Joe Matarese's Road Back to Philly

I went to Parents Weekend at the University of Tampa, spent $400 on dinner, got two Miller Lites in return, and still almost cried saying goodbye to my son. My wife says there were no tears. Apparently, now I need proof. Danny Rubio joins me to talk about watching your kids grow up, letting them leave home, and trying to stop giving advice nobody asked for. We get into college nightlife, why these...

Cipha Sounds joins Joe Matarese on Road Back to Philly to talk Dave Chappelle, his journey from hip-hop DJ to stand-up comedian, and why Philadelphia crowds are a whole different animal. Cipha shares how Dave Chappelle encouraged him to try stand-up while he was DJing on Chappelle’s Show, what DJing taught him about reading a comedy crowd, and stories from Hot 97, touring with Lil’ Kim, and the Co...

Joe loves the Phillies—until their playoff run starts costing him comedy ticket sales. This week on Road Back to Philly, Joe and Danny debate whether robot umpires, instant replay, and the quest for perfect calls are taking the fun out of sports. Plus, Joe questions his own AI-written comedy scripts, listeners weigh in, and one question ties it all together: are we making things better, or just lo...

Joe breaks down "Negadelphia," the theory that growing up in Philly and South Jersey wires you for negativity no matter how good things are going. He and Dan dig into where it comes from (family, geography, the "yeah, but" reflex), Joe's bit about dating a woman with a PhD and getting called out by his brother for "quitting dumb cold turkey," and the documentary &...

Joe shares exciting updates about his upcoming shows, including a new residency at the Cherry Hill Performing Arts Center and a unique live podcast format at Soundplex that promises to blend stand-up with engaging discussions. He dives into the intricacies of maintaining a schedule amidst the chaos of life, emphasizing the importance of staying focused and tight in his creative endeavors. You’ll d...

Joe and Danny are back talking about what happens when comedy starts turning into an actual business. Joe breaks down the gamble of adding a second Medford show, the headaches of selling your own tickets, and why Phillies playoff games might suddenly become a financial problem. He also starts seriously thinking about whether it makes sense to buy or rent a small place in Philly as the Road Back to...

Join Joe as he shares his recent experiences on tour, discussing sold-out shows and the thrill of performing in front of enthusiastic crowds. You'll discover the unconventional strategies he's using to drive ticket sales without relying heavily on ads. It’s a candid look at the life of a comedian, where timing, location, and audience engagement can make or break a performance. Joe and Dann...

Joe is back from a week on Cape Cod—and he’s ready to decide whether it can compete with the Jersey Shore. In Episode 14 of Road Back to Philly , Joe and Dan compare two very different versions of an East Coast summer vacation. Cape Cod brings lobster rolls, clam chowder, quiet beaches, cool sleeping weather, rustic scenery, and nights that end suspiciously early. The Jersey Shore counters with ch...

Philly sports fans, get ready for a thrilling ride! In this episode, Joe Matarese sits down with the legendary Ray Didinger, a Hall of Fame sportswriter, to unpack the soul of Philadelphia sports. If you’ve ever yelled at the TV during a game or felt the electric energy of a Philly crowd, this conversation is for you. Joe dives deep into the heart of what makes Philly fans unique, sharing anecdote...

Joes on vacation so this weeks podcast is a re airing of the pilot episode of Road Back To Philly - Keep calling in with your Philly S Jersey topics you’d like to hear us riff about on our VM # 914-721-0008.  Joe and I will have a new episode next Tuesday with Joe’s guest Philadelphia HOF sports writer, and sports commentator Ray Didinger. ___ Joe Matarese spent over 30 years chasing comedy from Q...

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 Present...

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...

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...

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 t...

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" be...

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, t...

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...

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...

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...

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 trip...

Joe's back for Episode 2 of Road Back to Philly, and this one goes deep into the two characters that defined growing up in Cherry Hill, NJ — the bully and the Damone. If you don't know what a Damone is, producer Dan didn't either, which tells you everything you need to know about the generational divide between South Jersey in the 80s and Utah in 2026.Joe shares three personal bully st...

Joe Matarese spent over 30 years chasing comedy from Queens to LA to Hoboken to Westchester. Now at 58, with his son in college and his daughter four years from finishing high school, he's done the math — and the answer keeps coming up Philadelphia. But it's not that simple. His wife's family is all in Westchester. Their house has nearly doubled in value. And the fans? They've got...