Meet Me in Music

Neil Salsich
  • 5.0 (4)
  • Music Commentary

Meet Me in Music is a podcast that explores the sound, stories, and soul of St. Louis music—past, present, and future. Hosted by Neil Salsich, each episode features conversations with artists, musicians, and creatives who are shaping the culture of the city and beyond. From legendary influences to rising voices, the show dives into what makes St. Louis a powerful and often overlooked force in the music world. Through real conversations, behind-the-scenes stories, and live performances, Meet Me in Music uncovers the artistry, collaboration, and community that define the St. Louis sound. Whether you're a lifelong musician or just a fan of great music, this podcast invites you into the room—where creativity happens, connections are made, and the music speaks for itself.

  1. 3d ago

    Jimmy Griffin - From King of the Hill to El Monstero

    In this episode of Meet Me in Music, host Neil Salsich sits down with Jimmy Griffin — St. Louis guitarist, singer, and frontman behind El Monstero, Celebration Day, Hard Promises, The Incurables, and the '90s major-label rock band King of the Hill — to talk about a career that's taken him from basement covers gigs to the Hammersmith Odeon and back home again. This one is pure storytelling. Jimmy's been on nearly every side of the music business — signed rocker, touring sideman, guitar tech, tribute-show headliner, and guitar salesman — and he's got the road stories (and the opinions) to prove it. Among the biggest themes: what getting a record deal actually looked like before the internet, how fast the industry can turn on you, and why the secret to staying young in rock and roll is refusing to let go of the kid who first picked up a guitar. This episode's highlights include: • Neil recalls first seeing Jimmy at Roots N Blues in Columbia, Missouri, and Jimmy explains how he became Alejandro Escovedo's touring guitarist — sometimes learning 23 songs at soundcheck. • Jimmy tells how a CD submission for a guitar-player gig turned into a year as Jay Farrar's guitar tech with Son Volt — and why Jay loved having a decoy "rock star" walking through airports. • Why Jimmy always looks so cool on stage, plus the AutoZone clerk who mistook him for "Earl Smith." • How Broken Toys became King of the Hill — playing 28 gigs a month across St. Louis clubs like Bogart's South and Granny's Rocker, mixing Queen and Rocky Horror with N.W.A. • Growing up in Cincinnati: hearing KISS Alive! for the first time, learning "Heart of Gold" on a Gibson L6-S copy at 12, and a first concert where the Greg Kihn Band walked out smoking right after the no-smoking announcement. • Jimmy reveals he shows up in Jay Farrar's book — and shares the rainy, late-night Arby's run in Miami, Oklahoma that ended with a police stop. • Signing to SBK Records, touring Europe with Extreme, playing three nights at the Hammersmith Odeon — and watching "Smells Like Teen Spirit" on MTV in a London hotel room, knowing their run was over. • Grinding through the '90s, finding new life with Nadine, and what keeps El Monstero special — including handing guitars to kids in the front row. From major-label highs to multigenerational tribute shows, this conversation is a reminder that a life in rock and roll is about outlasting the trends and still having fun every time you plug in. The episode closes with a performance of The Beatles' "Across the Universe" — and yes, there's definitely a Part Two coming. Connect with Jimmy Griffin ▶ https://www.instagram.com/jimmyinstereo/?hl=en This episode is brought to you by our amazing sponsors — Swade Dispensary, 4 Hands Brewing Co, Brick City Yoga, Sydney Younghouse, and Kuva Coffee 🎙 New episodes of Meet Me in Music every other Friday CONNECT WITH STL BUCKET LIST: Instagram ▶ https://www.instagram.com/stlbucketlist/ Website ▶ stlbucketlist.com WORK WITH STL BUCKET LIST Interested in partnering or sponsoring an episode? Email ▶ show@stlbucketlist.com Website ▶ https://www.bucketlistcreative.com/about-us This episode is brought to you by our amazing sponsors — Swade Dispensary, 4 Hands Brewing Co, Brick City Yoga, Sydney Younghouse, and Kuva Coffee

    Jimmy Griffin - From King of the Hill to El Monstero

  2. Sep 25

    Lisa Ramey - Wild Ride to The Voice

    In this episode of Meet Me in Music, host Neil Salsich sits down with Lisa Ramey — a St. Louis-raised singer, songwriter, and performer who's toured the world, competed on The Voice, and currently sings on tour with Zayn — to talk about the winding, say-yes-to-everything path that built her career. This is a conversation packed with reinvention: a homeschooled St. Louis kid becomes an 11-season Muny veteran, walks away from a hit national tour to chase songwriting, talks her way into New York's late-night music scene, joins Cirque du Soleil almost by accident, and eventually lands a chair-turn from John Legend that she says she still can't quite believe happened. Among the biggest themes covered: how growing up homeschooled in St. Louis shaped Lisa's confidence and social ease, the power of simply saying yes to every gig and sit-in that came her way in New York, and what it took to keep reinventing herself — from theater kid to circus performer to reality TV contestant to touring artist. This episode's highlights include: • Lisa traces her start at the Muny — 11 seasons, a union card at 18 — and her leap from a hit Broadway tour into songwriting on her own terms. • A drummer's recommendation landed her in Cirque du Soleil's "Kooza," touring as "the soul singer" across Australia and Singapore. • Two wildly different runs on The Voice ended with John Legend's chair finally turning, launching a Team Legend run that's now led to touring the world with Zayn. From tap shoes at the Muny to touring arenas across the globe, Lisa's story is proof that a St. Louis upbringing and a willingness to say yes to every opportunity can take a performer anywhere. This episode is brought to you by our amazing sponsors — Swade Dispensary, 4 Hands Brewing Co, Brick City Yoga, Sydney Younghouse, and Kuva Coffee 🎙 New episodes of Meet Me in Music every other Friday CONNECT WITH STL BUCKET LIST:  Instagram ▶ https://www.instagram.com/stlbucketlist/  Website ▶ stlbucketlist.com WORK WITH STL BUCKET LIST Interested in partnering or sponsoring an episode?  Email ▶ show@stlbucketlist.com  Website ▶ https://www.bucketlistcreative.com/about-us This episode is brought to you by our amazing sponsors — Swade Dispensary, 4 Hands Brewing Co, Brick City Yoga, Sydney Younghouse, and Kuva Coffee

    Lisa Ramey - Wild Ride to The Voice

  3. Sep 11

    Emanuel Harrold - From Ferguson to the Hollywood Bowl

    In this episode of Meet Me in Music, host Neil Salsich sits down with Emanuel Harrold — drummer for Gregory Porter, leader of his own project Brooklyn Saint, and the first-ever drummer to join the show — to talk about the discipline, humility, and hard-won lessons behind a career built one gig at a time. Fresh off a run at the Hollywood Bowl, Emanuel opens up about what it actually takes to sit in the drum chair for one of the biggest voices in music today, and why the real skill isn't playing more — it's knowing when to play less. Among the biggest themes: the mentors who told him to "shut up" and simplify, the philosophy of time and pocket that separates a good drummer from a great one, and the St. Louis roots — from Ferguson and Kinloch to a family drum and bugle corps — that shaped him long before New York ever did. This episode's highlights include: • Emanuel breaks down how he landed the drum chair for Gregory Porter, meeting him at Saint Nick's Pub in Harlem while attending the New School. • He shares the hard-won lessons from mentors like Willie Akins, Victor Lewis, and Jack DeJohnette — and why understanding time and the pocket matters more than flashy chops. • Emanuel traces his roots back to his grandfather's drum and bugle corps in Ferguson and Kinloch, and introduces his own project, Brooklyn Saint. From the Hollywood Bowl to a home studio in Maplewood, Emanuel Harrold's story is a reminder that mastering an instrument is really about mastering yourself — and that St. Louis keeps producing musicians who carry that lesson to the world's biggest stages. Connect with Brooklyn Saint ▶ brooklynsaint.com Follow Emanuel ▶ instagram.com/emanuelharrold/ This episode is brought to you by our amazing sponsors — Swade Dispensary, 4 Hands Brewing Co, Brick City Yoga, Sydney Younghouse, and Kuva Coffee 🎙 New episodes of Meet Me in Music every other Friday CONNECT WITH STL BUCKET LIST:  Instagram ▶ https://www.instagram.com/stlbucketlist/  Website ▶ stlbucketlist.com WORK WITH STL BUCKET LIST Interested in partnering or sponsoring an episode?  Email ▶ show@stlbucketlist.com  Website ▶ https://www.bucketlistcreative.com/about-us This episode is brought to you by our amazing sponsors — Swade Dispensary, 4 Hands Brewing Co, Brick City Yoga, Sydney Younghouse, and Kuva Coffee

    Emanuel Harrold - From Ferguson to the Hollywood Bowl

  4. Aug 28

    Lizzie Weber - Opens Up About Injury, Reinvention & Her Boldest Record Yet

    In this episode of Meet Me in Music, host Neil Salsich sits down with Lizzie Weber — a St. Louis-based singer-songwriter and frontwoman of The Mighty Pines whose resume includes touring and recording alongside Grammy winners and Academy Award-winning talent — to talk about the winding, hard-won path that built her career. This is a conversation packed with the kind of full-circle moments you don't often get to hear firsthand: a childhood friendship rediscovered years later, a career-altering injury, and the improbable Facebook message that led to years on the road with one of indie music's most celebrated duos. Lizzie is candid about the vulnerability, confidence, and grit it takes to build a creative life on your own terms. Among the biggest themes covered: the role validation and community played in launching her career out of St. Louis, the isolating-but-inspiring years she spent in the Pacific Northwest, and the making of her most sonically adventurous record yet. This episode's highlights include: • Lizzie remembers performing a nine-minute rendition of "Constantine" by Something Corporate — solo on piano — at her high school talent show in 2006, the moment that convinced her to dedicate her life to performing. • She opens up about dropping out of Marquette University to chase pilot season auditions in LA, working side jobs (including nannying for the Foo Fighters' manager's kids) while trying to break into acting. • A traumatic spinal cord injury cut her time in LA short and brought her back to St. Louis, where she finished her degree and recorded her first record at the now-closed Sherpa Studio. • Local support from Eleven Magazine and a 2015 Riverfront Times "Artist to Watch" cover gave her career its first big validation — right around the time she met the man who'd eventually bring her to the Pacific Northwest. • A move to a small island town near Anacortes, Washington for her husband's military service proved unexpectedly fertile creatively, inspiring her album "Fidalgo" and connecting her to the greater Seattle music scene. • A cold outreach message to Markéta Irglová in 2014 blossomed into a fourteen-year friendship, two Swell Season tours as an opening act, and a guest feature from Irglová on Lizzie's new single "Maria." • Lizzie and Neil trade notes on the emotional weight of being boxed in as "the band member" versus recognized as a solo songwriter, and the frustration of having your artistry defined by other people's assumptions. • She breaks down her new record "Wraiths in the Wake," co-produced with Seattle-based producer Nate Yoshino, and her decision to make a deliberately eclectic album that refuses to sound the same from track to track. From a high school auditorium to stages shared with The Swell Season, Lizzie's story is a reminder that St. Louis' support systems — and the courage to leave your comfort zone — can carry an artist further than they ever imagined. Connect with Lizzie Weber ▶ https://www.lizzieweber.com/ This episode is brought to you by our amazing sponsors — Swade Dispensary, 4 Hands Brewing Co, Brick City Yoga, Sydney Younghouse, and Kuva Coffee 🎙 New episodes of Meet Me in Music every other Friday CONNECT WITH STL BUCKET LIST:  Instagram ▶ https://www.instagram.com/stlbucketlist/  Website ▶ stlbucketlist.com WORK WITH STL BUCKET LIST Interested in partnering or sponsoring an episode? Email ▶ show@stlbucketlist.com  Website ▶ https://www.bucketlistcreative.com/about-us This episode is brought to you by our amazing sponsors — Swade Dispensary, 4 Hands Brewing Co, Brick City Yoga, Sydney Younghouse, and Kuva Coffee

    Lizzie Weber - Opens Up About Injury, Reinvention & Her Boldest Record Yet

  5. Aug 14

    The Mighty Pines - Making Their New Album Together

    In this episode of Meet Me in Music, host Neil Salsich sits down with his own bandmates — John Hussung, Gerard Erker, and Mike Murano of The Mighty Pines — for a rare, all-in-the-band conversation about their new album, Good Luck, Nice to Meet You, and what it actually takes to make music together for over a decade. This one's different from a typical episode: instead of one guest, it's the whole band talking to itself, which means the stories get more specific, the ribbing is nonstop, and the answers are a lot more honest than a standard press interview. Among the biggest themes: how the album actually came together from a farmhouse in Franklin County to a St. Louis studio, the mentors and St. Louis scene legends who shaped each of them individually, and what it feels like on stage after ten-plus years of playing music together. This episode's highlights include: • The band breaks down how Good Luck, Nice to Meet You came together — writing at Gerard's parents' farmhouse in Franklin County in the summer of 2024, pre-production with producer Steve Berlin, and tracking that November. • John shares his favorite memory from the sessions: bringing his dog Ned to the studio, and the fully live, unedited outro on "Juniper" that Steve Berlin insisted on keeping intact. • Mike walks through his drums-first, plan-ahead approach in the studio, and how it complements Gerard's far more free-flowing style. • Gerard recalls a wild session in Nashville recording an unreleased Kris Kristofferson tribute EP, where he ended up playing clawhammer banjo as the rhythmic backbone of a track. • The trio gets candid about the songs that shaped the record's identity, from the hypnotic "Longest Night" to the breakthrough writing session behind "Juniper" to the Tom Petty-leaning "Broken Radio." • A tribute to the mentors who built them — St. Louis multi-instrumentalist Gary Hunt, the Voodoo Players scene, and their longtime keyboardist Dave. • Mike talks favorite drummers, including Zigaboo Modeliste and Carter Beauford, and how the band's rhythm section became one of its most underrated strengths. • A rapid-fire round covering post-gig meals, the worst frozen pizza they ever had on tour, and upcoming shows including Pines Fest. Whether you already know The Mighty Pines from St. Louis stages or you're meeting them for the first time, this episode is a candid look at what a decade-plus of friendship, music, and hard work actually sounds like from the inside. Connect with The Mighty Pines ▶ themightypines.com 🎙 New episodes of Meet Me in Music every other Friday CONNECT WITH STL BUCKET LIST:  Instagram ▶ https://www.instagram.com/stlbucketlist/  Website ▶ stlbucketlist.com WORK WITH STL BUCKET LIST Interested in partnering or sponsoring an episode? Email ▶ show@stlbucketlist.com  Website ▶ https://www.bucketlistcreative.com/about-us This episode is brought to you by our amazing sponsors — Swade Dispensary, 4 Hands Brewing Co, Brick City Yoga, Sydney Younghouse, and Kuva Coffee

    The Mighty Pines - Making Their New Album Together

  6. Jul 31

    Jasmine Osby - Telling St. Louis's Real Music Stories

    In this episode of Meet Me in Music, host Neil Salsich sits down with Jasmine Osby — award-winning music journalist and arts & entertainment writer for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch — to talk about what it really takes to tell an artist's story right. Jasmine's path is a full-circle one: a Post-Dispatch minority scholarship intern at 18, a travel writer who circled the globe, and now the writer covering St. Louis music for the same newspaper she grew up reading. This conversation goes far beyond a typical bio — it's a look at the values behind the byline. Among the biggest themes: why Jasmine refuses to write "assembly line journalism," the deep, immersive reporting process she uses to earn an artist's trust, and the hidden musical history of East St. Louis that most St. Louisans have never heard. This episode's highlights include: • Jasmine's journey from Post-Dispatch scholarship intern at 18 to landing her dream job covering St. Louis music full-time in August 2024. • Why she takes months to properly report a story instead of rushing to publish — sitting in on studio sessions, attending shows, and visiting the places that matter to an artist. • How she balances being deeply embedded in the local scene with protecting her own energy and time for herself. • A deep dive into East St. Louis as a hidden musical gem of the Midwest, from Miles Davis's childhood home to Katherine Dunham's dance legacy to Grammy-nominated drummer Weedie Braimah. • Her early path into journalism — starting a student newsletter in middle school, freelancing for 16 years, and leaving a "regular 9-to-5" to write full time. • How she stays empathetic and protects the artists' trust when reporting on difficult or traumatic stories from St. Louis's history. Before wrapping up, Jasmine gave us a rapid-fire list of St. Louis artists to check out across every genre — including 4Deep, Kate Bates, Cave, Lil Durk, The Mighty Pines, Michael Bewick, Katy Hines, and Kendall Davidson, among many others. From the newsroom to the studio to the stage, this episode is a reminder of just how rich — and how well-documented — the St. Louis music scene really is. 🎙 New episodes of Meet Me in Music every other Friday CONNECT WITH STL BUCKET LIST:  Instagram ▶ https://www.instagram.com/stlbucketlist/  Website ▶ stlbucketlist.com WORK WITH STL BUCKET LIST Interested in partnering or sponsoring an episode?  Email ▶ show@stlbucketlist.com  Website ▶ https://www.bucketlistcreative.com/about-us This episode is brought to you by our amazing sponsors — Swade Dispensary, 4 Hands Brewing Co, Brick City Yoga, Sydney Younghouse, and Kuva Coffee

    Jasmine Osby - Telling St. Louis's Real Music Stories

  7. Jul 17

    Brian McCormac - Building Mr. Meyers, STL's First Hi-Fi Vinyl & Improv Jazz Lounge

    On this episode of Meet Me in Music, host Neil Salsich sits down with Brian McCormac — longtime St. Louis talent buyer and the founder behind Mr. Meyers Live & Vinyl Lounge, a hi-fi vinyl and improv jazz concept opening in downtown Clayton. Brian traces his path from picking up a mandolin at 16 and booking his first 600-person sellout in college, to cold-calling his way into the St. Louis scene, to landing the job running Old Rock House at just 24 years old. He shares the stories behind six years of buying talent there — booking Sturgill Simpson's first three St. Louis shows before anyone knew his name, catching Alabama Shakes a week before their Rolling Stone cover, and the outdoor bluegrass festival that lost $12,000 but drew Paul Simon to the crowd. The conversation turns to what Brian learned after leaving St. Louis to work for Red Bull Music in Minneapolis — where he saw an artist-development infrastructure St. Louis has never had — and how a Sound Diplomacy study confirmed the gap: St. Louis lacks both a music identity and the creative spaces to build one. Brian explains how the loss of his best friend, Jack Meyer, became the spark for Mr. Meyers: a venue built around a resident house-band program, soundboard recordings artists can take home and build on, and a mission to keep St. Louis talent from getting poached by LA, Nashville, and Chicago. It's a conversation about grief turned into purpose, and what it takes to finally build the infrastructure a music city has been missing. They discuss:  - Growing up on drums and mandolin, and discovering bluegrass through Prairie Home Companion  - Booking a 600-ticket sellout as a college student in Missoula, Montana  - Cold-calling his way into the St. Louis scene and working with Josh Loyal and Pat Hagan  - Booking the Webster University jazz crowd — Elastic Soul, Ryan Marquez, Fresh Air, Phonics  - Losing money on early shows and borrowing from a weed dealer to cover a deposit  - Getting hired to run Old Rock House at 24 and turning the job into college credit  - The outdoor bluegrass festival that lost $12,000 but drew Paul Simon to the crowd  - Booking Sturgill Simpson's first three St. Louis shows before his breakout  - Catching Alabama Shakes at 157 tickets, a week before their Rolling Stone cover  - What St. Louis' music scene has always been missing: artist development and management  - Comparing St. Louis to Minneapolis and Denver/Boulder's built-out music industries This episode is brought to you by our amazing sponsors — Swade Dispensary, 4 Hands Brewing Co, Brick City Yoga, Sydney Younghouse, and Kuva Coffee

    Brian McCormac - Building Mr. Meyers, STL's First Hi-Fi Vinyl & Improv Jazz Lounge

  8. Jul 3

    Janet Evra — Finding Jazz Through Bossa Nova, Bass, and the Blues

    On this episode of Meet Me in Music, host Neil Salsich sits down with award-winning jazz vocalist, bassist, bandleader, and composer Janet Evra for a conversation about immigration, discovery, the St. Louis jazz scene, and building an international career from the Midwest. Janet shares how a gap year that brought her from Gloucester, England to Principia College in 2006 evolved into a lifelong home in St. Louis. What started as a singer-songwriter path inspired by Joni Mitchell turned toward jazz almost by accident — first through a life-changing encounter with a Getz/Gilberto bossa nova record as a teenager, then through her husband Will, when the two of them decided, early in their marriage, to simply start playing the jazz songs they both loved. That decision led Janet to buy a bass off Craigslist and teach herself an instrument that's now central to her sound. The conversation explores place, community, and the tension between staying rooted and reaching beyond it. Janet discusses her forthcoming album of Burt Bacharach music, recorded at Midtown Sound House in Grand Center and set for release ahead of a September 25th show at City Winery, as well as her online video series St. Louis Music Box, which has connected her with Grammy-winning collaborators far beyond St. Louis. Neil and Janet also dive into the global life of jazz — from Django Reinhardt and Édith Piaf's wartime Paris to bossa nova's journey from Brazil back into American pop — the realities of touring internationally as a St. Louis-based artist, and why building bridges beyond your hometown scene matters as much as being rooted in it. Along the way, they talk singing craft, scat, and the bass players and vocalists who shaped Janet's ear. More than anything, this episode is about welcome — finding a hometown 5,000 miles from where you started, discovering an art form later in life than you'd expect, and using music as a bridge between St. Louis and the wider world. They discuss: Leaving Gloucester, England for a gap year at Principia College in 2006Falling into jazz almost by accident, through her husband WillBuying a bass on Craigslist and teaching herself to playGrowing up in a "hi-fi" household with her dad's records — Miles Davis, Dave Brubeck, and moreWhat's good (and not-so-good) about the St. Louis jazz scene in 2026 — Blue Strawberry, Pepper, Webster University's jazz programWhy St. Louis musicians struggle to break out and tour nationally and internationallySinging in French, Portuguese, and Spanish, and building a genre-hopping international soundHer bossa nova album Love in Rio and the forthcoming Burt Bacharach recordSt. Louis Music Box, her online collaboration series with Grammy-winning guestsThe vocalists and bass players — from Ella Fitzgerald to Esperanza Spalding — who shaped her musical earWhat she misses (and doesn't) about England, and what St. Louis vs. Europe taught her about pace of life 🎙 New episodes of Meet Me in Music every other Friday CONNECT WITH STL BUCKET LIST: Instagram ▶ https://www.instagram.com/stlbucketlist/ Website ▶ stlbucketlist.com WORK WITH STL BUCKET LIST Interested in partnering or sponsoring an episode? Email ▶ show@stlbucketlist.com Website ▶ https://www.bucketlistcreative.com/about-us This episode is brought to you by our amazing sponsors — Swade Dispensary, 4 Hands Brewing Co, Brick City Yoga, Sydney Younghouse, and Kuva Coffee

    Janet Evra — Finding Jazz Through Bossa Nova, Bass, and the Blues
See All (14)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Meet Me in Music is a podcast that explores the sound, stories, and soul of St. Louis music—past, present, and future. Hosted by Neil Salsich, each episode features conversations with artists, musicians, and creatives who are shaping the culture of the city and beyond. From legendary influences to rising voices, the show dives into what makes St. Louis a powerful and often overlooked force in the music world. Through real conversations, behind-the-scenes stories, and live performances, Meet Me in Music uncovers the artistry, collaboration, and community that define the St. Louis sound. Whether you're a lifelong musician or just a fan of great music, this podcast invites you into the room—where creativity happens, connections are made, and the music speaks for itself.

Information

  • Creator
    Neil Salsich
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    14
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Meet Me in Music
  • Show Website
    Meet Me in Music

You Might Also Like