Posted in Encased Meats Episodes hot dog joints Live performances Music guests

What’s in a name? Bad Bad Meow play live (Episode 99)

Chicago band Bad Bad Meow met me at Jimmy’s Red Hots (4000 W. Grand) for old school Chicago dogs and fries. We talk about the band’s history, that questionable band name and why most of the band members were surprised…

Posted in Chicago Episodes Live performances Logan Square Music guests tacos

A blazing performance from Chicago’s Blood People (and a food challenge) (Episode 96)

OH MY GOD, this episode was fun to do. I’m joined by 3/4 of Blood People (Aly, Mickey and Jeff) for tacos at the much-celebrated L’ Patron (3749 W Fullerton Ave, Chicago, IL 60647). Blood People is a band you need…

Posted in Episodes Live performances Pizza Suburbs

Heligoats perform live, eat ‘Italian Beef pizza’ (Episode 79)

It’s another exclusive “backseat performance” as Chris Otepka of Heligoats plays two of the band’s best songs (My Camping Trip From Hell, Fish Sticks) live in the back seat of the Mazda 3. For this episode, we visit the spectacular…

Nathan Graham of Lucky Dutch on Car Con Carne with James VanOsdol
Posted in blues Encased Meats Episodes hot dog joints Live performances Logan Square

A car-melting live backseat performance from The Lucky Dutch’s Nathan Graham (Episode 74)

You’re going to be blown away by this episode’s in-car performance (“It’s not the weirdest thing that’s happened in a car on Western Avenue”). No fair skipping ahead to hear it! Nathan Graham, frontman of Chicago band the Lucky Dutch,…

Posted in burger joints Encased Meats Episodes Live performances Suburbs West suburbs

Michael McDermott performs and talks about success, addiction and redemption (Episode 70)

Michael McDermott is one of the greatest songwriters of the past 25 years. If you’re familiar with McDermott, you probably already know that Stephen King’s a fan (“Not since I first heard Bruce Springsteen singing ‘Rosalita’ had I heard someone…

Posted in Chicago Episodes Live performances Mexican food Music guests

Toronzo Cannon brings the blues to the backseat (Episode 47)

Chicago bluesman Toronzo Cannon jumps in the backseat just as his Alligator Records debut, “The Chicago Way” is about to drop. He brings his resonator guitar along to play stunning acoustic versions of “Walk It Off,” “Pain Around Me” and…

Posted in Encased Meats Episodes hot dog joints Live performances Northwest Side

Exclusive live performance from Jon Langford in the parking lot of Ivy’s (Episode 46)

Jon Langford is an artist’s artist. He’s a member of the Mekons, Waco Brothers, The Three Johns, Men of Gwent and an accomplished solo performer and painter. With a new Waco Brothers album on the way (Going Down in History)…

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In-car performance with Josh Caterer of Smoking Popes (Episode 39)

This episode is a Car Con Carne first: A live-to-tape in-car performance, courtesy of Smoking Popes lead singer Josh Caterer! While parked in the lot of The Texan in Algonquin, Josh plays a couple of Popes songs, a song from…