Posted in charity Episodes

Safety, accessibility and unity: Building the Humanity is the Genre Festival (Episode 654)

Guitars Over Guns. Sounds great to me. The Humanity is the Genre Festival is happening 9/25, from 12-6:00 p.m. in the courtyard of the historic landmark Mt. Pisgah Missionary Baptist Church in Bronzeville. Joining me for this episode DJ Lady…

Posted in burger joints chefs Episodes Restaurateurs

Welcome to ‘Septemburger’ (Episode 653)

Three chefs, one show! Chicago Gourmet’s “Hamburger Hop” event is happening right now, and joining me to talk about it are Chef Daniel Pineda (Whiskey Business), Chef Yani Sanchez (Takito) and Chef Michael Hernandez (Azul). We’re talking burgers. We’re talking…

Posted in Beverly Episodes photography

Beverly Art Walk strolls into 8th year (Episode 652)

The Beverly Art Walk strolls into its 8th year with another fantastic event on Saturday, 9/18. Spanning from 95th to 111th Streets, Walden to Western Avenue, this year’s walk includes 100 artists, pop-ups, gallery exhibitions, home studio visits and more!…

Posted in Episodes punk rock

The Joy Thieves: Defying expectations on ‘American Parasite’ (Episode 650)

A loose collective of musicians delivered one of the year’s tightest sets of music. The Joy Thieves recently put out their first full-length (“American Parasite”), and gave us the cathartic, drive fast, live-without-consequences, kind of music that the end of…

Posted in Episodes synth pop

Beloved Chicago band Pulsars return with “largely unheard lost tracks from your favorite weirdos” (Episode 649)

Mid-90s. Chicago. Bands across the city were swept up in a record company feeding frenzy the likes of which we’d never see again. You know the names of some of the bands, as a handful were able to establish a…

Posted in Episodes metal

Local black metal project Annihilus is raw, primal and awesome (Episode 648)

Raw. Primal. Awesome. Black metal project Annihilus returns with the follow-up to last year’s celebrated “Ghanima” release with “Follow a Song From the Sky.” Luca Cimarusti joins me to talk about forging the album during sheltering-in-place, why the band name…

Posted in Episodes post punk

The Stranglers return with ‘Dark Matters’: An interview with J.J. Burnel (Episode 647)

“Committed for insanity and crimes against the soul The worst crime that I ever did was play some rock ‘n roll.” The Stranglers have been around for over four decades and have seen and done it all. In the early…

Posted in activism Episodes punk rock

Blind Adam and the Federal League release new album on Anti-Flag’s A-F Records (Episode 646)

Anti-Flag is one of America’s most tireless activist voices in music, and they have a kindred spirit in Chicago’s Blind Adam and the Federal League. Blind Adam and the Federal League return with their new album, An Act of Desperation,…

Posted in alcohol beer breweries Brewpub Episodes

The beer! The food! Crushed By Giants redefines what River North can be (Episode 645)

Oh, man. Crushed By Giants rules. I spent the afternoon with Marketing Director Joe Steigerwald, Head Brewer David Kerns and Head Chef Enrique Roman. I got to watch Crushed By Giants in motion, but more importantly, I got to sample…

Posted in Episodes North Center Restaurateurs

BEHOLD… THE GIANT PORK TENDERLOIN SANDWICH from The Rambler Kitchen + Tap (Episode 644)

The Rambler Kitchen + Tap (4128 N. Lincoln) has become a fast favorite over the past two years. Owner Kyle Bagley is here to talk about his business, and to show off THE GIANT PORK TENDERLOIN SANDWICH. We also sampled…