Philadelphia Podcast Festival

Odd News and Simple Fun with The Crispy Noodle / July 1, 2019 by Teagan Kuruna

This interview with the hosts of The Crispy Noodle is part of a series highlighting podcasts participating in Philly Podfest 2019. See the full line-up of live shows on our Schedule page.

by Melinda Lewis

Rich and Mike are two friends with a weekly podcast that covers a smorgasbord of topics that is reminiscent of old school talk radio with news, hot takes, and a vicious soundboard. Before their Philly Podfest show on July 28, from 2:30 to 3:30 at Tattooed Mom, they answered some questions about their podcast and plans for the festival. (edited for length)

Q: Your show reminds me of listening to the radio before school. What have been some of your influences and how did you determine the format?

Rich: I listened to Preston & Steve on Y100 almost every morning on the way to school. I loved how their topics were informative and hilarious. When Y100 shut down and they went off the air, I was devastated; there really wasn't anything like them. After interning with their show on WMMR, I knew I wanted to produce my own show that was newsworthy, comedic, and just simply, fun.

Mike: I trusted Rich’s instincts when it came to the radio-esque nature of the show since he had the experience. But from the start we knew our favorite topics, that we wanted to be fun and informative, and that if we were excited and passionate about a topic, that would come through in the show. After that, it all just fell into place.

**Q: What's the root of Crispy Noodle’s name?**

Rich: Naming a podcast is actually one of the most difficult tasks when coming up with a podcast. We didn't want to simply call it The Rich & Mike Show, so we decided to let inspiration come to us in another way – Chinese takeout. My fortune cookie literally read "Be the Crispy Noodle in the vegetarian salad of life." I shouted to Mike "what the hell does this mean?!" We both couldn't stop laughing. We thought maybe this an answer from Fortune's own cookie – The Crispy Noodle Podcast.

Mike: This is one of the biggest mysteries of the show when we first mention the name to someone. We went with our gut, literally, and it worked out great.

Q: Do you have anything planned for Philly Podfest?

Rich: Mike is actually away on vacation that weekend and it will be the first time I am doing The Crispy Noodle Podcast without him. He will definitely be involved in the show in a special way . . . that's as much as a tease as I can provide! I won't be flying solo though, because our recurring guest personality, Nenna, will be there to help react to Entertainment and Odd News.

Mike: It’s a shame I can’t be there this year, but I get to be in the very fun and unique position of experiencing the show as a listener first instead of a co-host. We're already working hard to come up with something fun for the event.

Q: What are you looking forward to most about Philly Podfest (and what makes you want to come back)?

Rich: There are so many interesting podcasts to discover and learn about. I also enjoy the live audience that comes out for this – people get to react in real time to the topics we provide and the odd news stories I research. I also love that we're at Tattooed Mom, it's such a great venue – punk rock atmosphere, right on South Street. You couldn't ask for a more Philly-centric venue in my opinion.

Mike: It’s great to be part of a community that is so passionate about their shows and topics. Since we don’t normally do live events or shows, it definitely adds a unique twist and change of pace for our show, which is welcome after 300+ episodes!

Amplifying queer voices with My Gay Agenda / June 29, 2019 by Teagan Kuruna

This interview with the hosts of My Gay Agenda is part of a series highlighting podcasts participating in Philly Podfest 2019. See the full line-up of live shows on our Schedule page.

by Melinda Lewis

From the title, to the intro, to the discussion, there is no haziness when it comes to what My Gay Agenda is about. CJ Higgins and Jenn Adams make a podcast that represents Philadelphia’s queer community, educates, and builds empathic bridges. This year, they’ll be celebrating Queer History with their show at the National Liberty Museum, Sunday, July 21 at 3 pm. (Edited for length)

Q: How did y'all meet and at one point did you decide "Hey, let's do this?"

CJ: After college, throughout 2017, Jenn would bring up the idea of us co-hosting a podcast called My Gay Agenda. After mentioning it several times I realized they weren't trying to make a goof, they were making an actual suggestion. Then we did it!

Jenn: At some point or another, I made a joke to my partner along the lines of something silly being my gay agenda and he said ‘’Oh, that would make a great podcast name!’ I laughed and agreed but then was like...’oh dang, it really would.’ I IMMEDIATELY knew CJ was the perfect person to throw the idea at.

**Q: Between your title and opening credits, it's pretty clear what your podcast is about on the surface, but what is My Gay Agenda’s (your gay agenda’s) agenda/goals?**

CJ: Our goal is to educate through exposure and representation. We want to create a space where queer people can feel validated and recognized, and cisgender heterosexual people can learn by listening. It's sort of like a chat among queer folx that cishets can listen in on. Plus, we've had some listeners tell us that the podcast helped them discover their own queer identities!

Jenn: We've really shifted our focus to lifting up queer voices and letting individuals talk about their experiences and stories. We still consider ourselves both a comedy and education podcast, but the number one goal is to let queer people of all kinds talk about what they want to talk about and send it out into the world where people can learn, empathize, or discover something about themselves through listening.

**Q: What do you enjoy most about the process of producing My Gay Agenda?**

CJ: I love meeting all our guests! We've had the privilege to talk to over fifty queer people about their unique experiences and identities. I'm constantly grateful people choose to share their stories with us.

Jenn: I’m biased as the self-proclaimed ‘camp counselor’ of the show, but I really enjoy developing the silly mini-games we play with our guests at the end of each episode. Half the time they’re less ‘games’ and more jumping off points for all of us to make more jokes, but they’re always fun to develop and they help us end the show on a lighter, whimsical note, especially when we end up discussing something heavy.

Q: You've done live shows before - what makes a live show particularly special (and how does it compare to the performances you do outside of these live tapings?

CJ: Live shows are where we go beyond the interview format of our regular episodes! Past ones have included a quiz show and an open forum on how gay the city of Philadelphia is. Plus, at the end of each live show, we ask the audience for suggestions of what to put on the Gay Agenda, and that always gets some fun and interesting responses (like mandatory astrology charts, milkshakes, etc.).

Jenn: Lately, we’ve really been exploring different formats for the live shows and I love mixing it up and bringing in the audience! What’s special about MGA live shows is that they’re always different and always full of camaraderie and laughter.

Also, sometimes people sing along to the theme song and that’s pretty neat

Q: What are you most excited about Philly PodFest?

CJ: I'm excited about our unique location at the National Liberty Museum! How many times do you get to do a podcast episode in a museum?

Jenn: Philly Podfest is where we did our first ever live show, so I’m super excited to return! I’m excited to bring our show to new audience members, and, honestly, to see as many other shows as I can!

Getting away from Stress with The Philly Blunt Podcast / June 27, 2019 by Teagan Kuruna

This interview with the hosts of The Philly Blunt Podcast is part of a series highlighting podcasts participating in Philly Podfest 2019. See the full line-up of live shows on our Schedule page.

by Melinda Lewis

The Philly Blunt Podcast started like any great project does: Quizzo and chance encounters. Since joining forces Quizmaster Johnny Goodtimes, MC Reef the Lost Cauze, and Jawnville writer Violations Greg have developed a podcast that celebrates Philadelphia through bringing focus to the people who live and work here and the bars that act as second homes. Allowing their guests to choose the bar Johnny, Reef, and Greg bring a down home vibe to the podcast. “Historically, bars are where communities gather to discuss the world around them . . .” says Greg. “We couldn’t think of a better setting to discuss a wide range of topics with amazing people in a relaxing atmosphere away from the stresses of the world.” And their biweekly conversations on The Philly Blunt extends that atmosphere to its listeners.

Their conversations are the ones you catch yourself eavesdropping on because everybody at the table seems to be bringing the jokes and compelling stories. Part of this feeling is due to the locale, the sense of familiarity we feel at our Philadelphia bar, but it’s also fostered by the hosts who are adept interviewers. Talking with those like author Jennifer Wiener, food critic Craig Laban, and comedian Chip Chantry their ability to make an interview with strangers more like a conversation is just one of the reasons why Philly Mag included the podcast as one of the “Top 5 Best Philly Podcasts to Listen to Right Now” earlier this year.

When asked about their favorite element about Philadelphia, the hosts responded with the Philadelphia’s interconnectedness, it’s lack of ego, and a city fully of legends without the pretentiousness of other cities. The very things they love about the city are what they embody and celebrate in The Philly Blunt Podcast, which will be live at National Liberty Museum on Sunday, July 21 at 1:00 pm. While they have something planned, they’re not giving anything away. Greg adds, “In reality though, we’ll probably change our minds thirty times, scramble the day before, and pull off something amazing. That’s the plan, at least.”

Last Podcast on the Left + More Great Podcasts Join Podfest 2018! / June 5, 2018 by Teagan Kuruna

Philly Podfest, in partnership with New Media Touring, are really excited to announce four great podcasts joining the 6th annual Philadelphia Podcast Festival at the Trocadero Theater!

Last Podcast on the Left, a comedy podcast that “covers all the horrors our world has to offer,” by Ben Kissel, Marcus Parks, and Henry Zebrowski (presale starts at noon, 6/5/18)
A double-bill with Part-Time Genius, a podcast of “incredible research, fun-filled quizzes, nerdy interviews and giant, head-scratching questions,” by Will Pearson and Mangesh Hattikudur, and Ridiculous History, retellings of “weirdest stories from across the span of human civilization,” by Ben Bowlin and Noel Brown (presale starts at noon, 6/5/18)
Unhappy Hour Live with Matt Bellassai, “a comedy show full of anger, judgement, and fully-clothed full-frontal nudity,” featuring Matt Bellasai (presale starts at noon, 6/5/18)

Philly Podfest Schedule for Saturday, July 15 / July 15, 2017 by Teagan Kuruna

Come one, come all to two of Philly Podfest's favorite venues to see 12 fantastic podcasts today, Saturday, July 15!

Tattooed Mom

1:00pm: The Voice of Free Planet X
2:00pm: Shady Little Hour
3:00pm: Your Weekly Top Six
4:00pm: The Lazy Banana
5:00pm: The Blacklisted Podcast
6:00pm: Lulu and Pop
7:00pm: Get Up In the Cool

Amalgam Comics and Coffeehouse

11:00am: Victims and Villains
12:00pm: Party of One
1:00pm: Comic Book Junto
2:00pm: Quest for Magic and Steele
3:00pm: Micheaux Mission

Q&A with Everything is Awesome / July 14, 2017 by Teagan Kuruna

We have so many great podcasts participating in the 5th annual Philadelphia Podcast Festival, so we're highlighting some of them in this Q&A series. Everything is Awesome will be recording live on Sunday, July 16 at 2:00pm at Tattooed Mom. You can find the full schedule of live shows here. Also, special thanks to Everything is Awesome host Kevin Gallagher volunteering to help keep things running smoothly at Tattooed Mom during the first weekend of the Festival. Kev, you're the best!

How did your show come about? I had taken some time off from podcasting when my son was born—I couldn’t find a way to manage getting a set time for my co-hosts and I to sit down and record on top of focusing on work and being a dad. That’s when I thought of Everything is Awesome, a long-form conversational podcast that didn’t rely on set cohosts; just a new guest each week.

How did you meet your co-hosts? Everything is Awesome only has a co-host when we do our show live. I’ve known Mike DeAngelo since grade school and we’ve been best friends since middle school. Our shared interests and ability to just riff with one another off the cuff was the driving force to bring him in for the live shows.

Are there episodes you consider your “greatest hits?” Which ones are good “entry” points for new listeners? The beautiful thing about having a show that is long-form conversation / interview is that you can jump in anytime. There are few, if any, inside jokes. That being said, I do have my own personal favorites that I would recommend:
1. Episode 20 – Irish Fairies was my first big ‘HOLY CRAP’ moment when I booked Erin McGathy (host of This Feels Terrible).
2. Episode 57 – One Shot to the Heart with James D’Amato. James has been a huge inspiration and his podcasts, One Shot & Campaign, are shows that make me smile no matter my mood
3. Episode 63 – Odin’s Beard! (Live from Atomic City Comics) is single handily one of the funniest shows I’ve ever been part of.
4. Episode 69 – Convos with Kiddos features a short conversation I recorded with my son, who loves the idea of a podcast. That one is super special to me.

What do you appreciate most about this medium? The freedom. I love that anyone can literally do a podcast. There is so much passion that goes into creating this, and people who really put their all into it let it show.

What do you most look forward to when doing live shows? I love performing in front of people—something I picked up when I started wrestling for Falls Township Wrestling. It’s like I get to tell a little story without getting to deep.

How does the show change when you're doing a live recording? Everything is Awesome is normally just me and one other guest for an hour or so talking. When we go live, I tend to dub the show Everything is Awesome: LATE NIGHT because I put a bit of a late night talk show spin on it. We interact with the audience, play games, talk to a guest, and usually have a comedian or musician on to help close us out.

Where can people find your podcast and hosts? You can find Everything is Awesome on AwesomePodcast.com, CoreTempArts.com, and on social media—Facebook.com/RealAwesomePod and @RealAwesomePod on Twitter. You can find me on twitter @ThatNerdyKev (that’s where I do most of my tweeting and twating) and Mike on twitter @Tellest

Even more coverage for Philly Podfest 2017 / July 14, 2017 by Teagan Kuruna

We're really excited that this year's Philly Podfest is getting great coverage. Here's what's been published about us in the past few days:

PHILLY.COM #1: "For clues on how big and lucrative the world of podcasting is getting, consider the Philadelphia Podcast Festival, planting flags at nine area venues this Friday night through July 23...this year, there will be 55 sessions hosted by locals, with many more who 'couldn’t be accommodated,' Kuruna said."
PHILLY.COM #2: "Topics on We Got This! include “Best Color of the Rainbow,” “Best Movie Snack,” “Pirates or Vikings,” and “Bar Soap vs. Liquid Soap vs. Foam Soap” — minor, sure, but topics close to our hearts. Often, decisions come from celebrity guests like Philly’s own comedian and actor Paul F. Tompkins or former Mythbusters cohost Adam Savage."
NEWSWORKS: "For the fifth year going, you can pull up a seat and — here's the twist — watch as podcasts are recorded throughout this city at a variety of venues for the Philadelphia Podcast Festival or PPF. Beginning Friday and running through July 23, the PPF will feature 55 local podcasts; some are free to watch, others require tickets."
GEEKADELPHIA: "With the live crowd involved, the [We Got This with Mark and Hal] taping will have an additional energy to it that will make that episode truly pop and bring out some truly excellent debate about the finer things in life."
BILLY PENN: "Philly lowkey has a lot of podcasts, and this event will feature more than [55] local series. An additional seven podcast teams will travel to Philly from all over the country for the event. The vast majority of the live recordings are free."
METRO PHILLY #1: '"I don't think there's one overarching theme or connection because they're all reflective of the creativity Philly holds,” Kuruna said. 'Rather than a homogenous group, Philly's podcasts are varied in content [true crime, sex, race, comedy, sports, movies, music, etc.] and format [roundtable, interviews, scripted fiction].'"
METRO PHILLY #2: "While Philadelphians are podcasting fans like anyone else, certain members of the community have turned to creating their own audio masterpieces. Thankfully, there is a festival in town that celebrates these local personalities, inviting fans to meet them in person and possibly even get introduced to a new favorite."

Q&A with Sex with Timaree / July 13, 2017 by Teagan Kuruna

We have so many great podcasts participating in the 5th annual Philadelphia Podcast Festival, so we're highlighting some of them in this Q&A series. You can find the full schedule of live shows here, and purchase tickets for Sex with Timaree's live recording on July 21 at 9:30pm at Ruba Club here. Tickets also get you access to the Philly Podfest Afterparty at Ruba Club immediately following the live show.

How did your show come about? My show's producer, Nathan Kuruna, who is also the creator/producer of the Philly Podcast Festival, approached me with the idea of turning my sexuality education work into audio form. I'd been writing about sex and giving presentations and trainings for years. I was like "what's a podcast?" To this day, I don't really know how all this works, but because I have a super knowledgeable, reliable producer who had a vision for a thing we could create, we are nearly at 300 episodes.

Are there episodes you consider your “greatest hits?” Which ones are good “entry” points for new listeners? Personally, I got a ton out of the Photo Pig episode- this man had never before spoken to anyone about his overwhelming desire to be degraded. It was the center of his life, something he risked his job for regularly and over which he had lost two marriages: because he was afraid to speak openly about this fetish. When we started the episode, he was planning on jerking off while he told me about his interests, but it very quickly become a deeply intimate conversation about his childhood, the meaning behind his behavior, his hopes and dreams for the future. He told me things he had never told another person and I was able to give him resources that he had been missing out on, like Fetlife and Kink Aware Professionals Network. We both got a lot out of that conversation.

Otherwise, I would just scan the list of episodes and see what appeals. We talk to academics, porn stars, artists, inventors, writers, and more. There's an episode for everyone.

What do you appreciate most about this medium? I don't have to wear any make up. I show up in my romper, soaked in sweat from the long bike ride to the studio and for one hour a week, get to be a voice and not worry about how i look while doing my job. That's convenient.

What do you most look forward to when doing live shows? How does the show change? We get to tap into visual senses, obviously. So in previous years we've had live pole dancers, drag, burlesque, etc. This year we're doing a BDSM demo. That's something that I could describe on air, of course, but it's not quite the same. Last year we had Flirt Vonnegut commentate on a burlesque performance like a baseball announcer and that was cute, so the people at home could still get something out of it.

Where can people find your podcast and hosts? SexWithTimaree.com- it's a clearinghouse of my sex education work, although I also write for Philly Weekly and do community organizing for the Philly burlesque scene- and you can check that out at Burlesqueadelphia.com

Q&A with By The Book / July 6, 2017 by Teagan Kuruna

We have so many great podcasts participating in the 5th annual Philadelphia Podcast Festival, so we're highlighting some of them in this Q&A series. You can find the full schedule of live shows here, and purchase tickets for By The Book's live recording on July 16 at 3:30pm at the Trocadero Balcony Bar here.

How did your show come about? How did you meet your co-hosts? Kristen and Jolenta have been friends for years, they met at work. A while back Jolenta felt like her life was falling apart and wanted to try living by different self help books. She convinced Kristen to join her in this endeavor because Kristen is her most adult, down to earth friend. Kristen agreed to live “by the book” to make sure her dear friend doesn’t go off the rails and join a self-help cult.

Are there episodes you consider your “greatest hits?” Which ones are good “entry” points for new listeners? We love our pilot episode about “The Secret,” it’s really fun. Also the “French Women Don’t Get Fat” episode, things get very real in that one.

What do you appreciate most about this medium? Mostly we love that it’s intimate. And the fact that women and people of color can more easily make their own work in podcasting, as opposed to other forms of media that are harder to break into or cost more. Also you don’t have to look cute while you’re doing it, we love that!

What do you most look forward to when doing live shows? How does the show change? This is our first live show so we are SUPER excited to experiment a bit and give our live audience a real experience. We plan on doing things like a self help book swap, reading ridiculous book reviews, and other fun things to change up our regular format!

What are you hoping to do in Philly other than record a live podcast? We definitely want to hit up Reading Terminal Market, Liberty Hall, and the Liberty Bell.

Where can people find your podcast and hosts? @bythebookpod, @kristenmeinzer and @jolentag on twitter!

Local Press for Philly Podfest 2017! / July 5, 2017 by Teagan Kuruna

We've been getting some really great press over the past few weeks. Check out what Philly is saying about us and the podcasts participating in this year's Philly Podfest!

TECHNICAL.LY: “'As our lineup grows, so does the diversity of podcasts we’re able to include. This year, podcasts are about a wide range of topics — everything from pop culture, movies, books, and comics to true crime, sexuality, and race.'”

GEEKADELPHIA: "The Philadelphia Podcast Festival is upon us once again, and along with a variety of funny, educational, and niche podcasts, our city is being graced with the presence of Dr. Sydnee McElroy and her husband Justin of the McElroy Brothers family of products!"

PHILLY VOICE: "The Philadelphia Podcast Festival is a little like speed dating. You pick a podcast series that interests you, go to a live recording of it and then either fall in love or try your luck with a different one the next day. There are plenty of fish in the sea."

THE FLAT CIRCLE #1: "'The default assumption is that podcasts are all about movies and comics, or are just a bunch of white guys talking, or are really polished like RadioLab orSerial or This American Life. We know that’s not the case, and especially not in Philly.'"

THE FLAT CIRCLE #2: "Both Philadelphia-area podcasts and broader national shows are on the docket for the festival. The fifth year of the event is a tremendous opportunity to indulge in such a diverse segment of entertainment and maybe add a few more shows to your listening rotation."