The AIDS Memorial Quilt will return to Golden Gate Park on June 11-12, with the biggest display in San Francisco history. Cleve Jones joins Total SF hosts Peter Hartlaub and Heather Knight to talk about his first time visiting San Francisco, how the quilt started and why activism in LGBTQ communities is as important as ever. Produced by Peter Hartlaub. Music is "The Tide Will Rise" by the Sunset Shipwrecks off their album "Community" and cable car bell-ringing by 8-time champion Byron Cobb. Foll...
Jun 10, 2022•29 min•Ep. 242
New Chronicle podcast: Host Laura Wenus and producer Cintia Lopez are on a quest to find out why one of the wealthiest and best-educated cities in America, one where most people belong to the same political party and subscribe to the same basic values, has so many intractable problems. And more importantly: Can they be fixed? Join us as we find out, one San Francisco story at a time. Coming June 21 from the San Francisco Chronicle’s SFNext project. Follow Fixing Our City on your favorite app. Go...
Jun 09, 2022•2 min
Muni chief Jeffrey Tumlin offers Total SF a tour of the new Central Subway Union Square station and answers questions, including when (after a three-year delay) it might be open for passengers. Total SF hosts Heather Knight and Peter Hartlaub also talk about the art installations, Rose Pak, whether the station is haunted — and the importance of the new Prop A bonds on the ballot, with some of the new subway being controlled with software that still uses floppy disks. Produced by Peter Hartlaub. ...
Jun 03, 2022•30 min•Ep. 241
Former San Francisco Giants outfielder Hunter Pence and his wife Lexi (who hosts Let's Get Lexi on YouTube ) have joined the small business community in San Francisco, serving their Pineapple Labs coffee at Hotel VIA and 25 Lusk restaurant across the street from Oracle Park. They talk about the endeavor and their increasing love of San Francisco — and surprise hosts Peter Hartlaub and Heather Knight with some alcoholic coffee drinks. Also in this episode: Talk about paddle boarding, surfing and ...
May 31, 2022•26 min•Ep. 240
San Francisco supervisor Myrna Melgar has been dancing in the Mission District's Carnaval festival since the 1980s, and once marched costumed in high heels when she was eight months pregnant. District 7 supervisor Melgar joins Total SF hosts Heather Knight and Peter Hartlaub to give her inside story on Carnaval, and also talk about car-free JFK the Nordstrom valet lot and her commissioned study proving male supervisors talk more than the women. Melgar also takes on the Total SF lightning round, ...
May 27, 2022•31 min•Ep. 239
Adam Zolot started his Dogpatch Paddle business after watching the construction of Crane Cove park outside his apartment window. Now he's leading youth camps and a Facebook paddleboard club with 1,200 members. Total SF hosts Heather Knight and Peter Hartlaub take a paddleboat tour of Crane Cove with Zolot, Knight almost crashes into a yacht, and the pair meet a friendly seal whose name is Klay. (Or Chase.) Dogpatch Paddle will move into a Pier 70 space with the YMCA later this year. More informa...
May 20, 2022•35 min•Ep. 238
Brandon Schneider was a waiter at a Burlingame restaurant in 2002 when he took an entry level job cold-calling fans to sell ticket plans to see a losing Golden State Warriors team. Now he's the Warriors president, handling operations for a team shooting for its fourth title of the Steph/Klay/Draymond era. Total SF hosts Peter Hartlaub and Heather Knight join Schneider outside Chase Center before a Warriors game to talk about the team's watch parties on the giant outdoor screen, planning an arena...
May 13, 2022•29 min•Ep. 237
Total SF's first live podcast in three years is a tribute to Emperor Norton, featuring the emperor himself (played by Joseph Amster) in front of a wonderful crowd at Manny's in the Mission District. Total SF hosts Peter Hartlaub and Heather Knight host an evening of history featuring Amster and Western Neighborhoods Project board president Arnold Woods — then everyone (including the audience) hops in a time machine to decide where they'd most like to go in San Francisco history. With cameos from...
May 06, 2022•47 min•Ep. 236
San Francisco Supervisor Matt Haney recently was elected to the California state assembly, after battling a negative campaign that labeled him "the Tenderloin supervisor." Haney sat down in the Tenderloin with Total SF hosts Peter Hartlaub and Heather Knight one day after his last Board of Supervisors meeting — where supervisors approved making a stretch of John F. Kennedy Drive in Golden Gate Park permanent. Haney talked about his commute to Sacramento, his cats and city redistricting. Haney an...
Apr 29, 2022•35 min•Ep. 235
What we can do to save small business is San Francisco? "Fun Police" podcasters Manny Yekutiel and Sharky Laguana join Total SF hosts Peter Hartlaub and Heather Knight to talk about the present and future of San Francisco, and how lessons learned from a worldwide pandemic can help independent business in the future. Laguana is CEO of the van rental business Bandago and Yekutiel founded Manny's — the community space that will host Total SF's "An Evening with Emperor Norton" on April 28, 2022. Res...
Apr 22, 2022•45 min•Ep. 234
Spring is here, and Total SF hosts Peter Hartlaub and Heather Knight are excited about the better weather on the way and our first spring in three years with loosened pandemic restrictions. Hartlaub and Knight sat on the steps of Alta Plaza Park and came up with a spring to-do list, including good food, good biking, cherry blossoms and the return of the live Hunky Jesus contest in Dolores Park. Also in this episode, Hartlaub and Knight announce a LIVE podcast taping at Manny's, featuring an even...
Apr 15, 2022•21 min•Ep. 233
With tourists returning in larger numbers to San Francisco, Total SF hosts Peter Hartlaub and Heather Knight choose the eight touristy destinations they wholeheartedly embrace as locals. Along with the cable cars, Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz, Knight and Hartlaub pick some surprises. Tell us your favorite tourist traps on Twitter — using #TotalSF and tagging @PeterHartlaub and @hknightsf. Also in this episode: Promotion for "What's Up Doc?" the next Total SF Movie Night, 7 p.m. April 21 at th...
Apr 08, 2022•25 min•Ep. 232
The Cartoon Art Museum is one of the all-time non-profit survival stories, moving several times since it opened in 1987. It may have found the perfect home in San Francisco's tourism epicenter, on Beach Street a block from Fisherman's Wharf. Total SF co-host Peter Hartlaub sits down with museum curator Andrew Farago, to talk about Garfield, Mark Hamill, Batman, Peanuts, eating at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. and the underrated power of San Francisco as a cartooning powerhouse. The Cartoon Art Museum's ...
Apr 01, 2022•33 min•Ep. 231
The National Guard Armory has had fascinating and somewhat random 110-year history in San Francisco, including a military training site, boxing arena, studio where "The Empire Strikes Back" was made and porn studio for Kink.com. Stephanie Blake and Jeremy Houston from Skylight Studios join hosts Peter Hartlaub and Heather Knight to talk about its latest use — as a flexible event space. The current exhibition is Imagine Picasso , an immersive art experience that has been extended to April 9, 2022...
Mar 25, 2022•33 min•Ep. 230
Teen voice actress Rosalie Chiang, the Bay Area native who stars as Mei in Pixar's "Turning Red," wasn't supposed to appear in the finished movie — then was stunned to learn she would have her name at the top of the credits alongside Sandra Oh. Total SF hosts Peter Hartlaub and Heather Knight meet Chiang at the San Francisco Zoo, where a red panda like the one in the movie was renamed for the film. Hartlaub and Knight tell Chiang about the history of S.F. Zoo animal thefts, and Chiang talks abou...
Mar 18, 2022•26 min•Ep. 229
"Comedians on Bicycles Getting Bobs" host Sarah Katz-Hyman and producer Alec Hawley are about to come out with the third episode of the web series. They join Total SF hosts Peter Hartlaub and Heather Knight to talk about creating an ultra-positive video series during tough times for the city, and the joys of biking and eating doughnuts in San Francisco. Then everyone conducts a "doughnut draft," picking the best doughnut options in history. Check out "Comedians on Bicycles Getting Bobs" on YouTu...
Mar 11, 2022•29 min•Ep. 228
News broke late Monday morning that 1) the S.F. Rec and Parks Department recommends that John F. Kennedy Drive in Golden Gate Park remain closed to cars permanently; and 2) Mayor London Breed is endorsing the plan. Chronicle culture critic Peter Hartlaub and San Francisco columnist Heather Knight immediately got on the phone and recorded a podcast, talking about what the decisions means, how we got here and what kind of party the Total SF hosts will throw if the Board of Supervisors follow the r...
Mar 08, 2022•13 min
San Francisco Chronicle theater critic Lily Janiak is feeling optimistic about the future of live theater in the Bay Area, as she reviews live indoors shows again after a worldwide pandemic. She's also excited about the journey to and from the theaters — since she was hired by The Chronicle, the critic has been riding her bike to almost every performance. Total SF hosts Peter Hartlaub and Heather Knight meet Janiak next to Bernal Rock, where they talk about their favorite bike lanes, bike mentor...
Mar 04, 2022•37 min•Ep. 227
After seeing yet another high-profile attack about "the decline of San Francisco," hosts Peter Hartlaub and Heather Knight return to the San Francisco Chronicle's podcast studios to discuss the myth of the Golden Age of S.F., and then pick eight reasons why they still love the city. San Francisco's parks and views, a few very competent city agencies and the Phoenix mentality are all on the list. Is San Francisco over? Maybe some day, but it's definitely not going to be decided by some venture ca...
Feb 25, 2022•26 min•Ep. 226
Grace Cathedral in San Francisco was declared "a house of prayer for all people" when its first cornerstone was laid down in 1910, and the worship center has carried that pledge for more than a century. Total SF hosts Peter Hartlaub and Heather Knight get a tour of the California Street landmark, then sit down with Very Rev. Malcolm Clemens Young, the dean of Grace Cathedral. Young talks about the cathedral's history — including a visit from Martin Luther King Jr. after the Selma march — and its...
Feb 18, 2022•29 min•Ep. 225
What has flower pianos, yoga on the meadow and magnolia blossoms and is free to San Franciscans? Total SF hosts Peter Hartlaub and Heather Knight pay a visit to the San Francisco Botanical Garden, the most underrated 55 acres in San Francisco, to get a tour from executive director Stephanie Linder. The Botanical Garden gained popularity during the pandemic, when the open space and good vibes were more valuable than ever. Listeners will find out what happens when visitors try to steal plants (it ...
Feb 11, 2022•28 min•Ep. 224
Science fiction author Charlie Jane Anders sits down outside the Exploratorium to talk about indie bookstores, the importance of mentors and her book "Victories Greater Than Death" — the latest Total SF Book Club title. Anders published three books in 2021, including a collection of short stories ("Even Greater Mistakes") and a book about writing to get through tough times ("Never Say You Can't Survive"). Total SF Book Club meets at 6 p.m. Thursday Feb. 24 in the Koret Auditorium at the San Fran...
Feb 04, 2022•29 min•Ep. 223
Hosts Peter Hartlaub and Heather Knight are joined by Chronicle arts and culture columnist Tony Bravo to talk about The Castro Theatre, and the changes set to happen when Another Planet Entertainment takes over in 2023. San Francisco native Bravo and the hosts share Castro history, its importance to the LGBTQ community and some of their favorite moments at the movie theater — including the "Last Black Man in San Francisco" premiere, and the time Bravo was able to introduce "Vertigo" star Kim Nov...
Jan 28, 2022•35 min•Ep. 222
Hosts Peter Hartlaub and Heather Knight meet up with Bishop Megan Rohrer and record a podcast episode in their most unusual location yet — on the Ferris wheel in the music concourse at Golden Gate Park. As they sit in the VIP gondola and enjoy the view, Bishop Rohrer talks about keeping positive in 2022, when resolutions can lead to unneeded guilt and shame. And they give a blessing for San Francisco, talking about the potential for the city — even during frustrating times. Total SF has an audio...
Jan 21, 2022•25 min•Ep. 221
Heather Knight and Peter Hartlaub spend a Sunday afternoon cleaning up trash in North Beach, after Refuse Refuse SF founder Vincent Yuen put out a Twitter call to Hartlaub, Knight and Hunter Pence, and the former San Francisco Giants outfielder answered. After the event, the Total SF hosts sat down with Yuen to learn his origin story, discover a new word (garbology!), find out why the west side of the street in S.F. accumulates three times as much trash — and why empowering neighbors to clean th...
Jan 14, 2022•34 min•Ep. 220
With overcast weather and omicron raging, hosts Peter Hartlaub and Heather Knight look forward to better days, and make a list of 16 things you should do in San Francisco in 2022. Among the suggestions is the most underrated place in S.F. to watch the sunset, the most entertaining Muni line, a new must-ride ferry route, the best section to watch a Giants game and ... the dissection of a cow eyeball? Total SF has an audio tour in Golden Gate Park! Learn more and sign up at sfchronicle.com/audioto...
Jan 07, 2022•29 min•Ep. 219
Total SF hosts Heather Knight and Peter Hartlaub break down their perfect day in San Francisco in this flashback episode, , creating an hour-by-hour list of things to do and places to go in the city, without telling each other until the podcast started rolling. It gets competitive, as Knight picks a more historical and cultural route, while Hartlaub chooses to get inebriated in the morning and eat sandwiches. But it's collectively a celebration of the city, with tips for your next off day in goo...
Jan 01, 2022•31 min
Quentin Kopp is a former San Francisco supervisor, state senator and judge — but he's known to local journalists as the most prolific angry letter-writer in the city. In this flashback episode from July 21, 2021, Total SF co-hosts Peter Hartlaub and Heather Knight visit the self-professed "curmudgeon" to talk about his life, his letter-writing process, what he really thinks of them ... and to wish him a happy 93rd birthday! After making peace, with no apologies, Kopp lets us know his advice for ...
Dec 29, 2021•38 min
Married couple Michael Morris and David Sweeney started putting on festive light-up tree costumes for a TV-20 "Dance Party" episode seven years ago. They got such a great reaction, they upped the costume details, upped the glitter and heels and upped their holiday spirit — surprising different neighborhoods in San Francisco throughout the holiday season as the Tree Twins. After Heather Knight spent a fun evening in North Beach with the twins, Total SF hosts Knight and Peter Hartlaub join Morris ...
Dec 22, 2021•37 min•Ep. 218
After interviewing celebrities (mostly) for the San Francisco Chronicle for the past 50 years, Ruthe Stein has written a memoir of her experiences — "Sitting Down with the Stars: Interviews with 100 Hollywood Legends." Stein sits down with Total SF host Peter Hartlaub to talk about why she asks the uncomfortable questions, who are the nicest and most difficult stars and how she developed her own interest in Hollywood gossip. Hartlaub also asks Stein (his former editor) one tough question from th...
Dec 17, 2021•30 min•Ep. 217
