Category: Episodes
Comedian Mike Stricker eats hot dogs, says funny things (Episode 812)
Comedian Mike Stricker joins me for hot dogs from Gene & Jude’s in this episode. He’s a very funny guy, and we talked about: *How I totally forgot we’d already met, and feel really dumb about it. *Gene & Jude’s…
Peanut Park Trattoria serves killer pasta, tiramisu and more in Little Italy (Episode 811)
Chicago Magazine says Peanut Park Trattoria (1359 W. Taylor St.) is one of the “10 hottest restaurants in Chicago right now.” Time Out named it one of the 30 best Italian restaurants in the city. The accolades are well-deserved. Dave…
Sweetie: Raw, bluesy, garage rock awesomeness (Episode 810)
Sweetie is an excellent Chicago-based punk band with Birdy Vee, Sweet Johnny Marble, and Joe Pennington. The band joined me for a chat before a gig at Punk Rock Tacos on 1/13/23, and we talked about: The religious rebellion…
Punk Rock Tacos brings local all-ages shows back to forefront (Episode 809)
Noah Corona, creator and curator of Punk Rock Tacos, joins me for an episode about the ongoing live music series. The need for all-ages shows has never been stronger, and Punk Rock Tacos nailed it. This was my first visit,…
Illinois’ first NA brewery, Go Brewing, celebrates Dry January (Episode 808)
It’s Dry January, and I think a lot of us are working toward GO BREWING’s mantra of “Less alcohol, fewer calories… more productive tomorrows.” Go Brewing is the first low-alcohol or NA brewery in Illinois, and I’m joined by Go…
Chicago post-punk band Ghost Forest delivers raw, primal debut (Episode 807)
The members of GHOST FOREST (singer/guitarist Scott “Gub” Conway, drummer James Kimball, bassist Brant McCrea, join me on the first episode of 2023. We recorded at the super cool Rot Shop (a former location and topic for Car Con Carne)…
Vortis chronicles ‘The Miasmic Years ‘ (Episode 806)
Tony, Louie and Jim of Vortis return to Car Con Carne to talk about their excellent new garage/punk record (in mono!), “The Miasmic Years.” Covered in this episode: *The accuracy of the new album title. *The mind-blowing inspiration for their…
Poi Dog’s Susan Voelz delivers stunning solo release, ‘Trust the Waves Will Hold You’ (Episode 805)
Violin virtuoso Susan Voelz recently released a fantastic album, “Trust the Waves Will Hold You,” a collection of unreleased Poi Dog Pondering songs that she fleshed out and made whole. Discussed in this episode: *Background on “Trust the Waves Will…
It’s the holiday show with Chicago’s ‘best bartender’ Mike Vanderbilt (Episode 804)
Returning guest/Car Con Carne favorite Mike Vanderbilt (voted Best Bartender in Chicago by the the readers of the Chicago Reader) joins me for a holiday show at Cigars & Stripes BBQ Lounge (6715 W. Ogden, Berwyn). We recorded on “Monster…
10 highlights from 2022 (Episode 803)
It’s the year-end special! It’s been a fabulous year on Car Con Carne, and this episode features 10 of 2022’s many highlights. __ Looking for your next read? Ninety Days in the 90s: A Rock N Roll Time Travel Story…