Meet Me in Music

Tim Convy — Ludo, Comedy & Building a Creative Life in St. Louis

• Neil Salsich

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On this episode of Meet Me in Music, host Neil Salsich sits down with musician, comedian, radio host, and longtime St. Louis creative Tim Convy for a conversation about chasing creativity across multiple worlds — from touring in a nationally recognized rock band to building a career in stand-up comedy, radio, and live entertainment.

Tim shares the story behind Ludo, the cult-favorite band that grew from DIY tours and local shows into a nationally touring act with appearances on late night television, MTV, and major festival stages. He reflects on the band’s rise, the realities of life on the road, and how Ludo unexpectedly became a phenomenon with fans still flying in from across the country for reunion shows today.

The conversation also explores Tim’s transition into comedy and radio after stepping away from music full time. He opens up about rediscovering performance through stand-up, learning to embrace authenticity on-air, and balancing creativity with marriage, fatherhood, and everyday life in St. Louis.

Neil and Tim dive into the evolution of radio, the overlap between music and comedy, the importance of community, and how creative ambitions shift over time. They also discuss punk rock Disney shows, touring memories, local music scenes, and why learning to appreciate the present matters just as much as chasing the next milestone.

More than anything, this episode is about reinvention — continuing to create, staying connected to what inspires you, and finding new ways to evolve as an artist.

They discuss:

  • The rise, breakup, and reunion of Ludo
  • Touring, late night TV, and life on MTV
  • Transitioning from music into stand-up comedy and radio
  • The evolution of radio and podcast culture
  • Balancing creativity, family life, and fatherhood
  • Punk rock Christmas and Disney cover shows
  • Building creative communities in St. Louis
  • Learning to appreciate success in the moment
  • The realities of touring, burnout, and reinvention
  • Performing Tim’s comedy song “Chiropractor” live


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Rolling Intro & Meeting Tim Convy

SPEAKER_01

But I always heard the name. But then I realized like that you guys were, you know, when you even when you were broken up that people were flying in from across the country for the shows and shit. It gets crazy. And then I realized, like, okay, this is legit.

SPEAKER_00

We were we just did Chicago this past weekend and uh we made all this like Chicago themed merch, you know, it's like the Chicago Bulls logo with a dragon because we sing about dragons and uh uh Bears logo, only it's on one of our other monsters, and then uh and it didn't you know, thinking it's all these Chicago people, and then the first night I go, uh hey, who's who's from out of state? Who's from not from Chicago? And it's like 70%. And we're like, oh man, that's why that stuff didn't sell. I mean, there were plenty of Chicago people there, but it when you do what we do, which is you only play every so often, and it's kind of this weird thing, it's uh wherever you are, it's not it's it's yeah, it's kind of people from all over, I guess. Cool.

SPEAKER_01

Are we by chance rolling? Okay, amazing. This is our first, what do we call that in the podcast world? Rolling intro. All right, shout out to Julia Fowler, our producer. Okay, folks, welcome back to Meet Me in Music. I am your host, Neil Salsek. So excited today to sit down with my new friend. That's right, Tim Convy. What's up, buddy? Okay, welcome. Welcome to this space. Thank you for bringing your story in

Podcasting, Radio & Authenticity

SPEAKER_01

here today. I'm pumped to be here. Meet me in music. I don't think I knew the title until right now. Okay, no one knew it because we just announced it's great today, even though this, you know, it'll take a couple weeks for this. So you're a podcast host. So what advice do you have for me?

SPEAKER_00

Oh, I don't know. Uh, I think you're gonna be great. Um, I don't have advice. I don't know that ours is even uh particularly fantastic. Um, yeah, just be the the beautiful thing about podcasts as opposed to say like radio, which I did for many years, is it is long form. People want to hear you be you, they want to hear your producer opening up a soda in the background. Yeah, they no, no, that's that's that's that's your best stuff. This is amazing. Diet Coke, it sounded delicious.

SPEAKER_01

Uh oh, we need like a Diet Coke uh pipeline in here, too.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, but I think I think that's the beauty of it is you get to just be completely cool and real, the more authentic. That's what people respond to. That's why the medium is is become such a thing. So uh I think most people with a microphone in front of them are tempted to sort of um post and keep it moving and this and that. And that's that's that's not what people respond to as much in my uh experience.

SPEAKER_01

I I love your mic technique, by the way. You're you're working it like no other guests because I can tell that's the radio host in you. Yeah, I can I can tell. And so what am I doing differently? Well, no, you're just what you're more um, you're right. You're like leaning on the desk. It's good. No, it's like you're like, because you're just you're you know what you're working with, you know? And I I I appreciate that. I'm learning so much from you, my friend. I really am. I'm so con I'm a sponge today. There we go. Okay, good. I'm glad. So actually, okay, I'm kind of this is congrats on the pod on this, all this stuff. This is really this is cool.

SPEAKER_00

I think you've reached a a a cool move, and I'm excited about it.

SPEAKER_01

We're gonna we're like a mom and pop podcast until your episode comes out, and then it's gonna be sold-out house of blues live taping.

SPEAKER_00

Uh manage your expectations on on what the Tim Convy episode is gonna be. I'm overexposed, I'm everywhere. But no, I think people this will be overexposed.

SPEAKER_01

I know, man.

SPEAKER_00

This'll be this'll be different and cool. And I yeah, I do think people will respond to it.

SPEAKER_01

So the reason I'm I'm doing this podcast and the reason I'm bringing you in today is to kind of like uh I want to definitely tell the story of Ludo. I actually want to learn the story of Ludo. Yeah. So we're gonna get into that. Okay. Um, but tell me actually weirdly, I want to start with the radio stuff. Sure. Cause I'm kind of a weird radio nerd now. And so, but the the minute I discover you, you leave the why are you a weird radio nerd? Because because now in this day and age, I love the um

Falling Back in Love with Radio

SPEAKER_01

the I guess the curation of radio. Like it's not the infinite streaming options, it's just like it feels old school. Yeah, it's like I call it analog, even though I guess it's digital radio, but it it feels like when I get into the car, this this started a couple years ago. I'd get into the car after a gig and I'd be like, You always want to listen to music on the way home because you're feeling good. You just did a great gig, but I was like so sick of I couldn't decide what to listen to. I started just scanning the dial. Yeah, and it was kind of awesome. Yeah. And I'd go it I'd find everything from like, and then you get on the AM dial and you're finding bizarre stuff at 11 p.m. at night. Yeah. There's a show on 550, by the way, uh KTRS called Thanks for the Memories. Yeah. With this old guy named Terry. And it's just like it's like the weirdest mo it's like um music my grandmother plays, you know. What's that guy um Ink Enkelbert Humperdink of stuff? You know, anyway. The point is I think that's kind of like a lost, I don't know, a lost, a lost art. And I want to know about your years on the radio because I missed them.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, I uh so I I did radio right up until uh June. So I left, yeah. Well in June. I was on the Courtney show on 1065 The Arts. Okay. Um I so I did radio fully for like eight or nine years, I guess. It was, I mean, we'll get into it when we talk Lilo and and everything else. But I um man, long story short, I was living in New York. I came back to St. Louis um before a job started in LA uh and ended up being in St. Louis kind of longer than I expected. And I I I grew up here, yeah um, sort of toured full time, then moved away, never expected to to to be back here. But in that time where the job kept getting pushed back, um, I just sort of fell in love with St. Louis as an as an adult. Yeah. Um so moved to LA and then kind of missed it here and thought, like, man, I kind of wish I had an excuse to come back. And um, a long story short, I was, I was, I was close with a guy named Tommy Mattern who had played Ludo back in the day on the point. And he was like, You should he knew I was doing comedy, and uh, somebody from the station had had had seen me do stand up, and he was like, You should come work for me. We'll put you on air. And I I jokingly was like, uh, if you give me my own morning show, I'll do it. Like, ha ha ha. They got you. Yeah. So I moved to LA, and then one day he calls, and it was right when I was kind of like, man, I miss St. Louis. I miss comedy in St. Louis. Um, and the project I was working on was great, but it was kind of clear that that wasn't gonna last forever. Um, and he called and was like, I think I have a morning show for you. And so we talked and talked and talked, and I I was eager to get back and made it work, and then it it turned into whatever it was, eight, nine years on radio with a little break in there. Um and so yeah, I was on, I was on uh I started on a station called Now 96.3 that doesn't exist anymore. Okay. Um and then I was on Y98 and then uh on the arch with Courtney Landrum, who's one of my closest friends and kind of a a a radio legend here. So um yeah, I learned a ton. I'm I was a few years into comedy already, so that so comedy kind of started before that. Um and then had been around radio a ton with music thing. Ludo did you know, radio interviews everywhere we went. And um so yeah, I learned a lot. Uh you know, sort of it was a bit of a crash course. Um because there's so many people that like that's what they want to do growing up, and they they they they start young, and I was sort of starting uh, I think I was 36 or something. Um so yeah, it was it was it was fun. Combining kind of music and comedy and all that, and I I've I've only ever done morning shows. Um and yeah, it was it was a good it was a real good run. But I I I had taken on so many things, I was like, I've gotta I gotta make some choices and and uh stepped away.

SPEAKER_01

Well and and podcasts are is kind of the new radio. I mean, so it it makes me a little bit sad to and weirdly like pre-nostalgic to think about radio because it because I I think I think it's so vibrant and there's so much happening on it. But I I wonder if I don't know. I wonder what's gonna happen to it or if enough people are gonna discover it. Because I'm the minority. Right. And my friends, I'm I love it. Yeah, but I'm the minority.

SPEAKER_00

It's evolving and the industry is kind of like you know, trying to find a way to keep it, but most of the big radio companies are expanding into uh podcasts and all the digital stuff, and and um, you know, in a place like St. Louis, it's so great because St. Louis is so uh uh sort of insulated, um, and it is, you know, local, local, local. It's what you're you're listening to people who are in this town right now and they're looking out the window and talking about the weather that you're experiencing, or talking about the traffic that you're experiencing, and or or or the the Cardinals game last night or the blues latest trade, stuff like that. I mean, that's what I think is is is real, real valuable. Jokes about you know parts of town, yeah, stuff like that. Like that that stuff is special, and and and when it's all over, I think we'll miss that. But um it is uh yeah, man. And just uh, you know, the music. Just like you said, uh something that's kind of more curated for you. And you're it's not, you know, for a long time there. I think people were listening to their own playlist and their own this and that, and it's it's fun to not that you're discovering brand new music, but songs you didn't you hadn't thought about for a while.

SPEAKER_01

Think about it though. That's nice. You can just like take it in.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

I think we are gonna swing, we are kind of swinging back towards that. Somehow people are realizing like this is overwhelming. Yeah, like the mind, like whatever it is, streaming or just the the whole options that we have. It's just like it's too much.

SPEAKER_00

There's something very comforting about just turning on a station you know, voices you know, stuff like that.

SPEAKER_01

Looking

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Discovering Ludo & Early Career Stories

SPEAKER_01

do you uh speaking of like comfort and nostalgia and old school things, what I don't know anything about you? So we don't know each other very well. I know.

SPEAKER_00

This is a raw interview. We've crossed paths a few times and had uh pleasant interactions. And uh I've I've been a fan uh for a little bit. Um, but we don't we've never like hung out, we don't really know each other.

SPEAKER_01

And so this is cool, man. I know having a great time. Very publicly hanging out. Yeah, that's the that's the world in 2026. Great, you know, for better or for worse, right? So actually, okay, so then scratch that whole question I was just gonna ask you. We were hanging out, and you had mentioned you, you go, this is when I knew I wanted to have you on because you were like, We said something about Ludo, and you said, Well, we did, we did late night, we did this, we did MTV, but we never did SNL. And like what so, but but that I go, Oh my god, I gotta hear that whole story, dude.

SPEAKER_00

It's a thing I I I uh I've said frequently on on Twitter. But it's a good little zinger. Yeah, it was basically just just uh yeah, for people who don't know, uh I was in a band called Ludo. So right after college, I went to Mizzou and then started this band with a few guys. And um So it started at Mizzou. No, I finished Mizzou and then uh so I finished Mizzou with the intention of going to work at MTV. So I spent uh several summers in college working at MTV. They offered me a job, and but but right as a writer or like what do you uh producer? Producing. Yeah, so I was a uh a production assistant, then an associate producer, and I was like, this is gonna be my career, this is what I'm gonna do. And then two friends uh who had been playing music together for a little bit, um, were like, that's a long story too, but they're like, come join, come do Ludo with us. I called MTV, and I'm like, uh give me a few more months, but push, push it back, push it back. I'll see how this goes. And then many, many years passed. Whoa. And I did end up going back to MTV for two other stints later in life.

SPEAKER_01

That's a rock story already. You're hey MTV, sorry. I'm gonna go join a band.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, they weren't exactly it's I it make it sound like they were just like, what's Tim Convy doing? We need him for the future of MTV. It was more just like, yeah, I had a spot there. But um, so just anyway, we just started this band and we toured uh independently and booked our own shows, would play anywhere. We did open mics, we did, you know, whatever. So we'd play for pizza, the whole thing, built a bit of a fan base. What is this? Give us a timeline too.

SPEAKER_01

A little circus. Oh, sure.

SPEAKER_00

So uh 2003, okay, like spring of 2003. I was like, that's it. I'm cool, you know, I'm in. And then um started touring that summer and and and whatever. But to get to to jump ahead to the conversation that we had, Ludo had some success.

Touring, MTV & Major Label Success

SPEAKER_00

Um, we played, I we talked about this.

SPEAKER_01

That's not that's that is not just some success. And I don't want to be like, oh, the glory days, like, yeah, but I just I didn't know all this stuff, yeah.

SPEAKER_00

And we we, you know, did a bunch of stuff on our own, attracted some attention. We did the whole uh South by Southwest and the bidding, and they were all giving us offers or whatever, and ended up on Island Records.

SPEAKER_01

What uh this is like I can't believe this.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, it was awesome. And we could go into whatever part of it you want, but to bring it full circle to what we talked about that night, um, we had some success. We played this night show, we played on Jimmy Kimball, we were on MTV Cribs, uh, a bunch of really, really, really cool stuff. And the point I was making is that at that point in my youth, um, I was so fixated on the next thing that I didn't enjoy all of it. And when I people have heard me say there's a bunch, but like we're on uh MTV and I wanted to be on a late night show, we were on Kimball and I wanted to be on Leno. We were on Leno, I wanted to be on SNL, and that never happened. Um and you can't go back and sort of change that stuff. So with everything that I do now, um I just try to appreciate it, I appreciate it so much more because looking back, I was in that fight. The balance is, you know, to get to those places, you kind of have to do have that maniacal, I'm worried about the next thing.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

Um and, you know, a lot of people that have, you know, sort of big success, that's kind of the path. Whether they're happy or not is a whole different conversation. But, you know, with everything that I try to do now, and this is what we were talking about that night, is I try to appreciate all of the little things and uh not get too caught up in in in the next thing, like enjoy it, or else there's no there's no point. And I can look back fondly on all that stuff now, and I'm I'm so proud of all of it and grateful and and and and and lucky in a lot of ways. Um But yeah, at the time you're you're kind of in it and you're worried about the next. So that was the conversation.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, no, and it was like a little bit of um advice in a good way, you know. Like you were kind of just telling me that

Appreciating Success & Creative Perspective

SPEAKER_01

you were it was with me and and Thomas Payton, who was actually the guest. That's who you had on who I met that night. Yeah, it's great. Three of us talking. Yeah, awesome. And that was a magical night. How many, how many podcast episodes are gonna stem from Dave Grelli's magical house party? Probably quite a few, you know. Yeah, and you're so cool, by the way, that you left before the music even you were the cool no, that was like you were like, I'm out, dog, after a couple before the music even got started. You were just like, I got you were like, I gotta go to another party.

SPEAKER_00

And I should keep my mouth shut and let you let you think that I had somewhere cooler to be. But in fact, I just had two small children that I needed to get home to, and I'm permanently exhausted for that very reason.

SPEAKER_01

Uh no, I wish I had stayed for the music. It was actually, it turned out to be amaz an amazing night, but it was the conversation beforehand and then the music later.

SPEAKER_00

I've seen video of the music, and yeah, I wish I had been a part of it. It was really special. I was just so happy to be out

Balancing Creativity, Comedy & Family Life

SPEAKER_00

of the house.

SPEAKER_01

So yeah, dude, it was it was a cool, it was a gathering of different creatives and people intersecting. It was pretty, it was there was some good chemistry that night. So how do you actually do it all um with like a family and stuff? I mean, how do you what what is a day in the life? And how are you how are you feeding your your artistry? Right. I mean, because we both know that needs constant attention. Yeah. And then and then you're and then you're feeding this other, you know, literally feeding mouse. Yes, you know.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. I mean, I don't, you know, I wish I could tell you I had it all figured out and like, well, here's the key, but like I don't. Every day is just like figuring it out. And, you know, there are days where I'm like, cool, this it feels like there's a good balance today. And days where I'm like, what am I doing? What am I doing with my life? What am I, you know, like like so I don't know, you just kind of do your best. It's a it's a whole different ballgame, you know, now that there's there's uh uh uh children and and and a and a wife. I've been married um almost five years, so it all and and and like COVID hit. So my wife, my life is so wildly different um than it was before then. And before then, I was sort of like could do the maniacal, like I'm in maniacal pursuit, my time is my own, and I whatever. And and but um I always knew even then like I wanted other things, and I maybe was a little cavalier about like, and I'm gonna balance it all and it's all gonna be great. And um it's a it's a challenge, certainly, but um it's still it's still all worth it. It's worth certainly worth, you know, uh getting married, having a family and all that. And, you know, I've had some really big wins just in that those those last few years and things I'm excited about and a lot of things, you know, a lot of projects and um uh I don't know, fulfilling victories that I don't think I'd have had had I not uh made the choices I did to to be here, uh have a family and and and live that life. So it's good. Especially with you know um stand-up, it offers just all kinds of uh perspective for me, which is good in my writing and everything else. What is it? Tell me, what do you mean by that? Uh being able to, you know, you're writing stand-up, you're getting in front of an audience and trying to relate to them and actually, you know, uh just having the perspective of having not only being able to be like, here's what marriage is like and here's what kids are like and relating to an audience, but just having those um those experiences and it it just makes you you know larger uh just more things to sort of draw from. I mean in music too, that you're as you as you express yourself to other people. Does that make sense? Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

No, I'm struck in this moment too, with um how I I I can identify with all the musical stuff, the experiences that you've had, or just if you talk about what it's like to write music or perform music and and uh relate to an audience as a musician, but I don't know anything about what it's like to relate to that through the stand-up comedy

Music, Stand-Up Comedy & Performance

SPEAKER_01

thing. And I think that's really um fascinating to have here. And but you know both worlds. That's really interesting. I don't think a lot of people can say that.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, it's uh there's a surprising amount of of sort of uh crossover or people, you know, a lot of comics who were, you know, musicians.

SPEAKER_01

And I have kind of a unique um But I don't think most comics like have the music bona fides that you have. Yeah, maybe yeah, maybe not. Sometimes when I hear comics do their music thing, like it's mm.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, it's painful sometimes.

SPEAKER_01

Not even painful, it's just not like it doesn't have the weight or the the authenticity, like the legitimacy.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, you know. Yes, that's true. I've been lucky enough to to um because you're in a real rock band.

SPEAKER_01

I mean, yeah, I know that Ludo does not actively play, but you still do some really big shows. Yeah, a few times a year. That's where I also started. Ludo was on my radar. Um I'm realizing uh you do Ludoine at the Ludoine, yeah.

SPEAKER_00

How Ludoin's no one can say it. Sorry.

SPEAKER_01

But no, I read an article in the post dispatch online as we do these days, but I mean, they were interviewing fans flying in from I think internationally. Is that that that's and I'm going, whoa, man, who is this this Ludo band? But you know, like they they have some serious mojo. Yeah. That's anyway. I don't even know where I was going with that, but that's that's when I first realized, like, whoa, I gotta figure out the story of Ludo. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

So I mean, basically, and you dive in whenever you want, because I could talk about it all day long,

The Story of Ludo’s Breakup & Reunion

SPEAKER_00

because it is it's it's uh it's all quite a story, but um, yeah, we're just real uh we stopped playing in 2000. Like I said, we had the major label stuff. Um what was what I mean why'd we stop? Yeah. Yeah, it's a great question. I mean, I don't know if you can No, I yeah, I mean the I always use this metaphor. Um you you're going on a road trip with somebody, right? And five of you hop in that car, right? And uh you're going to Kansas City, right? And you go, everything goes well, everyone's like, we're going to Kansas City, it's gonna be great. And then you get to Kansas City. Nobody talked about what you're gonna do when you got to Kansas City. And one guy wants to turn around and go home, one guy wants to go north to Canada, one guy wants to go to Mexico, one guy wants to go west to California, uh one guy wants to get another a different kind of car, one guy wants to take a bicycle, one you know and so it was this um you know, well oiled, efficient yet dysfunctional machine that got to that place that we wanted to be, and then we're all on yeah, different pages about what was next and um So it just sort of uh stopped.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, no, that that makes that makes perfect sense. Being in a band myself now, I I totally understand that analogy. Somehow my vehicle is still which actually we're still trying to get to Kansas City. Right. Okay. You guys are doing great. We did. We got to Columbia and we were like, hell yeah. Yeah. And so now we're trying to get to Kansas City. And uh, you know, that's why I'm so fascinated with all your your accolades and your stories, because those are things that I still want or or want some version of them.

SPEAKER_00

Right. And that evolves. I think that's so important too, is like you can't, you know, if you had all the goals from when you were uh a child, you'd, you know, still be trying to be a uh a scientist or a firefighter or an astronaut. That's the word I was looking for. Um, you know, like it it it evolves, and and and and that doesn't mean settling, even though sometimes it it it uh it's a challenge for it not to feel that way. But um yeah, it it changes, it changes a lot.

SPEAKER_01

Okay, I have one more question on the Ludo thing. We can talk about Ludo as long as you want. I'm very curious about that, and I know our listeners will be, but there's so much else that I'm curious about and want to cover. But I do want to here's from the from the bandmate uh logistical person inside of me. Who is organizing all of these the the pageant shows and the house of blues shows two were those two shows up in Chicago, yeah that were sold out or close to it? We did pretty well, yeah. I mean, in my mind, I'm I'm looking, I'm scrolling and looking at it sold out to me. It was awesome, and I'm seeing you pretty practically crowd surfing in one of your pictures and getting a white, you're up in you're in white satin, white jump stuff. Dude, it's incredible. And I'm like, this guy's coming to the podcast this morning, like he's just the house of blues in dressed in all white 48 hours ago. So who's 24 hours ago?

SPEAKER_00

I was changing diapers and and and and uh yeah.

SPEAKER_01

That's an inc that's an incredible arc, by the way. But but yeah, how who's behind all the you guys have like a manager or something?

SPEAKER_00

No, it's us now. So the to to just to put a a a little bit of a a pin in the first part.

Managing Reunion Shows & Touring Logistics

SPEAKER_00

So we the Kansas City thing, the analogy, we um uh we split, we stopped playing, six years passed, and then we got back together for a reunion show at the pageant. Um uh people you know think I'm kidding, but we didn't know who was gonna. I mean, we knew we were capable of playing the pageant. 200 people would be there, but it sold out an hour. We added another one and sold out an hour, and then it's just it's gonna become this thing. And then in this Ludo 2.0, we call it that started in 2018. Um, we've recorded a few songs and put them out, and then we do um do Halloween every year, and then we've gone, we've done Chicago a couple times, and we'll do little things. We've gotten to play uh Point Fest here in town, and we did we did a thing with the Cardinals where we did like Ludo night at the ballpark, which is incredible. So cool. Um, so we're real lucky to have this kind of second thing because for a long time, you know, we didn't know. I mean, we went six years without ever even being in a in a in a room together, um, and then figured it all out. But to answer your question, uh yeah, I mean, we all kind of work together and we've got we've got a a a nice little team of sort of friends. It's all it's it's um uh people that kind of help. And I'm I'm doing a lot quite a bit of um of the uh because I can see it looks like a big operation to me.

SPEAKER_01

I mean, putting on one Mighty Pine show feels like a semester project to me. I mean, but so then you guys are doing all these on a such a bigger scale, and I'm I'm just admiring.

SPEAKER_00

It's a lot, people don't realize that how much work goes into it. And and we have like our very first tour manager is still a close friend, and uh, you know, he's not in entertainment at all, but comes out to help us do this. And so it just it it I always joke it runs on enthusiasm um with this sort of team that we've put together. Um, but yeah, I mean we were doing some stuff back then and and you know, learn some things and and yeah, I mean it it takes a lot of work and we're lucky to have people around us to uh to pull them all off. And and yeah, it's it's fun. It's exhausting, but it's great. What is your favorite uh Ludo song? Oh wow. Um my favorite Ludo song, period, is a song called Hum Along from the First Record, because it's a song that Andrew,

Favorite Ludo Songs & Musical Legacy

SPEAKER_00

our singer, had written um before I joined the band. And I'd say that song is why I was like, I'm in. Let's do this. I'm calling MTV. Here we go. I just believe that that was that was I mean, every everything that that that that um that he did they'd written that that that he and Tim, the other Tim did together. I was like, I'm in. But that one in particular is my favorite song overall. Cool.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah,

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SPEAKER_01

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Comedy Music & Creative Reinvention

SPEAKER_01

All right, I've got some homework to do, and I'm excited. Yeah. I'll make you playlist and it'll be great. No, it's when I I've the whole time I'm just I'm I'm hearing. I found Godalytic converts. Yeah, that's you that's right to the dome a couple days ago for the first time. And I'm like, man, I just I missed. I missed the Yeah, it's okay.

SPEAKER_00

I'm gonna go back and plenty of Ludwig. And some of the new stuff we've done, I think you I'm we did um Dead Man's Party by Oengo Boingo. We did a cover of that. It was our last thing we put out, and it turned out the funky butt guys played horns on it. Wow. And uh so cool. Yeah, so cool.

SPEAKER_01

It's pretty ripping. That's an amazing legacy. So, but as we're talking here, I'm realizing so this whole comedy thread though has been there the whole time. Yeah, not the whole, no, not the whole time. Because you were like, I wanted to do comedy before I move. You're talking about when you were, you know, nine years ago before you did the arch yeah radio show, you're talking about comedy. So yeah, it's been it's been in the mix for a minute.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, so Ludo Stops. Um, and I was in New York, um, and kind of in the in the music industry still. So I ran a uh a small independent label putting records out.

SPEAKER_01

And this is the coolest thing I've ever heard. You were I was well, I was in New York. So after I called MTV and I said, hey, hold it, MTV. I'm gonna join a band. Yeah, and the band was like too popular and like too successful. We didn't know what to do. So then I like started, come on, dude. I love this, by the way.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, it's I mean, yeah, I don't know. I like to, I don't know. You ran an independent what is the strokes on your label? No, no, no, no, no. Very small. Uh but it put out stuff I I believed in and and we had a little bit for that. Well, first of all, what was the label called? Uh Redbird Records and Touring. So it was the label that basically we started when we put up the first two Ludo records, which we did on our own before signing to Island. And then when we did the Island stuff, they would they it was sort of an imprint or whatever where they put the logo on there, which we were real proud of. And and then so when Ludo kind of shut down, I started doing that and managing some artists, stuff I loved and believed in and and and anything that I would know or that okay. Yeah, stuff that they're still great, and I'll send you the music, and it's yeah, it's it's wonderful, and some of the artists are still uh active. There's some there's some some people have spun into some kind of cool careers, but no, it was it's not like uh little band called The Walkmen or something like that. Yeah, it was uh although you never know.

SPEAKER_01

I spent so so much of my youth just downloading random 99 cent songs from iTunes or free downloads. You never know. I mean, I was listening to some random stuff that I'll that I forget about until someone brings up and go, Oh my god, that was like my favorite song for six weeks. Yeah when I was 18.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, no, there's some there were some cool stuff. Uh so I did that and then um went back to MTV for a minute in there, which is real fun. And for a minute was like I might go just be back to being a TV guy. Um but got super burnt out on music and and and just that that the the business the business wasn't as much fun when I wasn't an artist anymore.

SPEAKER_01

Um what what is our timeline now, too? I'm trying to track this.

SPEAKER_00

Oh so this is uh 2012? Okay,

Discovering Stand-Up Comedy

SPEAKER_00

like like like like Ludo played its last show um spring of 2012, I guess. And then I was in New York doing different things and then ended up back in St. Louis, I would say 14. And then picked up the radio. Which is when I started stand up. So 14, I started stand-up. Started stand-up and kind of shifted into this. I'm gonna go into television, I want to write and produce, and I was writing, writing, writing, and doing stand up. I was like, this is kind of gonna be it. Moved to LA to work on a show, um, which was great, but like I said, I missed missed St. Louis.

SPEAKER_01

What show was that?

SPEAKER_00

Uh Not Safe with Nikki Glazer. Okay. Yeah, on Comedy Central. Okay.

SPEAKER_01

I know you have some connections.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, yeah. She's how I started stand up. She um she and my brother uh been kind of on again, off again for however long that's been. Yeah. They're on 12 years. I I haven't talked to him to I haven't talked to him today. Um, but she and anyway, I would come home from dates and tell stories, and she's like, You you need to do stand-up. And uh I was like, okay. And uh and then I I I did it. So when I was back here in St. Louis and it was just like kind of lost, like, I don't know, I don't know what I want to do. I don't want to be in the music business, and I don't think I want to be in New York anymore. Um, and I went to an open mic just to do it, just to like Nikki Glazer said I should do stand-up. And um just that first time loved it, and I was like, oh, this is I'm gonna do this for a long time.

SPEAKER_01

You loved it the first time. I mean and I think it wasn't terrifying, or maybe it was, but you still loved it.

SPEAKER_00

It was terrifying. I went several weeks before to kind of scout out the open mic and be and you see people who are awesome and you're like, this is amazing, but you also see people who are terrible, and you're like, I think I can at least do better than that guy. And um went up and did it. What I also don't think I realized at the time was that I my life had gone from being on stage um five or six nights a week or you know, an hour and a half a night to not at all. And that was that that I I I love that. That's adrenaline, you know. I don't I don't I don't do I don't do any drugs, I don't drink, I don't do anything like that. But man, I love performing. And I don't think I realized it at the time, but then getting up for that four minutes, which I say it went well, I didn't, it was it went fine, yeah, but it was it it it kind of came back, and then I just started doing it, and then it was like I can't get enough. So I I think I realized just what that did to me. Um you know, not physically, but like like it did you you you probably can't go, you can't do what I did and just stop that completely. It really affected me. So so getting back into it, especially with it, it was a whole new rush. It wasn't, you know, I could play a Ludo second with my eyes closed by then, but this was terrifying. And it was getting up there and lights and the microphone, and it's only you and your heart's beating, and and um, you gotta land this thing. And I'm it was a really weird feeling for me too, just being so um, you know, Ludo shows were all gonna go, they were all gonna go pretty well by the end of it. I mean, we were awful when we started, and I'm happy to talk about that. But by the time things are wrapping up, we knew what we were doing. And uh so to just get up and sort of confidently, and you kind of know how this is gonna go, and then all of a sudden, I'm like, wait a minute, I'm I'm I I I know how I I I know how to make people, you know, do cheer and clap, but I'm nope, all gone. See ya. Yeah. Just gotta try to make them laugh. And uh it was yeah, terrifying, but just such a rush. And I was like, Oh, I think I'm addicted to this. And uh that was the beginning of comedy. So then moved to LA, was still doing comedy, but missed missed it in St. Louis. I knew I had um I had just more to do in St. Louis. I mean I also just it reconnected with friends and and and and just wanted to be back here. Um so when that show ended and the radio opportunity came up, it just seemed like that's what I was supposed to do. So I was like, LA's not going anywhere, the TV industry's not I none of that stuff is going anywhere. Um I'm gonna go back and try this radio thing. And um did that, loved it, committed myself even more to stand up, and and um, yeah, that was it.

SPEAKER_01

You feel like the radio uh

Radio, Crowd Work & Comedy Writing

SPEAKER_01

thing you were doing sharpened your comedy because it's kind of reactive and like on the spot. That's probably the thing I'm impressed about comics the most is how on the spot they are and quick and like but it's funny and it's totally legit. But yeah, I don't know. Is that is that all stuff thought up in advance? Oh, like crowd work stuff? I don't know. Yeah, some of it is different comedy.

SPEAKER_00

It's different. I mean, man, comedy like I'm a noob, bro. Yeah, it's uh a lot of say people are saying crowd work's you know ruining stand up because there's so much uh crowd work is so popular online that people show up to comedy shows expecting to just get crowd work, right? And the the the problem is if you're a comedian, um you don't necessarily want to post all of your jokes, but if you have a fun crowd work moment, you'll post that. But it's sort of become um it is it is shifted the way people take in comedy for sure. Um but to answer your question about is it thought up in advance? Some of it is. Sometimes there's moments where people, it's just this genuine thing. These guys typically are pretty sharp. A lot of comics though, you have your kind of preloaded, you kind of know where it's gonna go. Or I'm gonna ask this question. If somebody says this, I got this. If they say this, I've got this, or weave it together, which is you know, crowd work, stuff like that. That's all also quite a skill, too. Absolutely. It just it's just different. So but to answer your question about the radio helping, yeah, I think it was good just to be stay sharp. I mean, it's a it's a different, it's definitely a different thing. An audience uh and no audiences that it makes a big difference. Um, but you know, even you you're you're sort of in this place of like trying to be funny, trying to be funny. So I'd come up with something that would then make it my act that night. Wow. You know, or jokes I still tell that are from a uh thing that happened in the moment on the radio.

SPEAKER_01

When do you um so you're working out some comedy in the uh in the 2010s here in St. Louis? When when was maybe like the first victory

First Wins in Comedy

SPEAKER_01

for you? Other than that first night, you know, that you said like, oh, I can do this, but when when when did it feel like I don't know?

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, I think I actually might have even brought this up uh when we talked the other night at Dave's. I um I was doing open mics and doing open mics, and then somebody uh a comic at the Valley Park Funny Bone, which doesn't exist anymore, was like, Do you want to host the open mic tonight? Because it was just different guys took turns, and I was like, Yeah. And uh hosted the open mic, and they and I didn't know I was getting paid, and they gave me thirty dollars afterwards. Yeah, and I was like, Cool, thanks, man, cool. And then I went in my car and like started crying because I was like, This I just this is this is real. Like, yeah, this is what I'm gonna do. Like things are gonna be all right. And and uh yeah, it was cool. So that was a big one. Wow. And then even that, like it was I my first year, year or two in comedy were so great because it was um I was comfortable being on stage already. It was more about kind of like learning how to write jokes and just just some of that stuff, and it's it's all I did. I had you know, I was I was things were a little rough for me leaving New York, and I just like I said, I was kind of lost. The band, you know, stopping really, really affected me. Um so I just kind of committed myself completely to that. And uh you know, there was a a a contest of the funny bone, and I came in third, and and and I was you know, eight months into comedy, and then they were like, You you know, I got uh the uh paid work hosting for a weekend, and it just started um good things started happening. So those those those were the wins. The contest and the yeah, that 30 bucks was messy. I didn't know much to me.

SPEAKER_01

I didn't know where that story was going. So because you hadn't told me that before. Oh, okay. And I liked it. And I was like, is he gonna get 30 bucks? Is he gonna gamble that online? I couldn't tell, and then he wins 3,000, and then he, you know, no, it's it was just it was just the first money I made doing stand-up, and it was like, oh, this can it it was just such a yeah, such a moment for me. So I'm also um and I will say your song chiropractor got a genuine laugh out of it.

Comedy Songs & Musical Collaboration

SPEAKER_01

Good, I'm gonna be. I mean, that has a real I'm glad to hear that punchline. Yeah. Because so, so I love Kevin. You're he's kind of like your your comedian sidekick or your musical kind of guy. So, and and that the more I listen, the more I get to know you and listen to the music, it makes sense because uh Kevin's got this total um aliveness to his like it makes total sense that he's to i in this comedy scene too. But tell me about what you guys do and how that happened.

SPEAKER_00

So I I mean, I think when I started comedy, you know, you people who knew about Ludo were like, Oh, you're gonna are you gonna play music? And I I just didn't, I didn't want to at all. Partially because I think, like you had mentioned, a lot of the comics you see who incorporate music, you're just like, oh, it was just a little bit lame. And I think also I was so uh the Ludo thing I think broke my heart so much. And I was so I just was like, and and then those years in New York afterwards of what I was just like, I just want to get away from it. This is a new thing. Then 2018 Ludo comes back, and um, you know, I started shortly after that was playing music with people and started the this punk rock project. I think I told you a little bit about.

SPEAKER_01

And no, I'm glad you brought that up. Yeah, we have got to talk about that too.

SPEAKER_00

Um, so I was like, oh, I'm I it's music kind of came back, which I guess I kind of knew it always would. Um, and then I started playing like writing some comedy songs, and um Kevin Bowers uh is we kind of grew up together and we've known each other since we were 13, 14. Um, and just music eyes just bonded over music. You know, there'd be a high school party and we'd be in the car listening into the new whatever. And no, what would you be listening to? Dude, I remember uh we I we talked about this recently. Uh Tool comes out and I was like, I don't really like tool. And he's like, What do you mean? I'm like, it's not for me. You know, I thought I knew everything, and uh, he's like, let's go, car. So we're in, you know, somebody's dad's explorer. Yeah. Uh and he puts on whatever the tool, I mean, animal, I don't know what it was. And uh uh he starts kind of telling me why tool is cool and doing the counts, you know, one, two, three, four, one, two, three, one, two, three, four, one, two, three, one, two, one, two, you know, and um, and I was like, it kind of I was like, oh man, yeah, they're doing this. Is pretty this is pretty cool stuff. So things like that. And then like um, you know, we were all like MU330 local band was is is um stuff like that we were into, would go see those shows. That's why Ludo wouldn't exist if not for MU330. Tim Farrell and I, the guitarist, became friends because in high school he was wearing an MU330 t-shirt, and I was like, I didn't know anybody knew who they were.

SPEAKER_01

And we started talking. Yeah, yeah. Oh, okay. But that was before your time. That was like a whole generation before mu330, right? MU330, correct. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That was like, okay.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, they were they were they're they're older, they're you know St. Louis Uh shout out, by the way. Yeah, exactly. Alma mater. Oh, are you Slow? Yeah, I didn't know that. Yeah, um, yeah, like the Urge and MU330 and all that was like, yeah, when we were in high school, you'd go see those shows and like they went to the schools that we went to, and they would you'd see them at the the the drive-thru at Hardy's, and it was just the coolest thing. And MU330, I mean, it's such an impact. Uh, MU330 had an album where you know the songs are about living in a van. The songs are about driving to the next place, and like the we didn't get paid that night. We all shared a uh uh we barely had enough for a hotel room, and and and as a kid, I was just like, that's it. Let's sign sign me up. Yeah, all that. And then that's what that's what Luto did. I mean, it was living in a van and all those things, and it was, yeah, just love that band. Um, so Bowers and I. So I started, I was like, Kevin, I wrote some songs and I'm starting to headline uh some comedy shows, and I want to end it with a little bit of music, come up, and it where it is ended up is nowhere like what I pictured at the beginning. Um, because now it's like we're we're a band, like it's the two of us, and we'll we'll end my comedy shows, but we're also playing shows now that it's just comedy and bowers, and and um and it's so fun. So it's it's it's it's very us, you know. I I play keys and ludo, and um I have no real business playing guitar in uh to any degree. You can hold it down, but I can't I I barely hold it down, but that was kind of part of this thing too, is like uh I joke a lot about being a keyboard player and having a chip on my shoulder about it. And but comedy's now I'm gonna sing, now I'm gonna play guitar. Yeah, yeah. And it's uh and then Kevin is just a you know world-class musician next to me while I'm like hammering out power chords, and uh there's something comedic about that too. But now, you know, we've got we have 15, 16 songs, and we're playing all over, and um, it's just it's cool and it feels it just feels great to kind of be back in music

Punk Rock Christmas, Disney & Creative Projects

SPEAKER_00

and stuff. I'm I'm I'm passionate about and in in writing again. Um, it's very, very cool. And then the punk rock thing is uh um there's a guy in town town named Moon Valjean who I another radio roll. We go way back as he was in Story of the Year, who it who was breaking, you know, right when Ludo was starting. We were like, those guys are there from here, and and and then we did a warp tour together. Together became friends and then he heard such cool stories. I don't think I'd end up on the radio if he hadn't already started in in radio. And and um so we go way back and and um I had this idea from that I had had eight years before, and one day I said it out loud to him. I was like, I want to do uh punk rock Christmas. I want to do punk rock covers of Christmas songs someday. And he goes, No, we're doing it this year. And he got on the phone, he's like, I'm calling uh John from the Urge. I'm like, okay. And he called him right there. Next thing I know, the three of us are out to lunch and um put it all put it all together. And then so we did that, that was so fun, and we're like, what else can we do? So we also do uh Can You Feel the Punk Theater, which is punk rock Disney, and uh so those shows are those shows are big. So fun. Yeah, May 2nd, we're doing the next Disney one. Um and it's become cra I mean, we took that up to Chicago and we did it at the Trustfield Amphitheater. Incredible.

SPEAKER_01

Um you are you are truly a fan of like many different scenes and many different talents. That's a lot of people can't say that, actually. Yeah, and I'm I admire that.

SPEAKER_00

I'm fortunate. And I also am just like nobody uh yeah, I don't know. People don't people should stop me from doing some of these things. Nobody does. No one stopped

Reflecting on Creativity & Legacy

SPEAKER_00

you today.

SPEAKER_01

You're here, yeah, exactly. Uh oh no, this has been amazing. You know, wow. I'm just I'm just energized and buzzed by all these stories. Like, you could actually write a memoir run one day. I don't know.

SPEAKER_00

No, you really could be.

SPEAKER_01

Come on, I think it would be. I think a lot of people, when you just casually are just like, we're on warp tour with story of the year. I mean, that's that's really amazing. You have an incredible legacy. Um thank you so much for joining me and sharing this. And and so many people, listeners out there, uh, are gonna be inspired and curious about all the the stories of the past, those great, uh, great music and the great legacy you have, and all the stuff you're doing today in 2026. I'm excited to see it. I'm excited to catch some comedy live and see the punk rock Christmas.

SPEAKER_00

You gotta come sing with uh punk rock Disney or punk rock Christmas. I would be on the show. Did you do that? Come on, all right, come to the song. I have a couple in mind. Do you know uh a goofy movie? Is that your three years younger than me?

SPEAKER_01

The Leaning Tower of Cheese Side. Yes. Okay, bro, that's like core memory.

SPEAKER_00

I was a little old for that, but my wife was like a goofy movie big time. So she turned me on to it, and those songs are unbelievable. So we do uh I think you need to sing one of those songs. Wow.

SPEAKER_01

All right. Well, folks, if you want to know more, you'll have to uh tune in for another episode that we'll do another because there was just too much to get into today. Thank you so much, my friend. Thank you. Okay, let's do a song. I'm in a peace.

Sponsor Break: Kuva Coffee

SPEAKER_01

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Live Performance: “Chiropractor”

SPEAKER_00

Soaring through the air at 30,000 feet. A voice comes on the speaker and wakes me from my sleep. The pilot says we'd need a doctor urgently. Cause the pregnant woman's gone into labor in row 14. Nobody else gets up. I gotta do this by myself. I'm the only doctor, but I decide not to tell that I'm a chiropractor. This isn't normally what I do. Yes, I'm a doctor. But I barely went to school. I'm a chiropractor. So I pray to the Lord to give me some direction. Mostly I ask him, please don't make it a C-section. I tell her to breathe and to focus to block out all the racket. I reach out to you, take her hand, but instinctively I crack it. I'm a chiropractor. I'll help you if your neck hurts. But in this situation, only acupuncture is worse. I'm a chiropractor. And though my training might be lacking, this baby needs me. So let's get cracking. I tell her to push, I say, get ready. Here we go. But I'm making things up. I honestly don't know. Whoa. I shout, here he comes. As if I do this all the time. The baby comes out, he looks just fine. But I think I'll stick to spine. And then the mother asks me. She says, What should I name my child? I think a bit. Then I look at her and smile, call him chiropractor. I know that sounds insane. Maybe call him Cairo. And use Practor as a middle name. Little chiropractor, he's a chiropractor, he's a chiropractor. Someday we'll tell him he was born on a play. Yeah.