Salinas Underground

Luther McDaniels moved to Salinas with his mom just after WWII. He soon made friends with three other guys who had gospel roots like him, and they formed the 4 Dueces. One day, Luther was invited by a friend to check on rabbit traps by the Salinas River. That led to a multi-decade music career with Salinas at its center.

Brian Sheffield is a writer, teacher, and all-around interesting person. His latest project has him directing the 1979  play The Elephant Man by Bernard Pomerance for Enchantrix Theatre. We sit in the studio and talk about life, French opinions about Americans, and, of course, his vision for the play. The play runs from January 9 to January 30. Tickets can be purchased at www.enchantrix.net

It would seem like people camping out for chicken would be the most interesting story of the month, but a schoolyard spat between local politicians has Oz looking through his bookshelf looking for answers. He found it in an article written by Huey Newton in 1967.

The Rumba Madre is a band that needs to be experienced in person. David is the founder and creative leader who has gone all around the world learning and playing music. He talks with Oz about their new single "Vibaporú," which is now available to stream online. He talks about the inspiration behind the song. Be warned, when you start playing "Vibaporú," you won't be able to sit still, and the song will be in your head all week.

Andrea Leon started Baila Baila Studio this year to get everybody in Monterey County on the dance floor and out of their comfort zone. Listen to her story of growth, from a shy, introverted person who disliked attention to leading dance classes with dozens of people. She teaches at the Links in Carmel on Tuesdays and at 201 Main in Oldtown Salinas on Friday nights. Her classes are welcoming and open to all, and her patience with new dancers makes sure that everybody feels comfortable and learns something new every time. Grab your dancing shoes and come on out to one of her classes!

Ashley, Nancy, and Yari are three of the young Salinas residents who help put on the Ciclovia event coming up on October 12. This event closes off Alisal Street from Front Street to Sanborn Road to vehicles and lets pedestrians take over. Not only pedestrians but also people riding bikes, rollerblading, skateboarding, and most other forms of transportation that don't require an engine. This is an awesome event that is planned and executed by the youth and has been held annually for over 10 years. It is an opportunity to get outside and see the city from an angle that you usually only see from a car, and it's FREE!   The event is happening on October 12 from 10 AM to 2 PM. It will be on Alisal Street from Front Street to Sanborn.

Recently, some members of the city council asked for a financial request that turned out to be more controversial than they expected. They requested $100,000 for a Fourth of July event hosted by Compass Church that was open to the public. This raised questions not only about the amount going to one group but also whether this violated any law requiring the separation of church and state. Ultimately, the council decided to punt the vote down the road, but not before they heard plenty from members of the community. Additionally, the walls are being constructed on the new Amazon warehouse located on the edge of town, which promises to alter the landscape of Salinas. 

Amazon is building a huge fulfillment center on the edge of town. With that comes thousands of new jobs, millions of tax dollars flowing into the city, and increased pressure on the infrastructure to keep things all running smoothly. Oz takes a deeper look into what this building actually is, how big it is, and how much sales tax is can potentially generate for the city of Salinas. Additionally, can the city approach Amazon and ask them to partner with local colleges to train a workforce centered on agriculture to fix and maintain the thousands of robots that will go into the new facility?

Salinas is one of the most expensive places to rent a home in the country. There is no simple solution to fix the issue, but last year, the city implemented a set of protections for renters to help keep them in their homes. This year, there was a shakeup in the city council, and one of the first things they did was to remove those protections before any help could be given or any data gathered. Now a group called Protect Salinas Renters is gathering signatures to put a referendum on the ballot and give the choice back to the voters of Salinas. They will be gathering signatures until July 4 at locations all around Salinas. Find them on Instagram @ProtectSalinasRenters and at ProtectSalinasRenters.com.

This week, our guest is Liz, who created Liz and Media to showcase all the cool events that happen around the Monterey Bay. After you hear her story, you will know why we have kept doing this show for over 12 years now. She is the perfect example of having the grit and determination to achieve your goals. Born and raised in Salinas, her curiosity and sense of adventure have taken her all over the world,  and she is only getting started.

Enchantrix Theatre is preparing to do its version of the hit rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar. We sit down with director Colin St. John and the long-haired man himself, Stephan Sams, to tell us about the production process. They found an empty warehouse in Castroville and turned it into a temporary theatre, which allows them plenty of space to put on a spectacular show. The show opens on May 9th, and you can get tickets at Enchantrix.net.

Several new and old council members were elected last November, and they are already busy trying to make their mark on the city. Their current target is the rent stabilization ordinance passed last year to help the over-burdened renters in Salinas. What is rent stabilization, and how does it work? Does it even work? Oz tries to answer those questions and comes up with a unique solution that would make Salinas more resilient to gentrification and more attractive to businesses. 

Uli grew up in Monterey County and is on a mission to find unique stories that will uplift and inspire others. He sits down with us to tell us his story of discovering his true self. That discovery was the seed that started his latest project idea.

The 13th Annual Watsonville Film Festival was held earlier this month, and for the first time in its history, it screened films outside of Watsonville. In Salinas, they presented some films at Maya Cinema in Oldtown, most of which quickly sold out of tickets. We set up our equipment at XL Publichouse to record some interviews at the after-party. We talked with Andrea Leon, DJ Werm, Cari and Hector to talk about the festival and their experience in Oldtown. 

There was an update on the flailing effort to recall a city councilmember. That makes me wonder who is actually pushing for this and why a small group of companies is throwing a lot of money at it. Also, the Amazon warehouse on the edge of town is going up, and with it, some changes to the Salinas employment landscape.

Andrew Sandoval is a council member who came on the podcast to talk about both a political process and what it's like to be the target of that process. We discussed what it could mean for him and the constituents of District 5 and who is behind the effort. This episode is a way to hear about parts of running a city that usually happens in the background, and it is very enlightening and educational. 

Over three days in June of 1967, Monterey was the center of the music world and hosted a festival that would introduce the country to some of the most legendary acts of all time. It also kicked off the "Summer of Love" that welcomed thousands of people from around the country to the Bay Area, who changed this country forever. Names like Paul McCartney and Smokey Robinson all came together to celebrate this new style of music called Rock and Roll and set the stage for other music festivals like Woodstock and Coachella. And it all happened in Monterey.

James Mena is a very creative and motivated content creator from Salinas. You have probably seen him on your Explore page. If you haven't, you will soon. He is also a co-host on the Stay Low Podcast, the sports show of Salad Bytes Media. This week, we turned the mic around on him and asked him about how he started his content creation journey and what was next for him. 

The election has changed the makeup of the city council, with some new and old faces taking the lead in Salinas. They take over a city on the brink of a significant transformation. One of the largest Amazon warehouses in the world is going up on one edge of town. Across town on the Northside, houses are finally being built north of Boronda Rd. Also, after hearing that the Parade of Lights might not happen this year, the city came together and is back on. This year's edition will wind through Oldtown on Sunday, December 1.