WGN - The Download with Justin Kaufmann Podcast

The great Jason Narducy joins Justin to talk about his new Split Single record, “Metal Frames,” the supporting role he plays with Bob Mould and Superchunk, why he decided to take on this Split Single project, the community of musicians that he works with, the great venues he plays around town, the music that influences him, the “Sexiest Elbows in Rock” web series, an upcoming show at Schubas and how you should never take any show for granted. Jason also […]

Food and drink expert Audarshia Townsend joins Justin to talk about where we should be eating and drinking in 2017. Audarshia previews what 2017 has in store for us including the current vegetable trend, what we can expect from Chicago Restaurant Week, where the hot neighborhoods for dining will be and the restaurant openings we should most look forward to this year. Follow Justin on Twitter and give him a like on Facebook. The Download with Justin Kaufmann airs Monday through […]

We have another amazing show for you this evening! On tonight’s episode of The Download, political analysts Tracy Sefl and Charles Lipson are here to look ahead to the transition of power and Donald Trump’s inauguration day, Mike and Fred Klonsky discuss their careers as educators, activists and advocates, Audarshia Townsend tells us where we should be eating and drinking in 2017, Margaret Hicks explains what it was like to spend a week underground in the Chicago Pedway and we […]

The Carry Out is the nightly segment where Justin reads the newspaper so you don’t have to. Tonight’s top stories include Donald Trump getting ready for the inauguration by criticizing NATO and SNL, the Chicago Cubs visiting the White House, some Chicago aldermen stepping forward and asking the Justice Department to investigate Chicago’s Law Department, Ringling Bros. Circus coming to an end, smart phone companies working on ways to deal with battery fires, the Green Bay Packers beating the Dallas […]

WGN’s Kevin Powell joins Justin to recap day 1 of the Cubs Convention. Kevin and Justin talk about how the convention has been an extension of the World Series celebration, the love that David Ross received, Kris Bryant showing up despite getting married last weekend, Jake Arrieta not attending the White House trip, the introduction of John Jay, the Cubs projected lineup and if anyone in the N.L. Central can compete with the Cubs next season. Follow Justin on Twitter […]

The Carry Out is the nightly segment where Justin reads the newspaper so you don’t have to. Tonight’s top stories include Donald Trump’s press conference this morning, confirmation hearings continuing on Capitol Hill, President Obama giving his farewell address last night, the ongoing budget holdup in Springfield, tronc announcing that RedEye will move to a weekly publication, the Blackhawks beating Detroit, the Bulls losing at the buzzer to Washington, Derrick Rose and the Knicks taking on the Bulls tomorrow, Jordan […]

It’s Wednesday so that must mean we are treated to another visit from The Daily Line‘s Mike Fourcher to unpack all the political stories making news. And there is a lot to unpack tonight! Mike talks about Barack Obama’s farewell address, Donald Trump’s press conference, the problems with BuzzFeed’s document dump related to Trump’s entanglements with Russia, Trump’s takedown of BuzzFeed and other media outlets and the Department of Justice releasing their probe into the conduct of the Chicago Police […]

We have another incredible show to start the week! On tonight’s episode of The Download, political analysts Chris Robling and Dave Lundy break down the legacy of President Barack Obama, world-renowned architect Jeanne Gang chats about her career and changing the skyline of Chicago, comedian Laurie Kilmartin talks about her new Seeso show, “45 Jokes About My Dead Dad,” director Peter Berg discusses his new movie, “Patriots Day” and we end the show in Studio 435 with a live set […]

Architect Jeanne Gang joins Justin at The Big Table to talk about her amazing career, how buildings are great ways to start social connections, her relationship with architecture and water, how you can create community within a tall building, the importance of thinking about what already surrounds the buildings she’s working on, how often they need to change things while working on a specific project, her newest project, Vista, Chicago’s relationship to the skyline and its tall buildings, the amount […]

Comedian Laurie Kilmartin joins Justin to tell us about her new Seeso special, “45 Jokes About My Dead Dad.” Laurie talks about the origins of the project, when she decided to document her father’s illness via Twitter, the overwhelmingly positive responses she received from people all over the world, the challenges she faced when transferring the jokes from social media to telling them in front of an audience, how the jokes and the special provided therapy for her, the comfort […]