Mike Stephen boldly goes where OTL has never gone before with: Matt Young, Producer and cast member, Improvised Star Trek Podcast; Alejandro Riera, Media Relations Coordinator for Chicago Latino Film Festival, and; Emily Jane Powers, local musician in studio.  To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our iTunes page or RSS feed.

Mike Stephen chats with:   Plastic Crimewave (aka Steve Krakow) about industrial guitarist and long time friend Jason McNinch for this week’s edition of The Secret History of Chicago Music;    Kate Hill, co-founder of Louder than a Mom; and,   Jay Lyon, founder of Remix Chicago.   Let us know about your favorite cozy winter neighborhood bars/taverns here! This week’s local music is provided by Coyote Ghost.  Mike Stephen learns about the monthly storytelling sensation Louder Than a Mom, where real people tell their entertaining stories of family, relationships, and life. To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our iTunes page or RSS feed.

OTL: Episode #543- Women’s equality with 24WORDS, Chicago River Swim, Noah Gabriel plays in studio

Mike Stephen talks with:   24WORDS: the equal rights rock musical producer/writer/lyricist Charles Kouri about exploring the journey for women’s equality;   Chicago River Swim co-creator Doug McConnell about a proposed long-distance swim in the Chicago River; and   local musician Noah Gabriel, who hung out live for the hour! Check out his new record Dead Reckoning.   Meanwhile, we anticipate today’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade insanity, and we pre-celebrate Mike’s 37th birthday.   Local musician Noah Gabriel rocked the OTL #543 soundtrack in anticipation of his Dead Reckoning record release!   To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our iTunes page or RSS feed.

OTL: Episode #499- Protecting high school journalists, Oak Park’s newest theater productions, The Mini Maker Faire preview

Mike Stephen talks with:   Illinois Journalism Education Association board member Stan Zoller about Illinois House Bill 5902 (aka the Speech Rights of Student Journalists Act) and how the proposed law would give some legal protections to high school students;   Surging Film & Theatrics artistic director Billy Surges about the Oak Park theater company’s 2016 season (featuring walk-ons by Tracers actors Patrick McGrath and Tony Calkins); and   Chicago Northside Mini Maker Faire founder Christina Pei about the fifth annual celebration of DIY and all the amazing and innovative stuff we create.   Meanwhile, we play yet another voicemail from #1 OTL (and Lou Manfredini) fan Mrs. Stephen!   This week’s local music is provided music provided by THEDEADWOODS.   OTL host Mike Stephen and multimedia star Lou Manfredini go way back! [pictured in the old WGN Radio newsroom circa 2004]   To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our iTunes page or RSS feed.