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“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 Vibe.

Andy never planned to own a venue. After losing the career he had spent decades building, he was sitting inside a packed 900-square-foot club when the owner said he needed to sell.

“I said, ‘Really? How much?’ He told me the price, and I said, ‘Sold.’ I really didn’t have a plan.”

At the time, Old Town had become what Andy remembers as a ghost town. The streets were so empty that you could stand in the middle of one for nearly 10 minutes without seeing a car. Looking at the club’s new patio, Andy made a decision: “Screw this. Let’s just do it outside. Let’s do a Beatles rooftop thing.”

Big Truth set up on the patio and spread the word through social media. Within roughly 45 minutes, four to five hundred people had gathered around the corner of Front and Fourth. During one of the club’s most uncertain periods, live music brought Old Town back to life. Andy still describes it as a magical night. Owning the club also brought Andy back to the guitar after nearly 30 years away. Today, he plays rhythm guitar with Love You Live and the Temecula Wilburys.

We talk about recognizing opportunity, supporting original music, what musicians need to understand about putting on a show and the legacy Andy hopes to leave in Old Town Temecula.

“It’s about the music, that one universal thing that connects us all.”

Follow The Vibe on Instagram and find upcoming shows at TheVibeForLiveMusic.com.

Thanks to Tsunami Cables for sponsoring The SoCal Setlist. Use code SOCALSETLIST for 10% off at TsunamiCables.com through May 29, 2027.