berkeley b-side
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Screaming “Am I the only one” alongside hundreds of strangers at a Couch concert
Walking along the walls of The Fillmore made me feel part of something bigger–which is just what I needed amidst finals. Looking at the wall of the Fillmore, I first became annoyed because so many of the concert posters lining the walls had the most illegible fonts. As I continued to stare beyond the fonts,…
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What does it mean to be real? Jenny Hval’s “Iris Silver Mist”
I first listened to Jenny Hval last spring, just a few months before her 2025 release Iris Silver Mist. I had picked up her book in the limited international section of an English bookstore in Lyon, France, while I was studying abroad. Paradise Rot, an English translation of Perlebryggeriet (Pearl Brewery), is Norwegian author and…
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Against the Noise: The Quiet Power of Izzy & Emma
Now more than ever, it is crucial that we all remain intentional with the media we consume. The way we each move through the world and choose what we watch, read, and listen to reflects the ongoing loss of equitable representation in mainstream media. Too often, characters are written with only surface-level depth. The portrayal…
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Why do I sob every time I listen to “America” by Simon and Garfunkel?
“I’m empty and aching and I don’t know why” are all-too-familiar lyrics to a disillusioned twenty-something trying to get by in the United States. They come from one of the most gut-wrenching songs of all time: “America” by legendary folk-rock duo Simon & Garfunkel. While the song was climbing the Billboard charts some 57 years…
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Love is in the air with Danny Brown and Underscores
Exiting the building, my shirt was damp. I’m still not sure if it was my own sweat or the people jumping around me in the mosh pit. Passing over the Bay Bridge from Berkeley into San Francisco felt like traveling through realms. San Francisco shared the same crisp air as Berkeley the night of the…
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I paused my video game to be here… (how Animal Crossing stole our hearts)
As most people during the Covid-19 pandemic, I was often found on my Animal Crossing: New Horizons island, a virtual escape from the very real and very unfortunate happenings in the world at the time. Truthfully, I spent too much time on ACNH. I have vivid memories of waking up and logging onto my island…
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Remembering D’Angelo: A Museum Tour of his Discography and Legacy
Before we begin, I highly recommend you pull out your phone, a YouTube tab, an 1800s phonograph, or whatever else can play music so you can listen along to what we’ll be talking about. Think of it like the MP3 player you get when you go to a museum! With that being said, please put…
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The Reinvention of a Rebellious Rockstar: Damiano David
I became entranced by Damiano David at 17 when I saw him and his band Måneskin perform at and win Eurovision in 2021. I remember being in complete awe watching their performance at the international song contest and becoming determined to see them in concert. Since that initial teenage thrill of becoming a Måneskin fan,…
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Why you should go to the record store (even if you don’t buy anything)
It’s past 4pm on Sunday, and you have just flipped on your mattress to your left side, as the right was beginning to ache from lying in the same position. Hour six of bedrotting while scrolling through clickbait and bad news on your phone drags on as you hum along to the music playing through…
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Crowd Surfing on a Llama with Jack’s Mannequin at the Warfield
The air was misty and cold enough to make the tip of my nose pink. I paced up and down the concrete by the silent tracks waiting for my BART train to arrive, looking out to the night as it dawdled its velvet blue across the city with an enchanting glimmer. It was already a…