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Mike, Grubes, and the Live at Five crew welcome back the grooviest cat in Dallas music history: Tim DeLaughter of Tripping Daisy and The Polyphonic Spree. They get into what it really takes to move an army of robed weirdos around the world, why a 28-person band actually “moves like a small band,” and how a nightmare power outage at David Bowie’s Meltdown Festival somehow turned into the Spree’s big bang moment.
Tim walks us through the jump from blue-sparkle Ludwig drum kits to frontman duty, writing Tripping Daisy songs live on stage because they only had eight in the bag, and how Polyphonic Spree began as a “later in life” idea he accidentally had to build in two weeks. There’s family skepticism, labels circling, UK tours, penguins in theaters, flying owls, and 300 pounds of confetti.
Plus: Mike’s mid-show sermon for CBD House of Healing, a plug for Giving Moss at the Barley House, and Tim’s legendary Holiday Extravaganza at the Majestic—complete with tap-dancing grandmas, ten-foot toy soldiers, and a zoo segment Johnny Carson would’ve killed for. It’s stories, spirit, and full-on Tim DeLaughter Time.
00:00:00 - Lightning Strikes & Live at Five Cold Open00:01:12 - Welcome to Your Dark Companion00:02:08 - Enter: One Groovy Cat, Tim DeLaughter00:02:51 - Tripping Daisy, Polyphonic Spree & Juggling Two Bands00:03:45 - How to Tour with 20+ People (and Stay Sane)00:06:42 - The Core Band, Rehearsals & Orchestral Add-Ons00:09:52 - St. Vincent, Taylor Young & the Spree Alumni Club00:11:03 - Dreaming Up the Polyphonic Spree in Woodstock00:13:28 - Loss, Leaving Tripping Daisy & Trying the Big Idea00:14:39 - Building the First Spree Lineup in Two Weeks00:22:54 - Power Out at Bowie’s Meltdown & The Watershed Moment00:26:51 - Young Hothead Tim vs. Older Zen Tim00:28:18 - Can You Improvise? The Hardest Part of Casting the Band00:31:06 - Mid-Show Read: CBD House of Healing00:34:24 - Night of Giving Moss at the Barley House00:36:03 - Oak Cliff, Hot Ice & Church-Choir Origins00:41:18 - Fired from the Kit, Promoted to Frontman00:45:26 - Open Mic at Dada & Tripping Daisy Takes Off00:47:31 - Writing Songs Live Because You Only Had Eight00:49:16 - Lost Hits & Life Before Voice Memos00:49:53 - Songwriting on Feel, Not on a Schedule00:50:39 - Lounge Here, Handyman Life & Schneider Duty00:52:21 - The Core Spree Brain Trust & Right-Hand People00:53:27 - Polyphonic Spree Holiday Extravaganza Breakdown00:55:55 - Penguins, Owls & Full Johnny Carson Animal Chaos00:56:19 - Tim DeLaughter Time & Mike’s Love Letter00:57:15 - Like, Share, Subscribe & Social Plea00:57:53 - Pants Off, Show Over
Show Notes
Mike, Grubes, and the Live at Five crew welcome back the grooviest cat in Dallas music history: Tim DeLaughter of Tripping Daisy and The Polyphonic Spree. They get into what it really takes to move an army of robed weirdos around the world, why a 28-person band actually “moves like a small band,” and how a nightmare power outage at David Bowie’s Meltdown Festival somehow turned into the Spree’s big bang moment.
Tim walks us through the jump from blue-sparkle Ludwig drum kits to frontman duty, writing Tripping Daisy songs live on stage because they only had eight in the bag, and how Polyphonic Spree began as a “later in life” idea he accidentally had to build in two weeks. There’s family skepticism, labels circling, UK tours, penguins in theaters, flying owls, and 300 pounds of confetti.
Plus: Mike’s mid-show sermon for CBD House of Healing, a plug for Giving Moss at the Barley House, and Tim’s legendary Holiday Extravaganza at the Majestic—complete with tap-dancing grandmas, ten-foot toy soldiers, and a zoo segment Johnny Carson would’ve killed for. It’s stories, spirit, and full-on Tim DeLaughter Time.
00:00:00 - Lightning Strikes & Live at Five Cold Open
00:01:12 - Welcome to Your Dark Companion
00:02:08 - Enter: One Groovy Cat, Tim DeLaughter
00:02:51 - Tripping Daisy, Polyphonic Spree & Juggling Two Bands
00:03:45 - How to Tour with 20+ People (and Stay Sane)
00:06:42 - The Core Band, Rehearsals & Orchestral Add-Ons
00:09:52 - St. Vincent, Taylor Young & the Spree Alumni Club
00:11:03 - Dreaming Up the Polyphonic Spree in Woodstock
00:13:28 - Loss, Leaving Tripping Daisy & Trying the Big Idea
00:14:39 - Building the First Spree Lineup in Two Weeks
00:22:54 - Power Out at Bowie’s Meltdown & The Watershed Moment
00:26:51 - Young Hothead Tim vs. Older Zen Tim
00:28:18 - Can You Improvise? The Hardest Part of Casting the Band
00:31:06 - Mid-Show Read: CBD House of Healing
00:34:24 - Night of Giving Moss at the Barley House
00:36:03 - Oak Cliff, Hot Ice & Church-Choir Origins
00:41:18 - Fired from the Kit, Promoted to Frontman
00:45:26 - Open Mic at Dada & Tripping Daisy Takes Off
00:47:31 - Writing Songs Live Because You Only Had Eight
00:49:16 - Lost Hits & Life Before Voice Memos
00:49:53 - Songwriting on Feel, Not on a Schedule
00:50:39 - Lounge Here, Handyman Life & Schneider Duty
00:52:21 - The Core Spree Brain Trust & Right-Hand People
00:53:27 - Polyphonic Spree Holiday Extravaganza Breakdown
00:55:55 - Penguins, Owls & Full Johnny Carson Animal Chaos
00:56:19 - Tim DeLaughter Time & Mike’s Love Letter
00:57:15 - Like, Share, Subscribe & Social Plea
00:57:53 - Pants Off, Show Over
- Matthew Kamper
- W hammons
- B Smith
- Robert Stoolfire
- Thaddeus D. Matula
- Rachel W
- Scott Lewis
- John Clayton
- cody SIMS
- John Gilbert
- Robert Saunders
- Kiffer
- Sidney Long
- Pattie Rhyner Davidson
- David
- Ashlea Bullington
- James Corona
- Gordy
- John C Caffey
- Joe Lindsey
- Cam
- Jillian Wright
- Harry Perdomo
- David Moore
- Becca Moore
- Mike Rhyner
- Becca Moore
Creators and Guests
Host
Mike Rhyner
Mike Rhyner… "a little on the bumpy side, but rather likable"…so stated famously by a grade school teacher in Oak Cliff, where Mike grew up. A complicated guy, yet a guy who can do long division and remember call strike three to A Rod. Probably best left unattended. Don't expect assistance from him if a medical situation arises.
What is Your Dark Companion Podcast?
"Whatever I want it to be about on a given day; is what it is." Your Dark Companion couples your familiar friends from radio, Mike and Grubes! Mike brings his classic interviews that draw you in, and Grubes—The Devil—drops…well the drops, and throws the occasional grenade. Mike likes to draw on his fascinating acquaintances and friends allowing them to tell their stories as you've never heard them. But he also goes outside his network, sharing Grubes' network, and often outside of both, to bring you those they don't know, but believe have a story that will make you laugh, make you think, think differently, or just entertain you…"that's what we are trying to do here."