Salinas Underground

In this episode Oz talks about a conversation he had with an elementary school principal from the eastside. She said that kids in Salinas go to school for three reasons. The majority of kids go to school to learn, but their is a group of kids that go to school to get the love they are not getting at home and another group of kids that goes to school to be able to eat every day. When Oz was younger he was one of the kids that went to school mainly to have something to eat and he talks about how that conversation affected him.

In this episode we talk about the brunch offerings at Giorgio's and why you should be spending more time there. Also, how will the filming of the TV show "COPS" affect the already strained relations between the public and the police department and how does that filming add to the perception of this city. Finally, we ask, "why did Dubbers have to change their chili recipe?".

In this episode Cujo talks about a bacon and beer festival in San Jose. We also discuss our experience at a laser light show we attended at the Fox that was set to the music of Pink Floyd. We also talk about people coming over from the peninsula to drink in downtown Salinas and if it will be a continuing trend.

In this episode our guest is John Whitacre from Terroir Squad podcast. Terroir Squad is a brand new podcast that focuses on the growing wine scene in Monterey County. He and our very own Oz drink local wines and discuss them with the very people that produced it. Right now you can find it on Soundcloud, but look for it on Itunes, Stitcher or your favorite listening app very soon.

In this episode we interview Sam Shreder and Stan Khrapak, creators of the website FoodWeb.io which turns every gardener into a farmer. This easy-to-use website allows you to either buy locally grown produce or sell any extra fruits or vegetables from your own garden. It is a great website that allows you to get closer to the production of your food. It also creates a novel way for community gardens to sell some produce in order to maintain themselves instead of relying on donations and government grants. 

In this episode we experience why this is such a great community to live in. Oz attended a fundraiser for a 4 year old girl battling a rare type of cancer that was held at Wolf Fitness. We here Livy's story from her dad and talk to one of the coaches about Salinas and the awesome people that live here. We also get into a party filled weekend in downtown Salinas.

In this episode we discuss Salinas and soccer. This podcast came out of a blog that wrote about the local soccer scene and we still believe we have some of the most talented youth players in the nation. We discuss forum posts that compare Constitution Soccer Complex to Hackney Marshes in London and what the coming construction of new fields to the complex will do. Oz also lays out his idea of having a United Soccer League, third division, team playing at Rabobank Stadium.

Americans under the age of 35 are going to fix what is wrong with this country. We just need the older generations to get out of the way. We are the most tech savvy and connected generation in history and we think on a global scale. Sometimes we can get a little to involved in popular culture, but it is a culture that was created and maintained by older generations.   

In this episode we talk about the upcoming Salinas Valley Food and Wine festival happening October 17 in downtown Salinas. To help explain all the cool things happening before and during the festival we asked one of the organizers to come on the podcast and talk about it. Jessica Mckillip, who is pretty much Ms. Oldtown, was gracious enough to come join us. One thing we are really excited for is the Oct 8 home-brewers showcase and evening farmers market on Gabilan St. This is a great episode with a lot information of yet another fun event happening in Salinas.

In this episode we talk about the continued change in downtown Salinas. After recording in the neighborhood for 18 months we have seen the change happen first hand and had the opportunity to meet a lot of the local business owners that are making it happen. We also talk about the amount of world-class businesses within 1 mile of each other that every person would love to have in their city. We also bring up Austin, Texas a lot. Seriously Austin. What are you doing out there in no mans land?

One of the reasons we like to record at XL Public House is, you never know who might walk in the door. This week it was our friend and Santa Cruz based musician Steve-O. Oz and Steve-O have been friends for over 18 years so they have a lot of stories to pass back and forth. Steve-O talks about the difference between the Santa Cruz and Salinas music scenes and what can be found under the grates and manholes in downtown Salinas. We also play our interview we recorded with The Letters Home after their latest show at the Public House. They have very kind words to say about our city and tell us all about their nationwide tour and new album.

In this episode we discuss the recent change that has The Californian only printing 3 days a week and how bad that is for local discourse. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper in California and an excellent tool for such a small city to get its information. We also play some sound clips we recorded at the Fire and Ice party hosted by Jack Daniels at 201 Main. Some really great sounds of a bunch of people partying in downtown Salinas.

In this episode we play an interview we recorded with Watsonville Mayor Pro-Tem Felipe Hernandez. He talks with us very candidly about the reason behind the Watsonville Food Truck Festival and how their community rallied around the food trucks after a couple councilmembers tried to ban them. He also expresses his confusion around the citizens of Salinas allowing the city council to dictate how they can have fun in their city. We also talk about the recent tragic domestic violence shooting that left two people dead in south Salinas. Finally, we talk about The Californian switching over to a 3 day print cycle and how that is going to affect how people get their news in Salinas.

In this episode we welcome back Monterey Electronic Pop band Lillie Lemon. We first had Lillie Lemon on the show last September when they brought some of their equipment and played live for us in the basement. This time they didn't bring any equipment but they did bring more new music from their upcoming lp (or is it ep?) which we play during the show. They are about to go on a national tour and we get the low-down about their plans.

In this episode one of our previous guests comes back on the show and this time they bring a friend from across the Atlantic. Paul "Firepower" Gray is an expert in cutting edge recovery techniques to help heal your body after workouts or just at the end of the day. He tells us an inspirational story of how he became a boxer after battling a life-threatening situation as a child. We also get to hear a great story that takes place in Paris and involves Steven Seagal repeatedly throwing Paul to the ground. 

In this episode we welcome an addition to the Salinas Underground Family and it's a girl! Angelica joins us with much more education and a more worldly view. She will be helping us both in front of the mic and behinds the scenes so get used to her. This will be her introduction and will come one from time-to-time. You also get a 5 minute sample of what our brother-podcast Grab A Beer and Jacket is like when Electro joins us after a trip to the bathroom.

In this episode we welcome in James from our podcasting brothers, Grab a Beer and Jacket for a discussion about Salinas. We recorded this as the Italians would say "al fresco" at the Lions Den. We talk about the unfriendly business environment in the city of Salinas and how that is benefiting the surrounding cities in the valley and peninsula. Oz also goes on a rant about what a bad idea it is to build a Salinas' newest high school a mile out of town in the middle of a lettuce patch. 

In this episode our guest is one of the many regulars at the XL Public House. This is an example of a typical conversation that can be had with the locals in oldtown Salinas. We compare Spotify to Pandora, Oz explains why he is also a Jaguar, talk about the best place for fresh juice in Salinas, and many other topics. Listen and be in our world for a couple of hours. 

In this episode we shout-out all of the cool local businesses where you can find us any day in downtown Salinas. We have met a lot of cool business owners in the last year and we would like to acknowledge them. We also change the mood and talk about the video that has Salinas in the national headlines. It is a difficult discussion and we tried to be as objective as possible.

This 20-minute episode is our interview with chef Javier Plascencia, a Tijuana born chef who is trying to turn his city into a foodie destination. We talk about his new restaurant Bracero in San Diego and how we can showcase the farmworker who is sometimes a forgotten part of the food chain. We also talk about the modern food customer and how they are pushing chefs to make innovative cuisine. Finally we talk about how Mexican food joined the ranks of other cuisines on the international stage to be one of the most respected foods in the world.