H.O.G. POD: Chicagoland Hyper Local Music Scene

HogPod Chicagoland's Hyper Local Music Chat
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Welcome to HOG POD: Chicago's Music Scene Unplugged! Hosted by Mike Orfanos, Mike Dermont, and Pete Jansons, we dive into Chicago’s vibrant music scene. From classic rock to indie vibes, we bring you exclusive interviews, behind-the-scenes stories, and live performances. Discover local legends and emerging artists while exploring the city’s diverse music culture. Tune in for special episodes featuring tribute bands and live events!

  1. 14h ago

    Ron Onesti: He Saved the Arcada Theatre | Hogpod Chicagoland Music Scene Podcast

    How do you save a historic theater, keep legendary artists coming back — and build a life around "music and meatballs"? Ron Onesti, President & CEO of Onesti Entertainment, joins Hogpod as the Arcada Theatre in St. Charles prepares to celebrate its 100th anniversary. Ron tells the story of driving out to the Arcada 25 years ago, finding a dumpster out front and discovering the theater was being gutted for offices. He had no money, started making what he calls "stupid offers," and somehow began a journey that would transform the Arcada into one of Chicagoland's most distinctive live music venues. Then he did it again — helping bring the condemned, fire-damaged Des Plaines Theatre back to life. But this episode is about more than buildings. Ron explains why relationships can matter more than money when booking artists, why George Thorogood calls the Arcada "home," what really goes into an artist rider, and why one performer told him coming there was "like going to my aunt's house for dinner." And yes, there are meatballs. We also get into Neil Sedaka's six pairs of black socks, Paul Anka rewriting "My Way" for Ron's birthday, Brian Wilson's years in St. Charles, the growing competition for touring acts, aging rock legends, tribute bands, and what it takes to keep live music alive. The timing couldn't be better: the Arcada Theatre turns 100 on September 6, 2026, with a centennial celebration featuring Priscilla Presley, Chubby Checker, a Ferris Bueller's Day Off parade recreation, thousands of people doing the Twist, and a History of Rock 'n' Roll show. 🎶 NEW MUSIC "Ron Onesti's Meatballs" — our Dean Martin-style tribute to Ron's favorite combination: music and meatballs. https://open.spotify.com/album/2821lRz13s1pVxUpxf5AAV 🎧 MORE HOGPOD MUSIC ON SPOTIFY https://open.spotify.com/artist/2QtmZydAIuDFTsbgOxqr7f 🎯 KEY MOMENTS 00:00 Music & meatballs 02:00 Meet Ron Onesti 02:42 A dumpster outside the Arcada changes everything 04:14 The condemned Des Plaines Theatre 05:38 Rebuilding during COVID 09:18 Meatballs, Taylor Street & Sunday gravy 12:20 George Thorogood: "I'll always come back here" 13:34 Neil Sedaka's six pairs of black socks 14:43 "It's like going to my aunt's house for dinner" 15:46 "You set the bar" 17:14 "My life is all about music and meatballs" 20:40 Celebrating the Arcada's centennial 21:34 September 6: the 100th anniversary parade 22:34 The History of Rock 'n' Roll 26:32 The challenge of booking aging legends 28:44 "The music has become bigger than the people" 35:04 "It's 150% relationship based" 40:17 The artists Ron still gets excited to book 41:04 "Uncle Paul" Anka rewrites "My Way" 42:12 Brian Wilson in St. Charles 49:48 The Onesti formula: make it feel like home 📍 TOPICS IN THIS EPISODE Ron Onesti - Arcada Theatre - Arcada 100th Anniversary - Des Plaines Theatre - Chicago music - Chicagoland music scene - live music - concert promotion - George Thorogood - Priscilla Presley - Chubby Checker - Brian Wilson - Paul Anka - Neil Sedaka - music and meatballs 🎤 FEATURED LINKS Arcada Theatre 100th Anniversary + Events https://www.arcadalive.com/events Des Plaines Theatre https://desplainestheatre.com Onesti Entertainment https://oshows.com Backstage with Ron Onesti https://www.arcadalive.com/blog/category/backstage-with-ron-onesti Regina Karma — Sunday Music with Regina Karma Sundays at 5 PM at Capri of Willow Springs Mike Dermont + FRICTION Friction Fest — October 24 at The Broken Oar ❤️ SUPPORT HOGPOD https://www.patreon.com/hogpod 🎙️ Hosted by Pete Jansons with Mike Dermont and Regina Karma 📞 BOOKING booking@hogpod.org #Hogpod #ChicagoPodcast #MusicPodcast #RonOnesti #ArcadaTheatre #Arcada100 #DesPlainesTheatre #ChicagoMusic #ChicagolandMusic #MusicAndMeatballs

    Ron Onesti: He Saved the Arcada Theatre | Hogpod Chicagoland Music Scene Podcast

  2. Aug 26

    C-Bob Bobrowski on Rok Brigade & the Death of Live Music | Hogpod Chicagoland Music Scene Podcast

    If you've spent any time in the Chicago tribute scene, you've probably seen Chris "C-Bob" Bobrowski on a stage somewhere — Rok Brigade, Super Unknown, Ten, No More Tears, No More Faith, and roughly ten other projects depending on the weekend. C-Bob returns to Hogpod with Pete Jansons and Bongo Mike for a wide-ranging one: AI and musicianship, the Chicago tribute scene, shrinking attention spans, David Lee Roth, legacy bands with zero original members, and Reggie's full-album Halloween shows — all circling the big question underneath: is live music becoming a dying art form, or is it just changing? Plus the Long Grove bridge that's been hit 75 times, C-Bob's line of the night — "Everybody wants to be a rock star; they just don't want to pay for it" — and the reveal that the man has roughly 28,000 albums catalogued in Excel and backed up on a NAS. 🎯 KEY MOMENTS 00:00 An AI companion sings C-Bob the Lane Tech fight song 00:46 Two Lane Tech alums reconnect — room 144 & the drafting-to-engineer path 03:02 Welcome back — and congrats, C-Bob married Amy 03:47 The Coterie's comeback & the one-hit-wonders scene 05:20 Herding 30 musicians — the Wolfie jams & how these events come together 07:58 In memoriam: Peter Katsis — Ministry, Riviera & The Firm 09:45 C-Bob's 15 bands — Rok Brigade, Super Unknown, Ten & No More Tears 13:08 The Long Grove bridge that's been hit 75 times 15:30 Reggie's Halloween full-album night — Ten does Pearl Jam's "Vs." 17:10 Rock House — the band playing what nobody else plays 19:13 Why the Discord jam ended — Andrew Blake takes the torch 22:00 Orland Park fest, the rain & Wedding Band at 25 years 25:55 Ronnie Platt — Shooting Star to Kansas 34:58 AI & musicianship — "a tool, not a creative element" 37:16 Glenn Hansard, "Falling Slowly" & the live-music conversation 43:57 Can AI replace the musician? The synthesizer question 47:14 Are younger fans still coming out to live shows? 51:11 Is live music a dying art form? 51:53 "Everybody wants to be a rock star" — nobody wants the 10,000 hours 55:34 Keeping people engaged — video walls, medleys & showmanship 1:01:11 "Nobody watches the whole thing" — the Shorts game 1:07:03 Old bands with zero original members — the Ship of Theseus 1:07:59 David Lee Roth: showman, not singer 1:10:44 Rapid fire — favorite new band, Jerry Garcia & getting old 1:14:15 28,000 albums, an Excel list & a triple-backed NAS 📍 Chicago music - Chicagoland music scene - tribute bands - Rok Brigade - Ten - Super Unknown - AI and musicianship - David Lee Roth - Ship of Theseus - live music - Reggie's - Pearl Jam - Chicago tribute bands 🎤 FEATURED LINKS Rok Brigade — Def Leppard tribute https://rokbrigadeband.com/ / rokbrigadechicago Ten — Pearl Jam tribute https://tenchicago.com/ / tenpearljam Super Unknown — Chris Cornell / Soundgarden / Audioslave / Temple of the Dog https://super-unknown.com/ ❤️ Support Hogpod on Patreon / hogpod 🎙️ Hosted by Pete Jansons and Mike "Bongo" Orfanos (Bongo Mike) 📞 Booking — booking@hogpod.org #Hogpod #ChicagoMusic #ChicagolandMusicScene #ChicagoPodcast #MusicPodcast #TributeBands #RokBrigade #LiveMusic #AIMusic #ChicagoMusicScene #PearlJam

    C-Bob Bobrowski on Rok Brigade & the Death of Live Music | Hogpod Chicagoland Music Scene Podcast

  3. Aug 19

    Personal Trainer by Day, Nancy Wilson by Night — Lisa LaManna | Hogpod Chicago Music Podcast

    A guitar player walked into her Lake Zurich fitness studio, said "I have a proposition for you" — and that's how a personal trainer became the Nancy Wilson in one of Chicago's premier Heart tribute acts. Lisa LaManna sings and plays the Nancy Wilson role in Heart 2 Heartbreaker — the Chicagoland Heart & Pat Benatar tribute alongside Jerry (Benatar) and opera-trained Diva. This week she gets into getting recruited right before COVID, the terror of nailing the "Crazy On You" intro solo in heels ("you're on an island"), her years with the '80s All-Stars and the "I Love the '80s" all-star nights, first concert Billy Squier at the Providence Civic Center (and the video that "ruined him"), why Prince is her "music Jesus," front row at the Purple Rain tour, why Tinley Park's skyboxes wreck the sound, and a completely unhinged Pop-Tart debate involving Crisco, butter, microwaves and "extra gluten."🎯 KEY MOMENTS00:00 "I have a proposition for you" — a guitarist walks into her gym01:01 Welcome, Lisa01:05 Broken Oar storm show & the summer-festival weather gamble02:56 The Skokie Backlot Bash umbrella storm04:05 Chicago's premier Heart & Pat Benatar tribute — the Vixen / Heart of Glass connection05:29 Adam, Diva & the band — joining right before COVID05:45 The recruitment story, full version07:37 MaxFitness — her Lake Zurich training studio09:14 Festival showcases & meeting Aussie Reborn10:58 The washboard wedding & the "I Love the '80s" all-star nights13:10 Piano to guitar — "once you plug that thing in, there's no going back"14:58 The "Crazy On You" intro & playing in heels15:49 Solo nerves — "you're on an island"17:19 "How can you say no?" — the honor of playing Nancy18:05 Jerry & Diva — Evanescence, Joan Jett & Scandal19:38 The Warrior, FM/Easy FM & juggling bands21:32 Festival season & getting lost on the way to gigs24:30 Parking-lot war stories & the captain's suit26:57 Deep-cut Heart & the Bad Animals tour29:36 Why Tinley Park's sound gets screwed up (skyboxes)30:51 Ann & Nancy Wilson — key changes & aging rock voices33:28 Heart's "Stairway" at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame34:34 Rapid fire begins35:04 First concert — Billy Squier at the Providence Civic Center37:45 "That one video ruined him" — the Billy Squier debate39:44 Favorite artist: Prince — front row at Purple Rain, "music Jesus"41:31 The Gap Band, Earth, Wind & Fire & Paisley Park44:07 Favorite movie: Titanic45:14 The Pop-Tart question — Crisco, butter & "extra gluten"47:36 Where to train & catch the band — MaxFitness, Alpine Fest, Jack Tripper49:44 Gun to your head: Pop-Tart or hot dog?51:09 The wig that won't quit — "funny for everyone but me"52:18 Let's get all three back on📍 Heart 2 Heartbreaker - Lisa LaManna - Nancy Wilson - Heart tribute - Pat Benatar - Chicago cover bands - Crazy On You - Billy Squier - Prince - Purple Rain - MaxFitness - Lake Zurich - 80s rock - women in rock - Chicago music scene🎤 GUEST LINKSMaxFitness: https://www.maxfitnesslisa.com/Heart 2 Heartbreaker: https://heart-to-heartbreaker.com/Heart 2 Heartbreaker on Facebook:   / heart2heartbreaker  Lisa on Facebook:   / lisa.lamanna  ❤️ Support Hogpod on Patreon:   / hogpod  Hosted by Pete Jansons and Mike "Bongo" Orfanos (Bongo Mike).📞 Booking — booking@hogpod.org#Hogpod #ChicagoPodcast #MusicPodcast #Heart2Heartbreaker #HeartTribute #NancyWilson #PatBenatar #ChicagoMusicScene #TributeBand #80sRock #WomenInRock

    Personal Trainer by Day, Nancy Wilson by Night — Lisa LaManna | Hogpod Chicago Music Podcast

  4. Aug 12

    John Gabrysiak: 40 Years Booking Chicago — Johnny Winter, Duffel Bags of Cash & $175 to See a Laptop

    John Gabrysiak — "John G" — has spent 40+ years in the music business, from booking agent for John Mayall, Johnny Winter and Levon Helm to Music Director & Talent Buyer at Special Events Management (chicagoevents.com), where he now books the bands for Chicago's biggest summer street festivals.Pete and Bongo Mike sit down with John for a full-circle conversation: Pete booked the Cubby Bear in the early '90s; John was on the agency side that fed it. What follows is duffel bags of cash, sold-out shows in 20 minutes, the smoke weekend that cancelled BurgerFest, and an honest look at why a concert ticket went from $11.50 to $341.This episode opens with a tribute to Peter Katsis (1957–2026), the legendary Chicago-born music manager (Ministry, Bush, Smashing Pumpkins, Backstreet Boys), whose name comes up during John's Morrissey story.CHAPTERS0:00 Cold open — in memory of Peter Katsis0:40 Welcome — meet John G1:15 Billboard at the library - Elton John at 123:49 NIU concert committee: Cheap Trick, Zappa, Sammy Hagar5:02 American Famous Talent: Lonnie Brooks to John Mayall6:40 ZZ Top's Antenna Tour & Levon Helm with Ringo's All-Starrs8:05 Fred Bohlander and the birth of Monterey International9:43 Cubby Bear days, Q Productions & Coran Capshaw's $15011:44 Johnny Winter sells out the Cubby Bear in 20 minutes14:29 Duffel bags of cash - wire transfers & ACH18:11 The smoke weekend: BurgerFest Friday cancelled20:47 Weather, lightning & a festival monsoon save22:44 Freddie Jones' "In a Daydream" on the Artemis mission23:34 Festival economics: the $10 donation nobody pays26:01 Booking the season — it starts in October27:46 Fewer national acts / "drink and sing 'Jessie's Girl'"31:34 The opening-act shakedown: how agents bundle33:21 Why people stay home now35:04 DJs, laptops & "$175 to see a laptop"37:46 AI ads and unlicensed band photos40:05 Ticket prices: Rush at $11.50 vs $34145:53 VIP packages with "no artist participation"46:33 What Special Events Management actually does48:22 The Lincolnwood Fest turnaround51:04 Polestar & the idea of a local booking database53:07 How many fests? ~15 a season54:09 Rapid fire: the worst concert ever (Morrissey / Riviera)57:23 Molly Hatchet & the cowboy-hat standoff58:47 Pop-Tarts closer + come back soonGUESTJohn Gabrysiak — Music Director & Talent Buyer, Special Events Managementchicagoevents.com | LinkedIn: /in/johngabrysiak | X: @JGTRICK | IG: @johngchicago#Hogpod #ChicagoMusic #LiveMusic #ConcertBooking #MusicBusiness #ChicagoFestivals #JohnnyWinter #JohnMayall

    John Gabrysiak: 40 Years Booking Chicago — Johnny Winter, Duffel Bags of Cash & $175 to See a Laptop

  5. Aug 5

    Rachel Locker: Blind Melon, Devon Allman & the Story Behind "Wagon Wheel" | Chicago Music Podcast

    How does a suburban music teacher end up interviewing Blind Melon, an Allman, and the guy who wrote "Wagon Wheel"? She just slides into their DMs. Rachel Locker — host of the Rachel Locker Music podcast and a teacher at Our Music Institute in Northfield, IL — joins Hogpod to explain how she lands big-name guests the low-tech way: a direct message on Instagram. Along the way she walks us through the interviews that stuck with her — Blind Melon guitarist Christopher Thorn opening up about the loss of Shannon Hoon and how differently mental health was treated in the '90s, Devon Allman on growing up without knowing Gregg Allman was his father, and Old Crow Medicine Show's Ketch Secor on how "Wagon Wheel" grew out of an unfinished Bob Dylan demo. We also get into teaching five- and six-year-olds, why she ditched guitar for bass, meeting her husband (Pino Farina guitarist Mike Popko) on Facebook, and a live drive-by tour of the OMI studio to close it out. 🎧 Rachel Locker Music — on Spotify and Instagram (@rachellockermusic) 🎸 Our Music Institute — lessons, teen bands & a recording studio in Northfield, IL — https://loveourmusic.com 🎤 Pino Farina — the band featuring Rachel's husband, guitarist Mike Popko 🎯 KEY MOMENTS 00:00 Cold open — the music teacher who DMs rock stars 01:15 Welcome — and Rachel's on the clock (she's got a class to teach) 01:58 How Pete met Rachel — the Mosquitoes opening for Pino Farina at Sundance 02:35 "Big time married" — her husband, Pino Farina guitarist Mike Popko 03:43 Two and a half years of the Rachel Locker Music podcast 05:03 A Blind Melon in the guest list — Christopher Thorn 06:03 "I just DM them on Instagram" — how she books the big names 07:49 Her favorite guest ever — Christopher Thorn 07:56 Thorn on losing Shannon Hoon — the guilt, and mental health in the '90s 08:18 The eerie Blind Melon documentary — the last footage 09:35 How many albums did Blind Melon really make? 11:14 Devon Allman & the "Gregg Allman: The Music of My Soul" documentary 12:05 He didn't know Gregg Allman was his dad until his teens 12:37 Spotting Devon Allman in the crowd at Summerfest 14:37 "Two wrongs don't make a right" — Gregg's on-stage lesson during "Midnight Rider" 15:17 Warts and all — why live is nothing like the studio 16:16 Pete's disco-ball disaster with Heart of Glass 16:51 Bass over guitar — learning, and chasing the calluses 18:11 Inside Our Music Institute (OMI) in Northfield 19:02 Recitals at Mad Catz & the Black Diamond sessions 21:36 Facebook dating & the newlywed story 22:44 The OMI teacher roster — Amanda Rebecca from Hairbanger's Ball 23:23 The co-host invite — "you get the guests, put 'em on here" 24:04 "Wagon Wheel's" secret — Ketch Secor, a Dylan demo & a shared songwriting credit 24:46 Boone, NC & the tobacco-spitting meeting that actually happened 26:18 Ketch playing with Ringo Starr 27:44 Dylan going electric & the Timothée Chalamet movie 28:35 Rapid fire — first concert, favorite movie & the Pop-Tart rule 30:58 Where to find Rachel Locker Music + loveourmusic.com 31:52 Bonus: a live drive-by tour of the OMI studio 📍 Rachel Locker Music - Blind Melon - Christopher Thorn - Shannon Hoon - Devon Allman - Gregg Allman - Old Crow Medicine Show - Wagon Wheel - Ketch Secor - Our Music Institute - Northfield - Pino Farina - Chicago music scene - music teacher - podcasting ❤️ Support Hogpod on Patreon / hogpod 🎙️ Hosted by Pete Jansons and Mike "Bongo" Orfanos (Bongo Mike) 📧 Booking — booking@hogpod.org #Hogpod #ChicagoPodcast #MusicPodcast #RachelLockerMusic #BlindMelon #ChristopherThorn #DevonAllman #OldCrowMedicineShow #WagonWheel #ChicagoMusicScene #Podcast

    Rachel Locker: Blind Melon, Devon Allman & the Story Behind "Wagon Wheel" | Chicago Music Podcast

  6. Jul 29

    Dan Volpe: 40 Years & 1,000 Guitars With My Metal Heart | Hogpod Chicagoland Music Scene Podcast

    Dan Volpe has kept the same band alive for forty years, figures he's owned something like a thousand guitars, and still flat-out refuses to carry a setlist. He's the mastermind behind My Metal Heart and the guy who's run Exide since 1984 — and he just became the third member of My Metal Heart to land in the Hog Pod chairs, after Elise and Mark Molloy. He gets into the Thirsty Whale nights when the smoke machine hid the whole band for five songs, naming a group after WVVX 103.1 blasting metal till 1 a.m., the day the guy who wrote "Switchin' to Glide" tracked him down over a cover — and whether a cover-band lifer is ready to let AI write his next song. If you came up in the Chicagoland bar scene, this one's for you. Grab a cold one. 🎯 KEY MOMENTS 0:00 Cold open 2:00 Back from vacation — straight into two band practices 2:43 The 3rd My Metal Heart member to hit the Hog Pod (after Elise & Mark Molloy) 4:45 Exide since 1984 & the birth of My Metal Heart 5:24 Why he built VVX to play Van Halen to Metallica 6:18 The band named after a dead radio station: WVVX 103.1 7:02 Suits on, "Cuddly Metal" — the My Metal Heart rebrand 9:18 No rehearsal since 1991 — and it still works 10:01 Walking in and playing last night's leftover setlist front to back 11:31 "Switchin' to Glide" — the guy from The Kings tracked him down 13:32 Thirsty Whale tales: smoke machines & an amp on fire 17:16 Northwest suburb haunts — Chances Are & Dirty Nellies 23:44 Are kids still getting into hard rock? 25:25 Running a music store through the grunge takeover 29:22 Does anybody still support live music? 35:05 How DUI patrols quietly emptied the bars 36:29 Why he brings earplugs to every show now 40:18 Older brother, Van Halen '78 & the spark 44:07 The best guitar players going right now 45:19 The power-chord "aha" that unlocked everything 46:03 The AI snobbery segment: can a machine write your next song? 50:35 How many guitars? Try 1,000 53:16 Les Paul vs. Strat — the real difference 55:05 His one-of-a-kind Hamer out of Arlington Heights 56:49 First concert: Doobie Brothers, front row, age seven 1:00:03 The vacation where he set up a friend's entire guitar collection 1:01:38 Pop Tarts: the final verdict 📍 Chicago cover bands - Exide - My Metal Heart - VVX - WVVX 103.1 - The Kings - Thirsty Whale - Hamer Guitars - Rick Nielsen - Van Halen - guitar collecting - Chicago live music scene - AI music 🎸 Guest links My Metal Heart — MyMetalHeart.com (Facebook / YouTube) Exide — on Facebook Book Dan — dan@vvxlive.com, or Joey DeMarco at United Talent ❤️ Support the Hog Pod: patreon.com/hogpod Hosted by Pete Jansons & Mike "Bongo" Orfanos 🎤 Want on the show? Booker / club owner / shredder → booking@hogpod.org #Hogpod #ChicagoMusic #DanVolpe #MyMetalHeart #Exide #ChicagolandMusicScene #ChicagoCoverBands #TributeBand #HairMetal #GuitarCollector #ChicagoLiveMusic #PeteJansons #BongoMike

    Dan Volpe: 40 Years & 1,000 Guitars With My Metal Heart | Hogpod Chicagoland Music Scene Podcast

  7. Jul 22

    Bob Newhart Told Her "Good Job, Kid" — Heather Moran of Bluewater Creek | Hogpod

    What do you do when Jam Productions calls with five days' notice and asks if you want to open for Bob Newhart at a sold-out Chicago Theatre? Heather Moran said yes — and walked offstage to a wink and three words she never forgot. This week the Bluewater Creek singer (with husband Mike Moran riding shotgun on the couch) covers a career that runs from opera training and Second City to Chicago jazz rooms, storefront theater in Andersonville, and the Lake County scene she now calls "a little Austin." Along the way: the Heatherita, the night the orchestra hated her charts, playing Janis Joplin for Soundtracks of a Generation, the deep-cuts lesson every bar band learns the hard way, why somebody told her she sings "too pretty for rock and roll," singing the national anthem from the top of a firetruck, Mike's DJ etiquette rules, booking bands through Moran Event Group — and the first-ever puppy on Hogpod. His name is Alan. He slept through it. 🎶 Catch Bluewater Creek live: Jul 23 Long Grove Music in the Park · Jul 31 McHenry Riverwalk · Aug 7 Libertyville in the Park · Aug 8 Sunset Pavilion, Lake Zurich (free) — billed as Bluewater Creek Lite 🎯 KEY MOMENTS 00:00 Bluewater Creek live — cold open medley 4:47 Heather arrives + the Heatherita recipe 6:23 Puppy news & the midnight-to-two shift 8:00 Three years of Hogpod, zero monetized episodes 13:03 Bongo's intro — the washboard & djembe at Toadstool Pub 14:22 How they met: Mosquitoes + Bluewater Creek at Sundance 16:02 Sal & Soundtracks of a Generation — 18 shows 18:34 "I've got a band in me" — the Bluewater Creek origin story 21:48 Deep cuts vs. hits — the 80/20 flip 23:50 2013: five days' notice to open for Bob Newhart 25:48 "Good job, kid" — the Johnny Carson wink 27:08 Signing the Chicago Theatre green room wall 30:10 Mom of three, gigging till 2am — the career takeaway 31:20 Opera → theater school → Second City → Factory Theater 33:04 Moran Event Group — working both sides of the stage 40:01 "DJs aren't musicians?" + the wrong-coast DJ disaster 42:06 DJ trends — TikTok kids going back to the 70s 43:33 Alan the puppy makes his public debut 44:49 Let's talk Janis Joplin 49:19 Why the Janis songs come last in the show 50:31 Classical training & 30 voice lessons a week 52:38 "You got to smile and sing" 54:39 "Too pretty for rock and roll" 56:59 The rooftop stage going up at Doc's 57:59 The national anthem from the top of a firetruck 59:20 What's new on Main Street Wauconda 1:00:22 Pitching 30 bands to book one gig 1:02:39 How to book Heather & Mike 1:07:04 Bongo's rapid fire begins 1:07:42 First concert: Shaun Cassidy, third grade 1:10:38 Boulder days — opening for Big Head Todd & the samples 1:12:46 The Pop-Tarts question 1:13:38 Cheese fries: Portillo's vs. everybody 1:14:21 Berwyn, Fitzgerald's & the Fire Alarm 1:15:27 The right way to request a song from a DJ 1:17:02 Hams from the Land of Clear Blue Waters — sign-off 🎸 FEATURED LINKS Bluewater Creek https://www.bluewatercreekband.com/ Heather Moran https://www.heathermoran.com/ Book bands & DJ — Moran Event Group moraneventgroup@gmail.com ❤️ Support Hogpod on Patreon / hogpod 🎙️ Hosted by Pete Jansons, Mike "Bongo" Orfanos (Bongo Mike) & Chris "Rhodesy" Rhodes 📧 Booking booking@hogpod.org #Hogpod #ChicagoPodcast #MusicPodcast #HeatherMoran #BluewaterCreek #BobNewhart #ChicagoTheatre #ChicagoMusicScene #LakeCountyMusic #Wauconda #Americana #LiveMusic

    Bob Newhart Told Her "Good Job, Kid" — Heather Moran of Bluewater Creek | Hogpod

  8. Jul 15

    She Started Singing in Bands at 40 Jody Fields Pacific Sound Company | Chicago Music Scene Hogpod

    Is it ever too late to start singing in bands?Jody Fields got married at 18, raised three kids, started college at 37, and didn't set foot on a bar stage until her forties. Today she's one of the busiest vocalists in the Chicago music scene.Jody is the backing-vocal secret weapon of Pacific Sound Company (formerly Blue Bayou, Chicagoland's Linda Ronstadt tribute), a six-year veteran of Bourbon Country, and the voice behind Jazz with Jody every Thursday during dinner at Duke's Alehouse in Crystal Lake.This week on Hogpod, she tells the story of how a self-described nerd from Crystal Lake who told Mike Dermont, "You should be in choir," ended up, forty years later, surrounded by many of the same musicians she admired growing up.We also talk about the nine-piece yacht rock band COVID killed before it ever found its audience, the text message that started her Linda Ronstadt chapter, why yacht rock is deceptively hard to play, how jazz musicians actually use the Real Book, her standing offer to fly anywhere as a Karen Carpenter emergency sub, disco line dances, roller rinks, K-Tel records, singing at funerals, the Leaving on a Jet Plane moment that explains why she does any of it... plus Pete putting a Pontiac Grand Prix underwater at Poplar Creek, and of course, the Pop-Tarts question.If you've ever wondered whether it's too late to chase the thing you've always wanted to do, Jody's story might change your mind.🎯 KEY MOMENTS00:00 Cold open — "You Make Loving Fun" with Pacific Sound Company01:55 Welcome to Hogpod — tonight's guest: Jody Fields06:25 "You should be in choir" — eighth-grade shop class09:07 Married at 18, college at 37 — starting late, catching up now12:57 Bourbon Country — six years of traditional country and Americana19:56 The Real Book — how the jazz quartet works21:23 Jody's House — the nine-piece yacht rock band COVID killed22:48 The yacht rock boom — Anchors Away, Yachtley Crew & why it's hard to play29:06 The Karen Carpenter emergency-sub offer — "I'll fly across the country"30:31 Disco kid — mom hit the disco scene and brought home the hustle34:09 Jumpsuits, roller rinks & K-Tel 45s from the Kmart bin35:43 Where to see Jody — Pacific Sound Company's summer schedule38:10 Sip & Sunflower at Tom's Farm — Bourbon Country with fiddle40:22 The purse cajon & melodica jazz at Duke's44:50 Goat Village Nov. 20 — double bill with The Mosquitoes47:18 Set-time talk — what's the sweet spot for bands our age?51:58 "I love singing at funerals"53:22 I'll Fly Away & Leaving on a Jet Plane — why she does it57:38 Bongo's new cajon58:57 Rapid Fire — first concert: David Lee Roth at Poplar Creek1:00:38 Pete puts a Grand Prix underwater at Poplar Creek1:02:55 The Pop-Tarts question🎸 FEATURED LINKSPacific Sound Company  / pacificsoundcompany     / @pacificsoundcompany  Pacific Sound Company Live at On The Rocks — Fri. July 24, Waukegan  / 2020038492250818  Pacific Sound Company Yacht Rocks The Vixen — Fri. Aug. 21  / 838913329154350  Blue Bayou, A Linda Ronstadt Tributehttps://bluebayouillinois.com/❤️ Support Hogpod on Patreon  / hogpod  🎙️ Hosted by Pete Jansons and Mike "Bongo" Orfanos📧 Bookingbooking@hogpod.org#Hogpod #ChicagoPodcast #MusicPodcast #ChicagoMusicScene #PacificSoundCompany #YachtRock #LindaRonstadt #CrystalLake #LiveMusic #BourbonCountry

    She Started Singing in Bands at 40 Jody Fields Pacific Sound Company | Chicago Music Scene Hogpod
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Welcome to HOG POD: Chicago's Music Scene Unplugged! Hosted by Mike Orfanos, Mike Dermont, and Pete Jansons, we dive into Chicago’s vibrant music scene. From classic rock to indie vibes, we bring you exclusive interviews, behind-the-scenes stories, and live performances. Discover local legends and emerging artists while exploring the city’s diverse music culture. Tune in for special episodes featuring tribute bands and live events!

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