Video: Country band sings the tragic tale of Charlie and the SFTMA

At April’s Muni Diaries Live, Mesquite and Mustard sang the tragic tale of Charlie and the SFMTA and what happens when the bus fare jumps up just a little more than you realized. Look closely: The band also has the most amazing Muni-themed shirts (and bolo tie!) west of the Mississippi.

The band also impressed all of us with some awesome fiddling, mixed in with funny (and nearly real) Muni stop announcements. Bet you never imagined this!

This performance was recorded at Muni Diaries Live at the Elbo Room on April 18, 2015. More from that night:
Muni driver Doug reveals behind-the-scene stories
SF native Yayne Abeba’s childhood on the bus

Follow Mesquite and Mustard on Twitter @mesquitemustard.

Video: Muni Driver Reveals Behind the Scenes Stories

Doug has been driving Muni for 17 years, so he’s really seen it all. In this Muni Diaries Live video, he shares stories about being a Muni driver, including secret hand signals, tricky fare boxes, and how a Muni driver can tell if you’re really ready to ride this bus. Doug still has his “day” job working nights on the Mission Street buses, including the 49-Mission. He’s written two books about driving Muni. His first book, The Dao of Doug: The Art of Driving a Bus or Finding Zen in San Francisco Transit, is a behind-the-scenes look at being a Muni driver, with his philosophy on how to maintain dignity and peace when the going gets tough.

Find Doug’s books here.

Video: SF native Yayne Abeba shares Muni life lessons

Did you know there was a movie theater on 17th Ave. and Geary that used to play lots of children’s films? That was just one of the destinations that this Muni Diaries Live storyteller would see on her Muni journeys growing up in San Francisco. Comedian and native San Franciscan Yayne Abeba started riding Muni by herself when she was 7, along with all her relatives ages 1 to 6.

“Muni was our baby sitter, and I learned a lot of life lessons on it,” she says. As a child, you could find Yayne dancing and singing her way around San Francisco with the San Francisco Children’s Opera. In 1995, she began studying with Jean Shelton at the Jean Shelton actor’s lab. She was bitten by the comedy bug in 1999 at Tony Spark’s Luggage Store.
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Relive our favorite moments from Muni Diaries Live

crowd

More than 200 of you came to the Elbo Room last Saturday to celebrate all the hilarious, thought-provoking, or just plain ol’ weird things that can happen on public transit. At this show, we had lots of only-in-San Francisco moments. I mean, where else can you expect an impromptu Whitney Houston lip-synch contest? Here are some of our favorites.
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Listen to Klee Wiggins at Muni Diaries Live: ‘I wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for Muni’

klee_MDL
Photo by Kevin Wong

You know how sometimes you just stumble upon greatness unintentionally? That happened to us when we were planning last month’s Muni Diaries Live.

One rando day I saw someone post a Throwback Thursday photo of herself and her dad, decked out as he was in an honest-to-goodness Muni operator uniform. I followed the breadcrumb trail to Klee Wiggins, daughter of a Muni bus driver.

Fast forward to that night in November at the Elbo Room, when we were all treated to 12 minutes of delightful and hilarious and touching stories of growing up in a Muni family.

Check out Klee’s performance at Muni Diaries Live.

Previously …
Ronn Vigh
Dhaya Lakshminarayanan

Listen to Dhaya Lakshminarayanan at Muni Diaries Live—’Please exit through the weirdos’

dhaya_MDL
Photo by Kevin Wong

Have you ever taken Muni with your parent-types? I did once. It was pretty nondescript, except for that one guy …

Earlier this month, comedian Dhaya Lakshminarayanan told the Muni Diaries Live audience a tale of her trip to Big Lots on Muni with her pop. Hilarity ensued, of course. And a new slogan for this site and Muni general? Have a listen below:

“Dhaya Lakshminarayanan at Muni Diaries Live, Nov. 8, 2014”

If you’re unfamiliar with the delight that is Dhaya’s comedy, check out the Moth Story Slams she hosts every month.

Previously: Ronn Vigh at Muni Diaries Live, Nov. 8, 2014.

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