Storied: San Francisco

Latest Episodes:

S4E00: (Special) Kevin Fagan Talks "The Doodler" Mar 17, 2021

Show notes

Welcome to the soft launch of Storied: San Francisco, Season 4!

We love catching up with friends and past guests of the show. For Kevin Fagan (S1E13), we were kinda blown away by what he's been up to, though we probably shouldn't be surprised.

In San Francisco in 1974 and '75, there was a serial killer on the loose. His MO was to sketch or doodle his victims in public—in cafes, bars, and the like. The drawings then served as an "in" with his targets. Police believe he killed at least five men in the spree, with the potential for more.

Kevin shares with us how he came to the story of the Doodler, set to debut as an eight-part serial podcast hosted by Kevin today (Parts 1 and 2 should be available wherever you get your podcasts).

Check back here Thursday for an excerpt from "The Doodler" podcast.

We recorded this special podcast on Zoom in March 2021.

Photography by Michelle Kilfeather

Special Episode: Love Letters Read Aloud Feb 15, 2021

Show notes

In this special episode of our podcast, Jeff reads three of our favorite love letters to San Francisco written in January 2020 at our event of the same name. You'll get a sample of our new Season 4 theme music, created and curated by Joe Bagale. And we're pretty sure that the third letter was written by Season 3 storyteller P Segal. We hope you enjoy these as much as we do. They speak to the complexity of loving a city like ours, and they offer a glimmer of hope for what's next in San Francisco. See you soon for Season 4 of Storied: San Francisco! xoxo Michelle + Jeff

S3E49, Part 2: Jesus Barragan and Randy Burns Jan 28, 2021

Show notes

In this podcast, our very last of Season 3, Jesus and Randy pick up where they off in Part 1. They talk in more depth about the challenges that Gay American Indians (Randy's group) and Gay Latino Alliance (Jesus's) faced, despite the fact that San Francisco was already a more accepting place than most in the United States.

The two spend the remainder of the podcast reflecting on the evolution on the LGBTQIA community.

We want to thank Randy and Jesus for their time and for sharing their stories. We want to thank all the storytellers we've ridden with us over the course of our third season of this show. Last but certainly not least, we want to thank you for listening, reading, liking, commenting, signing up for our newsletter, coming to our shows (back when we could still have those safely), and sharing what we do with your friends and family.

We're taking a short break, but we aim to be back at it introducing you to more of your San Francisco neighbors in a few weeks. Until then—stay healthy, stay safe, wear a mask, Black lives matter, stay weird, and stay strong!

We recorded this podcast over Zoom in January 2021.

Photography by Michelle Kilfeather

S3E49, Part 1: Randy Burns and Jesus Barragan Jan 26, 2021

Show notes

If you've been with us for a while, you already know Randy Burns (Part 1, Part 2). Randy is definitely a friend of the show. He introduced us to his friend, Jesus Barragan, whom we had on the show earlier this season (Part 1, Part 2). To close out our third season, we wanted to have these two longtime friends talk about the POC gay rights movements they were each very much a part of back in the 1970s and '80s—Randy's Gay American Indians (GAI) and Jesus's Gay Latino Alliance(GALA). It was the fall of 1975, and at that time, no such groups existed here. What would eventually become the Pride parade was in its infancy. But these two young queer activists and their allies organized, not only making their existence known, but fighting for basic rights some might take for granted today. In Part 1 of this two-part podcast, Randy and Jesus each share the background stories of getting their groups started. Please check back Thursday for Part 2 (and the final new episode of Season 3!), when the two friends will talk about meeting each other and working together toward equality for the POC LGBTQIA+ community. We recorded this podcast over Zoom in January 2021.

Photography by Michelle Kilfeather

S3E48, Part 2: Tony Carracci Jan 21, 2021

Show notes

In this podcast, Tony Carracci picks up where he left off in Part 1, talking about closing his kitchen inside the Cat Club and using that space instead as a second dance floor. It was around this time that the '80s-themed night 1984 started. But Tony wanted a live-music venue. He found a spot in Hunter's Point that happened to have a kitchen, and so, The Pound SF was born. After running that place for a few years, Tony left and, after not doing much "for a minute," he became a wedding planner. In his mind, it has a lot in common with running a restaurant or a club. Fast-forward to 2017. He had been living in Marin since the mid-1990s, and, as a food person, was always making sauces. One day, he noticed an empty storefront and "inquired within." While he awaited permits to do food in the space, he acquired a food truck, and, inspired by David Bowie's last LP, named it Black Star Bakehouse and Smokery. Tony's story of meeting his partner, Suzie Vasko, coincides with his discovery of Point San Pablo Harbor. Tony would take the Black Star truck to the harbor and he had just won best food truck in Marin when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. In the summer of 2020, the harbormaster told Tony that Nobilis, a restaurant down on the water, was closing and that Tony's barbecue would be a perfect fit. Suzie shares the story of their meeting, and the two end the podcast talking about opening Black Star Pirate BBQ. The restaurant is open for takeout from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday through Sunday. They of course hope to reopen once it's safe and legal to do so. Please support them if you can—the food and location are truly special. We recorded this podcast at Black Star Pirate BBQ in Point San Pablo Harbor in December 2020.

Photography by Michelle Kilfeather

S3E48, Part 1: Tony Carracci Jan 19, 2021

Show notes

Tony Carracci's life revolves around water. Tony's parents met in Seattle, where his mom was from. His dad, who is from from New Orleans, met his mom up north during a stint in the Merchant Marines. When they were expecting their first child, Tony, the young couple decided to relocate to another port town: San Francisco, away from the cold and rain of Seattle and the heat and mugginess in New Orleans. Tony did most of his growing up in the 1960s and early '70s in The City, and he shares some of his impressions of that era. He played baseball, football, and soccer, and excelled at sports in general. But because he had a hard time sitting still and focussing for a long time, school wasn't Tony's favorite. He graduated and left home in the mid-'70s. He worked in the now-defunct SF shipyards but hated it. He moved up to Portland (yet another port town!) for a couple years, started working in kitchens, and started doing hair and make-up. Then he went farther north, to his mom's hometown of Seattle. But a girl he met there and started dating got a job back in The City, and Tony decided that it was his chance to come home. After restaurant jobs here and there, Tony learned about a new restaurant in the Haight that needed an opening chef. That place was Cha Cha Cha. Tony spends the last part of this episode talking about Haight Street and South of Market back in the day. He ends with the story of opening the Cat Club. Join us Thursday for Part 2, when Tony will share the story of opening his BBQ joint in the East Bay. We recorded this podcast at Black Star Pirate BBQ in Richmond, California, in December 2020.

Photography by Michelle Kilfeather

S3E47, Part 2: Gillian Fitzgerald Jan 14, 2021

Show notes

In this podcast, Gillian picks up where she left off in Part 1, with some bartending jobs she had while she went to college. After she graduated, she took up an offer to go to the Dominican Republic. What started off as a trip turned into four years on the island. Next came her move to The City in 2005. Gillian shares some of her first impressions of San Francisco, contrasting those with ideas she had formed mostly from TV and movies growing up. Upon moving here, she immediately fell in love with the "artists and dreamers" she was lucky enough to meet. Then Gillian shares the story of opening Casements. She met her eventual business partner, Séan O'Donovan, when they both worked at Nickie's in the Lower Haight. The two often talked about opening their own place back in the day. Gillian left Nickie's to help open Virgil's on Mission about 10 years ago, and she left Virgil's to go into business with a friend making Bloody Mary mix. She then helped Wes of Wesburger and also helped open a few other bars around town, but she always held onto the idea of opening her own Irish bar. After getting support from Séan and another bar owner, Gillian asked the owners of Gas Light if they would sell. They did, and Séan and Gillian got the keys in early November 2019. They had a soft opening and ran for a couple of months, having their official opening on Jan. 19, 2020. Six weeks or so later, COVID-19 hit and they had to shut down. Now that we're on Lockdown 2.0, Casements is offering food and drink for pick-up every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Please support this rad indy bar and help it ride out this storm so that it can open on the other side of the madness. We recorded this podcast at Casements Bar in the Mission in December 2020.

Photography by Michelle Kilfeather

S3E47, Part 1: Gillian Fitzgerald Jan 12, 2021

Show notes

Gillian Fitzgerald was born in Hospital (a town in Ireland).

In this podcast, the owner of Casements Bar in the Mission traces her lineage back to when her Irish parents met. The family moved from County Limerick in the southwest to County Meade, just north of Dublin. That is where Gillian did most of her growing up, smalltown stories she shares in this episode.

In addition to playing many sports, Gillian also had her own horse: Flash Gordon. She tells us a wild story about Flash that you really have to hear to believe.

After talking about her time in high school and college, which brought her to Dublin, she ends this episode with some of the family bars and pubs she worked in as a young adult back in Ireland.

Please join us Thursday for Part 2, when Gillian will talk about leaving Ireland, her arrival in San Francisco, and her opening Casements just before the pandemic took hold.

We recorded this podcast outside of Casements Bar in the Mission in December 2020.

Photography by Michelle Kilfeather

S3E46, Part 2: Photographer Marcell Turner Jan 07, 2021

Show notes

In this podcast, Marcell picks up where he left off in Part 1. He talks about work he almost got before landing a dream job. Marcell shares the story of how he got started taking pictures when he was a kid.

He goes on to talk about people's reaction to his art over the years and the film he's in the process of making about his life as a Black father, photographer, father, and yes, filmmaker.

Please visit Marcell's site and be sure to check out all the photos and videos he's collected there, of the Bay Area and other parts of the country and the world.

He ends the podcast talking about why he left San Francisco to live in the East Bay and his hopes for The City moving forward.

We recorded this podcast in Yerba Buena Gardens in December 2020.

Photography by Michelle Kilfeather

S3E46, Part 1: Photographer Marcell Turner Jan 05, 2021

Show notes

Marcell Turner found his home in San Francisco. In this podcast, the photographer shares the story of his childhood in Southern California. He skateboarded, loved punk rock music, and breakdanced in his teen years. Then, a road trip up north with a friend was all it took for Marcell to relocate up to the Bay Area. We recorded this podcast in Yerba Buena Gardens in December 2020.

Photography by Michelle Kilfeather

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