Lower Bottoms, West Oakland
February 21, 2026
We were handed red envelopes for the Lunar New Year as we entered Audiopharmacy’s West Oakland space, a gesture that immediately set the tone for an evening full of ritual and community. The hip hop ensemble’s second installment of their quarterly BAMBU sessions was about to begin. The scent of Tibetan food wrapped around us like a hug as we stepped inside. Audiopharmacy’s Teao Sense stood serenely onstage, prepping for the night of music to come. Jen the Rainmaker sat at a table set for tea, with a lit sign proclaiming “I heart myself. I am wealthy.
A woman next to me asked if this was my first time. When I told her it was, her face broke into a wide grin and she assured me this was one of her favorite events. By the end of the night, it was easy to see why: This is the kind of place that makes room for everyone and means it.
Audiopharmacy has been creating music and performing around the Bay Area and across the globe for more than twenty years. With financial assistance from Zoo Labs and Intersection for the Arts, the collective opened a recording studio, wellness and performance space in Oakland last year. A large notice board dominated one wall, listing classes that range from arts workshops to boxing, underscoring the group’s commitment to creative and physical well being.
The night’s show carried a purpose beyond the live music and open mic, for which artists could sign up in advance. One member of the group, Mestro Leo, was detained by ICE on December 4, 2025, after appearing for a routine immigration appointment. He has remained in a detention facility ever since. A GoFundMe organized by his friend Colin Andrew Logan aims to raise money for legal fees and bond, and the evening’s gathering doubled as an act of solidarity.
Santos S.O.U.L. opened with meditation and breath work, his movements quick and assured as he invited the audience to welcome calm and love into our bodies. At times he slipped into a hybrid of poetry and song, offering the promise of a safe space as we left our problems at the door. Fragrant tea was poured into eagerly held cups, and the night was formally toasted. Ras K’Dee delivered a land acknowledgement as song, his deep voice drawing many in the crowd to close their eyes and savor the moment.
Teao Sense then explained the theme. In a world leaning toward artificial intelligence and away from lived connection, Audiopharmacy has coined the term H.I., or Human Intelligence, to describe art created without AI. Every song performed that night was improvised on the spot. Seasoned musicians and emerging artists, joined by local and international community members, called on their muses in real time. The session was recorded and filmed on site and can be viewed for free on their website.
The music began softly and gradually swelled to fill the room. Trombone, violin, guitar, drums, bass, turntable and voice blended into a kind of alchemy that felt distinctly and oh so beautifully human. In a cultural moment shaped by uncertainty and fear, Audiopharmacy’s BAMBU sessions offer an alternative: a reminder that collective creation can still be medicine for the soul.
