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 hear why the best conductors don’t just keep time, they make moments. Adam also gets a surprise conducting lesson, a front-row breakdown of what musicians actually watch for, and a thoughtful dive into how music carries memory, legacy, and even grief. As part of our ARTober series celebrating arts and culture in San Luis Obispo, this episode offers a backstage pass into a world where timing, trust, and truth come together in sound.

• San Luis Obispo Symphony

slosymphony.org

Explore concerts, events, education programs, and ticket info.

• ARTober in SLO

slocity.org/ARTober

Find live performances, public art installations, studio tours, music, theater, and more.

• Experience ARTober Downtown

downtownslo.com/events/artober

Incentives, pop-ups, and everything happening in the heart of downtown SLO.



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• 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

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Sincere Thanks to the supporters of Up + Adam. Please take a moment and visit them and thank them for supporting local broadcasting, and valuing what we do here. Thank you for supporting them!

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Original Music by Dan Curcio and Moonshiner Collective

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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 it in return. We talk legacy, vulnerability, real-life motherhood through surrogacy, and the emotional moment that made even her stop in her tracks. This isn’t just a conversation. It’s a love letter to daytime, to presence, and to a woman who helped redefine what it means to be a TV legend.

Support Deidre’s causes:

All proceeds from her Days of Our Lives merchandise benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

• deidrehall.com

You can also shop her hand-painted greeting cards, with proceeds going to Wounded Warriors, on the same site.

Follow Deidre Hall on Instagram

• @deidrehall_official

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• 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

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CHECK OUT OUR WOODS HUMANE PET OF THE WEEK!

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ADAM’S TEDX VIDEO IS HERE!

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FOLLOW ADAM ON INSTAGRAM

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Sincere Thanks to the supporters of Up + Adam. Please take a moment and visit them and thank them for supporting local broadcasting, and valuing what we do here. Thank you for supporting them!

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General Store Paso Robles

Daou Vineyards

WoodsHumaneSociety

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Original Music by Dan Curcio and Moonshiner Collective

Moonshiner on Spotify HERE

Please Rate, Review, and Subscribe to the podcast, and learn more at AdamMontiel.com

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 murders, Elin opens up about the emotional toll of telling these stories, how her psychology background shapes her work, and the quiet moments that still echo long after the mic is off.

They also dig into:

• Listen to America’s Crime Lab: iHeart Podcast Page

• Elin’s Website: ElinLantzLesser.com

• Minimalism & Simple Living YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ElinLesser

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• 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

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CHECK OUT OUR WOODS HUMANE PET OF THE WEEK!

********

ADAM’S TEDX VIDEO IS HERE!

********

FOLLOW ADAM ON INSTAGRAM

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Sincere Thanks to the supporters of Up + Adam. Please take a moment and visit them and thank them for supporting local broadcasting, and valuing what we do here. Thank you for supporting them!

We Help You Legal

General Store Paso Robles

Daou Vineyards

WoodsHumaneSociety

Tin City Distillery

Original Music by Dan Curcio and Moonshiner Collective

Moonshiner on Spotify HERE

Please Rate, Review, and Subscribe to the podcast, and learn more at AdamMontiel.com

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 partners with nonprofits, how the program has evolved, and where she hopes ARTober will go next.

Key resources & links:

• City of SLO — ARTober page: slocity.org/ARTober slocity.org

• Experience ARTober Guide (how-to, events listing) Visit SLO

• Downtown SLO “Experience ARTober” info (participation & incentives) downtownslo.com

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• 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!

********

ADAM’S TEDX VIDEO IS HERE!

********

FOLLOW ADAM ON INSTAGRAM

*********

Sincere Thanks to the supporters of Up + Adam. Please take a moment and visit them and thank them for supporting local broadcasting, and valuing what we do here. Thank you for supporting them!

We Help You Legal

General Store Paso Robles

Daou Vineyards

WoodsHumaneSociety

Tin City Distillery

Original Music by Dan Curcio and Moonshiner Collective

Moonshiner on Spotify HERE

Please Rate, Review, and Subscribe to the podcast, and learn more at AdamMontiel.com

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 stories you haven’t heard anywhere else.

Listen to Mindy’s new podcast:

• Mindy, Ed & Don Rickles on Apple Podcasts

• Mindy, Ed & Don Rickles on Spotify

Follow Mindy Rickles:

• Instagram: @mindyrickles

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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

• 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!

********

ADAM’S TEDX VIDEO IS HERE!

********

FOLLOW ADAM ON INSTAGRAM

*********

Sincere Thanks to the supporters of Up + Adam. Please take a moment and visit them and thank them for supporting local broadcasting, and valuing what we do here. Thank you for supporting them!

We Help You Legal

General Store Paso Robles

Daou Vineyards

WoodsHumaneSociety

Tin City Distillery

Original Music by Dan Curcio and Moonshiner Collective

Moonshiner on Spotify HERE

Please Rate, Review, and Subscribe to the podcast, and learn more at AdamMontiel.com

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:

• Listen to Law & Order: Criminal Justice System → iHeart Podcast

• Subscribe to Anatomy of Murder → Official Site

• Watch True Conviction on ID → Show Page



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• 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!

********

ADAM’S TEDX VIDEO IS HERE!

********

FOLLOW ADAM ON INSTAGRAM

*********

Sincere Thanks to the supporters of Up + Adam. Please take a moment and visit them and thank them for supporting local broadcasting, and valuing what we do here. Thank you for supporting them!

We Help You Legal

General Store Paso Robles

Daou Vineyards

WoodsHumaneSociety

Tin City Distillery

Original Music by Dan Curcio and Moonshiner Collective

Moonshiner on Spotify HERE

Please Rate, Review, and Subscribe to the podcast, and learn more at AdamMontiel.com

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 pivots to the legacy milestones brewing ahead of Firestone Walker’s 30th anniversary. We talk about the resurrection of cult-favorite beers, the emotional weight of retiring a label, and how Cal Poly Gold became more than just a beer. It became a symbol. Oh, and yes, there may or may not have been a beer pong challenge thrown down on-air.

• Firestone Walker Official Site

• Learn more about Cal Poly Gold

• Cal Poly’s Learn by Doing Approach

• Find Firestone Walker Beers Near You

• Follow Firestone Walker on Instagram

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• 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!

********

ADAM’S TEDX VIDEO IS HERE!

********

FOLLOW ADAM ON INSTAGRAM

*********

Sincere Thanks to the supporters of Up + Adam. Please take a moment and visit them and thank them for supporting local broadcasting, and valuing what we do here. Thank you for supporting them!

We Help You Legal

General Store Paso Robles

Daou Vineyards

WoodsHumaneSociety

Tin City Distillery

Original Music by Dan Curcio and Moonshiner Collective

Moonshiner on Spotify HERE

Please Rate, Review, and Subscribe to the podcast, and learn more at AdamMontiel.com