The True Philadelphia Podcast with Matt O'Donnell

Archbishop Nelson Perez was all set to bring new leadership to the Philadelphia Archdiocese - until all of his plans changed. The coronavirus pandemic has eliminated gatherings and kept 1.4 million Catholics in our region at home. Archbishop Perez talks about his very strange and unexpected start in his new job with the church. Our conversation also veers off the COVID-19 course to get his views on God, heaven, leadership and Pope Francis. Recorded at the rectory at Archdiocesan headquarters in Center City, Philadelphia on March 30th, 2020. In this podcast: How the Archbishop is coping during the coronavirus pandemic (1:10), Going back to the day in January 2020 when the church announced his appointment in Philadelphia (3:05), what he says to people whose faith is being tested by the pandemic (3:50), using religion to try to understand horrible events (4:55), using this time to reorganize our priorities (5:25), how he found out he was leaving Cleveland as Archbishop and going back to Philadelphia (5:55), the phone call he received during Martin Luther King weekend and the "are you alone?" question (6:40), his background and how it lead him to Philadelphia twice (8:35), how he used to visit the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame while serving in Cleveland and his favorite rock bands (9:50), if he considers himself a "Philly guy" and what that even means to him (10:45), what it means to be Philadelphia's first Hispanic Archbishop (11:50), how he apologized for the priest sex abuse scandal within the Catholic Church during his introductory news conference (13:30), what Pope Francis is like (15:10), the different views between himself and his predecessor, Archbishop Charles Chaput (17:05), how he supports the teachings of the church and if he believes women should ever be priests (19:00), his leadership style (19:50), what his vision of God looks like (21:45), if he ever has moments where he wishes he would be able to marry and have children (23:45), how he views the concepts of heaven, hell and purgatory (25:05), what he plans to address during his homily on Easter (26:35), what changes we might see at the other side of this pandemic (29:25), if social distancing might create new, less-desired habits (31:20), what he would say to someone with the simple question: "Will I be okay?" (32:15).

Dr. Susan Weiss works in the Department of Microbiology at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine. She is also the co-director of Penn's newly-founded Center for Research on Coronaviruses and Other Emerging Pathogens. Penn's lab, which is considered a Biosafety Level 3 lab, obtained actual samples of the coronavirus that is sweeping across the world. Dr. Weiss is working from her home in Montgomery County to protect herself from getting infected; she is part of the known high-risk population. From her kitchen, she helps lead her special Penn research team to learn more about what this coronavirus is, what it can do and how it can be destroyed. Dr. Weiss may very well be one of the people who will lead us out of this pandemic. She has been conducting research on the group of viruses known as coronaviruses for 40 years. Her research has taken her to Wuhan, the city in China where the pandemic began. Dr. Weiss explains what she has learned so far during her career and what she hopes to know very soon. Recorded on March 27, 2020 in Merion Station, PA. In this podcast: Dr. Weiss talks about what it has been like working from home (1:45), how her lab obtained coronavirus samples and what a BSL-3 lab is all about (2:14), how she is a scientist and not a clinician and what that means (3:45), explains her background in coronavirus research (5:00), why the field was wide open when she selected it in the beginning of her career (6:45), why she has been studying the coronavirus in mice (7:45), why there could be many more coronaviruses that we don't know about (8:55), she explains why viruses need a host and why they are not considered living organisms (10:30), why the SARS outbreak in 2002, now known as "SARS 1," featured a virus that was far more deadly than this one (11:30), how this latest coronavirus, which is referred to as "SARS 2," kind of got lucky (13:08), her visit to Wuhan, China (13:45), the mystery of why SARS 1 seemed to suddenly disappear (14:15), how a virus jumps from animals to humans and why bats carry coronaviruses (15:40), whether the pangolin may have been the animal that allowed SARS 2 to jump to humans (18:10), how she took part in a study that was published this year that disproved the conspiracy theory that SARS 2 was created in a lab (19:50), what the coronavirus does to humans who get infected (21:20), what happens when the body experiences a "cytokine storm," when the immune system goes haywire (22:30), upper respiratory infections versus lower ones (22:55), what she hopes to learn from the coronavirus during this crucial stage of her research (24:10), the coincidence that the recent virus outbreaks have generally been about 10 years apart (27:20), the pressure of quickening the pace of her research (27:45), what she thinks about the world's response to the pandemic (28:40), how the pandemic will change our lives (29:30), the possibility of the coronavirus jumping seasons and "herd immunity" (30:05).

Ricky Singh is an amazing man. He climbed Mount Everest and made it back alive on May 21, 2019. Before even considering attempting this feat, Singh went and ran a marathon in every single state. Fifty of them! Doing both of these is a first. Singh says he is also the first American Sikh and second Indian-American to reach the top of the planet. He is also the first Everest summiter I've ever met, which is a far more insignificant accomplishment. Singh is an extremely spiritual man whose outlook on life needs to be shared during these difficult times. I spoke to him at his home in northern Delaware, a few weeks before the coronavirus outbreak in the US. It is fascinating to hear him take us up the mountain step by step by step. Recorded on March 5, 2020 in Greenville, Delaware. In this podcast: If Singh gets bored easily (1:35), what it is like to be on top of Mount Everest, an area about the size of "three or four ping pong tables" (1:50), some of the many dangers when on top (2:50), the spirituality of being on top of the world (3:30), if he was afraid he would fall off (4:10), the conditions the day he climbed (4:50), why he became such an avid runner and why he decided to complete 50 marathons in 50 states, beginning in 2005 and finishing in 2016 (5:00), the best and worst marathons he ran (7:20), why he stayed away from the bigger races, like the Boston Marathon (8:30), how he keeps in shape (8:45), how he prepared for climbing Everest (9:00), how he dealt with the realization that he might not make it back alive (10:30), his early visits to Nepal to become acquainted with the climate, culture and altitude (11:10), we begin talking about Singh's ascent to Everest in 2019 (14:25), Base Camp - 17,600 feet (14:35), the Khumbu Icefall leading to Camp I (16:12), the Western Cwm leading to Camp II - 21,300 feet - and why it is so hot (16:45), the Lhotse Face to Camp III - 24,500 feet (17:35), arriving at Camp IV - 26,000 feet - and entering the "Death Zone" (18:30), deciding when to leave Camp IV and attempt a summit (20:35), witnessing a dead body on the mountain for the first time and why bodies or trash are not removed (20:55), the Balcony - 27,700 feet - a place of rest (22:15), the Cornice Traverse (23:15), breathing near the summit (23:50), the Hillary Step and why Mother Nature made this part of the climb easier (24:15), how it is one person at a time through this point (25:20), if he would ever look down during his ascent (26:10), why he chose to go up on a day that had poor weather (27:10), what he thought about when he was about to reach the top (28:35), why he only spent about 15 minutes on the summit (29:25), if he took a selfie (30:00), achieving his second goal: making it back down alive (31:00), his injuries from frostbite: the loss of three fingertips (31:48), why we were both surprised that Singh is the first American Sikh and second Indian-American to summit Everest (33:05), what those facts mean to him (33:45), 11 people died while climbing Everest in 2019, does he think there should be more restrictions? (36:00), what's next for Singh, including mentoring other climbers and organizing "ultra-marathons" (27:45), what he learned about himself after his accomplishment (38:53).

We need a little hope right now, don't you agree? I called my colleague and friend Ajay Raju to help me convey some positive thinking on this crisis. Please know that both of us truly understand people are suffering out there. Lives are being lost, people are getting sick, incomes have diminished to nothing, hopes and dreams have been erased. But in times of crises, human beings always adapt and survive. It is our nature. Ajay is a panelist on Inside Story, the host of Overheard at Tredici and the CEO and chairman of the powerful law firm Dilworth Paxson. He is involved in so many other projects that it would require a secondary podcast to describe. Ajay is plugged in, he is brilliant, he is a forward thinker and he is already planning for beyond this pandemic. We discuss how this uncertain experience might impact how we view and use technology, how we will tend to the environment, how we will act as a truly "global species" and how we will treat each other. Ajay and I wish that this discussion will bring you hope. Because both of us, in the face of the largest crisis either of us have ever seen, remain extremely hopeful for the human race. Anyone who has bet against us has lost every time. Recorded at Dilworth Paxson LLP at 1500 Market Street, Philadelphia on March 19, 2020.

Let's get back to the basics on this pandemic. What is a virus? What is a coronavirus? How long have they been around? Why aren't young people getting infected as much? Dr. Judd Hollander answers all of these questions and more, and tells us which questions we cannot answer yet. Dr. Hollander is an associate dean at Jefferson's medical college, an emergency room doctor and has been working on a project to expand "telemedicine" which he also explains in this podcast. Recorded on March 17, 2020 at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Center City, Philadelphia. In this podcast: We break down what a virus is (2:17), what a coronavirus is (3:34), how COVID-19 began (4:40), how it jumped from animal to human and "wet markets" in China (5:10), the conspiracy that COVID-19 is a bioweapon (6:24), how the virus spreads from person to person (7:35), how this forced us to change our habits and hygiene (8:48), the changing notion of "playing hurt" and going to work sick (9:20), why it is so important to be mindful of those who aren't equipped to fight the infection (10:55), why the infection rates with children is so low (11:40), if you can give the coronavirus to a pet and vice-versa (12:38), what we know about the overall rates of infection (13:48), what we know about the death rate (15:05), the biggest difference between COVID-19 and the flu (16:10), if the coronavirus could become season like the flu (16:30), the unpublished study that finds the coronavirus outbreaks tend to occur in countries that have temperatures ranging between 40-50 degrees fahrenheit (17:05), our worst case scenario (18:15), our best case scenario (19:38), what Dr. Hollander would do if he could go back in time one month (20:40), how this pandemic will change us as a people (21:49), the importance of growing telemedicine, a specialty of Dr. Hollander's (22:25), how we should reassess public gatherings in the future (26:19), the ongoing battle between humans and viruses (27:00), the expected growth in research on anti-viral medicine (27:36), what Dr. Hollander is most hopeful about (28:05).

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), being a throwback band with sincerity (4:55), if being a female lead singer is a big deal anymore (6:29), why employees at venues mistake her for a "merch" person (7:00), what it's like proving yourself over and over again (8:15), the stereotypes of the music industry (8:55), how a Long Island girl ended up in Philadelphia (9:53), why she's glad she ended up in Philadelphia (11:10), trying to categorize her band and "acid jazz" (11:55), what I hear when I listen to Sheer Mag (12:55), where Tina's musical tastes began (14:30), how she ended up becoming a vocalist (15:50), growing up hanging out with a "pack of weirdos" (16:30), her looks (17:10), the difficulty of finding clothes (17:45), seeing other girls dressed just like her (18:29), if she feels she is putting a dent in stereotypes (19:45), the band's connection to presidential candidate Bernie Sanders (20:25), the importance of "DIY" culture with the band (23:31), why they want to own their music (25:09), releasing their music on vinyl (25:45), her vocal style (27:17), singing about her turbulent history with her late father (29:17), why it was important to seek therapy (30:30), the art of coming up with stage banter (32:30), winning over the crowd (35:35), other Philadelphia bands she listens to (39:15), where she hangs out in the city (40:15), the track "Steel Sharpens Steel" from the latest Sheer Mag album "A Distant Call" (42:37).

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), they reconstruct the night of the couple's disappearance (3:55), what the FBI means when they say "people" know things about this case (8:35), some background on the couple, their families and what their lives were like before they vanished (10:49), what it was like for Sarah and Jess to visit the bar where they were last seen and to speak to the building's owner (16:35), why the events that took place that night in 2005 would have been so much different in 2020 (19:13), some of the events that took place after their disappearance, including the discovery of a truck in the Delaware River (19:49), some other rumors, including the Kensington pill ring suspect who hanged himself after his arrest (21:28), what is known about Joe Imbo, who was Danielle's estranged husband at the time (22:20), what is known about Anthony Rodesky, a convicted murderer who has not been ruled out in this case (24:50), how the FBI thinks the truck was disposed of (28:10), what it was like to speak to John Ottobre, Danielle's brother (29:30), why it is so hard for Sarah and Jess to speculate (30:00), if the FBI ever considered a case of mistaken identity as a theory (31:09), reaction to their True Crime piece from the FBI and the families (32:52), why authorities may never bring this case to a prosecution (33:50), how changes in technology might help the FBI solve this once and for all (34:40).

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 he deals with hecklers (5:40), why doing comedy at luncheons can be...interesting (7:20), why his President Obama impression led to the end of one of his acts (8:00), growing up in Olney and attending Temple University (9:00) how the people he grew up with became many of the impressions in his routines (10:15), when he realized he had a gift of doing impressions (11:55), the idea of looking like the person he is doing an impression of (13:20), Joel Embiid (13:55), how he starts from scratch when developing an impression (14:10), why the idea of "recognition" is so important (15:05), John Madden, the most difficult impression he's ever worked on (15:50), how cadence factors into an impression with the example of Merrill Reese (16:40), if anyone ever gets upset with an impression (17:50), when Andy Reid became a little "sensitive" (19:40), why the Philadelphia sports fan has changed (20:50), the idea behind having "celebrity" fans in Philadelphia (22:30), Sixers fans' relationship with Joel Embiid (23:00), generational changes in sports fans (24:05), what is most important with Philadelphia sports fans (25:10), Mike Schmidt (25:30), why social media seems like doubling his work (26:30), being cautious on social media (28:30), his thoughts on Bill Cosby (30:10), if politics have unnecessarily invaded comedy (31:20), being cautious with his impression of President Trump (31:50), Bernie Sanders (33:40), Elizabeth Warren (33:55), favorite Philadelphia athlete (35:33), favorite Philadelphia coach (36:50), favorite comedians (38:20), what is not funny (39:45).

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 Working Families Party stands for (4:20), if WFP might have had its beginnings with the Occupy Wall Street movement (5:20), how she still lives in Nicetown, the neighborhood she grew up in (6:05), juggling single motherhood with a professional and political career (6:35), what songs she likes to sing on Karaoke night (7:45), how she makes tough choices in balancing her family and career (9:00), when she decided to enter politics and how Facebook played a part (10:30), how to reverse the city's ongoing problem with violence, especially against children (11:24), why she is shocked to ride the subway these days (14:00), how to convince people to invest in struggling communities for the long term (15:07), why she thinks Philadelphia can still be choosy when trying to attract new businesses, courting Amazon (17:20), if the city should have used public funds to help build new sports stadiums (19:00), why ending tax abatements is number one on her priorities list (20:30), if it is healthy for a city to be controlled by only one political party (23:20), what she thought when party chairman Bob Brady threatened people to not support her candidacy (24:40), if WFP can win broader appeal (26:04), why she favors rent control even though it has seen negative effects in New York City (27:45), if public schools are better off without the School Reform Commission (30:18), why she wants a moratorium on charter schools (33:50), how to avoid having to raise real estate taxes to fully fund public schools (35:05), if she has 'super' wealthy friends and if it is okay to amass millions upon millions of dollars (35:25), why she believes the capital gains tax gives the wealthy an advantage (36:45), why she believes wealth should be redistributed (37:10), if everyone should make the same amount of money (37:48), the idea of a living wage (38:45), her days as a nursing assistant and working long hours (39:20), raising the minimum wage (40:15), what Philadelphia is currently doing right (41:30), her experience at the Pennsylvania Society gathering in New York City (42:34), if she believes we are getting better at respecting other people's differences (46:07), how social media and young people have impacted acceptance (47:20), how Generation X paved the way to more acceptance (48:10), the best things about living in Philadelphia (49:10), her favorite places to visit in the city and the food (50:44), if the cheesesteak gets too much hype (51:40)

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 (2:00), how he is empowering people through his music (2:58), why he knows "The Juice" is a great record (3:52), being careful with "actually" as a descriptor (4:55), why using Keb' Mo' as his producer was such a perfect fit (5:40), why G. Love is not meticulous at all, which goes into a discussion of how to decide if he should eat Burger King or McDonald's (7:55), takes us back to 1993-1994 when G. Love & Special Sauce released their debut album and were renting a loft in Old City (8:40), that legendary New Year's Eve party at said loft that led to 869 cigarette burns on the carpet (9:40), when G. Love & Special Sauce finally made it big (10:45), how he reacted when he walked into Tower Records on South Street and first saw himself on his album cover (11:50), why he at first didn't like his picture on that debut album (12:15), how people initially reacted to a white kid playing "garage rock and roll while rapping" (12:45), my surprise begins! (14:20), G. Love and I hum the Action News theme (14:42), the story behind how G. Love bought the guitar that became his signature instrument - the Crucianelli Elite (15:50), how G. Love became his nickname (18:10), going back to the days of street performing in Philadelphia (20:40), why he ran into problems and took his street performing to Boston - and which town made him more money (22:20) and finally the lead track off his new album "The Juice" (22:55).

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 resolve to live the "DIY" ethic. Recorded in Bala Cynwyd, PA on December 13, 2019. In this podcast: An excerpt of "Front Toward Enemy," the lead track from "Gold & Grey" (0:10); Matt reveals what album he played on Spotify more than any other in 2019 (2:10); why John chose to call the Philadelphia area as his home and a home base for Baroness several years ago (2:36); how Philadelphia was like a tractor beam as it was the birthplace of his parents and where John went to elementary school before his move to Virginia (5:20); Baroness' recent European tour and surviving on the road (7:20); how fantastic musicians sometimes have mediocre touring abilities (8:04); the ingredient that has been the constant to Baroness' success (8:58); how touring the world to play music is such an adventure (11:44); how the stress of touring has led to seven lineup changes with the band (14:00); the complexity and variance of writing a new record (15:02); their performance at The Fillmore Philadelphia and how confident they were onstage (16:06); the new album "Gold & Grey" and why recording it kept the band up at night (18:54); trying to evolve with Baroness' fifth studio album (22:10); shutting out the noise of critics, whether positive or negative feedback (22:50); making the traditional format of a regular band with vocals, guitars, bass and drums different (23:30); how he's endured 16 years in the same band (26:20); if John has a favorite color (28:40); why colors interest him so much (29:25); where the idea of naming each Baroness album after a color (or colors) came from (31:30); why the colors motif and the feminine-themed name and artwork for the band has always been a response to the outer music scene (33:30); why the explosion of Nirvana on the music scene meant so much to him (35:51); why "Nevermind" was "that" album for him (36:35); learning to always apply the "DIY" ethic (37:45); how the legendary band Fugazi taught everyone how to respect an audience (40:15); how Baroness acts "communally" on the road (43:10); living with ethics and a moral code (44:05); the tour bus crash in England in 2012 and how he's returned to the accident site (44:28); if he believes the crash was fate for him and his band and if it strengthened his resolve to live (48:30); the oddity of still being able to play guitar with his left hand (which was horribly injured in the crash) but not being able to open a jar with the same hand (50:30); where John likes to hang out in Philadelphia, with shout-outs to Union Transfer and the Philadelphia Museum of Art (53:05); why you can't "cruise" in Philadelphia as opposed to other big cities (55:10); his choice for the best band out there right now, plus the best bands from the Philadelphia scene (with shout-outs to Nothing, Sheer Mag and Woe) (58:00); how the goal of forming a band you cannot categorize can become complicated (1:00:26); excerpt of "Cold-Blooded Angels" from "Gold & Grey" (1:02:40).

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 and capture a glimpse of what is going on in the mind of a Philadelphia rock star who is currently on the top of his game. Recorded December 10, 2019 in South Philadelphia. In this podcast: Excerpt of "Beverly" by Low Cut Connie (0:22); Adam offering his spontaneous rendition of the Action News Theme and his thoughts on the iconic song (3:07); on why hard work is an essential component to being a successful band (4:10); Low Cut Connie's mission statement and why the world needs more boogie (4:37); how he describes Low Cut Connie's sound to new listeners (5:28); on the band's latest album "Dirty Pictures (Part 2)" and how Philadelphia seeped into the music (6:38); Adam channeling his inner Bruce Springsteen in songwriting (7:43); why "Born in the U.S.A." and "Purple Rain" were such important albums during his childhood (8:40); how an early version of the song "Beverly" first came together during his years performing in New York City, with Adam demonstrating on his piano "Nellie" (9:27); who "Beverly" might actually be (12:20); Adam's live stage antics and how Iggy Pop provided influence (13:02); why he considers himself an "advanced amateur" on the piano and how he learned how to play (15:17); why Professor Longhair of New Orleans is his favorite piano player of all time (16:35); famous people who love his band, including Bruce Springsteen, Elton John and President Obama (who put Low Cut Connie on his summer playlist of 2015) (20:50); on meeting President Obama and whether the new attention did anything for Low Cut Connie (22:05); why the Philadelphia music scene is "fabulous" and why it is such a great home for Low Cut Connie (23:39); why he named his favorite piano "Shondra" (24:50); Adam invites me to meet "Shondra," which is now being stored in a studio basement (25:58); Adam breaks out into a rendition of Sea of Love (27:35); if Jim Gardner will listen to this podcast (27:52); a slow rendition of "Beverly" (28:25); why the song offers sadness and hope at the same time (29:35); his favorite artists of all time (30:45); a song from Toots and the Maytals (31:31); why AC/DC was right when they sang "It's a Long Way to the Top If You Wanna Rock and Roll (32:20); why his favorite Philadelphia spots are greasy delis (33:20); Adam plays an excerpt of his hit song "Boozophilia" (36:07)

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 they are already impressed. Listen to this episode to see if you are. Recorded at Rep. White's Northeast Philadelphia office on December 3, 2019. In this episode: Why Rep. White would want to lead the GOP in a city that is 7-1 Democrat (1:50), how she plans to attract younger voters to the GOP (2:35), why she became a Republican (3:50), how she feels about the politics of Republicans in Washington (4:25), why it took so long for a new Republican to be elected in Philadelphia (6:10), how she plans to compete in a city that has more registered Independents than Republicans (7:28), if it's a problem that voters have a love/hate relationship with President Trump (8:28), if she has any dream candidates to run for mayor of Philadelphia in 2023 (9:57), her disagreements with City Hall (11:14), the last five Republicans to run for mayor (12:00), why she opposes "sanctuary city" policy (13:20), if she thinks Republicans are secretly culpable in keeping Democrats in power in Philadelphia (15:30), fixing the roads in her Northeast Philadelphia district and the difficulty of simply cutting the grass on the Roosevelt Boulevard (17:05), why some of the state's transportation funds don't actually go towards improving the roads, bridges and rails (19:00), the feasibility of building a subway beneath the Boulevard (22:35), what she thinks about the wishes of some Northeast Philadelphia residents to secede from the city and become their own, separate county (22:45), what she thinks about the 2017 Philly Mag article titled "Martina White: The It Girl of Red Philadelphia" (27:04), why she won't tell anyone who she voted for in the 2016 presidential election (28:40), her background as a financial adviser (31:10), being the first member of her immediate family to go to college (32:47), how to make college more affordable for everyone and how state grants may do the opposite of their intent (33:40), how to reverse the climbing homicide rate in Philadelphia and reduce violence against children (35:11), how she, as a teenager, was impacted by the September 11th attacks (38:40), what she might be doing in 2, 4, 6 or 8 years (41:20).

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 high school student in Philadelphia, whether it be carried out during high school or right after graduation 19:58 Matt's 2nd idea - Embark on Philadelphia's "Big Dig" in three phases: build two upper decks to the Schuylkill Expressway to carry four additional lanes of traffic and a solar-powered mass transit line; use the Blue Route, I-295 and bridges over the Delaware River to create Philadelphia's official Beltway (just like in Washington, D.C. and Baltimore); and split domestic and international flights at Philadelphia International Airport to two sites (one remains at the existing airport and another relocates to either South Jersey, the Lehigh Valley or Delaware) 26:12 Nia's 2nd idea - Develop different "creative corridors" in every single Philadelphia neighborhood featuring the arts, animation, architecture, filmmaking, fashion, tech, music and with a public/private partnership 32:40 Matt's 3rd idea - With inspiration from comedian Chris Rock, tax bullets so that they are ridiculously expensive but exempt the tax for anyone using them at a gun range 39:36 Nia's 3rd idea - A "Park in a Truck" program where trucks will dump topsoil in empty city lots to create green spaces, whether they are made to be parks, gardens, planters or recreational spots.

Fran Dunphy is a Philadelphia basketball coaching legend. He led the Penn Quakers from 1989-2006 and the Temple Owls from 2006 until his retirement this last season, winning multiple league championships and coaching awards throughout. Dunphy teaches a business management class at Temple. We spent some time in his office after class to talk about his career, how basketball has changed, how players have changed, how he has changed and why his worst loss was his most important game as a coach. In this podcast: what it was like that first day after his coaching retirement (2:20), what he might do at Temple's first basketball game this season (3:50), how the game changed from his first coaching experience in 1971 to his final season in 2018-2019 (4:20), if he put together a plan or a set of principles early on in his career (6:30), how he has influenced so many people through the years and how those people influenced him (8:00), how today's athlete has changed (9:50), if he sees himself as a player's coach or a disciplinarian (11:10), why being a "mean" coach doesn't always work (12:20), if there is too much money in NCAA sports (13:40), how NCAA athletes may be compensated differently, but not with a salary (14:20), how tough recruiting was in the Ivy League (16:25), how he would seal the deal on a recruit (18:17), if there is an "X factor" in analyzing a player (19:10), what former Temple coach John Chaney told Dunphy when he took the Temple job (20:50), why Dunphy thinks Aaron McKie will be successful as the new Temple coach (23:00), what he thinks of a poll that ranked him as the most underrated coach in all of NCAA basketball (24:05), his thoughts on Jay Wright's "ridiculous" run at Villanova (24:55), how a coach faces doubt (25:40), how the game of basketball needs to be revised to remain competitive and relevant (26:55), his thoughts on Sixers stars Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid (27:57), how difficult it is for a pro player to learn a new skill (29:00), how his business management class offers parallels between the business world and college coaching (29:55), how one learns from their darkest moments (32:22), how his most difficult loss at Penn was the most important game he had ever coached (32:47), if "moneyballing" and analytics is overused (35:37), when anyone should start thinking about legacy (36:45) and who is the better mascot: the Quaker or the Owl (37:12). Recorded at Sullivan Hall at Temple University on September 17, 2019.