San Francisco 1999

Greetings!

This episode originally aired 11-28-25 as a musical interlude for the week,  

Yours truly and potential guests were on holiday. So, I compiled a little mix of live recorded music from Playground.

My band/project started in the late 1990s and put me and the group in the middle of the San Francisco Bay Area music scene at the turn of the millennium.  

I unpublished this episode because it broke format (and felt somewhat self-indulgent). Due to popular demand though, I'm re-publishing it now for your continued Holiday listening pleasure. Thanks for the love.

This is a linear progression of musical snippets of live Playground recordings from 1998 to 2002. I used to post these mp3s for free on the PlaygroundMuzik dot com website and we sold CDs at our gigs. More about Playground to come but you can find Playground (and Man From Playground aka MFP LIVE) music here:

ThePlaygroundSound.com

“there is a way” / “burnin” (1998): Robin Livingston (keys), Ian Herman (drums), Sam Guillisano (bass), Neiel (vocals)

“creative expression” (1999): Robin Livingston, Ian Herman, Trevor Kinsel (upright bass), Swan (vox), Neil

“saint Zakir” (2001): Noah Waldman (drums), Robin, Jomial Allen-Jones (bass), Neiel (sampler)

“elements” (eve of 2002): JasWho? (beats), Noah (congas), Robin (keys, beats), Jomial, Neiel

“the burner” (2002): Jay (beats/keys), Robin, Jomial, Neiel (vox, samples)

Join the conversation at SanFran99.com   IG: @Neiel7 (Neil Cavin)

Theme Music: "There Is A Way" by Playground (1998) 

In this episode, Part 2 of a conversation with Jason Williams a.k.a. JasWho? Jay has been foundational on the music scene of the San Francisco Bay Area since the late 1990s. Whether performing as a multi-instrumentalist in Bay Area and International music groups, performing his legendary solo live House music sets, releasing original vinyl on the label Soulmine records that he co-founded with Eileen Kaur Alden, recording and producing artists for Temple Music Group, or producing countless artists at his Berkeley recording studio, WhoVille, Jay has lived and breathed music since long before he even arrived on the SF Scene, long ago. You can currently find him running things at Temple SF nightclub, where he's been a crucial part of operations since day one.

December 13, 2025

Here's JasWho's discogs:

https://www.discogs.com/artist/182036-Jaswho

The music in this episode is from his 2000 to 2003 compilations of Soulmine 12"s "Simply Raw House" Volumes 1 and 2. And also, "Colour Dreamz"

Also "Go" by Playground (2003) during the segment w/ C. Peck talking about sparking the embers for the Bay Area scene today.

Join the conversation at SanFran99.com   IG: @Neiel7 (Neil Cavin)

Theme Music: "There Is A Way" by Playground (1998) 

In this episode, Part 1 of a conversation with Jason Williams a.k.a. JasWho? Jay has been foundational on the music scene of the San Francisco Bay Area since the late 1990s. Whether performing as a multi-instrumentalist in Bay Area and International music groups, performing his legendary solo live House music sets, releasing original vinyl on the label Soulmine records that he co-founded with Eileen Kaur Alden, recording and producing artists for Temple Music Group, or producing countless artists at his Berkeley recording studio, WhoVille, Jay has lived and breathed music since long before he even arrived on the SF Scene, long ago. You can currently find him running things at Temple SF nightclub, where he's been a crucial part of operations since day one.

December 06, 2025

Here's JasWho's discogs:

https://www.discogs.com/artist/182036-Jaswho

The music in this episode is from his 2000 to 2003 compilations of Soulmine 12"s "Simply Raw House" Volumes 1 and 2. And also, "Colour Dreamz"

Also "Go" by Playground (2003) during the segment w/ C. Peck talking about sparking the embers for the Bay Area scene today.

Join the conversation at SanFran99.com   IG: @Neiel7 (Neil Cavin)

Theme Music: "There Is A Way" by Playground (1998) 

11-21-25

This week's SF 1999 podcast episode features a conversation with dj/promoter/producer Sep Ghadishah a.k.a. DJ Sep, founder of the legendary Dub Mission SF, that ran every Sunday night for over 2 decades at The Elbo Room on Valencia Street in San Francisco's Mission District, and featured all of the greatest international dub/reggae/jungle djs, producers, and live acts.  DUB MISSION was one of the longest-running Reggae clubs in the world (1996-2019).

This Sunday 11/23/25 you can catch Sep as part of Crucial Reggae Sundays season finale at the the Golden Gate Park Bandshell. 4:20pm.

Sep is also a member of the DnB/Jungle crew, Rhythmic Remedies. She spins dub, reggae, dancehall, Jungle, DnB, and Afrobeats dance music. Sep has DJ’d in Spain, the U.K., Canada, Mexico, many cities in the U.S., and most venues in the greater Bay Area. 

For years, she was also on Bay Area radio, first on the legendary college radio station, KUSF, and later on Berkeley’s public radio station, KPFA. Sep has presented and opened for a long list of reggae and electronic artists (see below), and has performed both solo and as Dub Mission Sound System with various MCs and musicians. 

You can stay connected with DJ Sep via her Instagram: @dubmissionsf

Go to https://djsep.com/ to find all her links, news, bio, and more.

You can listen to an immense catalog of Dub Mission sets and shows, as well as DJ Sep's original productions on her Soundcloud https://soundcloud.com/djsep

You can also find her productions/remixes on her Bandcamp: 

https://djsep.bandcamp.com/

Track IDs in the podcast episode:

"Too Many Tomorrows" – DJ Sep     

"Awayway Riddim" – DJ Sep

"Dub Myoho" – MFP LIVE

SoulSalaam Celebration of Life  WED 11/26/25

Join the conversation at SanFran99.com   IG: @Neiel7 (Neil Cavin)

Theme Music: "There Is A Way" by Playground (1998) 

Happy Saturday (Yes, I promised new episodes on Fridays but here we are)!

Today we feature a conversation my homie, Gabriel Harris!

In the late 1980s, Gabriel began his African drumming tutelage with the legendary Babatunde Olatunji,  We'll be talking with him about that and how he found a community of dedicated students, teachers including Mabiba Baegne, and performers of African drumming and dancing traditions in San Francisco in the 1990s.

Gabriel is a native of the San Francisco Bay Area and son of folk music icon Joan Baez and political activist David Harris.

Featured in this episode are tracks recorded with Gabriel's drum ensemble, Rhythm Village, as well as some of recent solo recordings, and a collaboration with Moses Sedler on Cello.

you can find all of Gabriel Harris's music/collabs on his Soundcloud:

https://soundcloud.com/gabriel-harris-2

Website: https://gabeharris.com/

IG: @giftofgroove

*New Segment Alert: SF 1999 Listener Vibes! This week feat, Chris Peck (background music: Playground Live "Go" (2003)

Soulsalaam Celebration of Life 11/26 Biergarten SF 4pm

Join the conversation at SanFran99.com   IG: @Neiel7 (Neil Cavin)

Theme Music: "There Is A Way" by Playground (1998) 

November 7th 2025

Today's conversation is with the legendary DJ M3 "Makes Me Move," Manny Alfarez.

Manny's San Francisco history is a continuum of musical successes.

He is the co-owner of monarchsf.com and thegreatnorthernsf.com - two of SFs most popular dj and live music destinations.

He's an internationally reknowned House Music DJ. He's one half of the House duo, Sleight of Hands.

And he's the founder of Green Gorilla Lounge, which has been an integral part of the SF Underground scene since the mid-1990s.

Green Gorilla Lounge continues to host celebrated functions and festivals and also exists as a thriving record label for artists such as M3 and Sleight of Hands.  https://greengorillalounge.bandcamp.com/

IG: @djm3sf

track IDs: 

DJ M3 – "You Don't See Me (2017 Deep Dub)"

DJ M3 – "Girl Don't Mess Around - Dub"

DJ M3 – "Tonite"

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Join the conversation at SanFran99.com   IG: @Neiel7 (Neil Cavin)

Theme Music: "There Is A Way" by Playground (1998) 

This episode features a conversation with Jeffrey Alphonsus Mooney:

Artist/Ritualist/Musician/Teacher/Master of Ceremonies

Since the late-1980s, Jeffrey has been an integral part of the Reclaiming Collective (which began in SF) and through ritual, music, drumming, and performance art,  he teaches and facilitates self-transformation and community-connection, across the U.S., Canada, and Australia.

Amongst other current endeavors, you can also experience Jeffrey on stage, as the emcee of the Joshua Tree Music Festivals.

IG: @mooney.jeffrey

Join the conversation at SanFran99.com   IG: @Neiel7 (Neil Cavin)

Theme Music: "There Is A Way" by Playground (1998) 

A conversation with Long time SF Bay Area DJ, Vinnie Esparza about being a music director at KZSC, his Spanish Grease show on KUSF, Love N' Haight and Ubiquity record labels, Groove Merchant Records, Djaying in SF Bars and Clubs in the 1990s and early 2000s, the multi-genre music scene in SF, and a shout out to our brother Randall Kress a.k.a. DJ SoulSalaam.

Vinnie and his wife (a renowned pastry chef) just opened a new bakery in Emmeryville, CA called Honey and Pearl: 

https://honeyandpearl.com  

IG: @honeyandpearl

You can also still find Vinnie at Groove Merchant Records SF and Ameoba SF

Join the conversation at SanFran99.com   IG: @Neiel7 (Neil Cavin)

Theme Music: "There Is A Way" by Playground (1998) 

We are joined in conversation once again with Jonathan Youtt talking about CELL Space's history in the context of San Francisco Community Art Spaces. Moreover, and entirely relevant to current events, Jonathan reflects on the integral role that CELL Space maintained in the cross section of Art and Activism (Artivism) at the turn of the Millennium, both before and after 9/11/2001. Youtt recalls Julia Butterfly, the WTO protests, and the impact that the Patriot Act had on Community Art Spaces that supported and facilitated the gathering and organizing of youths of color. Extrapolating historically to broader political movements, Jonathan reminds that Art has always played a crucial part in peaceful (and thus lasting) revolutions.

Join the conversation at SanFran99.com   IG: @Neiel7 (Neil Cavin)

Theme Music: "There Is A Way" by Playground (1998) 

Today's guest is John Schroeder: multi-instrumentalist/composer/producer (synthesizer, sax, flute, clarinet, guitar, bass, etc), filmmaker/documentarian, writer, painter, international music educator, and one of the founders of Jingletown Gallery, an artists' warehouse space in Oakland in the late 1990s. 

John shares some stories about the what and whys of the artists "warehouse movement" in the San Francisco Bay Area during the rise of the first Dot Com era.

You can catch John in the band Doctor Abacus and House of Hamsa, as well you can find his music on all the platforms. 

Here's his Bandcamp link: https://bandcamp.com/album/to-surf-the-solar-winds

John’s IG: @johnnyschroedersaxophone

Join the conversation at SanFran99.com   IG: @Neiel7 (Neil Cavin)

Theme Music: "There Is A Way" by Playground (1998)