Scene Report

Claire Valdez has dual American and Native American citizenship and grew up in a conservative West Texas town with a horizon that never ends. That didn’t stop her from beating accusations of being a gentrifying hipster transplant, and chalking up a huge win for the Democratic primary in NY-7 -- a seat formerly and solidly held by the first Puerto Rican woman in Congress Nydia Velázquez, who endors...

“Blessed. I’m here, man. I just want to celebrate with my people. It’s exciting to be a part of this journey,” said Jose Alvarado—shirtless on a float that was about to be towed by a pickup truck down Knickerbocker Avenue—the afternoon after the New York Knicks brought home an NBA Finals Championship. Alvarado, aka GTA, is a Nuyorican and the only native New Yorker on the Knicks. He grew up in NYC...

Rosa Martinez’s anti-imperialist organizing is in their blood -- raised in Miami by Colombian immigrants, their grandfather was Manuel Marulanda, the founder and leader of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). So when they set sail from Italy towards the Gaza Strip in an attempt to break the Israeli siege, with the Freedom Flotilla Coalition as a part of the Global Sumud Flotilla , th...

When Luis Argueta Jr. was a teenager in 2004, ICE agents stormed into his St. Paul home in the middle of the night. Today, he’s working with Unidos MN to train tens of thousands of Minnesotans on their rights and what to do if they find themselves in that situation. As the organization’s communications director through Operation Metro Surge, he told the stories of how ordinary people stood up for...

Amy Goodman hated the idea of a film crew following her, but she is so committed to spreading the gospel of independent media that she did it anyway. Steal This Story, Please! tells the story of Democracy Now! and Amy’s prolific career. Along with the film’s co-director Tia Lessin, we discussed making the documentary, Trump’s manufactured war in Iran, Bush’s manufactured war in Iraq, 9/11, the pow...

Diano Moreno wasn’t planning on running for office. But after Zohran’s seat was left vacant after his stunning Mayoral victory, the longtime immigration, labor and NYC-DSA organizer — an immigrant herself from Ecuador living in the “world’s borough” — stepped up to fight for the future of her city and her people. We discussed bold visions, stepping into elected office as an organizer, and the shoe...

Bad Bunny’s iconic Super Bowl halftime show was rooted in deep symbolism of Puerto Rican pride and independence. Alexa Aviles -- a socialist New York City Council Member born in Puerto Rico and representing Sunset Park and Red Hook in Brooklyn -- joined the inaugural episode of Scene Report on Newtown Radio to break down the groundbreaking performance. We talked PR’s electric grid, the sugarcane i...

We spoke to Sheer Mag from Philadelphia about scenes around the world including: * Tina stealing Dan Deacon’s glasses * Crazy Spirit beating up a member of their old band on New Year’s Day * The twisted legacy of Mummer’s Day * The South Philly DIY venue/house where they lived, Nut House * Pitchfork’s 6.7 review of Playing Favorites * Irish car bombs in Las Vegas * Touring Japan * Meeting Billy Jo...

On March 30, 2025, a few thousand New Yorkers marched from Union Square to Times Square. We spoke with organizers from the People's Forum, Palestinian Youth Movement, Jewish Voice for Peace and other participants in the streets of New York City. Topics included: 1. The Meaning of Land Day 2. Israel Breaking the Ceasefire 3. Mahmoud Khalil 4. Donald Trump & Elon Musk 5. Being Jewish & Anti-...

We spoke with Sarim Al-Rawi -- front person of the cult garage punk band Liquor Store (2000s/2010s, New York/New Jersey), and crime blues jamrock band Prison (today, New York) -- about various scenes including:  1. Brooklyn DIY punk and indie heyday of the Pitchfork era  2. Brooklyn DIY punk and indie now 3. New York’s shifting Arab-American neighborhoods 4. grad school terrorism classes 5. New Yo...

On this latest episode of SCENE REPORT we talk with Ana Armengod -- who also goes by Humanleather -- about her varied artistic practices: visual art, filmmaking, poetry and music. We speak about telling immigration stories in her experimental films, her own immigration and deportation story, exploring her family history through art, singing in Pittsburgh hardore punk band De Rodillas, and explorin...

On this latest episode of SCENE REPORT we talk with Nao -- vocalist of the Barcelona punk band Taqbir -- about starting Taqbir as a bedroom Covid project, the revolutionary spirit of signing in Darija (Moroccan Arabic), breaking the band’s anonymity, immigrating to Europe, and returning to Morocco through music. Recorded in Dan, Dane and Chase’s woodshop on 2/23/24 on the last night of Taqbir’s fi...

Josephine is on a victorious rock n’ roll joy ride. For SCENE REPORT, we spoke about blurring the rock n’ roll and queer scenes, her timeless New York yenta ancestry, using art to manifest her transition, and channeling Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris all at once. Host, Producer & Editor: Reed Dunlea Executive Producer: Ash Tyner Associate Producer: Jason Halal Theme Song: Jess...

On this latest episode of SCENE REPORT, we talk with Fat Tony from Houston Texas about the legacy of Houston hip hop, being a DIY hustler across genre and scenes, and his family's African roots. Recorded in my kitchen on 10/20/23. Host, Producer & Editor: Reed Dunlea Executive Producer: Ash Tyner Theme Song & Logo: Kyle Seely Thanks Tony This is a public episode. If you would like to d...

On this introductory episode of SCENE REPORT, we talk with my Palestinian American brother Johnny Hummus about ending false hummus, metal/punk in New York and Florida, and the historic and modern struggles of his people. Recorded in my kitchen on 7/23/23 with a preface recorded on 12/4/23. Host, Producer & Editor: Reed Dunlea Executive Producer: Ash Tyner Associate Producer: Conor Williams The...

A new podcast from Reed Dunlea, formerly of "Protest & Survive." "Scene Report" explores counterculture artists and the communities that sustain their work. Dropping real soon. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit scenereportradio.substack.com

Winona LaDuke is probably the most dedicated, smart and hilarious activist you will ever come across. She lives on the White Earth Indian Reservation in Northwestern Minnesota, with about 130,000 other Anishinaabe and Ojibwe people. Since founding the White Earth Land Recovery Project in 1989, and Honor the Earth in 1983, she’s been fighting to preserve the indigenous sovereignty and environmental...

The 83rd, whose name is reclaimed from a Bushwick police precinct, is a record producer who runs a record label and media company called Sermon 3 . "My biggest driving factor is pushing boundaries in art, music and possibilities; and also giving priority to people who deserve it, who a lot of times are the foundations of art, music, culture, that don't get the proper privy. When I look at my famil...

Lorelei Ramirez is a comedian, artist, writer, and activist. Since the pandemic they have been working to build an organization called Helper's International , which distributes money, resources, and supplies to those who need it most. Their art and performance has been shown in venues across New York City and they've worked on television shows such as High Maintenance and Los Espookys. Their come...

Cookie is a punk, zine maker, writer, podcaster, and restorative justice and trans support advocate based In Pittsburgh, PA. She is also my friend. I first met Cookie via their incredible fanzine about eating every slice of pizza in Manhattan, Slice Harvester , when I was a young punk living in New York City. In this episode we have different recollections of our first interaction, but either way,...

This special episode of Protest & Survive is coming live from the streets of New York, in their own words. Recorded on Saturday June 6, 2020 at The March for Stolen Lives and Looted Dreams, hosted by Tamika Mallory and Linda Sarsour, including a performance by the Resistance Revival Chorus. The rally is followed by ambient field recordings from a march over the Brooklyn Bridge. Black Lives Mat...

It’s been over a year and ten episodes of Protest & Survive. In season one, we recounted fighting Proud Boys, learned what it takes to repeal a century-old racist law, saw the response to the Muslim Ban at JFK Airport, heard about the awful people effects of the drug war in the Philippines, reminisced on an Arabic-language punk band’s tour of Southeast Asia, and I got a tattoo. In Season 2, we...

“This was the first time, and probably the last time this will ever happen. In Jakarta, the mic got taken from me, many f*****g times throughout the set," says Nader. "It gives me some hope to continue doing this. They took the mic and sang the songs in Arabic, and my heart was just melted. I couldn’t believe it.” New York City Arabic-language punk band Haram went on tour in Southeast Asia and Jap...

Tamara Santibañez is a multidisciplinary artist, working in tattoos, visual arts, and publishing. We spoke to her on the last episode of P&S about her work with people in jail and prison. In this follow-up episode, we wanted to more explore an idea Tamara has been developing that we touched on in the last episode, her Trauma-Aware Philosophy of Tattooing . We figured the best way to do that wa...

Tamara Santibañez is a multidisciplinary artist, working in tattoos, visual arts, and publishing. She also works with people in jail/prison and recently out, having taught drawing at Rikers Island and Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for Women, working with a reentry program in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and giving free tattoo cover ups to women who were tattooed during their criminal justice involvement...