Beyond The Fog Radio

Touch Of Class Choir w/ Gregory Cole

Every high school has an adult who has made it their life’s mission to help young people in every way that they can–– a teacher who brings an extra lunch for a hungry student, or a counselor who helps kids with their homework at recess. This week’s guest is one of those people. Mr. Gregory Cole is a musician, vocal and instrumental instructor, music director and educator who has gone the extra mile for kids in the Bay Area for over 40 years. Having taught and directed music at numerous Bay Area ...

The San Francisco Opera w/ Ian Robertson

This week’s esteemed guest has been the Director of the San Francisco Opera Chorus for 34 years and is an incredible conductor and musician. A Scotland native, Robertson moved to the States and joined the SF Opera Company in 1987 and led the Opera Chorus in 342 productions, including world premiere commissions and significant expansions of the company’s repertoire and performance capacity. Among these accomplishments include: Prokofiev’s War and Peace, two productions of Britten’s Billy Budd, an...

MORE Music of the Bay Area w/ Skyler Jett

This week we sat down with Skyler Jett, a vocalist, songwriter, producer and humanitarian activist. Raised by a single mother across the bay in Oakland, Skyler found a love for music from singing with his family at their church. Fostering his talents and passions from a young age, Skyler has now grown to not only be Grammy-recognized, but also perform and record with an impressive range of artists like Stevie Wonder, Sting, Aretha Franklin, Mariah Carey, and Eddie Murphy. He even sang with Celin...

Music in the Bay Area w/ Raz Kennedy

Raz Kennedy is a premier vocal coach, producer, singer, and a magical human being. Born and raised in Los Angeles, CA, Raz has lived in the Bay Area now for over 40 years. Music is his life’s work, and he has been involved with every aspect of it. From promotion to producing, to vocal coaching and singing alongside some of the world’s leading artists like Whitney Houston and Sting, Raz has experienced it all. He is even a founding member of the internationally renowned Bobby McFerrin’s Voicestra...

DJing in the Bay Area w/ Russell Gatewood

Russell “Big Russ” Gatewood has been a staple name in the San Francisco Bay Area for over 25 years. This DJ’s career started in tandem with the rise of turntables as a hip hop instrument in the 1980’s. From there Big Russ set off and staked his claim in the Bay Area’s music scene. Today, evidence of his influence can be found in many genres of the last 40 years. Even more well known is the World Famous Rick and Russ Show, a DJ group started by Gatewood and his partner Rick Patrick in the 90’s. T...

The Bay Area Club Scene & DJing w/ DJ Mind Motion

Erick Recinos– or better known to The Bay as DJ Mind Motion– is a legendary San Francisco Bay Area Hip Hop DJ. He and his partner Chuy Gomez started DJing in high school for parties, weddings and community events, and when hip hop influence started to spread, Mind Motion and the Pirate DJ’s played a huge role in its success in the Bay Area. This spread was in part influenced by Mind Motion and other DJ’s efforts to have the “ear of the street” and take control of laying down what was the newest ...

Music of San Francisco w/ Paula West

This week’s musical guest has been a San Francisco Bay Area-based artist for many years. Jazz singer Paula West began her successful career singing at the York Hotel in the city. Her career grew by word of mouth and excellent reviews from the New York Times and the San Francisco Chronicle. Since her early years, Paula has had a lot of success nationally, with performances in Philadelphia, Baltimore, Europe, and regular appearances at the Algonquin Hotel in New York City and with Wynton Marsalis ...

TRAILER: Music of the Bay Area

The history of music in the Bay Area could not be a larger or more exciting topic for us to explore. Music is the life blood of our city and it may be one of the biggest reasons why so many people have found themselves here over the years. It colors our world and is what keeps San Francisco going. In the 1950’s, Jazz was everywhere. San Francisco became known as the Harlem of the West as musicians on tour would often come straight here after New York City. The City was also the home of free love...

China Live and Chinatown w/ George Chen

Whatever your idea is of Chinese food, throw it out. This week’s episode will have you astonished by the executive chef and owner of China Live, Eight Tables, Shanghai 1939 and the Betelnut restaurants–– George Chen. Together with his wife Cindy Wong, Chen runs 16 restaurants in the United States and China, boasting culinary experiences that are award-winning and one of a kind. TIME Magazine named Eight Tables one of the “World’s Greatest Places 2018, 100 destinations to experience right now.” B...

History of the Waterfront w/ Carl Nolte

This week’s guest is a walking encyclopedia for the history of San Francisco, with expertise that extends far before humans ever inhabited this area. Carl Nolte–– a 4th generation San Franciscian–– has served as both a writer and editor for the San Francisco Chronicle for 60 years. He has a weekly column called Native Son. Though he mostly scribes stories of the city and the western coast, he has also reported on larger events, such as SS Jeremiah O’Brien when it Sailed to Europe for the D-Day A...

History of the Waterfront w/ John L. Burton

We have a very special guest this week on the Beyond the Fog Podcast: the Honorable John L. Burton. John was kind enough to let us interview him this week to talk about San Francisco’s Waterfront, and how fitting, as he was just recently appointed to the San Francisco Port Commission. Mr. Burton was the Chairman for the Democratic Party for 8 years, as well as a twice-elected State Assemblyman for the State of California. He was also a United States Congressman and a Senator for the State of Cal...

The Port of San Francisco w/ Kimberly Brandon

Our exploration of the San Francisco Waterfront begins with Kimberly Brandon, the current President of the San Francisco Port Commission. She is the first African-American woman to serve on the Commission and is the initiator of the Southern Waterfront Advisory Committee through which she engages the SF waterfront communities with development planning in their neighborhoods. Brandon likewise engages with the community by working on the boards of PACT, Inc., San Francisco State University’s Board...

Season 2 Trailer: “Exploring the Waterfront”

Welcome to Season 2 of Beyond the Fog Radio! To start us off we decided to explore the history of San Francisco’s Waterfront. It is in many ways the main event here, and is often why so many have come to visit our beautiful city even before the construction of the Golden Gate and Bay Bridges! Since the Gold Rush era when the population boomed, San Francisco has been a vital destination for ships of goods and people from all over the world. The city’s Waterfront is a testament to this, and is why...

Food of the Mission w/ Arnold Wong

Our guest this week is a chef, restaurant and two-time bar owner, a baker, a cheesemaker, and a beloved San Francisco native. Arnold Eric Wong has been a leading revolutionary in San Francisco culinary innovation for more than two decades. He studied at the California Culinary Academy, and after opening his first restaurant EOS Restaurant and Wine Bar in Cole Valley, Wong went on to be rated as one of five “Rising Star Chefs of the Year under 30” by the San Francisco Chronicle. In 2000, Wong ope...

The Mission w/ Marc Capelle

This week Susan and Michaela sit down with native San Franciscan Marc Capelle to talk about his artistic career and the city’s sunny Mission District. A musician, composer, producer, educator and entertainer, Capelle has performed with the American Music Club, Tommy Guerrero and The West Coast Spiritual Corinthians for decades. He’s even had guest performances with artists like The Plastic Ono Band, Rodriguez, Grandaddy, and Kelley Stoltz. Capelle founded SFO’s live music program “ You Are Hear,...

North Beach w/ Nina Clima & The Gang

In the beloved Italian North Beach neighborhood, three San Francisco natives Nina Clima, Charles Farruggia, and Don Di Basilio join Susan and Jae to reminisce on the rich cultural history North Beach offers the city. Nina, Charles, and Don grew up together in North Beach and are all 2nd or 3rd generation Californians. Now 80 years young, the three friends boast healthy, independent, and active lifestyles. They remain dedicated residents of this incredible neighborhood. North Beach is located in ...

Haight & Divisadero w/ David Katznelson

The best way to describe GRAMMY-nominated producer and San Francisco native David Katznelson is “larger than life.” The 30-plus-year music industry veteran is the Executive Director of Reboot, founder of the independent Birdman Records label, and board member of the Stern Grove Music Festival. David worked for Bill Graham Presents in high school and was former Vice President of A&R at Warner Bros. Records; today, he has a podcast, a daily newsletter called “The Signal,” and an upcoming first...

Trailer: Exploring MORE Neighborhoods

SOMA w/ Sheila Von Driska

Sheila Von Driska is the owner and founder of White Space, a full service creative design and advertising agency located in SOMA in San Francisco. SOMA, or South of Market, was historically an industrial neighborhood, full of almost exclusively warehouse buildings. During the 90s it became a hotspot for boutique design and advertising agencies to set up shop. Sheila moved into an industrial loft space in SOMA in the 90s and built her career and her company in this incredible neighborhood. Shelia...

Hayes Street Grill w/ Rob Zaborny

This week we bring you our conversation with Rob Zaborny, long time San Francisco resident, and celebrated chef. Originally from New York, Rob moved to San Francisco in 1980 and never looked back. Although he has a great love of traveling all over the world, he especially loves to call the Bay Area home. Rob has been with the Hayes Street Grill, in Hayes Valley, for 27 years of its 40 year history! Please enjoy as we discuss with Rob the history of the Food Movement in San Francisco, and everyth...

History of SF Chinatown w/ David Lei (Part 2)

David Lei worked in Chinatown as a social worker for at-risk youth before starting his business in 1981; in 2003 Lei sold his business, retiring to indulge his passions for community building, youth education, and the arts. He is an active participant with several nonprofit organizations including The Chinese Performing Arts Foundation, the Asian Art Museum, the Chinese American Community Fund, Academy of Chinese Performing Arts, World Arts West - San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival, the Bancrof...

The Asian Art Museum w/ Jay Xu

This week we are honored to bring you our conversation with Dr. Jay Xu, the CEO and Director of the Asian Art Museum! Dr. Xu spoke to us about the Museum, located directly across from San Francisco’s City Hall, as well as the surrounding neighborhood, Civic Center. Civic Center is in the center of the city, and host to many important arts buildings as well as civic ones. In addition to City Hall and the Asian Art Museum, the neighborhood is home to the famed Bill Graham Auditorium, San Francisco...

AAPI Community Events w/ Claudine Cheng

This week we are pleased to bring you our conversation with Claudine Cheng, a lawyer, community leader, community rights activist, and civil rights advocate; born in Hong Kong, Claudine Cheng is a graduate of University of Southern California and the University of California Hastings College of Law. Ms. Cheng was the first person from the West Coast elected to serve as the National President of OCA, a national advocacy and education organization headquartered in Washington, DC, with over 50 chap...

History of SF Chinatown w/ David Lei

Many people, tourists and San Franciscans alike, think of Chinatown as restaurants and knickknacks, and don’t recognize Chinatown for the culturally rich, deeply historical, and close knit community it is. It is a neighborhood as resilient as its people, both of which have faced turmoil and struggle in their histories. We were fortunate enough to have the opportunity to speak to David Lei, who shared his encyclopedic knowledge of Chinatown’s history with us. David Lei worked in Chinatown as a so...

Trailer: AAPI Heritage Month

May is Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage month, and BtFR is celebrating by bringing you interviews from some incredible AAPI San Franciscans. With the rise of racism, xenophobia, and hate that AAPI people are facing in this country right now, and have for decades, we know that it is more important that ever to highlight the stories and voices of our AAPI brothers and sisters. This diverse city is home to at least 300,000 people of Asian decent. We as a city stand with AAPI people, against...

Bay Area Restaurants w/ Chef David Lawrence

Our hosts are excited to share with you their lovely long lunch on Battery Street at Piperade with Chef David Lawrence. Chef Lawrence is the co-owner and Chef at the famed 1300 Fillmore, now located at the San Francisco International Airport, and closed temporarily due to Covid. Prior to making his culinary mark in the Bay Area, Chef David Lawrence received formal training in his native London, where he worked under two of England's most celebrated chefs, the Roux Brothers. Working alongside the...

Politics of San Francisco w/ Mayor Willie Brown

The Haight-Ashbury w/ Judge John Dearman

The Haight-Ashbury district is a neighborhood in San Francisco that was aptly-named for the intersection of Haight and Ashbury streets. Running from Masonic Avenue to Stanyan Street, the beloved neighborhood is residential as well as commercial; famous for its connection to hippies and counterculture in the 1960s, it has long been one of the most dynamic, lively, and interesting neighborhoods in San Francisco. In 1965 Judge John Dearman moved into the Upper Haight, into the very house where he a...

Criminal Justice Reform w/ Sunny Schwartz

Treasure Island, the artificial island built in 1936 and attached to Yerba Buena Island, is located between San Francisco and Oakland, is only accessible by car or bus from the San Francisco Bay Bridge. The island is currently under new development, to become primarily luxury housing, however the nonprofit “Five Keys” (a restorative justice program and charter school), is housing formerly incarcerated women on the island who served unusually cruel and unfair sentences for decades in prison. Thro...

The Western Addition w/ Rev. Amos C. Brown

The Western Addition, better known as the Fillmore, is one of the most vibrant and unique neighborhoods in San Francisco. Historically, it was one of the three predominantly African-American San Francisco neighborhoods, and from the 1950s to the 1970s it was known nationally as “the Harlem of the West” — reflected in its music, food, and culture. Third Baptist Church has been, and still remains, the hub of the Fillmore, and Amos C. Brown is its esteemed and beloved Reverend. He is also a lifelon...