2008

 

Recent West Coast Live Shows

SATURDAY January 12, 2008

- We start our 15th Year of West Coast Live at the San Francisco Ferry Building, site of CUESA's San Francisco Farmers' Market -- (as will our show be on January 19 and 26th). As for ways to get to the show, here's a map.

• ANNE LAMOTT, author and commentator, and long-time regular guest.
• CLAIRE PEASLEE, naturalist
• TIPS ON TRAVEL, with KARL and CARL
• LINDA TILLERY and the CULTURAL HERITAGE CHOIR, whose voices and rhythms are extraordinary.
• BILL HAYES, author of The Anatomist: A Story of Gray's Anatomy, the book renowned for its illustrations by H.V. Carter and text of the human body by Henry Gray.
• DIANE HIDY, special guest house pianist, the first house pianist for West Coast Live, in for Mike Greensill.

 

LIVE SATURDAY January 19, 2008 - at the San Francisco Ferry Building, site of CUESA's San Francisco Farmers' Market -- (as will our show be on January 26th). As for ways to get to the show, here's a map.

• MICHAEL POLLAN, author of The Omnivore's Dilemma has a new book In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto.
• RICKI LAKE, actor, talk show host, filmmaker has a new documentary, The Business of Being Born, about home birth.
• SOLID AIR, with ALLEGRA BROUGHTON and SAM PAGE.
• Music from piano player MIKE GREENSILL, who knows his meat from his veg.

 

LIVE SATURDAY January 26, 2008 - at the San Francisco Ferry Building, site of CUESA's San Francisco Farmers' Market. As for ways to get to the show, here's a map.

• NILOUFER ICHAPORIA KING, anthropologist, food scholar, author of My Bombay Kitchen which traces three generations of Parsi family.
• J.T. and the CLOUDS, half-boogie, half-soul, and half-swing. A true 1.5 group!
• DANA FRANK, author of Local Girl Makes History: Exploring Northern California's Kitsch Monuments, her take on memory and the mysteries of childhood California haunts and why they are important to our national history.
• ROY FONG, Daoist priest and founder of The Imperial Tea Room in the Ferry Building and Berkeley.
• BETH LISICK, author and humorist, latest report from her head is of a year spent with 10 self-improvement gurii. How's she fare? See for yourself!
• KUGELPLEX, Klezmer for a rainy day.
• Music from piano player MIKE GREENSILL, whose musical roots sprout great sounds

 

LIVE SATURDAY February 2nd, 2008 - from New York City at Joe Papp's Public Theater club at 425 Lafayette in NYC: JOE'S PUB

Two shows: 10AM (doors 9:30a and 1PM (live show-doors 12:30p). Tickets are $15 in advance, $18 at door, $12 for kids and seniors. WCL is NOT handling ticketing; use Joe's Pub link above, or call 1-212.967.7555.

10AM eastern time show (airs February 9th) Guests include

• KATHA POLLITT author, humorist and political thinker, her latest book is a memoir: Learning to Drive: And other life stories .
• OMER KLEIN composer and pianist.
• ROY BLOUNT, JR, president of Authors Guild and he has a new book Long Time Leaving
• JAMES McBRIDE, author of Color of Water and Song Yet Sung and sax player.
• REV BILLY and his choir, from his street ministry

1PM eastern time show (airs live 10AM PST this day) guests so far:

• CALVIN TRILLIN, welcoming us to NYC and giving us street-smart tips..
• JUDY COLLINS, direct from the Village folk music scene!
• ALI ESKANDARIAN, Iranian-born singer-songwriter based in NYC.
• EDITH GROSSMAN, foremost translator of Spanish literature into English, from Garcia Marquez to Cervantes.
• THE HOLMES BROTHERS, with their music cooking tips
• Music from piano player MIKE GREENSILL, who knows NY like the tips of his fingers

 

SATURDAY February 9th, 2008 - from Joe's Pub in NYC on Feb 2nd. (Takes a week to cross the country via Pony Express....)

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 16th (from 11/13/99)

ARCHIVE CLASSIC show from The Freight and Salvage Coffee House.We've been listening to it this week to make sure it's good enough...We find it, well modesty prevents us from grading it above the A+ we've given it in the office.

• Actor GENE HACKMAN and underwater archaeologist DANIEL LENIHAN, authors of Wake Of The Perdido Star.
• ISABEL ALLENDE, author of Daughter Of Fortune.
• DON WALSER, "The Pavarotti of the Plains" with good ol' down-home Texas music and teller of Alaska-Texas stories.
• Singer-songwriter LUCY KAPLANSKY, whose latest recording (in 1999 was) Ten Year Night and joins with Don in a duet.
• And featuring the late, great IRVING KAPLANSKY, Lucy's Dad, as the house pianist.

 

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 23rd -- Back Live

2008 Live show from The Freight and Salvage Coffee House Guests include .

• ANNE LAMOTT, novelist and essayist
• APRHODESIA, world music
• EDNA O'BRIEN, Irish playwright and novelist in San Francisco with a new play
• STEVE TOLTZ, Australian novelist
• CLAUDIA RUSSELL, musician
• MIKE GREENSILL, house pianist

 

SATURDAY MARCH 1st - Live at the Freight

2008 Live show from The Freight and Salvage Coffee House, 1111 Addison at San Pablo in Berkeley. Morning pastries and cofees available. Guests include ..

• CARRIE FISHER, actress, appearing in Wishful Drinking at Berkeley Rep.
• PEGGY ORENSTEIN, memoirist and fan of the book by BENEDICT and NANCY FREEDMAN Mrs. Mike
• KILLDEER, musical ensemble with Ashleigh Flynn, jim Brunberg, and Chris Funk
• MICHAEL KRASNY, memoirist
• MANIL SURI, novelist The Death of Vishnu and The Age of Shiva
• MIKE GREENSILL, house pianist

 

SATURDAY MARCH 8th, 2008 (from Feb. 21, 1998)

From The Great American Music Hall as rain sluiced down that day.

• Singer-songwriter LOUDON WAINWRIGHT III, deaturing music from his latest recording Little Ship.
• IAN McEWAN, author of Enduring Love , The Innocent ", and Black Dogs .
• DEAN KOONTZ, author of Fear Nothng and Intensity.
• Dmitri and Ivan of THE FLYING KARAMAZOV BROTHERS.
• The naturalist perspective from CLAIRE PEASLEE.
• Radio improvisation from TRUE FICTION MAGAZINE.
• Music from piano player MIKE GREENSILL

 

• MARCH 15:
• WENDY MERRILL, author, Falling Into Manholes
• LAURA M. FLYNN, author, Swallows the Ocean
• J. MICHAEL WALKER, author, All The Saints of the City of Angels
• Musical guests, The STAIRWELL SISTERS
• Mike Greensill
• MARCH 22
• CAILLE MILLNER, author, The Golden Road
• LYDIA MILLET, author, How the Dead Dream
• PROF. RICHARD HAND, who, with a colleague, found an early NOEL COWARD play "lost" in the Lord Chamberlain's Censorship Files, The Better Half, which is now being staged in San Francisco.
• Musical guests RUPA and THE APRIL FISHES
• Mike Greensill

 

• MARCH 29
• RICHARD PRICE, author, Lush Life
• TOBIAS WOLFF, author, Our Story Begins
• EDWARD DOCX, author, Pravda
• Musical guests EDMUND WELLES: THE BASS CLARINET QUARTET
• THE VERY HOT CLUB
• MIKE GREENSILL

 

SATURDAY APRIL 5th: this Saturday

at the Freight and Salvage 1111 Addison, Berkeley, off University and San Pablo....continental snacks and coffee available

• SCOTT SIMON, NPR presenter and author, with his latest: Windy City: A Novel of Politics which is also a comic thriller.
• SUSAN GRIFFIN, her latest book Wrestling with Angel of Democracy, the Autobiography of an American Citizen explores the state of mind that engenders and sustains democracy.
• ANDRE LEWIS, author and pilot. His new book for children: I Want to Fly dreams come true through kindness and generosity.
• MARTIN HAYES and DENNIS CAHILL, Irish fiddle virtuoso and American guitarist with classical, blues and jazz influences. explores the state of mind that engenders and sustains democracy.
• MIKE GREENSILL, the man who knows where to stash his glass of ale and cast a marvelling eye at our theme today.

 

 

SATURDAY APRIL 12th

at the Freight and Salvage 1111 Addison, Berkeley, off University and San Pablo....continental snacks and coffee available

• SUE MILLER, Her new novel is The Senator's Wife , as "timely as today's headhlines" some might say, but we won't. She also wrote The Good Mother , and several other renowned novels.
• OMAR SOSA, one of the world's most incredible and profound musicians.
• KARL and CARL, with timely tips on travel, two folkjs who know their Condé from their Nast
• J.C. TORBILLION, poet-at-large
• MARK WILSON, he has a new account of the life of architect JULIA MORGAN
• Other guests to come.
• J. RAOUL BRODY , dashingly in for Mike Greensill.

 

 

SATURDAY APRIL 19th at the Freight and Salvage 1111 Addison, Berkeley, off University and San Pablo....continental snacks and coffee available

• PATRICK McGRATH, British novelist here with his latest: Trauma
• NATHANIEL RICH, his latest book The Mayor's Tongue . madness, love, myths, playful language.
• MELANIE ABRAMS, author. Her new book: I Playing brings passions, a triangle and dark moments of insight and freedom.
• TIN CUP SERENADE, newses recording: Tin Cup Serenade!
• MIKE GREENSILL, the man who knows how to clean his keys with gin.

 

APRIL 26th, 2008 -- archive show from June 16th, 2001. Back live next week

• Wendy Wasserstein, The late, great Pulitzer Prize winning playwright of The Heidi Chronicles and author of Shiksa Goddess, or How I Spent My Forties
• Bluegrass music from The Waybacks.
• Peter Nichols, author of A Voyage for Madmen
• Maestro Tom Torriglia of The Squeegees.
• Travel tips from KARL and CARL, who are performing LIVE TONIGHT 2008, April 26th, at 142 Throckmorton, Mill Valley. Their show: IRRATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC!.
• WAVY GRAVY, founder of Camp Winnarainbow in a special 72nd birthday salute. He's holding another great party benefit on May 15th, also at 142 Throckmorton Theater, Mill Valley.
• Music from piano player Mike Greensill.

 

LIVE SATURDAY May 3rd, 2008 - at the San Francisco Ferry Building, site of CUESA's San Francisco Farmers' Market As for ways to get to the show, here's a map.

• JIM STEINMEYER, author of The Book of the Damned: The Collected Works of Charles Fort an account of man and the weird supernatural sightings, pre-News of the World
• ROBERT BLY, and EAVAN BOLAND, poets, (or, as a British Immigration official decided about W.H. Auden on seeing his occupation on his immigration card, crossed out poet and wrote unemployed.
• ELIZABETH MCKENZIE, author of , MacGregor Tells the World,
• CLAIRE PEASLEE, naturalist on the nouveau spring.
• JULIE CUMMINS, talks trash about the Waste Wise efforts at the Farmers Market.
• CALAVERAS,whose latest recording Green Girl takes the traditional fiddle and fuses with a folk and jazz rhythm section and a strong lead guitar.
• Music from piano player MIKE GREENSILL, who knows his meat from his veg.

 

LIVE SATURDAY MAY 10, 2008 - at the San Francisco Ferry Building, site of CUESA's San Francisco Farmers' Market As for ways to get to the show, here's a map.

LIVE SATURDAY May 17th, 2008 - at the BERKELEY REP THEATRE , 2025 Addison Street near Shattuck in Downtown Berkeley, Air conditioning, comfortable, lovely courtyard, concession refreshments. Intimate thrust stage, Totally cool place and way to start the day. Great restaurants nearby for lunch after.

 

• SYLVIA BROWNRIGG, author of Morality Tale a new book about the triangulations of a marriage, mordant, saucy innocence say some. Also, author of the forthcoming The Delivery Room, and the acclaimed and saucy Pages for You.
• MARY ROACH, author of Bonk: The curious Coupling of Science and Sex, once again takes to place her curiosity leads and we follow.
• RABIH ALAMEDDINE, author of The Hakawati
• STAN DEVOTO, of Devoto Gardens, growers in Sebastopol of heirloom apples and flowers.
• Music from THE BLUEBELLIES, with whom you'll be laughing and dancing.
• Music from piano player MIKE GREENSILL, who knows his meat from his veg.
• CARL HIAASEN, author and humorist whose books include Sick Puppy, Native Tongue, Downhill Lie and Hoot
• ANDREW SEAN GREER, whose new book is The Story of a Marriage
• JIM SHEELER, author of FINAL SALUTE
• The CALIFORNIA HONEYDROPS, whose cookin' roots soul is beyond refreshing.
• JANE HIRSHFIELD, poet, whose books include After also appears at the Marin Poetry Festival this weekend.
• Music from piano player MIKE GREENSILL, who knows his left hand from his right.

 

LIVE SATURDAY MAy 24, 2008 - at the San Francisco Ferry Building, site of CUESA's San Francisco Farmers' MarketAs for ways to get to the show, here's a map.

• ELEANOR COPPOLA, author of Notes on a Life including her work as a filmmaker.
• JOHN STRALEY, author and private eye in Sitka, Alaska, has a new thriller set in 1935, The Big Both Ways.
• AUGUST KLEINZAHLER, poet who doesn't like to call himself a poet whose marvelous books include The Strange Hours Travelers Keep and Sleeping It Off in Rapid City.
• RICK DI DIA and AIREENE ESPIRITU,Guitar meets ukulele. Guitar loses ukulele. Guitar wins ukulele .
• WES SCOOP NISKER, author of Crazy Wisdom Saves The World Again .
• Music from piano player MIKE GREENSILL, who knows his Sitka from his Skagway

 

LIVE SATURDAY MAY 31, 2008 - at the San Francisco Ferry Building, site of CUESA's San Francisco Farmers' Market As for ways to get to the show, here's a map.

• COURTNEY JONES, the singer-songwriter stops in for some songs and tea.
• TIM WINTON, the renowned Australian author of Cloudstreet and Dirt Music whose new novel Breath takes us into the world of surfers, dark histories, and the confluence of adolescence and adulthood in Western Australian.
• DAN ROAM, who believes that any problem can be solved by drawing it out on a napkin.
• ROBERT QUILLEN CAMP, director and RYAN EGGENSPERGER , actor, from their show The Group .
• MARIA MIKHEYENKO , singer, with an aria from the show Trap Door, an absurdist opera combining an Iraq experience with The Stranger by Camus.
• Music from piano player MIKE GREENSILL, a true afficianado of kale.

 

LIVE SATURDAY JUNE 7th, 2008 at the Freight and Salvage 1111 Addison, Berkeley, off University and San Pablo....continental snacks and coffee available

• WILLIAM GIBSON, author of Spook Country , Neuromancer where he coined phrase cyberspace, and many other books. One of the great original thinkers of our time.
• and in a kind of generational mash-up:
• LARRY GALLAGHER, singer-songwriter whose lovely deadpan style has that certain Je ne sais quoi.
• LISA LUTZ, author of The Spellman Files, and Curse of The Spellmans which share their author's comic audacity.
• ANDREA ASKOWITZ , author of My Miserable, Lonely, Lesbian Pregnancy.
• ADAIR LARA, author of The Granny Diaries: An Insider's Guide for New Grandmothers ahead of the curve for baby boomers with grand humour and insight.
• MARY POLS, author of Accidentally on Purpose with the longest sub-title of the year.
• Music from piano player MIKE GREENSILL, who plays from all generations.

 

LIVE SATURDAY JUNE 14th, 2008 Live show from The Freight and Salvage Coffee House, 1111 Addison at San Pablo in Berkeley. Morning pastries and coffees available. TODAY, their 40th Anniversary Celebration

• ROY ZIMMERMAN, song stylist with political humor.
• JEFF GOLDEN, author of Unafraid the history of the U.S. if JFK had survived the Dallas shooting in 1963..
• JOHN NATHAN, author of Living Carelessly in Tokyo and Elsewhere , his memoir of his years of fascination with the Japanese culture .
• AMELIA, Portland Oregon group with travelin' groove.
• PHIL MARSH with members of the Cleanliness and Godliness Skiffle Band, the very first act to play the Freight returns on this the 40th Anniversary of the Freight..
• Music from piano man MIKE GREENSILL, who used to work the Hong Kong Honky-Tonks.

 

LIVE SATURDAY (Lookin'f for Cool this morning?) JUNE 21st, 2008 Live show from The Freight and Salvage Coffee House, 1111 Addison at San Pablo in Berkeley. Morning pastries and coffees available.

• MARC ACITO, comic writer.
• MICHAEL MEYER, author of The Last Days of Old Beijing an account of what is being lost and what is being left in China.
• SALMAN RUSHDIE, whose latest book The Enchantress of Florence time travels between two cities.
• ED REED, jazz singer of acclaim.
• Music from piano man MIKE GREENSILL, who used to work the Hong Kong Honky-Tonks.

 

SATURDAY JUNE 28th a CLASSIC FROM THE ARCHIVES - June 30th, 2007. Next week: LIVE

• KYLER ENGLAND, singer-songwriter of grace and panache
• CARL and KARL, Karl and Carl with their tips on travel, leaving you gasping with jet laughs.
• TONY and CATHY ANGELO, piano duo, part of their music festival of multiple pianos and many hands July 5-9, 2007 and JULY 5-7, 2008
• DAN IMHOFF Food Fight, Paper or Plastic, author of books and speaker about food, environment and design.
• GREG MASSA brown rice grower from Massa Organics in the Central Valley
• EMILY MITCHELL, author of The Last Summer of the World her novel about the photographer Edward Steichen's wartime return to France and his reckoning with his past.
• MIKE GREENSILL, the man who knows the white keys from the black keys

 

LIVE SATURDAY JULY 5th, 2008 Featuring Guest Host Mr. MIKE GREENSILL at this week's Live show from the San Francisco Ferry Building,

site of CUESA's San Francisco Farmers' Market ). As for ways to get to the show, here's a map. After 1252 shows, Sedge is giving the red shoes a brief respite. But he's so excited about this show Mike is hosting, he might well want to stop by anyway....(but won't -- just listen from around the Bay

• The HOT CLUB OF SAN FRANCISCO, as the house band today.
• KATIE HAFNER, author of A Romance on Three Legs an account of the adventures of Glenn Gould's piano.
• MIRIAM GOODMAN, whose latest book Reinventing Retirement on keeping receding dream possible .
• AMY TAN, talks about her new opera based on The Bonesetter's Daughter.
• Music from LARKIN GAYL, with WESLA WHITFIELDwho lifts her voice in song.
• The Annual West Coast Live holiday reading of THE DECLARATION of INDEPENDENCE, read aloud by some 30 members of today's audience, with Mike playing Lift ev'ry voice
• members of the SF GAY MEN'S CHORUS, on hand to celebrate the wedding of ASA DE MATTEO and TOM BRADY, affianced for over 30 years, officiated by the Rev. SAM BARRY. What a frabjulous day

 

LIVE SATURDAY JULY 12th, 2008 Live show from the San Francisco Ferry Building, site of CUESA's San Francisco Farmers' Market - As for ways to get to the show, here's a map. Today: Sedge welcomes:

• ROGER TROTT, musician author of Getting in Tune set in the California punk and rock scenes.
• ZOË FERRARIS, author of Finding Nouf a novel of disappearance
• TONI MIROSEVICH, poet, urban explorer, essayist, whose latest collection is Pink Harvests time travels between two cities.
• KA'ALA and KAWIKA , ukulele and steel guitar..
• Music from bon vivant MIKE GREENSILL, whose massaged many keyboards in his young life..

 

LIVE SATURDAY JULY 19, 2008 Live show from The SEATTLE TOWN HALL, 1119 Eighth Avenue (at Seneca Street). Parking friendly, too. One of our West Coast Live tours the West Coast shows this year. Tix through 415-664-9500, TicketWeb , or at the door.

• EOIN COLFER, hilarious author of the Artemis Fowl series.
• DAVID GUTERSON, author of Snow Falling on Cedars and his new book The Other.
• MARY WOODWARD, author of In Defense of Our Neighbors, the story of her newspaper publisher parents who spoke out against World War 2 internment. Models for the characters in Snow Falling on Cedars.
• AMY WALKER, whose 21 Accents YouTube piece has led to a new one-woman show at the Kenyon Hall.
• SPOONSHINE, bluegrass world beat, or worldgrass bluebeat.
• HAWK ARPS, vibraphone/harp, with pianist Overton Berry and his bass player Mike Eytcheson.
• Music from piano man JOSHUA BRODY, whose encyclopedic musical mind trumps wikipedia, perhaps...
• Books on sale courtesy of Susan Scott from The Secret Garden Bookshop.

SATURDAY JULY 26th, 2008 (from Feb 2nd, 2008 live show in NYC)

• CALVIN TRILLIN, welcoming us to NYC and giving us street-smart tips..
• JUDY COLLINS, direct from the Village folk music scene!
• ALI ESKANDARIAN, Iranian-born singer-songwriter based in NYC.
• EDITH GROSSMAN, foremost translator of Spanish literature into English, from Garcia Marquez to Cervantes.
• THE HOLMES BROTHERS, with their music cooking tips
• Music from piano player MIKE GREENSILL, who knows NY like the tips of his fingers

SATURDAY AUGUST 2nd, 2008 Live show from the San Francisco Ferry Building, site of CUESA's San Francisco Farmers' Market - As for ways to get to the show, here's a map.

• ROGER REES , with a one man Shakespearian show, What You Will at ACT.
• JESS WINFIELD, author of My Name is Will, who won't be as Titus Andronicus.
• PAULA WEST, wonderful chanteuse. in with Broadway star Carole Cooke
• LEAH GARCHIK, author of Real Life Romance.
• Music from piano player and guest host today MIKE GREENSILL, in with the Mike Greensill Quartet

AUGUST 9th, 2008 (from April 17, 2004) Great reruns until next live show, at the S.F. Ferry Building, Saturday 30 August, 2008

Live show from The 12 Galaxies.

• SURF COASTERS (Surf Music from Japan)
• ROGER McGUINN, guitarist, The Byrds, with his jingle-jangle 12-string guitar
• DAVID SANGER & JOHN HART, authors, "San Francisco Bay"
• RUTH OZEKI, novelist and filmmaker
• ALICE STUART, musician and swimmer
• the Aquaphones
• the luscious Mike Greensill at the piano



• AUGUST 16th (from April 24, 2004) Great reruns until next live show, at the S.F. Ferry Building, Saturday 30 August, 2008

• Show from The 12 Galaxies.

• A.S.BYATT- novelist,
• DAVE GLEASON & WASTED DAYS, some extraterrestial C&W
• LYNN TRUSS, punctuation star and author, "Eats, Shoots and Leaves"
• Pico Iyer, travel philosopher/futurist
• HILL KEMP, author, "Capitol Offense," guitarist
• REV BILLY and His Choir, appearing from NYC at the Castro tonight
• and the dapper MIKE GREENSILL



• AUGUST 23, 2008, the last of our Summer Classic series, from July 20th, 1996

  From Pier Half in San Francisco. It was a cooker of a day, celebrating Books By The Bay and independent booksellers. (We return live August 30, 2008, to the Ferry Building.) On hand 12 years ago:..

  • AMY TAN, author of "The Joy Luck Club", "Kitchen Gods", and "Required Reading and Other Dangerous Subjects" whose new 2008 opera The Bonesetter's Daughter opens at the San Francisco Opera in September. Amy and others from the production will be our guests on September 6th, at the Ferry Building.
  • HOT CLUB OF SAN FRANCISCO, Paul Mehling and friends conjur up Django Reinhardt.
  • BRENDAN GILL, witty author of Late Bloomers and Here at the New Yorker, who in fact also wrote a libretto for an opera at the SF Opera. Mr. Gill died in 1997 at age 83.
  • Harpist DEBORAH HENSON-CONANT who melds blues and classical and jazz. Our director helped with sunscreen. DHC tours the West Coast in 2009..
  • ANNE LAMOTT, author of Bird by Bird, Operating Instructions, and Crooked Little Heart.
  • Rock band BARROOM BOOKWORMS, with Amy Tan, Kathi Goldmark, Ben Fong-Torres, Mary Mackey. An off-shoot of the Rock Bottom Remainders, in the second of the only two appearances of this ensemble.
  • DIANE HIDY, our then house pianist.

  AUGUST 30th, 2008 live at the San Francisco Ferry Building, site of CUESA's San Francisco Farmers' Market

  • UPDATE:
  • Heard instead today a show from 2003 taken from an archive at our Chicago uplink. In San Francisco, a non-functional phone line kept us from connecting to our uplink, which is how the show gets to you. (A large arrrrgggh could be heard from our production staff.) Today's show will air in the next few weeks. We expect the line to be working for next week's live show. Our apologies to all. We do hope you enjoyed the unexpected rerun.
  • As for ways to get to the show, here's a map.
  • SARK, author of Juicy Pens, Thirsty Paper.
  • MARILYN YALOM, author of History of the Breast and The American Resting Place: Four Hundred Years of History Through Our Cemeteries and Burial Grounds.
  • ANDREW FOSTER ALTSCHUL, author of the novel Lady Lazarus a "grunge novel".
  • JOHN SHANNON, guitarist.
  • MIKE GREENSILL, our elegant house pianist.

  SEPTEMBER 6th, live at the San Francisco Ferry Building, site of CUESA's San Francisco Farmers' Market As for ways to get to the show, here's a map.

• AMY TAN, author of The Joy Luck Club, Kitchen Gods, and The Bonesetter's Daughter.the novel from which Amy has written a libretto for new San Francisco opera production, with music by Stewart Wallace.
• STEWART WALLACE, composer of The Bonesetter's Daughter.
• HAO JIN TIAN, author of Along the Roaring River: My Wild Ride from Mao to the Met. and Chinese bass appearing The Bonesetter's Daughter.
• WU TONG, sheng star and composer, member of the Silk Road Ensemble.
• TAMIM ANSARY, author of West of Kabul, East of New York.
• JESSICA YU, Academy Award winning director, whose new film is the comedy Ping Pong Playa along with the starring actor, comedian JIMMY TSAI.
• TIM FLANNERYsinger-songwriter, and S.F. Giants third base coach.
• MIKE GREENSILL, our Dursely-born-who-knows-his-way-around-the-former-British-Empire house pianist.

SEPTEMBER 13th, live at the San Francisco Ferry Building, site of CUESA's San Francisco Farmers' MarketAs for ways to get to the show, here's a map.

• ISHMAEL REED , author of Mixing It Up: Taking on the Media Bullies and other reflections.
• HANIF KUREISHI, author playwright and screenwriter of Something To Tell YouMy Beautiful Laundrette and The Buddha of Suburbia.
• WAVE, Women's Antique Vocal Ensemble
• CHRIS ADRIAN, author of A Better Angel and Gob's Grief.
• STEVE SANDO, heir to heirloom beans from Rancho Gordo.
• A.T. STEFANSKI, from Uncommon Brewers, a community-oriented organic microbrewery in Santa Cruz county. using traditional Belgian brewing technique grounded in the principles of the Slow Food Movement,
• MIKE GREENSILL, our ebullient house pianist.

SEPTEMBER 20th, live at the San Francisco Ferry Building, site of CUESA's San Francisco Farmers' MarketAs for ways to get to the show, here's a map.

• IRVINE WELSH, Edinburgh-born author of Trainspotting and The Bedroom Secrets of the Master Chefs, and If You Liked School You'll Love Work.
• JUNOT DIAZ, author of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao and Drown, and If You Liked School You'll Love Work.
• MANOEL FELCIANO, actor currently appearing in ACT's production of Tom Stoppard's Rock 'n Roll.
• TED LEYHE, and LINDSAY DUPONT preservers and illustrators of the JIM COPP and ED BROWN stories.
• MIKE GREENSILL, nimbly house pianist.

SEPTEMBER 27th, live at the PORT TOWNSEND FILM FESTIVAL in the UPSTAGE CAFE , 923 Washington Street, in Port Townsend, Washington.

Tix $15 advanced. For Film Festival Pass Holders, $10 at the door. filmic marvels and the aroma of organic popcorn on the radio, and featuring

• PIPER LAURIE,star with Paul Newman in The Hustler and with Sissy Spacek in Carrie.
• RICHARD KENNEY, poet, whose books include The One-Strand River and The Invention of Zero.
• THE INSOMNIACS stellar blues band from Portland, Oregon.
• TODD DARLING, director, whose current documentary A Snowmobile for George, a road-trip film showing the consequences of environmental deregulation
• MITCHELL HOLMAN, bowable bass and vocals. He's the WCL engineer and original bass player and singer for It's a Beautiful Day
• Other great guests to be announced.
• PETE TOYNE, in for Mike Greensill.

SEPTEMBER 29th, a rare Monday night Show at the Stage Door Theater, Mt. Shasta, California, for air later in the autumn,

• PERRY SIMS, Mt. Shasta historian.
• MARY ELENA FERNANDEZ and SANDRA AMA LIBBY, poets.
• KAZANGO JAZZ, gypsyjazz marvels.
• JAMIE LAVAL Celtic Fiddle Champion.
• Other great guests to be announced.
• MIKE GREENSILL, nimble house pianist.

OCTOBER 4th, live at the San Francisco Ferry Building, site of CUESA's San Francisco Farmers' Market As for ways to get to the show, here's a map.

• PERCUSSION GROUP CINCINNATI, whose different drummers yield different beats on the most curious of implements
• GARY WEIMBERG, who'll talk about his film Soldiers of Conscience to be shown 16 October on the PBS P.O.V. series.
• FRANCES DINKELSPIEL, author of Towers of Gold: How One Jewish Immigrant Named Isaias Hellman Created California a long title and large claim..
• ERIC HAMILTON, classical guitarist with music of bach and Dowland.
• DANNY GOLDBERG, record industry producer and author of a memoir, Bumping Into Geniuses.
• REV BILLY, spiritual activist.
• Other great guests to be announced.
• MIKE GREENSILL, nimbly house pianist.

OCTOBER 11th, live show from a mavericky undisclosed location. No Tix available this week. Tix again from Oct 18 on.

• TIN CUP TRIO, a subset of Tin Cup Serenade, with with tunes for our new financial times.
• ANNE LAMOTT, with some thoughts for the election season and about her late great friend, Molly Ivins
• TIMOTHY GARTON ASH, of eight books of political writing or history of the present which have charted the transformation of Europe over the last quarter-century. He is Professor at Oxford. His latest book is Free World: Why a Crisis of the West Reveals the Opportunity of Our Time.
• ANN PACKER, author of The Dive from Clausen's Pier with some thoughts on her election-year travels.
• SYLVIA BROWNRIGG, author of Morality Tale and the new The Delivery Room whose characters muse about the value of following elections.
• MIKE GREENSILL, THAT house pianist.

OCTOBER 18th, live at the San Francisco Ferry Building, site of CUESA's San Francisco Farmers' Market As for ways to get to the show, here's a map.

• SARAH VOWELL,author and radio persona whose newest book is The Wordy Shipmates.
• VAN JONES author of The Green Collar Economy
• JONATHAN CARROLL,author of The Ghost in Love.
• JEFF CURTIS,musician
• .
• ALICE DI MICELE, singer-songwriter in from Medford, Oregon.
• MIKE GREENSILL, our saucy house pianist. PLUS Chocolate for everyone from ScharffenBerger - and much, much more! We are the full service radio show.

OCTOBER 25th, live at the San Francisco Ferry Building, site of CUESA's San Francisco Farmers' Market As for ways to get to the show, here's a map.

• MARIAN WRIGHT EDELMAN, founder of the Children's Defense Fund and author, whose new book is The Sea Is So Wide and My Boat Is So Small: Charting a Course for the Next Generation
• LIZZ WINSTEAD, comedian and co-creator of The Daily Show.
• JEFF GOLDEN Ashland, Oregon-based author of Unafraid: A novel of the possible
• ANDREA MARCOVICCI, chanteuse and actor.
• other guests TBA, to join this float trip on the River Sedge
• MIKE GREENSILL, our saucy house pianist. PLUS Chocolate for everyone from ScharffenBerger - and much, much more! We are the full service radio show.

NOVEMBER 1st, live at the San Francisco Ferry Building, site of CUESA's San Francisco Farmers' Market As for ways to get to the show, here's a map.

• The Soldier's Tale,the Oakland Opera Theater's take on Stravinksy's opera about devil's deals on the economy.
• MARK NADLER, who finds comedy in the Russian masters in Russian on the Side.
• KEN WALDMAN, Alaska's fiddlin' poet.
• MARKOS MOULITSAS ZUNIGA, founder of the Daily Kos and SB Nation blogs as well as author of Taking On the System: Rules for Radical Change in a Digital Era.
• SELDEN EDWARDS , author of the 30 years-in-the-writing The lttle Book.
• CLINTON KORVER who says: An old rule of thumb suggests asking yourself before you speak: Is it true; is it kind; is it useful? If it is not all three, you have not found a skillful way to communicate. Co-author of Ethics for the Real World.
• MIKE GREENSILL, with some droll election songs . PLUS Chocolate for everyone from ScharffenBerger - and much, much more! We are the full service radio show.

NOVEMBER 8th, TANGO: Yes We Can! live at the San Francisco Ferry Building, site of CUESA's San Francisco Farmers' Market As for ways to get to the show, here's a map.

• RITA MORENO, singer, dancer, actor
• ARTURO PEREZ , filmmaker of Where Have All the Flowers Gone?.
• LUIS BRAVO and Bandoneon players from Forever Tango, singer, dancer, actor
• CAMILLE CUSUMANO, author of Tango, her account of love and learning Tango in Buenos Aires.
• DAMIEN MASTERSON ENSEMBLE San Francisco-based classical and Brazillian harmonica virtuoso.
• MIKE GREENSILL, with some droll election songs . PLUS Chocolate for everyone from ScharffenBerger - and much, much more! We are the full service radio show.

NOVEMBER 15th, Rare Recorded show at a wild and overflowing Monday night Show at the Stage Door Theater, Mt. Shasta, California on September 29th, 2008.

• PERRY SIMS, Mt. Shasta historian.
• MARIA ELENA FERNANDEZ and SAUNDRA AMA LEBBY, poets.
• KAZANGO JAZZ, gypsyjazz marvels.
• JAMIE LAVAL Celtic Fiddle Champion.
• STUART ARCHER COHEN, author of the novel, The Army of the Republic.
• CAROL MOWAT, of Mowat Apiaries, whose honey is renowned amongst the bees and toast-eaters of the West.
• MIKE GREENSILL, nimble house pianist.

 

NOVEMBER 22nd, 2008

Great writers, LIVE at the the Head-Royce School Theater on the occassion of their annual book fair, 4315 Lincoln Avenue, Oakland. Tickets are limited. 415-664-9500. Today, featuring:

• TONI MORRISON, author of Beloved, A Mercy, and winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature.
• SYLVIA BROWNRIGG, author of The Delivery Room and other novels.
• BÉLA FLECK, banjo virtuoso, who has a new film about taking the banjo back to Africa called Throw Down Your Heart.
• LINDA TILLERY and The Cultural Heritage Choir with their stunning a capella songs and rhythms.
• MIKE GREENSILL, nimble house pianist.

 

 

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 29th, 2008

at the Freight and Salvage 1111 Addison, Berkeley, off University and San Pablo....continental snacks and coffee available

• MAXINE HONG KINGSTON, last week honored with 2008 Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters at the National Book Awards, author of The Woman Warrior and an essay on Barack Obama's Hawaiian connections.
• FREDERICA Von STADE, one of the world's great singers with fellow cast member and soprano KRISTIN CLAYTON and composer JAKE HEGGIE, about the chamber opera Three Decembers at San Francisco Opera.
• DAVID THOMSON, His new book is a personal introduction 10 1,000 films, Have You Seen....?.
• KARL and CARL, with timely tips on travel, two folks who know their Condé from their Nast
• Other guests to come.
• MIKE GREENSILL , the no-turkey pianist

 

 

NOVEMBER 22nd, 2008

Great writers, LIVE at the the Head-Royce School Theater on the occassion of their annual book fair, 4315 Lincoln Avenue, Oakland. Tickets are limited. 415-664-9500. Today, featuring:

• TONI MORRISON, author of Beloved, A Mercy, and winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature.
• SYLVIA BROWNRIGG, author of The Delivery Room and other novels.
• BÉLA FLECK, banjo virtuoso, who has a new film about taking the banjo back to Africa called Throw Down Your Heart.
• LINDA TILLERY and The Cultural Heritage Choir with their stunning a capella songs and rhythms.
• MIKE GREENSILL, nimble house pianist.

 

 

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 29th, 2008

at the Freight and Salvage 1111 Addison, Berkeley, off University and San Pablo....continental snacks and coffee available

• MAXINE HONG KINGSTON, last week honored with 2008 Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters at the National Book Awards, author of The Woman Warrior and an essay on Barack Obama's Hawaiian connections.
• FREDERICA Von STADE, one of the world's great singers with fellow cast member and soprano KRISTIN CLAYTON and composer JAKE HEGGIE, about the chamber opera Three Decembers at San Francisco Opera.
• DAVID THOMSON, His new book is a personal introduction 10 1,000 films, Have You Seen....?.
• KARL and CARL, with timely tips on travel, two folks who know their Condé from their Nast
• Other guests to come.
• MIKE GREENSILL , the no-turkey pianist

 

 

SATURDAY DECEMBER 6th, 2008

at the Freight and Salvage 1111 Addison, Berkeley, off University and San Pablo....continental snacks and coffee available

• CALVIN TRILLIN, poet and humorist whose new book The Deciding the Decider , depicts the 2008 Presidential race in rhyme.
• H.W. BRANDS, author of Traitor to His Class: The Privileged Life and Radical Presidency of FDR
• FAE MYENNE NG, author of Steer Toward Rock and Bone
• The CREOLE BELLES, all-women zydeco band, with ANDREW CARRIERE, accordian, triangle, and rubboard, and historical context from MARK DeWITT, author of Cajun and Zydeco Dance Music in N. California: Modern Pleasures in a Postmodern World
• MIKE GREENSILL , keeps his fingers warm.

 

 

SATURDAY DECEMBER 13th, 2008

at the Freight and Salvage 1111 Addison, Berkeley, off University and San Pablo....continental snacks and coffee available

• SPAIN RODRIGUEZ , author of CHE: A Graphic Biography ,
• LESLIE CAROL ROBERTS, author of The Entire Earth and Sky: Views on Antarctica.
• ALLISON LOVEJOY, San Francisco's late-night pianist who knows her masters old and new, with singer DIANA MANGANO , who sings with the Jefferson Starship
• ANNE LAMOTT, author of Operating Instructions, Rosie, Plan B, Bird by Bird, and many other books.
• LOS CENZONTLES, latin roots blues from (tr.) The Mockingbirds
• Other guests to come.
• MIKE GREENSILL , your piano man of the Holiday Hour.

 

 

SATURDAY DECEMBER 20th, 2008

at the Freight and Salvage 1111 Addison, Berkeley, off University and San Pablo....continental snacks and coffee available

• JOHN ADAMS, author of Hallelujah Junction: Composing an American Life and composer of Doctor Atomic, Nixon in China, Shaker Loops, Harmonium, and many other works.
• MIKE MARSHALL and CATERINA LICHTENBERG, mandolins of droll virtuosity.
• KRISTIN MENGER-ANDERSON, author of Doctor Olaf van Schuler's Brain a fictional take on 12 generations of practicing doctors through their, to us, odd medical practices.
• THE COVERLETTES, newest Bay Area holiday tradition as three Supremes-esque singers cover music of the season.
• NANCY RAFF, creator of Planetfesto an on-line project to create a ribbon around the earth to celebrate the planet.
• MIKE GREENSILL , ever-enthralling and the ever-engaging SEDGE THOMSON welcome other wonderful guests in this holiday show.

 

DECEMBER 27th, 2008 :

In the world-wide tradition of clearing out for the new year, a pleasurable chore indeed to make available some West Coast Live that wasn't live for technical potholes in 2008. We will broadcast our show of August 30 which didn't air because of a phone line problem and we will include the opening act of the December 20th show which didn't air because of technical problems at one station last week, but we want you to hear the guests. Also, it's seasonal!

• SARK, author of Juicy Pens, Thirsty Paper.
• MARILYN YALOM, author of History of the Breast and The American Resting Place: Four Hundred Years of History Through Our Cemeteries and Burial Grounds.
• ANDREW FOSTER ALTSCHUL, author of the novel Lady Lazarus a "grunge novel".
• JOHN SHANNON, guitarist.
• MIKE GREENSILL, our elegant house pianist.
• The add-on at the end of the August 30 show from December 20 features:
• THE COVERLETTES, newest Bay Area holiday tradition as three Supremes-esque singers cover music of the season.
• and while many stations heard the whole interview, the one station missed the beginning of the interview with
• NANCY RAFF, creator of Planetfesto an on-line project to create a ribbon around the earth to celebrate the planet. So please, take a tour of their world. Happy New Year from all of us at West Coast Live.