OTL: Episode #459- Chicago Police shootings, Divvy’s fare increase, The real Six Corners gets some love

Mike Stephen talks with:   Better Government Association senior investigator Andrew Schroedter about his recent “Fatal Shootings By Chicago Police: Tops Among Biggest U.S. Cities” report;   Streetsblog Chicago editor John Greenfield to get “More Deets on the Divvy Funding Situation;” and   Six Corners Association interim executive director Kelli Wefenstette about what her organization is doing to revitalize the historic Milwaukee/Irving/Cicero shopping district.   This week’s local music is provided by Andrew Wallace Lothian — support his Debut Full-Length Album Indiegogo campaign!   OTL host Mike Stephen is noticeably less excited after Divvy announced a rate increase for their bike sharing system.   To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our iTunes page or RSS feed.

OTL: Episode #458- Chicago water tower paintings, A mobbed-up cop’s story, The Secret History of local Elvis impersonator Rick Saucedo

Mike Stephen talks with:   Artist Kevin Swallow about his This Must Be the Place Chicago cityscape show at Firecat Projects;   Writer Sam Reaves about co-authoring Fred Pascente’s story in Mob Cop: My Life of Crime in the Chicago Police Department;   Plastic Crimewave (aka Steve Krakow) about Elvis tribute artist and underground psychedelic musician Rick Saucedo for this week’s edition of The Secret History of Chicago Music; and   WGN Radio newsman Dave Schwan who files a report on the 100th anniversary of the Eastland Disaster in the Chicago River.   This week’s local music is provided by Doug James and the Pocket.   Artist Kevin Swallow tells OTL host Mike Stephen about his This Must Be the Place show at Firecat Projects in Bucktown.   To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our iTunes page or RSS feed.

OTL: Episode #457- Metra riders are plugged in, The harsh reality of making it as a local musician, Chicago Hot Sauce Fest

Mike Stephen talks with:   DePaul University School of Public Service professor and Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development director Joseph Schwieterman about The Digitally Connected Commuter: Tracking the Rising Use of Personal Electronic Devices on Chicago Suburban Trains [PDF] study;   Musician David Safran about his recent Newcity story “Less Successful Numbers: The Money of Local Music;” and   Chicago Hot Sauce Fest organizer Adrian Gutierrez to preview next weekend’s spicy events.   This week’s local music is provided by the aforementioned David Safran.   OTL host Mike Stephen dreams of hot sauce before making a point.   To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our iTunes page or RSS feed.

OTL: Episode #456- Utilizing IL urban wood, Illuminating TIFs in Chicago, The Secret History of Chicagoland’s 60s garage rockers The Riddles

Mike Stephen talks with:   Illinois Wood Utilization Team chairperson Edith Makra and IIT College of Architecture studio associate professor Paul Pettigrew about giving dead urban trees new life;   TIF Illumination Project lead organizer Tom Tresser (support their Indiegogo campaign!); and   Plastic Crimewave (aka Steve Krakow) about late-’60s suburban rockers The Riddles for this week’s edition of The Secret History of Chicago Music.   This week’s local music is provided by Farkus.   OTL host Mike Stephen visits Illinois Wood Utilization Team chairperson Edith Makra and IIT College of Architecture studio associate professor Paul Pettigrew at the IIT Architecture Model Shop.   To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our iTunes page or RSS feed.