One week before their first show, the founder of a Chicago Oasis tribute band posted an ad looking for a new singer and bass player.The band saw it.They fired him.Then they played the show without him.—James Bruebach joins Hogpod to talk about Matchbox 90s, Wonderwall, Chicago tribute bands, trying to “make it” in music, and why losing his brother changed the way he approaches life forever.Topics include:• The Pandora Method• Why tribute bands get booked• “The easier phone call” theory• Nashville vs TikTok• Why consistency beats polish online• COVID killing bands overnight• The Godsmack audition story• Petra at the Odeum—🎵 “Life Is Short” — the Hogpod album inspired by this episode:https://open.spotify.com/album/3CETxw...—⏱ CHAPTERS0:00 Cold open — Matchbox 20 covers7:09 Broken Oar flooding13:26 COVID kills the band22:13 “Post that content”27:32 “Life is short”29:00 How Matchbox 90s started34:33 The Pandora Method39:56 The firing45:53 Wonderwall is born53:04 Petra at the Odeum55:42 Pop-Tarts—Hosted by Pete Jansons, Mike “Bongo” Orfanos, and Chris “Rhodesy” Rhodes.

Rob Stepen is back — and this time, it's not a catch-up. He was just elected to the Illinois Rock & Roll Hall of Fame board, and the story behind it starts with a night where The Generations walked into a room full of Cheap Trick fans… and left with two standing ovations.Plus: Rob isn't just on the board — he's leading the charge to rebuild the tornado-damaged Route 66 museum. We dive deep into the 2026 national Rock and Roll Hall of Fame debate (does Wu-Tang belong? what about Sade?), reveal the 2026 Illinois inductee class (Koko Taylor, Survivor, The Flock, American Breed, The Boys), and lock in The Generations' summer festival slate including Belmont Sheffield May 24 with special guest bassist Janis Wallin, Highwood Days July 19, and Roberts Westside August 15. Pete shares the secret behind a NeuroNoodle clip that hit 30 million views, and we end up tracking down JBTV's Jerry Bryant.🎵 Honored and Blessed — Hogpod Album #13 inspired by Rob's story:https://open.spotify.com/album/4sgKmEDHTbxuCWIIV54kLk?si=tnVwQJCDQpG1Q6GkbtQ7bw🎯 KEY MOMENTS0:00 The Generations live at the Arcada — cold open8:01 Highwood Days July 19 — The Generations headlining9:11 Two standing ovations at the Arcada9:37 Cheap Trick / Rick Nielsen & the Rockford connection11:30 Hard Rock Casino Rockford — the Dax Nielsen lead12:46 ROB ELECTED TO ILLINOIS ROCK & ROLL HALL OF FAME BOARD13:32 The Hogpod Pin — join the inner circle14:30 Illinois vs. Cleveland — why Illinois wins19:02 2026 National Rock Hall debate — Iron Maiden, Oasis & Wu-Tang23:37 Illinois 2026 class — Koko Taylor, Survivor & The Flock32:36 Long-form vs. short-form — the 30M view story37:19 Finding Jerry Bryant — JBTV's Chicago music TV legacy40:19 Janis Wallin joins on bass for Belmont Sheffield📍 Chicago - Chicagoland - Illinois Rock & Roll Hall of Fame - The Generations - Cheap Trick - Sons of Cream - Arcada Theatre - Live Music - Route 66 Blues Roots🎤 Guest Links — Rob StepenThe Generations: https://thegenerationsband.com/Rob Stepen Music (Facebook): https://www.facebook.com/robstepenmusic/Rob Stepen Music (Instagram): https://www.instagram.com/robstepenmusic/Illinois Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Museum: https://roadtorock.org/Museum Donations: https://roadtorock.org/donate/Belmont Sheffield Music Festival (May 22-24, 2026): https://lakevieweast.com/belmont-sheffield-music-festival-2026/Highwood Days / Taste of Highwood (July 17-19, 2026): https://www.celebratehighwood.org/taste-of-highwood-and-highwood-days/Roberts Westside (Forest Park, Aug 15): https://robertswestside.com/Janis Wallin (guest bassist): https://www.janiswallin.com/💗 Support Hogpod — patreon.com/hogpodHosted by Pete Jansons and Mike "Bongo" Orfanos (Bongo Mike).📞 Want to come on? Booker / club owner / shredder → [email protected]#IllinoisRockHall #RobStepen #ChicagoMusic #CheapTrick #TheGenerations #HonoredAndBlessed #SonsOfCream #ArcadaTheatre #RickNielsen #KokoTaylor #JanisWallin #SurvivorBand #JimPeterik #BelmontSheffield #HighwoodDays #JBTV #ChicagoMusicScene #RockHall2026 #RockAndRoll #Hogpod

At 75, Debora Masterson is gigging on bass in Chicago — and her debut novel is about the Sunset Strip rocker she loved at 15, the federal drug bust that killed his band Freedom Quest, the bowl of chocolate mescaline on their coffee table, the Hawaii cult he joined when she left him, and the reunion thirty years later that became twenty beautiful years..Plus: the time Sammy Davis Jr. cooked dinner for the whole cast in his Chicago apartment with Jesse Jackson there, Debora warming up alone in a Lincoln Center rehearsal room when Mikhail Baryshnikov walked in, the bowl of chocolate mescaline on a Reseda living room coffee table at age 22, and how she finished her husband's book five and a half years after he passed..🎶 He Taught Me Bass — Hogpod Album #11 inspired by Debora's story:https://open.spotify.com/album/1ZRM23....🎯 KEY MOMENTS0:00 The love story tease — 1965, two kids, sex drugs rock and roll, Vietnam0:14 Why her story belongs in Chicago1:08 Meet Craig Ingraham — the real Mr. Jukebox1:46 Met at 15 and 18 — fake IDs in the San Fernando Valley4:01 Freedom Quest forms in 1973 — the monster band that almost made it4:48 The roadie was a fed — drug bust kills the band5:48 Grammy legend David Benoit's teenage start6:46 The bowl of mescaline on the living room table8:21 He vanished to Hawaii — and joined a cult9:30 Manson was in the Valley too9:57 Sammy Davis Jr. cooks for the cast (Jesse Jackson's surprise visit)13:30 Alone in a room with Baryshnikov17:00 North Beach Summer of Love (not stripper joints)22:00 The Catalina Island Chi-Chi Club summer23:00 Cat's Meow Supper Club, Fort Wayne, the road to Chicago29:30 He never made it to Chicago — he's here in spirit now40:09 The seizures that ended his music42:34 Where to buy Freedom Quest — Bookshop.org over Amazon46:33 Pop-Tarts, Valley Girl, gag me with a spoon46:35 The 420 surprise — a 75-year-old's viral reaction.📍 Chicago - Chicagoland - Music Memoir - Debut Novel - Sunset Strip - 1960s - 1970s - Freedom Quest - Sammy Davis Jr - Baryshnikov - North Beach - Catalina.🎤 Guest Links — Debora MastersonWebsite: deboramasterson.comBook on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GQ573WV4Atmosphere Press: https://atmospherepress.com/books/fre...Bookshop.org: bookshop.org (search "Freedom Quest Debora Masterson")Craig Ingraham music: craigingraham.com/musicApple Music — Freedom Quest album:   / freedom-quest  .❤️ Support Hogpod — patreon.com/hogpod.Hosted by Pete Jansons and Mike "Bongo" Orfanos (Bongo Mike)..📞 Booking — [email protected] / 708-287-3692.#ChicagoMusic #ChicagolandMusicScene #DeboraMasterson #FreedomQuest #HeTaughtMeBass #CraigIngraham #ChicagoAuthor #ChicagoPodcast #MusicPodcast #HogpodMusicChat #DebutNovel #MusicMemoir #SammyDavisJr #SunsetStrip #BassPlayer

Jen Brown, Dave "Doc" Zeiger, and Damian "Sgt Sparkles" Thompson of Crossing Decades join Hogpod to break down what happens when six Chicago musicians decide to cover every decade from the 60s to today — in blocks, with costume changes, and one country song per show because the crowd demands it..Plus: the Sergeant Sparkles origin story, their 8-minute mashup built on AC/DC Back in Black, Dave's WSOP run sitting with Scotty Nguyen and Lane Flack, and why the bathroom at Penny Road Pub was the best green room in Chicagoland..🎶 Hogpod Chicago Local Music Chat on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2QtmZ....🎧 New album drops this week — "GAME FILM" — Hogpod Album #10.🎯 KEY MOMENTS0:55 Cheryl Scott weather love1:13 Big Head Todd at Rivers Casino2:37 Dave joins the show8:48 Kicked each other's ass at School of Rock10:00 413 origin story11:48 Jen and Doc join the band a week apart13:04 Meet the six-piece Crossing Decades lineup15:17 How Damian became "Sergeant Sparkles"17:06 Who books the band21:08 Rock Goddess nickname origin22:55 From 413 to Crossing Decades rebrand27:02 The fan-voted name change28:28 "We play a little bit of everything"33:09 The guitar-tuning challenge35:38 Opening for 7th Heaven38:37 The 8-minute Back in Black mashup breakdown40:48 Blank Space, Taylor Swift, fast42:21 Costume changes on stage45:37 Jen hates Save a Horse, but the crowd wins46:27 "If the crowd's into it, it's my favorite song"48:41 Mickey Finn's three-hour show math51:23 Dirty Nelly's catacombs and green rooms52:19 Penny Road Pub bathroom nostalgia53:41 Upcoming: Rookies in Elgin, Mickey Finn's56:26 First concert round — Rush Power Windows Tour57:56 Jen's Metallica Saturday detention skip58:48 Bon Jovi, Cinderella, Slippery When Wet59:43 Spider Mike's first Van Halen Sammy1:01:07 Dave's WSOP run with Scotty Nguyen and Lane Flack1:05:01 Best music movie — Casablanca and Adam Sandler soundtracks1:09:37 Pop-Tart with butter, Family Guy style1:12:00 Butter on a Pop-Tart changes everything1:12:22 Rookies in Elgin, end of June.📍 Chicago - Chicagoland - Cover Band - Tribute - Bar Band - Rock - Country - Pop - Metal - 60s - 70s - 80s - 90s - 2000s - Today.🎤 Guest Links — Crossing DecadesFacebook: facebook.com/Crossing.Decades.ChicagoWebsite coming soon: crossingdecades.comContact: 847-302-6561.❤️ Support Hogpod — patreon.com/hogpod.Hosted by Pete Jansons, Mike "Bongo" Orfanos (Bongo Mike), and Spider Mike..📞 Booking — [email protected] / 708-287-3692.#ChicagoMusic #ChicagolandMusicScene #CrossingDecades #HogpodMusicChat #ChicagoLocalMusic #CoverBand #TributeBand #BarBand #ChicagoPodcast #MusicPodcast #413Band #RockGoddess #SergeantSparkles

She walked into an audition for a band that didn't want a female singer. Sang one Dorothy song. Walked out as their frontwoman. That's Cherry Bomb Chicago.🎧 Full episode: https://youtu.be/XHXP_I72c8U🎶 Cherry Bombed It on Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/album/4YJmXoDncxnh867RCFWDH0?si=dE8zUJDERLmKhYq3AuqDVA📞 Booking — [email protected] / 708-287-3692#HogpodChicago #CherryBombChicago #ChicagoMusic #FemaleFrontedBand #ChicagolandMusicScene #MusicPodcast #Shorts

She auditioned for a band that didn't want a female singer — sang one Dorothy song — and walked out as their frontwoman. Cherry Bomb Chicago hasn't stopped since.Neala Dunn and Dallas Wilson join Pete and Bongo to talk 3.5-hour no-break sets, cherry bombing covers into something harder, the angry female set list, and why they leave Cherry Bomb for dead last every night..🎶 Cherry Bombed It — Neala Dunn & Cherry Bomb — Out on Spotifyhttps://open.spotify.com/album/4YJmXo....🎧 All Hogpod AI Albums on Spotifyhttps://open.spotify.com/artist/hogpo....🎯 KEY MOMENTS0:00 Cherry Bomb performing Heart — Barracuda cold open0:56 Oye Como Va from Mexico — for Bongo Mike2:45 Cherry Bomb Chicago intro6:00 Dead air kills crowds — why silence is death on stage8:55 Not a Runaways cover band — how the name Cherry Bomb happened11:30 History of Cherry Bomb — who left, who joined12:45 Tracks or all live? Cherry Bomb's answer15:42 How Neala started — dance studio owner to frontwoman17:12 Jazz hands are a celebration18:30 Dorothy — Flawless clip22:43 Dorothy — Down to the Bottom clip27:18 Cherry Bomb upcoming shows29:14 Marketing advice to new bands30:54 Elise McCeren show clip34:07 No breaks for 3.5 hours — do they wear depends?43:14 Walk-up song discussion49:20 Opinions on music today51:05 AI and music — is it really different from drum tracks?1:04:00 Full upcoming show schedule1:06:00 Bongo Mike's Questions — first concerts and Pop Tarts.📍 Topics — Cherry Bomb Chicago — female fronted cover band — south suburbs — Kankakee — no tracks — 3.5 hour sets — Dorothy — Chappelle Roan — Joan Jett — AI and music — Chicagoland music scene.🎤 Guest LinksCherry Bomb Chicago on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?...Cherry Bomb Chicago on YouTube:    / @cherrybombchicago  .❤️ Support Hogpod  / hogpod  .Hosted by Pete Jansons, Mike "Bongo" Orfanos (Bongo Mike), Chris "Rhodesy" Rhodes, and Mike Dermont..📞 Booking — [email protected] / 708-287-3692.#HogpodChicago #ChicagoMusic #CherryBombChicago #ChicagolandMusicScene #FemaleFrontedBand #CoverBand #ChicagoMusicPodcast #LiveMusic #SouthSuburbs #MusicPodcast #ChicagoPodcast

Chris "Bean" Weng has been drumming and singing at the same time since he was 12 years old. Now he does it every night as the drummer for Heartache Tonight, one of the Midwest's premier Eagles tribute bands — playing 35+ shows a year at theaters and festivals from Chicago to Michigan. Oh, and his first concert was Frank Zappa at the Uptown Theater in 1976. Yeah, Bean's been around.We dig into how Heartache Tonight was born, why New Kid in Town is the hardest Eagles song to pull off live, what happens when the guitar players won't stop at the end of Hotel California, and how Bean landed in Ralph Covert's Bad Examples after 20 years in the Chicago scene. Plus — Pacific Sound Company, the West Coast music project that's turning heads at Mickey Finn's..🎶 NEW KID IN THE WEST — The Hogpod AI Album inspired by this episode[HYPERFOLLOW LINK].🎧 All Hogpod AI Albums on Spotifyhttps://open.spotify.com/artist/6BN8V....🎯 KEY MOMENTS0:00 Opening — Heartache Tonight performs Take It Easy (live)   • Take It Easy (Eagles Cover) - Heartache To...  5:31 Ralph Covert and the Bad Examples connection8:08 History of Heartache Tonight11:10 Bean's artwork — painted by JP and the Cats' Jim Tulk16:19 How hard is it to drum and sing at the same time?17:52 Best singer/drummer of all time? Henley, Levon, Karen Carpenter?25:17 Blue Bayou transition — Tamara Woodruff show clip   • Tamara Woodruff (Blue Bayou) – Linda Ronst...  27:11 Mike Ostrenga show clip   • 🎸 Bassist Mike Ostrenga from Empress Joins...  28:29 Pacific Sound Company — West Coast music comes to Chicago29:00 Playing three guitars together — how do you stay in your lane?29:47 The stink eye — what happens when you screw up on stage30:30 What is the hardest Eagles song to play live?31:45 The Hotel California ending — guitar players going for a day32:50 Has any Eagles member ever shown up to a Heartache Tonight show?35:48 Upcoming Heartache Tonight shows37:06 From originals to tribute — how the Chicago scene evolved41:22 Tom Carey and the Ghost Runners43:00 Sharing the stage with Joe Cocker, Kansas, and Slash46:00 Jimi Sohns shout out — RIP47:44 Jimi Sohns performing Gloria with Chick Norris at Joe's Live53:39 Bongo Mike question segment — first concert, favorite movie, pop tarts.📍 Topics in this episodeEagles Tribute - Heartache Tonight - Pacific Sound Company - Bad Examples - Ralph Covert - Drumming and Singing - Chicago Music Scene - Hotel California - Frank Zappa - Summerfest - Joe Cocker - Jimi Sohns.🎤 Guest LinksHeartache Tonight: https://www.heartachetonight.comHeartache Tonight Band: https://www.heartachetonight.com/the-...Heartache Tonight Calendar: https://www.heartachetonight.com/cale...Pacific Sound Company:   / pacificsoundcompany  Tom Carey Music: https://tomcareymusic.net/Bad Examples: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bad....❤️ Support Hogpod  / hogpod  .Hosted by Pete Jansons, Mike "Bongo" Orfanos (Bongo Mike), and Chris "Rhodesy" Rhodes..📞 Booking — [email protected] / 708-287-3692.#HogpodChicago #ChicagoMusic #EaglesTribute #HeartacheTonight #ChicagoMusicScene #TributeBand #ChicagoPodcast #MusicPodcast #DrummerWhoSings #PacificSoundCompany #BadExamples #RalphCovert #HotelCalifornia #ChicagolandMusic #LiveMusic

Rich Sawyer spends his weekdays inspecting buildings in South Elgin — and his weekends channeling Chris Stapleton across the country. The guy went from frustrated Chicago-area musician complaining about not getting festival slots to flying coast-to-coast, doing meet-and-greets after 1,000-person shows at Joe's Live, and turning down the gigs he once begged for. This is that story..Tennessee Whiskey Chicago is widely recognized as the United States' #1 Chris Stapleton tribute act. Rich leads the band while holding down a government building inspector job since 1998 — and he's about 2 years from retirement. The music life and the day job life are about to collide..🎶 All Cattle No Hat — Hogpod AI Album #6:https://open.spotify.com/album/5DwLurfVwuDmFhJgGwRKS6.🎧 All Hogpod AI Albums on Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/album/5DwLurfVwuDmFhJgGwRKS6.🎯 KEY MOMENTS0:00 White Horses from Matt's Barn https://youtu.be/SLtS3niaTko?si=ruuQR2XvS9lZ0VGX12:34 Chris and Amy Poboski Wedding Bash15:00 Happy Birthday Beth Miller Party15:20 Rich Sawyer joins the show17:38 Tennessee Whiskey Chicago intro19:53 Rich Sawyer's background29:57 Early vs late show start — why Rich demands the early slot36:20 Why Chris Stapleton — is country even country anymore?42:10 How COVID launched Tennessee Whiskey Chicago47:43 Ed Warm — Joe's Live / Joe's on Weed Street Country Force https://youtu.be/oZGIIOKiQKQ?si=U-oVlz8dTHxJcN3648:47 Has Rich been in contact with Chris Stapleton?52:14 Chicago country music up and comers — Justin Wallace https://youtu.be/Ne728N5YmSw?si=tkOTXtlnEsKBD6NZ55:28 Beard maintenance57:00 Rich Sawyer influences growing up59:24 Three Amigos1:02:50 Upcoming shows https://www.facebook.com/TennesseeWhiskeyBandChicago/events/?id=100085364674088&sk=events1:04:25 Bongo Mike question segment.📍 Topics in this episode — Chris Stapleton tribute - Tennessee Whiskey Chicago - building inspector - Joe's Live - COVID music scene - Chicago country - Justin Wallace - beard maintenance - early shows vs late shows - festival oversaturation - Seventh Heaven - Sundance Saloon - Mosquitoes band - Steel Drivers.🎤 Guest Linkshttps://tennesseewhiskeychicago.comhttps://www.facebook.com/RichSawyerMusic/https://www.facebook.com/TennesseeWhiskeyBandChicago/events/?id=100085364674088&sk=events.❤️ Support Hogpod — https://patreon.com/hogpod.Hosted by Pete Jansons, Mike "Bongo" Orfanos (Bongo Mike), and Chris "Rhodesy" Rhodes..📞 Booking — [email protected] / 708-287-3692.#HogpodChicagoMusicPodcast #ChicagoMusicPodcast #ChrisStapleton #TennesseeWhiskeyChicago #ChicagoCountry #TributeBand #ChicagoMusic #HogPod #PeteJansons #BongoMike #ChrisRhodes #CountryMusic #ChicagoMusicScene #JoesLive #SundanceSaloon

Desiree Starr Harris of Libido Funk Circus and Disco Circus brings the heat to Hogpod. She quit EMI with a one-year-old at home to bet everything on funk and disco. Pete nearly killed a disco ball mid-show. Basement laser parties. Peeps and Pop-Tarts hatred that became an AI song. Thirty years of Chicago disco that never dies..🎶 Album 5 — "Follow the Call of the Disco Ball" — 8 AI-generated tracks ripped straight from this conversation:https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/hog....🎧 All Hogpod AI Albums on Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/artist/2QtmZ....🎤 Hosted by Pete Jansons, Mike "Bongo" Orfanos (Bongo Mike), and Chris "Rhodesy" Rhodes.🎯 KEY MOMENTS0:00 Disco Circus live performance — opening sizzle reel   • The Disco Circus Sizzle Reel!  1:03 Hogpod Music Albums on Spotifyhttps://open.spotify.com/artist/2QtmZ...1:11 Rat Bastard Song   • RAT BASTARD 🐀 Punk Rock Groundhog Day | Ho...  3:01 Happy Birthday Beth4:37 Mindy Shulman Live Streamhttps://www.youtube.com/live/EBlo_LTK...5:49 Desiree joins9:40 Libido Funk Circus background — 30 years, Desiree 23 years15:45 Alliance Music17:50 Joey DeMarco21:39 The bands are Desiree's number 1 source of income24:04 How did Disco Circus evolve26:45 Why is disco so special after all these years27:23 Debbie Harry/Blondie — punk or disco28:25 Disco ball Pete incident33:30 Mock Star show   • Mock Star 🎸 Full Band: Axl Watched, Bret M...  34:34 Rhodesy gives Desiree heads up on album creation35:08 Album for this week36:20 8 track players39:10 The magic of the disco ball48:10 Tour of Desiree's basement48:39 Desiree worked at EMI — records on basement wall52:05 Coming out of college getting into music business53:42 Best places to play for a disco bandhttps://impactfuelroom.com/1:03:02 Jim O'Connell show   • Jim O’Connell (Anchors Away, Snapshot) | H...  1:03:05 Desiree sings Tears of a Clown with Jimmy from Coterie Motown1:09:24 Bongo Mike question time.📍 Topics in this episode:Chicago disco bandsChicago tribute bandsLibido Funk Circus historyDisco Circus bandChicago live music sceneBand booking in ChicagoWorking musician lifeAI generated music podcast.🎤 Guest Links:🎸 Libido Funk Circus:https://open.spotify.com/artist/4oha3...libidofunkcircus.com🕺 Disco Circus:discocircusband.com📘 Facebook:  / desiree.stephensharris  🎵 Desiree's tracks:https://open.spotify.com/track/4k5RuD...https://open.spotify.com/track/40gn18...https://open.spotify.com/track/2M5X1S...https://open.spotify.com/track/40KOEQ....❤️ Support Hogpod:  / hogpodsupporters  .Hosted by Pete Jansons, Mike "Bongo" Orfanos (Bongo Mike), and Chris "Rhodesy" Rhodes..📞 Booking:[email protected] / 708-287-3692.#Hogpod #ChicagoMusic #LibidoFunkCircus #DiscoCircus #ChicagolandMusic #AIMusic #Disco #Funk