I’m tired of having to point this out about movies, television shows and daily life, so this may be the last time I’m going to broach this topic—and I’ll do so in a way I hope isn’t too terribly offensive: Those who think the new Superman movie is “woke” are in a cult and should probably get that looked at. And those who are triggered by the word “woke” probably don’t know what it means.
I’ll be even more specific. Superman is undocumented. He has been since Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster invented him in the 1930s. He is, by very definition, an illegal alien. As someone who has been reading Superman comics for most of my life, I can say regardless of where this very fictional character was born, he has spent almost 100 years doing nothing but fighting for truth, justice and the American way—although he became much more focused on saving the entire world post-World War II.
James Gunn’s new Superman movie does something I’m not sure I’ve seen in any Superman film. He focuses way more on the Man than the Super. As Clark Kent, he was raised on a farm by Ma and Pa Kent in Smallville, Kansas. He wasn’t raised to use his invulnerability to be a tough guy or to lord his power over everyone else. All the Kents did was teach him two things: how to be kind and that every single life is worth saving. He doesn’t use his super speed and flight to impress people; he does it to protect people as quickly as possible.
David Corenswet is a wonderful Superman and Clark Kent because he radiates a warm decency that I’m not sure we’ve seen since Christopher Reeve played this dual character. Yes, he’s charming and good looking and all the Hollywood stuff, but he projects a heroism that made me immediately excited to see more movies set in James Gunn’s newly launched DC Universe. If he continues to take these beloved characters and treat them with the respect they deserve and tell stories unlike any we’ve seen before with Batman, Wonder Woman, Supergirl, Swamp Thing and so very many more, then Marvel should be nervous.
Superman isn’t perfect. It does a lot of franchise-building by stuffing the film with characters and subplots that won’t completely make sense until some other DCU movies pay them off. The film also plays Jimmy Olsen like a mega-desired ladies’ man, which, in theory, could work. But nothing in Skyler Gisondo’s performance sold me on his desirability.
What also might bother people the most about this new Superman movie is it’s goofy as hell. The film feels like a Saturday morning cartoon—do those exist anymore?—brought to life for kids to enjoy just as much as their parents. For people weaned on the much darker Man of Steel and Batman v. Superman, this might be too lightweight and cheeseball. This is Superman at his most optimistic and idealistic, so Gunn’s Superman won’t work for those seeking that Zack Snyder gritty nihilism.
Yet, at one point the city is crumbling and Superman is doing everything he can to save as many people as possible and, in maybe my favorite comic book movie moment in the last few years, he takes the time to move a squirrel out of harm’s way. It’s played for a laugh, but I found myself suppressing a tear of joy so my friends didn’t laugh at me. I found the moment profound because this film took a single moment to show the audience that this character, who has always strived to be the best of us, treated animal life as equally sacred as a human one. All life is important.
From Rachel Brosnahan’s acerbic Lois Lane to Nicholas Hoult’s sniveling psychopathic Lex Luthor to Edi Gathegi’s scene-stealing Mr. Terrific, I can’t wait to spend more time with these characters in this lovingly created universe from Gunn. This is fun stuff with a beautiful layer of humanism designed to get people to look at one another with kinder eyes. If an alien facing off against a billionaire megalomaniac is too topical and triggering for some, I’m sorry. They’re missing out, in this case, on a lot more than just a superhero movie.
At The Hideout Kitchen & Cafe in Lafayette, chef JB Balingit served hearty American meals. Steak, rack of lamb, fried and roast chicken, and burgers. The food at Tropa, his new restaurant, departs from that long list of familiar classics. When he ventured into the dining room to check in on our table, I asked him why he wanted to make Filipino-inspired dishes at this point in his career. He paused, looked me directly in the eyes and stated matter-of-factly, “It was time.”
Like Nelson German’s celebration of Dominican cuisine at Sobre Mesa and AlaMar, Balingit is embracing his Filipino roots at Tropa. The restaurant’s location is easy to miss. Set back from the street, it’s tucked away in the middle of a strip mall, at The Hideout’s original location off of Mt. Diablo Boulevard. There’s al fresco dining galore and a large wooden spoon that doubles as a front-door handle. The inside is compact but spacious enough for diners to find breathing room between the neighboring tables.
Chef Balingit doesn’t ignore or suppress the colonial influences on Filipino cuisine. The cocktail menu contains a mini-guide of notable, or notorious, figures from the country’s past. He mentioned dishes on the menu that had been inspired by both the Spanish and the Chinese. A plate of pancit bihon ($18) looked and tasted like a version of chow mein with a mix of carrots, peas, cabbage, rice and soba noodles. It’s one of three vegetarian-ish dishes on the menu—only the presence of an umami fish sauce disqualified it.
Everyone at our table was taken with both starters—a platter of chicken lumpia ($15) and plantains ($8). The ingredients in the lumpia tasted impossibly fresh and light after their time in the fryer. I don’t often seek out plantains. Restaurants often under- or over-cook them, achieving either a bitter aftertaste or an unpleasant mushy texture. Neither was the case at Tropa. I ate my slice in its entirety, but was skeptical while doing so. I suspected it was really just a banana, sweetened up with the right amount of heat, time and attention.
A kare-kare stew ($28), made with a savory crushed peanut sauce, included braised oxtail and okra. The chef described the texture of oxtail as “gelatinous.” From his point of view, this was a good thing. Pairing it with okra, which holds its own when it comes to gooeyness, is a bold statement for a kitchen to make. A bowl of steamed rice accompanied it to sop up the sauce, the goo and the gelatinous qualities of the oxtail.
The second vegetarian dish we tried was pinakbet ($20), another stew. This milder sauce featured ginger and coconut milk, which complemented rather than drowned out the pieces of pumpkin, eggplant and bitter melon.
Greedy looks appeared in our eyes after the first few bites of a shared order of inasal ($24), a grilled-chicken entree. The rub was truly irresistible, made with spicy vinegar and calamansi. When someone staked an early claim on the bird, to take it home for leftovers, tensions momentarily increased. Share and share alike went by the wayside because of this delicious dish.
Our good senses returned when the chef brought out two Pinoy street-style barbecued skewers ($18), one salmon belly and one chicken. The marinade must have had soy and possibly fish sauce in it though the menu didn’t specify the ingredients.
To end the meal, the chef brought an entire deep-fried sole to the table. Every part of it, from the fins to the belly to the gills, was sealed inside a golden brown coating. Balingit said that when he goes fishing he prepares his own fresh catches the same way. The tenderest, lushest bites were placed at the center of the plate. The chef suggested that we think of the crispy fins as potato chips. Well, yes and no. The crunch was certainly equivalent. But be prepared for those dorsal bones, only slightly softened by the hot oil fry.
Last summer, the rapper Ouija Macc posited on X, “I MIGHT BE THE MOST HATED JUGGALO.” For those uninitiated, the word refers to the scores of creep-tastic oddballs who follow the duo Insane Clown Posse in the musical universe of Midwest horrorcore. Bringing heavy trap beats into the genre, Ouija Macc crafts nightmarish storylines with raw energy intense enough to scare even the most stoic audience. “RIP,” a fan favorite, conjures defiance from grief and rage, while “Need 2 Kill Someone” has a chanting, hypnotic quality. The rapper’s live shows are bold and haunting, showcasing his versatility and passion. There will be Faygo. – ADDIE MAHMASSANI
Animal Piss, It’s Everywhere makes country music for the last barstool in the room, the one sticky with spilled beer and hungover humility. Led by Clark Griffin and Shannon Ketch, the band assembles a rotating crew of East Coast freak-folk veterans—members of Sunburned Hand of the Man, Wet Tuna, Weeping Bong Band and more. They channel their own strain of cosmic Americana, lurching between vision quest, relapse and holy confusion. The sliding pedal steel guitar and clever genre-blends, meanwhile, are quietly crisp, injecting a core sincerity into the mournful weirdness of their vocals. – SONYA BENNETT-BRANDT
Born in Gambia and raised in Mali amidst a compound of griots, kora master Karamo Susso has played a significant role in bringing the West African harp into a broad spectrum of settings. A charismatic, joyful force on the 21-string instrument, he’s worked extensively with Senegalese jazz guitarist Abu Djigo’s World Blues Band, Symphony of Koras, the acoustic Caribbean-meets-Africa combo Soul Union and Manding Band, an all-star pan-West African combo. He’s performed widely around the Bay Area over the past two decades in all of these situations, and returns to La Peña for a traditional solo kora recital followed by a second set of incantatory dance music featuring his full band. – ANDREW GILBERT
INFO: Fri, 8pm, La Peña Cultural Center, 3105 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. $25-$35. 510.849.2568.
FRIDAY, JULY 25
FOLK
MIREYA RAMOS AND THE POOR CHOICES
A person can make a million poor choices, but the biggest one would be not hustling over to The Freight to marvel at the astounding pipes of Mireya Ramos. The Grammy-winning vocalist and violinist sings like an angel set on fire, croons like the lover everybody wants, and owns the market when it comes to Mexican ranchera and jarocho traditions. Plugging in the bluegrass, country and jazz inflections of the Poor Choices band, the U.S.-Mexico cross-border sounds merge marvelously. Not by erasing the contrasts, but by arriving from completely different directions and landing in one very special place to show how differences unite and strengthen cohabitation. – LOU FANCHER
Formed in 2016, Bloodywood combines the standard hip-hop and metal of nu metal with traditional Indian folk music for a twist on the genre that packs a lot of heat. The band was formed by guitarist Karan Katiyar and metal vocalist Jayant Bhadula after the former was searching for a vocalist to sing the metal covers of famous Bollywood songs. More than just a cool act, Bloodywood also uses their music for social consciousness, often writing songs about women’s rights and the rise of new generations to address past failures. The band has also worked with numerous charities, putting their money where their mouth is. – MAT WEIR
INFO: Sat, 7:30pm, The UC Theatre, 2036 University Ave., Berkeley. $39. 510.356.4000.
SATURDAY, JULY 26
ALTERNATIVE
OOMFCHELLA
Oomfchella Music Festival, a.k.a. “One of My Friends Fest,” is a Gilman micro-carnival where friendship, justice and unhinged joy collide. Enter headliner Planet Booty. The Oakland trio delivers sweaty funk-pop anthems with pure fervor and pure silliness, turning out antifascist, lyra-wearing, body-positive pageantry. Their live shows are dance parties, full-body cardio and a call to action, and at Oomfchella they’ll be preaching to the choir. Plus, they’re donating their payout to the Immigration Institute of the Bay Area. They’ll be joined by a long line-up of local bands, plus the Maraschinos up from L.A. – SBB
Father John Misty cranks the atmosphere into overdrive with Mahashmashana, his latest studio album. The title references the Sanskrit word for cremation ground. His new album pays tribute to the same court, to the death everyone faces regardless of race, religion or creed. Joined by Lucinda Williams and Hamilton Leithauser, two incomparably heart-grabbing musicians who have endured mountains of loss and found recovery in part through music, the show sweeps wide artistic paths. Each artist will erect a towering wall of sound. Words sung will likely cascade in downpours of soft rock and soulful ballads. But count on an equal serving of driving rock ’n’ roll vibes to chase the clouds away. – LF
Alex Stabile is a software engineer who has maintained since adolescence parallel—and sometimes intersecting—passions for piano, science, technology and computing. At Stanford, where he studied symbolic systems and piano, he worked on computer music and algorithmic composition and performed Prokofiev’s 3rd Piano Concerto with the Stanford Symphony Orchestra and guest conductor Gum Nanse as a winner of the university’s concerto competition. Over the past dozen years he’s won a slew of piano and composition competitions, including first prize at the Paris Concours de Grands Amateurs de Piano in 2024, as well as first prize at the 2024 Washington International Piano Arts Council competition. – AG
INFO: Sun, 5pm, Piedmont Piano Company, 1728 San Pablo Ave., Oakland. Free. 510.547.8188.
TUESDAY, JULY 29
CELTIC-PUNK
DROPKICK MURPHYS
Dropkick Murphys always hold it down for proud, working-class Americans. What else can you expect from a bunch of Celtic punks from Boston? While the band has proudly proclaimed their working-class values since their formation in 1996, in recent times they’ve been put to the test. Check out the video on YouTube from last March where singer Ken Casey calls out a fan in a MAGA shirt. Or there’s the infamous 2013 video of Casey beating the crap out of a guy in the audience giving the Nazis’ Sieg Heil salute. It doesn’t get more American than that. – MW
Hailing from Cleveland, Ohio, Eric Egan, Adam Paduch and Ty Sickels make up the pop-punk band Heart Attack Man. From their debut EP, 2014’s Acid Rain, to their latest offering, Joyride the Pale Horse, the trio has built a reputation for high-energy songs with catchy hooks and cutting wit. Their latest work has moved in an existential direction, taking on the big questions of life, death and humanity in the face of AI. In “Spit,” Eric delivers a too-real request: “Kill me and replace me with a hologram.” For huge power chords and cathartic screaming, this is the band to see. – AM
ARIES (March 21-April 19): In Hindu cosmology, the Sanskrit term “Lila” refers to divine play. It’s the idea that all of creation is a sacred and artful amusement that’s performed by the gods with joy, sorrow, artfulness and flair. I hereby proclaim Lila to be your theme of power, Aries. You have been so deep lately, so honest, so drenched in feeling. Now, life is giving you a big wink and saying, “It’s playtime!” You can start this fresh phase by making a list of all the experiences that bring you fun, recreation and entertainment. I hope you emphasize these pursuits in the coming weeks.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): In the high desert of Chile, astronomers work at observatories on mountaintops where the air is dry and the sky is clear. There, away from light pollution, the universe reveals itself with astonishing intimacy. But even the most powerful telescopes can’t function during the day. I suspect you will be like those observatories in the coming weeks, Taurus: capable of seeing vast truths, but only if you pause, quiet the ambient noise and look during the dark. This approach should embolden you to use your intelligence in new ways. Stillness and silence will be conducive to your deep explorations. Night will be your ally.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Are you courageous enough to let go of sparkly clean but unfruitful fantasies so as to clear space for reality’s disorderly richness? Are you wild enough to relinquish naive fears and hopes so you can see the raw truths blooming right in front of you? Are you cagey enough to discard the part of your innocence that’s rooted in delusion even as you bolster the part of your innocence that’s fueled by your love of life? Here’s my response to those questions, Gemini: Maybe you weren’t mature or bold or crafty enough to accomplish these heroic feats before, but you are now.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Coral polyps are tiny, soft-bodied creatures. Over centuries, they assemble massive reef systems, turning their fragile exoskeletons into monumental architecture. These creatures can be a symbolic reminder that your sensitivity is not a weakness; it’s your building material. Keep that in mind during the coming weeks, when tender care and your nurturing ability can be primal sources of power. I invite you to start creating an enduring sanctuary. Generate a quiet miracle. Construct an elegant masterpiece. For best results, allow your emotional intelligence to guide you. You have the precise blend of aptitudes necessary to coax beauty to grow from vulnerability.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): I predict that your imminent future will be a ticklish and tricky but ultimately uplifting masterpiece. It will feature guest appearances by members of your private hall of fame, including one future luminary you have not yet fully appreciated. This epic series of adventures may begin when you are nudged to transform your bond with a key resource. Soon, you will be encouraged to explore frontier territory that offers unexpected help. Next, you will demonstrate your understanding that freedom is never permanent but must constantly be reinvented.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Sci-fi author Octavia Butler wrote, “All that you touch, you change. All that you change changes you.” The coming weeks will be prime time for you to honor and celebrate that prayer, Virgo. You won’t be a passive dreamer, gentle traveler or contemplative wanderer. Rather, I predict you will be a tidal force of metamorphosis. Parts of your world are pliable and ready for reshaping, and you will undertake that reshaping. But it’s important to know that the shift will go both ways. As you sculpt, you will be sculpted. As you bless, you will be blessed. Don’t be shy about riding along on this feedback loop. Do it with reverence and glee. Let the art you make remake you. Let the magic you give become the magic you are.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In certain Hindu traditions, the deity Ardhanarishvara is depicted as half-male, half-female—a divine fusion of opposites. They are not torn, but whole in their duality. I invite you to be inspired by their symbolism in the coming weeks, Libra. For you, balance will not be about making compromises or pushing to find middle ground. It will be about embracing the full range of possibilities. Energies that some people may imagine are contradictory may in fact be complementary and mutual. Benevolence will coordinate well with fierceness and vice versa. Your craving for beauty will not just coexist with but synergize an affinity for messy fertility. This is a time for sacred synthesis. Don’t dilute. Integrate.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): The medieval mystic Meister Eckhart wrote, “God is not found in the soul by adding anything, but by a process of subtraction.” Subtracting what? He wasn’t referring to losing something valuable, but rather to letting go of obstacles that obscure our direct experience of the divine. I invite you to make abundant use of this principle, Scorpio. Slough off layers of illusion, outmoded fantasies and self-images soaked in others’ longings. As you let go, do so not in bitterness but in a joyous quest for freedom.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): I’m hoping that the Season of a Thousand Feelings hasn’t confused you. I’m praying that you have maintained a measure of composure and aplomb while navigating through the richest emotional flow you’ve experienced in many moons. It’s true that in some ways this barrage has been draining. But I’m certain you will ultimately regard it as being highly educational and entertaining. You will look back at this bustling interlude as a gift that will take a while to harvest completely.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Greek myth tells us that Persephone didn’t just return from the underworld each spring; she ruled there half the year. Yes, she was taken there against her will, but she adapted, transformed and ultimately wielded great power in the depths. In the coming weeks, Capricorn, you will have the chance to navigate realms that other souls may not be brave enough to enter: taboos, unusual yearnings, ancestral memories. My advice is to go gently but with intense resolve. Don’t act like a tourist. Be a sovereign explorer, even a maestro of mystery. Claim your throne in the underworld. Use it to create healing maps for others. When your work is done and the right moment comes, you will rise again into the light.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): In my astrological opinion, you are ready to graduate from the University of Senseless Suffering. It’s time to get your diploma and treat yourself to a vacation. I’m not saying you will never again experience pain, of course. Rather, I’m telling you the good news that your dilemmas in the coming months will be more fully useful and redemptive. They will feel more like satisfying work than unpleasant ordeals. Congrats on the upgrade, Aquarius! You are forever finished with at least one of your arduous lessons.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus said you can’t step in the same river twice. Like everything else in nature, the river is in constant flux. It may appear to be the same, but the water is always flowing. What Heraclitus didn’t say is that you are never the same, either. Eternal change is your destiny. I invite you to ruminate eagerly on this truth, Pisces. Hopefully, it will help you let go of any hyper-perfectionist urges you might have. It will inspire you to see that the plan you made a while ago may need revision—not because you were wrong, but because you have grown. So yes: It’s time to reassess and recalculate. The goal isn’t to stick to the blueprint, but to build something that breathes with your becoming. Let the ever-new version of you draw a fresh map. It will be wiser than the last.
Fredrika Newton sat in her living room talking to Roger Guenveur Smith, the young writer/actor who would portray her late husband, Huey P. Newton, in a 2001 film directed by Spike Lee. Smith asked to see some of the huge number of documents, photos, videos, personal correspondence, newspaper articles and other materials documenting both the rise of the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense (BPP), and U.S. government attempts to destroy it, stored in her basement.
Fredrika Newton agreed. The film, A Huey P. Newton Story, based on Huey Newton’s 1966 creation of the BPP’s “A 10-Point Plan for Social Reform,” went on to win multiple awards. And she realized that this invaluable cache of materials needed to be preserved and archived. “When I discovered all that was left to me, I wanted to make sure [it was] preserved,” she said in a telephone interview, giving credit to Huey Newton’s first wife, Gwen Fontaine, “who did a phenomenal job of organizing [the materials].”
She began contacting institutions that could possibly archive the collection. A negotiation with Berkeley’s Bancroft Library could not be satisfactorily resolved. The Oakland Museum of California generously agreed to store the materials for a period, and then Stanford University Libraries said, “Yes.” The collection of materials is now one of the Libraries’ most researched holdings.
But in order to make the materials more available globally, in fall 2024, Stanford and Oakland’s Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation Inc. launched a pilot project, funded by a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, to digitize the archive. That project, now completed, digitized between 8% and 10% of the materials.
Stanford’s online Spotlight exhibit of the “Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation Collection” and the Libraries’ catalog, SearchWorks, now “[make] a rich trove of selected digitized archival material available to give viewers a unique glimpse into the personal life, intellectual pursuits, revolutionary activism and enduring legacy of Dr. Huey P. Newton, co-founder of the Black Panther Party, along with programs and initiatives enacted by the Party,” according to a joint announcement by Stanford and the Foundation.
The current goal, said Fredrika Newton, is securing additional grants to digitize the rest of the collection.
What the archives contain
Huey P. Newton espoused a philosophy he called “revolutionary humanism,” reflected in the Oct. 15, 1966 “10-Point Plan,” which includes items such as “1) We Want Freedom. We Want Power to Determine the Destiny of Our Black Community, 4) We Want Education for Our People…That Teaches Us Our True History And Our Role in the Present-Day Society, and 7) We Want An Immediate End to Police Brutality and the Murder of Black People.”
To that end, he, BPP co-founder Bobby Seale and the many others who resonated with these aims created the Community Survival Programs, including the famed Oakland Community School (OCS), the Free Breakfast for School Children Program, the Free Grocery Giveaway program, the S.A.F.E. program for senior citizens, medical services for underserved communities, free transportation for families to visit loved ones in prison and free sickle-cell anemia testing. A 1972 grocery giveaway provided 10,000 free bags of groceries to people in East Oakland.
All of this is documented in the archives through photos, brochures, flyers and newspaper articles, such as one from a Sept. 16, 1976 edition of The Black Panther Intercommunal News, headlined “Oakland Community School Expanding Services to Youth.”
Fredrika Newton said, “The archives provide a road map for modern-day activists on how the Panthers organized the Survival programs.”
According to Benjamin Stone, the curator leading the project at Stanford University Libraries, “the deep dive into the archival collection provides rich detail on the processes that enabled the Black Panther Party to conceive and manage innovative social programs such as the Oakland Community School. Lessons learned will contribute to future efforts to digitize even more material.”
Hoover’s efforts to disrupt/destroy the BPP
But the archives also contain memos, letters and other documents, obtained through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), that prove the U.S. government, and particularly J. Edgar Hoover’s FBI, actively attempted to disrupt BPP activities.
On June 15, 1969, J. Edgar Hoover declared, “the Black Panther Party, without question, represents the greatest threat to internal security of the country,” pledging that 1969 would be the last year of the Party’s existence.
Felicia Smith, Stanford’s Racial Justice and Social Equity librarian, said, “One of my primary takeaways from working on the digitization of Dr. Huey P. Newton’s archival collection is the insight it offers into the U.S. government’s surveillance and disruption of the Black Panther Party. The collection includes extensive FBI memos detailing how the agency targeted Newton and other Panthers through COINTELPRO, the counterintelligence program designed to undermine Black liberation movements.”
Hoover and his FBI were determined, according to COINTELPRO memos obtained through the FOIA, to “Prevent the rise of a messiah who could unify and electrify the militant nationalist movement…Martin Luther King, Stokely Carmichael and Elijah Muhammad all aspire to this position.” Newton was also considered part of this “subversive” group.
A link to another of the COINTELPRO documents shows that “by July 1969, the Black Panthers had become the primary focus of [COINTELPRO] and was ultimately the target of 233 of the total 295 authorized ‘Black Nationalist’ COINTELPRO actions.”
The archives provide proof positive that the U.S. government, through its agency the FBI, exerted extraordinary efforts in surveilling, infiltrating, creating false narratives and attempting to disrupt relationships within the BPP.
It’s worth pointing out that H.R.9973, the COINTELPRO Full Disclosure Act first sponsored in the U.S. House of Representatives by Illinois Rep. Bobby L. Rush in 2021 then sponsored again in 2024 by Illinois Rep. Jonathan L. Jackson, has never advanced out of committee.
Wrote Smith in an email, “[preserving this information in the archives] counters attempts to erase or minimize Black history as something separate from American history, provides primary sources for researchers, students and the general public to learn about the Black Panthers without filters or narratives, and helps people understand the complexities of the Black Panther movement that was infiltrated by the FBI.”
The role of libraries and research archives in preserving accurate history is also shown in this effort, she noted. “By digitizing and sharing these archives, we’re not only preserving history but also empowering people to learn from it and use that knowledge to work towards a more just and equitable society. This work is a testament to the power of information and the critical role that libraries play in protecting and disseminating knowledge for the benefit of all.”
BPP legacy and influence preserved
Smith made other major points about archive materials. They show, she said, that many of the Panthers’ programs were designed and implemented by people who were barely out of their teens or were actual teenagers. They also show that “70% of BPP membership was women,” despite the emphasis on and enduring images of males. Multiple photos depict “Black Joy,” such as the one showing OCS Director Ericka Huggins throwing back her head in laughter.
The BPP influenced, and continues to influence, global movements, she said, such as the British Black Panthers, the [New Zealand] Polynesian Panthers, the [India] Dalit Panthers “and even the Brown Berets.”
Smith is deeply aware of the importance of her role in this legacy preservation. “As an African American Librarian at Stanford University, I understand the profound importance of preserving and sharing the history of the Black Panther Party through our newly digitized archives. This work is absolutely vital, especially in a time when Black history is being challenged or erased in many places and curriculum across the country.”
She added, “Far beyond their revolutionary image, the Panthers built systems of care in response to urgent needs in their communities—a legacy that remains deeply inspiring.”
Oakland Research Room to open
And far from being just an era in the distant past, “It is difficult to walk around Oakland without encountering people who have a familial relationship to the Party,” said Fredrika Newton.
Oakland’s Black Panther Party Museum, part of the Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation Inc., will open the Dr. Huey P. Newton Research Room by the end of summer 2025, which will allow access to all of the currently digitized archival materials, said Xavier Buck, Ph.D., executive director of the Foundation.
Unlike most research rooms, which demand quiet, this will be a communal, community-oriented space, true to Huey P. Newton’s vision and one in which “you can bring your coffee in with you,” Buck said. Noting that Newton had a doctorate from UC Santa Cruz and deeply valued both advanced academics and children’s education, he suggested that classes, or other groups of younger people, could pair visiting the museum and research room with the bus tours to several historic sites connected to the BPP. Handbooks from the Oakland Community School, emphasizing the philosophy of the African proverb “Each One, Teach One,” are also part of the larger museum’s exhibits.
An ark is being built, ready to bring all self-declared weirdos and certified nonconformists to safety from the standard summer corporate music festivals that have their thumbs on the scale. For those who don’t want to feel like they’re being locked in an abandoned cement plant and chainlink fence car-tow lot for 12 hours to see a few bands a half-mile back, the great John Waters comes in to wrap his arms around the many misfit boys and girls—and all in between—to put smiles on their faces, show them their self worth and then drop them on a grassy tree-shaded knoll at Oakland’s Mosswood Park for a summer Christmas morning that lasts an entire weekend.
“They are definitely my tribe—my kinda people,” Waters said of Mosswood Meltdown festivalgoers and staff.
Waters and Mosswood Meltdown have created a safe, unique utopia for those of us who’ve received head shakes from a fellow BART rider or a suspicious “Can I help you?” from an eyebrow-raised clerk at Walgreens. Mosswood Meltdown is a place where one can hear groovy sounds from some of the best in the biz, with locals like Twompax to visiting legends like DEVO. A mini sordid sermon from Waters himself is included to introduce each band. Sure it’s a bit cultish, but only in the best ways.
But how did Mosswood Meltdown even come into play? What birthed this anomaly of anarchy?
“Marc [Ribak, the festival’s organizer] called me and asked me to do it,” Waters said. “He knew I was a punk-rock fan. I was asked to do it; I did it—it worked and I’ve been doing it ever since.”
Ribak remembers the beginning process as a dream seeded from meeting Waters at an art show—running from a tornado in Kansas and seeking refuge on a freight train where Waters was introducing bands and hosting a music festival.
“A few weeks later I was able to get in touch with John’s people,” Ribak said, “and the next thing you know, we were working on a production together.”
The Express caught up with Waters by phone when he was in Provincetown, Massachusetts. He said he’d just finished the Mosswood Meltdown intros, which takes him about two weeks to complete.
“I do all the research, listen to the music, read about them and write,” said Waters, who was excited about this year’s lineup. “It’s going to be good! We’ve got some greatest hits, some back in a different order. I’m always happy to see Shannon [Shaw, of Oakland’s Shannon & the Clams]. I’m always excited to see the ones that are new, that I haven’t seen before.”
And what cult leader—I mean icon—would not have his festival rituals?
“Shannon always picks me up. She’s my angel through the whole thing,” Waters said. “I know everyone that works the festival. I have a friend every year that gives me a great present. I get to see the same people every time. It’s like a punk Christmas. I like being backstage with all the artists and crew.”
Some standout memories for Waters include meeting the Jesus and Mary Chain and the Damned. “Every year I’m impressed,” he said. He expressed his hopes for the future with a shoutout to Amyl and the Sniffers. “We need new blood! We need more young punks! We need to get a blood transfusion from Iggy Pop for all the young punks coming up!”
Waters said one of his favorite Mosswood moments involved admiring the raw power and professionalism of Iggy Pop from the stage sideline during a performance that included a stage dive.
“Iggy comes around the stage a few minutes before he goes on and gets out right after. I love it,” Waters said. “I want to keep Iggy Pop alive until he’s in his 100s.”
Water’s dream Mosswood finale? “I always wanted to end the festival with Nancy Sinatra playing, ‘These Boots are Made for Walking.’ I think that would have been a great Mosswood moment,” he said.
This Ruler of Rubbish may wear many crowns, as a filmmaker, book author, cultural icon, someone to make one sick to their stomach and feel cool about it … the list goes on. However, 100% of the time he is a writer.
“I write every day, Monday to Friday, 8am to 11pm,” Waters said. “I think fucked-up things in the afternoon, write them down and I sell them. That’s my life. Most everything I do is about writing. That’s what I do. And no matter how I try, there’s no shortcut to writing. I’ve been writing for 50 years and I still haven’t found a shortcut.”
For those who haven’t already put it together, music is a huge inspiration for the Baron of Bad Taste. He and Martin Scorsese share a similar film-score method in using songs, or parts of songs, rather than having a film score created—in most cases—for their movies. One would gather that Waters’ music collection is likely as extensive as his book library. An early Judy Garland performance he witnessed in 1964 reminded him of a gay Beatles concert. He also described seeing James Brown live in Baltimore.
“I met him years later at a Bloomingdales of all places,” Waters said. “I told him about getting to see him live, and that I got beat up after his show—but it was worth it. He laughed about that. He was actually lovely in person.”
The Overlord of the Unsavory is really all about uplifting his loyal fan base. He really can make a person feel “normal,” whatever that means, and capable. He expressed that he is “very flattered” when one of his fans or admirers compliments his work.
“People sometimes cry or tell me I’ve saved their life,” Waters said. “I feel like a fucked-up Mother Theresa. I’m just happy my films and books have that effect on people. I even wrote a book called Role Models, about people that have done the same for me. People that let me realize I could be who I wanted to be.”
While Waters may be quite the humble spirit, generous and exceptionally polite, he was and is a cult icon before such a title was coined, when “late-night cinema” was beautiful exploitation schlock from yesteryear. Waters cut out the middleman and avoided the wait by making ready-to-serve midnight movies. And he was light years ahead of the curve for giving a platform to the body-positive, and to those with diverse sexual orientations and gender identities.
No alleged “independent” or “alternative” films or directors existed before Waters came along. He built a kingdom for the underclassed. He’s not the King of Trash by chance or by default; he earned the title. And His Majesty has built a fortress of foul where the disenfranchised, unseen and underprivileged come to feel somehow conventional and protected. So on the weekend of July 19-20, we salute the Colonel of Non-Conformity and join his revolution of ruin against the boring and mundane … while also seeing some cool bands and maybe eating some pizza.
Lorraine Hansberry didn’t live to see her final play, Les Blancs (The Whites) produced. The author of A Raisin in the Sun died of cancer at 34 before completing the complex work, inspired, it is believed, by her reaction to the Broadway production of Jean Genet’s Les Nègres (The Blacks), which she critiqued for the Village Voice in her 1961 article, “Genet, Mailer, & the New Paternalism.”
According to Jonathan Shandell in his 2025 book Readying the Revolution, Hansberry “denounced Genet’s drama for trafficking in ‘romantic racism’ and a ‘new paternalism’ in its vision of [African] Black people primarily as exotic and violent primitives.”
Hansberry argued that, “For all of its sophistication,” The Blacks “is itself an expression of some of the more quaint notions of white men.”
Hansberry’s husband, Robert Nemiroff, adapted and published Les Blancs after her death. In it, Hansberry “explores the waning days of early 20th-century colonialism in an unnamed African nation, where the dynamics of colliding interests and loyalties unfold,” according to Oakland Theater Project (OTP) materials. The play opened July 13.
Director James Mercer II wasn’t familiar with the script when asked to direct the play. His first response was, “Are you sure you want me to direct this piece?” Known for speaking his mind bluntly, he said, “this play is speaking some hard truths” that people don’t necessarily want to hear right now.
Like many, he also puzzled as to why Hansberry, a Black woman, created a piece in which the only Black woman character remains silent throughout. But after contemplation, he decided to cast Black women to play all the roles. Jeunee Simon, Aidaa Peerzada, Rezan Asfaw, Brittany Sims, Champagne Hughes, Monique Crawford, Jacinta Kaumbulu and Ije Success embody the characters in the play.
OTP originally considered using an all-Black cast, but keeping the gender roles intact, he said. This production will look at the play through the lens of “The Woman” in Hansberry’s script.
During rehearsals, Mercer asked his actors to “identify what they agree with in their characters,” which could be difficult. He also asked them to stretch their imaginations to envision what it’s like to walk through the world, for example, as a white American man, which one character is. “No restrictions. Expect to hear ‘yes’ all the time,” he said.
Rehearsals brought up some visceral reactions, he said, describing one “tough moment,” involving violence that “took everybody out.” Though the violence did not entail an actor perpetuating actual violence on another actor, but rather a character doing so to another character, it was still disturbing. “We work on taking care of each other,” Mercer said.
Parallels definitely exist between what happens in Les Blancs, with its explorations of colonialism and the moral corruption of authoritarianism, and what is going on today, he said. People are still being “othered.” He related a story from his own past where as a 13-year-old he watched a video of a Congolese woman in distress over conflict in her country. Only when she began crying, he said, did compassion arise in him for another human, not someone “other.”
Like Mercer, Ije Success wasn’t familiar with Les Blancs before being cast. Reading it for the first time, “I was speechless,” she said, “but fascinated” that the play raised more questions than it answered.
She plays two characters, Dr. Marta Gotterling, a white Protestant missionary in the remote African village where the play takes place, and Ngago, a male member of the local resistance to colonial rule.
Dr. Gotterling wants to “do her best to take care of people,” Success said, but is also naive and in a “state of ignorance” about the reality of the people she says she wants to help. Ngago, on the other hand, is a “warrior” who wants to “kill the invaders.” Working through physically embodying two starkly different people has been challenging but enlightening for Success as an actor.
She would like audience members to ask themselves: “What is the cost of war? What is the cost of colonization? These are global issues that are not so far from us here, now.”
‘Les Blancs’ plays through July 27 at Oakland Theater Project at FLAX art & design, 1501 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Oakland. Masked audience show July 17. $35-$60 plus pay-what-you-can by contacting the box office in advance at 510.646.1126 or oaklandtheaterproject.org.
Published in cooperation between Lust Panther and the East Bay Express
Backpage was shut down by the U.S. Government in 2018 for allegedly enabling sex trafficking, but the site’s uncensored classified ads section never really stopped. We’ve compiled, and reviewed, the best Backpage alternatives right now.
These sites are designed to replace the casual hookups and casual sex ads that Backpage was so well-known for—use these hot spots to check out free classified advertisements or even post some sexy ads yourself.
Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of Adult FriendFinder (AFF) is that you can start with a basic account completely free of charge. If you’re looking for a website full of horny 30-plus singles (and swingers) to fill the void of Backpage or Craigslist Personals, AFF is probably it.
It’s a very sex-positive website.
And if you happen to experience trouble starting convos, there are plenty of great icebreakers that help you to get the conversational ball rolling. On top of that, there are live cams, erotic stories, sexy chat rooms and more.
If you’re concerned about your online security, you don’t need to worry about exposing your private information on AFF. Adult FriendFinder has several security features that help safeguard user data.
What’s more, users generally play well with real pics on their posts and message you quickly and naturally. It’s not surprising to find a partner who wants to hook up for free or is willing to offer to hook up on the first date free.
Open-minded? Check. LGBTQ+-friendly? Check. One of the best Backpage alternative websites? You better believe it.
Pros
Meetups with people from diverse cultures
Live webcam action, NSFW photo albums and videos
Intimate dealings with a very low chance of getting ripped off
A “sex university” with tons of educational content, extraordinary magazines, cool groups and forums
Ashley Madison is unlike any other dating or adult platform whatsoever, especially if your spouse is giving you a headache. If you’re married and are merely a curious explorer looking for a new experience, this site should be at the very top of your list.
We can’t help but praise Ashley Madison for the remarkable work it puts into concealing your identity. Married people can seamlessly use digital mask filters over their faces so nobody, including their spouses, uncovers their private rendezvous.
Cunning.
Backpage had significant weaknesses in curbing romance scammers who take on fake identities in their dark swindling schemes. On the other hand, this Backpage alternative overflows with glamorous women and handsome men with real money and sex appeal.
To crown it all, Ashley Madison lets women join for free, helping to grow the number of female users over time. While AM may not look like Backpage and Craigslist Personals did, this hookup site can definitely fill the void left behind by Backpage … pun intended.
Pros
Hide your identity with digital mask filters
Guaranteed trust from worldwide dating profiles since 2001
Mix of marrieds, singles, couples, swingers
Easy to use if you’re not tech-savvy
Cons
Only women can use the platform for free
Bots and data breaches in the past
Check out our full review of Ashley Madison and the price of its hookups.
The first time you visit Euro Girls Escort, you’ll find personal ads and escorts from nearly every corner of the globe, save for the United States. Even in Moscow and Nairobi, you’ll get just the sexiest independent or agency workers alike.
Here’s another amazing detail about this forum—the classified ads give you great detail, unlike traditional sites like Backpage.
As for the contact information, it is easy to find because Euro Girls Escort cares that you get instant connection upon clicking on direct message icons.
You’ll also easily see multiple categories for attributes like hair color, age and nationality. You may also select your preferred busts type and figure out if someone is a smoker or not.
Overall, Euro Girls Escort is user-friendly with an interactive design, flexible features and customizable filters.
Pros
Outstanding profile details save you time digging deeper
Direct contact information guarantees swift engagements
VIP girls worldwide
Straightforward women who respect business
Cons
No posts from U.S. escorts
Overwhelming posts and profiles if you don’t apply filters
4. Tinder—Most Popular Dating and Hookup Similar to Backpage App
We couldn’t write this Backpage alternatives guide without mentioning the king of hookup apps, Tinder … the most popular dating platform accessible via mobile app. With Tinder, you could get casual sex sooner than you may believe.
What’s more, it’s free.
You can easily browse through potential partners in your local area, swiping left and right to your heart’s content. Tinder has an extensive user base filled with regular people looking for hookups, as well as escorts who will send you private messages on their rates.
Assuming you’re not so familiar with this reliable platform, there’s that classic swiping action on your smartphone screen to accept or turn down someone based on their profile. You simply swipe right to like them and potentially hook up, or you swipe left to start seeking another match.
You can only talk to mutual matches (people who swiped right on you too), so there isn’t too much awkwardness.
Pros
No hefty signup fees
Incredibly large pool of users, especially young people
Numerous escorts if you prefer no-strings-attached
Paid upgrades available
Cons
Superficial by design
Free profiles are limited
Fake profiles could get you ripped off
5. Slixa—Outstanding Backpage Alternative for the VIP Experience
Some Backpage alternatives can get messy and crooked, but not Slixa. It has stringent policies against sex trafficking, sexual abuse and other nasty means of getting the job done. Slixa’s escort directory covers Australia, the United States, Canada and the UK.
Slixa offers a reputation that’s hard to replicate if you’re looking for a VIP experience and premium services online. The site runs replete with classified ads for gorgeous women who’ll leave you craving more. There are no pimp games here.
You’ll likely find a sleek experience with Slixa, as top magazines like Forbes and Business Insider have featured it. What’s more, you’ll easily land expert masseuses and professional female escorts.
When it comes to privacy, Slixa does a commendable job. One of the features gives you an option to hide nudity if you’re a member. There are also filters for personal attributes like ethnicity, hair color, body type and age, among others.
Pros
Escorts from diverse backgrounds
Direct contact details of escorts
Professional classified ads for easy posts
High-class clients; narrow risks of Splenda daddies
Escort Directory is a top escort site that’s extremely similar to Backpage. While it’s a classified ads directory, you may not get those distinct parts about non-sensual services. It’s a place to post ads for adult services.
Introductory profiles will show you the names, location, age and even an airplane icon so you can arrange for travel. The site is LGBTQ+ friendly. To crown it all, there’s a currency selector, so you don’t have to worry about exchange rates.
Providers at Escort Directory offer classic massages and memorable tours besides getting dirty in BDSM activities. You won’t just hit it and leave—you’ll leave knowing it was worth it and can review your provider.
You can search the personal ads by names and phone numbers if you want a rematch—what more can you ask for from a Backpage alternative website?
Pros
Appealing natural photos
Provider location guarantees easy access
Unhidden contact details
Porn stars for a VIP experience
Cons
Some women may not be real escorts
Certain providers are extremely discreet
7. Erotic Monkey—Best Replacement for Classified Backpage Ads
With Erotic Monkey, you may never spank the monkey again. Real escorts offer unmatched classified ads and tell you clearly what they want. If you’re looking for Backpage replacement websites, EM is as straightforward as it gets.
Heck, you can even figure out the bust sizes, incall and outcall rates. What a treat. The only thing we may frown about is that Erotic Monkey primarily focuses on the United States. Still, if you’re reading this from the United States … you’re in luck!
On top of all of this, if you prefer to browse safely, then you can filter out erotic images too. I mean, we’re not sure why you would do that … but it’s an option.
8. Alt.com—BDSM Ads Similar to What You Would Find on Back Page
If you understand the BDSM reference right away, you probably get the whole gist of Alt.com—and understand why it’s very different from all other adult dating sites.
It has all the stuff you can’t get away with posting on other dating sites, even Tinder and Adult FriendFinder.
Alt.com explores a number of taboos and you can match up with locals or people across the world for a frank discussion of your common interests—all of which are extreme, sexual and very niche.
You can follow Doms and subs and get updates on their social media profiles, along with many NSFW photos of what they enjoy doing to themselves and their partners.
You can also find some paid services here, such as BDSM partners who charge for their time and knowledge. You can also check out online services, live webcam shows, chat rooms, pictures and hot BDSM videos.
With similar features and functionalities as Facebook, you can follow, like and share your favorite BDSM friends and acquaintances.
If your interests are too extreme for Tinder, you know where to go.
Pros
Fetish-specific partners are available
Promotions allowed
You can follow and befriend users like a social network
Reddit Dirty R4R is better than free classified sites because you can get casual sex without hectic processes. You only have to download the app and there you go—describe your interests briefly and wait.
It takes no time before you start a productive convo with like-minded individuals. And if you follow the posting rules, you’ll likely avoid getting blocked and secure a trusted membership.
One thing I love about Reddit is that you don’t need to provide too much personal information to get laid. No posts, no crafted bios, nothing. You also don’t have to worry about parting with a few bucks.
Pros
Free access
Countless daily interactions and hits
No membership prerequisites
Cons
Hard to stand out
Limited users in your local area
10. SkipTheGames—Most Explicit Backpage Alternative
Sites like Craigslist and Adult FriendFinder have always been very subtle about some of the “services” offered.
Backpage was not subtle and no wonder it was in hot water with the U.S. government.
SkipTheGames is similarly explicit and isn’t much for innuendo in its listings for escorts as well as the escort ads themselves.
Unlike the Backpage website, however, SkipTheGames’s server is not located in the United States but in Europe, where most sex work has legal channels established.
Nevertheless, there are plenty of United States-based ads for adult services, and most of the language is fairly explicit.
However, the adult site does state that there are ways to get in contact with the site owners for legal purposes, which indicates the site does not intentionally facilitate trafficking or endorse other harmful practices.
Pros
Real escort ads in U.S. cities
Explicit descriptions of services
Photos of escorts and other adult suppliers
Easy-to-glance format, like Backpage
Cons
Ads are not filtered—be careful.
No classifieds besides sex
Safety Tips for Using a Backpage Alternative Site
You shouldn’t get too reckless when you secure your date and meet for the first time. Here are a few tips to stay safe on these Backpage alternatives:
1. Only meet in a secure public place at first (for your own safety).
Backpage and Craigslist were the Wild West of the internet, and many of these sites like Backpage are no different.
There are plenty of crazy and/or dodgy people on the internet, so be careful and meet someone in public before going somewhere more … private.
2. Never give personal details like full names, addresses and bank details.
There are some small details that an escort needs to know, and there are some details that you need to keep to yourself.
Don’t reveal your name, where you live or your bank details to anyone on these websites. Pay in cash and use an alias where possible.
3. Arrange for a video call, so you see whether the person in the profile exists.
This is just common sense. You can’t get catfished if you speak to the other person on live video call and they are who they say they are. They could still be dodgy, so be careful, but it greatly reduces the risk for sure.
This video calling also helps to remove tension and lets you know what you’re getting into.
Sites like Adult FriendFinder and Seeking do provide video chat services, so make good use of them before arranging to meet.
4. Be upfront about your desires and intentions before any fun begins.
Make sure your partner likes the same activities as you, and obtain consent before making a move.
This keeps you both on the same page and usually makes for a more fun sexual experience all around. Escorts are professionals who should respect your boundaries and preferences.
5. Bring protection, and always use it.
STDs and babies are something that you probably don’t want from a Backpage alternative site. Use protection so you don’t end up regretting your eventful night!
FAQs for Backpages and Other Back Page Alternatives
Reading about these Backpage clone sites gives you a lot of information at once.
If you still have questions about how it all went down, read on.
What was Backpage?
Backpage was a classified ads website, similar to Craigslist, founded in 2004 and then shut down in 2018.
The site was not exclusively for dating or hooking up, but also featured other categories like automotive, rentals, services and community ads. However, the adult services sections garnered the most attention and notoriety.
Whereas Craigslist removed its adult services as far back as 2010 in response to controversy, Backpage continued on—until the site drew criticism from the U.S. government.
In 2018, the U.S. Department of Justice seized Backpage and charged its owners with 100 counts of indictment for facilitating prostitution, as well as money laundering and conspiracy.
The end result remains a point of controversy. However, one that hasn’t stopped is the public’s interest in “Backpages” and other Backpage alternatives that are rising up in the original’s place.
Where Can I Find Free Classified Advertisements?
Escort Directory is the free classified advertisement site that’s closest to Backpage in its design.
You’ll have plenty of personal ads to scroll through, and all of them offer adult services. You can also find free classified ads on Erotic Monkey and Reddit Dirty R4R.
While it’s not exactly a free classified site, Adult FriendFinder has a free version and it delivers great results. You have to make a profile to use it, but you can keep your personal information hidden for privacy.
Are Hookup Sites Dangerous?
Hookup sitesmay be dangerous, especially if they have no guarantee for policies against sex trafficking, romance scams and sex offenses.
Read each site’s guidelines before you sign up or interact with any of the ads.
Beyond keeping yourself safe by adhering to the site’s terms of use, you also need to stay safe when you meet up. It’s always best to ensure the other person is real before you make plans with them.
Face-time or video call your partner beforehand if possible. If a partner refuses to answer or show his or her face, it may be a huge red flag.
New to hookups in general? Read our feature on how to handle hookups for first-timers.
Are Backpage Alternatives Legal?
Obviously, consenting adults are allowed to do whatever they want behind closed doors.
However, U.S. law prohibits solicitation and manipulation in any form.
Online adult advertising is different from going to strip clubs, but you’ll want to play it safe for both options. Keep your privacy and valuables safe at all times to prevent drama or legal troubles.
Final Verdict—Which Backpage Replacement Site is Best?
Adult FriendFinder is clearly the most useful Backpage replacement and the one that most captures the spirit of the original site—without doing anything illegal.
In addition to promoting casual sex sites, AFF also has strict anti-trafficking policies and doesn’t even allow escorts to explicitly advertise their services. That means you have full protection from getting mixed up in anything illegal, or other online scams.
While there may be no full way to replace Backpage and the experience that it offered at the time, these modern websites are a great way to look for sex, escorts or just casual hookups in 2025 and beyond.
Why not check out AFF today and start meeting new people?
Hibiscus flowers, jackfruit and oyster mushrooms are just some of the “meat substitutes” chef Paola Lagunas cooks at Alma y Sazon. Lagunas has worked in the restaurant industry since the age of 15, including a stint at À Côté. At the beginning of her career, she was taught to “revere food.” Since 2022, when Alma y Sazon opened as a pop-up, the underlying philosophy behind her culinary approach has been to respect “real ingredients from the natural world.”
After holding pop-ups for a couple of years at venues like Roasted and Raw, and Temescal Brewing, the kitchen incubator La Cocina offered Alma y Sazon the Emeryville kiosk in February. Restaurants such as Mama Lamees and Nusa once held court there. The short-term, six-month lease includes the possibility to extend it up to a year. Lagunas believes “it’s a really good way to understand restaurant operation—labor, our time and food. And just how we can really scale this and grow without having it feel like too much pressure.”
For now, Alma y Sazon is a family business run by Lagunas, her husband Xavier Herrera and her sister, Fernanda. “We don’t have any employees,” Lagunas said. “We all own it equally.” Lagunas fills the role of primary chef, Fernanda, of front-of-house manager. Herrera is the culinary director.
The vegan-vegetarian menu features traditional Mexican recipes from Lagunas’ mother. “Xavier brings in more of the innovation,” she said. “It helps because vegan food, a lot of the time, it’s a little more experimental. You need more ingredients for it.” He’s responsible for the cashew crema and an almond-queso fresco. Both of which show up on a range of tacos, tostadas and sopesitos—or masa cups—a new addition.
Lagunas regularly drank jamaica agua frescas at home, but she didn’t grow up eating hibiscus flowers. She discovered their full edible potential on social media. “We started playing with them and found they have a meaty texture and taste, almost like a jerky,” she said. I tried the flower in a tostada ranchera ($8) and in the hibiscus asada taco ($4.75). It’s really much more tender than a jerky but chewier than, say, a geranium. To achieve that substantial texture, Lagunas caramelizes the flower for nearly an hour at a low temperature.
Two taco options feature mushrooms as the key ingredient. The carnitas taco ($5) is much lighter fare than the de mar ($8) and needs something to fill it out: squash or beans or even tomatoes. Lagunas gets a nice sauté on the thin slices of oyster mushrooms, but the tempura fry in the de mar makes it feel like the more complete dish.
Currently, the tortillas are made by La Finca Tortilleria in Oakland. “We wanted to use someone who was local,” Lagunas said. La Palma in San Francisco and Tortilleria El Molino in Concord were also contenders. “If we were to make the tortillas, my team would need more help with figuring it out. It’s really hard to make a tortilla.”
Alma y Sazon’s tagline reads: “Mexican Tradition. Vegan Revolution.” No animal products are used but Lagunas, who also describes her food as vegetarian, is aware of the “harsh connotation” some diners associate with vegan cuisine. But now that they have a brick-and-mortar space, more plant-based people have found them. “They are coming up to us really excited that there’s another vegan restaurant in town,” she said.
When a dubious carnivore approaches the kiosk, the tostada ranchera is Lagunas’ go-to recommendation. “Everything else on the tostada—beans, pepitas, lettuce, carrots, radishes, sour cream and queso—most people are used to,” she said. “Then you get a fun surprise with the hibiscus flower.”
The homemade sopesitos ($16) also have familiar ingredients such as refried beans, poblanos and corn. “Having the vegetarian twist on it, I’m hoping that more people are interested in trying it for the sake of having less impact on the environment,” she said.
Alma y Sazon, 5959 Shellmound St., Emeryville. Open Tue 4:30–8pm, Wed-Sat 11am to 8pm and Sun 11am to 7:30pm. IG: @almaysazonllc. almaysazonvegano.com
Dance Myth is one of the many projects of artist, musician and poet Dan Smith. Known as the lead singer for lo-fi/emo/hip-hop band Listener, Smith’s Dance Myth moniker—a clever play on his name—is an emotional, introspective work seeped in deep contemplation. Dance Myth, much like Listener, is poetry and prose aimed directly at the listener, set afloat over a river of music with the themes of death, rebirth, grief and learning to forgive oneself. Dance Myth’s new album The Shapes We Make, released last month, is a beautiful and harrowing record of what it’s like to be a human with all of our failures, imperfections and hope. – MW
Talk about the roots of reggae—the trio the Abyssinians has been singing about freedom and Zion since 1969. Their classic song “Satta Massagana” (“Give Thanks”), on the group’s first album in 1976, uses Amharic, the language of Ethiopia, the ancient Abyssinia. Donald Manning, Linford Manning and Bernard Collins, all born in Kingston, Jamaica, have stayed true all these years to their deeply spiritual, Afrocentric focus. These days they rarely tour, so this Freight gig is extra special. The Freight is also offering discounted tickets for its “Reggae Nights Pass,” which includes another legendary reggae group, the Meditations, on Friday, July 18. – JH
The story goes that Ghanian musician and songwriter Gyedu-Blay Ambolley “pricked up his ears” in the ’60s when he listened to the Voice of America’s Jazz Hour shows. He was also deeply influenced by the “independence sounds” of countryman Kwame Nkrumah, leading to his embrace of the 1970s highlife music movement. His cut, “Simigwa-Do,” essentially created a whole music and dance genre. The multi-instrumentalist/songwriter/producer is also widely credited as “the godfather of hiplife,” a fusion of hip-hop and highlife. Anyone who can listen to “Abrentsie” from his 2013 album Party Time without getting up and, well, partying, needs their feet examined. – JH
Prison Affair doesn’t play shows so much as stage incidents. The Barcelona-based synth-punk/egg-punk freaks specialize in short bursts of manic energy: shrieking vocals, warbled tape loops, busted keyboards. Their songs are feral dispatches from inside a metaverse funhouse lockup: deranged, distorted and fully committed to the bit. They’re headlining the official after-party for Mosswood Meltdown—f.k.a. Burger Boogaloo—Oakland’s summer blowout of punk, garage and glitter. Expect chaos and raunchy cartoon visuals. – SBB
INFO: Sat, 10pm, Eli’s Mile High Club, 3629 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Oakland. $15-$20. 510.808.7565.
SATURDAY, JULY 19
MUSICAL THEATER
‘SCAT-TER BRAIN’
The immensely versatile Candace Johnson’s semi-autobiographical one-woman musical catapults neurodivergence to new heights. Diagnosed in her 40s with inattentive ADHD, she learned to navigate, then celebrate, her unique traits and capabilities. As a singer, actress, poet and voice instructor, Johnson arrives at Marsh Berkeley with a hefty pedigree: a doctorate in voice performance from the University of Michigan and membership in CHADD, a nonprofit supporting services for children and adults with ADHD. The 90-minute, original production includes one intermission and a promise. Anyone who is, knows someone with, wonders what it means or hopes to gain greater understanding of life with ADHD will get a solid look at neurodiversity. Performances go until Sept. 13. – LF
Of Montreal is a shapeshifter. Since the late ’90s, Kevin Barnes, of Georgia—the band is allegedly named for a doomed relationship with une Québécoise—has steered the project through candy-colored psych-pop, glam-funk and baroque bedroom confessions, sometimes all on the same record. Barnes’ live shows are a maximalist spectacle: costume changes, dadaist video projections and theatrical breakdowns that blur the line between concert and performance art. With a discography that swings from jubilant to jarring, Of Montreal doesn’t stand still. – SBB
The storied past of Bobby Joe Ebola and the Children MacNuggits includes a lie that got out of hand and a series of illegal concerts held under the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge. The darkly satirical folk-rock band began in 1995 when singer Corbett Redford attempted to impress a girl by offering up his then-nonexistent band for her birthday party. She called his bluff, and the rest is history. Guitarist Dan Abbott joined, and within a few years the duo reanimated the East Bay’s DIY punk scene, founding Geekfest and S.P.A.M. Records. Politically and comically aware, they describe their style as “pretty songs about awful things.” – AM
INFO: Sun, 6pm, Ivy Room, 860 San Pablo Ave., Albany. $18/adv, $20/door. 510.526.5888.
SUNDAY, JULY 20
MULTIMEDIA
‘I WAS THERE TOO’
Black Panther co-founder and Bay Area resident Huey P. Newton once said, “The young always inherit the revolution,” and I Was There Too—a unique performance by Meres-Sia Gabriel—proves just that. Gabriel uses live jazz and blues, personal family photos, archival images, poetry and personal narratives to explore what it meant to grow up the daughter of two Black Panther Party members, a child of the revolution. She takes the audience on a soul-stirring journey as she navigates a coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of secrecy, poverty, idealism and government collusion to infiltrate, dismantle and control Black communities. – MW
Telling the story of a single mother powering her way to become a mighty force requires pulling out all the stops. A superb cast including Tamara Edwards, Nate’ Soulsanger, Majesty-Pearl Scott, Christolenae Thomas, Kesha Lovett, LaVada Womack and Jasmine Butler revs at full throttle. Using music, movement and dynamic storytelling to engage audiences in the rapture and ruptures of leading a family singlehandedly in this age might just blow the roof off of Yoshi’s. If that happens, count on a gang of moms to rise up, replace the ceiling, whistle happy tunes while hammering and carry on. – LF
If you don’t know Mephiskapheles, you’ve been missing out on one of the darkest, craziest, heaviest bands out there. Formed deep in the bowels of New York City’s East Village in the 1990s, Mephiskapheles emerged as a leader of the third-wave ska scene, merging traditional ska with punk and hardcore. The band’s 1994 debut album, God Bless Satan, was an impressive display of their demonic-meets-humorous songwriting prowess. Hits like “Satan Stole My Weed” in 2015 proved that their wells of inspiration run feverishly deep. As of 2025, they’ve been teasing new music and the rhythm section—the Horns of Hell—is hotter than ever. – AM
INFO: Wed, 8pm, Ivy Room, 860 San Pablo Ave., Albany. $20. 510.526.5888.
I’m tired of having to point this out about movies, television shows and daily life, so this may be the last time I’m going to broach this topic—and I’ll do so in a way I hope isn’t too terribly offensive: Those who think the new Superman movie is “woke” are in a cult and should probably get that looked...
At The Hideout Kitchen & Cafe in Lafayette, chef JB Balingit served hearty American meals. Steak, rack of lamb, fried and roast chicken, and burgers. The food at Tropa, his new restaurant, departs from that long list of familiar classics. When he ventured into the dining room to check in on our table, I asked him why he wanted...
THURSDAY, JULY 24
RAP
OUIJA MACC — Show cancelled!
Last summer, the rapper Ouija Macc posited on X, “I MIGHT BE THE MOST HATED JUGGALO.” For those uninitiated, the word refers to the scores of creep-tastic oddballs who follow the duo Insane Clown Posse in the musical universe of Midwest horrorcore. Bringing heavy trap beats into the genre, Ouija Macc crafts...
ARIES (March 21-April 19): In Hindu cosmology, the Sanskrit term “Lila” refers to divine play. It’s the idea that all of creation is a sacred and artful amusement that’s performed by the gods with joy, sorrow, artfulness and flair. I hereby proclaim Lila to be your theme of power, Aries. You have been so deep lately, so honest, so...
Fredrika Newton sat in her living room talking to Roger Guenveur Smith, the young writer/actor who would portray her late husband, Huey P. Newton, in a 2001 film directed by Spike Lee. Smith asked to see some of the huge number of documents, photos, videos, personal correspondence, newspaper articles and other materials documenting both the rise of the Black...
An ark is being built, ready to bring all self-declared weirdos and certified nonconformists to safety from the standard summer corporate music festivals that have their thumbs on the scale. For those who don’t want to feel like they’re being locked in an abandoned cement plant and chainlink fence car-tow lot for 12 hours to see a few bands...
Lorraine Hansberry didn’t live to see her final play, Les Blancs (The Whites) produced. The author of A Raisin in the Sun died of cancer at 34 before completing the complex work, inspired, it is believed, by her reaction to the Broadway production of Jean Genet’s Les Nègres (The Blacks), which she critiqued for the Village Voice in her...
Published in cooperation between Lust Panther and the East Bay Express
Backpage was shut down by the U.S. Government in 2018 for allegedly enabling sex trafficking, but the site’s uncensored classified ads section never really stopped. We’ve compiled, and reviewed, the best Backpage alternatives right now.
These sites are designed to replace the casual hookups and casual sex ads that Backpage...
Hibiscus flowers, jackfruit and oyster mushrooms are just some of the “meat substitutes” chef Paola Lagunas cooks at Alma y Sazon. Lagunas has worked in the restaurant industry since the age of 15, including a stint at À Côté. At the beginning of her career, she was taught to “revere food.” Since 2022, when Alma y Sazon opened as...
THURSDAY, JULY 17
ROCK
DANCE MYTH
Dance Myth is one of the many projects of artist, musician and poet Dan Smith. Known as the lead singer for lo-fi/emo/hip-hop band Listener, Smith’s Dance Myth moniker—a clever play on his name—is an emotional, introspective work seeped in deep contemplation. Dance Myth, much like Listener, is poetry and prose aimed directly at the listener, set...
