Joe Matarese's Road Back to Philly

In this episode of 'Road Back to Philly', Joe Matarese and Danny Rubio discuss the evolution of comedy in the age of social media, they jump into various topics, including the Mummers. Wawa, and so much more.

Hire Danny: https://swiftpeakproductions.com/

----I've been seen or heard on The Howard Stern Show, WTF with Marc Maron, The Late Show with David Letterman, Comedy Central Presents Joe Matarese (His Own 1/2 Hour Special), The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn and Craig Ferguson, Americas Got Talent, and his three Specials on Youtube The Poster's Wrong, Medicated, and Mullets and Mixtapes. Click here to watch my newest special Mullets and Mixtapes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eiWVYa9ps48 Follow me on Instagram: https://Instagram.com/TheJoematareseFollow Me On TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thejoematareseFollow Me On Facebook: https://Facebook.com/TheJoematareseTo Book Me For An Event Go To: https://Joematarese.com/contact To See Where I'm Performing: https://Joematarese.com

Join us for Episode 11 as we dive into the latest Philly sports buzz, including LeBron James signing with the Philadelphia 76ers, and explore a mix of humorous takes and observations about sports, AI, and relationships. Whether you're a basketball fanatic or just enjoy the banter, this episode offers insights, jokes, and a whole lot of personality.

In this episode:

The significance of LeBron James joining the Sixers and how it might change the team dynamic

The culture clash between LA and Philly: effort versus access in sports

Humorous commentary on sports effort, effort disparities, and Philly’s love for Rocky

The role of AI in everyday tasks and relationships—ChatGPT as a decorating assistant and relationship proxy

Stand-up moments about movies, sports on stage, and personal quirks and so much more

Resources & Links:

ChatGPT - AI assistant and creativity partner

The Filipino Day - Cultural context reference

Hustle (Movie) - Sports film about obsession and effort

Perfect Days (Film) - Japanese film praised for cinematography

La La Land (Movie) - Cinema reflection on journeys, dreams

Connect with the Hosts:

Joe Matteres -https://joematarese.com/

Dan Rubio - https://swiftpeakproductions.com/lets-talk/

Note: For voicemails and listener calls, dial 914-721-0008 to leave your thoughts, jokes, or questions—available 24/7.

Enjoy the episode and keep the conversation going. Thanks for listening!

Comedian Joe Matarese and co-host Danny Rubio hit Episode 10 with a funny, fast-moving ride through Philly sports, live comedy, and the year's most talked-about movie trailer.

Joe recaps a packed Medford, NJ show, an unreal slice from Johnny's Pizza, and the chaos of running BYOB comedy nights where the crowd gets a little too loose. Then the guys dig into All-Star Week in Philadelphia and a Home Run Derby fans are calling one of the best ever — rookie Jordan Walker shocking Kyle Schwarber, the magenta ball controversy, Barry Bonds' surprise endorsement, and an emotional MLB tribute film that had Joe tearing up.

They riff on why baseball is the ultimate romantic sport (Moneyball, The Sandlot), react to killer listener voicemails, and break down the new trailer for "I Play Rocky," Peter Farrelly's film about the making of Rocky — starring Anthony Ippolito as a Stallone who somehow isn't involved.

🎤 Catch Joe live: Stone Harbor (July 26), Medford (Aug 6), Hammonton, NJ (Aug 7). Tickets and sponsorship info at JoeMatarese.com.

Get ready for a rollercoaster of witty banter, sports rants, and friendship philosophy, all dressed up in a talk radio vibe! Ever wonder how to turn casual calls into a lively show and what it really means to hold onto friends as life gets busier? Yup, we've got that and a whole lot more. Plus, some hilarious technical mishaps that prove even pros struggle sometimes!Main takeaways:

• The charm of talk radio and going full classic with call-ins (and how to technically pull it off)
• The passion that fuels soccer fans and how the World Cup is more than just a game—it's a global love fest
• The mysterious art of turning acquaintances into BFFs and why some friendships need a little more heavy lifting
• Why proximity, consistency, and shared experiences are the cornerstones of real friendship
• The secret to keeping friendships alive: just make the damn call, even if it’s awkward
• How families, wives, and even casual sports teams can be the accidental catalysts for lifelong bonds
• The wild truth about American athletes, culture, and why US soccer is perpetually not quite there yet
• The curious phenomenon of passion in sports and how it can suck you into caring about teams you never thought you’d root for

• Riverside.fm — Your remote podcast recording hero
• GameTime App — Last-minute tickets that don’t break the bank
• Joe Matteries Comedy Tickets — Catch him live!

• Joe Matteries - Twitter | Instagram

Timestamps: 00:00 - Welcome! Dive into episode nine—talk radio style and full of personality 02:19 - How the podcast mimics late-night sports talk and calling in 04:14 - Riverside & tech talk: recording with pros 06:24 - Why the World Cup is a magnet (even for the soccer-averse) 09:00 - Comparing soccer passion to the pressure of stand-up comedy 12:17 - The state of US men’s and women’s soccer—why the women kick butt 18:09 - Why US teams are rarely European-level—culture, money, and tradition 23:07 - The nuances of soccer rules and why they’re strange to Americans 27:43 - The real secret to friendship—proximity, effort, and shared fun 34:02 - Growing old, building friendships, and the importance of doing things together 44:34 - The legendary "Mafia Invitational" and big group friendships 55:04 - Ice skating and hockey: the sport that keeps you young 59:02 - How to create or strengthen friendships—tips from real guys 67:50 - Final thoughts: making the first move and living your best social lifeResources & Links:Connect with the host:Special shoutout to all callers and the chaotic tech moments that remind us everyone struggles sometimes!

Joe's got tour dates lined up (Medford, Stone Harbor, Hammonton) and Dan's new camera setup is causing mic problems. From there it turns into a real one: Dan lays out his hard "no weddings" rule, the two break down why clients who micromanage after handing over "creative control" are the worst, and Joe compares it to comedians getting told to "just kill it" before a set. Dan also opens up about his mom trying to parent his kids and his finances, and why he's raising his own daughters with more independence than he had growing up. They close out with the Philly/South Jersey news roundup: a fireworks-turned-gunfire incident in a brewery town, SEPTA actually getting good reviews for once (World Cup crowd handling), and the case for Philly chasing more international events that fit the city's identity.

What South Jersey and Philly used to have — and lost. Comedian Joe Matarese and co-host Dan run down the diners, drive-ins, dance clubs, and hangouts that defined growing up in Cherry Hill and the Philadelphia area, and ask why so much of it disappeared.

In this episode: 24-hour diners (Sage, Golden Dawn) traded for car washes and McDonald's, the Cherry Hill and Echelon roller skating rinks, teen dances and dance clubs like Anchante and Tailgaters, the Galaxy live-music venue, South Street and Jim's Steaks, Discount Harry's and the Best Products catalog, drive-in movie theaters, South Jersey traffic circles, the Garden State Racetrack, the Latin Casino, and just hanging out at the Cherry Hill Mall before the code of conduct. Plus listener voicemails, a little Utah detour, and Joe's classic break-dancing disaster.

If you grew up in South Jersey, Philadelphia, or anywhere in the Delaware Valley, this one's pure Gen-X nostalgia.

🎤 Catch Joe Matarese live — tickets and tour dates at his website, the link in his bio, or the venue sites.📞 Leave a voicemail for the show: 914-721-0008

Joe's parents are floating around the Atlantic on a cruise out of Philly and he's more anxious about it than they probably are (no Wi-Fi, no texts back, just one cryptic message about free food in heaven). Before that, Joe runs down his summer tour dates across the Philly/South Jersey corridor, including a new stop at the Eagle Theatre in Hamilton, NJ.

Then Joe and Dan tackle the real question of the episode: what do you feed someone on their first perfect day in your city? Dan puts Utah's funeral potatoes on the table (yes, that's really what they're called, and yes, it involves cornflakes), and Joe fires back with a Philly cheesesteak essential, long hots, the pepper that'll burn your fingers if you forget the gloves. From there they map out the ultimate Philly day: Reading Terminal, the Art Museum, the Rocky steps, and why skipping the museum itself is a rookie mistake.

Plus: Joe's dad's questionable 70s mustache and bucket hat phase, his mom's lifelong Engelbert Humperdinck story, listener voicemails on the great transition lenses debate, and a cliffhanger about the mystery award Joe's daughter just won that nobody will tell him about.

Chapter Markers

00:00 – Intro
00:45 – Joe's summer tour dates (Medford, Stone Harbor, Hamilton, Pottstown, Chestnut Hill)
01:47 – Joe's parents are on a cruise out of Philly and he's losing it over the radio silence
14:15 – Setting up the ultimate Philly day vs. a day in Utah
15:23 – Funeral potatoes: Utah's answer to comfort food
17:39 – Long hots: the Philly cheesesteak pepper that'll burn your fingers
19:32 – Reading Terminal Market and where to actually get breakfast
23:27 – Rocky steps, the Art Museum, and an underground boxing gym idea
27:58 – Philly/South Jersey things we miss (Clementon Park, Crazy Eddie's, the Spectrum)
31:43 – Utah's Delta Center, stadium walkability, and why old venues hit different
35:41 – When sitcoms recast characters (Cheers, All in the Family, The Jeffersons)
41:05 – Best Philly/South Jersey school lunches: paper bags, sea dogs, nutty buddies
47:12 – Voicemail: the great transition lenses debate
50:07 – Joe's daughter won a mystery eighth grade award and nobody will tell him what it's for
52:42 – Voicemail: Emily wants answers too

Joe just sold out his first intimate venue show in Medford, NJ — and it went sideways in the best possible way. Super fans who knew his social media better than his setlist, a high school ex who showed up for the first time in 40 years with something surprisingly meaningful to say, a legendary Philly broadcaster who doesn't own a cell phone, and a cassette tape Joe handed to a DJ in 1990 that he desperately hopes no one ever heard.

Then Joe and producer Dan dig into the real cons of moving back to Philly — the traffic on 76, $21K property taxes, old friends you didn't miss, and the uncomfortable truth that Joe might never actually leave New Jersey. Plus fan voicemails from Jerry and Courtney Rowan, a Saudi Arabia relocation strategy, and Jerry's (partial) original song to close it out.

If you want to work with Dan, visit swiftpeakproductions.com to book a free intro call. For tickets to Joe's upcoming shows in Medford, Stone Harbor, and Hamilton, head to joematarese.com.

Joe Matarese sits down with longtime Philadelphia Inquirer sports columnist and author Mike Sielski — who's written books on Kobe Bryant and the history of the dunk — to talk about his new book Going the Distance, out this November, about the making and the myth of Rocky.

They get into why Rocky hit Philadelphia the way it did in the mid-'70s, the Steadicam-prototype magic behind the art-museum montage, and Bill Conti's "Going the Distance" as the unofficial anthem of every late-inning Phillies rally. Mike shares what a year and a half of research did to him — including watching the final fight 156 times and getting more emotional with every viewing — and makes the case that Rocky isn't really a sports film at all, but a love story shot through the lens of boxing.

Plus: listener voicemails on whether a fictional boxer's statue overshadows Philly's real legends, Mike's road from a disastrous 1981 Eagles Super Bowl party to the Inquirer sports page, his influences (Bill Lyon, Jason Stark), the Dick Allen and Frog Carfagno story, and his one tip for anyone who wants to write better.

Hosted by Joe Matarese. Produced by Danny.

Follow Mike: @mike.sielskiFollow Joe: @thejoematarese

Chapter Markers

• 00:00 — Cold open
• 01:30 — Who is Mike Sielski + the "Going the Distance" book
• 06:34 — Mike joins the show
• 06:38 — Joe's "falling out" with Rocky
• 09:08 — A year and a half of research (and 156 viewings of the final fight)
• 10:11 — Why great films reward rewatching
• 1:00:11 — Talia Shire and the making of Adrian
• 1:01:44 — Voicemail: fictional heroes vs. real athletes
• 1:08:26 — Voicemail: Mike's path into sports journalism
• 1:09:02 — The 1981 Eagles party & growing up a Philly fan
• 1:11:44 — The Dick Allen & Frog Carfagno story
• 1:12:39 — One tip for better writing in a video-first world
• 1:17:28 — Rocky as a love story, not a sports film
• 1:19:49 — Voicemail: does a fictional statue overshadow real legends?

On this episode, Joe digs into the big summer question: where do you take a beach vacation when you're rolling 13 people deep? The trip is three families under one roof, his wife and her two sisters, their husbands, two kids each, plus his mother-in-law, with kids ranging from nine years old up to his oldest who just wrapped his first year at the University of Tampa.We get into why these trips are worth the chaos, going all the way back to renting one big house when the kids were little so the cousins could grow up making memories together. There's talk about pricing out shore rentals (one listing came in at $14,500 for the week, five bedrooms, max 12 guests, no pool), and which towns are actually worth it: Wildwood, Avalon, Sea Isle, Cape May, Ocean City, and LBI all get thrown around.It also ties back to the recent Three Friends, One Booth episode with Joe Perry, where the idea of vacationing with other families got a little heat. Underneath all of it is the real reason this podcast exists: figuring out whether the move back to the Philly area actually happens.The back half is all listener voicemails, and they do not hold back. You'll hear from Chris in Ashland, a guy calling in from the PGA Championship, Angelo making the case for the Outer Banks, Jerry from Delco breaking down the Jersey Shore town by town, and comedian Al Caddis from Hawaii. Some great advice, some terrible advice, all worth a listen.Chapter Markers00:00 Intro and the family rundown07:37 The plan: a Jersey Shore trip for 13 people09:20 Why we vacation with the whole family23:39 Letting the kids loose on the boardwalk30:45 Shopping the rental listings38:35 The real question: moving back40:31 Voicemails: three best towns47:52 Chris from Ashland, Mass52:44 Calling in from the PGA Championship55:50 Angelo makes the Outer Banks case58:08 Jerry from Delco breaks down the shore1:05:17 Al Caddis from Hawaii