Landon and Kate are in Madison, Mississippi, sitting down with producer, creative mentor, and all-around Southern gentleman Tom Rice — who greeted them with a lemon tart before he even said hello. Tom shares how he moved back to Mississippi from LA after nearly 28 years and ended up opening Louise's, Fondren's stunning jazz-age cocktail bar and restaurant, one decision at a time — starting with wallpaper he fell in love with. They talk about his obsession with perfecting a Roman-style pizza dough, his philosophy on producing (be the host of the party, not the celebrity chef), and how collaborating with the right people — like award-winning bartender Ryan Foster and music director Tyler Kemp — made the whole vision come together. From there, the conversation opens up into Tom's career producing films like The Way Way Back, his Broadway heartbreaks with Kristin Chenoweth in Queen of Versailles, directing high school kids in a one-act version of Grey Gardens, and show choir drama that might just become a movie one day. Plus: karaoke suites above Louise's, future film projects with Landon and Kate, a Steel Magnolias dream, the importance of knowing your strengths, and one very good sheepadoodle named Dexter.

Visit Louise's Piano Bar in Fondren, Jackson, MS: @louisespianobar

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Hey y’all — this week’s episode starts with the question we ask every single time: where was Landon?

I was in Nashville for a charity show for blood cancer research at Zanies with Carollynn Xavier-Martin and Stephen Bargatze (yes, Nate’s dad). The city was still pretty iced-over, a bunch of folks couldn’t make it, but I had a great time anyway because I will take any stage, any time, as long as I get to be with real people laughing.

Then things got weird (in a good way): after the charity show, they asked me to stay and do Nateland Live the next night — a clean, variety-style “workout” night for comics at The Lab at Zanies — and watching that level of technical comedy up close was fascinating. I learned a lot just being in the room.

On the way there, I also got trapped in the most apocalyptic I-59 gridlock of my life (the kind that makes you briefly wonder if Godzilla is about to stroll down the interstate). Turns out it was a wreck, but it was true standstill traffic — the “what if people run out of gas” kind — and it was COLD.

By the time you’re hearing this, we’re in Clemson, South Carolina for a red carpet preview of Student Film: The Movie — Clemson’s first feature film.

And if you’re in Knoxville this weekend, come see me at the Dogwood Arts House & Garden Show at the Knoxville Convention Center (Feb 6–8).

Then we spiral into the Winter Olympics and immediately admit we don’t know enough about Italy’s geography to speak confidently… but we do know we’d love to be the kind of correspondents who show up to curling with zero knowledge and big opinions.

Also: I need to formally correct myself — the London Eye is still standing, and I’ve been thinking about my accidental misinformation for months. Here is the actual London Eye if you want to reassure yourself: https://www.londoneye.com/

We wrap by teasing next week’s cozy TV lineup: we’re deep in Real Housewives of Salt Lake City chaos and saving the season 4 finale discussion because it was truly the wildest episode of reality television we’ve ever witnessed. Plus, a documentary we’ve been waiting on forever: Netflix’s Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model premieres Feb 16, and it looks like they’re actually interviewing the people we’ve been begging to hear from.

Tickets + full details live right on the tour schedule at LandonTalks.com.

Feb 10 — New Orleans, LA (The Howling Wolf)

Feb 28 — Mobile, AL (Crescent Theater)

Mar 1 — Pensacola, FL (Club 27 Comedy)

Mar 7 — Covington, LA (Southern Hotel Brunch)

Mar 29 — Buda, TX (Meridian)

Mar 31 — San Antonio, TX (LOL San Antonio)

Apr 1 — Addison, TX (Addison Improv)

Apr 2 — Houston, TX (Houston Improv)

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Upcoming tour dates

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Hey y’all — we’re easing in (a day late and a dollar short, but we made it). It’s the last day of January, it’s freezing by Mississippi standards, and we’re talking winter weather in the South — especially the kind that isn’t snow, it’s straight-up ice and wrecks the infrastructure.

We’re also putting our money where our mouth is and pointing you toward the Domestic Abuse Family Shelter of Mississippi — a nonprofit we love and support (including through the Landon Talks x Lingua Franca NYC collection on my site). They’ve taken a hit after the storm damage, and if you’re able to help, now’s a good time. Donate / get help / learn more

Then we get into the important matters: I’m headed to Zanies Nashville for a charity show tomorrow (Feb 1) with Carollynn Xavier (your favorite Recovering Californian) and Stephen Bargatze (yes, Nate Bargatze’s dad). Come hang if you’re in town.

After that, we spiral into our ongoing obsession: a hypothetical summer RV/van road trip to hit all 50 states in about 60 days… and the real question is whether the cats are coming. Kate says absolutely not. I say we can train them like tiny roommates if we give them time to claim the van. The people need to weigh in.

Also covered in this episode: sleeping cold (like aggressively cold), travel fans, weighted blankets, portable bidets (I said what I said), and why American culture got weird about bidets in the first place. It’s practical travel talk, winter survival talk, and a little “what does tourism even mean anymore” talk — all in one episode, as usual.

Tickets and details live on landontalks.com (and yes, tell me where you want me next — but I need an actual venue connection).

Upcoming Tour Dates:

Feb 5 — Marietta, GA (Alley Stage)

Feb 10 — New Orleans, LA (The Howling Wolf)

Feb 28 — Mobile, AL (Crescent Theater)

Mar 1 — Pensacola, FL (Club 27 Comedy)

Mar 6/7 — Covington, LA (Southern Hotel — brunch tickets)

Mar 29 — Buda, TX (Meridian)

Mar 31 — San Antonio, TX (LOL San Antonio)

Apr 1 — Addison, TX (Addison Improv)

Apr 2 — Houston, TX (Houston Improv)

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We’re back for year two (or season two—whatever, the algorithm is gonna call it what it wants) and we’ve finally decided that rushing to post on Tuesdays was too much. Friday's feel cozier, so here we are— sipping hot apple tea because TikTok convinced us boiling apples cures colds, and wondering what we are supposed to do for colds. We missed y’all, for real, and this whole episode is just us catching up like we haven’t talked to our best friends in months.

We bounce around from skiing disasters (turns out a black diamond isn’t just a fancy name) to why putting hot water down the drain somehow feels like a metabolism hack. We admit that buying a sensible RAV4 instead of a shiny SUV feels pretty grown‑up, we talk about filming movies and joining Southern Living, and we get way too excited about being Grand Marshals at Mardi Gras even though we’ve never done it before. Also, yes—after years of recording on iPhones, we finally bought a real camera, so maybe YouTube will actually see us this time.

We drop hints about the folks swinging by this season—chefs, authors, comedians—and there’s a bunch of travel stories, like the time our car died at 2 am and Marriott saved us from crying on an off‑ramp.

If you want to hang out in person, here’s where we’ll be:

Feb 5 – Marietta, GA (Alley Stage) – early show sold out, but the 9:30 p.m. still has seatslandontalks.com

Feb 10 – New Orleans, LA (Howling Wolf) – pop‑up show the night before Mardi Graslandontalks.com

Feb 28 – Mobile, AL (Crescent Theater)landontalks.com

Mar 1 – Pensacola, FL (Club 27 Comedy)landontalks.com

Mar 6 – Covington, LA (Southern Hotel brunch)landontalks.com

Mar 29 – Buda, TX (Meridian)landontalks.com

Mar 31 – San Antonio, TX (LOL San Antonio)landontalks.com

Apr 1 – Addison, TX (Addison Improv)landontalks.com

Apr 2 – Houston, TX (Houston Improv)landontalks.com

All our new tour dates live at landontalks.comlandontalks.com—come see us if you can.

Instagram: @LandonTalks

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Welcome back to the couch, y’all — the Christmas tree is already up, the tacos are on the table, and we’re recording this one at 8 p.m. like two people who’ve lived five lives in a week.

We jump right in with the wild, last-minute launch of the new Lingua Franca NYC x Landon Talks drop — heirloom cotton-cashmere sweaters, hand-stitched in the U.S., featuring All Y’all, Bless Your Heart, Lollygagger, Might Could, and Dillydallier. We talk about what the collaboration actually means, how a Southern storyteller ended up in a New York luxury house, the very real conversation about price and fast fashion, and why part of the proceeds going to the Domestic Abuse Family Shelter of Mississippi makes it worth doing.

Then somehow we end up deep in the ocean talking about dolphin sleep, elephant seals sinking to the seafloor like sleepy bowling balls, and water buffalo hiding underwater for five whole minutes like jump-scare submarines. All true. All disturbing. All necessary to share.

We also learn that I don’t know how to scream on roller coasters and we talk about that viral AI video where the robot tries — and fails — to scream convincingly. Same energy.

And then: Dancing With the Stars.

And then history betrayed us.

We also talk about why MomTok reality stars are accidentally giving early-Kardashian energy, why adult dance classes should actually teach choreography, and a TikTok account of women dancing on red carpet in a basement that might be exactly the vibe.

Upcoming events you can still attend:

Nov 20: TalkShopLive livestream — a Q&A + signed bookplates for ’Twas the Night Before Christmas, Y’all: https://talkshop.live

Nov 21: Thacker Mountain Radio Hour season finale in Oxford, MS – https://thackermountain.com/

Nov 22 (afternoon): Book signing at Friendly City Books in Columbus

Nov 22 (evening): Hosting & stand-up at the Kids First Education Gala (Starkville) – Kids First on Facebook

It’s cozy, chaotic, Southern, silly, and a little unhinged — which is exactly how we like it.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/LandonTalks

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reddrockmusic

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Y’all, we’ve been flung through time and space — Nashville to New York to the Smokies — and it’s time to tell the story.

We start in Nashville at the Hutton Hotel for their immersive “Witch, Please” event (Wizard of Oz theme, Broadway stars, and a round of mocktails). Then I jet to New York City for a Food52 x Dollar General event featuring Kathy Ireland — and a frantic last-minute outfit change adventure. I stayed at The Urbane Brooklyn, a beautiful arts-driven boutique stay in a former speakeasy — literary, cozy, and just the right amount of spooky.

From there, we headed to the Smoky Mountains, checked into a cabin at Auntie Belham’s Cabins in Wears Valley, and made the most of Pigeon Forge — starting with MagiQuest Pigeon Forge, where you solve interactive scavenger quests with magic wands (a surprising favorite). Then came the Rocky Top Mountain Coaster — an alpine coaster you control yourself, no brakes for me — and a fierce round of go-karts and laser tag at Area 51 Pigeon Forge (I did, in fact, wear my vest backward).

Before we left town, we recorded an episode for The Appalachian Tale Podcast with our friend Jimmy Proffitt, author of Seasoned in Appalachia — one of the highlights of the trip.

Then it was on to Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Christmas Festival. We stayed at Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort & Spa — the perfect mix of cozy and glamorous — and took in all the rides, lights, food, and warmth that make Dollywood one of the most special places in the South.

We wrapped up in Knoxville with a packed-house signing at Mast General Store, and y’all absolutely showed up.

If you’re planning a trip, use my code LANDON at store.dollywood.com under Special Offers to get a free one-ride TimeSaver when you buy Dollywood tickets, now through January 4.

And if you’re staying overnight, use LANDON for up to 22% off at Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort & Spa or HeartSong Lodge & Resort when you book by December 30 for stays through December 31.

Thanks to @Dollywood for hosting us — it’s truly one of the most special places in the South (and maybe even on earth).
#DollywoodPartner #Hosted #DWPartner

Get cozy, grab your drink (mocktail or cocktail, no judgment), and ride along with us — from Broadway nights to mountain coasters, it’s all here this week on Landon Talks with Kate.

Follow Landon and Kate on:  

Instagram: @LandonTalks 

Facebook: @LandonTalks 

TikTok: @landontalks  

YouTube: @landontalksalot 

Cameo: @LandonTalks 

Linktree: @landontalks 

 landontalks.com

This is a Redd Rock Music Podcast 

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www.reddrockmusic.com 

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Meet Mollie—Landon’s cousin’s sister and our lifelong best friend—bringing peak cousin-sister energy and real ER chops. We compare vintage Barbies to “do not touch” Barbies, relive horse-girl lore (Palomino vs. buckskin), and get way too into hobby-horsing. Mollie shares night-shift truths (including a data-backed PSA about weenie dogs), Landon confesses the four-wheeler/tree incident, and we revisit the family mule Joe Meador— the one and only Mule to make the church prayer list. Also: parakeet enclosures, picnic tables as sleds, and why some IVs end up in pinkies.

Housekeeping: See us at Mast General Store (Knoxville) — Monday, Nov 3, 6–8 PM. We’ll be at Dollywood the weekend before—say hi if you spot us. Stock up on ’Twas the Night Before Christmas, Y’all and keep up with everything at LandonTalks.com. Tell your mama ’n’ them we said hello.

Follow Landon and Kate on: 

⁠landontalks.com⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠@LandonTalks⁠⁠⁠ 

Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠@LandonTalks⁠⁠⁠ 

TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠@landontalks⁠⁠⁠  

YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠@landontalksalot⁠⁠⁠ 

Cameo: ⁠⁠⁠@LandonTalks⁠⁠⁠ 

Linktree: ⁠⁠⁠@landontalks⁠⁠⁠ 

This is a Redd Rock Music Podcast 

IG: ⁠⁠⁠@reddrockmusic⁠⁠⁠ 

⁠⁠⁠www.reddrockmusic.com⁠

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We’re back, y’all. Landon refuses the Ferris wheel (snack captain on the ground), while Kate happily waves from the top. We debrief a joyful Lemuria signing, Landon’s dream-within-his-content visit to the Junior League of Jackson Sustainers (Penny with an “i,” you’re iconic), and everything South Mississippi Fair: TK’s chicken on a stick supremacy, why games are ambiance not obligations, and the case for a designated bag-holder. Then we tumble into Spooky Lake Month—Lake Baikal, the Strid, exploding crater lakes, and the heartbreak of a dying lake—plus the Internet’s latest: Group Seven’s overnight elitism and Joyce’s legendary Depression Pie (is it just Water Pie in a cute dress?).

See us at Dollywood soon; Knoxville’s Mast General Store Nov 3, 6–8 PM; and the Kids First Gala in Starkville Nov 22. The new site is live and becoming our podcast hub—tickets and updates at LandonTalks.com. Tell your mama and ’em we said hello.

Follow Landon and Kate on: 

landontalks.com

Instagram: ⁠⁠@LandonTalks⁠⁠ 

Facebook: ⁠⁠@LandonTalks⁠⁠ 

TikTok: ⁠⁠@landontalks⁠⁠  

YouTube: ⁠⁠@landontalksalot⁠⁠ 

Cameo: ⁠⁠@LandonTalks⁠⁠ 

Linktree: ⁠⁠@landontalks⁠⁠ 

This is a Redd Rock Music Podcast 

IG: ⁠⁠@reddrockmusic⁠⁠ 

⁠⁠www.reddrockmusic.com

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We kick off with housekeeping: we want a private place for this podcast community to hang out (FB group? Discord? You tell us). Then Sweet Tea: the Great Dolly Scare of 2025—Facebook prayer-request energy meets global panic—ends with Dolly herself saying, “I ain’t dead yet.” Amen.

Trip recap: our 14-year anniversary at Camp Creek Inn on 30A—cool rooms, A+ bed, and the glorious Treat Suite (chips, Drumsticks, espresso…danger). Dinner shoutout to Ambrosia 30A (angel eggs with shrimp + bacon marmalade, lobster bisque, the works). Also: surprise fall-break crowds = June-level chaos.

History corner returns: last week’s ancient cat poem morphs into an even pettier ancient teen letter chiseled in stone to his mom (“you don’t love me, my clothes are trash”). We use that to dunk on Ancient Aliens—humans built things; stop erasing their brains.

Rapid-fire chaos: switching sides of the bed (hard no), “seasoned” coffee mugs (also no—explain yourselves), old water glasses and brain-eating amoebas (somehow Signs is involved), how you pronounce “Vienna sausage” (apparently “Vaini/Viana” exists), and giant pumpkins (different species, 50 lbs/day growth, IV drips, regattas where people paddle them like boats). Bonus oddities: cheese-rolling carnage, butter carving, and elite sandcastle builders.

Calls to action:

Drop us your petty/relatable ancient history stories and your town’s weird competitions (pumpkin regattas, catapulting, butter art).

Tell us where this community should live so we can actually talk back.

Rate & review (do it again tomorrow, it helps).

Book plug: Landon’s new Christmas book is out now—stocking-sized, cozy, with Aunt Charlotte’s sweet potato pie recipe. Jackson, MS folks: book signing at Lemuria this Saturday. Tell your mama’n’em we said hey.

Follow Landon and Kate on:  

Instagram: ⁠⁠@LandonTalks⁠⁠ 

Facebook: ⁠⁠@LandonTalks⁠⁠ 

TikTok: ⁠⁠@landontalks⁠⁠  

YouTube: ⁠⁠@landontalksalot⁠⁠ 

Cameo: ⁠⁠@LandonTalks⁠⁠ 

Linktree: ⁠⁠@landontalks⁠⁠ 

This is a Redd Rock Music Podcast 

IG: ⁠⁠@reddrockmusic⁠⁠ 

⁠⁠www.reddrockmusic.com

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We start on the couch in peak “sweatshirt-around-your-waist” weather and immediately detour into big news: Landon’s new Christmas book is out—tiny enough for a stocking, cozy enough to read on repeat, and packed with Southern glossary gems and Aunt Charlotte’s sweet potato pie. Then we spiral (as usual) into the Organisms Episode: indoor vs. outdoor cats, why our dog Kobe Bryant smells like trouble, the twin goblin kittens (working names: Jack Black and Earl Grey), and a free ad for the Litter-Robot because we’re not living with open poop. We hit caracals (hard no), “how many coyotes could you fight,” rainforests as life-eating engines, the oldest trees, Pando the aspen super-organism, whether fascia beats skin for “largest organ,” and a quick taxonomy fight that ends with ancient cat poetry.

Plus: Southern Living’s Illuminations in Charleston—tell us what demo you want to see—and the newsletter in our Linktree has all dates because the AI knows our schedule better than we do. Dogs, we love you. Cats, you own us.

Follow Landon and Kate on:  

Instagram: ⁠@LandonTalks⁠ 

Facebook: ⁠@LandonTalks⁠ 

TikTok: ⁠@landontalks⁠  

YouTube: ⁠@landontalksalot⁠ 

Cameo: ⁠@LandonTalks⁠ 

Linktree: ⁠@landontalks⁠ 

This is a Redd Rock Music Podcast 

IG: ⁠@reddrockmusic⁠ 

⁠www.reddrockmusic.com

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