http://serve.castfire.com/audio/3625648/3625648_2019-04-13-181648.64kmono.mp3

Learn about hefeweizen, cream ale, and lambic beers from Revolution Brewing’s John Carruthers and Goose Island Brewery’s Jesse Valenciana. They join Brian in-studio to educate and entertain in this edition of “At the Breweries.”

You can catch the final portion of this extended segment by watching this video on Facebook.

About At the Breweries: Every month, J&J join Brian to explore craft beers of a certain variety or theme from a variety of breweries — not just the ones they work for! Hilarious banter ensues when two guys who are passionate about beer join Brian Noonan for some of the best beer banter you’ll ever hear.

http://serve.castfire.com/audio/3614455/3614455_2019-03-31-204655.64kmono.mp3

Brian talks about the White Sox’s journey towards a winning season, the Chicago mayoral runoff election, birthday celebrations, and social media use. He also gives a “Bow Tie Theatre Review” of Broadway in Chicago’s production of Anastasia.

Brian opens the show by talking about the White Sox’s journey towards a winning season, and asks what fans want to see during the rebuilding process so they can continue to enjoy watching the team play in the meantime.

Then, Brian turns his attention to the continuing fallout after charges were dropped against Jussie Smollett. This segues into a conversation about the Chicago mayoral runoff election on Tuesday, which may have been impacted by the case. Cody Gough, Brian’s producer, explains what he looks for in a candidate running for local office, and he and Brian urge Chicagoans to get out and vote on Tuesday.

Roger Badesch then calls in from the hospital, where he’s recovering from an illness with a 102.5 temperature. He does his usual joking around with Brian and gives an update on his health, and fortunately, he plans to be back in the newsroom on the show next week.

After the break, Brian gives a “Bow Tie Theatre Review” of Broadway in Chicago’s production of Anastasia, playing now through April 7, at the James M. Nederlander Theatre (24 W. Randolph Street). Hear why he gave it three out of four bow ties, and get your tickets while you still can!

Brian and Cody then wish each other a happy birthday week and discuss their birthday celebration plans. They talk about parties, using Facebook to plan events, and why they don’t want to always have to organize using social media.

Then, Brian turns his attention to a list of things that will make people instantly dislike you, including using the wrong profile picture on social media and “being too nice.” He also goes on a tangent condemning flat-earthers and anti-vaxxers, before Karen Conti joins him to wrap up the show.

http://serve.castfire.com/audio/3606204/3606204_2019-03-17-201904.64kmono.mp3

Brian and the crew banter about their St. Patrick’s Day antics, Brian gives a “Bow Tie Theatre Review” of Broadway in Chicago’s production of A Bronx Tale, and newsman Roger Badesch does another edition of Old Man Music History.

Brian kicks off the show by discussing his adventures wearing the color green and having a green beard for St. Patrick’s Day weekend, including a few hilarious encounters with very curious people.

Then, Brian gives a “Bow Tie Theatre Review” of Broadway in Chicago’s production of A Bronx Tale, playing now through March 24, 2019, at the James M. Nederlander Theatre (24 W. Randolph Street). Hear why you should see it while you still can!

To wrap up the show, Roger Badesch returns with a brand-new edition of [This Day in] Old Man Music History. Plus: bonus jokes!

http://serve.castfire.com/audio/3606196/3606196_2019-03-17-184036.64kmono.mp3

Brian Noonan, Cody Gough, and Roger Badesch reunite with their former overnight colleague, award-winning newscaster Christopher Michael.

To kick off this web-exclusive podcast, Roger and Christopher reminisce about how they first met around 40 years ago. They talk about their past roles, including their interactions with Brian, and discuss what it was like working on different teams and in different time slots.

The crew also talks about news standards in broadcasting, the growing role of podcasts, how being a journalist has changed over the years, and much more.

http://serve.castfire.com/audio/3603919/3603919_2019-03-10-210519.64kmono.mp3

Brian and Cody cover recent news stories, from the Jussie Smollett indictment to white privilege in the Paul Manafort case. Plus: Brian recaps his recent relaxing trips to New Orleans for Mardi Gras and Tampa, Florida, to get some sun.

To kick off this web-exclusive podcast, Cody explains why Brian keeps opening shows by talking about scheduling, giving a behind-the-scenes look at the weird world of baseball programming and sports pre-emptions.

Then, Brian brings up the Jussie Smollett case, and Cody asks him: where we go from here? They seamlessly transition into a conversation about the Chicago gubernatorial elections and the mayoral runoff race, which Brian says is quickly adopting a very negative tone.

Brian and Cody then have a thoughtful discussion on white privilege in the wake of the Paul Manafort trial and sentencing, and the way anti-Semitism was addressed following comments from Rep. Ilhan Omar. They then turn their attention towards the ever-important issue of Instagram, women being objectified, being an “influencer,” and other hot social media topics.

Having finally caught up with recent news stories, Brian discusses his recent trip to New Orleans for Mardi Gras. He gets into the parades he attended, his experience waiting in line for multiple king cakes, and one of the most hilarious encounters he’s ever had in public: when a frat bro told him “I don’t know what it’s like to be old, but…” and then said one of the most outrageous things ever.

To wrap up the podcast, Brian recounts his story of visiting a cigar store in Tampa, seeing dolphins while sitting on the beach, and other fun Florida stories that made him look at life in a new way.

http://serve.castfire.com/audio/3603914/3603914_2019-03-10-205114.64kmono.mp3

Brian welcomes musical guests from the Irish American Heritage Center, who perform live in-studio and discuss upcoming St. Patrick’s Day festivities.

Kathy O’Neill stops by from the Irish American Heritage Center with musicians Jack Sundstrom and Nora, Kate, and Ella Chambers from the Academy of Irish Music. The musicians discuss their training and how to learn to perform Irish music, and O’Neill discusses the upcoming St. Patrick’s Festival at the center.

http://serve.castfire.com/audio/3603913/3603913_2019-03-10-204413.64kmono.mp3

Brian talks about his return to stand-up comedy. Then, Brian talks to his producer Cody and his wife about Verdi’s La Traviata and the Lyric Opera of Chicago.

Brian opens the show with a hilarious back and forth with “the team” about the opera and his experience watching the 1979 film The Warriors in theaters. Then, he talks about how he returned to the stand-up comedy stage for the first time in years, and explains how it went.

After seeing Verdi’s La Traviata at the Lyric Opera earlier in the afternoon, Brian’s producer Cody Gough and his wife Casey discuss their experience seeing the show and encourage everyone to go see it. La Traviata is running now through March 22, 2019, and they say “it’s a must-see even if you have no interest in the opera.”

http://serve.castfire.com/audio/3596986/3596986_2019-02-17-210026.64kmono.mp3

Learn about Mexican-style lager, saison, and porter beers from Revolution Brewing’s John Carruthers and Goose Island Brewery’s Jesse Valenciana. They join Brian in-studio to educate and entertain in this edition of “At the Breweries.”

About At the Breweries: Every month, J&J join Brian to explore craft beers of a certain variety or theme from a variety of breweries — not just the ones they work for! Hilarious banter ensues when two guys who are passionate about beer join Brian Noonan for some of the best beer banter you’ll ever hear.

http://serve.castfire.com/audio/3596985/3596985_2019-02-17-205725.64kmono.mp3

Brian talks to Norwegian explorer Erling Kagge about finding true silence and sports memorabilia appraise Michael Osacky talks sports memorabilia. Plus: a Bow Tie Theatre Review of Dear Evan Hansen, and beer reviews on “At the Breweries.”

Brian kicks off the show by talking to Cody Gough, his producer, about a recent science conference he attended, and why it’s hard to talk about science with the public. The crew also talk about their Valentine’s Day activities last week.

Norwegian explorer Erling Kagge then calls in from Norway (!) to discuss his new book “Silence: In the Age of Noise.” He was the first person to reach the South Pole alone, and he tells Brian why silence is essential to our sanity and happiness — and how it can open doors to wonder and gratitude.

Certified sports memorabilia appraiser Michael Osacky from Baseball in the Attic joins Brian in-studio to talk sports collectibles. He’ll be at The McHenry County Historical Society & Museum’s seventh annual Antique Appraisal Day on Saturday, February 23, at the museum (6422 Main St. in Union, Illinois). You can reserve a 10-minute slot for your treasure by calling the museum at 815-923-2267.

Brian then gives a shining “Bow Tie Theatre Review” of Broadway in Chicago’s Dear Evan Hansen, the Tony Award-winning musical playing at the James M. Nederlander Theatre (formerly the Oriental Theatre) now through March 10, 2019, with tickets for shows during an additional engagement going on sale this week. He gives a less glowing review of their production of Friends: A Musical Parody, now playing at the Broadway Playhouse through March 3, 2019.

In the wake of revelations around the Jussie Smollett case, Brian asks: are you afraid to express doubt or skepticism around things because you’ll be branded with a label like “racist” or “homophobic,” even when details don’t seem to add up?

To wrap up the show, John Carruthers from Revolution Brewing and Jesse Valenciana from Goose Island Brewery join Brian in-studio for another edition of “At the Breweries.” They discuss Mexican-style Lager, Saison, and Porter style beers.

http://serve.castfire.com/audio/3592448/3592448_2019-02-03-202848.64kmono.mp3

Brian talks to Chicago Bears superfan Don “Bearman” Wachter about getting into the inaugural Hall of Fans and writer Josh Noel talks store-brand beers. Plus: Tyler Jorstad from The Trotter Project stops by with Chef Ian Voakes to discuss an upcoming night of food and drink for a cause.

Bears superfan Don “Bearman” Wachter calls Brian to talk about his inclusion as one of the first inductees into the Ford Hall of Fans museum at the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He talks about the experience and how it was “probably one of the greatest accomplishments of his life” live from the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

Turning his attention to beer, Brian welcomes writer Josh Noel, who writes about beer for the Chicago Tribune and wrote the book “Barrel-Aged Stout and Selling Out: Goose Island, Anheuser-Busch and How Craft Beer Became Big Business.” He talks about the beers you can get from Trader Joe’s, Costco and Aldi, based on his recent article in the Chicago Tribune.

Newsman Roger Badesch then joins the crew so they can all talk about how they survived the extreme cold weather over the past week, not to mention keeping their cars running. Cody Gough, Brian’s producer, then airs his grievances about not finding communal maple syrup in either of the refrigerators in the office, which snowballs into a conversation about what you should and should not take from others in work refrigerators.

Tyler Jorstad from The Trotter Project joins Brian in-studio with some Treaty Oak Distillery gin and whiskey cocktails to talk about drinks and the TTP mission. He’s accompanied by Chef Ian Voakes, Executive Chef and Owner of 3 Squares Diner (1020 W Lawrence Avenue) and chef at Jam in Logan Square (2853 N Kedzie Avenue). They discuss a partnership between The Trotter Project and 3 Squares Diner for a night of cocktails and fundraising on Tuesday, February 12, from 5:00-9:00 p.m. Jorstad will be the guest bartender for the evening, mixing up three different cocktails with Treaty Oak Distillery gins and whiskeys.