The Greta Van Fleet radio assist

Thanks for the intro, Mark Reardon and company at News Talk St. Louis.

December, 2019. I had just finished one radio show, and was getting a call about another. From late 2017 to late 2020, Tuesdays meant two things: an hour of radio and dinner/hang with dad. I spent an hour talking about entertainment (movies or TV shows) with the cast of Frank O. Pinion, and met my dad in the bar next to the station in Kirkwood.

The phone call was from a fellow St. Louis film critic, Mark Reardon. He had an afternoon drive show on KMOX. We weren’t exactly friends at the time, but we respected each other and started chatting more at movie screenings. That’s how it works with city film critics. We’re all weirdos and don’t instantly flock together. Creatives are built to survive as lone rangers, but friendly allies make an advance screening-especially if the film stinks-a little better.

Reardon doesn’t call for no reason. I don’t think he can afford to waste time. If you haven’t met him, he moves in and out of the theater like The Flash. If you don’t speak to him beforehand, catching him after is like touching a live outlet. So his name meant reasoning, enough to keep me from staring at my full glass of beer only a window pane away.

Mark wanted me to come on his show, which would be every Friday afternoon. For a year, I talked about movies and TV on two different shows, both popular ones with completely different demographics. FOP presented unpredictability and awkwardness in dual fashion, but talking to Reardon allowed me to unleash my inner movie nerd.

I couldn’t go in depth with Frank, Limey, Dan Strauss, and Tim Woodburn. If I mentioned the director and he/she wasn’t a big name, he piped in. If I mentioned cinematography, he interrupted. It’s not a complaint, just a fact. Reardon lets the Buffa tap go a little longer.

But things changed this past Friday, March 18, 2022. I had an intro song. The one I had with FOP was born into the role, basically the Wehrenberg theme music. That never felt like ME; just something created by the boss. That’s fine, especially if it’s paying.

Reardon one-upped Pinion by giving me two variations of intros, both bolstered by the young, electric sounds of Greta Van Fleet. BUFFA punctuates the closing words, as a voiceover takes my name to the next level. Good stuff, as Larry would say. Good stuff.

Look, I’ve done so much radio over the past six years that I would need a notebook to write down all the stations I’ve spoken words on. I hosted shows at WGNU and KFNS, and have done a little cameo work in Columbia, Missouri’s KTGR and KMOX. Early morning, late morning, afternoon drive, or late night. Leading or supporting, it’s a special kind of feeling going on the airwaves. But an intro song makes any radio adventures better and dare I say, cooler.

Thanks Reardon and 97.1 FM News Talk St. Louis. Let’s be honest with ourselves. A little rock and roll makes every film segment better.

Listen to the intro and outro, along with my segment reviewing the new horror film “X,” right here.