To hear his brusque banter on the radio, one would never guess that John Carney is one of the kindest, big hearted, and generous people in St. Louis. The 56-year-old wisecracker is the host of the The Carney Show on KTRS 550 AM, which airs live weekdays from 12–3 p.m. along with co-host Julie Buck.
On the air, no invited guest, guest host, co-host, celebrity guest, fellow employee, superior, or subject (“What, too soon?”) is exempt from his occasional jabs. Off the air, Carney is a father-of-four family man and contributor to local charitable causes, not the least of which is his own organization, Carney’s Kids Foundation, 20 years young in 2020.
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Carney’s Kids provides financial support and promotes kid-focused charitable organizations. CarneyVal is the annual fundraiser for the foundation.
Carney, a longtime foodie and amateur chef, also hosts Restaurant Tuesday (Tuesdays from 1 to 2 p.m. on KTRS), a long-running show (“almost as old as food itself”) dedicated to St. Louis’ independent restaurants and chefs. Restaurant owners and chefs are quick to volunteer for CarneyVal…even the ones who Carney doesn’t put on the spot, live on the air.
This year, the roster of 13 restaurants includes Annie Gunn’s, Anthonino’s Taverna, Bugatti’s Steak & Pasta, Hi-Pointe Drive-In, LoRusso’s Cucina, Mission Taco Joint, Nudo House, The Pasta House Co., Peno Soul Food, and Sugarfire Smoke House, with desserts from Clementine’s Naughty and Nice Creamery, Kakao Chocolate, and Walk Away Waffles.
For CarneyVal, masks and costumes are encouraged but not mandatory, but rest assured the host, ahem, will not disappoint.
This year, CarneyVal is being held Saturday, February 22, at the Ameristar Casino‘s Discovery Ballroom in St. Charles. The evening’s festivities will be emceed by KTRS’ Heidi Glaus, with music from the Soulard Island Dudes band. Comedians Julian McCullough and Billy Wayne Davis will also perform. A silent auction table includes Blues and Cardinals memorabilia, vacation trips, dining certificates, golf outings, fine wines, show tickets, and hotel stays…many of which Carney claims to be able to knock out in a single day.
Tickets are $125 per person (a table of 10 is $1000) and available here. Procrastinators beware: CarneyVal sells out every year.
Full disclosure: George Mahe is a weekly guest on the Restaurant Tuesday segment.
