In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons

In 1971, a young guy working as a shipping clerk for Bob Koester’s Delmark Records wanted to record his favorite blues band, Hound Dog Taylor & the Houserockers. The magical sounds that Bruce Iglauer captured on tape in late May and early June of that year became the basis for Alligator Records. Alligator has managed to defy the odds by not only staying in business, but staying vital for 45 years. Iglauer’s secret is he never wanted to preserve the blues in amber, but treat is as a living, ever-evolving art form. Next weekend, at the annual Chicago Blues Festival, the organizers are honoring the company by making the first day of the fest a celebration of Alligator and its contributions to the city and the blues. Iglauer joins us to talk about nearly a half-century in the blues biz.

Have you ever put a greasy pizza box in your recycling bin in Chicago? Now, why you’d you go and do that? Greasy pizza boxes are a definite no-no for your blue bin. In fact, throwing one in there could mean that the entire batch of recycling will be thrown in the garbage. Patty Wetli of DNAinfo has laid out a comprehensive list of recycling do’s and don’ts for Chicago residents. She breaks it down.

Lovie Smith has returned to Illinois, but it won’t be at Soldier Field. Hiring Smith was one of the earliest moves that U of Illinois Athletic Director Josh Whitman made in his new role. Smith tells Cheryl Raye Stout how coaching college feels like his career has come full circle.

In the 1990s the three biggest cities in America-New York, Los Angeles and Chicago-were seeing record spikes in the number of homicides. At the turn of the century, most of these metropolises started seeing results in their efforts to battle the sobering statistics, but not Chicago.  Since 2004, the city has not seen any major drop in the number of homicides while the other two cities continue to see improvement.  The New York Times recently took a closer look at these statistics and saw some stark differences between Chicago and New York. We talk to reporters Ford Fessenden and Haeyoun Park about what Chicago can learn from New York.

University of Illinois’ new athletic director Josh Whitman has been open about wanting to turn the school’s football program around. He started by firing coach Bill Cubit and hiring former Chicago Bears coach Lovie Smith.  Cheryl Raye Stout talks to Whitman about that move, and what other expectations he has for sports at the university.

In Mexican culture the taco is the most basic of foods; take a tortilla, fill it with just about anything and you’ve got a meal. But what makes the perfect taco? Well, that answer is as varied as the fillings themselves.  Chicago Tribune reporter Nick Kindelsperger spent the month of May on a taco challenge. He was on the hunt for not only the best taco in Chicago but also the suburbs. His challenge also included trying to determine where to find the best al pastor taco, a pork filling that has Lebanese roots. Kindelsperger joins Morning Shift to share his findings.

It's becoming a very viable way to make a living, with colleges offering varsity scholarships to the more talented gamers and tournament prize pools at over a million dollars. Traditional sport outlets can no longer ignore it, with Turner Sports dedicating a three hour block on Friday nights to its own eLeague and ESPN launching an eSports web vertical.  We talk to Kurt Melcher, eSports coordinator at Robert Morris University, about the incredible rise of electronic sports.

The City of Chicago has settled a lawsuit brought by two CPD whistleblowers for $2 million. The trial would have compelled Mayor Rahm Emanuel to testify about remarks made before the City Council in December, in which he confirmed the existence of a “code of silence” in the CPD. WBEZ’s Patrick Smith joins us to discuss the settlement, the mayor, and what the future holds for his “code of silence” remarks.

After more than two years of construction Navy Pier is unveiling its new attractions. WBEZ’s Monica Eng reports on the $26.5 million Centennial ferris Wheel.

Season Six of the HBO drama Game of Thrones is only half over, but so far it has featured several major plot twists, including life-or-death moments for beloved characters.  When is it OK to talk about Jon Snow without whispering? Today, we debate “spoiler etiquette” when it comes to talking about addictive serialized dramas with friends, family and co-workers.  We talk with Tricia Bobeda and Greta Johnsen, co-hosts of the WBEZ podcast Nerdette Recaps Game of Thrones With Peter Sagal. (Caution: This segment contains spoilers!)