Episodes

Sponsored by The Mountain Air | Sponsored by Benny’s Pizza | SLOFreeParking Downtown San Luis Obispo has its characters. Its storytellers. Its lifers. And then there’s Leonard Cohen. On this episode of Up+Adam, Adam sits down with the longtime restaurateur behind La Esquina Taqueria, Cioppino’s, and the legendary Old Port Inn for one of those conversations that only happens when two people genuinely love where they live. This episode starts with tacos and free parking… then spirals beautifully...

Sponsored by The Mountain Air | Sponsored by Benny’s Pizza | SLOFreeParking Michael Chiklis has played some of television’s most unforgettable characters, from Vic Mackey on The Shield to Tony Scali on The Commish and Ben Grimm in Fantastic Four. But this conversation with Adam Montiel goes somewhere deeper than Hollywood. In this episode of Up+Adam, Michael Chiklis opens up about the very real moment that changed the course of his life: a regional theater in Massachusetts, a National Endowment...

Sponsored by The Mountain Air | Sponsored by Benny’s Pizza | SLOFreeParking San Luis Obispo County politics gets personal on this episode of Up+Adam as Adam Montiel sits down with District 4 County Supervisor candidate Adam Verdin for a conversation that goes far beyond campaign mailers and party labels. Verdin opens up about what pushed him into the race against incumbent Jimmy Paulding, the emotional reality of running for office for the first time, and why he believes local government should...

Sponsored by The Mountain Air | Sponsored by Benny’s Pizza | SLOFreeParking Próxima Parada is days away from one of the most ambitious performances in Central Coast music history. Lead singer Nick Larson returns to Up+Adam as the band prepares for their one-night-only collaboration with the San Luis Obispo Symphony at the Cal Poly Performing Arts Center. What started as a bold idea is now fully in motion. The music has been written, every orchestral part has been handed off, and rehearsals are a...

Sponsored by The Mountain Air | Sponsored by Benny’s Pizza | SLOFreeParking Fitness icon. Motivational force. Fire survivor. Reinvention architect. On this episode of Up+Adam, Adam sits down with Jake Steinfeld, better known to generations as “Body By Jake,” for a conversation that goes far beyond workouts and weight loss. From creating the modern personal training industry and pioneering fitness television, to launching the brand-new Body By Jake Radio with iHeartMedia and Universal Music Grou...

Sponsored by The Mountain Air | SLOFreeParking Part 2 of Adam’s conversation with Ben Arona moves beyond the pizza and into something deeper: how a restaurant becomes a gathering place. This chapter of the conversation gets into the identity behind Benny’s Pizza Palace & Social Club and the intentionality behind building a space people actually want to stay in. Ben talks about preserving pieces of the old Pepe Delgado’s building, creating a patio that feels lived in instead of overdesigned, and...

Sponsored by The Mountain Air | Sponsored by Benny’s Pizza | SLOFreeParking Spring in Paso Robles means olive oil tastings, lavender in the air, and one of the most beloved traditions on the Central Coast returning to Downtown City Park. Adam sits down with Gina Hambly of Hambly Farms ahead of the annual Paso Robles Olive and Lavender Festival, happening Saturday, May 9, 2026. From the calming power of lavender to the artistry behind steam distillation, Gina shares how a single plant can create ...

Up+Adam had correspondent Alex Farrington at the Kristin Smart Presser today, and we were surprised that the VERY FIRST QUESTION WAS ABOUT OUR show! Here is the Q&A from the presser with commentary from Adamm then a conversation with Alex Farrington after presser concludes. ******** *PORTABIDET: UP+ADAM IS AN OFFICIAL SPOKESPERSON FOR PORTABIDET - USE THIS LINK FOR UP+ADAM LISTENERS TO LEARN MORE AND GET YOURS! *Timbre Event with Cal Poly EIM Students Info HERE Listen to Up+Adam with Adam Mo...

Sponsored by The Mountain Air | Sponsored by Benny’s Pizza | SLOFreeParking.com A case that has lived in the heart of the Central Coast for nearly three decades took another step forward and Up+Adam is bringing you inside it in real time, exclusively. In this exclusive Up+Adam conversation, Sheriff Ian Parkinson joins Adam Montiel as a new search warrant is actively being served in the case of Kristin Smart. At the time of this interview, Up+Adam was the only platform speaking directly with the...

Sponsored by The Mountain Air Sponsored by Benny’s Pizza From Chris Lambert BREAKING: @slosheriff is currently executing a search warrant at the Arroyo Grande home of Susan Flores. She was served on her doorstep at 7:05am and left at 8:02am. Public Information Officer Tony Cipolla just confirmed to me that this search is related to the Kristin Smart case. To refresh your memory: Ruben Flores’ home was searched with ground penetrating radar in March of 2021, which resulted in the arrests of P...

Sponsored by The Mountain Air Adam opens this episode with something real and personal. After being off the mic for a couple of days, he shares why. His dad, they call him Opa, was unexpectedly hospitalized, and what initially seemed like back pain turned into something far more serious. In true Up+Adam fashion, Adam brings listeners into that moment with honesty, gratitude, and heart, reflecting on family, community, and the overwhelming support that shows up when life shifts without warning. ...

Sponsored by The Mountain Air In Part 1 of this conversation, Adam sits down with Ben Arona, the mind behind Benny’s Pizza Palace & Social Club, and gets into the version of the story most people never see. Before the packed patio, before the social club energy, before it became a go-to spot in San Luis Obispo, this was one guy making dough in the morning, selling pizzas through Facebook, and trying to figure out if the whole thing would even work. They talk about the underground days, building...

Sponsored by The Mountain Air Atascadero is having a moment and if you’ve been paying attention, you can feel it. On this episode of Up+Adam, Adam sits down with Terrie Bannish from the City of Atascadero to talk about the 10th annual Tamale Fest and how it’s grown from a local event into one of the Central Coast’s biggest, most talked-about weekends. We’re talking tens of thousands of tamales sold in a single day, vendors coming in from all over California, and a community that continues to sho...

Sponsored by The Mountain Air Eve Plumb joins Up+Adam for a conversation that goes far beyond the nostalgia of The Brady Bunch. Best known as Jan Brady, Eve reflects on what it really meant to grow up on camera, and how that experience shaped her understanding of identity, work, and fulfillment. Her new memoir, Happiness Included: Jan Brady & Beyond, pulls back the curtain on a life that looked picture-perfect from the outside but was, in reality, built on discipline, strong parenting, and a com...

Sponsored by The Mountain Air What happens when you mix a passion for wine, a love for animals, and a community that shows up year after year? You get something like Wine 4 Paws, a Central Coast tradition that’s been quietly (and now loudly) changing lives for 18 years. Founder Sarah Tomasetti joins Adam to share how a simple idea at 21 years old turned into a full-scale movement with more than 80 participating wineries, restaurants, and local businesses. The concept is beautifully simple: go ou...

Sponsored by The Mountain Air Tommy Dorfman’s story hits differently when you place it next to what’s happening right now in live music. In this episode of Up+Adam, Adam sits down with promoter and entrepreneur Tommy Dorfman, who went from building a nightlife empire to taking on Live Nation Entertainment and Ticketmaster in a legal fight that’s stretched over a decade. What started as a collapsed festival deal turned into something much bigger. Dorfman claims he was pushed out of the industry ...

Sponsored by The Mountain Air Robert “Kool” Bell doesn’t just make music. He’s part of the rhythm of our lives. In this episode of Up+Adam, Adam Montiel chats with the co-founder of Kool & The Gang to go beyond the hits and into the heart behind them. From the unexpected rise of “Celebration” to the legacy of a sound that’s been sampled across generations, Kool reflects on a career that has shaped weddings, dance floors, and defining life moments around the world. But this conversation hits dee...

Sponsored by The Mountain Air Alexia Jayy didn’t just win The Voice Battle of Champions. She found herself in the process. In this episode of Up+Adam, Alexia sits down with Adam Montiel for a conversation that goes beyond the stage and into the shift that changed everything. From earning that triple-chair turn to delivering a finale performance of One and Only that moved coaches to tears, Alexia opens up about the moment she stopped chasing perfection and finally chose presence. And here’s the ...

Sponsored by The Mountain Air Alexia Jayy didn’t just win The Voice Battle of Champions. She found herself in the process. In this episode of Up+Adam, Alexia sits down with Adam Montiel for a conversation that goes beyond the stage and into the shift that changed everything. From earning that triple-chair turn to delivering a finale performance of One and Only that moved coaches to tears, Alexia opens up about the moment she stopped chasing perfection and finally chose presence. And here’s the ...

Sponsored by The Mountain Air What happens when the hunter becomes the hunted? On this episode of Up+Adam, Adam sits down with #1 New York Times bestselling author Mark Greaney, the mastermind behind the wildly popular Gray Man series, to talk about his latest release, The Hard Line. Whether you're a longtime thriller fan or someone just looking for your next page turner, this conversation opens the door to the power of fiction to reflect the real world in ways that feel urgent, intense, and de...

Sponsored by The Mountain Air Some guests make you feel something the moment they start talking. Emmanuelle Chriqui (pronounced eh-MAN-yoo-EL Shree-Kee) is exactly that kind of guest. You know her as Sloan from HBO's Entourage, the role that introduced her to the world and never really let go. You know her as Lana Lang from the CW's Superman and Lois. But this conversation goes somewhere deeper than a highlight reel. Adam and Emmanuelle talk about what it really means to love someone in the gray...

Sponsored by The Mountain Air Paso Robles is evolving and this conversation proves it. Adam sits down with Corey Jordan, founder of Libretto, to talk about the inaugural Paso Robles Jazz Fest and how a 50-seat listening room turned into a full-scale cultural movement. What started as intimate, unamplified performances inside a historic 1919 space has grown into a three-day experience that blends world-class jazz, Paso wine country, and human connection in a way that feels both elevated and deepl...

Sponsored by The Mountain Air What if the hardest battle you ever fight isn’t out there… but in here? On this episode of Up+Adam, Adam Montiel sits down with former Navy SEAL Team 6 operator Andy Stumpf, author of Drownproof: Eight Life Lessons to Keep Your Head Above Water. But this conversation goes far beyond the battlefield. Andy opens up about the moments that nearly broke him, including a divorce that tested him more than combat ever did, and the internal fight that comes when your own mi...

Up+Adam for April 11 2026 Sponsored by The Mountain Air What happens when you only have five days to create something meaningful and everything is on the line? In this episode of Up+Adam, Adam sits down with Central Coast filmmakers Bettina Someros-Ching, lead actor and producer Steven Charles Ching, and actress and associate producer Angela Alarcon to talk about their powerful short film I Will Be Fine, created for the Easterseals Disability Film Challenge. Shot right here on the Central Coast...