Vocalo Radio

Getting Dressed With Vocalo is a new series highlighting Chicago musicians who have standout personal styles. Get ready with us.

Known for his ethereal vocals, Chicago singer Manasseh also has a reputation for stepping out in some memorable outfits. The artist describes his style as imaginative, fun and solid; he knows people expect a look when he steps outside, surely including an impeccable pair of boots … “but they really don't know what to expect.” He described why “more is everything,” remembered his favorite childhood outfit and shared some style advice.

This segment was hosted and edited by Morgan Ciocca, with production support from Mendy Kong. It was engineered and produced by Dave Miska. Dig deeper into the story at Vocalo.org.

New film ‘Young King’ follows Diondre Howell, a young man re-adjusting to civilian life after serving in the Iraq war. Howell finds himself changed after the traumas of combat, now struggling to maintain relationships with his loved ones. Reggie “The Reel Critic” Ponder sat down with ‘Young King’ stars, Vincent Washington, James Arthur Sims and Kirby Griffin, to discuss their characters and the film’s themes.

This segment was hosted and produced by Reggie Ponder. Follow him on Instagram and X @TheReelCritic.

West Side hip-hop group Pivot Gang will take the stage at Millennium Park on Sept. 20 as the group headlines Vocalo’s Summer Finale, a concert celebrating Chicago’s music scene and the final days of summer. For many of the members, this will be their first time performing at the Pritzker Pavilion, and they plan to debut some new songs during the set. On Sept. 20, the group, composed of Saba, Joseph Chilliams, MFnMelo, Frsh Waters and Dae Dae, will also be celebrating the birthday of band member Squeak, who was tragically killed in 2021.

The group sat down with Vocalo host Nudia Hernandez to play some of their favorite songs from Chief Keef, Tems and Mk.Gee — plus premiere their new single out Oct. 3. They also delved into green room necessities, pre-show rituals and what fans can expect from the Summer Finale performance.

This segment originally aired on Vocalo Radio 91.1 FM during Nudia In the Afternoons on Wednesday, Sept. 18. It was produced by Nudia Hernandez and edited by Morgan Ciocca. Learn more about Vocalo’s Summer Finale at Vocalo.org/events.

Emmanuel Gomez, better known as Clue, is the 23-year-old rising street artist you need to know. Born and raised in Chicago’s Little Village, Gomez has fostered his deep passion for visual art over the last decade, starting out with graffiti tags and growing into a distinct brand boasting collaborations with the WNDR Museum and the National Museum of Mexican Art. Gomez’s Clue character (a green cartoonish figure with question marks for eyes) can be found all over the city — from murals to screen-printed tees to painted-on skateboards — including on the official artwork for Vocalo’s Summer Finale on Sept. 20. He sat down with Vocalo host Nudia Hernandez to discuss his artistic evolution, working with Sentrock and the Little Village references infused into the Summer Finale artwork.

This segment originally aired on Vocalo Radio 91.1 FM during Nudia In the Afternoons on Tuesday, Sept. 17. It was produced by Nudia Hernandez and edited by Morgan Ciocca. Learn more about Vocalo’s Summer Finale at Vocalo.org/events.

Film critic Reggie “The Reel Critic” Ponder loves an underdog. After attending this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, he added three new films to his “underdog exceeding all expectations” category: ‘Rez Ball,’ ‘The Fire Inside’ and Unstoppable.

"The Reel Critic" is hosted and produced by Reggie Ponder. Follow Reggie on Twitter and Instagram @TheReelCritic, and on Facebook @ReggieTheReelCritic.

St. Louis-born, Chicago-based psychedelic R&B singer Loona Dae waited until the time was right to release her debut album ‘ATARI!’ in August 2023. After a little more than a year of prep, she feels it’s the perfect time to take the project to the stage for the first time — on Sept. 15 at the Empty Bottle. She sat down with Vocalo host Nudia Hernandez to discuss the importance of building suspense, working with fellow St. Louis artist Smino and the pros and cons of making music with your romantic partner.

This segment originally aired on Vocalo 91.1 FM during Nudia In the Afternoons on Tuesday, Sept. 10. It was hosted and produced by Nudia Hernandez, and edited by Morgan Ciocca. Keep up with Loona Dae on Instagram @loonadae, and dig deeper into the story at Vocalo.org.

This month, DJ Lady D ends a packed season with Vocalo’s Summer Finale, a free concert at Millennium Park’s Jay Pritzker Pavilion on Sept. 20 with fellow Chicago artists Pivot Gang, KAINA and Marquis Hill. The crowd there can expect “a little bit of a different set from Lady D,” as she plans to blend house, funk, soul and disco. Lady D’s Summer Finale set comes after performances at ARC Festival, NASCAR Chicago, Wicker Park Fest and Northalsted Market Days. She spoke with Vocalo’s Nudia Hernandez and took over the station’s airwaves to spin songs from Honey Dijon, Gavin Turek, Chicago band oux and more.

This segment originally aired on Vocalo Radio 91.1 FM during Nudia In the Afternoons on Wednesday, Sept. 4. It was produced by Nudia Hernandez and edited by Morgan Ciocca. Learn more about Vocalo’s Summer Finale at Vocalo.org/events.

‘1992’ follows two father-son pairs against the backdrop of the year’s Rodney King riots. One father, Mercer, has just been released from prison and given custody of his teenage son Antoine. The other, Lowell, has spent his life prepping his son “Riggin Bigby” for a life of crime — staging a plan to steal catalytic converters from the factory where Mercer works. As the heist falls into place, the characters’s lives are brought together as Mercer tries to keep his son from following in his footsteps and Lowell tries to influence his son to do the opposite.

‘1992’ stars Ray Liotta as Lowell, Tyrese Gibson as Mercer, Scott Eastwood as Riggin Bigby and Christopher Ammanuel as Antoine. The film hit theaters Aug. 30.

This segment was hosted and produced by Reggie Ponder. Follow him on Instagram and X @TheReelCritic.

Chicago trumpeter Marquis Hill and vocalist Manasseh took over Vocalo’s airwaves to discuss their new transcendent single and upcoming Millennium Park performance on Sept. 20. Hill is set to take the Pritzker Pavilion stage for Vocalo’s Summer Finale alongside fellow Chicago artists Pivot Gang, KAINA and DJ Lady D. The free concert will celebrate local music and summer’s last days. Hill and Chicago vocalist Manasseh recently sat down with Vocalo host Nudia Hernandez to discuss the upcoming performance and their favorite parts of summertime Chicago.

Learn more about Vocalo’s Summer Finale at Vocalo.org.

This segment originally aired live on Vocalo Radio 91.1 FM during Nudia In the Afternoons. It was produced by Nudia Hernandez and edited by Morgan Ciocca, with production support from Abigail Harrison.

Reggie “The Reel Critic” Ponder shares his thoughts on Zoë Kravitz’s directorial debut, a chilling psychological thriller exploring power, possessiveness and patriarchy. ‘Blink Twice’ follows Frida (Naomi Ackie) and a group of friends as they join charming tech billionaire Slater King (Channing Tatum) on vacation at his private island, and things are not quite what they seem. Everything comes to a head when Frida’s friend Jess (Alia Shawat) goes missing, unraveling a web of secrets and lies about King, the island and Frida herself. ‘Blink Twice’ is in theaters now.

This segment was hosted and produced by Reggie Ponder. Follow him on Instagram and X @TheReelCritic.