This interview with the hosts of The Crispy Noodle is part of a series highlighting podcasts participating in Philly Podfest 2019. See the full line-up of live shows on our Schedule page.
by Melinda Lewis
Rich and Mike are two friends with a weekly podcast that covers a smorgasbord of topics that is reminiscent of old school talk radio with news, hot takes, and a vicious soundboard. Before their Philly Podfest show on July 28, from 2:30 to 3:30 at Tattooed Mom, they answered some questions about their podcast and plans for the festival. (edited for length)
Q: Your show reminds me of listening to the radio before school. What have been some of your influences and how did you determine the format?
Rich: I listened to Preston & Steve on Y100 almost every morning on the way to school. I loved how their topics were informative and hilarious. When Y100 shut down and they went off the air, I was devastated; there really wasn't anything like them. After interning with their show on WMMR, I knew I wanted to produce my own show that was newsworthy, comedic, and just simply, fun.
Mike: I trusted Rich’s instincts when it came to the radio-esque nature of the show since he had the experience. But from the start we knew our favorite topics, that we wanted to be fun and informative, and that if we were excited and passionate about a topic, that would come through in the show. After that, it all just fell into place.
Q: What's the root of Crispy Noodle’s name?
Rich: Naming a podcast is actually one of the most difficult tasks when coming up with a podcast. We didn't want to simply call it The Rich & Mike Show, so we decided to let inspiration come to us in another way – Chinese takeout. My fortune cookie literally read "Be the Crispy Noodle in the vegetarian salad of life." I shouted to Mike "what the hell does this mean?!" We both couldn't stop laughing. We thought maybe this an answer from Fortune's own cookie – The Crispy Noodle Podcast.
Mike: This is one of the biggest mysteries of the show when we first mention the name to someone. We went with our gut, literally, and it worked out great.
Q: Do you have anything planned for Philly Podfest?
Rich: Mike is actually away on vacation that weekend and it will be the first time I am doing The Crispy Noodle Podcast without him. He will definitely be involved in the show in a special way . . . that's as much as a tease as I can provide! I won't be flying solo though, because our recurring guest personality, Nenna, will be there to help react to Entertainment and Odd News.
Mike: It’s a shame I can’t be there this year, but I get to be in the very fun and unique position of experiencing the show as a listener first instead of a co-host. We're already working hard to come up with something fun for the event.
Q: What are you looking forward to most about Philly Podfest (and what makes you want to come back)?
Rich: There are so many interesting podcasts to discover and learn about. I also enjoy the live audience that comes out for this – people get to react in real time to the topics we provide and the odd news stories I research. I also love that we're at Tattooed Mom, it's such a great venue – punk rock atmosphere, right on South Street. You couldn't ask for a more Philly-centric venue in my opinion.
Mike: It’s great to be part of a community that is so passionate about their shows and topics. Since we don’t normally do live events or shows, it definitely adds a unique twist and change of pace for our show, which is welcome after 300+ episodes!
