In this Audiograph, we go to a warehouse tucked away behind a metal scrap yard. Kinetic Steam Works is an industrial workspace for people to tinker with old machines in West Oakland. A mish-mash group of engineers, artists and hobbyists gather here every weekend to bring back the lost art of steam power.
STEPHEN RADEMAKER: There's a big difference between, at least in our minds, the fashion craze of Steampunk and our existence as steam dorks.
You can catch Kinetic Steam Works at the next Maker Faire in Vallejo from October 20 - 22nd.
This story originally aired in August of 2017 and aired most recently in the October 18, 2023 episode of Crosscurrents. Audiograph is a radio project mapping the Bay Area’s sonic signature, telling the story of where you live and the people who live there with you.
