Stories from San Francisco and Beyond: Recent Episodes
Peter Finch
Veteran radio reporter/storyteller Peter Finch and his friends hit the streets of the San Francisco Bay Area (and beyond) looking for interesting stories to tell.
“The Beautiful Princess Of Never Come True” is a great song with a cool title, and a sweet origin story.
A man from the UK flies to San Francisco on the spur of the moment to attend a house concert. This is why.
Many thanks to our favorite gallop girl, author of "A Damn Fine Hand," and Executive Director of Square Peg Foundation.
On the 80th anniversary of the Japanese internment order, we look back at one family's experience.
Thoughts on crowded pandemic surf spots and his "Eco Warrior" surfboard from Surf_Iconoclast Mike Wallace.
Long time Grateful Dead Engineer Dan Healy talks about one of the things that made the band's shows special.
Here's a tribute to our dear friend Mal Sharpe. He died Tuesday, March 10th, at the age of 83.
We went to talk to long time Bay Area anchorwoman Wendy Tokuda about her parents having met at a Japanese Internment camp, and then the interview took an unexpected turn.
Friday, December 6th was the 50th anniversary of one of the darkest days in Rock and Roll history. (This episode is a repeat from when this was a bi-weekly long form podcast).
This week marks the 50th anniversary of the American Indian occupation of Alcatraz Island, so we thought we'd revisit this tragic tale. We originally released it as part of our "Aaah Alcatraz" podcast series.
Veteran Bay Area radio personalities re-create a 1946 broadcast of Sam Spade and "The Blood Money Caper."
Thanks to the California Historical Radio Society, we are able to share with you the panel discussion from a recent luncheon honoring KFOG as the Legendary Radio Station Of The Year. The station was honored for the "Foghead" years of the 80s, 90s, and beyond.
FOFF (Friend of the Finch Files) Pat Mackey lost his dad recently. In tribute to the late Howard Mackey, we repost this piece we did about the time he and his wife Barbara packed up their boys and unwittingly took them to one of the most violence rock concerts of all time.
Back on New Years Eve, NASA's New Horizons spacecraft passed Ultima Thule beyond Pluto. It the most distant world to every experience a fly by. It was a bonus for New Horizons which had already accomplished its main mission, which was to visit Pluto. Quite an accomplishment for a mission that appeared dead in the water several times. Here we revisit a piece we did with the authors of a book on New Horizons.
He moved to San Francisco four years ago and proceeded to go on 120 Tinder dates in two years. This is his story. (Warning: There are some "F-Bombs" in this that have not been bleeped).
Feel the warmth, as indy musicians in San Francisco gathered over the holidays to raise money for a good cause.
This is the story of a man who tweets as the late San Francisco newspaper columnist Herb Caen (@HerbCaenDaily). The kicker? He's in Alabama.
Peter has a cold and sounds horrible, we've decided to revisit this sweet episode from last December.
This time around, we offer up a plan for pet owners when disaster strikes. (Timely for us here in Northern California).
They paid her to watch disturbing videos. (Note: while the content is not graphic, there is one obscenity, and this episode is not appropriate for children).
Four years after his death, the folks with Comedy Day keep on keeping on without their friend and benefactor Robin Williams.
We switch back to the long-form format in this episode to pay homage to the Bazaar Cafe. Owners Les and Makiko are retiring after 20 wonderful years running this very special venue.
Three things you'll learn from this episode:
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Once a year, a team of all-female volunteers fix up a home, shelter, or schools in one of San Francisco's low-income neighborhoods.
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There are lots of opportunities these days for women who'd like to work in construction.
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Construction dudes are cool with working with women (even if they're agnostic vegans).
We pay a visit to a wonderful indy arts venue located in San Francisco's nitty gritty Tenderloin district.
Meet Kai Hutchins. Nice guy. He and his saxophone are a fixture in Willie Mays Plaza following SF Giants home games.
In 1989, a small group of scientists (The Pluto Underground) decided to make it their mission to convince NASA to send a spacecraft to Pluto. This is their story.
John Lee Hooker couldn't read or write, but he sure could play the blues. Hear how his family, and his former personal assistant are trying to encourage literacy while keeping the blues alive through the John Lee Hooker Foundation (johnleehookerfoundation.org).
We kick off our new short-form Finch Files by introducing you to a woman who is arguably the world's leading expert on scorpions.
Recorded live at the Bazaar Cafe in San Francisco, this episode features storytellers, musicians, and a host with a head cold.
A pot-stealing raccoon, the least cool trailer for a stoner movie ever, and a thoughtful exploration of California's new law legalizing recreational marijuana use, can all be found in this episode.
Brutally honest, cringe-worthy tales of parental betrayal, musical angst, and restaurant diarrhea.
Tired of all the evil happening in the world? In this episode we hear about people working to make things better.
Edgar Allan Poe erotic fan fiction, monster pumpkins, and zombie lessons. It's our annual Halloween episode.
Tom Petty, Hugh Hefner, a sleazy private detective, and gender identity all show up in this episode.
Musicians, podcasters, and a guy who shows us how to make scrambled eggs show up on this episode.
Eclipse-chaser Michael Aisner, musicians Matt Nathanson and Brett Dennen, and future baseball hall-of-famer David Ortiz weigh in on special moments.
A theatrical tribute to Robin Williams raises money to help senior dogs, the homeless, poor kids in Haiti, incarcerated youth, and kids with special needs.
In what may be our most entertaining episode to date we give you stand-up comedy, a story from Porchlight, and a recreation of a 1949 radio detective drama.
What's in like to be a homeless junkie, a "starving artist," or a poor college student in a city like San Francisco. We explore that question. Guests include socio-political comedian W. Kamau Bell, and Patreon co-founder and CEO Jack Conte.
Chasing solar eclipses, spoofing social media apps, reading...just some of the ways our guests spend their free time.
Meet a woman who is trying to make scents (correct spelling) out of Shakespeare, a teacher teaching Shakespeare to students who have trouble speaking, and a high school senior who got to perform Shakespeare at the Lincoln Center in New York.
For some reason this earlier Episode on the infamous 1969 concert disappeared from our feed, so we're reposting it.
We visit Boulder, CO, Huntington, WV, and Oakland, CA to make sure science exists. Guests include Mary Roach, Dr Sydnee McElroy, and a cowboy.
Turns out it's okay to be a helicopter parents when your child with special needs ages out of the education system.
In this episode we look at what happens when young people with Autism or other special needs age out of the education system.
Rolling Stone magazine once called it "Rock and Roll's all-time worst day." In this episode we take you back to the 1969 Altamont music festival.
This is the first episode of our new short form podcast "Aaah Alcatraz." To hear future episodes you'll need to support us (just $1 a month) at www.patreon.com/finchfiles
Note: This is a refeed of our most recent episode. For some reason those who listen on iTunes weren't able to get it to play. Fingers crossed.
Depending on your age, this will either be a "trip" down memory lane, or a history lesson.
In this episode we introduce you to some of the impressive women we've gotten to profile over the years.
Big wave surfers (Kealii Mamala & Jeff Clark), disabled sailors, and an obsessive collector of plastic are among those appearing in this episode.
Musicians, poets, performers, and podcasters weigh in on the new presidential administration.
This episode is about good and creative ideas that start small and sometimes (sometimes not) grow into something big. It includes appearances by the Foo Fighters, Travis McElroy, and a donut tree.
Happy New Year! This optimistic episode includes stories of earache relief, new nipples, and employment for ex-cons.
Happy Holidays! We celebrate the 50th anniversary of the t-v special, "How the Grinch Stole Christmas."
Kung Pao Kosher Comedy, A visit from a beloved Santa, and a lament from author Mary Roach are included in this episode.
We check in with the popular radio DJs who were all let go by KFOG radio in San Francisco back in April.
In this one we hear from clever parents including Justin McElroy (My Brother, My Brother, and Me) and Raquel D'Apice (The Ugly Volvo), as well as from the offspring of clever parents Walt Disney and Ken Kesey.
Zombies? Check. Ghosts? Check. A Haunted House? Check. Here's our annual Halloween episode.
This episode is on this wild presidential election. A stand up comedian, a psychotherapist, and a Trump supporter are among those weighing in.
Singer-songwriter Matt Nathanson, Hall of Fame DJ Dave Morey, and John Goddard, owner of the legendary Village Music record shop are among those discussing our love of albums.
Life lessons: Never wait to tell someone you love them, never ride a skateboard without a helmet, and never forget your daughter's diaper bag and get caught in a demonstration outside the American embassy in Paris in the 1950's.
This episode includes appearances by Moon Zappa, myth buster Adam Savage, and an 83-year old ex con.
San Francisco radio personalities perform The Maltese Falcon after we visit the apartment that inspired Sam Spade's living quarters.