Thanks for joining me for the 19th issue of the Golden Stats Warrior, a newsletter for data-based insights about the Bay Area. If this is your first time reading, welcome! If you haven’t signed up yet, you can do that here. I am so grateful for your support.
This week’s edition will be a little different. A little less data, and a lot more sound.
The podcast is only a little over 15 years old, but it has revolutionized how many of us experience audio. There are now over 800,000 active podcasts worldwide with tens of millions of listeners, according to Forbes. Luckily for us Bay Area residents, increasingly, some of the best of those podcasts are recorded in and about our region.
Using the podcast search engine Listen Notes, I identified 26 podcasts made about the Bay Area. A couple of my friends and I decided to listen to all of them to figure out which ones readers might like. The majority of these podcasts started in 2017 or later, when the Bay Area podcasting boom really got going.
Sorry 99% Invisible, even though you are recorded in “beautiful, downtown Oakland, California” and are one of the world’s best podcasts, you don’t make our list because most of your episodes are not actually about the region. The same for “Reveal”—an essential investigative reporting podcast out of Emeryville.
Listening to 26 podcasts is a lot of work, so I called on three of my favorite podcast lovers Tess Brustein, Jared Joiner (who made the image above), and Kanchan Gautam. Below is a list of the podcasts, in alphabetical order, along with who might be interested in listening. Surely we missed some great shows. I hope you will send them to me so I can mention them in the next edition of the newsletter.
Podcast name: Bay Curious
Format: An attempt to answer a question many people have about the Bay Area.
Who might like it?: “People who've moved to the Bay and are 'curious' to learn more about why things are the way they are. I learned a lot from listening. It is pretty short—only about 13 minutes. I enjoyed the episode about why pizza places (specifically in East Bay) are often worker owned co-ops.” - Tess Brustein
Podcast name: Check Please
Format: Three local residents discuss their favorite restaurants.
Who might like it?: “Food-oriented people will like it. I thought it was super cute. It is a refreshing reminder of the times when we went to restaurants, and also it's a TV show as well, so you can "see the podcast" on KQED.” - Jared Joiner
Podcast name: Containers
Format: 8-part series on how modern shipping changed the world with much of the action happening in the Bay Area.
Who might like it?: “This podcast is truly excellent, I think just about anybody would find it fascinating. Hosted by Oakland-based Atlantic journalist Alexis Madrigal, I loved how the show uses shipping as a way to think about the benefits and problems of capitalism. It was fascinating to learn the importance of Oakland ports to the Vietnam war.” - Dan Kopf
Podcast name: Ear Hustle
Format: Made in San Quentin Prison, each episode takes on a different aspect of life in prison.
Who might like it?: “People who care about social justice and ending mass incarceration. It’s really well produced. I enjoyed the recent episode that covered how incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people were responding to the murder of George Floyd and the protests.” - TB
Podcast name: East Bay Yesterday
Format: Each episode explores historical events that happened in the East Bay.
Who might like it?: “This show rocks. History lovers will enjoy it, and really anyone who wants to understand how the East Bay has developed. My favorite episodes delve into the history of Lake Merritt and East Bay hip-hop” - DK
Podcast name: Equity
Format: Discussion of venture capital-related subjects from TechCrunch reporters.
Who might like it?: “This one is for the tech folk. It is relatively short and kinda just the facts about what is happening in the venture space.” - JJ
Podcast name: Extra Spicy
Format: Interviews by two San Francisco Chronicle food writers with someone in the Bay Area food industry.
Who might like it?: “Foodies. There is a cute Q&A segment at the end where the hosts talked about their ‘chef’s mark,’ the staple ingredient they add to everything” - TB
Podcast name: Fifth and Mission
Format: A daily interview show about a Bay Area issue from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Who might like it?: “People who want to keep up with what’s happening with key Bay Area issues like homelessness, transportation and policing. I found it very charming. For better and worse, the show is not highly edited like the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal’s daily podcasts. It allows the show to feel more relaxed, but it can also feel a little slow.” - DK
Podcast name: Hella Black Podcast
Format: Conversations with two Oakland organizers about political and social issues, usually with special guests.
Who might like it?: “This podcast is for anyone who cares about social justice and cultural politics. It feels like eavesdropping on a group of friends having a discussion. The podcast focuses on a variety of issues affecting the Black community, including capitalism and white supremacy. I found the episode focusing on performative allyship and celebrity culture particularly interesting.” - Kanchan Gautam
Podcast name: How to Bay Area
Format: Interview show about how to best do things in the Bay Area, like commute or date.
Who might like it?: “I thought it would be like a step by step how to show, but it's similar to other shows exploring a topic. The episode I listened to kind of reminded me of the Vox’s new discussion show The Weeds; it got deep into how the Bay Area could reopen during the pandemic and talked to a local expert.” - TB
Podcast name: Open Vallejo
Format: An investigative deep dive into policing in Vallejo.
Who might like it?: “Anyone interested in understanding the issues with modern policing. This show has only had a couple of episodes, but the first one was outstanding. The episode explores the suspect record of one Vallejo police officer who killed three people in 2012.” - DK
Podcast name: Outside Lands San Francisco
Format: A fact-filled discussion about a place or event in western San Francisco history.
Who might like it?: “History buffs who are interested in the lesser-discussed half of San Francisco, particularly, the Richmond, Sunset and Golden Gate Park. I really enjoyed the episode on the Farallon Islands. The hosts are lively and seem to really be enjoying themselves. It is infectious.” - DK
Podcast name: Raw Material
Format: An unconventional show, in which each season the SFMOMA hires an artist to make “explore modern and contemporary art through a new lens.”
Who might like it?: “The avant-garde podcast listener and/or anyone with a SFMOMA membership. I listened to the season called Six Degrees. I loved that it took chances, but it was uneven. Every season of this podcast is different, so I may come back to a later season.” - JJ
Podcast name: Rightnowish
Format: An interview show on Bay Area culture from KQED.
Who might like it?: “Millennials in the Bay interested in arts & culture. I liked it. The episodes are about 10 to 15 mins long. I wanted them to be longer and to dig into the topics more.” - TB
Additional note: “You should check out this episode with the head librarian of the Oakland Public Library’s History Center.” - DK
Podcast name: Select Five
Format: Bay Area creatives are asked to pick five songs that matter to them.
Who might like it?: “Music lovers and anyone who likes connecting to people through music. This podcast is well done, and the host has a great, soothing voice. I suggest listening to the episode of Miss Ollie’s Kitchen in Oakland. This is a can’t miss if you like the legendary BBC radio show Desert Island Discs.” - DK
Podcast name: Storied: San Francisco
Format: Biographical interviews with San Francisco residents.
Who might like it?: “People who like oral histories and want to connect to the diverse population of San Francisco. This is a very thoughtful show. The host is kind and inquisitive, but the show is really dependent on whether the guest is particularly engaging, which varies.” - DK
Podcast name: The Finch Files: Stories from San Francisco and Beyond
Format: Interviews about events that happened in San Francisco.
Who might like it?: “People who like interview podcasts and who geek out on SF history. It thought it was ok! The episodes are super short—less than five minutes.” - TB
Podcast name: The Bay
Format: Deeply reported story on a Bay Area topic. Similar in style to the New York Times’s The Daily, but with a social justice focus.
Who might like it?: “People who are looking for stories told from perspectives increasingly marginalized in the Bay Area. I loved two episodes in the aftermath of the recent uprisings in which artists imagined a world without police and an Asian-American reporter and her father discussed their roles in the movement for Black lives.” - JJ
Podcast name: The GR Project Podcast: Oakland Education Initiative
Format: Interviews with Bay Area education folks.
Who might like it?: “People who are interested in education, who really want to go deep in a subject. I would check out the episode where they interview the educator Dr. Cesar Cruz. It was pure fire.” -JJ
Podcast name: The Noise Pop Podcast
Format: Mix of songs from, mostly, local bands.
Who might like it?: “People who want to keep up with new indie music. It’s great. I found out about a lot of great new artists through the show. Check out Sango!” -TB
Podcast name: The Specialist
Format: Well-produced stories about unusual jobs people have had.
Who might like it?: “People who are fans of pods like 99% Invisible. It's about people who do jobs you might not think about. It was really good! Sadly, it seems like this podcast hasn't had a new episode since winter 2016.” -JJ
Podcast name: This is Your Life in Silicon Valley
Format: Interviews with people in tech and venture capital
Who might like it?: “Tech insiders and people who want to understand how VCs and entrepreneurs see the world. I was prepared not to like it, but it was good! The hosts haven’t drank too much of tech kool aid, but also are not jaded. It seems like it is very dependent on the charm of the guest, and I really liked the episode with the investor Charles Hudson.” -DK
Podcast name: Zip Code Economies
Format: Inspiring stories about people and organizations doing community development in the Bay Area and beyond.
Who might like it?: “People who want to listen to infomercials for nonprofits. This may sound like a joke, but I actually really love the San Francisco Federal Reserve. It’s a progressive institution, with a very cool leader in Mary Daly. I love the effort they have put into this, but not sure who would actually want to listen. There is no drama.” -DK
Here are some bonus local podcasts that don’t fit our criteria because they are not really about the Bay Area specifically.
Podcast name: CIIS Public Programs Podcast
Format: Interviews with scholars, artists and thinkers that are recordings of California Institute of Integral Studies public programs.
Who might like it?: “People who like reflecting on how they want to live, particularly those interested in mental and physical wellness. If you like the popular NPR podcast On Being, you’ll probably like this. I learned a lot from the interview they did with the legendary activist Angela Davis. - DK
Podcast name: San Francisco Symphony Podcast
Format: Discussions of the works being performed by the symphony each week.
Who might like it?: “Classical music lovers. I thought it was really dry. Just one voice describing some context and the meaning behind classical music. I did learn the story behind Stravinsky’s Firebird and it's a classically fairytale terrible!” - TB
And that’s all. I hope you find a podcast for you!
Bay Area media recommendation of the week
Since this is a podcast themed edition, I want to implore you to check out a brilliant episode of the radio show This American Life about an incident that took place in Oakland in 1994. It could not feel more relevant today. The story centers around a field trip by students from Castlemont High School to see the movie “Schindler’s List” and subsequent tensions between some in Oakland’s Jewish community with the young, mostly Black, students who attended the field trip.
(If you read or listened to something great about the Bay Area this week, please send it to me!)
Dan’s favorite things
The Alameda Rock Wall (pictured above) is well worth a visit. The mile-long wall of rocks that juts into the San Francisco Bay from western Alameda Island was built during World War II to protect the naval fleet located on the island from submarines and torpedoes, according to a story from Alameda Magazine. Today the rock wall is mostly used by local fisherfolk. I recently ventured out to the rock wall in an unsuccessful attempt to catch my first Bay fish. It is a gorgeous and strange place to visit.
Finally, a correction from a previous newsletter. I stupidly said imperial rolls were a kind of sushi roll. Imperial rolls are actually a kind of Vietnamese spring roll.
Thanks for your time, and see you in a couple weeks.
If you think a friend might enjoy this newsletter, please forward it along. You can follow me on Twitter at @dkopf or email me at dan.kopf@gmail.com
The Golden Stats Warrior logo was made by the great Jared Joiner, the best friend a nervous newsletter writer could have. Follow him @jnjoiner. Also, thanks to the luminous Kanchan Gautam for copy editing this week.