The True Philadelphia Podcast With Matt O'donnell

Tina Halladay looks like the modern-day rock star, which like so many other things in our society, destroys the stereotypes of old. She is the lead vocalist of Sheer Mag, which formed in Philadelphia right after all of the members left college in New York and decided to move here. The band is a hard rock time machine that updates the stadium rock of the 1970s and 1980s without sounding outdated or artificial. Tina invited me to the Sheer Mag practice space in Southwest Philadelphia, which is a rectangular-shaped storage room filled with musical instruments, merchandise, personal belongings and a can of Coors Light or two. We talked about what drew the band to Philadelphia, how people react to her appearance and how she deals with it, her musical tastes growing up and the realization that other girls in the audience sometimes look just like her. Recorded in Southwest Philadelphia on March 9, 2020. In this podcast: Excerpt of the Sheer Mag song "The Killer" (00:05), how I first heard about her band (3:50), bein

Anchor Sarah Bloomquist and producer Jessica Gonzalez spent an entire month researching this baffling missing persons case from South Philadelphia. Watch their report on the 6abc True Crime YouTube page and then listen to this podcast extra. Sarah, Jess and I go even deeper into what is known about the night of February 19, 2005, the events leading up to it and some of the things the FBI has learned in the 15 years it has been investigating the couple's disappearance. The Main Players: Sarah Bloomquist, Jessica Gonzalez - reporters/producers Danielle Imbo, Richard Petrone - missing since 2/19/2005 Vito Roselli - FBI investigator Joe Imbo - Danielle's former husband John Ottobre - Danielle's brother Robert Carey - arrested in pill ring investigation in Kensington; hanged himself in prison Anthony Rodesky - convicted murderer of two people in South Jersey; still in jail Recorded in the 6abc studios on February 20, 2020 In this podcast: Sarah and Jess explain why it was so important to do this story (2:10), t

Joe Conklin, A.K.A. "The Man of a Thousand Voices," is a Philadelphia institution. There is no one like him around here, and perhaps no one like him anywhere else. He can look and sound like anyone he wants: Andy Reid, Allen Iverson, Charles Barkley, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, Joel Embiid, Merrill Reese, Rich Kotite...the list truly goes all the way to 1,000 and maybe beyond. I grabbed a table with Conklin at the New Wave Cafe in South Philadelphia to talk about where his abilities and comedy and impressions came from, what makes a good joke, whether his industry has become a landmine field because of society's hypersensitivity...oh, and he offers an impression. Or two. Or three. Recorded at the New Wave Cafe in South Philadelphia, February 11, 2020. In this podcast: Conklin talks about how comedy has changed (2:00), how he scripts most of his material on the radio (2:30), what the Janet Jackson Super Bowl incident has to do with that (3:00), how modern attitudes have impacted his standup routine (3:40), how

City Councilwoman At-Large Kendra Brooks did something that essentially hadn't been done in 100 years in Philadelphia - win her seat while not being a member of the two major political parties. I met Brooks at her new office during her first week at City Hall. The Working Families Party member was asking staff to fix a light bulb in the hallway. It mattered because Brooks plans to make it a habit of arriving early and staying late at her office, when most other lights are out. We spent nearly an hour talking about what needs to be changed about Philadelphia, what has changed about Philadelphia and about her background as a mother, a life-long Philadelphia resident and working woman. Recorded at Philadelphia City Hall, Room 411, on January 9, 2020. In this podcast: The history behind Brooks' new office (1:46), how she was able to win her election against all odds (2:15), if she ever believed she would actually win (2:42), how she managed to earn more votes than the GOP candidate for mayor (3:30), what the Work

G. Love & Special Sauce is one of the pioneers of the blues and hip hop style of music that is so prevalent these days. Their self-titled debut album was released in 1994 and made G. Love famous. With their latest album "The Juice" (2020), G. Love is out to prove that his "Philadelphonic" sound still has relevance and in fact can be empowering to his listeners. The man whose real name is Garrett Dutton is convinced: the world needs more G. Love, now more than ever. The Philadelphia native and I talked in an empty radio studio at WXPN-FM in University City, right before his soundcheck ahead of an album release party at World Cafe Live. He reached back into the early days of Special Sauce, talked about why he knows "The Juice" is about to be freshly squeezed on his adoring fans and even enjoys a surprise I brought with me. Recorded on December 13, 2019 at WXPN-FM in University City. Podcast includes the album's lead track "The Juice" at the end. In this podcast: G. Love tells us what he is loving these days

Baroness is one of the most critically-acclaimed and internationally successful bands that fall into the "extreme" metal category (even though they are much more complex than that) and yet few people seem to realize they are based in the Philadelphia area, not Georgia where the band started in 2002. John Baizley, the founder lead singer, guitarist, composer and album cover artist for Baroness prefers that anonymity. John invited me to his home in Montgomery County where he lives with his wife and daughter, a few weeks after he returned from a European tour to promote Baroness' fifth studio album "Gold & Grey" - my personal favorite of 2019. John's home is the same place where he practices and records with his band, plus paints his many portraits for Baroness and other bands. We spent two hours (one hour of which was recorded for this podcast) talking about his continued love affair with the Philadelphia region, his obsession with colors, his desire to make his band different in every way and his steadfast

Adam Weiner is the heart and soul of South Philadelphia-based rock 'n' roll boogie band Low Cut Connie and may be one of the most charismatic performers in music today. He graduated from Cherry Hill East High School and admits he didn't have a "plan B" - he was going to be a rock star. With a hugely talented voice and a ceremonious devotion to being the best piano player he can be, Adam can be found in rock venues across the country jumping around the stage, rolling around his piano and undressing the crowd with his mind. He is flamboyant, sensual, unpredictable - and a Philadelphia treasure to behold. Low Cut Connie's latest album, "Dirty Pictures (Part 2)" was released in 2018. It boasts great tracks like "Beverly" (which is featured in this podcast) "All These Kids Are Way Too High" and "Master Tapes." Adam's band has received accolades from Elton John, Bruce Springsteen and President Obama, whom Adam met personally. Join us as we descend into Adam's lair, the Low Cut Connie Studios in South Philadelphia a

Philadelphia's Republican City Committee is putting its hopes on Rep. Martina White (R-PA) to help it maintain relevance - and maybe even survive. The party was embarrassed again in the 2019 mayoral race - Mayor Jim Kenney didn't even campaign against GOP opponent Billy Ciancaglini and ended up winning with 80% of the vote. Plus, an independent candidate snatched a city council at-large seat from Republican Al Taubenberger, reducing the GOP's already slim role in city politics even more. Enter White, who took over the party's chair after the November election, right after the sudden resignation of Mike Meehan. She is young (only 31 years old), a longtime Northeast Philadelphia resident, the first in her immediate family to go to college (Elizabethtown) and the first new Republican to be elected in Philadelphia in 25 years. She has represented a 2-1 Democratic district for only four years and already promises to begin rebuilding the city's GOP from scratch. Political insiders from both sides of the aisle say t

Nia Meeks, a communications strategist in Philadelphia, is a frequent panelist on Inside Story (Sundays at 11:30am on 6abc). She always arrives with well-informed ideas about the issues facing Philadelphia and the surrounding region. So I thought it would be enlightening (and also entertaining) to ask her to take part in this special True Philadelphia Podcast episode. Both of us came up with three HUGE ideas, without worry about feasibility or cost, that we think should happen now or in the near future. We came up with some really good ones - and maybe some really impossible ones. Recorded at the Center City offices of Greenberg Traurig, LLP on Monday, October 28, 2019. 2:05 Nia introduces herself, 3:17 We explain the idea behind this podcast, 5:39 We flip a coin to see who goes first, 5:59 I try again SPOILERS REVEALED BELOW THIS LINE - DO NOT READ IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE SURPRISED! 6:10 Matt's 1st idea - Eliminate political parties in Philadelphia 13:30 Nia's 1st idea - Add a service year for every public

Dr. Generals has been running the Community College of Philadelphia for five years now. It is the largest institution of higher learning in the city. We gathered in his office in the historic Mint Building (which was the home of the Third Philadelphia Mint) to brainstorm about: why college continues to be so expensive and outpace inflation (2:45), if the wide availability of college loans has anything to do with the inflationary price (4:40), how this generation of student is starting to seek more value in education (6:00), a real example of comparing the cost of one year at Drexel University to an associate's degree at CCoP (6:45), if the "bumper sticker" mentality drives parents to choose their child's school (8:37), why CCoP and other community colleges should be free (10:09), how education is the latest industry to be disrupted by technology (12:45), the importance of writing as a skill (16:50), why the next stage of disruption in education will be virtual reality and maybe even Tupac Shakur (17:50), if w

Larry Krasner is unlike any district attorney Philadelphia has ever seen. He campaigned on reducing mass incarceration and revolutionizing criminal justice. His critics predicted he would never win the job and are furious that he has followed through with his promises. Some believe Krasner's policies have led to a sense of lawlessness across the city. Krasner and I spoke at length in his Center City office about: being "America's most radical district attorney (1:53), if his election has led to a rise in murders in Philadelphia (2:52), how the opioid epidemic has contributed to violent crime (4:43), how the nation's "deadliest DA" Lynne Abraham is so different from Krasner, a DA who is trying to get the death penalty off the books (6:50), if he believes the last man to be executed in Pennsylvania, Gary Heidnik, deserved execution (8:45), if his opposition to capital punishment is about fairness or morality (9:58), his ongoing battle with Philadelphia's Fraternal Order of Police (10:40), if his views and acti

"Sal Pal" as he is known is a legend when it comes to reporting on the Philadelphia Eagles. Sal recently recently a book called "Philly Special: The Inside Story of How the Philadelphia Eagles Won Their First Super Bowl Championship." It of course covers the most famous play ever pulled off in the SB but also chronicles that entire dream season from the summer of 2017 to the winter of 2018. The first question for Sal was a doozy, which he says he has never been asked: Would the Eagles have won Super Bowl 52 if Carson Wentz had not been injured? (3:25). Also, Wentz's future (5:40), how "wobbly" that dream season actually was (6:05), the Gamblin' Coach Pederson and Sal's reaction to that famous play (7:30), the "mystery man" who might have tried to steal the play (8:50), the turning point of that season (10:17), if the Patriots underestimated the Eagles (12:47), the anthem controversy and NFL ratings (13:40), the safety of the sport of football (15:40), how the Eagles recovered so quickly from the wreckage of c

Sam Calagione and his wife Mariah started Dogfish Head Craft Brewery from scratch. Today, the Delaware brewer is recognized as one of the finest craft beer companies in the nation - as it prepares to merge with fellow craft brewer Boston Beer. The couple joined me ahead of their annual strategy meetings to discuss: how they chill out and fight off being overwhelmed (2:12), how they make a husband/wife partnership work at home and the office (3:56), if the industry has hit 'peak craft beer' (5:30), if we have desensitized our taste buds (6:45), Sam's aversion to 'good beer' until during grad school (11:00), breaking the law in Rehoboth Beach (12:59), paddling across the Delaware Bay (15:13), how the couple books family time with their teenagers (18:15), if some of their selections are too high in ABV (19:42), how Sam's writing skills apply to his job (21:41), his favorite novel (23:49), what their expectations were at 'the ground floor' (25:13), leadership (28:25), when working too hard is too much (34:00) and

He is the man behind the Chickie's and Pete's restaurant franchise and more recently, an investor in the Philadelphia Soul. Pete Ciarrocchi talks about everything from my tryout with the Soul (no joke) (1:20), meeting Jon Bon Jovi the first time (2:00), why the Soul was never a pure business investment (3:00), how the AFL can be relevant in Philadelphia (4:16), being so protective of his secret recipe for his Crab Fries (7:00), the day his restaurant beat the maker of a Boston "clam roll" 90-1 in a Super Bowl taste test competition (10:58), Pete's Tips for Success (13:28), if the US is in a "restaurant bubble" (15:42), if home food delivery is a friend or foe (17:18), if he would support a hike in the minimum wage (19:29), if the tipping model for waitstaff should be changed (20:00) and why if you're not a Philadelphian, you're a "second-class citizen" (21:09). Recorded at Chickie's and Pete's on Packer Avenue in South Philadelphia on February 18, 2019.

Ray Murray was there when reality TV really took off. He founded Banyan Productions in 1992 when The Real World first aired on MTV. But Murray took a different approach with his creations. Rather than seeking conflict, he sought authenticity in the shows he produced. "Trading Spaces" is his most famous one, following by "A Wedding Story," "A Baby Story." These were shows that showed "real" people doing "real" things, rather than the manufactured scenes we now see in the "Houswives Of..." series, "Dance Moms," and "The Bachelor." We open our discussion about Murray's new venture "The WorkShop" and then head right into the reality TV discussion. Hear his thoughts on: binge TV viewing (3:30), being there when cable TV and then reality TV started to expand exponentially (6:20), "The Real World" (6:54), why he sought to produce more positive reality shows (8:14), why he kind of wishes he came up with "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo" (10:11), why shows branded as reality TV are rarely real at all (11:30), creating Tradi

Madeline Bell started her career as a nurse at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Today, she is one of the most powerful female executives in the Philadelphia area, overseeing 16,000 CHOP employees and a budget of $3 billion. Bell also talks about: Obstacles women face in their careers (3:53), the lack of women on corporate boards in the region (4:41), female heads of state and the Democratic presidential field (7:48), the "impostor syndrome" (10:19), how much sleep she gets per night (11:24), how she deals with Mondays (12:34), the massive growth of CHOP (14:06), the possibility of curing different forms of pediatric cancer (15:24), organizing treatments at hospitals like restaurants do on menus for customers (16:44), how to bridge the user-payer separation in healthcare (18:11), why so many children are obese (20:05), her opinion on the effects of social media and smartphones on young people (21:50), why boredom is healthy (23:49) and when robots will take over hospitals (24:27). Recorded at Bell's office

Every year I have the pleasure of moderating the Conversation With the Governor event for the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce. Governor Wolf was my guest for the fifth straight year, having easily won reelection back in November 2018. We discuss: that odd gubernatorial debate hosted by Jeopardy!'s Alex Trebek, his opponent Scott Wagner, whether being a lame duck will lead to an "unshackled" style of governing, dealing with what may be an even more conservative legislature, his proposed budget and fee for natural gas extraction, losing out on Amazon, forcing communities to pay for state police protection, Philadelphia's new school board, the dire state of Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education, Lt. Gov. John Fetterman's suit at inauguration, recreational marijuana, raising the state's minimum wage, tightening gun control measures, running for higher office, Howard Schultz, the indictments of union boss John Dougherty and City Councilman Bobby Henon, and whether the Phillies will come up with

Formerly the Travel Mug Podcast, Matt is re-launching this series to focus on the people who are "True" to Philadelphia and the surrounding region. What does it mean to be "True Philadelphia"? It's one of those things where you know it when you see it, right? But generally it involves someone with grit and toughness, someone who is frank and honest beyond all costs, someone who has a "true" sense of belonging to the wonderful place we live in. All of the previous episodes of the Travel Mug Podcast will still be available for you to enjoy. And prepare for the brand new True Philadelphia Podcast in 2019!

David Raymond helped create and performed as the first Phillie Phanatic between 1978 and 1993. This at times hilarious conversation with the fellow University of Delaware Blue Hen includes: How people react to him when they realize he was the Phanatic (2:10), how he helped create Gritty, the new Flyers mascot (4:00), the Phanatic backstory (8:30), if it was hot in that suit (11:45), why he retired as the Phillies mascot (13:40), why he can immediately tell the difference between the old and new Phanatic, performed by Tom Burgoyne (15:35), if he ever felt in immense danger during a Phanatic appearance (17:45), what it was like growing up with a father who happened to be the legendary Delaware football coach Tubby Raymond (20:00), if he misses being the Phanatic and ever dreams about being in the costume (27:07) and what great life lessons he's learned from the Phanatic character (31:15). Recorded in Raymond's "Phanatic Man Cave" at his home in the Philadelphia suburbs.