This week on Good Times, Noodle Salad, Matt sits down one-on-one with touring comedian Chris Harvey for a real behind-the-curtain conversation about life in stand-up.

Chris shares what it’s actually like touring with Steve-O — from wild crowds to the discipline required to survive the road — and how the day-to-day grind of being a working comedian is way less glamorous than people think. The two get into staying humble while chasing success, learning your love language, and why relationships can be harder than bombing on stage.

It’s part comedy talk, part self-reflection, and part therapy session — the kind of honest conversation that happens after the show when the mics are still on.

Expect laughs, perspective, and some surprisingly real moments about balancing ambition, ego, and connection while trying to make people laugh for a living.

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Matt and Paige are joined by musician Stick Boovey and stand-up comedian Floyd Jones for a chaotic, funny, and surprisingly philosophical hang.

Floyd talks about performing on Kill Tony — what the experience was really like, the pressure of those sixty seconds, and how brutally honest live comedy feedback changes the way you write jokes afterward. The group dives into bombing vs. killing, chasing stage time, and why comedians willingly put themselves through psychological warfare for laughs.

Stick shares the moment he realized his TV was quietly murdering his creativity… so he sold it. That decision spiraled into a deeper conversation about boredom, discipline, and why removing distractions is sometimes the only way to actually make art. He also explains the legendary pizza tattoo — yes, it got him free pizza for a year… but only once a month, so technically 12 pizzas total. Worth it? Debatable.

Also discussed:

• Motivation vs comfort
• Creative habits that actually work
• The comedy grind in Michigan
• The strange psychology of artists
• Whether small rewards can trick your brain into big productivity

A classic Good Times, Noodle Salad episode — equal parts jokes, existential crisis, and terrible life decisions that somehow make perfect sense.

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This week on Good Times, Noodle Salad, Matt sits down with stand-up comic Peggy Beatie to break down the emotional rollercoaster of doing your first ever set — the nerves, the silence, the laughs you didn’t expect, and the jokes that absolutely betrayed you.

They get into what it’s really like trying to carve out a place in the Michigan comedy scene, why a heated garage might secretly be the perfect social environment, and the eternal internal argument between doing the responsible thing and doing the thing you actually want to do.

It’s part comedy talk, part life philosophy, and part justification for questionable choices.

Expect:
• bombing stories
• comedy process talk
• garage hang theory
• rational decisions vs self-indulgence
• Matt reliving his first set trauma in real time

Follow, rate, and share if you enjoy honest conversations with funny people figuring life out as they go.

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On this episode of Good Times, Noodle Salad, hosts Matt Smith and Paige Teregan sit down with special guests Forge The Sun for a fun mix of music talk and absolute nonsense.

The band breaks down how they eventually figured out their real sound (after plenty of trial-and-error eras), and why songs mysteriously get played way faster once you’re on stage. From adrenaline-fueled tempos to the weird quirks that only happen during live performances, the conversation turns into a behind-the-scenes look at what actually goes through a musician’s brain mid-set.

Naturally, things spiral into a discussion about hilariously dumb pun-based horror movies — including Santa Jaws and Zombie Ass: Toilet of the Dead — and why terrible movies sometimes end up being the most memorable.

Music philosophy, stage chaos, and completely unserious debates — classic GTNS.

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On episode 34 of Good Times, Noodle Salad, Matt and Chris are joined by the band Aqua Monkey for a wide-ranging, unfiltered hang. Paige sits this one out, and things get loose fast.

The crew digs into what it’s really like managing relationships within a band — creative tension, egos, communication, and staying friends while chasing something bigger. They also wade into the controversy surrounding Ozempic use, culture, body image, and where health conversations can go off the rails. And somewhere along the way, Matt shares the story of his first-ever mushroom experience, lessons learned included.

As always, it’s honest, funny, slightly unhinged, and very GTNS.

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Episode 33 of Good Times, Noodle Salad sits down with special guest Drew Alkema for a grounded, honest conversation about chasing purpose through art while balancing real life. Drew talks about finding meaning in creativity, why acoustic guitar is wildly underrated and often overlooked, and what it’s like being a dad with a dream that refuses to die. The crew also digs into the nuts and bolts of building genuine relationships with local venues, showing up consistently, and carving out space in your scene without selling your soul. Thoughtful, funny, and relatable for anyone trying to create something while still paying the bills.

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Comedian Darren Lewis joins Good Times Noodle Salad for a raw and hilarious conversation about starting stand-up comedy, finding his voice, and learning the hard way what freedom actually costs.

Darren shares the wild story of getting arrested for handing out food to the homeless, the moral whiplash that followed, and how it shaped his worldview. He also opens up about the pressure from church to marry the wrong woman, navigating guilt, expectations, and choosing his own path.

Plus, a family twist you won’t see coming: Darren’s dad used to sell drugs, then completely flipped his life by getting into the very unexpected business of breeding koi fish.

Funny, honest, and deeply human — this one goes places.

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Former Good Times, Noodle Salad co-host Christopher Michael Smith returns for a special birthday episode as Matt (January 22) and Chris (January 19) celebrate another year and reopen the GTNS vault. Recorded just a couple hours before Matt’s birthday party—where a dozen friends showed up for a full-blown Guitar Hero tournament—the energy is loose, reflective, and very on-brand.

The conversation goes where it probably needed to go a long time ago: Chris’s abrupt departure from the show, the oddly specific personality quirks he and Matt share, and how being fully honest and authentic can quietly take power away from other people’s expectations. Along the way, things get philosophical, slightly uncomfortable (in a good way), and unexpectedly heavy—right down to uncovering the sad truth behind the beloved Tool song “4 Degrees.”

Equal parts reunion, reckoning, and pre-party hang, this episode brings old GTNS energy with a more honest edge. 🎙️🎂

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