Rick Hildebrandt has been gigging in Southern California since 2011, when he traded 54 years of upstate New York for a place in Menifee. After retiring from an IT career at Loma Linda Hospital in 2018, music became the full-time job. Today he plays solo, performs as half of the K-Ray Acoustic Duo with Kelly Ray, and hosts two open mics: Thursdays at The Hive and the second and fourth Tuesdays at Ronis West in Murrieta.

In this episode, Rick walks through the philosophy behind his approach (he treats every gig as a partnership with the venue, not a performance), the gear and software that lets one guy sound like a full band, and the song-selection formula he's used to keep dance floors full at Lorimar Winery, Stone Church Brewing, and Lady R Bistro. We also get into his influences (Allman Brothers, Brian Setzer, Albert Lee), his Telecaster setup, and why he hasn't brought an amp to a gig in years.

What we cover:

• Rick's path from upstate New York to Menifee, and 35 years playing with his brother in law
• Why he picked up the guitar at 12, and the influence of his mother's sight-reading piano
• First electric: a Gretsch country gentleman bought after selling a 1972 Bultaco Pursang motocross bike
• Today's rig: Telecaster, Boss GT-1000, no amp on stage, plus the custom 5-way switch Tele he's currently building
• How he builds backing tracks in Studio One from MIDI files, tailored to a consistent band sound
• The 4-fast, 1-slow song formula (and why "B-side" deep cuts don't fill dance floors)
• Why he plays three hours straight with no breaks
• The K-Ray Acoustic Duo with Kelly Ray, and why finding a singer with an ear for harmony is harder than it sounds
• The mindset shift that changed his career: musicians as partners in the venue's business
• Open mic logistics, including the on-screen queue system Rick's wife runs
• Influences, slide technique (metal Dunlop, pinky finger), and why he's on 10-46 strings

Where to find Rick:

• Website: rickhildebrandt.com
• Open Mic at The Hive: Thursdays, 7 to 10 PM
• Open Mic at Roney's West (Murrieta): 2nd and 4th Tuesdays, 6 to 9 PM
• Upcoming: Lorimar Winery (Wednesday, 12:30 to 3:30) and Wilson Creek Winery for Mother's Day with Kelly Rae (Sunday, 1 to 4 PM)
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rick_hildebrandt/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rick.hildebrandt.9