Johnnie Putman and Steve King are starting off September feeling a little older and wiser with this shortened show! We lament the Sox, welcome some new faces, and we celebrate Johnnie for completing another year around the sun!

Our first guest is Robert Loerzel, an author, journalist, and photographer from Chicago and we welcome him to the show to talk about his latest book about The Uptown Theatre, fittingly titled The Uptown: Chicago’s Endangered Movie Palace. The conversation covers the history of the theater, some of the iconic performances and guests that graced its stage, including some of Johnnie’s favorites growing up in the area and the efforts to restore the Uptown Theatre.

We then turn to the world of AI and hacks with our friend, tech guru and Director of Educational Technology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, Patrick Crispen. We take a deep dive into the fake news of a massive Gmail breach that didn’t actually happen and how to protect yourself from an actual scare. Along with some tips and warnings about Facebook messaging viruses, voice hackers and a number of other things that you can follow along with on the show notes!

So much more news along the way including the passing of The Turtles’ Mark Volman, a preview of the Illinois Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Sunday, September 14th (also in our “Best Of” replay the night before) and we talk with news anchor Gabe Salgado and guest producer Sammy Martino about the week in sports and their outlook on the Bears’ season opener.