer! LINK Every Thursday night, we turn our legendary retail store on Valencia Street into a Live Podcast Theatre. Join us to experience your favorite podcast In Real Life! **Tickets required for entry. Must be 18...

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Episode 1: Monterey Pop Festival Revisited

Long before there was Coachella, Outside Lands Festival, and the popular music gatherings of today, the Monterey Pop Festival was the first of its kind.   Taking place in the fairgrounds of Monterey in the summer of 1967, the three-day festival brought to the stage the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and The Who.  Their...

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