Episodes

What do you get when you think you're interviewing Lin-Manuel Miranda… but instead end up with the scholar who might know him even better? In this episode of Up+Adam, Adam Montiel sits down with Daniel Pollack-Pelzner - New Yorker contributor, Shakespeare scholar, and author of Lin-Manuel Miranda: The Education of an Artist. Daniel spent years talking with over 150 people from Lin’s world, his family, mentors, collaborators, and Lin himself - to unpack how a sweet, curious kid from Washington H...

What do you get when you combine aerospace engineering with live comedy? You get Dane Larkin. As Director and founding board member of the Central Coast Comedy Theater, Dane is helping to shape a community where laughter isn’t just entertainment, it’s healing. From designing rocket thrust-vectoring systems in college to now teaching improv two nights a week, Dane brings left-brain brilliance and right-brain heart to the local arts scene. In this special Artober edition of Up+Adam, Adam Montiel ...

Grenache Giddy-Up at The Loading Chute Barn Creston is calling. One grape in three colors - Paso powerhouses pouring in Creston. One grape in three colors inside the Loading Chute Barn. Meghan Ball and Kristen Parker join Adam to talk why Grenache hits in white, rosé, and red, who is pouring, what to pair with a Chute bite, and how that barn turns into a Sunday afternoon party. Event details Sunday, October 26, 2:00 to 4:30 p.m. The Loading Chute Barn, 6350 Webster Rd, Creston, CA 93432 Tic...

Delta Force to Bestseller: The Brad Taylor Debrief In this episode of Up+Adam, we step into the shadows with Brad Taylor, former Delta Force commander and New York Times bestselling author whose thrillers hit harder because they come from real-world experience. With 21 years in the Army, including eight inside the elite and secretive 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment–Delta, Brad knows exactly how modern conflict moves… quietly, strategically, and often without headlines. His newest nov...

On today's episode of Up+Adam, Adam sits down with Jonathan Goldstein, the creator and host of the acclaimed podcast Heavyweight. Known for helping real people revisit the moments that still weigh on them—lost friendships, family fallouts, the apology that never happened—Jonathan brings his signature mix of humor, depth, and emotional precision to a conversation that’s part storytelling masterclass, part human excavation. They talk about the origins of Heavyweight, the ethics of revisiting pain...

What if the mountain in front of you wasn’t meant to break you, but to build you? On today’s episode of Up+Adam, Adam Montiel sits down with Joshua Rosa, a nationally recognized speaker, author, and the voice behind the powerful podcast Made For This Mountain. Joshua shares his journey through trauma, redemption, and obedience, inviting listeners into a deeper understanding of faith, failure, and healing. Raised in New Jersey by a proud Dominican mother, Joshua has become a force in the space ...

She’s photographed the gods of rock, from Pink Floyd and Bob Dylan to Amy Winehouse and Leonard Cohen, and somehow, in the eye of Britpop’s loudest storm, she captured the rise and fall of Oasis like no one else ever could. In this episode of Up+Adam, award-winning music photographer Jill Furmanovsky joins Adam to talk about her stunning new book, Oasis: Trying to Find a Way Out of Nowhere, created in collaboration with Noel Gallagher. Featuring over 500 never-before-seen images and raw backsta...

What happens when a football team becomes a time capsule for a country on the edge of change? In this episode, Adam sits down with award-winning journalist and author David Fleming to unpack A Big Mess in Texas, the jaw-dropping, hilarious, and deeply human true story of the 1952 Dallas Texans. You don’t have to know a first down from a fumble to love this story. Whether you're a sports fan or not, this one grabs you with its chaos, characters, and cultural crossroads. From drunken halftime qu...

In this #TrueCrimeTuesday episode of Up+Adam, Adam Montiel goes deep Inside the Cartel with former FBI Special Agent Martin Suarez, the man known inside the Bureau as its most prolific undercover operative in FBI history, and Ian Frisch, the acclaimed journalist who helped him bring his untold story to life. For 23 years, Suarez lived as “Manny,” infiltrating a Colombian narco empire, smuggling $1 billion in cocaine, and laundering $50 million, all in the name of justice. Now, living with ALS, ...

UP+ADAM LISTENERS — FOR THE NEXT 48 HOURS, GET SLO OPERA TICKETS FOR JUST $25! USE PROMO CODE: HANSEL25 THIS IS MAJOR SAVINGS — SOME TICKETS ARE USUALLY $50, OTHERS UPWARDS OF $100 DEPENDING ON SEATING. DON’T MISS THIS LIMITED-TIME DEAL TO EXPERIENCE WORLD-CLASS OPERA FOR A FRACTION OF THE PRICE. Continuing with Artober coverage on Up+Adam, we’re diving into the whimsical and slightly wicked world of Hansel and Gretel, but not the bedtime story version. Opera San Luis Obispo is pulling out all...

What happens when the dream of reality TV becomes a nightmare? In this episode of Up+Adam, broadcaster Adam Montiel sits down with award-winning journalist and podcast host Bridget Armstrong to talk about her hit investigative series, Curse of: America’s Next Top Model. Bridget takes us behind the scenes of one of the most iconic and controversial shows of the early 2000s, peeling back the glamorous facade to reveal a world of contracts, control, body-shaming, and emotional manipulation. From i...

Part of our month-long ARTober on Up+Adam series This week on Up+Adam, Adam welcomes Andrew Sewell, the visionary conductor and Music Director of the San Luis Obispo Symphony, for a rich and revealing conversation about the power of music, the art of conducting, and the emotional undercurrent of performance. From the magic of the baton to the subtle skill of knowing when to disappear into the music, Andrew shares what it really takes to lead an orchestra, not with ego, but with empathy. You’ll...

She’s been possessed, kidnapped, cloned, and married more times than we can count, and we’ve loved her for every second of it. On this episode of Up+Adam, Adam Montiel sits down with the incomparable Deidre Hall, the woman behind one of television’s most iconic characters: Dr. Marlena Evans of Days of Our Lives. As Days celebrates its upcoming induction into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame, Deidre reflects on her nearly 50-year journey on the show, how it shaped her, and how she’s shaped ...

In this #TrueCrimeTuesday episode of Up+Adam, Adam Montiel sits down with Elin Lantz Lesser, award-winning producer, former clinical psychologist, and host of the powerful new podcast America’s Crime Lab. Together, they explore the heartbreak and humanity behind unsolved crimes, and the revolutionary forensic science giving victims and families a voice—sometimes decades after the fact. From the gut-wrenching case of 9-year-old K Rogers to the surprising role of genealogy websites in solving mur...

Adam chatted with Lindsey Baruch of Lindsey Eats, a creator with over 1 million followers across Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and her blog, about her debut cookbook Something Delicious: 100 Recipes for Everyday Cooking (Ten Speed Press, releases September 30, 2025). They dive into cooking with all five senses, how to build confidence fast with low-fuss techniques, and why “delicious beats pretty” every time. Expect crunchy-creamy eggplant, a legit 30-minute chicken move, wedge salad theater, a pe...

In this episode of Up+Adam, Adam sits down with Robin Wolff, committee member of the City of San Luis Obispo’s Promotional Coordinating Committee, to talk about ARTober, SLO’s month-long celebration of arts and humanities held every October. Robin breaks down what ARTober is, how the city activates public art and performances (think: Piano in the Plaza, gallery openings, theater, open studios, public art displays), and how local residents and visitors can get involved. We discuss how the city pa...

She’s not just the daughter of comedy legend Don Rickles. Mindy Rickles is a sharp, hilarious, and deeply human storyteller who’s carving out a voice all her own. In this episode, Mindy joins Adam for a one-of-a-kind conversation about growing up in the house that comedy built, the moments Don Rickles did (and didn’t) turn it off, and why her new podcast “Mindy, Ed & Don Rickles” is more than a tribute. It’s a time capsule of family, fame, and fearless funny. This one’s got laughs, heart, and s...

On this True Crime Tuesday, former Brooklyn homicide prosecutor Anna-Sigga Nicolazzi (pretty positive you’ve seen one of her many shows on TV too!) joins Up+Adam for a gripping conversation that pulls back the curtain on the real-life cases that shaped America’s approach to terrorism. As the host of Law & Order: Criminal Justice System, Anna-Sigga shares stories that go beyond the headlines and into the hearts of survivors, investigators, and communities forever changed. To learn more: • Liste...

Today on Up+Adam, we’re sitting down with Nick Firestone, CEO of Firestone Walker Brewing Company and one of the most respected names in craft beer. With the brewery just announcing a multi-year extension of its partnership with Cal Poly, we dive deep into what this collaboration means not just for beer, but for the community, for student-athletes, and for the future of brewing talent coming out of San Luis Obispo. Nick shares what the past year has brought, rom new beers and behind-the-scenes ...

What happens when two theater kids say "yes" to flavor, passion, and building a cocktail empire from the ground up? In this episode, Adam welcomes Lauren Butler into the Timbre LoBro Studios, the co-founder of Yes Cocktail Co., as she pours out the story behind one of Paso Robles' most exciting and nationally celebrated brands. From their early days slinging small-batch syrups at Farmers’ Market to landing features in Oprah Daily, USA Today, and the Good Food Awards, Lauren and her husband Bran...

What do Disney’s The Princess and the Frog, Marvel’s Captain America: Brave New World, and TV classics like Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, In Living Color, Full House, and A Different World all have in common? Writer Rob Edwards. For more than 40 years, Rob has been shaping the way we laugh, cry, and see ourselves on screen. In this episode of Up+Adam, Adam Montiel sits down with Rob to talk about surviving Hollywood with “Detroit hustle,” why Disney and Marvel story rooms are more alike than you’d th...

Comic René Vaca Is Up+Adam  Comedian René Vaca joins Adam Montiel ahead of his upcoming show at the Performing Arts Center San Luis Obispo on Wednesday, September 25. From growing up in Van Nuys to winning StandUp NBC and performing with the likes of Bill Burr and Ken Jeong, René shares how comedy became his therapy, his hustle, and his way through it all. In this candid conversation, the two talk about growing up just outside of LA, collecting rare Disney art, calling out Hollywood in a mee...

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...

In this episode, Adam sits down with the always soulful and ever-authentic Dan Curcio, frontman of Moonshiner Collective, to talk about the final Under the Moon concert of the season, happening Saturday, September 20th at Marcerro at Dairy Creek Golf Course in San Luis Obispo. These shows have become iconic on the Central Coast, blending music, memory, and the kind of open-air, magic-hour energy that just hits different. Dan opens up about what makes this setting so special, how the band curate...