There was a Chinese restaurant across the street from The Night Light that I started to eat at before going to shows. I would always have the Hot and Sour soup.

Jon Lady

Ara Jo. By this point, I think Ara and I were real friends.

Eric Yee at a party at Thrillhouse Records (in SF).

I started hanging out a lot with Denny Joints, who was the first really passionate advocate of my live music video work, which I immensely appreciated. I think this was the day I filmed a NPR “TIny Desk Concert” video submission for him.

We stopped at Guitar Center I think to buy some picks.

Kelvin is a free jazz saxophonist, noise rock guitarist, and Afro-Futurist short story writer. It’s been a couple years since he’s played an Oakland show, but he was super active in the Oakland scene 20 years ago, and he was very active in the PDX scene when he lived there.

This is me with Joshua Mays, whose art exhibit I attended. Joshua is to my knowledge the most established Afro-Futurist painter in Oakland, and has painted huge landmark murals here.

I bought this print from Joshua.

Josie

My friends from Olympia, WA, China Star and Arrington de Dionyso came to Oakland to play a show.

This is Oakland DIY music legend George Chen, who was about to move to LA, partially to continue his standup comedy career, after having lived in Oakland for a very long time and been extremely involved in the scene here. When I was in college at UCSC 20 years ago, I knew of George as a major figure in the Oakland music scene. George’s record label is Zum Audio.

George Chen

Dinner with the Sgraffito folks.

This was a tattoo that Ara Jo had just given Jon Lady, based on mural artwork by Jeff Cheung.

Nikolas and Ethan at an Oakland house show.

This is Kevin Brown, who has just moved to PDX, but was a major major documentarian in the Oakland scene. He’s taken tons of photos (both people and bands), but he’s also filmed and uploaded a shocking amount of live music videos to his YouTube channel.

Sea and I first met on an OkCupid date, but we hit it off better as friends and it turned out we had lots of friends in common. Sea is an experimental dancer and teacher, and I saw some dance performances with her.

This is me with Kishi, who was a close friend of mine in college, at a LCM experimental music show.

Sgraffito show.

Sea explaining something.

This is Adam, who ran the DIY venue The Hole as smoothly as any really good commercial venue would be. I would say Adam is now qualified to run a commercial venue, if he wanted to.

Denney with Jon at Sgraffito.

I became friends with Christine at a LCM show, and we got along great, so we started spending lots of time together.

At Starline Social Club.

This is Cheap Charms jazz band saxophonist and band leader Ben Hartman at a house show in Berkeley. Ben is also saxophonist for K Records band Old Time Relijun.

Denney Joints at Sgraffito.

This is Allegra at a Sgraffito art exhibit she organized with Ara Jo.

Denney Joints with Ara Jo.

Denney showing Ara’s book.

Kimiya is a punk musician and skateboarder.

I took Christine to a Deerhoof show at the Great American Music Hall in SF. In this photo we are with (Deerhoof guitarist) John Dieterich, whom I’ve recorded three records for, two of which have been released on my Post-Consumer label. John has also mixed two other records of mine he doesn’t perform on. John mixed the Ötzi EP I recorded, and he liked the band so much he asked them to be the opening band for the Deerhoof show that night. On the left is my friend Annette, who is a librarian at UCSC and the widow of Josh Alper, a man I am permanently indebted to because when I was in college and super manic I basically learned how to have a conversation by studying him.

The guy in the center is Patrick Tabor, who is in Morning Hands, Diesel Dudes, and Tabor Mountain. I forget why he had a black eye that night, but it healed quickly.

Gina plays drums in Ötzi, sings in Robbery and now also sings in (A)drenochrom(e). She owns a bicycle store in downtown Oakland.

Joshua Mays showed me some of his new work in his home.

I attended a photo exhibit of Kevin Brown’s, featuring his non-music art photography.

Brontez and friends of his. I forget what event this was.

This was at an Oakland house show.

The Hole always offered free (and very good) vegan curry to its music show attendees.

This was right after the Ghost Ship fire, which Ara Jo and others passed away in. The tragedy was a surreal blow to the DIY music community.

This is Oakland punk band Tunnel Lights, whom I was making a record for. Being around these guys is good for my spirit.

Ara Jo’s memorial at Classic Cars West.

New Year’s Eve 2016.