​Johnny is an SF native who grew up in Visitacion Valley with his single mom and sister. He developed a love for streetwear at an early age and although his first love was basketball, he took the practical route and studied business at SF State, where he met his first business partner which eventually lead him to starting his first clothing line FAZE.  Johnny and his partner Herbert have been slinging sought after threads in the Mission for over 8 years, and they’re latest venture State of Flux (on Valencia st) is a hybrid clothing store/work space/ photo studio.  We talked with Johnny to get more details on his background and motivations for State of Flux, Enjoy!

You might know Danny from his many gigs around SF where he used to play Sax in any number of Jazz venues. Or you might know Danny from his recent story in SFGate and (subsequent petition to get Breed to change music ordinances) where he and some of his musician friends were hassled in the park for playing music without a permit.  But what you should know Danny from is his amazing record shop in the upper Richmond where he deals in classic Jazz, Soul, Rock and Funk vinyl along with supporting local artists/photographers and musicians (pre-COVID). We had the pleasure of talking with Danny (and his mom Sara) about how he got started in music, what inspired NoiseSF, and how the city he (and his mom) grew up in has changed over the years.

​Eric Jones was a rock and roll skater kid from Sacramento who moved to San Francisco in the 90s to escape the constant clashes between rival “gangs” and found his calling when he picked up a machine and started slinging ink. We sat down with Eric to discuss how he got involved in tattooing, what was the hardest part about opening up his shop Let it Bleed, and what advice he has for people who want to get tattooed.

Chris Tuite is an EastBay photographer who you have probably seen in front of the barricade at any number of the concert halls in and around SF. He is a regular shooter for Live Nation at The Concord Pavilion and Shoreline Amphitheater, but most recently he has been capturing the isolation created by COVID-19, and the civil unrest related to the protests that erupted as a result of the murder of George Floyd Jr. 

This interview was originally conducted before George Floyd Jr’s murder and a lot has changed since then. I’ll let Chris tell you a little about what he has been working on since then:
Since May 29th, I've been out documenting the Black Lives Matter protests sparked by the murder of George Floyd in Minnesota.  I feel that it's imperative to provide the public with factual coverage and images that tell the stories of those fighting for justice and the reform of our current police system.  The narrative is being altered by many around the country to portray the peaceful protestors as looters who are causing destruction and violence but that has not been the case in my experience.  The protesters have very strong voices and are fighting for a better country.  It has been so inspiring to be alongside them and to help their message be seen. I am very thankful for the trust they put in me to allow me to photograph the movement. 
 
On May 29th, I covered the first protest in San Jose.  There was a lot of anger and frustration over the injustices of the death of Floyd.  The protest started at City Hall and eventually moved to Highway 101, where the protestors shut it down in both directions.  This was the start of many protests around the Bay and it resulted with police resistance with use of tear gas, looting and burning structures in Oakland and throughout the country.  I covered Oakland extensively in the coming days after that first protest and the message was really strong.  
 
A lot of art started to pop up in cities on the boards that were covering the closed businesses and windows.  It was amazing to see the community come together in a time of unrest.  I was on the Golden Gate Bridge when protestors hopped the rails and took their demonstration into traffic, and saw how everyone cleared the way as a lady was in labor and had to get to the hospital.  I was in the car caravan when the Bay Bridge was shut down and saw the way CHP violently handled the situation. I visited Palmdale to photograph where Robert Fuller was found hanging and then up to Seattle with my friend Ashley (who is filming a documentary) to cover CHOP.
 
Being at CHOP felt like I was in another world and in a lot of ways it was.  They set up an occupied protest at the Seattle PD East Precinct, barricading themselves in with roadblocks and structures for protection.  They had their own security, medics, garden and a system that hundreds of people called home, while still demanding the reduction of Seattle PD’s budget by 50%. They demanded to distribute the money into black communities and the freeing of all protestors.  Unfortunately, violence broke out inside the walls and multiple murders happened and the original message was lost. Seattle PD, with help of the FBI eventually took back the area. We also covered a Women of Color led march which protested nightly in Seattle. Unfortunately, that was the same group that was targeted by violence and had a car run through their barricades and killing Summer Taylor and badly injuring Diaz Love. The revolution that is happening right now is not coming without cost. It is amazing to see how much power the people really do have, as real change has happened around the country.  This has been an eye-opening experience for me and I'm very grateful to be able to put in this much time documenting it.

​Meikee Magnetic is a native San Franciscan who cut his teeth in music with various live bands in his 20s but found his calling behind the decks while touring in Japan. Meikee has been an integral part of the Synthwave explosion in SF and has been a resident DJ at the BootieSF and TurboDrive parties at the DNA Lounge for the better part of the last decade.

Ryan Haile of Parlour in Oakland: The story of how a California born musician hung up his gear after having a family and instead turned his creativity towards making cocktails in some of the bay area’s best bar/restaurants.  We talk to Ryan about his career progression, what some of his favorite liquors are, and what he is doing to stay productive and creative during the lockdown.
​If you are interested in reaching out to Ryan or scheduling a virtual happy hour get in touch with him on his IG at puma_hailemanello

Christina Molcillo of Black Lotus Clothing: The story of how an Oakland designer found her footing doing costumes and set designs for Beats Antique and when COVID-19 shut down the events industry she shifted her focus to making free masks for grocery and food service workers.

Lil Tuffy: The story of how an east coast born artist, made his way to San Francisco for the music scene, wound up working in tech till he quit to be a bartender and then finally found his calling in producing pop art inspired gig posters.

Nabeel Silmi from Grand Coffee: The story of how a Palestinian man from Castro Valley dropped out of college to work in the restaurant industry in North Beach and after losing his job in the recession of 2009, went all in on his dream to create the next great mission neighborhood coffee house.
For the full written interview visit BrokeAssStuart.com