Gina Gershon Survives The San Fernando Valley

Gina Gershon Survives The San Fernando Valley

Author: Dave Sloan and Holly Cantos - 80s Music Podcast May 1, 2026 Duration: 38:33
Growing up in the San Fernando Valley meant something very different depending on who you ask. For Holly and Dave, it's a place of warm memories and deep roots. For Gina Gershon? It was somewhere she couldn't wait to leave, and leaving turned out to be the best thing she ever did.Gina joins us to talk about her memoir, AlphaPussy: How I Survived the Valley and Learned to Love My Boobs, a candid and wildly entertaining look at coming of age in the '80s, finding her voice, and building a career on her own terms. We get into standing up for yourself, the art of the strategic fib when auditioning, and the moment her real story began; the moment she escaped.And yes, there are rock and roll stories. Bob Dylan. Lou Reed. Prince. You'll want to hear these.We sit down with Gina Gershon for a conversation that's equal parts nostalgia, survival story, and Hollywood memoir gold. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For anyone who lived through it, or for those who just love the sounds that defined it, the 1980s were a musical lightning strike. The (Mostly) 80s Music Podcast: What Difference Does It Make? is a deep, personal excavation of that era, hosted by Dave Sloan and Holly Cantos. This isn't a simple nostalgia trip or a countdown of chart-toppers. Instead, Dave and Holly use their genuine expertise and passion to guide conversations with the very people who created the decade's soundtrack. You'll hear directly from the artists, producers, engineers, and label insiders, getting the stories behind the songs that you won't find in a standard biography. Each episode feels like an intimate backstage pass, uncovering the creative decisions, the industry shifts, and the personal anecdotes that explain why this music still resonates so powerfully today. The podcast thrives on specificity-maybe one week features a synth-pop pioneer explaining the gear behind their iconic sound, while another sits down with a session musician who played on a dozen classic albums. It’s a celebration of craft and context, asking and answering the question embedded in its title: what difference did these people and their work truly make? Listening feels like joining a detailed, enthusiastic conversation between friends who just happen to have incredible guests. The result is a richly layered portrait of a decade, built one fascinating story at a time.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

A (Mostly) 80s Music Podcast: What Difference Does It Make?
Podcast Episodes
One-Hit Wonder Day [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:12:35
Did you know September 25th is National One-Hit Wonder Day? Well, neither did we, but since we now know it's a thing, we created this episode. Did we invite friend of the show, Craig Rosen onto the podcast because Steve…
Glen Matlock Sees Consequences Coming [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:19
Glen Matlock has seen a lot, and he pours it all out on his new solo album, Consequences Coming. Glen steps into our virtual studio to discuss his solo career and the amazing band he's assembled. But no chat with Glen wo…
Roland West Compares KROQ to LIVE 105 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:11:33
Los Angeles vs. San Francisco is an age-old competition: Dodgers vs. Giants, sunny weather vs. chilly weather, Hollywood glamor or crunchy granola vibes. Back in the 80s, we had KROQ in Los Angeles and LIVE 105 in San Fr…
Tim Pope Shoots Rock Stars [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:28
If you watched MTV in the 80s, then you've seen a Tim Pope-directed video. Queen, David Bowie, Hall & Oates, and The Cure - the band he's most associated with - are among the hundreds of bands that have performed in fron…
Jacob Givens Goes Back To The 80s [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08:38
Jacob Givens⁠ created a social media sensation with his authentic and hilarious reaction videos to what it was like when he first heard the 90s music from his youth. Now Jacob steps into the What Difference Does It Make…
Tyler Measom Rocks The Sunset Marquis [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:32
The Sunset Marquis hotel in West Hollywood is located just steps from the Sunset Strip, and has been a haven for rock stars for the past six decades. But how did it come to be such an iconic place for rock stars? What is…
Duran Duran Appreciation Day [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08:14
August 10th is Duran Duran Appreciation Day. As it turns out, not only are we self-proclaimed Duranies, but our guests love the Fab 5 as well. So for this episode, we've compiled comments and observations from our past g…
Documenting The Palomino Club [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:25
The Los Angeles Times referred to it as "Country Music's most important West Coast club". Artists from Willie Nelson to Elvis Costello to Linda Ronstadt played there. Happy Hour started at 8 in the morning. And it all ha…
Haircut One Hundred Are Boxing The Compass [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:05
It's been a mere 44 years between Haircut One Hundred albums featuring the original lineup, but following their classic album Pelican West, we now have Boxing The Compass. According to lead singer/songwriter Nick Heyward…
Things Can Only Get Better for Howard Jones and Richard Blade [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:31
Prior to the start of what is being billed as "the biggest 80s event of the year", headliner Howard Jones and host Richard Blade took some time to talk with us and share their thoughts on what we can expect for the Thing…