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To call “Live from the Nickel” a sports podcast is technically accurate, but listeners know that’s not telling the whole story. What started with co-hosts Neal Newberry and Don Curl talking in their living rooms about football, basketball, boxing and everything in between has grown steadily over the past year and change – if you’ll pardon the pun. They’ve started recording live at Toledo area bars and restaurants. They’ve added a co-host, Amanda Riebe. They’re now 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. Through it all, “Live from the Nickel” hasn’t lost the magic that makes podcasts so appealing as a medium: it still feels like friends shooting the breeze in their living room.
Chemistry You Can Hear
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 their previous week or breaking down an upcoming football season. They prepare well – YouTube viewers will notice the notebooks and phones that enable the hosts to quickly pull key quotes or tee up interview questions – but it never detracts from the relaxed energy they each bring to the microphone. As they’ve added guest interviews to their repertoire, Newberry believes that strong foundation between the three hosts is key to their interviewing style: “When you put us together and you bring a guest on, you feel like we’ve all been knowing each other for a long time because we make the guest feel right at home.” That care shows, as the interviews are fascinating, enjoyable listens. While guided by questions, the conversations are open and free flowing, giving the guest space to elaborate and go on tangents, revealing even more interesting stories and other tidbits. There’s a visible ease to the interviewees as they talk and, as they’re cleverly sandwiched between the hosts, 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, 0-5 – your address, 43605 – they call you ‘0-5ers. I was, like, okay, that’s the nickel, you know?” After creating a list of 20 different potential names, Newberry narrowed it down to two: “Live from the Bay” and “Live from the Nickel.” From there the decision became clear. Newberry said he “kept saying Live from the Bay…it didn’t come out and grab you. So I said ‘Live from the Nickel’” and it just felt right.
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Beyond the name, the show oozes with Toledo pride – guests are generally local figures and they record live from many different spots around the city. When asked what inspired Newberry and company increasingly to leave the typical podcast single-location set-up for recording live at various Toledo establishments, he 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 nucleus team.”
The Village Behind the Mic
Newberry also wanted to make sure two other Toledoans get the respect they deserved – 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,” said Newberry. Both were early supporters of Newberry in the podcast and were instrumental in the apparel the Live from the Nickel gang gives to their guests. School Matters currently sponsors the show, as well.
Heart at the Center
Love is ultimately Live from the Nickel’s secret ingredient. From the love for their city, to love of the craft of podcasting, to the love for one another, Newberry, Curl, and Riebe have imbued their show with so much heart. Give it a listen, brush up on your sports, and remember what makes Toledo such a special place.
Episodes drop on Sundays. https://www.youtube.com/@LiveFromTheNickel.
