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