What happens when a punk kid from upstate New York grows into a labor activist, community organizer, and festival sound wizard in Alameda? Jason Buckley joins Siobhan in the pond to trace the wild, messy, and deeply human path from college radio and DC punk shows to rent control battles and women-in-music festivals.

Summary

Jason Buckley drops into the pond with a story that feels a lot like the best punk songs: loud, layered, political, heartfelt, a little chaotic, and somehow deeply hopeful underneath it all. Siobhan and Jason first connected at the She Shreds Music Fest, where Jason was running stage sound while helping his band Star Strut pull off a women-in-music festival that almost fell apart from heat, chaos, and sheer exhaustion… but absolutely came together anyway.

From there, the conversation drifts through shared East Coast roots, Hudson Valley nostalgia, and the weird magic of growing up around seasons that are equally beautiful and brutal. Jason reflects on his path from Hyde Park, New York to Washington, DC, where an internship with the AFL-CIO’s Union Summer pulled him deep into labor activism, nonprofit work, and DC’s legendary punk scene — including countless nights at the iconic 930 Club.

Eventually, love brought him west to California, where parenthood, impossible rent hikes, and one truly shady landlord pushed him into community organizing in Alameda. What started as frustration turned into real political action through the Alameda Renters Coalition and the fight for rent control — a battle that left Jason with both friendships and scars.

Along the way, Siobhan and Jason talk punk culture, underground radio stations, weird music rabbit holes, and why kids would probably enjoy music class more if someone just handed them a Charlie Parker record instead of another boring recital piece. At its core, this episode is about the communities that shape us, the things worth fighting for, and the realization that punk rock isn’t always about mohawks and distortion pedals — sometimes it’s just about showing up for people when things get hard.

Jason Buckley

Jason Buckley is a Bay Area musician, community organizer, sound engineer, and longtime member of the punk and punk-adjacent music scene. He helped organize and run sound for the She Shreds Festival in Alameda with his band Star Strut, supporting women in music and local creative communities.

Outside of music, Jason became deeply involved in tenant organizing and the Alameda Renters Coalition, advocating for rent control and housing protections in Alameda while continuing to stay connected to labor activism, grassroots organizing, and independent music culture.

💡 Key Takeaways

  • Grassroots organizing starts at home: Jason’s frustration with a predatory landlord becomes the gateway to rent control activism and community organizing in Alameda.

  • Punk as a lifelong lens: From college radio to DC clubs, punk culture shapes how Jason sees power, community, and resistance.

  • Place matters: Upstate New York, DC, San Francisco, and Alameda all leave distinct marks on Jason’s identity, values, and creative life.

  • Music as inheritance: A multigenerational musical family—songwriters, pianists, mandolin players—lays the foundation for Jason’s own musical path.

  • Systems vs. people: Corporate greed, landlord power, and tenant rights show up in very real, personal ways, and ordinary people can push back.


Resources and Mentions

“I’ve sort of been punk and punk-adjacent for most of my life.”

~ Jason

Punk, Politics & Shady Landlords with Jason Buckley

Contact us