Total SF
A San Francisco culture podcast featuring celebrity guests, non-celebrity guests, personalities from the San Francisco Chronicle and a celebration of Bay Area life. Hosted by culture critic Peter Hartlaub and columnist Heather Knight and recorded on the streets, hilltops, parks and landmarks of San Francisco. The pair's focus on the whimsy and wonder of San Francisco began in 2018 when they rode every bus, train, cable car and street car in the city in one day. They believe in highlighting the eccentric characters, independent bookstores, burger joints and bars that make the bay so great.
176
Audrey Cooper exit interview & "Pursuit of Happ...
Chronicle editor-in-chief Audrey Cooper returns to Total SF after her surprise announcement that she'll take over as editor of public radio powerhouse WNYC. Hosts Peter Hartlaub and Heather Knight talk to Cooper about her first time in San Francisco, her move to New York and the editor submits to Knight's lightning round. And the trio break down one more movie together, "The Pursuit of Happyness," the story of a homeless man struggling to raise his son and become a stockbroker in 1980s S.F.
51 min
177
Rev. Megan Rohrer interview | Total SF in Exile
Fresh off their appearance on "Queer Eye" Season 5, Rev. Dr. Megan Rohrer joins Total SF hosts Peter Hartlaub and Heather Knight. They talk about Rohrer's first time visiting San Francisco, ministry at a distance during COVID-19 and what it's like working as an SFPD Chaplain and with the homeless in these uncertain times. Rohrer also talks about their visit to the "Queer Eye" set, and completes Heather's lightning round.
40 min
178
Hunter and Alexis Pence interview | Total SF in...
San Francisco Giants outfielder Hunter Pence and "Let's Get Lexi" creator Alexis Pence join Total SF to talk quarantine life, walk-up songs, best SF cheeseburgers and make a special announcement — Hunter and Alexis' latest Pineapple Labs coffee has partnered with the San Francisco Chronicle Season of Sharing fund, with proceeds from their June coffee going to the fund. The coffee and mug are available at www.thepineapplelabs.com
41 min
179
The lost Jeffrey Tumlin episode | Total SF in E...
38 min
180
"Contagion" breakdown, with Audrey Cooper & Hea...
Total SF breaks down "Contagion," The Steven Soderbergh film was not considered a San Francisco classic (or even an S.F. movie) when it came out in 2020, but it has become iconic for its clairvoyance of the coronavirus pandemic. Hosts Peter Hartlaub and Heather Knight are joined by Chronicle editor Audrey Cooper, and they talk about how a Chronicle desk got in the movie, the short life span of Gwenyth Paltrow and what the movie got right and wrong.
42 min
181
SF quarantine house draft, with Heather Knight ...
Hosts Peter Hartlaub and Heather Knight make a round-by-round draft of the San Francisco residents they'd want in their quarantine house, battling each other for Marc Benioff, Hunter Pence and a few other surprises. Hartlaub and Knight also recap their first virtual movie night, "Inside Out," which brought #SFRuinsPizza to the No. 1 trending topic on Twitter.
31 min
182
Total SF "Inside Out" movie night pre-show | To...
Hosts Peter Hartlaub and Heather Knight talk about their fifth Total SF Movie Night #5, a Saturday 4/25 screening of "Inside Out" with pizza and pillow fort making challenges. They also talk about keeping things ;positive in San Francisco, and Heather's big column writing award.
23 min
183
The 5 greatest SF movies, with Heather Knight |...
Hosts Peter Hartlaub and Heather Knight reunite to rank their five favorite San Francisco movies to watch while sheltering in place — this is a happy podcast and all of the movies are funny, action-packed or inspiring. They also talk more about their first virtual Total SF event, an "Inside Out" virtual movie night at 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 25.
34 min
184
What the hell do we do with our kids? | Total S...
Hosts Peter Hartlaub and Heather Knight reunite to talk about some more good news in San Francisco, commiserate over the recent school closures, and share ideas for what to do with kids in the coronavirus era. They also announce their first Total SF event since shelter in place, an "Inside Out" virtual movie night at a date TBD.
30 min
185
Chronicle health reporter Erin Allday | Total S...
Host Peter Hartlaub interviews San Francisco Chronicle health reporter Erin Allday, who has been at the center of the newsroom's coronavirus coverage. Part of the Total SF "Meet a Chronicle Colleague" series during the health crisis, Allday talks about how she fell in love with journalism, when she first heard about the virus and how it's impacting her life — in and out of the newsroom.
37 min
186
The all happy news episode, with Heather Knight...
Hosts Peter Hartlaub and Heather Knight podcast together for the first time since the coronavirus crisis forced San Francisco Chronicle reporters to work from home. Hartlaub and Knight share some "good news" stories that they've come across. And they continue a new Total SF feature, "Things I took for granted," talking about the things we'll embrace most when the crisis is over.
30 min
187
Chronicle photographer Jessica Christian | Tota...
39 min
188
Warriors beat writer Connor Letourneau | Total SF
The first episode of Total SF in Exile - recorded in host Peter Hartlaub's living room in the work from home era — is an interview with San Francisco Chronicle beat writer Connor Letourneau. This "meet a Chronicle colleague" episode features Connor talking about how he got into journalism, his favorite things in Alameda and what it's been like covering the Warriors in the coronavirus era.
37 min
189
The San Franciscan magazine co-founders Erica M...
The new magazine The San Franciscan put out its second episode, and Total SF hosts Peter Hartlaub and Heather Knight invited co-founders Erica Messner and Amanda Legge on to discuss their endeavor. They talk about their love of S.F. that inspired the magazine, that stunning Sutro Tower cover and the surprisingly cool conversation they had with the New Yorker's intellectual property lawyers.
26 min
190
Kari Byron interview, with Jenny Buccos
Total SF welcomes co-host Kari Byron, the former "MythBusters" host who talks about San Francisco, her former job at The Chronicle, Muni, bike lanes and (most of all) her new project Crash Test World. Hosts Peter Hartlaub and Heather Knight are also joined by ProjectExplorer founder Jenny Buccos, who is teaming up with Byron on "Crash Test World," which will be on Discovery in September. (Episodes available at www.ProjectExplorer.org.)
37 min
191
Herb Caen tribute, with Gordon Harvey
Gordon Harvey lives in Alabama, but his heart is in San Francisco. The history professor created the Twitter account Herb Caen Daily (@HerbCaenDaily), sharing famous quotes from the legendary Chronicle columnist. In town to research a book on bike messengers, Harvey joins hosts Peter Hartlaub and Heather Knight to pay tribute to Caen and the city that the columnist loved.
38 min
192
SF Gay Men's Chorus members Chris Verdugo and M...
Gay Men's Chorus executive director Chris Verdugo and 18-year member Michael Tate visit the San Francisco Chronicle, to talk about the Chorus' past, present and future with hosts Peter Hartlaub and Heather Knight. The chorus is in the middle of Season 42, with several concerts including Penned in Pink at Davies Symphony Hall on March 26.
35 min
193
Van Mission, East Cut and other fake SF neighbo...
29 min
194
Vilaska Nguyen on comedy, being a public defend...
Vilaska Nguyen is an attorney in the S.F. Public Defender's office and stand-up comedian. He also is announcing his candidacy for District 7 supervisor, to replace Norman Yee. Nguyen joins hosts Peter Hartlaub and Heather Knight to talk about how Jeff Adachi inspired his comedy, why he lives in San Francisco and face the SF City Insider lightning round.
37 min
195
Western Neighborhoods Project hops in an SF tim...
36 min
196
Tom Tolbert on his first years in the Bay Area,...
KNBR host Tom Tolbert joins host Peter Hartlaub to talk about his first memories of San Francisco, and how a kid who grew up near Long Beach made the Bay Area his home. The former Warriors forward recalls when he realized a radio career might be a possibility, and his first day working with KNBR legend Ralph Barbieri. Hartlaub and Tolbert, both Alameda residents, share their opinions of island living. And Tolbert shares some memories about 7-foot-7 teammate Manute Bol.
46 min
197
A tribute to "Bullitt," with Heather Knight and...
As The Big Event becomes Total SF, we pay tribute to the movie "Bullitt," the Steve McQueen classic with arguably the greatest car chase in history. Host Peter Hartlaub is joined by Chronicle columnist Heather Knight and friend of the show Eric Kingsbury to talk about the San Francisco locations, why the movie has aged well and the horrible scene where Bullitt steals a San Francisco Chronicle.
45 min
198
"Roll Over Easy" radio hosts Chris Bunting and ...
"Roll Over Easy" is a popular radio show and podcast on the online radio station BFF.fm, where hosts Christopher Bunting and Luke Spray spread joy and San Francisco love every Thursday at 7:30 a.m. In their first interview since The Big Event became Total SF, hosts Peter Hartlaub and Heather Knight talk to the pair about how they met, their favorite S.F. things and what (if anything) pisses them off. Produced by Peter Hartlaub. Theme song "The Tide Will Rise" by the Sunset Shipwrecks. Cable car bell-ringing by Byron Cobb
36 min
199
The Big Event podcast becomes Total SF
Peter Hartlaub is joined by Heather Knight to explain The Big Event podcast's transition to Total SF. All the old The Big Event episodes will remain and the general vibe of the podcast won't change, but we're doubling down on bringing you the best Bay Area characters and stories. Produced by Peter Hartlaub. Music is "The Tide Will Rise" by the Sunset Shipwrecks with cable car bell ringing by Byron Cobb.
11 min
200
Shea Serrano on his journalism start, favorite ...
Author and journalist Shea Serrano visits the San Francisco Chronicle to give his origin story as a writer, and talk about and his new book "Movies and Other Things." On Serrano's first visit to S.F., host Peter Hartlaub also asks him about his favorite San Francisco movies and stories of Mexican grandmothers.
49 min