PODCAST · music
The SoCal Setlist
by Brian Jensen
Based in Temecula, CA, The SoCal Setlist with Brian Jensen is an independent podcast featuring conversations with musicians, bands, venue owners, promoters, and fans from Southern California’s live music community. Each episode goes behind the scenes with local artists and music community voices to explore the stories behind the songs, the realities of performing live, and the work that goes into building a music career. From gear and set lists to landing gigs, open mics, promotion, venues, and backstage stories, The SoCal Setlist brings listeners closer to the people keeping local music alive.
Episodes
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Kevin Zingale: Echoes of Cadence, Endeavor Music & Axis Nova
Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note. Kevin Zingale was about nine when his parents took him to see Peter Frampton in concert. By the time he got home, he knew what he wanted to do with his life. “I want to play guitar. I want to do what he’s doing.” His dad pulled an ’80s...
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Keeping Live Music Alive: Andy Doty and the Story of The Vibe
Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note. “It’s about the show. You’ve got to have energy. What’s the story the next day that people are going to be talking about?” That question guides the way Andy Doty books bands, reads a room and thinks about the experience people have at The...
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Meet David Mills: Hearing What the Song Needs
Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note. David Mills begins every production with a deceptively simple question: What’s the goal? That question shapes everything that follows. Does the artist want an honest recording of the song exactly as they wrote it, or are they trying to...
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Sandy Lee Casey Was Always Going to Sing
Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note. Sandy Lee Casey has spent most of her life finding a way to keep music in it. She began singing at a Somerville, Massachusetts country bar at 15, toured New England in cover bands, and later spent 16 years with Boston wedding band Double...
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Meet Tori Green: American Idol, Viral Covers and “Sad Girl Music”
Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note. Tori Green is a Corona-based singer and songwriter who performs throughout Southern California as a solo artist, in an acoustic duo and with the Tori Green Band. In this episode of The SoCal Setlist, Tori shares how she went from singing…
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Meet Robert Rauch: The Work Behind Every Gig
Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note. Robert Rauch moved 1,500 miles from Arkansas to Lake Elsinore in 2024 with plans to build a music career in Southern California. He arrived without a local music network and spent his first week visiting venues, introducing himself and...
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Chris Gates of Kings of Karma: “I’ve Never Taken a Break from Music”
Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note. Chris Gates planned on a future in politics until his aunt introduced him to the Beatles during a trip to Washington, D.C. Hearing “Love Me Do” changed his direction. He got his first guitar on his 10th birthday, taught himself Beatles...
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Tied to the Strings: David Garcia on Building a Life in Music
Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note. David Garcia’s relationship with music began with fear. At eight, a Twisted Sister video sent him running from the room. Curiosity pulled him back. Years later, David walked out of a Metallica concert and told his parents he wanted to…
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Kate Morris: Building a Country Career Around Motherhood
Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note. Kate Morris has been writing songs since childhood, and her path to the stage took shape after years as a stay-at-home mom to her two daughters. Once both girls were in school, she began performing her originals publicly and found a place...
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Meet Greg Boulet: The Bassist Behind Indica Roots and Eastlake Rhythm Section
Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note. Southern California bassist Greg Boulet discovered the electric bass almost by accident after spotting it on a middle-school instrument list. Within a year, he was playing his first show at the Old Town Temecula Theater at just 13 years...
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Meet Gary Stanionis: Four Decades in Music and the Story Behind SoleMusiq
Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note. Gary Stanionis has spent nearly four decades building a life in music—as a drummer, world percussionist, vocalist, touring musician, record label executive and artist manager. His journey began at 17, when his mother discovered one of his...
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Meet Angel Vega: RubbaSoul, Headbangers Ball and a Life in Music
Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note. Angel Vega is a Southern California singer, songwriter, guitarist, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist who performs solo as RubbaSoul and fronts the 80s powerhouse rock tribute band Headbangers Ball. In this episode of The SoCal Setlist,...
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Meet Anthony Necerato: From Rock Band Drums to Those Guys
Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note. “If you can’t dance, they can’t dance.” That line really sums up how Anthony Necerato approaches performing. Playing shirtless, standing on the drum throne, throwing sticks and pointing at people in the crowd, Anthony has the kind of…
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Michael D’Santi: Blues Rock, B-Sides and Growing Up in Southern California’s Music Scene
Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note. “For me nowadays, when we get together and play, it’s like a celebration of just being together.” For Michael D’Santi, that togetherness has lasted for more than 30 years. The Southern California blues-rock guitarist started D’Santi with...
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Shred Sean: Blessed by a Broken Heart, Those Guys, and a Life Built on Guitar
Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note. “I can’t stop. I’ll stop when I die.” That line sums up Sean Maier’s story. Known to many as Shred Sean, Sean is a guitarist, songwriter, teacher, and performer whose life with music started the way so many great stories do: with one song...
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Chris Lozano: From a Coal Mining Town to Nashville’s Studio C
Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note. Country-rock artist Chris Lozano didn’t come from a music industry family. He grew up in Paonia, Colorado, a small coal mining town where his graduating class had just 40 people - and where hard work wasn’t a slogan, it was a way of life....
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Brian Gaylord: “I Have Three Hours to Make You Love Country Music"
Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note. “I have three hours to convince everybody in the room that they love country music.” That line says a lot about Brian Gaylord. On this episode of SoCal Soundcheck, Brian Gaylord joins the show alongside Eric Davis of the Brian Gaylord &...
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Press Rewind’s Matt Rivera on Guitar, Confidence, and the Temecula Music Scene
Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note. Matt Rivera’s story starts with a box of cassette tapes. Growing up in Southern California, Matt discovered bands like Van Halen, Aerosmith, Stryper, and Scorpions through his dad’s music collection. His dad played guitar, the songs hit...
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Apollo Spalding of Hypno Sapo Isn’t Interested in Copies of Copies
Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note. In this episode of SoCal Soundcheck, Brian sits down with Apollo Spalding, guitarist and songwriter for the psychedelic alt-rock band Hypno Sapo. Apollo’s approach to music is anything but one-dimensional. His sound and technique are…
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Charli Brewer Was Born to Rock
Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note. Charli Brewer Was Born to Rock Charli Brewer didn’t casually pick up the guitar. Once it clicked, it became a daily obsession. A SoCal guitarist, multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter, Charli has built a large and engaged online...
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Keith Stickney of Tsunami Cables Talks Tone, Reliable Gear, and Why It’s Important to Be Nice
Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note. Keith Stickney of Tsunami Cables joins SoCal Soundcheck for a conversation about tone, reliable gear, musicianship, and why being easy to work with still matters. Keith is the owner of Tsunami Cables, a drummer, and a longtime audio/video...
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Hunter Webb of RoseLine Band on Bass, Groove & the Temecula Music Scene
Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note. In this episode of SoCal Soundcheck, Brian sits down with Hunter Webb, bassist for Rose Line Band, to talk about his musical roots, growing up around music, discovering bass, and finding his place in the Southern California live music...
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Kyle Hudson of Those Guys on Becoming One of SoCal’s Favorite Local Bands Band
Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note. Kyle Hudson, lead singer and guitarist of Those Guys, joins SoCal Soundcheck for a fun, wide-ranging conversation about growing up in Murrieta, learning guitar, starting out at open mics, and accidentally building one of the Temecula...
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Woody Garcia on Chasing Tone, Reading the Room & Bringing People Together Through Live Music
Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note. “The goal is to make people feel something.” On this episode of SoCal Soundcheck, Brian sits down with longtime Southern California musician Woody Garcia, frontman of Woody and the Harrelsons, for a conversation about the long road from...
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Meet Tristan Bowls: From Guitar Hero to East Lake Studios
Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note. Tristan Bowls picked up the guitar at 11 because Guitar Hero 2 and 3 made him want to play a real one. AC/DC, Guns N' Roses, Iron Maiden, Slash. That was the foundation. Now he's 29, runs Eastlake Studios on a private property in Lake...
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Meet Lex Borja: From Mariachi Roots to Performing on The Voice
Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note. Lex Borja's musical roots run four generations deep. His great-grandfather was a trumpet player. His grandmother was a singer who directed a 12-piece mariachi, and once stopped them mid-song to correct the key (an 8-year-old Lex was...
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Rick Hildebrandt on Why a Gig Is a Partnership, Not a Performance
Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note. Rick Hildebrandt has been gigging in Southern California since 2011, when he traded 54 years of upstate New York for a place in Menifee. After retiring from an IT career at Loma Linda Hospital in 2018, music became the full-time job.…
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Meet Richard Wetherington: Guitarist, Songwriter, Frontman of Raw Fire
Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note. In this episode of SoCal Soundcheck, I sit down with Richard Wetherington - guitarist, songwriter, and frontman of the country-rock band Raw Fire. Originally from New Jersey and now in Southern California, Richard shares his journey into...
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From Soccer Fields to Wineries: How Cole Weber Finally Said Yes to Music
Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note. In this episode of SoCal Soundcheck, Brian sits down with Temecula saxophone player Cole Weber, who spent most of his life resisting the very thing he's now built a career on. Cole grew up in Lake Elsinore surrounded by music (his dad is…
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Chris Merchant: Building Bands, Community, and Momentum
Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note. In this episode of SoCal Soundcheck, Brian sits down with Chris Merchant of No Hard Feelings and Press Rewind to talk about building bands, what it really takes to grow a local following and how you kind of just figure it out as you go....
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From Opera to Rock: Anna Suzette’s Journey to the Stage
Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note. In this episode of SoCal Soundcheck, Brian sits down with vocalist Anna Suzette to talk about her unique journey from classical opera training to fronting a rock band in the Temecula Valley music scene. Anna shares how she began singing…
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Maddison Scott: From Choir to SoCal Stages – Temecula's Rising Vocalist Shares Her Journey
Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note. In this episode of SoCal Soundcheck, Brian sits down with Temecula-based country artist Maddison Scott to talk about her journey from choir and church singing to performing live across Southern California. Maddison shares how she got her...
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Faith Belle on Authentic Songwriting, Nashville, and Finding Your Voice
Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note. In this episode of SoCal Soundcheck, I sit down with singer-songwriter Faith Belle to talk about her journey into music, the power of authentic songwriting, and the influences that shaped her sound. Faith shares how she balances a…
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Bella Popa: Turning a Dream into a Full-Time Job
Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note. How do you go from busking on the Seal Beach Pier to becoming one of the most talked-about artists in the Temecula music scene in just five months? In this episode of SoCal Soundcheck, host Brian Jensen sits down with singer-songwriter...
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How Important Is Song Selection in a Cover Band?
Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note. In this episode of SoCal Soundcheck, host Brian Jensen sits down with a friend and longtime bandmate Gene Kennedy, to talk about the importance of song selection in a cover band.
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From Original to Cover Band
Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note. In this episode of SoCal Soundcheck, host Brian Jensen sits down with a friend and longtime bandmate from both past and present projects to talk about the transition from playing in a young, active original band to navigating life, aging,...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Based in Temecula, CA, The SoCal Setlist with Brian Jensen is an independent podcast featuring conversations with musicians, bands, venue owners, promoters, and fans from Southern California’s live music community.
Each episode goes behind the scenes with local artists and music community voices to explore the stories behind the songs, the realities of performing live, and the work that goes into building a music career. From gear and set lists to landing gigs, open mics, promotion, venues, and backstage stories, The SoCal Setlist brings listeners closer to the people keeping local music alive.
HOSTED BY
Brian Jensen
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The SoCal Setlist have?
The SoCal Setlist currently has 36 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The SoCal Setlist about?
Based in Temecula, CA, The SoCal Setlist with Brian Jensen is an independent podcast featuring conversations with musicians, bands, venue owners, promoters, and fans from Southern California’s live music community. Each episode goes behind the scenes with local artists and music community voices to...
How often does The SoCal Setlist release new episodes?
The SoCal Setlist has 36 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to The SoCal Setlist?
You can listen to The SoCal Setlist on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The SoCal Setlist?
The SoCal Setlist is created and hosted by Brian Jensen.
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