The True Philadelphia Podcast With Matt O'donnell

The music director and conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra since 2012 has been starved of performing live music since the shutdowns began in March of 2020. And he knows classical music lovers are starved for its return. Yannick Nézet-Séguin sat down with Matt O'Donnell at the Mann Center for the Performing Arts ahead of the special "Hail to the Heroes" performance, the Orchestra's first before a live audience in 14 months. "Hail to the Heroes" airs on 6abc Saturday, July 3 at 7pm. Matt also talked shop and received some tips on the timpanis with famous Philadelphia Orchestra percussionist Don Liuzzi and heard about his thoughts on the return to the real stage. Recorded at Mann Center for Performing Arts, May 2021 and at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, June 2021 In this podcast: 1:50 How Yannick has maintained his energy and positivity throughout the pandemic 2:49 The importance of putting his isolation second in his role as music director 4:20 How the special Orchestra performance is very much

Yes, calling oneself the "Director of Fun" is a boastful exercise but Springdale Golf Club professional Keith Stewart lives the title every day. His early career brought him to Isleworth Country Club in Florida while Tiger Woods was destroying PGA fields and golf courses in the late 90s and early 00s and has great insight ahead of the best time of year for golf: Masters Week! Tiger will be defending his 2019 title and we talk about his chances. We also discuss how the pandemic has only made the game of golf stronger, how Keith was able to reinvent himself as a podcast host (like me!), what every golfer should do to get better and if Bryson DeChambeau is growing the game of golf - or destroying it. Recorded at Springdale Golf Club, Princeton, NJ on October 14, 2020. In this podcast: we talk about how this strange year of 2020 has been going at one of New Jersey's most historic golf clubs (2:18), why Keith says golf proved to be "pandemic proof" (3:20), if he thinks golf's "pandemic boom" is better and more sus

Dr. Jonathan Epstein leads an institution that is researching just about every angle you can think of when it comes to COVID-19: vaccines, treatments, contact tracing, the long-term effects of an infection, the mystery of being asymptomatic and who should be vaccinated first. Dr. Epstein is the Chief Scientific Officer at Penn's Perelman School of Medicine. He has been leading this pivotal institution from his home in Wayne, PA since COVID-19 restrictions began back in the spring. Dr. Epstein shared with us why he is so hopeful and encouraged by the tireless work being done in the medical community, but also why he is disappointed with how our country has handled our worst pandemic in 100 years. Dr. Epstein also offers his prediction on when the pandemic will end and how we will even know it. Recorded via Zoom, October 26, 2020 In this podcast: Dr. Epstein provides an overview on what his scientists at the Perelman School of Medicine are working on, coronavirus-related (1:50), what he believes is the biggest

Back in the spring, Adam Weiner decided he had to do something. The pandemic suddenly prevented his band, Low Cut Connie, from their lifeblood - performing live music. While in the spare room of his South Philadelphia home, he started broadcasting what would become the "Tough Cookies" series. He sings, he dances, he bangs on his stand-up piano, he offers words of enlightenment and hope. Originally a vehicle to simply entertain those watching on Instagram and Facebook, the episodes have gone so far as to uplift his fans during a public health crisis and sustain the LCC brand. Adam's music now has a solid worldwide fanbase thanks to the live streaming success. He is riding that wave into the release of the band's sixth album, a double LP called "Private Lives", in October of 2020. What the world didn't know was that while Adam was helping so many others cope with this public health crisis, he was hurting too. Numerous physical injuries from performing live night after night caught up with him. And he became mas

Buddy Blanchard fronts the world's greatest Van Halen tribute band: Philadelphia's own Romeo Delight. Buddy, as you might have guessed, plays the part of David Lee Roth. We first met several years ago when I started this podcast. I thought it was great that we had such an authentic representation of the great music of Van Halen right in our backyard. I played with the band in their practice space in Huntingdon Valley and I had the honor of performing as a guest drummer with Romeo Delight at Musikfest and the Running of the Santas. We share a deep admiration for Van Halen, the world's ultimate hard rock party band. No one was better. And Eddie Van Halen was a genius among us. Every time he would innovate a sound coming from his guitar, people would try to copy it. And when they'd figure it out, Eddie had already moved on to something else jaw-dropping. Buddy and I talk about what we initially felt when we learned Eddie had lost his battle with cancer at the age of 65. We discuss why Van Halen's music was so po

Dr. Argie Allen-Wilson is a mental health and relationship therapist based in Montgomery County. My conversation with her on this episode of Inside Story was such a positive experience, I wanted to share it with you. So much negativity is converging as we speak: the pandemic, a new and frustrating school year, the nastiness of the presidential campaign, joblessness, poverty, systemic racism and uncertainty for our future. Dr. Argie helps guide us through these issues, helps us make sense of our problems/worries and leads us on a path of personal growth. Recorded September 4, 2020.

Dr. Thomas Farley spent much of his adult life preparing for this moment: leading a large US city through a worldwide pandemic. The health commissioner of Philadelphia is a North Jersey native, a pediatrician and an epidemiologist with a deep background in studying infectious diseases, particularly with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dr. Farley and I spoke via Zoom and went back to those early days of the pandemic to discuss what worked, what didn't and whether it was tough to get people on board early on. He also offers optimism about an end to the pandemic and the chance of developing an effective vaccine. Recorded August 28, 2020. In this podcast: Dr. Farley addresses why he seems so calm despite the chaotic nature a pandemic can bring (1:58), offers thoughts on how some people form opinions not based on science and how some even shun advice from medical professionals (2:51), talks about his time with the CDC, what he learned and how it prepared him for this job (3:32), if he feared "the b

TRUE PHILADELPHIA PODCAST: Brian Tierney is Philadelphia's ultimate "Ad Man." The list of companies he's represented in strategizing, marketing and crisis management is long and diverse: Independence Blue Cross, Uber, Aramark, IBM, Verizon to name a few. He's the former owner and publisher of the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Daily News and (what was then known as) Philly.com. He has a deep resume in campaign politics: Sam Katz and George H.W. Bush are among the names who have listened to Brian's advice. And he shares his traditional conservative viewpoints as a panelist on 6abc's Inside Story, of which I am a frequent host. My conservation with Brian comes at a time when uncertainty is the only certain thing. A major company like Hertz can suddenly disappear. A trip to a nearby state like North Carolina may require you to quarantine for two weeks upon your return. You may not get exact change back at a Wawa if you pay in cash and coins. Your neighbor may believe in a laughably absurd conspiracy theory surroundi

Maribel Aber of CNN Newsource has been providing Action News with early morning financial reports for eight years. Typically she reports live from the NASDAQ Marketsite in Times Square, New York. She moved her broadcast operation to a home in Florida when the pandemic began to set in and has been there ever since. Maribel's deep knowledge of Wall Street, business and stocks is apparent. So is her positive, uplifting personality. We had always talked about meeting in-person for a podcast interview. But since doing Zoom calls has become the norm these days, we decided a virtual interview would suffice. Maribel gives us insight on reporting from her remote location, her background and earlier career dreams, what helped her succeed, her financial advice and making remote learning work better for students, teachers and parents. Plus, I try a brand new concept (for this podcast, at least): the "Speed Round." Recorded July 10, 2020. In this podcast: Maribel talks about leaving New York in the spring (2:00), setting

When you ask Michael Coard what he thinks about anything, he will give you an answer - unfiltered. The longtime Philadelphia criminal defense lawyer has been talking for decades about racial issues that we now see at the forefront today: inequities in how African-Americans are treated in the judicial system, by police, in the workplace and with history. Coard joked that as fewer and fewer people see him as a "radical" maybe he needs to start acting crazier. Throughout our conversation, he gave thoughtful answers and powerful metaphors to express what it is like to be a Black man in America and why everyone needs to work together to reform our society. Not only a veteran lawyer and civil rights activist, Coard is also a journalist, a radio host and a teacher. We spoke via Zoom on July 6, 2020. In this podcast: Coard reveals what he would have told himself if he could go back to December of last year (1:25), what he thinks lit the spark among Americans to take an honest look at our country's race relations (2:0

The idea of the US government spending several decades preparing to ride out an apocalypse by building an entire city in a hollowed-out mountain is fascinating - and terrifying, all the same. This city is contained within a massive bunker carved out of an Appalachian mountain known as Raven Rock. Historian, author and journalist Garrett Graff wrote the definitive book about it. I spoke to Garrett via a Zoom connection from his home in Vermont about the analogies he's seeing between preparing for a nuclear holocaust and enduring a viral pandemic. We also talked about 9/11 and what similarities and differences he is seeing there. We talked about anticipating the craziest election in American history (Garrett worked on Howard Dean's 2004 presidential campaign). And yes, we talked a lot about the mountain, Raven Rock. Recorded on Zoom on May 26, 2020. In this podcast: I asked Garrett if writing a book about the US preparing for Armageddon helped him prepare for this ongoing pandemic (1:45), why it is so hard to a

Jerri Williams spent 26 years as an FBI agent, mostly in the Philadelphia division. You might remember seeing her on Action News as the spokeswoman for the FBI and later on SEPTA before her retirement. Williams was able to remold herself post-retirnement as a successful author of fiction and non-fiction and as a podcaster. How did she figure out how to do this? She just learned, worked hard and did it. I spoke to Williams through a Zoom connection from her Gloucester County, New Jersey home about creating that "second act" in life, her days investigating white collar crime with the FBI, how some criminals clearly underestimated her, plus what the idea of a "Deep State" and an age of post-truth means for the FBI and the criminal justice system. Recorded on Zoom on May 18, 2020. In this podcast: Why her "FBI Retired Case File Review" podcast has become so popular, now with more than three million downloads (1:25), why she joined the FBI in the first place (2:45), how rare it was for a black woman to work in the

Jeff Pearlman and I were classmates at the University of Delaware and colleagues at the independent campus newspaper The Review. Jeff was the editor-in-chief our senior year and let's just say, that was a pretty crazy year. We explain why during this podcast. Jeff is a New York Times best-selling author. His latest book coming out this fall details the Kobe Bryant-led era of the Los Angeles Lakers. That begins our discussion, which then leads into a breakdown of what amateur and professional sports may look like in the near future. Jeff now lives in Southern California with his family. We spoke during a Zoom call on April 21, 2020. In this podcast: How the death of Kobe Bryant impacted Jeff and the release of his book on that Lakers dynasty (2:50), our time working together at the campus newspaper at the University of Delaware (4:30), how important it was to make mistakes early in a journalism career (7:10), how the internet has made it so much more difficult to survive one's mistakes on television these days

Ali Gorman has been our go-to for all things health, medical and wellness for more than 12 years. The South Jersey native's expertise has never been more needed or valued now. The registered nurse started her medical career with the Navy as a Nurse Corps officer. She knows what people on the front lines are dealing with right now. Ali opens up her knowledge bank to offer her thoughts on the whole host of uncertainties about this novel coronavirus. Recorded through Zoom on April 20, 2020 In this podcast: We talk about Ali's background in growing up, education and her career (1:10), why she joined the Navy (2:05), why she became one of the first at Action News to work from home (3:12), how being at home can actually make you do more work (4:20), what her health care worker colleagues are going through on the front lines (5:15), how nursing to her is a not just a profession, it is a "calling" (6:05), what Ali thought and feared back in January, before the United States had its first confirmed COVID-19 case (7:30

When concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated and the stay-at-home orders went into place in March of 2020, my entire family was suddenly at home a lot more than usual. My dog Bailey, a generally happy-go-lucky eight-year-old Shichon, immediately knew something was wrong. He seemed spooked, he acted stressed and he watched us more closely. Bailey might have even picked up on our general concern as parents - I mean, remember the early days of the pandemic when everything seemed to happen all at once and confusion was rampant? I became curious about Bailey's response and wanted to know more. Dr. Carlo Siracusa is a veterinarian and associate professor at the University of Pennsylvania's Ryan Veterinary Hospital. He studies animal behavior and seeks to understand our pets' stress level and why certain animals can turn aggressive. The Society Hill resident owns a cat Elsa and yes, Elsa also noticed a drastic change in her owner's work life and even became confused. Bailey and I spoke to Dr. Siracusa throu

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

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

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

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

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 t