Some careers are carefully mapped out. Others start because you needed gas.

In this episode of Your Dark Companion, Mike Rhyner and Grubes sit down with Matt Hicks, the longtime radio voice of the Texas Rangers, to trace a broadcasting journey that took more than two decades, dozens of towns, and one perfectly timed phone call to finally reach the major leagues.

Hicks walks through his path from a childhood spent reenacting games on a cassette recorder, to college radio at Maryland, to grinding it out for 23½ years in the minor leagues — often for little pay, fewer guarantees, and no clear finish line. Along the way, he explains how a chance encounter at a gas station launched his career, why hockey was actually his first love, and how baseball slowly became the thing that stuck.

The conversation turns emotional when Hicks revisits the Rangers’ 2023 World Series run, the discipline required to keep your voice steady in the biggest moments, and what it meant to share that call alongside Eric Nadel after everything the franchise — and its fans — had endured. There are also detours into Hollywood (yes, Major League 2), unforgettable meetings with Bob Uecker, and the quiet realization that sometimes the longest route is the only one that actually works.

It’s a reminder that broadcasting careers aren’t built overnight — they’re built by showing up, saying yes, and being ready when luck finally decides to notice you.

Chapters

00:00:00 – Welcome in and meeting Matt Hicks

For years, Tony Smith was exactly where you wanted him — behind the glass, keeping the lights on, the sound clean, and occasionally dropping a perfectly timed Dancing with the Stars reference that somehow became radio gold.

In this episode of Your Dark Companion, Mike Rhyner and Grubes welcome longtime Ticket engineer Tony “the Engineer” Smith for a candid, funny, and surprisingly emotional conversation about radio life, finding your voice in the margins, and knowing when it’s time to walk away.

Tony traces his path from promotions to engineering, explains how an unexpected obsession with Dancing with the Stars turned into a beloved on-air bit, and opens up about how leadership changes, shifting station culture, and a slow drip of punishments eventually drained the joy from a place he once loved. Along the way, Mike reflects on his own departure, the unspoken bonds inside radio stations, and how sometimes the thing you leave behind simply isn’t the thing you fell in love with anymore.

It’s part nostalgia, part therapy session, part inside baseball — and a reminder that sometimes the most interesting stories come from the people who were never supposed to be on mic at all.

ydc_ep_189__tony_smith_v1

Chapters

00:00:00 – Welcome in and meeting Tony “the Engineer”

Watching one movie a night sounds relaxing.

This episode of Your Dark Companion finds Mike Rhyner and Grubes welcoming back James Faust, Artistic Director of the Dallas International Film Festival, as DIFF gears up for its 20th anniversary. From the brutal realities of screening thousands of submissions to the delicate art of choosing films that won’t make audiences flee the theater, James pulls back the curtain on how film festivals actually work.

Along the way, the conversation veers (as it should) into popcorn rituals, Russian romantic comedies no one saw coming, mob-adjacent piano tuners, celebrity memories, Netflix House skepticism, and why “effort does not equal quality” might be the hardest truth filmmakers ever hear.

It’s part insider masterclass, part hang-session, and fully committed to reminding you that festivals aren’t gatekeepers — they’re exhausted movie lovers with college degrees and very strong opinions.

Chapters

00:00:00 – Lightning Strikes, Sports Takes, and Why This Episode Exists

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They’re called The Cars, but there’s no engine, no steering wheel, and no gas involved — just songs that still take people places.

In this episode of Your Dark Companion, Mike Rhyner and Grubes welcome author and musician Bill Janovitz to talk about his book Let the Stories Be Told, a deeply researched, clear-eyed look at one of the most influential — and quietly complicated — bands of the late ’70s and ’80s.

Janovitz walks through The Cars’ rise from the Boston club scene to global dominance, how their futuristic sound blended new wave and pop rock without ever sounding gimmicky, and why the band’s internal dynamics slowly pulled them apart. From Rick Ocasek’s creative control and management decisions to the overlooked brilliance of Elliot Easton, Greg Hawkes, and Ben Orr, this conversation explores what really powered the band — and what ultimately stalled it.

Mike reflects on discovering The Cars during one of his own musical “dark periods,” while Janovitz explains why great bands don’t always function like great friendships. The episode also looks forward, touching on unreleased Cars material and Janovitz’s upcoming work on another American original.

No horsepower. No chrome. Just enduring music and the stories behind it.

📚 Books Mentioned in This Episode

Let the Stories Be Told: The Story of The Cars — Bill Janovitz

👉 Bookshop.org (supports indie bookstores): https://bookshop.org/p/books/let-the-stories-be-told-the-story-of-the-cars-bill-janovitz/19562272

👉 Publisher (Da Capo / Hachette): https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/bill-janovitz/let-the-stories-be-told/9780306827123/

Leon Russell: The Master of Space and Time’s Journey Through Rock & Roll History — Bill Janovitz

👉 Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/p/books/leon-russell-the-master-of-space-and-time-s-journey-through-rock-roll-history-bill-janovitz/19850558

👉 Publisher: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/bill-janovitz/leon-russell/9780306828038/

Chapters

00:00:00 – Lightning, chaos, and a proper Your Dark Companion opening

Mike Rhyner welcomes a new voice into the Sunset Lounge universe — and it’s one that knows more about dirt than just about anyone alive.

Howard Garrett, better known as the Dirt Doctor, joins the show to talk about his transition from decades of terrestrial radio into the podcast world, and the unlikely path that led him there. What starts as a conversation about gardening quickly turns into a deeper discussion about health, industry resistance, bad science, and why doing things the “normal” way doesn’t always mean doing them the right way.

Howard explains how his entire career changed the moment he realized he didn’t want toxic chemicals anywhere near his young daughter — a decision that pushed him toward organic gardening long before it was fashionable. He breaks down why synthetic fertilizers damage soil over time, how organic methods actually save money, and why healthier soil leads to fewer pest problems instead of more.

Along the way, Howard shares stories of pushback from the landscaping industry, getting canceled for challenging the status quo, and why no university in America teaches the organic approach he’s spent decades perfecting. From fire ant control using dry molasses to curing tree problems others say can’t be fixed, the Dirt Doctor makes a strong case for doing things naturally — and smarter.

It’s practical, eye-opening, and occasionally rebellious… just the way Mike likes it.

Dirt Dr.mp3

Chapters

00:00:00 – Lightning strikes, chaos, and a proper Your Dark Companion return

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Covering sports in Dallas isn’t just about games — it’s about managing chaos, fan outrage, front-office dysfunction, and the occasional once-in-a-generation disaster.

In this episode of Your Dark Companion, Mike sits down with Sean McFarland of the Dallas Morning News to talk about what it’s actually like covering Texas sports from the inside. Sean walks through his path from New England to North Texas, the culture shock of Texas high school football, and how he went from covering prep sports to finding himself at the center of some of the most jaw-dropping moments in recent Dallas sports history.

The conversation dives deep into the Texas Rangers’ chemistry problems, pitching dominance wasted by offensive collapse, managerial changes, and whether this roster can realistically be better than last year. Then it turns to the Cowboys — where optimism goes to die — including the Micah Parsons trade, ownership interference, and why direction still feels optional in Frisco.

And then there’s the Luka Dončić trade. Sean recounts being sent into Dallas bars in the middle of the night to talk to stunned fans, ending up at the Dirk statue at 4 a.m., and realizing in real time that this might be the most catastrophic sports moment the city has ever seen.

Along the way, they talk journalism, access, financial guardrails in pro sports, and why Dallas remains one of the best — and most frustrating — sports cities in America.

ydc_ep_185__shawn_mcfarland

Chapters

00:00:00 – Lightning strikes, confusion, and a very Your Dark Companion start

The Cowboys’ season is officially over, the Super Bowl will once again proceed without them, and somebody has to explain how we got here. So Mike Rhyner, Grubes, and Joseph Hoyt of the Dallas Morning News sit down to do exactly that — calmly, rationally, and with just the right amount of disbelief.

This episode breaks down a Cowboys season that somehow featured one of Dak Prescott’s best years and one of the worst defenses the franchise has ever fielded. Joe Hoyt walks us through the Matt Eberflus experience, the communication breakdowns, the Trayvon Diggs divorce, and why continuity becomes a tough sell when the EPA numbers look like a horror movie.

Along the way, the guys dig into George Pickens’ future (and the inevitable contract drama), Javonte Williams running like he’s mad at the ground, Brian Schottenheimer winning over an entire locker room, and why the draft might make fans angry before it makes the team better.

It’s honest, slightly painful, occasionally funny, and very Cowboys — a full post-mortem on a season that promised a lot and delivered confusion.

Chapters

00:00:00 - Lightning Strikes, Cowboys Fall, and the Season Is Officially Over

Welcome to the Best Of 2025 of Your Dark Companion — a beautifully chaotic time capsule of how this show somehow survived lightning strikes, live disasters, questionable fashion choices, deeply honest conversations, and more than a few moments where someone probably should’ve said, “hey, maybe don’t say that.”

This episode is part victory lap, part therapy session, part sports bar conversation that accidentally gets profound. You’ll hear the stories that stuck with us, the moments that made us stop mid-sentence, and the ones that made us laugh so hard we forgot we were recording. There’s baseball, radio, music, mental health, chemistry, legacy, and the very real realization that some of the best moments in life happen when everything goes sideways.

If you’ve been with us since the beginning, this one’s for you.

Thanks for riding with us through Year One.

⏱️ CHAPTERS

00:00:00 - Baseball, Big Mics & Immediate Lightning

Follow Your Dark Companion on Patreon for every episode: 

Listen: 

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Recorded in March of 2025 at the EarthX Conference, this episode of Your Dark Companion features one of the most singular minds Mike Rhyner has ever sat across from.

Jeff “Skunk” Baxter is best known as a legendary guitarist for Steely Dan and The Doobie Brothers—but that’s only the beginning. Over the course of an expansive, thoughtful conversation, Baxter walks through a life that connects jazz chords, rock tours, missile defense systems, classified Pentagon briefings, and the physics of sound.

From growing up in Mexico City and learning guitar at age nine, to shaping the sound of Steely Dan’s earliest albums, to helping the U.S. government rethink missile defense as a civilian advisor, Baxter explains how curiosity—not category—has driven everything he’s done.

This isn’t just a music interview. It’s a deep dive into creativity, problem-solving, discipline, and how the same brain can comfortably live in studios, on stages, and inside think tanks. A rare conversation with a truly uncommon thinker.

Special thanks to EarthX for hosting this conversation at their annual Congress of Conferences—a global gathering that brings together leaders in science, technology, policy, business, and culture to explore practical solutions to the world’s most pressing environmental and sustainability challenges.

Learn more about  ⁨@earthxorg⁩  their mission, and the Congress of Conferences at https://earthx.org

Follow Your Dark Companion on Patreon for every episode: 

IG: https://www.instagram.com/yourdarkcompanion/

The Old Grey Wolf: 

To reach out email us at: [email protected]

It’s the last live hang before the holidays, and Your Dark Companion does what it does best: wanders happily from topic to topic, trips over nostalgia, and somehow lands on donuts, Rubik’s Cubes, World Series box scores, and the existential sadness of aging rock stars.

Mike, Grego, Shoopy, and Kevin (Expo) settle in at Dudley’s for a loose, laugh-heavy, very OG holiday episode. Shoopy drops a major life update, Expo casually solves a Rubik’s Cube while talking football, and the crew takes a long scenic drive through Cowboys dysfunction, Rangers reality, NFL parity, ancient radio carts, Philly snowballs, and the unspoken rules of bands that should (or should not) still be touring.

It’s funny, rambling, sentimental, sarcastic, occasionally profound, and exactly what a pre-Christmas episode of YDC should be. No agenda. No rush. Just stories, opinions, memories, and a lot of candy.

Happy holidays from the boys. We’ll see you on the other side.

CHAPTERS

00:01:19 – Live from Dudley’s & The Last Live Show (For a Bit)