OZARK TV : SEASON 2

Ozark TV / Stories & Lore : Season 2 “The Season of Ramps”

Season 2 is where Ozark TV / Stories & Lore really began to find its identity. Shot entirely throughout the 417 and the Ozarks, this season expands the series with a mix of documentaries, interviews, and podcast-style conversations, diving deeper into the people and creative communities of the region. The season features the documentaries The Crawl Space Halloween Special and Harmonyfest, along with conversations and episodes featuring The Ozarks Most Podcast with Justin McGoo and Corey Stephens, Branson band Frog Lamp, Bleeg, The Jorq Chat, Uncle Belmont, and Joplin, Missouri band Ransided. With a growing range of subjects and formats, Season 2 marks the point where the project began to truly ramp up and take shape as a larger portrait of the people, music, and culture of the Ozarks.

The Crawl Space Halloween Special

This episode of Ozark TV / Stories & Lore gets into the Halloween spirit with ghosts, ghouls, witches, and the underground music scene of Joplin, Missouri.

In “The Crawl Space Halloween Special,” we document a Halloween weekend show hosted by the venue The Crawl Space, bringing together local musicians, performers, and members of the Joplin community for a night where music and Halloween collide.

Throughout the event, attendees share their thoughts on Joplin’s scariest things, the Joplin music scene, the atmosphere of the event, and the strange energy that comes with celebrating Halloween surrounded by a room full of musicians and music lovers.

We also sit down with several of the bands performing throughout the night, including The Sunflowers, Sunset Circle, Eye Creatures, Ransided, and more. Their perspectives give us a look at both the people making the music and the community that shows up to support them.

The Crawl Space becomes more than simply a venue for the night. It becomes a gathering point for people from different corners of the local scene, creating a space where music, costumes, Halloween, friendship, and community all come together.

This episode is ultimately about more than a Halloween show. It captures the way local music can create connections between people and give a community a place to gather, express itself, and share an experience together. In a city like Joplin, these small events become part of the larger story of the people who live there.

As with the larger Ozark TV / Stories & Lore series, the goal is to preserve these moments and the communities surrounding them. The Crawl Space Halloween Special is a snapshot of Joplin’s underground music culture at a particular moment — spooky, strange, loud, and full of people coming together.

Featuring: The Sunflowers, Sunset Circle, Eye Creatures, Ransided, and more
Location: Joplin, Missouri
Event: The Crawl Space Halloween Special
Topics: The Crawl Space, Halloween, Joplin Missouri, Joplin music scene, 417 music, Southwest Missouri, Halloween events, local bands, The Sunflowers, Sunset Circle, Eye Creatures, Ransided, live music, underground music, community, Ozarks culture, Joplin events, DIY music

Frog Lamp

This episode of Ozark TV / Stories & Lore ventures into the woods of Kimberling City, Missouri to meet the eccentric and wonderfully strange band known as Frog Lamp.

The greatest band in the history of the 417? I think so.

Shot primarily in the woods as Frog Lamp prepares for their first live show and their first official album, this documentary captures the band at the very beginning of their journey. We spend time with the members as they figure out their sound, their dynamic, and what exactly this strange little band is going to become.

The fungi frog boys are feeling mad rippity as we dive into conversations about musical influences, band dynamics, what makes their blood boil, the creative process, and much more. Along the way, there was plenty of hanging out, many marijuanas were smoked, and perhaps even a drink or two.

Frog Lamp’s music exists somewhere between punk, pop, experimental, heavy, and angsty, combining raw human experience with a psychedelic sensibility that feels completely their own. Their songs carry the messiness, emotion, humor, frustration, and vulnerability of being alive, while still managing to feel strange and otherworldly.

This episode captures Frog Lamp before the shows, before the album, and before anyone really knows where they’re going. It’s a document of a band discovering itself in real time — surrounded by trees, friends, music, and whatever the hell was happening that day.

Featuring Neil, Blake, Breckin, and the wonderful Zarman, this episode offers a glimpse into one of the more unconventional corners of the Southwest Missouri creative scene.

As with the larger Ozark TV / Stories & Lore series, the goal is to preserve these moments before they become history. Frog Lamp is a snapshot of four musicians at the beginning of something, creating music that is weird, emotional, heavy, psychedelic, and unmistakably human.

Featuring: Neil, Blake, Breckin, and Zarman / Frog Lamp
Location: Kimberling City, Missouri / Southwest Missouri
Topics: Frog Lamp, 417 music, Kimberling City Missouri, Southwest Missouri, punk, pop, experimental music, heavy music, angsty music, psychedelic music, underground music, band formation, first album, first show, musical influences, band dynamics, Ozarks music, Missouri musicians, DIY music, creative process

The Ozark’s Most Podcast

This episode of Ozark TV / Stories & Lore takes us out to a creek in Diamond, Missouri for what quickly becomes one of the most unpredictable conversations in the Ozarks.

Justin, Corey, and Pop sit down to discuss pretty much anything and everything, with absolutely no shortage of strange topics, questionable tangents, or completely unexpected turns. What begins as a podcast quickly goes sideways, and from there, the conversation stops for no man.

The discussion ranges from the amount of piss in public water, BBWs, Brazil, Jeff Gordon, cigars, and much, much more. No topic is safe, no tangent is too ridiculous, and somehow the conversation keeps moving.

Shot in the middle of a creek in Diamond, Missouri, the setting is almost as important as the conversation itself. There’s something inherently Ozarkian about sitting in a creek with friends and letting a conversation wander wherever it wants to go.

And then there’s Pop.

Is he really wearing a sheisty in the heat of summer? Yes. Anything for the bit.

What makes this episode memorable isn’t any particular subject — it’s the complete willingness of Justin, Corey, and Pop to follow a conversation wherever it leads. The result is a long-form, unfiltered glimpse into three people talking about whatever happens to cross their minds, with the kind of chemistry that makes you wonder how any of this got recorded in the first place.

As with the larger Ozark TV / Stories & Lore series, sometimes documenting a community means simply putting a camera down and letting people be themselves. The Ozarks Most Podcast is exactly that: weird conversations, questionable decisions, good friends, and a creek in Southwest Missouri.

Featuring: Justin, Corey, and Pop
Location: Diamond, Missouri
Topics: The Ozarks Most Podcast, Diamond Missouri, Southwest Missouri, Ozarks culture, podcasts, Jeff Gordon, Brazil, cigars, BBWs, public water, creek conversations, underground culture, Joplin area, Missouri, comedy, shenanigans, Pop’s sheisty

Bass On My Chest

In this nasty ass podcast, Pop and Bleeg sit down in Kimberling City, Missouri for a conversation that quickly becomes exactly what the title promises.

The two discuss tattoos, music, robbery, life, the universe, and plenty of subjects that probably aren’t meant for polite conversation. With a whole lotta gas smoked along the way, Pop and Bleeg dive headfirst into taboo topics, strange ideas, personal experiences, and whatever else happens to cross their minds.

Rather than following any kind of structured format, the conversation wanders wherever it wants. Serious subjects turn ridiculous, ridiculous subjects turn philosophical, and eventually the two find themselves pondering the universe while thoroughly enjoying the nonsense.

Shot in Kimberling City, this episode captures another unfiltered moment from the people and personalities that make up the stranger corners of the Ozarks. It’s less about reaching a particular conclusion and more about seeing where two people can take a conversation when there are no real rules.

As with Ozark TV / Stories & Lore, sometimes the most interesting stories come from simply letting people talk. Pop and Bleeg bring their own humor, curiosity, experiences, and questionable takes to a conversation that covers tattoos, music, crime, existence, and everything in between.

Featuring: Pop and Bleeg
Location: Kimberling City, Missouri
Topics: The Nasty Ass Podcast, Pop, Bleeg, Kimberling City Missouri, tattoos, music, robbery, taboo subjects, philosophy, the universe, Ozarks culture, Southwest Missouri, podcasts, personal experiences, underground culture, shenanigans

The Jorq Chat

The Jorq Chat is one of the longest podcast episodes in the history of Ozark TV / Stories & Lore, bringing together the fearsome foursome of Bleeg, Pop, Breckin, and Anthony for an extended conversation beside Table Rock Lake.

Shot lakeside with the water and Ozark scenery as the backdrop, the four settle in for a conversation that goes in just about every direction imaginable. Topics discussed include the grotto sculpin, dog fighting, 9-to-5 jobs, public intoxication, and much more.

There isn’t much of a roadmap for where the conversation is going. One subject leads into another, serious discussions turn into complete nonsense, and four people sitting beside the lake somehow manage to turn the afternoon into one of the most unnecessarily long conversations we’ve ever recorded.

The episode captures the personalities and chemistry of Bleeg, Pop, Breckin, and Anthony as they bounce ideas off one another, argue, joke, speculate, and explore whatever strange subject happens to enter the conversation.

Set against the backdrop of Table Rock Lake, The Jorq Chat is another document of the peculiar conversations and personalities that make up the broader Ozarks community. Sometimes the story isn’t about a specific event or destination — sometimes it’s simply about four guys sitting by a lake and seeing how long they can keep talking.

As with the larger Ozark TV / Stories & Lore series, the goal is to preserve these strange, spontaneous moments while they’re happening. The Jorq Chat is long, unpredictable, occasionally questionable, and unmistakably Ozark TV.

Featuring: Bleeg, Pop, Breckin, and Anthony
Location: Table Rock Lake / Southwest Missouri
Topics: The Jorq Chat, Ozark TV, Stories & Lore, Table Rock Lake, grotto sculpin, dog fighting, 9-to-5 jobs, public intoxication, podcasts, Ozarks culture, Southwest Missouri, Missouri, long-form podcast, lakeside conversations, underground culture, shenanigans

Uncle Belmont’s Local Wisdom

This episode of Ozark TV / Stories & Lore introduces us to Uncle Belmont, a cowboy, artist, and fashion extraordinaire with plenty of local wisdom to share.

Shot in Diamond, Missouri, Uncle Belmont takes us through stories and lessons from his wilder days of the past and the wild days still to come. His perspective comes from a life lived outside the ordinary, with plenty of experience, stories, and opinions accumulated along the way.

The conversation covers the cowboy lifestyle, club rodeo, thick women, tequila, and much more, with Uncle Belmont offering his own unique perspective on each subject. Equal parts storyteller, character, artist, and cowboy, Belmont brings a personality to the conversation that is impossible to ignore.

Rather than presenting a polished version of his life, this episode lets Uncle Belmont speak freely about the experiences that shaped him, the lifestyle he embraces, and the adventures that may still be ahead. His stories offer a glimpse into a particular kind of Southwest Missouri character — one that blends cowboy culture, art, fashion, nightlife, and a healthy appreciation for the wild side of life.

As with the larger Ozark TV / Stories & Lore series, the goal is to preserve the voices and personalities that make the region unique. Sometimes local history comes from books and archives; other times, it comes from sitting down with a cowboy in Diamond, Missouri and listening to what he has to say.

Featuring: Uncle Belmont
Location: Diamond, Missouri
Topics: Uncle Belmont, cowboy lifestyle, cowboy culture, club rodeo, rodeo, Southwest Missouri, Diamond Missouri, Ozarks culture, fashion, art, local wisdom, personal stories, tequila, 417 area, Missouri characters, Stories & Lore

Harmonyfest

This episode of Ozark TV / Stories & Lore takes us into the heat of Harmonyfest, a music festival created with the intention of bringing peace, community, and music to Joplin, Missouri.

Held on a brutal 100-degree day, Harmonyfest brought together more than 18 musical acts for a jam-packed day of performances, people, and plenty of unexpected occurrences. While the festival may have been built around peace and harmony, surviving the heat was another story — with Pop himself on the verge of heat stroke as the day continued.

Throughout the festival, we move between stages, crowds, performers, and the many strange and memorable moments that unfolded throughout the day. With so many acts packed into a single event, there was never much time to slow down, making Harmonyfest a particularly chaotic day to document.

We also sit down with musicians and members of the local scene, featuring interviews with Gateway Collective, Almost Moose, Frog Lamp, Eye Creatures, Slade Woodward, IcedxCoffee, Vague Days, Ransided, and many more.

Beyond the performances, Harmonyfest represents something larger about the Joplin music community. Bringing more than 18 acts together in one place created an opportunity for musicians, friends, strangers, and fans to share a day built around music and connection.

Of course, no Ozark TV documentary would be complete without things going slightly off the rails. Between the oppressive heat, the packed schedule, and the many wild occurrences throughout the day, Harmonyfest became as much an adventure to document as it was a festival to attend.

As with the larger Ozark TV / Stories & Lore series, the goal is to preserve these moments as they happen — not just the performances, but the people, personalities, chaos, and community surrounding them.

Featuring: Gateway Collective, Almost Moose, Frog Lamp, Eye Creatures, Slade Woodward, IcedxCoffee, Vague Days, Ransided, and many more
Location: Joplin, Missouri
Event: Harmonyfest
Topics: Harmonyfest, Joplin Missouri, Joplin music scene, 417 music, Southwest Missouri, live music, music festivals, Gateway Collective, Almost Moose, Frog Lamp, Eye Creatures, Slade Woodward, IcedxCoffee, Vague Days, Ransided, local musicians, community, Ozarks music, independent music, festival culture

Ransided

This episode of Ozark TV / Stories & Lore features Ransided, an industrial, noise, grunge, punk, and alternative rock band emerging from the underground music scene of Southwest Missouri.

Based in the Joplin, Missouri area, Ransided brings a chaotic and experimental edge to the 417 music scene. In this interview, we get to know the people behind the noise and discuss the experiences, influences, and local culture surrounding the band.

The conversation covers some of the most important questions facing the citizens of Joplin, including the best food in Joplin, the Joplin tornado, local drama, and whether Edan is in fact Satan.

Alongside the ridiculous questions and local gossip, Ransided offers their own perspective on making music in Southwest Missouri and being part of a scene that continues to develop outside the traditional music industry. Their blend of industrial, noise, grunge, punk, and alternative rock reflects the rougher and more experimental side of the 417.

The interview moves freely between serious conversations and complete nonsense, giving viewers a chance to experience the personalities behind the band rather than simply hearing about their music.

As with the larger Ozark TV / Stories & Lore series, the goal is to document the musicians and characters who make up the region’s underground culture. Ransided represents another piece of the Joplin music scene — loud, weird, experimental, and unapologetically local.

And as for the question of whether Edan is actually Satan… you’ll have to watch and decide for yourself.

Featuring: Ransided
Location: Joplin, Missouri / Southwest Missouri
Topics: Ransided, Joplin Missouri, 417 music, industrial music, noise music, grunge, punk, alternative rock, Joplin music scene, Joplin tornado, Joplin food, local drama, Southwest Missouri, Ozarks music, underground music, independent music, Edan, Satan