In this podcast, Avengers vocalist Penelope Houston talks about the legendary Sex Pistols show at Winterland that the Avengers opened. It's a story that includes Sid Vicious ODing (but surviving) at the afterparty. She goes on to talk about her solo musical career and resurrecting the Avengers. She ends with her work at the SF Public Library putting together its punk rock collection.

If you missed Part 1, when Penelope talked about growing up and moving to San Francisco, please go back and listen.

Penelope will be playing a solo show Aug. 30 at the Ivy Room in Albany.

Film photography by Michelle Kilfeather

Penelope Houston's family moved around the country quite a bit when she was a kid, eventually settling up in Washington state long enough for her to go to high school. She came to San Francisco to go to the Art Institute for visual arts, but quickly started going to shows and became friends with other kids who wanted to be up on stage.

In this podcast, Penelope talks about the nascent San Francisco punk scene of 1977. The episode ends with her and her friends forming their own band—the now legendary Avengers. Go check out Penelope's solo show, Aug. 30 at the Ivy Room in Albany.

Check back Thursday, when Penelope will share the story of the Avengers and the show they played at Winterland with the Sex Pistols.

We recorded this podcast in June 2019 at the Rare Books Room at the San Francisco Public Library.

Film photography by Michelle Kilfeather

Ken Walton grew up in Sacramento always considering San Francisco a special place. He got inspired to do street photography after watching a documentary about Vivian Maier. In 2016, he founded ​StreetFoto San Francisco, an annual international street photography festival. We caught up with Ken at this year's festival and chatted with him about San Francisco in 1990s and what street photography means to him.

Photo by Ken Walton

Specs is special. In a city with a history of providing safe harbor (literally and figuratively) to so many over the years, the bar encompasses the spirit of San Francisco perfectly.

In this podcast, Elly Simmons, whose parents Specs and Sonia opened the bar in 1968, talks about the documentary movie she's making about the place, its history, and her folks. If you love Specs and want its history documented for future generations, please consider donating to Elly's fundraiser for the film. Go to the Last Call: The Specs Film website and donate at whatever level you're able to.

If you missed Part 1 of this episode, go back to hear Elly talk about how her parents met and her own childhood in San Francisco.

Film photography by Michelle Kilfeather

North Beach is still alive. And one of its best and longest-lasting watering holes, Specs, is still a San Francisco treasure.

In this podcast, the current co-owner of the bar, Elly Simmons, tells the story of how her parents got together. Elly's dad, Richard "Specs" Simmons, and her mom, Sonia, met at Vesuvio across Columbus Street in 1952. It's a wild ride that takes us all over the neighborhood (and the country and city) in the 1950s.

Elly is raising money to help fund a documentary she's doing on her dad and the bar. To contribute, please head over to theGoFundMe page for Last Call: The Specs Film.

Join us Thursday for Part 2, when Elly will talk more about Specs and Sonia opening their bar, her childhood in San Francisco, and more.

Film photography by Michelle Kilfeather

In this podcast, artist William Rhodes talks about the 3.9 Art Collective and how it influenced his latest show, Threaded Memories. The exhibition, up at the African-American Art and Culture Complex now through Aug. 2, celebrates the community that lived in the Fillmore during that neighborhood's "Harlem of the West" days. To kick off the show, William held a party called Juke City in which he invited folks to dress up in Jazz Era clothing, see a burlesque show, and be treated to a few numbers by none other than Fillmore Slim.

William will be giving an artist talk as part of the exhibition at the AAACC on July 25 at 6 p.m. You can check out the 3.9 Collective website and follow them on Facebook.

Film photography by Michelle Kilfeather

In this podcast, artist William Rhodes talks about growing up in Baltimore, some similarities between there and San Francisco, moving to the city, the art of the Mission, and establishing his own art experience here.

Williams's show, Threaded Memories, is up at the African American Art and Culture Complex now through Aug. 2. He'll be giving an artist's talk there next Thursday, July 25, at 6 p.m. Through various media, the show celebrates the now-diminishing African American population of San Francisco.

Check back Thursday, when William will talk more about the ongoing exhibition as well as the party that launched it.

Film photography by Michelle Kilfeather

At SF State, Joy Ng's senior thesis covered the history of hip-hop as resistance and using the art form to make something out of nothing. Since graduating, she has run a website of critical essays with the tagline, "Hip Hop x Asian America."

In this podcast, Joy discusses the cultural context that gave rise to hip-hop, the history of the genre, local artist Ruby Ibarra, and her deep dives into Asian-American identity, empowerment, history, and how they intersect with music.

If you missed Part 1, please listen to hear all about Joy's childhood being born and raised in San Francisco.

Film photography by Michelle Kilfeather

Joy Ng is a born-and-raised San Franciscan. In this episode, Joy talks about her childhood, in Chinatown, North Beach, and a couple other neighborhoods. She ends with her time at SF State, where she changed her major and got involved in community organizing. A large influence in that shift was Curtis Choy's documentary, The Fall of the I-Hotel.

FoundSF has more info on the story of the International Hotel eviction and demolition.

Join us again Thursday, when Joy will talk about her work as a hip-hop blogger.

Film photography by Michelle Kilfeather

We're not quite sure how Joe Bagale keeps up with all the music he's created or been part of performing or recording. In this podcast, he takes us through his journey after arriving in San Francisco back in 2003. It involves several living situations with in-house studios, his first visit to the Boom Boom Room, a serendipitous date, playing and touring with Mickey Hart, joining Jazz Mafia, and eventually, creating his alter ego—Otis McDonald. Otis's music has been in this podcast since we launched two years ago.

Look for Joe's new record, People Music, coming out this fall.

And if you missed Part 1, please go back and listen to see the unusual way that Joe made the move to San Francisco.

Film photography by Michelle Kilfeather