Episodes

In this episode of Up+Adam, Adam chats with Dr. James McGibney, the former U.S. Marine turned digital justice warrior, to talk about what it takes to take down cyberbullies, online predators, and the shadow networks that traffic in shame.  You’ve seen him in the Netflix doc The Most Hated Man on the Internet. You’ve seen his work on VICE, Dr. Phil, and now on A&E’s brand-new special Bully Hunter, premiering Tuesday, September 23rd at 10pm. But this conversation isn’t just about the mission. I...

On this episode of Up+Adam, broadcaster Adam Montiel sits down with William and Mary Jane Jodry, the parents of Thomas “Tommy” Jodry, a 21-year-old man who died after falling from a San Luis Obispo parking structure under deeply suspicious circumstances. While officials quickly closed the case, the Jodrys have spent nearly six years piecing together what really happened that night, facing roadblocks, redacted timelines, and a man of interest whose presence raises more questions than answers. Al...

What do Bruce Lee, Saturday morning cartoons, bootleg VHS tapes, and the birth of hip hop all have in common? Today on Up+Adam, we go full roundhouse into the cultural explosion that was the kung fu movie craze, and the two men who’ve written the definitive, illustrated, and absolutely jaw-dropping story behind it. Adam is joined by Grady Hendrix, bestselling author and co-founder of the New York Asian Film Festival, and Chris Poggiali, film historian and editor of the legendary Temple of Schlo...

You’ve heard his voice for decades on The Price is Right, Deal or No Deal, Supermarket Sweep, and so many more. But Randy West has seen more than just the shiny side of television. In his new book TV Inside-Out, this 30-year TV veteran takes us deep backstage into the chaos, feuds, and unforgettable moments that shaped the medium we thought we knew. From Johnny Carson’s dark family drama to wild nights at The Price is Right, Randy has been there, and now he is telling it all.  In this convers...

In this episode of Up+Adam, broadcaster Adam Montiel chats with urban free climber Adam Lockwood, known around the world as Nuisance. You’ve probably seen one of his videos without even realizing it was him: scaling towers, cranes, and high-rises barefoot, no ropes, no permission, and somehow, no fear. But behind every climb is something deeper. Recorded before his jaw-dropping jump off the Eiffel Tower (yes, that one), this conversation captures the raw heart of why Adam climbs, what it feels ...

What do you get when a stand-up comedy set crashes headfirst into a real-life murder? On this True Crime Tuesday, we sit down with comedian Edd Hedges and Emmy-nominated producer Jodi Tovay, the duo behind Wisecrack, a genre-bending true crime podcast that’s part comedy, part nightmare, and completely real. Edd returned to his hometown for a charity show, only to find himself at the center of a horrifying true crime story involving a childhood bully turned killer, a terrified woman at the foot ...

Why are men the way they are? Why do they forget birthdays but remember every detail of their first crush? Why do they seem stuck at 14... even when they’re 54? Legendary music executive Tom Sturges has worked with icons like Foo Fighters, Outkast, and 50 Cent, but his newest project may be his most revealing yet. His book Men Explained, Finally is a laugh-out-loud, startlingly wise, and surprisingly tender collection of essays that crack open the male mind and help us all make a little more sen...

On this episode of Up+Adam, Adam sits down with two powerhouse talents, Cameron Douglas and David Morse, to talk about their new film Looking Through Water, a stirring new drama about estranged fathers and sons reconnecting during a fishing competition in Belize. Cameron Douglas, actor, author, and the son of Michael Douglas and grandson of screen legend Kirk Douglas, shares how his deeply personal journey from addiction and incarceration to clarity and purpose prepared him for this role. His b...

If you’ve ever told yourself, “One day I’ll write that thing…” this is that day. Adam chats with Meagan Friberg, writer, journalist, and director of the Central Coast Writers Conference, now celebrating its 41st year. This year’s theme? “It’s Time.” And it is. After a few years of pandemic pivots and Zoom fatigue, the conference is back live and in person at Cuesta College. Two full days of keynotes, workshops, master classes, and creative electricity. Meagan shares how this isn’t just an event...

On this episode of Up+Adam, Adam Montiel sits down with Andrea Gunning, the voice behind the hit true crime podcast Betrayal Weekly. From fake cancer scams to shocking double lives, Andrea isn’t just telling wild stories, she’s exploring what happens when trust breaks so badly, it redefines reality. A Best Crime Podcast Winner, she will dig into some of the most jaw-dropping cases from the show, how betrayal hits differently than true-crime, and what it really takes for someone to tell the trut...

Adam will be leading a live workshop on The Art of the Interview at this year’s Central Coast Writers Conference, happening September 26–27, 2025 at Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo. For details and registration, visit cuesta.edu/writers-conference Listen to Up+Adam with Adam Montiel:Official Website: adammontiel.com Apple Podcasts: Up+Adam on Apple Podcasts Spotify: Up+Adam on Spotify iHeartRadio: Up+Adam on iHeartRadio YouTube Music: Up+Adam on YouTube Music ******** CHECK OUT OUR WOODS HUM...

Few restaurants capture the SLO CAL vibe like Sunsets at Pismo. For six years, Brian Appiano’s shiny silver Airstream on the Pismo Pier has been serving up tacos, fish and chips, and margaritas with one of the best views you’ll find anywhere. But now, because of a decades-old zoning technicality, the City of Pismo Beach has voted to phase out commercial food vendors on the pier, and Sunsets will close in October 2025. In this conversation, Adam talks with Brian about what this decision means fo...

On this episode of Up + Adam, we’re joined by Kai Beckstrand, the 18-year-old champion of NBC’s American Ninja Warrior Season 17. Known as the fastest ninja on the planet, Kai has broken records with his speed and precision, hitting buzzers and making history alongside his brother and father. But his story runs deeper than the highlight reel. Kai is also a certified EMT and firefighter, dedicating his life to running into danger when others can’t, and he does it all while managing Type 1 diabete...

What happens when true crime gets personal? When the mystery isn’t something you binge in your earbuds, but something you’re suddenly living inside? On this True Crime Tuesday, Adam sits down with award-winning journalist Maggie Robinson Katz, the host of the gripping new podcast Hands Tied, an original series from BBC Studios and iHeartPodcasts. The show follows Lizz Melgar Rose, whose mother was found bound in a closet and whose father, Jim Melgar, was murdered. The tragedy shocked their Hous...

What happens when the man behind some of the biggest names in music, like Bad Bunny, J Balvin, and Justin Bieber, starts asking the real questions of himself? In this powerful episode of Up+Adam, Adam sits down with Lex Borrero, the visionary co-founder of NEON16 and host of the podcast You vs You. Together, they dive deep into the mindset behind meaningful success, the internal battles that continue even at the top, and why redefining hustle might just be the secret to true peace. Lex opens up...

We talk to Robin Coleman from the Woods Humane Society about our Pet of the Week Today’s episode runs a little shorter than usual — Adam got rear-ended (he’s okay!), and he’s got to take care of the necessary things. ******** Listen to Up+Adam with Adam Montiel:Official Website: adammontiel.com Apple Podcasts: Up+Adam on Apple Podcasts Spotify: Up+Adam on Spotify iHeartRadio: Up+Adam on iHeartRadio YouTube Music: Up+Adam on YouTube Music ******** CHECK OUT OUR WOODS HUMANE PET OF THE WEEK! ...

This morning on Up+Adam, we take it all the way back to when “indie” wasn’t a playlist category—it was a movement. Adam sits down with Chris DeVille, longtime music journalist and Managing Editor at Stereogum, to talk about his incredible new book, Such Great Heights. From blog rock to Bon Iver, from Phoebe Bridgers to the almighty O.C. soundtrack, this is a nostalgic, clever, and heartfelt conversation about how indie rock didn’t just soundtrack a generation, it defined it. Adam and Chris dive...

In this episode, Adam Montiel chats with Glam Ham (callsign: NW6S), the truth-seeking ham radio operator and content creator whose viral dive into the San Luis Obispo blackout during the Gifford Fire turned heads across the Central Coast and beyond. From decoding strange signals and fire maps to asking the questions most news outlets won’t, Glam Ham has built a following of nearly 100,000 (Used to have 300K until she got banana’d and had to start over), by turning static into story. But that’s ...

What happens when a rockstar trades the stage for the archives? Bob Crawford, bassist for the Grammy-nominated Avett Brothers and now host of American History Hotline, joins Adam Montiel for a conversation that hits harder than any history class you’ve ever taken. From tales of Founding Fathers dying on the same day to asking if the Constitution can really stop a dictator, Bob’s new podcast is flipping the script on how we connect with America’s past. In this episode, Bob talks candidly about w...

This episode is served spicy, with a splash of community spirit. Adam welcomes Maegen Loring, General Manager of the Long Branch in Creston, and Lisa Miller, President of the Creston Women’s Club, to talk all about the Creston Bloody Mary Battle, a 21+ event that mixes local flavor, homemade Bloody Marys, live music, burritos, beer, wine, and even bovine bingo (yes, cow plop for a cause). Recorded live from the Timbre LoBro Studios, this conversation dives into how two powerhouse women are brin...

Today we have a curve ball in Don from Los Osos called in as Adam was preparing the show OUT OF NOWHERE - So mix in a little adhd, and you got a Don from Loso Osos (IYKYK) flashback with Robin from Woods along for the ride as well ******** Listen to Up+Adam with Adam Montiel:Official Website: adammontiel.com Apple Podcasts: Up+Adam on Apple Podcasts Spotify: Up+Adam on Spotify iHeartRadio: Up+Adam on iHeartRadio YouTube Music: Up+Adam on YouTube Music ******** CHECK OUT OUR WOODS HUMANE PET O...

Today on Up+Adam, we sit down in the Timbre LoBro Studios with Shawn Sherman, owner of Golden Apple Cannabis Company, for a conversation that cuts through the clichés and digs into the real cannabis industry, past, present, and future. Shawn’s been in the game since before legalization, navigating one of California’s most overtaxed and overregulated markets while staying true to his mission: educate the consumer. We talk about why “sativa” and “indica” don’t actually mean what you think, how ter...

In today’s episode of Up+Adam, comedy icon Colin Mochrie, whose lightning-fast improv on Whose Line Is It Anyway? has kept us laughing for decades, joins Adam for a conversation that’s as hilarious as it is heartfelt. We talk about his decades-long run on television, his two hit live tours (Asking for Trouble with Brad Sherwood, and HYPROV: Improv Under Hypnosis with Asad Mecci), and his new film Magnetosphere, a moving story about embracing the quirks that make us unique. See Colin Live: • As...

Today on Up+Adam, we meet two young entrepreneurs who are redefining what it means to “start early.” Fourth-grade best friends and baseball teammates Jackson Houser and Jackson Judge turned a simple school “mini mall” project into The Drip Bros, a real business making custom, team-colored “drip” necklaces that blend sports style with community spirit. Their first run sold out in 15 minutes, raised hundreds for charity, and set them on a path to keep creating and keep giving back. They design th...