Matt Muehling is the guitarist for ‘Kill Tony’ in the ‘The Kill Tony Band.’ Kill Tony is the #1 live podcast in the world and the #2 podcast on YouTube, second only to the ‘The Joe Rogan Experience.’ He also performs live for Rob Schneider as a member of comedian’s live band. Matt is a founding member of both bands ‘Progger’ and ‘Open 2.o.’ He also plays for ‘Sir Woman,’ ‘WeDaHomies,’ ‘Grooveline Horns,’ Daniel Fears, and Grace Sorensen.

Nick Tello sat with Matt Muehling, where Matt shared insights on how he became prominent in this distinctive skill set, highlighting the dynamic of the Kill Tony band. Matt emphasized the importance of having Jon Deas as the music director, who "calls the chords" during the unpredictable nature of the live impromptu comedy podcast and Carlos Sosa as the horns leader. Matt offered a glimpse into what the band discusses amongst themselves inside their talkback mics during live shows. Matt provided an insider perspective, sharing raw details that typical audience members would not be aware of. We explored D-Madness' impressive live music performance skills, noting his remarkable abilities despite being blind. Matt shared his insider take on collaborating with Zac Brown during Episode #738 of 'Kill Tony.' Matt shares how he overcame the difficulties of studying Jazz Guitar Performance to graduate from University of North Texas, starting from remedial courses. Matt includes why he never attended a UNT football game. Nick and Matt share their favorite comedians and reflect on the challenges of writing and delivering a successful comedy joke. Matt reveals how he joined the Kill Tony band.

Video is available on https://www.youtube.com/@nicktelloguitar/videos

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Raul Ayala is a guitarist, singer, and songwriter. His rock band, ‘ra!,’ was started around the time this episode was recorded.

Nick Tello recently had the opportunity to sit down with Raul Ayala, an artist whose random live performance on 6th Street in Austin, Texas left a crazy impression on him. Nick shares with Raul how Raul’s energy and creativity stand out, robbing the audience’s attention from start to finish; whether he plays guitar from an audience member’s shoulders or crowd surfing mid-performance. During the interview, Raul describes the unique atmosphere of playing first-floor apartment shows as well as his vision for hosting “no-phone” concerts. Raul explains how he learned to play guitar by connecting a real guitar to his XBOX. Raul’s new band, ‘ra!,’ may be new but it’s already making waves in the Austin music scene.

Video is available on https://www.youtube.com/@nicktelloguitar/videos

Follow The Riff Lounge on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/riffloungepod

You can listen to the audio version of this podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts & anywhere you listen to podcasts.

Thomas Alvarez is the bassist and clean vocalist for ‘Upon A Burning Body.’ Thomas is also the founder and vocalist of ‘Coldcasket,’ formerly called ‘Buried Under Texas.’

Nick Tello had the privilege of sharing this fun, yet serious episode with Thomas Alvarez. Thomas describes what it’s like to play in ‘Upon A Burning Body’ alongside his two brothers; vocalist Danny Leal and guitarist Ruben Alvarez. He offered personal insights into how their family bond influences their music and live performances. Thomas also shared his experience as a fill-in bassist for the band ‘In This Moment.’ The discussion ventured into his personal interests, including his white belt in Jiu Jitsu and some of his favorite UFC fighters. At the time of this episode, ‘Upon A Burning Body’ is set to release their seventh studio album, “Blood of The Bull,” on Friday, December 5th, 2025. This album will be released independently through the band’s own label. Thomas and his brothers are also anticipating a Texas tour shortly following the album drop.

Video is available on https://www.youtube.com/@nicktelloguitar/videos

Follow The Riff Lounge on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/riffloungepod

You can listen to the audio version of this podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts & anywhere you listen to podcasts.