sf history

Man tugs blue hair and looks at camera
15 Jun 2022

John Vanderslice on Drugs, Dreams, & Legendary Analog Recording Studio

“I simply had a loopy plan that I executed with maniacal energy over 24 years, and I kind of pulled it off.” So says prolific singer-songwriter and record producer John Vanderslice in the final chapter of TrueAnon Presents: “Keep the Dream Alive,” a five-episode podcast series on the history of his legendary analog recording

Lydia Sviatoslavsky 0
02 Mar 2022

10 Legendary Writers on San Francisco

The evolution of San Francisco is a curious one, an LSD-laced trip towards that ever-elusive thing named Progress. Innovation. Utopia.  Here are 10 writers on San Francisco over the decades, volunteering both gripe and glorification. Rudyard Kipling “San Francisco has only one drawback: ‘Tis hard to leave.” Tongo Eisen-Martin  all

Lydia Sviatoslavsky 0
27 Jan 2024

The San Francisco Beer Passport is Here!

Step into a world of adventure with the San Francisco Beer Passport. There’s no better way to explore San Francisco than to literally drink it in. This passport is amazing! Each one contains 27 coupons to buy one beer, get a second beer FREE at 27 of the finest locally

Broke-Ass Stuart - Editor In Cheap 0
19 Jan 2022

Castro Theatre To Become Live Music & Comedy Venue, Will Still Screen Some Films Too

In news that will certainly make some cinephiles glum while live performance lovers grin, the 100-year-old Castro Theatre will be under new management, get a facelift, and diversify its programming to accommodate more live concerts including “music, comedy and community events”. The new management team is Berkeley-based Another Planet Entertainment,

Alex Mak - Managing Editor 0
19 Jan 2022

Hauntings, Demolition, and Murder: The Fascinating History of SF’s City Hall

In 1942, San Francisco City Hall employees began to fear their place of work.  Every day, shortly after noon, employees heard five rapping sounds, seemingly emanating from within the walls. This was followed by a brief pause, then another three raps. Nobody could explain the source of these eerie sounds. 

Lydia Sviatoslavsky 0
15 Dec 2021

From Protest to Puke: The Debasement of SantaCon

For those who don’t participate, SantaCon is an annual spectacle, mildly disorienting and mostly foul. If you’ve ever seen a cluster of self-saboteurs in Santa costumes collectively heaving over a gutter or stumbling about in a daze, you’ve likely been privy to the awe-inspiring merriment of SantaCon.  As a writer

Lydia Sviatoslavsky 0
08 Dec 2021

The Dark & Disturbing History of the St. Francis Hotel

The Westin St. Francis Hotel looms on the edge of Union Square, bearing silent witness to flocks of tourists and shoppers who likely know nothing of its history. Built in 1904, the St. Francis Hotel is now known to be one of the most haunted hotels in California. Many notable

Lydia Sviatoslavsky 0
17 Nov 2021

Last Gasp’s Ron Turner Publishes “Mind Candy for the Masses”

Last Gasp has been bending minds since 1970, and is known to be one of the world’s oldest and largest publishers of underground books and comics. The publisher’s motto is “Mind Candy for the Masses,” so consider it your counterculture dealer. Last Gasp is saluted for its ‘lowbrow’ comics and

Lydia Sviatoslavsky 0
17 Nov 2021

SF Chinatown Showgirl Cynthia ‘Empress’ Yee Is A Living Legend

“I think people come to Chinatown because they expect a Disneyland atmosphere,” Cynthia Yee says. “When they see it’s just a neighborhood, a community with restaurants and daily life, they wonder.” Yee is a tour guide with the award-winning Chinatown Magic Tours, but she was once herself at the center of

Lydia Sviatoslavsky 0