Hey Elgin!

This week on Hey Elgin!!, things get spooky as we welcome Judith, the creator and host of the Elgin-based True TalesPodcast. With a grandmother and a son who both possess ESP, Judith didn’t just find the paranormal—she was born into it. She sits down with the crew to share hair-raising stories that feed right into Boston Nick’s obsession with the unexplained. From family secrets to the specific ghosts haunting Elgin, Nick and Judith geek out on all things supernatural. To bring us back to earth (mostly), we wrap up the show by finding out which classic rock album is Judith's all-time favorite.

This week on Hey Elgin!!, we sit down with a true local Renaissance man, Quinn Walton. Whether he is directing the Elgin Music Festival, performing as one half of The Gypsy Drifters, or filming content for his YouTube channel, "Uncle Quinn’s Garage," Quinn is a diehard Elginite who is always looking for ways to lift up the community. We get the inside scoop on the upcoming music festival and geek out over the gear and guitars that keep his garage humming. To wrap it all up, we dive into the deep end of conspiracy theories and debate the classic rock albums that defined a generation.

This week on Hey Elgin!!, we sit down with Grizz, the owner of local fixture To The Point knife shop. Grizz takes us through his incredible journey, traveling from his roots in East Detroit to establishing his life here in Elgin. We go deep into his personal battle with depression and discover how he found an unexpected path to healing through the art of sharpening. Grizz shares how he channeled his struggles into a craft that brought him happiness, leading to five successful years of running his shop and building lasting friendships in the community. This is a raw, honest conversation about resilience, finding your purpose, and how keeping thingssharp quite literally saved his life.

This week on Hey Elgin!!, we go behind the scenes ofCity Hall for a "get to know you" session with Elgin’s newlypermanent City Manager, Robert Eads. After officially dropping the "Interim" title in December 2025, Robert sits down with the crew to explain what it actually looks like to manage the administrative heartbeat of a growing city. We steer clear of the heavy politics and focus on the human sideof the job—from implementing council policies to making real community impact. It wouldn’t be a Hey Elgin episode without a little detour, so we make sure to ask the boss about his absolute favorite classic rock album and find out which conspiracy theories keep the City Manager up at night.

This week on Hey Elgin!!, we turn up the bass with the one and only DJ RJ! As a producer running the Music4Life label and a veteran voice on KAZI 88.7 FM, RJ brings a wealth of musicalknowledge to the studio. We pull back the curtain on his "hidden gem" recording studio right here in Elgin—a sanctuary for Reggae, Dub, Jungle, and Funk. Nick and RJ go deep into the art of the collaboration, discussing the global influence of Drum & Bass and what it takes to produce soulful tracks in a small town. To wrap things up, we find out which classic hits define RJ’s sound and, of course, we take our weekly detour into the strange, debating the weirdconspiracy theories that keep us looking twice at the shadows.

This week on Hey Elgin!!, we are joined by local music powerhouse JustHannah. A true Elgin gem, Hannah shares the charming story of how she followed a boy to town but ended up staying because she fell head-over-heels for the community itself. We dive into her musical journey, exploring how she crafts those catchy original tunes and high-energycovers that keep the local crowds dancing. Beyond the music, we discuss the rapid growth of our small town, Hannah’s personal evolution as an artist, and—as always—we get weird. From her "desert island" classic rock albums to her unfiltered takes on Bigfoot and the wildest conspiracy theories, this is an episode filled with rhythm, heart, and a little bit of the unexplained.

This week, Hey Elgin! is joined by local comedian and open mic regular, Jake Coulter! At 27, Jake is working hard to hone his craft and shares the hilarious and often terrifying journey of bringing original comedy to the stage. We dive deep into the world of stand-up—what inspires his material, the agony of bombing, and the rush of a killer set. We also unpack the age-old debate in Nick's house: Nick thinks he's hilarious, but Nick's wife... well, she has notes. To wrap things up, we get Jake's take on his favorite classic rock bands and explore which conspiracy theories he finds funny, believable, or just too crazy to put in a joke.

This week, Hey Elgin! welcomes a genuine local cultural powerhouse, Brian McKinney, to the studio. Brian is not onlyone half of the musical duo The Gypsy Drifters, but he is also the proud owner of the Elgin Chronicle and a key influencer behind the growing Elgin Music Festival. We dive into a conversation that covers all things musical—from the creative process of performing to the logistics of organizing a festival—and discuss the role of local media in our small, thriving town. Naturally, we can't let a musician and newspaper owner leave without discussing his classic rock influences and exploring some of the most enduring conspiracy theories out there.

The pork smoke has cleared and the Cow Patty Bingo squaresare put away—it's time for the Hey Elgin! Hogeye Retrospective! In this special recap episode, we look back at the biggest day on the Elgin calendar. Ben went fully boots-on-the-ground during the festival, recording candid, quick-fire interviews with over a dozen participants. We bring you the unedited voices of the local community, hearing directly from the dedicated leaders who organize the "Best Little Pig Gig in Texas," the artists rocking the main stage, the craft vendors, and the passionate festival-goers. Boston Nick, Ben, and Tony provide their personal commentary and highlight the most memorable, funniest, and "most Elgin" moments from this year's massive celebration.

This week on Hey Elgin!, we get down and dirty with GeneTolbert of GT's Digs, a unique local company that turns exploring the Central Texas soil into an artifact-hunting adventure. Gene joins us to share incredible stories from his time uncovering history, detailing some of the genuinely weird stuff he has pulled out of the ground on a dig. We explore the deep history of the local indigenous populations who left these ancient clues behind and, of course, no episode is complete without throwing logic to the wind and diving headfirst into some of our favorite crazy conspiracy theories.