Music City San Francisco: The Podcast

Pantheon Media
  • 5.0 (4)
  • MUSIC COMMENTARY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Step into the heart of San Francisco’s music scene with the Music City San Francisco Podcast, presented by Pantheon Media and Telling Visions Unlimited. Broadcasting from the heart of the city on the corner of Polk and Bush, this podcast captures the pulse of a city steeped in musical history and alive with a modern-day revolution. From the legendary Hyde Street Studios, where artists like Tupac Shakur and Green Day crafted their magic, to the electrifying stages of Music City SF, each episode delves into the artistry, stories, and innovations shaping the Bay Area’s vibrant culture. Explore themes of resilience and creativity as we spotlight local talent, industry pioneers, and the enduring legacy of San Francisco’s sound. Whether you’re revisiting the Summer of Love, tuning into contemporary music movements, or celebrating the transformative power of live performance, this podcast is your backstage pass to a world of melody, history, and inspiration. Featuring intimate interviews with musicians, producers, and visionaries, the Music City San Francisco Podcast delivers rich narratives and exclusive insights into the ever-evolving soundscape of the city by the bay. Tune in weekly for an immersive auditory experience that celebrates music’s power to unite, heal, and inspire.

  1. 07/29/2025

    Bay Area Beats: How Music City SF Fosters Community & Creativity

    In this episode we spend time with several members of the Music City San Francisco Family. These are talented musicians who are also friends with host Brad Nofal. Podcast producer Albert Lopez sits down with Christy, our event manager, to talk about their start in the Music City Accelerator program. Albert also chats with media correspondents Escher T and Arabella Gray about their socially conscious event, Intersect; a celebration of diversity in the music industry that gives a platform for BIPOC and LGBTQ+ to uplift their voices. And finally, our featured interview joins our host Brad with Daniel Onate, the head of the Music City bar team, a recent Masters graduate of UC Berkeley and pillar of the community. With a live appearance from Ry Kihn celebrating the music of his father Greg Kihn, this episode is a celebration of everything that makes Music City San Francisco such an incredible place for the Bay Area music scene. (edited)  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    55 min

  2. 07/19/2025

    The Metallica Report

    This week's episode is all about Metallica! The Music City San Francisco Podcast's producer Albert Lopez and host Brad Nofal travel to Santa Clarita in late June for Metallica with Limp Bizkit and Ice Nine Kills opening. Music City is visited by none other than Will Calhoun, Vernon Reid and Melvin Gibbs of the Zig Zag Power Trio. They stop by for a rehearsal before playing their first California gig at SF Jazz. Our featured guests for this episode are Steffan Chirazi and Renee Richardson of The Metallica Report and they are here to talk about their start in the industry, why San Francisco is so essential to the music scene and what their weekly podcast is all about. Strap in, crank up the amps and get ready to bang your heads. This episode of the Music City San Francisco Podcast is heavy! Correspondent - Albert Lopez Special Guest - Will Calhoun Featured Guests - Renee Richardson and Steffan Chirazi Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 4m

  3. 06/02/2025

    Bay Area Beats: Tribute to Elvis de Souza & Exclusive Baz Francis Performance

    For the latest episode of the Music City San Francisco Podcast, we switch things up a little as our producer Albert Lopez takes the chair to interview two friends of the show. First, we sit down with Nilo Ayele, of the band Namorados Da Lua, to pay tribute to their recently departed forever bass player, Elvis de Souza who left us a few weeks ago. The band plays at Music City San Francisco as a tribute to their dear friend and the legacy he's left behind. Then Albert is joined with his old friend Baz Francis, the international singer/songwriter, who lives in the UK but is in the Bay touring and spends some time with us sharing his unique take on the world along side his unique sound. Baz plays an original song for us in the podcast studio as he and Albert discuss everything from music to the current state of the political world. You can find both Baz and Nilo's music on YouTube as well as Spotify.  Guests:Nilo AyeleBaz Francis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 3m

  4. 05/16/2025

    Ep. 11: NBA All-Star Weekend: Goldie Gold, Paletas Cannabis & Beats

    You can't talk about Hip-Hop in the Bay Area without mentioning the Hyphy movement; and in this episode, we welcome none other than the grandfather of hyphy Goldie Gold of The Federation. He is holding his birthday party at Music City for NBA Allstar Weekend with sponsorship by Paletas Cannabis. It's a party you won't want to miss! We are also joined by Chuck T, the founder of Rich City Studios and friend of Hyde Street Studios, who is here to shed some light on several new hip-hop artists that are coming up in the Bay Area and showcase some samples of the works he does in his Richmond based studio. The hip-hop movement in the Bay is special in its own way, which sets it apart from the movements of New York, Los Angeles, Memphis, Atlanta and beyond. It reaches much further than the Hyphy movement and continues to evolve with the landscape of the music industry. Correspondent - Chuck T Guest - Goldie Gold of The Federation Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    47 min

  5. 05/05/2025

    Beats, Brushes, and Broken Rules: Oakland’s DIY Electronic Underground Unplugged

    This week's episode takes us into the world of electronic music. Does instrumentation make that much of a difference? Is it still music or just noise? We explore the eclectic side of Bay Area music with our correspondent Escher T as they take us to an exclusive DIY show at the Storefront Gallery in Oakland for an exploration of "the noise scene", with a concert that is part electronic live show and part interactive art installation. We welcome industry legend Shango B'Kongo-Rayo into the podcast studio to recall his time staying, rehearsing and performing at Music City while he shares his vast history of music, his experience at the crossroad of instrumentation and electronic sound and his life-long relationship with Living Colour drummer Will Calhoun. Shango's live performance at Music City also featured Pablo Callejero and Jaron Lanier and is available for viewing on YouTube under the title "Cuban Trance". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3pRpSS10dc Correspondent - Escher TGuest - Shango B'Kongo-Rayo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    51 min

  6. 04/25/2025

    Music Journalism Isn't Dead, It's Podcasting with Rolling Stone Legend Ben Fong-Torres

    The theme for this week's episode is all about music journalism, or more specifically, music discovery. How are your favorite songs discovered? From the radio programming of the dust-bowl era, to the disc jockey decades of the payola scandal, the 20th century had an impressive variety when it came to music discovery. From Dick Clark and "American Bandstand", to Don Cornelius and the debut of "Soul Train", to the emergence of "Mtv: Music Television" and of course who can forget, "Napster"? Music discovery has taken on many different forms throughout the history of the industry and beyond. For almost six decades, Ben Fong-Torres has been a trusted voice for music in not only the print space of Rolling Stone Magazine, but also as a Disc Jockey on the "Jive 95" -era of KSAN, not to mention his time as a host on "Fog City Radio" for KQED. You can find more info about Ben Fong-Torres @fongtorres on Instagram! Ben joins us in the studio for the first of many segments entitled, "Music City Views", in which he will feature as the Music City San Francisco Podcast lead correspondent! We are also joined in the studio this week by the Rock n Roll Archeologist himself, Christian Swain; who is also an executive producer for this podcast. You can find more about the work Christian Swain does at pantheonpodcast.com - he produces shows for The Metallica Report, The Struts Life, Rock N Roll Archeology and much much more! Follow the revolution! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    58 min

  7. 04/06/2025

    Shaunna Hall on Four Non-Blondes, George Clinton & Female Trailblazers in Music

    March was Women's History Month and in this episode of the Music City San Francisco podcast, we recognize the uncountable contributions that women have made to the music industry and acknowledge the cultural biases they have had to overcome in order to bring more inclusion and more talent into the world of music. We take time to highlight some of the amazing women who have performed at Music City in March, including Pamela Parker, Michelle Lambert, Steve Lucky and the Rhumba Bums and many more. Penelope Houston of local punk legends, The Avengers, recommends we check out a special exhibit happening at the San Francisco Public Library, in the Spring of 2025, and we send our very own producer Albert Lopez to tell us more about it. Joining Brad in the studio this week is non other than the amazingly talented, multi-dimensional musician and engineer, Shaunna Hall; one of the founding members of Four Non-Blondes who still jams and occasionally tours with George Clinton. You can hear more of Shaunna's music at electrofunkadelica.bandcamp.com/track/en-dust she is also on Instagram @Electrofunkadelica  Correspondent - Albert Lopez Guest - Shaunna Hall Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    59 min

  8. 03/28/2025

    Inside Noise Pop: SF Music Week, Live Sounds & Fantastic Negrito

    This episode of the Music City San Francisco Podcast dives deep into coverage of the Noise Pop Festival, celebrating its crucial role in championing independent artists and culture within the San Francisco Bay Area music scene for over three decades. Host Brad, joined by correspondents EV P and Esha T, discusses the festival's impact, shares highlights from various live music performances (including Mount Eerie, Lankum, Simande, Dive, and a David Lynch tribute), and underscores Music City San Francisco's support, including hosting the Artist Development Day during the Noise Pop-presented San Francisco Music Week. Featuring an exclusive interview with Fantastic Negrito, the episode explores the resurgence of the local music community and the vibrant energy driving the city's ongoing cultural re-revolution. Featuring correspondents Evie P and Escher T Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    52 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Step into the heart of San Francisco’s music scene with the Music City San Francisco Podcast, presented by Pantheon Media and Telling Visions Unlimited. Broadcasting from the heart of the city on the corner of Polk and Bush, this podcast captures the pulse of a city steeped in musical history and alive with a modern-day revolution. From the legendary Hyde Street Studios, where artists like Tupac Shakur and Green Day crafted their magic, to the electrifying stages of Music City SF, each episode delves into the artistry, stories, and innovations shaping the Bay Area’s vibrant culture. Explore themes of resilience and creativity as we spotlight local talent, industry pioneers, and the enduring legacy of San Francisco’s sound. Whether you’re revisiting the Summer of Love, tuning into contemporary music movements, or celebrating the transformative power of live performance, this podcast is your backstage pass to a world of melody, history, and inspiration. Featuring intimate interviews with musicians, producers, and visionaries, the Music City San Francisco Podcast delivers rich narratives and exclusive insights into the ever-evolving soundscape of the city by the bay. Tune in weekly for an immersive auditory experience that celebrates music’s power to unite, heal, and inspire.

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