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To call “Live from the Nickel” a sports podcast is technically accurate, but avid listeners are aware that is not the entire story. What began as a conversation between co-hosts Neal Newberry and Don Curl in their living rooms, sharing insights about football, basketball, boxing and everything in between, has grown steadily. They are now recording live at Toledo area bars and restaurants and they have added a co-host, Amanda Riebe. They are interviewing noteworthy guests – amassing a list that includes undefeated boxer Albert “The Prince” Bell, Toledo Spirits co-founder Dustin Wade, and BGSU basketball standout and Maumee Valley Country Day School basketball coach, Niki McCoy. Yet, despite the changes and enhancements, “Live from the Nickel” hasn’t lost the magic that makes it so appealing as a podcast: the ambiance on the show still feels like friends shooting the breeze in their living room.
Chemistry you can hear
discuss Toledo Topics.
Everything about ‘Live from the Nickel’ flows from the chemistry between Newberry, Curl and Riebe. The three have a natural rapport that shines through, whether they’re bantering about the previous week’s games or breaking down the upcoming basketball season. They prepare well – YouTube viewers will notice the notebooks and phones that enable the hosts to quickly pull up key quotes or frame interview questions – but the support devices never detract from the relaxed energy that comes through the microphone.
With the addition of guest interviews to the podcasts, Newberry encourages a strong foundation between the three hosts as key to their interviewing style: “When you put us together and you bring a guest on, you feel like we’ve all known each other for a long time.
We make the guest feel right at home.” That care shows, as the interviews are fascinating, enjoyable listens. The conversations are open and free flowing, giving the guest space to elaborate and expand on ideas, revealing even more interesting stories and tidbits. There’s a visible ease to the interviewees as they talk, cleverly sandwiched between the hosts, and it’s easy to feel like they’ve been a part of the crew from the start.
A love letter to Toledo
Far from being “just another sports podcast,” ‘Live from the Nickel’ is also a show about Toledo. It begins with the name, which Newberry explained is a reference to East Toledo’s zip code. “When you live on the east side, – your zip code is 43605 – and we are called ‘0- 5ers. I said ‘that’s the nickel’, you know? When I said ‘Live from the Nickel’, it just felt right.”
Each show oozes with Toledo pride – guests are generally local figures and the recording is done live from many different spots around the city. When asked what inspired them to leave the typical podcast single-location set- up to record live at various Toledo establishments, Newberry explained that he “wanted to show the world…different locations from Toledo,” so that people can see everything our town has to offer. “My job is to put the city on the map,” said Newberry “and I can’t do it by myself, I’ve got a great team.”
The village behind the mic
Newberry also wants to make sure that two other Toledoans get the respect they deserve – Miss Karen from Divine Printing and Miss Evelyn Robinson of School Matters. “Those two women have been a very, very big part of this situation,” explains Newberry. Both were early supporters of Newberry in the podcast and were instrumental in the apparel the ‘Live from the Nickel’ gang provides for their guests. Love is Live from the Nickels’ secret ingredient — love for their city, love for the craft of podcasting and love for one another – that is what has imbued the show with so much heart. Give it a listen, learn about sports and be reminded about what makes Toledo such a special place.
Episodes drop on Sundays. youtube.com/@LiveFromTheNickel.
