Stay cool for the summer with a conversation and tasting featuring local ice cream creameries on July 28. Check, Please! Bay Area producer Cecilia Phillips talks with Bad Walter’s Bootleg Ice Cream, Koolfi Creamery and De La Creamery about how they infuse their cultural backgrounds into their unique ice cream flavors.
On August 9, Michael Krasny returns for a discussion with literary icon Isabel Allende about writing, political voice and the state of feminism in the Americas. Allende is considered “the world's most widely read Spanish-language author" with 26 bestselling books, including The House of Spirits, Daughter of Fortune and her recent novel Violeta.
Need a good laugh? On August 18, KQED’s Arts & Culture podcast Rightnowish presents a Bay Area stand-up comedy night featuring Mike Evans Jr., Jackie Keliiaa and Dara M. Wilson.
If Bay Area history is your thing, test your knowledge at one of two Bay Curious Trivia Nights. Meet the producers of the podcast and compete with audience members obsessed with the many curiosities of our region that make it so unique. The trivia will explore many aspects of Bay Area music, culture, food and history on August 23 and 24.
On August 25, Check, Please! Bay Area producer Cecilia Philips talks with four Latinx chefs embracing the Bay Area's vegan culinary trends and incorporating plant-based ingredients into their cultures' classic dishes. The chefs featured include Raul Medina (Taqueria La Venganza), Lourdes Marquez (Casa Boriqueña) and Dhani Rivera & Luis Alfredo Flores (Om Sabor).
The KQED Live summer program closes in September with three events focused on the themes of love, music and community. On September 3, celebrate the history of the lost Bay Area community, Russell City, through on-stage interviews with people who lived there, live storytelling and live blues music.
On September 15, get to know local music prodigy, Salami Rose Joe Louis and the Oakland multimedia art party and artist resource collective SMARTBOMB, who will present a double bill of music and conversation.
Finally, on September 22, comedian Dhaya Lakshminarayanan will host an uproarious dating game for the romantic public media nerds in all of us. Lakshminarayanan and the KQED Live audience will play matchmaker by picking out the ideal date for one special KQED fan from a pool of candidates at this unique dating game show and singles night.
KQED Live Summer 2022 Schedule
Tickets are available now at kqed.org/live. To view previous KQED Live events, visit our YouTube channel at youtube.com/kqedlive.
JULY
Rebecca Solnit
July 12 | 7pm | $15
Bay Area writer, historian and activist Rebecca Solnit launches Not Too Late, a new project that offers useful perspectives and information to guide people from climate despair to possibilities. Designed as an on-ramp for newcomers to the climate movement, she discusses how we’re shaping the climate future now.
Black Women in Pop Music: An Interview and Listening Party with Danyel Smith
July 14 | 7pm | $10
A personal and musical interview with music journalist Danyel Smith hosted by KQED’s Ariana Proehl in our intimate top-floor lounge. In her new book Shine Bright: A Very Personal History of Black Women in Pop, Smith highlights the genius and cultural impact of artists such as Whitney Houston, Gladys Knight, Donna Summer, Aretha Franklin, Janet Jackson and others. Smith joins us to talk about pop stars of Shine Bright and the influence they had on her life as a Black girl growing up in Oakland and Los Angeles.
Preview Screening: The U.S. and the Holocaust
The Castro Theatre, San Francisco l July 25 | 7:30pm | $23
The San Francisco Jewish Film Festival and KQED present a special preview of the new three-part documentary The U.S. and The Holocaust from PBS by Ken Burns, Lynn Novick and Sarah Botstein. The docuseries explores America's response to one of the greatest humanitarian crises in history and how it tested the ideals of democracy. The filmmakers will join veteran KQED host Michael Krasny for an onstage conversation about the series following the screening.
Ice Cream Social: Cultural Infusion
July 28 | 7pm | $20
Ice cream in the Bay Area is a medium of creativity and an expression of identity. Three dreamy creameries churn up some inventive and personal takes on this sweet, simple pleasure; there’s no time like summer to explore what makes the Bay Area's ice cream creations singular. Taste local, small-batch ice cream made by Bad Walters, Koolfi, and De La Creamery, as Check, Please! Bay Area producer Cecilia Phillips talks with the ice cream makers about how they infuse their cultural backgrounds into their flavors.
AUGUST
Isabelle Allende and Michael Krasny
August 9 | 7pm | $15
Literary icon Isabel Allende is "the world's most widely read Spanish-language author," with 26 bestselling books, including The House of Spirits, Daughter of Fortune and her recent novel Violeta. Having fled dictatorship in Chile, Allende became an international champion of human rights and feminism. She joins former KQED Forum host Michael Krasny to discuss writing, political voice and the state of feminism in the Americas.
Put Your Phone Down! A Rightnowish Comedy Night
August 18 | 7pm | $15
KQED's Arts & Culture podcast Rightnowish presents a Bay Area stand-up comedy night, featuring Mike Evans Jr., Jackie Keliiaa and Dara M. Wilson. The night starts out with an open mic. Throughout the evening, you can sip on host Pendarvis Harshaw's signature drink, the Pen Pal Mezcal.
Bay Curious Trivia Night
August 23 & 24 | 7pm | $10
We’re back with a special summer edition of trivia about local curiosities with the team behind the KQED Bay Curious podcast. Join host Olivia Allen-Price in person to explore Bay Area music, culture, food and history! Whether you lived here your whole life or just arrived, playing a game of Bay Curious trivia will deepen your understanding of this place we call home.
The Special: Vegan Food con Sazon
August 25 | 7pm | $15
Meet four Latinx chefs embracing the Bay Area's vegan culinary trends and incorporating plant-based ingredients into their cultures' classic dishes. They are making fresh foods more accessible for their communities, and showing us that vegan cooking can have sazon. Learn how to take your abuelita's iconic meals, and make them healthier and more sustainable. The chefs will serve tastes of their innovative takes on appetizer, entrées and dessert.
SEPTEMBER
The Russell City Blues: Stories and Music of a Lost East Bay Community.
September 3 | 6pm | $15
Celebrate the history and uncover the joy of a lost Bay Area community through on-stage interviews and storytelling with the people who lived there. A live band will be on hand to take you back in time, honoring the musical legacy of the town where the blues thrived until the bulldozers rolled in.
Salami Rose Joe Louis x SMARTBOMB
Sep 15 | 7pm | $15
Salami Rose Joe Louis is a cutting-edge Bay Area musician breaking big. One of the must-see acts at last year’s Outside Lands, the Oakland vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and composer crafts an addictive blend of sci-fiinspired electronic pop and jazz. She joins the downtown Oakland multimedia art party and artist resource collective SMARTBOMB for a conversation on how they build a community of interdisciplinary artists. This conversation will be moderated by KQED journalists Nastia Voynovskaya and Pendarvis Harshaw.
Dating with Dhaya: A KQED Dating Game and Singles Night
Sep 22 | 7:00pm | $20
Is it hard to find love these days? You bet your apps it is!
KQED wants to help. We’re killing two love birds with one stone. Join us for an all original dating game live on stage hosted by comedian Dhaya Lakshminarayanan, where one special KQED fan will be the center of attention as the audience helps them pick a date from the contestants on hand. After the show, mingle with fellow public media nerds and maybe you’ll get lucky…in love!
Ticket Information
Tickets for KQED Live are available now!
For complete pricing and program details, visit kqed.org/live.
How to Order
Online: visit kqed.org/live
In person: Box Office opens 60 minutes prior to events.
Group Sales: 15% off for groups of 10 or more.
*Programs and prices subject to change. Tickets are nonrefundable, except in the case of canceled events.
Most KQED Live programs are presented in The Commons at KQED's headquarters, located at 2601 Mariposa Street in San Francisco.*
*Check your ticket to confirm venue details.
COVID-19 Precautions
KQED puts the well-being of its community first. To care for the health and safety of KQED Live guests, staff and volunteers, the station follows all local, state and federal guidelines and best practices as it pertains to COVID precautions for each event. All attendees must provide proof of vaccination upon arrival and must wear a mask inside the venue. Please review more detailed information about current guidelines observed at our venue at https://www.kqed.org/about/visit.
KQED Live Sponsors
About KQED Live
KQED Live is a new multiplatform live events program dedicated to bringing journalism to life onstage, amplifying local culture and building community.
KQED Live makes the mission of public media tangible. Through events offered in person and online, KQED Live creates an inclusive space where people can gather to become informed about critical local issues, inspired by expressions of creativity and involved in collectively envisioning a better Bay Area.
With thoughtful dialogue, performances, screenings, food experiences, live storytelling and behind-the-scenes productions of radio and podcast shows onstage, KQED Live offers something for everyone who wants to be part of the conversation. www.kqed.org/live.
About KQED
KQED serves the people of Northern California with a public-supported alternative to commercial media. An NPR and PBS member station based in San Francisco, KQED is home to one of the most listened-to public radio stations in the nation, one of the highest-rated public television services and an award-winning education program helping students and educators thrive in 21st-century classrooms. A trusted news source, leader and innovator in interactive technology, KQED takes people of all ages on journeys of exploration — exposing them to new people, places and ideas. www.kqed.org.
