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 Vision. A move to Los Angeles led to a job at Warner Bros.-owned Amigo Studios, where she met artists including Alice Cooper and Gladys Knight and joined a small group of staff members singing background vocals for a track on Metallica's Master of Puppets album.

Sandy also recorded for Red vs. Blue and RWBY, including “Red Like Roses – Part II” with her daughter, Casey Lee Williams. Now based in Murrieta, she performs across the Temecula Valley as a solo artist and with Sandy Lee Casey & Friends. She talks with Brian about protecting her voice, choosing songs other cover bands overlook, moving between Boston and Southern California, and why she still tries to learn one new song every week.

In This Episode

• How Sandy taught herself guitar and started playing paid gigs at 15
• Why she chose cover bands over Boston's pay-to-play original scene
• The audition that led to 16 years with Double Vision
• What she learned while working at Warner Bros.-owned Amigo Studios
• How she became part of a background-vocal session for Metallica's Master of Puppets album
• Recording “Red Like Roses – Part II” for RWBY with Casey Lee Williams
• Building Anyone's Guess Band and moving into Sandy Lee Casey & Friends

Connect With Sandy

• Website: https://sandyleecasey.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandyleecasey/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SandyLeeCasey/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/sandyleecasey1
• Listen to “Red Like Roses – Part II”: https://open.spotify.com/track/13qjycCLStZb9sJje6v0MC

Thanks to Tsunami Cables for sponsoring The SoCal Setlist. Built by musicians here in Southern California, Tsunami Cables deliver clean signal transfer, low noise and reliable tone, and every cable is backed by a lifetime warranty. Visit https://tsunamicables.com/ and use code SOCALSETLIST for 10% off through May 29, 2027.

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 in childhood talent shows to earning a Golden Ticket on Season 21 of American Idol with her performance of “Cry Pretty” by Carrie Underwood.

Tori talks about the long American Idol audition process, preparing for Hollywood Week and the advice from Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie that changed how she approaches a performance. She also shares the story behind her first paid show at The Bobber, how the Tori Green Band came together and why the band loves mixing pop, rock, R&B, country and funk.

We also discuss:

• Her original songs “Point of View” and “Boy Bye”
• Her new song “Late Night Nonsense” and plans for more original music
• The karaoke video of “Hurt” that earned millions of TikTok views
• Booking shows and building an audience through social media
• Her work at a mortuary and new role in forensic toxicology
• Her goal of touring, opening for established artists and pursuing music full time

Follow Tori Green on Instagram: @toriiggreenn

Listen to “Point of View” and “Boy Bye” on Spotify and Apple Music.

This episode is sponsored by Tsunami Cables, proudly built in Southern California and backed by a lifetime warranty. Use promo code SOCALSETLIST for 10% off.

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 asking for an opportunity.

Temecula Wine and Beer Garden gave Robert his first local show on April 20, 2024. He has since performed throughout the region at venues including Wilson Creek Winery, Miramonte Winery, Pechanga and Yaamava’.

In this episode, Robert shares how growing up in a musical family shaped him and why he chose to pursue music as a career. We talk about building the Robert Rauch Band, developing a show that moves between pop, rock and R&B, and learning from the musicians around him.

Robert also explains why a three-hour gig gives a band five hours to connect with an audience. The show begins while people watch the band set up and continues after the final song when he stays to meet the crowd.

“If you have a three-hour gig, you’ve got five hours to hook them.”

Reading the room is another important part of Robert’s approach. If the audience isn’t responding, he’ll adjust the set list on the fly. During one show, he shifted from R&B and pop to classic rock because that was what the room wanted.

Robert also tells the story of earning his opportunity at Wilson Creek Winery. He accepted the solo rate for a full-band audition and paid his musicians from his own pocket. That performance led to more dates and an invitation to play a private event for 700 people.

“It’s easy to get the gig, but it’s hard to keep the gig.”

Robert’s humility shows in the way he credits the musicians around him and welcomes honest feedback from his bandmates and other players. He also remains grateful to the venues that gave him an early opportunity.

“If somebody is going to take the time to say something that’s going to make you better, listen to it.”

We also discuss Robert’s original music, including his EP Breakthrough, the album The Journey and the personal story behind “One Life for All of Us.”

Follow Robert Rauch:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robertrauchofficial/

Website: https://www.robertrauchmusic.com/

This episode is sponsored by Tsunami Cables. Proudly built in Southern California and backed by a lifetime warranty, Tsunami Cables are made for musicians who care about reliable tone and gear that can handle gig after gig. Visit https://tsunamicables.com/ and use promo code SOCALSETLIST for 10% off.

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 stop playing guitar and become a bass player.

More than 30 years and thousands of live shows and studio sessions later, David has become one of Southern California’s most in-demand working bassists. For much of that time, he built a career in operations management while continuing to perform. After moving to Temecula during the pandemic, his phone started ringing as live music returned. Keeping both careers going began affecting his health, so David walked away from his job and made music his full-time work. He calls it one of the most terrifying decisions he has ever made and the best decision he ever made.

In this episode, David shares:

• Why seeing Metallica on January 11, 1992, changed his path
• How he prepared to leave a successful career and pursue music full time
• The work behind learning several hours of material on short notice
• Why he runs through an entire set before leaving for a show
• How his notes for approximately 1,200 songs help him stay prepared
• What he learned from Cheez Whiz, Get Down Party and other SoCal musicians
• Why unfamiliar music and intimidating gigs still excite him
• What success means at 50 when his identity is tied to the strings

Follow David:

Instagram: @feedthebassplayer

Website: FeedTheBassPlayer.com

The SoCal Setlist is sponsored by Tsunami Cables. Use promo code SOCALSETLIST for 10% off your order.

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 songs and worked on his voice with his mother, a singer who held him to a demanding standard.

At 14, Chris played his first show with Burning Bridges at the Hemet Christmas Parade. He says he hasn’t taken a break from music since.

Today, Chris is the singer, rhythm guitarist and frontman for Kings of Karma. He and bassist Joe Berry have spent more than a decade building the band, including years of cover gigs around Temecula. Chris shares how they found their original sound, wrote about 80 percent of their original album "Bite the Bullet" during a 12-hour session in Joshua Tree, and later re-recorded the album from scratch in seven days.

He also discusses songwriting, life as an independent band and the next Kings of Karma single, “Nothing Without You.”

In this episode:

• Hearing the Beatles for the first time
• Teaching himself guitar and working on his singing with his mother
• Playing his first show at 14
• Building Kings of Karma with Joe Berry
• Writing and re-recording Bite the Bullet
• Moving from cover gigs toward original music
• Winning a Hollywood Music in Media Award
• Building consistency as an independent band

Connect with Chris and Kings of Karma:

Kings of Karma: https://kingsofkarma.com

Kings of Karma on Instagram: https://instagram.com/kingsofkarmaofficial

Chris Gates on Instagram: https://instagram.com/rubber_soul_16

Thanks to our sponsor, Tsunami Cables. Their cables are built in Southern California and backed by a lifetime warranty. Visit https://tsunamicables.com and use promo code SOCALSETLIST for 10% off.

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 in Southern California’s country scene.

In this episode of The SoCal Setlist, Kate talks about growing up in a musical family in small-town New Hampshire and getting her first shot at a Writers' Round Orange County when another performer offered her one of his slots. She shares how motherhood has shaped her writing, including “Little Hands,” an unreleased song about her daughters that has moved audience members to tears.

Kate also explains the family story behind “Preach” and how a Chris Stapleton chord helped spark “Tumbleweeds,” arriving August 14. She talks about performing at writers rounds in Nashville, building her full band and making room for gigs in the middle of family life.

“Performing in general fills my cup.”

Follow Kate on Instagram: @katemorrismusic

Listen to “Preach” on Spotify.

Support for this episode comes from Tsunami Cables. Their cables are built in Southern California and backed by a lifetime warranty. Visit TsunamiCables.com and use code SOCALSETLIST for 10% off.

Follow The SoCal Setlist for more conversations with the artists shaping Southern California’s live music scene.

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 old—and headbanging through nearly the entire performance.

That early experience began a musical path through marching band, jazz band, Palomar College, original projects and regular trips to perform in San Francisco with Lunar Hand. Today, Greg holds down the low end for reggae-rock band Indica Roots and Eastlake Rhythm Section, a Temecula-based collective performing classic rock, funk, pop and yacht rock favorites.

Greg also teaches at Leading Note Studios in San Marcos, where he directs the Rock Band Program and helps young musicians become more confident performers.

Brian and Greg discuss what makes a rhythm section work, how bass and drums create the pocket, learning from live performances, recovering from mistakes and why the ultimate goal is always to make the audience feel the music.

In this episode

• How Greg discovered the electric bass in middle school
• Performing his first show at 13 at the Old Town Temecula Theater
• How marching band and jazz band shaped his musicianship
• The private lessons that changed how he approached the fretboard
• Finding a supportive original-music community in San Francisco with Lunar Hand
• Joining Indica Roots and helping expand the band’s sound
• Forming Eastlake Rhythm Section with longtime friends
• What makes a tight rhythm section—and Greg’s definition of “the pocket”
• Teaching students not to fear mistakes
• Learning from Marcus Miller, Jaime Preciado and Tony Kanal
• Recording social-media tracks for Ampeg and building his live bass rig

Connect with Greg

• Greg on Instagram
• Indica Roots on Instagram
• Eastlake Rhythm Section on Instagram
• Eastlake Rhythm Section website
• Greg at Leading Note Studios

Sponsor

The SoCal Setlist is sponsored by Tsunami Cables. Proudly built in Southern California and backed by a lifetime warranty, Tsunami Cables are made for musicians who care about clean signal transfer, reliable tone and gear that can handle real wear and tear.

Visit TsunamiCables.com and use promo code SOCALSETLIST for 10% off. Offer valid through May 29, 2027.

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 graffiti pieces and asked what it would take to make him stop. His answer was simple: a drum set. Within months, Gary had started his first band and was performing professionally by 18.

From the Southern California funk and acid-jazz scene to smooth-jazz tours, megachurch stages, recording sessions and artist management, Gary has experienced almost every side of the music business. He also helped musicians working with artists such as Stevie Wonder secure endorsements and build their careers.

Today, Gary has returned to the stage with SoleMusiq - a deeply personal solo project shaped by his late mother, her song recommendations and his desire to bring people together.

With hundreds of songs, no setlist and no breaks, Gary reads the room and creates what he calls a “soundtrack of connection.”

In this episode

• How a graffiti piece led to Gary’s first drum set
• Discovering funk, jazz and the idea that “everything has a groove”
• Starting the original funk and acid-jazz band Middle Earth
• Devoting five years to learning world percussion
• Performing on the smooth-jazz circuit and major church stages
• What Gary learned from working as a professional sideman
• Why he left his record-label position to protect an artist’s music
• Launching GÁM Representation and helping touring musicians build their careers
• How his mother’s song recommendations inspired SoleMusiq
• Why Gary performs for three hours without a setlist or break
• Finding a second chance in Temecula’s live-music community
• Why Gary believes musicians are ultimately there to serve the audience

Connect with Gary

• Gary Stanionis: https://www.instagram.com/garystanionis/
• SoleMusiq: https://www.instagram.com/sole_concert/

The SoCal Setlist is sponsored by Tsunami Cables. 🌊

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