Feature Archives

The Circus of (Im)Migration is touring the west coast from April 30th through May 13th. The Clandestine Insurgent Rebel Clown Army (CIRCA) made their first stop in the Bay Area on May 7th at UC Berkeley. The trip continued on May 8th with a San Francisco evening show at Station 40, before a workshop and performance in Santa Cruz on May 9th and 10th.

On April 22nd, Berkeley celebrated the 28th anniversary of the founding of People's Park. There was music, poetry, speakers, a Food Not Bombs lunch, and much more. Among those speaking and tabling were activists focusing on the Berkeley oaks tree-sit, resistance to UC's sellout to BP, and anti-war organizing.

In the frigid Copenhagen morning of December 14, hundreds of squatters stand unflinchingly beneath visible wisps of breath. Europe’s “The Final Countdown” resonates within the historic walls of the brick building at 69 Jagtvej. Masked activists shoot fireworks from the roof as the Danish media ogle from the street below. Twenty-four years after its inception, Ungdomshuset has officially become an illegal squat.

On January 21st, Moe's Alley in Santa Cruz hosted a benefit show for the Oakland-based hip hop group The Coup. It was an all star line up of musicians and MC's with a common cause of helping The Coup after their tragic bus accident. Listen to the live recording. Audio

The student reporters of Radio Journalism 101 present, Free Skool Radio News, a collection of reports, interviews and sounds from just a handful of the dozens of classes and workshops offered through Free Skool Santa Cruz. We'll hear about the Santa Cruz Trash Orchestra, Improv Contact Dance, Spanish Conversation, Tray Boarding, the Punk Sewing Circle and more. This program is the final project of Radio Journalism 101, Free Skool class on the basics of broadcast news production, facilitated by V-Man.

The film "HIP-HOP: Beyond Beats and Rhymes" takes an in-depth look at representations of manhood, sexism and homophobia in hip-hop culture. This documentary is a “loving critique” of certain "disturbing" developments in rap music culture from the point of view of a fan who challenges the art form’s representations of masculinity. The film was screened on January 9th at the San Francisco Public Library. That event included a screening of the short "Trendsetters or Fakers," and a panel discussion. The film was also shown on January 17th at the Oakland Museum of California. The evening included performances by Youth Movement Records and Youth Speaks, audio pieces produced by TEMPO, and discussion with filmmaker Byron Hurt and hip hop community activists.

James Brown, who was known as the Godfather of Soul, died early on Christmas morning. Brown, 73, had been admitted to Atlanta's Emory Crawford Long Hospital on Sunday, suffering from pneumonia. A prolific singer, songwriter, bandleader and record producer, Brown influenced the evolution of gospel and rhythm and blues into soul and funk. His music has been widely sampled by hip hop artists.