Sound Talent Group (L to R) Dave Shapiro, Matt Andersen, Tim Borror

When the virus response clamped down on fleshy, sweaty, side-by-side public outings, the local branch of entertainment agency Sound Talent Group had a backup plan ready to go — to cover the local scene with a wide variety podcasts. Head San Diego honcho Dave Shapiro was kind enough to lay out the plan, after a little personal information.

Were you born in San Diego?

I grew up in Albany, New York, but I’ve had the pleasure of calling San Diego home since 2003.

Which San Diego neighborhoods have you called home? How do they compare and contrast with each other?

I’ve lived in Mira Mesa, El Cajon, Hillcrest, and my current home in Del Cerro. Hillcrest was definitely my favorite in terms of being able to walk everywhere and having so many amazing restaurants so close.

However, Del Cerro has been a great place to call my permanent home. I’ve been there for the last 12 years. My wife and I love the neighborhood, and our dogs love all the parks we have as well.

What were your first thoughts on the San Diego music scene? How do you think it’s grown and changed since you’ve been in the city?

I’ve loved the San Diego music scene since I moved here. When I first moved here there were a lot of shows at Epicenter and The Scene. We had so many great bands like Rochelle Rochelle, Pinback, No Knife, etc. Since then we’ve seen quite a few bands from San Diego break out onto the national and global scene which has been exciting to see... Pierce the Veil, Switchfoot, Angels and Airwaves, My American Heart,Dead American, As I Lay Dying, and many others.

What are your favorite San Diego venues (when the virus isn’t on), and why?

Humphreys hands down. Not only is it one of my favorite San Diego venues, but it’s one of my favorite venues in the world. Being right on the water, boats behind the stage, people watching from their hotel balconies, etc. There’s just something special and unique about the venue that I’ve never seen replicated anywhere else.

What are your favorite places in San Diego to eat, drink, dance — and why?

Obviously the Mexican in San Diego is second to none. Ranchos in North Park is one of our favorite restaurants. We try to go there as often as we can. Plumeria is our favorite Thai restaurant. It’s right in the center of University Heights and it’s incredible.

There’s also great pizza next door at Red House that is unrivaled. Lastly we love eating at Antica Trattoria in Lake Murray. Not only is it some of the best Italian, but it’s a really great setting and such a cool vibe for a restaurant.

How did you become involved in doing podcasts? Had you been in radio before?

At Sound Talent Group, our booking agency, we have always been a big fan of podcasts. A lot of our clients are involved in podcasts and also guest on podcasts quite often. This inspired us to get more involved in the podcast space and launch Sound Talent Media. Furthermore, ever since Covid, our core business of booking live events for artists is not happening, due to large gatherings being banned, so this has been a great and fun pivot for us during this time.

Which podcasts does Sound Talent Media put on, and who hosts them? Which kinds of music do they cover?

We have a diverse group of podcasts that live on our network. “Punk Rock MBA,” which is hosted by Finn McKenty, “The Ex-man” w/ Doc Coyle, “Peer Pleasure” hosted by Dewey Halpaus, Chris Demakes a Podcast, and many more. The podcasts cover an array of topics and genres but all hosts come from the rock space.

Who are your favorite folks to have on the air with you?

Our podcasts have had an array of guests that we’ve been really excited about. Chino from the Deftones, Matt Skiba from Alkaline Trio, Bill Stevenson from The Descendants, and Gerard Way from My Chemical Romance on an upcoming episode of one of our shows.

What is Sound Talent Media’s plan for next year, when the virus lifts?

We’re enthusiastic about the podcast space. With or without Covid, we plan to go all in on our efforts here at Sound Talent Media. Our goal is to continue to expand the network by not only increasing our listener base, but also increasing our roster of great shows. We also believe that after Covid times we can start to bring some of our podcasts to the market in live settings like theaters and clubs. We look forward to seeing where the future brings.