Dave Hoekstra talks with Ray and Wilma Yoder, who have spent over three decades on the road, visiting all 645 Cracker Barrel restaurants in 44 states.  The Yoders, natives of Indiana near the RV capital of the world, talk about what sparked their love affair with this roadside slice of Americana and why it became their version of the ‘movable American dream’. Dave has a more extensive write up on the Yoders at his website. Video courtesy of Jon Sall. […]

The great ‘Little Steven’ Van Zandt joins Dave Hoekstra to discuss getting back in the studio after 18 years for a new solo record, Soulfire.  He talks about rediscovering his creative voice after taking time out to focus on acting and touring with the E Street Band, his mission to promote some of the talented 60’s R&B artists that ended up getting overshadowed by The Beatles, the lost art of arranging in pop music, why he decided to get political after […]

Dave Hoekstra welcomes collector Joe Bryl and filmmaker Tom Palazzollo about Chicago’s cultural memory and the upcoming exhibit Jackets Required (Party Night at Joe’s) at Co-Prosperity Sphere (3219 S. Morgan), which features items from Bryl’s personal collection of pulp novels, weird record covers, sexploitation movie posters and other pop culture ephemera, and explores how these art forms interact with their audiences, and the people who collect them.

Dave Hoekstra visits with Hideout Chicago co-owner Tim Tuten, as the club prepares to celebrate it’s Sputnik Birthday Party’ with the return of the Hideout Block Party, starting Saturday 9/23.  They talk about Tuten’s early adventures in the city,  how the 60th birthdays of Jon Langford, Eleventh Dream Days’ Rick Rizzo and other regular performers  inspired a Sputnik-themed party, the inspiration for the template for the club, which blends the “American roadhouse” feel of FitzGeralds, the jazzy weirdness of Weeds and Lounge Ax, and more.

Dave Hoekstra previews World Smile Day Chicago, which takes place on 10/6 at 2 N. Riverside Plaza, featuring live musical performances, games, giveaways and more, all benefitting Smile Train, which provides support and information for families with children born with cleft lip and palate. First, we talk with celebrity chef Graham Elliot, who was inspired to get involved by his son, who was born with a cleft lip; he talks about his family’s journey in learning about surgeries, treatments and […]

Dave Hoekstra takes a look at the classic blues label Paramount Records, headquartered in Port Washington, Wisconsin in 1917 to the early ’30’s.  He talks with Kris Raymond, director of the Paramount Music Association, about the history of the label, home to vital recordings from artists like Son House and Ma Rainey and the festival itself, which  features over 25 performances over three days from the likes of Billy Branch, ‘Chief’ Eddy Clearwater and more. Award-winning blues artist Cathy Grier […]

Dave Hoekstra visits with an old neighborhood friend, Roman Brach, who runs a newsstand at 1555 W. Division Street in Wicker Park.  They talk about the history of the neighborhood and the precarious placement of a Nelson Algren statue across the street from the newsstand, how the business has changed with the death of the written word, his own journey from landing at Ellis Island as a boy in the early 50’s, and more.

Dave Hoekstra welcomes the Shake ‘Em on Downs, who pay tribute to the great groups of the 60’s and defining diva voices of today. We hear some classic hits from groups like The Supremes and The Ronettes, and talk to producer/drummer/manager Jeff Phillippe about the process of putting the band together, and what inspired him to do so.  The girls talk about their musical backgrounds and what and individual voice can add to an ensemble, the art of naming a […]

Dave Hoekstra visits with Yoshi Sekiguchi, known as the “Japanese Hank Williams” for bringing American country music to post-World War II Japan.  Yoshi talks about what drew him to artists like Hank Williams and Marty Robbins and, as a singer, getting the music to resonate with Japanese audiences, starting his family and relocating to the United States, where he found work as a graphic designer for Hugh Hefner with Playboy in Chicago, and much more. They’re joined by guitarist Dr. […]

Dave Hoekstra previews the upcoming 1st Annual Power to Peace Festival, a music festival and convention produced by Veterans for Peace, slated for August 9-13 at the Palmer House Hilton, featuring a concert at the Vic Theatre on 8/11 with the likes of Watermelon Slim and Maggie Brown, and a performance at the Copernicus Center on 8/13 with Jackson Browne. Veterans for Peace Executive Director Michael McPhearson and festival organizer Miles ‘Megaciph’ Thomas talk about their individual stories of serving […]