Podcast Summary: The Rod Ryan Show (94.5 The Buzz) – Full Show, March 19, 2026

Overview

This episode of The Rod Ryan Show brings listeners the signature high-energy blend of Houston rock/alt radio, audience participation, local news, sports, and humor. A Thursday tradition, the March 19th show is packed with Throwback Thursday voting, a “Read My Lips” showdown, ticket giveaways for upcoming concerts and events, news headlines with a local twist, and the debut of a new rock track. The camaraderie between Rod, Mo, Alex, and Chili is on full display as they riff on the news and pop culture and invite listeners to participate at every turn.

Key Segments & Highlights

1. Show Kickoff & Prize Rundown (01:46–08:50)

• The gang lays out the morning's programming, teasing several concert ticket giveaways (Wolfmother, Eve 6/Fastball, Breaking Benjamin/Chevelle, Buzzaween, Bobby Lee), and explaining that Amy, the previous “Fresh Out of Bed, Head to Head” winner, is still MIA.
• Announcements for recurring bits, including Read My Lips (the week’s showdown: Chili vs Alex) and Throwback Thursday.
• Rod: “If you want to get on board for the first phone call, get in the queue now. Call Chili.” (07:27)

2. Houston Headlines with Mo & News Discussion (03:07–06:28; 31:27–36:59; 67:32–72:05)

• International: Coverage of the Iran conflict’s effect on global energy; attack on Qatar's LNG terminal sparks concern, gas and fertilizer prices spike.
  • Mo: “Five western nations... issued a joint statement calling for immediate de-escalation. Gas prices are skyrocketing and farmers are now speaking out…” (03:07, 31:29)
• Local: The cancellation of Houston’s Cesar Chavez march amid allegations, and possible future changes to street/school names.
• Light News: Local viral animal story, "Punch the Monkey" gets a girlfriend, and playful speculation about the monkey’s newfound fame.
  • Mo: "Alex, you're going to love this one. Punch the monkey has a girlfriend..." (04:19)
• Entertainment: Val Kilmer returns to film posthumously via AI, with family approval.
  • Rod: “If the family signs off on it, what can you say?” (05:57)
• Music: Trent Reznor clarifies that Nine Inch Nails aren't done, just not currently touring.
• Lifestyle: WalletHub ranks the most obese US cities—Houston happily not in the top 10.

3. First Phone Call Appreciation (10:29–12:55)

• Caller Garrett (initially misheard as Jared), a longtime listener/Marine, thanks the show for keeping him connected during deployments:
  • “I've listened to you on six different deployments all over the world... It's just really nice to have y’all when you're away from home, to be able to just listen to the radio station and bring you back.” (11:12)
• Rod warmly recalls mailing burned CD recordings to deployed friends pre-Internet.

4. Sports Update by Alex (06:30–07:26; 36:48–38:09; 72:08–72:54)

• March Madness: NCAA Tournament begins; key matchups for Texas teams, with excitement around bracket betting.
  • Alex: “March Madness! Cougars are playing. UT's playing today... You can watch all the games on CBS, TNT, TBS and TruTV.” (13:42)
• NBA: Rockets continue to struggle, losing again; mild exasperation from the team.
  • “The Rockets continued to suck last night…” (36:48)
• MLB: Astros in spring training; opening day is just a week away.
• Fun Side Bits: Alex’s side chatter about local athletes, Andy Dalton’s trade, and fun with bracket team mascot names.

5. Throwback Thursday Voting – Song Picks & Backstories (42:16–47:46; 48:24–50:06)

• The songs in today’s battle:
  • Republica – "Ready to Go"
  • Fastball – "The Way" (Rod shares the poignant backstory about an elderly couple who got lost: “It’s a storytelling song … the singer saw a story about an elderly couple, one had dementia, the other coming off brain surgery, and they just drove off.” (44:37))
  • Live – "The Dolphins Cry"
• Running voting tally, playful arguments over song histories, and engagement over which song will ultimately win.
  • Mo, on the Fastball story: “I never knew that story. That’s pretty cool.” (45:17)
• Listeners can vote via the show blog.

6. Morning Games & Audience Engagement

Fresh Out of Bed, Head to Head (17:07–21:41)

• Amy, the prior champion, is AWOL; two new contestants play: Big Bad Brad vs. Morgan (the favorite 10th grader).
  • Brad ekes out a win over Morgan, much to the team's amusement.
  • Mo: “How could you even face your band teacher today?” (21:16)

Read My Lips: Chili vs Alex (79:43–95:06)

• Rod humorously laments getting "the same words" for the game (“…if it isn’t the gay Ram, Graham from Fun Facts, it’s every way you could say vomiting milk.” (80:22))
• Battle alternates between challenging (Dylans Dance, 'roadie ho") and comedic (“loose meatloaf”, “Willie titty"), with Alex securing the win.
• Prize: Breaking Benjamin/Chevelle tickets.

7. New Music Feature: ‘Return to Dust – Bored’ (53:44–64:20)

• Rod debuts a new track from Return to Dust, “Bored,” whose drummer (London Hudson) is Slash’s son. The crew and listeners react:
  • Mo: “It’s cool. It was fine. I didn’t love it. I didn’t hate it.” (58:17)
  • Alex: “I thought it was, like, a grungy Oasis kind of vibe… I really liked it. I'd love it to stay in the rotation.” (58:35)
  • Listener Jeff: “His voice early on kind of sounded like a blend between Days of the New and that swallow… the drop reminded me of early Saliva. I thought it was pretty great.” (60:33)
  • Rod encourages listeners to email feedback; promises to push for another spin if feedback is strong.

8. Fun Facts & Flashbacks (23:14–28:07)

• Three daily fun facts, including:
  • “One out of every 14 Americans under 70 either currently owns or used to own a copy of Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon.”
  • Mac and Cheese was popularized in the US by Thomas Jefferson's enslaved chef, James Hemmings.
  • Birds don’t pee: “Birds don’t just pee on their own. They just don’t whip it out and whiz—it’s the fun fact of the day.” (25:47)
• Flashback quiz: “First vending machine ever in Egypt, first century: What did it dispense?” (“Holy water.”)

9. Local Features, Food, & Viral Updates

• Return of Hockey: NAHL moves North Iowa Bulls to Houston, will be the Houston Bulls; not a top-tier pro league but a promising step.
  • Alex explains: “It's the nahl and that is for people that didn't make the Canadian Hockey League or the USHL... [but] a step in the right direction." (32:41)
• Health Dept. Shuts Down Beyoncé’s Mom’s Gumbo at Rodeo: Temporary closure of Mama Tina’s booth, reopens after “complaint investigation.”
• Air Fryer Pasta Chips Trend: Rod highlights and gently mocks TikTok viral food hacks––debates over whether boiled or raw pasta should be air-fried.
  • “I don’t post a lot of recipes and I don’t know that I would do it… Air Fried Pasta Salad is on the food blog page today.” (105:28)
• Throwback Thursday Voting Results: Fastball’s “The Way” ultimately wins the day, with Republica’s “Ready to Go” a close second. (111:15)

10. Ratings, Listener Call-ins, & Show Wrap-Up (71:19–124:44)

• Lighthearted banter about burnout from St. Patrick’s celebrations.
• Alex promotes his new Pass the Gravy podcast; discussions about animal foods and curses on sports teams.
• Prizes given away throughout the show: Wolfmother, Fastball/Eve 6, Buzzaween (Three Days Grace, I Prevail), Breaking Benjamin/Chevelle, Bobby Lee tickets.
• Day ends with reminders of tomorrow’s "Free Beer Friday" and more giveaways.

Notable & Memorable Quotes

• Rod Ryan, on audience connections:
  “You’ve made me so happy this morning...Before the internet, a friend of mine was deployed, and I used to send him CDs of the show...we would send him CDs...so they could listen to the show...for when they were feeling homesick.” (11:25–12:29)

• Mo, on AI Val Kilmer:
  “The director says it’s what Val wanted. Val’s family confirms Val was totally on board with it…This is a year after he passed away.” (05:15)

• Alex, summarizing NBA woes:
  “The Rockets continued to suck last night. They lost The Lakers again 124 to 116.” (06:35)

• Rod, on fresh music:
  “I’m trying to prove to the world that rock is not dead. I don’t know if it’s working.” (60:33)

• Listener Jeff, on Return to Dust:
  “Honestly, I thought it rocked, man. His voice early on kind of sounded like a blend between Days of the New...and the way the drop and everything is a bit harder it reminded me of early Saliva.” (60:33)

• Mo, on Republica's Throwback Thursday chances:
  "Republica people, where have you been? You were leading, I think, in the very beginning and then never since." (111:43)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:46] – Show preview, contest ticket run-down
• [03:07] – News headlines (Iran, gas prices, Cesar Chavez, Punch the Monkey, Val Kilmer AI)
• [06:30] – Sports update
• [10:29] – First phone call: listener Garrett from Marine Corps
• [17:07] – Fresh Out of Bed, Head-to-Head game
• [42:16] – Throwback Thursday: Song intros & backstories
• [53:44] – New Music: Return to Dust “Bored”
• [79:43] – Read My Lips game (Chili vs. Alex)
• [105:28] – Food Trend: Air-fried Pasta Salad
• [111:02] – Throwback Thursday winner revealed
• [119:31] – Final Know the Show giveaway & wrap-up

Final Thoughts

This “Full Show” episode is the quintessential Rod Ryan Show experience: playful, community-driven radio with news, music, nostalgia, games, and plenty of laughs. Audience voices are everywhere—via calls, emails, and ongoing contests. If you love local flavor that doesn't take itself too seriously, this episode is for you.