SF Weekly Podcast

This week on the podcast, SF Weekly contributor Veronica Irwin turns in a double feature. Veronica joins Nick as this episode's guest co-host, and also files her interview with a veteran of the legal cannabis space, Andrew Angelo.

Find out how Veronica stumbled into her first dose of the vaccine while on a 100mg edible and searching for munchies at a local drugstore, and discover what she knows about a certain Silicon Valley big shot who has been talking a lot of shit about local taxes and advocating for businesses to leave the state, while continuing to keep a residence in the city.

It's 4/20, mannn... In the spirit of getting high, we talk about our latest cover story, "The Commodification of Psychedelics," with Peter Astrid-Kane. As substances like magic mushrooms, LSD, and DMT become more mainstream, what is gained and what is lost?

Also, Nick and Kevin take a trip (down Memory Lane) back to Niles Canyon and the Secret Sidewalk. The large cement structure running through the hills east of Fremont is actually an old aqueduct managed by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission.

For generations, teens and young adults have trekked out to the spot to explore, rip the bong, and engage in mostly harmless mischief. Now, the local government is finally doing something about it: they're thinking about turning it into a legit park.

And so, again, we ask the question: when a place or thing that is significant to the counter culture is legitimized and made mainstream, what is gained and what is lost?

Join us!

What do Martin Luther King, Jr., Richard Nixon, Donald Rumsfeld, and Andrew Yang have in common? An interest in guaranteed income. With Nick on vacay, Grace gracefully helms the podcast — talking with Ben about numerous local efforts to bring guaranteed income and universal basic income to the people.

And Veronica Irwin sits down with Yakpasua Zazaboi, the documentary filmmaker behind "Sydewayz," which takes a deep dive into Oakland's sideshow culture.

Join us!

East Bay avant-pop duo tUnE-yArDs talk about their new album, 'sketchy,' their evolution from a solo looping project to a full band, soundtracking Boots Riley's excellent film 'Sorry to Bother You,' and why bassists tend to become producers.

Also: Getting to know Matt Gaetz — Florida's creepiest congressional representative.

What the hell is a Gen Z and what does it look like? Well... just ask 24kGoldn. The 20-year-old San Francisco-born rapper, singer, and musician is the subject of this week's SF Weekly cover story. Tune in to hear his interview with our music writer Julian Robles.

To get to it, you'll have to skip past Nick and Kevin talking about Kevin's experience getting the COVID-19 vaccine at Moscone center, and their painful discussion about not understanding the kids these days.

Luckily, if you do want to skip ahead, you're probably technically savvy enough to do that. How do we work this remote control again?

Join us!

Outside Lands is scheduled for Halloween weekend, spring — and vaccine optimism — is in the air, and State Sen. Scott Wiener wants to make some of the best drink and dining policies of the pandemic permanent.

Let's celebrate!

On this week's podcast SF Weekly music writer Will Reisman returns to talk about just a few of his top 100 indie rock albums of all time while sampling some of the newest beers from Anchor Brewing Company.

Also on the podcast, Benjamin Schneider talks with Ca. State Sen. Scott Wiener about bills he is sponsoring to help San Francisco's dining and nightlife industries bounce back.

Join us!

We're a year into lockdown and making questionable decisions... like taking a weed gummy just as we're falling asleep on a work night. Hear about Nick's accidental wake and bake and why "I think this acid is bunk" are famous last words.

But more importantly, tune in to hear SF Weekly Podcast's audio engineer, Mike Huguenor, discuss his latest cover story, "A Year of Live(Streamed) Music." As a professional musician, the past year has been particularly trying for Mike and the rest of his peers. But the industry definitely discovered a few silver linings along the way and there is hope on the horizon.

Join us.

Nick isn't really conspiratorially minded, but he sure is vain... and he finds it hard to resist a good head of hair. As such, he explains, while the impetus for the Gov. Gavin Newsom recall can certainly be traced to high taxes, there is another, far more simple school-yard-bully principle at play: jealousy.

And so, he implores his listeners to follow the advice Hal Holbrook's Deep Throat gave to Robert Redford's Bob Woodward in that atmospherically lit parking garage: "Follow the hair."

Speaking of conspiracy theories, we also dissect the numerology behind the latest QAnon nothingburger of March 4 and take a look at the latest in the militarization of American police. Yeah... The NYPD got one of those "Black Mirror" robodogs. Eeesh.

All this, plus Benjamin Schneider explains what the hell is wrong with Muni.

We took a week off, and boy it was a doozie. The bulk of the country was crushed by ice, Texans were burning furniture to stay warm, and Ted Cruz was crushing Tecate Lights (we think) in Cancun.

Also on the podcast, Veronica Irwin catches up with one of the co-founders of Artet, a cannabis company that produces low-THC weed beverages.

Join us.

Tippling is out — but toking and tripping are totally cool, man...

This week former SF Weekly Editor Peter-Astrid Kane is the guest co-host, as we find out what it means to give up on booze, but not necessarily other drugs.

Join us!