Today, we meet a performer who’s bringing loud, colorful and all-over-the-place shows to San Francisco’s drag scene. Tito Soto is all about the spectacle. Then, an incarcerated man finds new meaning in a classic childhood song. And, the San Francisco Symphony's upcoming "SoundBox" show is not your average symphony concert. Plus, a poem.

The day after Christmas, stage performers, cabaretists, and dancers got some really good news. The beloved San Francisco nightclub Oasis was slated to close on January 1, 2026. But it was rescued by a major donation from a Bay Area philanthropic group.

This was welcome news to everyone in the Oasis family, especially Tito Soto, the club’s event producer and a headline performer.

KALW's Stafford Hemmer brings us the story of a man who brought Oasis to life every Saturday night for the last six years. And who continues to invest much of his life into the club.

Uncuffed producer Jeremy Strain shares why a favorite childhood song still speaks to him, decades later.

Violinist Alexi Kenney is curating the San Francisco Symphony event called “SoundBox: Dream Awake.” It’s not your typical classical concert. It actually takes place backstage at Davies Symphony Hall. 

Jenee Darden is the host of KALW’s Sights and Sounds show. She sat down with Alexi to talk about "SoundBox" and his music. Here's an excerpt from that interview.

“SoundBox: Dream Awake” is at Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco, this Friday and Saturday. Find links, and hear the full interview and more from Sights and Sounds here.

February is Black History Month. So before we go, a poem. Here’s Mukethe Kawinzi reading their piece, ‘'ripgut.' 

You can hear more Bay Area poets here. 

Today, an Iranian singer and composer chooses between obedience or exile. The award winning songs of Mahsa Vahdat. Then, a south bay artist who’s keeping Persian music alive, one note at a time. And, a poem about dancing with modern Persian identity.

Mahsa Vahdat decided to sing, despite the Iranian government’s ban on solo female performance. Then she had to make a choice: obedience or exile.

Justin Ebrahemi is KALW’s Communication Manager… and he’s also a poet! Here he shares a piece about dancing with modern Persian identity called "Brief Islands." 

Tattooing is a form of storytelling. Today, an artist honors his lineage by integrating Filipino traditions into his contemporary practice. Then, using dance to tell the story of Filipino migration to the Bay Area. And, we sing a little karaoke.

The Bay Area is home to one of the most concentrated Filipino communities in the nation. Their history in the Bay Area goes back more than 100 years, but many of the neighborhoods they established, like San Francisco’s “Manila Town” have since been torn down and replaced - the result of urban renewal and property development in the late 1970’s.

But their legacy and cultural impact lives on today. The South of Market neighborhood of San Francisco was formally recognized as a historically Filipino district back in 2016. It’s home to many Filipino businesses. And a new shop is now bringing a long time Filipino tradition to the neighborhood. KALW reporter Viviana Vivas meets one of the artists there, who is using ink and needles to make a mark on people’s bodies, and in the neighborhood.