Episode 100, summer tours, an Oakland "time capsule", and more

It’s hard to write how I feel about releasing episode 100 of East Bay Yesterday without sounding corny. Every time I start a sentence about hitting this milestone, I end up with a gushing cliché. Screw it, I give up… I truly feel like the luckiest person alive.

Over the past seven years, doing this show (which has expanded into tours, events, etc.) has been the most fulfilling experience of my life. I’ve met hundreds of remarkable people, been welcomed into so many incredible homes, and have deepened my relationship with Oakland, my favorite place in the world, immeasurably. I’m beyond grateful to everyone who listens to the podcast, shares it with friends, and especially teachers who are using it to educate kids in schools across the Bay Area. THANK YOU.

One thing that hasn’t changed since I started in 2016: I still get extremely nervous before releasing each episode. In the days leading up to a release, my whole body fills with anxiety. Did I make any mistakes? Did I leave out anything important? What if everyone hates this one?

The stakes felt especially high for episode 100, which features interviews with Mayor Sheng Thao and Sogorea Te’ Land Trust co-founder Corrina Gould. I struggled for months to find an appropriate way to tell the story of Joaquin Miller (not an easy topic!), but the initial responses have been positive and supportive. So once again I’ve been able to breathe a bit easier… at least until I’m getting ready to hit “publish” on the next episode. It’s a stressful cycle… but I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Oh, and in somewhat related news one of my Twitter friends found an old episode of a TV show called “Death Valley Days” featuring a story about Ina Coolbrith, the woman who convinced Miler to change his name from Cincinnatus to Joaquin. Coincidentally, Coolbrith, Oakland’s first librarian, was the subject of East Bay Yesterday’s very first episode. Listening to this one makes me cringe a bit, but if you’re interested, here it is.

MORE EAST BAY YESTERDAY NEWS
MORE BOAT TOURS! Here’s a link to my June and July dates. As always, you’re welcome to bring your own food and drinks on the boat, but don’t forget to wear layers, because it can get a bit chilly out there. Every single one of these tours has sold out for the last four years, so please help me keep this streak going. If you’re curious about what to expect, here’s a little preview.
I interviewed "Blindspotting" creators Rafael Casal and Daveed Diggs about the new season, which is having a free premiere party at Grand Lake Theater this Friday. The East Bay natives talk to me about their favorite local rapper, why the show is like a time capsule, and filming at the dearly departed Luka's Taproom. You can read it here (and if you missed my last SF Gate piece, about East Bay record shops, here's a link to that one.)

Remember the Rooted in Richmond tour from a few months back? We won an award from the California Preservation Foundation in the “Cultural Heritage, Intangible Assets” category. If you haven’t checked out the self-guided tour yet, here’s a link to the free app. But, wait! There’s more good news: The historic Hotel Mac, where I recorded one of the primary interviews for the Richmond episode, will be reopening under new ownership after going dark for a few years due to the pandemic.

I’ll be celebrating the launch of “Bay Curious: Exploring the Hidden True Stories of the San Francisco Bay Area” with author Olivia Allen-Price at the historic Camron-Stanford House on May 18. If you can’t make it to the event, the Camron-Stanford House is currently hosting a community art show called “Oakland, the beautiful” that’s definitely worth a visit. I’ve been a big fan of Olivia’s work for years, so I’m really looking forward to this Q&A, which you can expect to hear on the podcast in the coming weeks.

Big thanks to everyone who came out to the “Culture Makers” event at New Parkway last month. Since we didn’t get to all the audience questions, Oaklandside asked Pendarvis Harshaw, Momo Chang, and myself to write our responses for a followup article. Want to know our thoughts on Oakland misconceptions, undercovered stories, and more? Here’s the piece.

IN OTHER NEWS
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of hiphop, KQED is doing a year-long series focused on the history of Bay Area rap. There are so many great articles in this series that it’s hard to highlight just a few, but it makes sense to start with this massive overview of the 1980s by Mosi Reeves (PS: Make sure not to skip Eric Arnold’s look at the pre-hip hop era.) I also highly recommend this extensive timeline, but make sure you have a few hours to spend with it, because this list of milestones is truly exhaustive (and would make a great book project hint hint).

Also, shoutout to KQED Arts & Culture editor Gabe Meline for hooking me up with another record to add to my growing collection of albums with East Bay landmarks on the cover! If you can’t tell, this photo was taken back when the Emeryville mudflats hosted a “guerilla art gallery”...In the early 1960s, sickle cell anemia, a disease that primarily affects African Americans, was totally neglected by America’s medical establishment. The Black Panthers saw how people in their community suffering from sickle cell had no options for treatment, so they helped organize testing clinics and worked with doctors to establish treatment programs. You can hear the whole story on a new podcast called “Revolutionary Care: An Oakland Story,” which also details the emergence of UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital as a renowned hub of sickle cell care and research. Check it out here - and thank you to Children’s Hospitals for supporting East Bay Yesterday.

Eastwind Books had a great run, but according to Berkeleyside, “one of the nation’s first Asian American bookstores is closing after 41 years.” Check out the article to read about the shop’s origins in the Third World Liberation Front protests.

Spring is my favorite season in the Bay Area because of the explosion of color that accompanies the vast blooms of wildflowers decorating the landscape. This seasonal display would be even more impressive if a plan to install thousands of cherry trees around Lake Merritt had succeeded. You can still see a few survivors, but Oaklandside explains why most of the trees that were a part of this scheme died long ago. [And while you’re on Oaklandside, be sure to check out this jaw-dropping photo essay that blends historical and contemporary images of Oakland.]

Here’s another reason to join the Emeryville Historical Society: They just scanned their entire back catalog of newsletters (more than 130 editions!), which are now available online for members. In related news, check out this extremely colorful feature from a 1985 issue of Sports Illustrated about Emeryville’s long history as a gambling mecca.

Remember when restaurants, bars, and other businesses gave out promotional matchbooks? Here’s a collection of old school El Cerrito matchbooks compiled by local aficionado Nick Brooks. On the origin of this hobby, Brooks said: "After attending a presentation by the El Cerrito Historical Society towards the beginning of the pandemic, I became fascinated with our City’s rich and surprising history; What is currently such a quiet and family-friendly town was once a nightlife destination for those seeking some fun and mischief. San Pablo was lined with nightclubs, gambling halls and rowdy music venues, such as Hambone Kelly’s, Six Bells, the Kona Club, and the Hollywood Club. There were even ostrich races that regularly happened where the El Cerrito Plaza currently stands!"

I’ve walked by the Oakland Bank Building at 1212 Broadway a million times, but until I saw this poster collection of downtown “skyscrapers” I didn’t know that there’s a statue of a duck at the very top! Apparently these images will eventually all be compiled into a coffee table book… Many years ago, my wife picked up a bunch of old Chez Panisse cookbooks at a garage sale. Obviously, the recipes are wonderful, but one of my favorite things about them is the cover art, which was created by the celebrated local printmaker David Lance Goines. Since discovering him through those books, I fell in love with his style and even got a poster he created for UC Botanical Garden to hang up in my home. Sadly, he passed away in February, but you can read about his impressive life and artistic journey in this touching obituary from Berkeleyside. (You can also see an extensive archive of Goines’ work here.)

Anyone who listened to my episode about East Bay punk history knows I’ve been a huge fan of Operation Ivy ever since I discovered them during my freshman year in high school. I’ve seen tons of bands perform Op Ivy covers, but I never expected the local punk legends to reunite. Well… this new band featuring Tim Armstrong and Jesse Michaels isn’t a full-fledged reunion, but it’s the closest thing we’ve gotten so far. If they go on tour, I wouldn’t be surprised to find a few classics in the set list.

FINALLY
I want to wish a happy 25th anniversary to my friends across the Bay at Shaping SF. To celebrate a quarter century of “excavating the city’s lost history,” they have a stacked lineup of walking tours, bike rides, and other events happening over the next few months. Here’s a link to their site and if you want to know more about Shaping SF, check out my interview with co-founder Chris Carlsson about his “Hidden San Francisco” book. Thanks to Chris and Shaping SF co-director LisaRuth Elliott I was able to fulfill a personal fantasy and stand on the roof of the Tribune Tower a few weeks ago. Here’s the view looking down…Now that I’ve checked that lofty location off my Bay Area bucket list, who’s going to get me into the bomb shelter hidden beneath Woodminster Amphitheater?

Thanks for reading—and extra special thanks to all the folks who support East Bay Yesterday through Patreon! I really wouldn’t be able to do this without your help.

-Liam

PS: I’ve gotten a few emails asking about the Jenny Odell interview that was recorded live at the Backroom as a KPFA fundraiser last week. The answer is - yes - that interview will be on the podcast soon. In the meantime, here’s a little preview (shoutout to Oaklandish for hooking up the wood duck sweatshirt)…