Outside the Loop RADIO

Mike Stephen explores the urban art project @EverylotChicago with creator Neil Freeman, talks about lowering the voting age with Vote16 Illinois state board member Pooja Patel, and dives into the topic of Afrofuturism with author Ytasha Womack.  The local music this week is powered by New Drugs.

Mike Stephen stops by Schurz High School in Avondale to bring us the experience of the Chicago Northside Mini Maker Faire with creator Christina Pei, learns about the #FoldedMap Project from its creator and Englewood artist Tonika Johnson, and chats with Plastic Crimewave (aka Steve Krakow) and learn about 60s soul-rockers The Weaker Sex as part of this week's Secret History of Chicago Music. The local music this week is powered by The Funs.

Mike Stephen questions political authenticity on social media, dives into the history of Chicago's Westside in the face of the proposed police academy with Tiffany Walden creator and editor/chief of TheTriibe.com, learns about endangered buildings in Illinois with the president of Landmarks Illinois, and chats with local reporter Yana Kunichoff about police training for police officers stationed in schools. The local music this week is powered by Ludlow.

Mike Stephen talks with Geoff Smith, executive director of the Institute for Housing Studies at DePaul University, about the state of rental housing in Cook County, connects with John O’Rourke, station manager at WELT-LP (95.7) in Fort Wayne, to learn about that station's community programming, and connects with Plastic Crimewave (aka Steve Krakow) to learn about the Secret History of Chicago organ player Deacon Jones. The local music this week is powered by soul-shakin' blues powerhouse Curio.

Mike Stephen wonders about video games these days and then chats with Democratic nominee for Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi on how he plans to remove politics from influencing the Assessor's Office, talks to Olatunji Oboi Reed, founder of Equiticity, about Car2Go's car sharing pilot that excludes of the south and west sides of Chicago, and calls over to Rome to check in with the editor of Crux, John Allen Jr, about the mercy of Pope Francis. The local music this week is powered by The Claudettes.

Mike Stephen celebrates the 600th edition of the show by taking the production on the road to The Friendly Tap in Berwyn!  Youth leaders from VOYCE drop by to discuss combatting local educational inequities, Plastic Crimewave (aka Steve Krakow) gives us the Secret History of Chicago blues rocker Cash McCall, and Chicagoland NASA Solar System Ambassador Mark Benson gets us fired up about all things space-related.  Also Mike's dad, Mike Stephen, Sr., jumps on the mic to chat about a life of activism.  The live local music for the show is brought to you by The Black Oil Brothers!

This week Mike Stephen reveals his debut on the local podcast Improvised Star Trek, dives into the contract negotiations between the Non-Tenured-Track (NTT) faculty and Loyola University Chicago, chats with local author Jessica Mlinaric about her new book Secret Chicago, and previews the Chicago Public Library's ChiTeenLitFest. Local music for #OTL599 is powered by Melody Angel.

Ramble on!  Mike Stephen chats with Chicago Reader transportation columnist John Greenfield about the latest local transportation issues, connects with volunteers from KTWH-FM (99.5) in Two Harbors, MN, to learn about that community radio station, and enters the lair of Plastic Crimewave (aka Steve Krakow) to learn about the Secret History of Chicago blues guitarist Joe Carter. The local music this week is powered by Groovy Louie and the Time Capsules.

Mike Stephen promotes the upcoming OTL 600th episode live event at The Friendly Tap, talks with a representative from the Chicago Latino Film Festival, drops by the Cards Against Humanity studios to learn about the local sci-fi podcast Improvised Star Trek, and welcomes local indie pop artist Emily Jane Powers into the studio to play some sweet jamz.

Mike Stephen chats with Tracy Siska of the Chicago Justice Project about the FOIA requests for the Cook County Sheriff's office, visits Tuman's Tap & Grill for a conversation with "CB" of @ChicagoBars for the final stop on the OTL Winter Tavern Tour, and enters the lair of Plastic Crimewave (aka Steve Krakow) to learn about the Secret History of Chicago Blues bassist Benny Turner. The local music this week is powered by The Curls.