Guitarist and vocalist Corey Dennison and bassist Nick Skilnick joins Dave Hoekstra in-studio for some live music and conversation about the Corey Dennison Band’s debut album on Delmark Records.   Dennison talks about his extensive record collection; his mentor, Chicago blues staple Carl Weathersby, working the local club scene, finding an authentic personal connection through modern blues music, and more.  

Dave Hoekstra talks with developers Anijo Mathew and Shanti Mathew of Vamonde, a tourism app that lets users create, store and share local stories and memories via physical exploration of the city around them.    

Brian Reynolds, owner of Millie’s Supper Club (2438 N. Lincoln Avenue) talks with Dave Hoekstra about opening such a throwback establishment in 2016, the challenge of recreating the atmosphere of the north woods of Wisconsin in Chicago, and his love of his grandparents and Midwest dining culture that inspired him to create the club.    

Dave Hoekstra talks with Amanda Scotese, executive director and curator of Chicago Detours, which offers off-the-beaten-path tours of Chicago architecture and history.  She talks about her process of assembling and finding an overarching concept for these tours, and the outfit’s latest experience, which details the food, drink, buildings and games with ties to the 1893 World’s Fair.  

Guitarist and music producer Eric Ambel joins Dave Hoekstra for a discussion on his long career working with acts like Joan Jett and Steve Earle, exploring “urban roots rock” with Dictators guitarist Scott Kempner and the Del-Lords, how an experience at CBGB led him to open up his own club on New York’s Lower East Side, the mid-western influence of producer/bassist Lou Whitney and the inspiration behind his latest album “Lakeside”, available on vinyl and download from Eric’s website on […]

Dave Hoekstra revisits the story of “The Fox”, an anonymous anti-pollution and environmental protection activist in the Fox Valley area in the 1970’s. He’s joined by the Chicago Tribune’s Steve Lord, and Susan Ward Triestrail, daughter of Charlie Ward, who covered The Fox for the Aurora Beacon-News;  Matt Pniewski, who’s making a documentary on The Fox, and Jim Spring and Nancy Spring-Epley, the nephew of niece of Jim Phillips, the real man behind the myth. They discuss The Fox’s work […]

Dave Hoekstra visits with co-owners Asrart Sellassie and Ruphael Wolde Mariam of landmark Chicago Reggae club The Wild Hare, as they prepare to celebrate their 30th anniversary.  They talk about the local reggae scene, the history of the club, drawing the attention of Bob Marley and his family, the growing ethnic communities in the city, and making the transition from their longtime Wrigleyville home to a new location at 2610 N. Halsted St. Also joining in with some conversation and […]

“Beatle Bob” Matonis joins Dave Hoekstra to talk about his passion for live music that has led him to a streak of over 7000 consecutive live shows since December of 1996; he also talks about his status as a staple of the local music scene in St. Louis, the diary he keeps as a log of his musical experiences, getting invited on stage by multiple artists and more.  

Dave Hoekstra talks with Joanie Bayhack, Andrea Lutz, Sydney Werd and Anitha George of Random Acts of Flowers, an organization that re-purposes flowers from weddings, funerals, and other events to deliver to hospitals, nursing homes, and other healthcare facilities in need of some color. They discuss the mechanics of running the charity, creating new ways to manage and use their inventory, and how seemingly small gestures can make a big difference. For more on Random Acts of Flowers, you can […]

Chicago-based singer/songwriter Al Rose joins Dave Hoekstra for some live music and conversation.  They talk about Rose’s beginnings playing the flute as a young boy, his father’s early love of crossroads music, the response to American roots and folk music among European and Asian crowds, and his long career on the local music scene. Al opens up for the David Bromberg Quintet on February 24 at SPACE in Evanston.