10 years is a long time. When it comes to music festivals, it’s a really big deal. The 10th Annual Homegrown Festival is happening on July 30th at BaseCamp in Lisle (5750 Lakeside Drive). 20 bands and 12 acoustic artists will be performing. Art vendors will also be on hand, as will plenty of food and drink. To talk about the milestone event are three of the performers, including Homegrown creator Aaron Williams, Laura of the Simple Remedy and Daven of Jacks and Atoms. Thanks to Basecamp for keeping the conversation moving with delicious food from their menu! Now is the time to go solar! Introducing Transparent Solar. With zero money down, you can go solar and enjoy benefits like a 25 year warranty, saving money on your electric bill after installation and increasing your home value. Go to sopelsolar.com to learn more!
If you like music, Chicago culture and kickass tavern food, this is your episode. Photographer Gene Ambo joins me to talk about his massive new coffee table book, “HEAVY METRO: ACCESS ALL ERAS.” The book covers 40 years of live music on and off the legendary stage of Chicago’s Metro (3730 N. Clark Street). The book is a mind-blowing collection of performance and backstage shots, including metal giants Slayer, Metallica and Motorhead; alternative superstars Smashing Pumpkins, Jane’s Addiction, Ramones, Nirvana and Red Hot Chili Peppers; and punk heroes like Naked Raygun and Descendents. We talk about the stories behind the shots, and the moods and the attitudes of the artists in the pictures. This episode was fueled by the insanely good burgers at Circle Tavern (18 Conti Parkway, Elmwood Park). Owner/all around kickass dude Mike Jardine jumped in the backseat to join in the conversation and talk about Circle Tavern’s menu and history. No joke: The double burgers are completely legit and worth a trip to Elmwood Park. Now is the time to go solar! Introducing Transparent Solar. With zero money down, you can go solar and enjoy benefits like a 25 year warranty, saving money on your electric bill after installation and increasing your home value. Go to sopelsolar.com to learn more!
Presenting… the 3rd Annual IL Hot Sauce Expo. This is going to be a seriously fun event… I mean, “bobbing for reaper peppers,” craft beer, lucha wrestling and free hot sauce tastings? Count me in. The IL Hot Sauce Expo is coming to the Forge on July 23 and 24, and I talked to creator Steve Seabury (High River Sauces) about the evolution of the Expo, the appeal of hot sauce, the insanity of hot sauce challenges and why the hot sauce scene isn’t all that different from the craft beer scene. For tickets: https://www.chitownhotsauceexpo.com/tickets.php Now is the time to go solar! Introducing Transparent Solar. With zero money down, you can go solar and enjoy benefits like a 25 year warranty, saving money on your electric bill after installation and increasing your home value. Go to sopelsolar.com to learn more!
“Some people haven’t read a poem since high school,” says poet C. Russell Price in this episode. They’re probably right, but the new book “Oh, You Thought This Was a Date? Apocalypse Poems” should bring people back for all the right reasons (sex, drugs, rock and roll, the end of the world, deeply personal reflections, wordplay and a wicked sense of humor). Russell talks about a career in poetry, the apocalypse, the musical “Easter eggs” in the poems, LGBTQIA issues and how music and poetry work together. Russell also reads two poems from the book during the episode, which was super cool. Worth noting: I end the episode with a FLARF! I wasn’t even aware as I was doing it. Now is the time to go solar! Introducing Transparent Solar. With zero money down, you can go solar and enjoy benefits like a 25 year warranty, saving money on your electric bill after installation and increasing your home value. Go to sopelsolar.com to learn more!
Midge Ure’s career is a life of music that’s played out in front of us: Live Aid. Band Aid. Ultravox. Visage. Rich Kids. Solo. Before he took the stage of the Des Plaines Theater, the songwriting legend joined me for a wide-spanning backstage conversation. Now is the time to go solar! Introducing Transparent Solar. With zero money down, you can go solar and enjoy benefits like a 25 year warranty, saving money on your electric bill after installation and increasing your home value. Go to sopelsolar.com to learn more!
This episode is fantastic, featuring two guests that span music, technology and food. Mark Rose made a name for himself in Spitalfield, before launching a successful solo career. We talk about his music, but focus on his Downwrite platform, which enables consumers to commission custom songs from performers large and small. Want Richard Patrick of Filter to write a song for your daughter’s Bat Mitzvah? Go to Downwrite. Want Bob Nanna of Braid/Hey Mercedes to write a song for your indie film? Go to Downwrite. I love the concept, and we go deep into it. Kyle Schrage is the “beard” of “Beard and Belly,” located at 6157 N. Broadway. He walks us through the menu (everything made in-house) and shares items like the pastrami Reuben (OMG), Spicy Pickled Eggs and the Short Rib poutine. We finish with cream pies, as you do. Lots of great conversation between the three of us coming from Edgewater at the beginning of a long weekend for a lot of us. Hope you enjoy listening! Now is the time to go solar! Introducing Transparent Solar. With zero money down, you can go solar and enjoy benefits like a 25 year warranty, saving money on your electric bill after installation and increasing your home value. Go to sopelsolar.com to learn more!
It was a pleasure to have Kyle Janis, founder of Soothsayer Hot Sauce, back on Car Con Carne. We met at Village Tap in Roscoe Village (2055 W. Roscoe) to eat cheese curds and mini corn dogs slathered in Soothsayer. As we did that, we also talked about how Kyle’s business has grown/scaled up since last we spoke. Lots of good insight for creators/entrepreneurs/brand managers in this episode. Lots of good conversation for fans of two guys talking in a car, too. Thanks to Transparent Solar and Brent Sopel for their sponsorship. You can take control of your power: Get a consultation from sopelsolar.com. Between federal and Illinois tax credits, you can save close to 50%!
Take the Reins returns to Car Con Carne the day of their new release, “I’m At Your Door!” The band talks about how they ended up on a new label (it involved a late night and YouTube), their hands-on experience with pressing their own records, and what the band and Cheap Trick have in common. After we downed a bag of tacos from Taco Stop in Brookfield, Courtney and Dave played an acoustic version of their new song, “Left of Center” from the front seat of the car! Car Con Carne is sponsored by SopelSolar.com. Add value to your home without writing a check. Visit SopelSolar.com to make the move towards cost certainty and go solar! Between federal and Illinois state tax credits, you can save up to 48%! Car Con Carne is also sponsored by Happy to Meat You. Take 10% off your order with promo code JVO and also get three unique steakhouse seasoning blends and the Official Happy to Meat You Carnivore Companion Cooking Guide. Offer ends this week!
Chicago songwriting treasure Steve Dawson (Dolly Varden, Funeral Bonsai Wedding) is performing highlights from his superior "At the Bottom of a Canyon in the Branches of a Tree” at Pravda Fest this weekend. He joined me at Sketchbook in Skokie to talk about his long music career in Chicago. Car Con Carne is sponsored by SopelSolar.com. Add value to your home without writing a check. Visit SopelSolar.com to make the move towards cost certainty and go solar!Between federal and Illinois state tax credits, you can save up to 48%! Car Con Carne is also sponsored by Happy to Meat You. Take 10% off your order with promo code JVO and also get three unique steakhouse seasoning blends and the Official Happy to Meat You Carnivore Companion Cooking Guide. Offer ends this week! ______
As we head toward PravdaFest weekend, Josh Caterer (Josh Caterer Trio) and John San Juan (Hushdrops, Josh Caterer Trio) join me at Sketchbook in Skokie after hours to talk about music, beer and pop culture. And what’s this they’re saying about being on a Spinal Tap Tribute album? Car Con Carne is sponsored by SopelSolar.com. Add value to your home without writing a check. Visit SopelSolar.com to make the move towards cost certainty and go solar! Between federal and Illinois state tax credits, you can save up to 48%! Car Con Carne is also sponsored by Happy to Meat You. Take 10% off your order with promo code JVO and also get three unique steakhouse seasoning blends and the Official Happy to Meat You Carnivore Companion Cooking Guide. Offer ends this week!