SV411 EP012 2017 San Jose Light Tower + Steve Borkenhagen

LIGHT TOWER TRIO: Jon Ball, Steve Borkenhagen and Thomas Wohlmut have formed a nonprofit corporation and hope to raise funds to rebuild an iconic historical structure, with a new twist. (Photo by Greg Ramar)

When Josh is away, Nick and Jennifer take the reins of the SV411 Podcast.

On this week’s episode, we discuss the incident involving a Campbell police officer who held two drivers at gunpoint in Hollister; the fractious Milpitas City Council; the plan to rebuild the San Jose Light Tower and give the Capital of Silicon Valley the landmark it deserves; and go over a few items to check out this weekend.

SV411 EP011 2017 ‘Nobody Speak’ + Maxwell Borkenhagen

SHHHH: Peter Thiel used his deep pockets to put Gawker out of business. Who’s next?

The news is absolutely insane these days. Like. Every. Single. Day. And yet, the media suffers—from declining ad revenues, for one, and also from a sustained attack from 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. But Donald Trump isn’t the only billionaire (ahem… “billionaire?”) using his status to undermine news organizations with which he disagrees.

SV411 EP010 2017 SV Beer Week + Ben Henderson

FOSTER THE PEEPS: Heinz Jones, co-owner for Forager, believes the South Bay beer and culinary scene is prime for expansion. Photo by Greg Ramar.

Silicon Valley Beer Week is back for the fifth year. Josh and Nick discuss the science of sour brew, the SVBW kickoff party at Forager Tasting Room + Eatery and many more events all over the South Bay. All this, plus a conversation with local artist and musician Ben Henderson. He is responsible for a great deal of the downtown San Jose aesthetic and will be opening up for Blues Traveler at Music in the Park.

SV 411 Podcast: Writing in the Age of Trump and East Side Politics

NIX THAT: Nathan Hill’s new novel presaged Trump.

Writers are absolutely necessary in the age or Trump. That’s the focus of this week’s Metro cover story, a profile of Nathan Hill, author of the groundbreaking novel The Nix.

SV411 EP007 2017 Is This Opera?

HIP-HOPERA: Alexandra Sessler and Carlos Aguirre are working with Opera Cultura to achieve a new vision of what the art form might be.

Josh and Nick discuss a new book by Stanford law professor Mugambe Jouet about the legacy of the idea of American exceptionalism, as well as this week’s “I Saw You” about an apparently racist tech bro. Plus, this week’s cover story: About a number of local arts organizations attempting to change the way people think about opera.

SV411 EP007 2017 Comedy Sportz & Gary Singh

FUNNYMAN: Comedy Sportz founder Jeff Kramer celebrates 30 years of competitive comedy.

The Fourth of July holiday is nearly upon us. The SV 411 podcast celebrates the annual freedom hoedown spectacular by welcoming columnist Gary Singh to the program.

SV411 EP005 2017 SJPD Chief Eddie Garcia

GOOD COP: Josh talks with SJPD Chief Eddie Garcia in this week’s podcast.

The SV411 podcast is heating up just in time for summer, which is to say Metro editors Josh Koehn and Nick Veronin talked themselves into heat stroke.

SV411 EP004 – Bars and Clubs

Ooof! Anybody have any ibuprofen? We tied one on last night with the Barfly boys—a.k.a. Tomek Mackowiak and Jeremiah Harada. We brought our intrepid drinking duo to discuss their latest column—which ran in this week’s Bars and Clubs issue of Metro. We also went over the Hit List, highlighting a trio of upcoming events—Strata at…

SV411 EP003 Ro Khanna, Hawaiian Princes, and Premium Rap Beef

Silicon-Valley-surf-history

The SV411 podcast takes a decidedly political turn this week, and not just because Trump turned the country’s back on science. We welcome special guest Congressman Ro Khanna to the program. In a free-flowing discussion recorded earlier this week, Rep. Khanna and editor Josh Koehn discuss the president’s disastrous trip to Europe, the Paris Climate…