On this episode of Good Times, Noodle Salad, Matt Smith sits down one-on-one with comedy veteran Steven Lolli. With decades of experience in stand-up and writing credits for Katt Williams, Steven brings road-tested insight, comedy philosophy, and plenty of wild stories from life in the industry.

Often nicknamed “The Urban Jew” for his reputation of absolutely crushing in Black comedy rooms, Steven talks with Matt about learning to read different audiences, earning respect in rooms that don’t know you yet, and what it takes to make any crowd laugh. The two also get into the realities of touring as a comic—the late-night drives, unpredictable crowds, and the strange situations that only seem to happen on the road.

The conversation explores the balance between conflict aversion and being overly confrontational, both in comedy and in everyday life, and how comedians walk that line when tackling real-world topics on stage.

This episode also carries a heavier backdrop. It was recorded just about five miles away in West Bloomfield while an attempted terror attack targeting a synagogue in the area was unfolding. Matt and Steven take time to address the rise of conspiracy theories online that fuel antisemitism and other forms of hate, and talk about why those narratives are dangerous when left unchallenged.

Comedy is about honesty, perspective, and sometimes saying uncomfortable truths out loud—but hate has no place in that conversation.

Stop Jewish hate.

A mix of comedy war stories, cultural commentary, and real talk from two comics who’ve spent years navigating the stage and the world around it. 🎙️

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Episode 46 of Good Times, Noodle Salad features musician Nic Stevens for a wide-ranging conversation about life in the local music scene and the weird social games that happen at concerts. Nic talks about the differences between playing in bands versus going solo, the creative freedom that comes with each, and the realities of performing and building a career as an independent musician.

The conversation also dives into what it’s really like working as a booker for a music venue in the age of social media—from dealing with endless DMs from bands to navigating online promotion, egos, and the constant hustle required to fill a room.

Of course, things go off the rails as Matt and Paige talk about telling way too much truth on the podcast, and the ridiculous games they play at concerts. These include searching the crowd for the mysterious “Jeremy Matheson” (a completely made-up person) and confidently lying to strangers about being much older than they actually are just to see what happens.

Music industry stories, comedy chaos, and questionable social experiments — it’s all happening in this episode.

Topics include:

• Playing in bands vs going solo
• Booking shows and promoting concerts in the social media era
• Oversharing on podcasts
• The fake search for “Jeremy Matheson” at concerts
• Convincing strangers you’re way older than you actually are

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Episode 45 of Good Times, Noodle Salad features Matt flying solo in the host chair while sitting down with Static Lace, a husband-and-wife rock duo making loud, gritty rock music while navigating real life offstage.

The conversation gets honest right out of the gate. BA shares the powerful story of getting sober and rebuilding her life after a near-death car accident pushed her to leave an abusive relationship. It’s a raw look at survival, recovery, and how music became part of putting the pieces back together.

Naturally, the episode also goes completely off the rails. Matt proudly explains how he intentionally started a rumor that his own grandma is racist just to commit to a joke at a wedding—because sometimes the bit is worth the chaos.

They also get into raising kids while chasing creative work, the songwriting process behind Static Lace’s music, and the reality of trying to raise chickens when you’re absolutely terrible at it.

And in classic Matt fashion, the studio nearly implodes when he realizes he accidentally recorded Static Lace’s camera angle in slow motion, filling up the storage and almost derailing the whole episode. Technology is hard.

Recovery, rock music, bad poultry farming, questionable family rumors, and a host who still hasn’t mastered his own recording setup.

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