Mike Stephen broadcasts from his home…while in his pajamas and robe.

Mike Stephen discusses the impact of COVID-19 on Illinois’ finances, learns about the work of Beyond Hunger during the pandemic, and discovers the Secret History of the jazz fusion group The Ashby Ostermann Alliance. In the OTL Wrap Party segment Mike and Producer Collin try to remain positive during the pandemic and, in an OTL first, make a Demolition Man reference. The local quarantine music this week comes from The DeFunked. To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our iTunes page or RSS feed.

Posted 7 years ago Tagged

Mike Stephen broadcasts from his home studio.

Mike Stephen chats about the resulting pollution from the demolition of a smokestack in Little Village with the Little Village Environmental Justice Organization, discusses the struggles of Reggie’s, a venerable music venue in the South Loop during this time, and learns about what it’s like opening a brewery during a pandemic. And in the OTL Wrap Party segment, Mike welcomes an old friend back to the show: Producer Emeritus Andy “The Count” Hermann!  The local quarantine music this week comes from Tom Carey. To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our iTunes page or RSS feed.

Posted 7 years ago Tagged

Mike Stephen plays some quarantine harmonica in his basement home studio.

Mike Stephen discusses how local musicians are coping without the ability to play gigs with Mike Jeffers, host of Chicago Music Revealed, learns about Tone Deaf Records, a Portage Park record store that now delivers albums, and discovers the Secret History of 60s pop-rockers The Apocryphals. Plus, we debut a new song about COVID-19 from The Black Oil Brothers and in the OTL Wrap Party segment Mike and Producer Collin express hope that local venues will rise again. The local quarantine music this week comes from the late great John Prine. To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our iTunes page or RSS feed.

Posted 7 years ago Tagged

Mike Stephen views the beautiful Son of Juice hazy IPA from Maplewood Brewing in Chicago.

Mike Stephen discusses how COVID-19 impacts prisons with the executive director of the John Howard Association of Illinois, learns how local breweries are navigating the pandemic with Josh Noel of the Chicago Tribune, and chats about the impact of a pandemic on our local transportation with John Greenfield, editor of Streetsblog Chicago. And in the OTL Wrap Party segment, Mike and Producer Collin discuss the choice of whether or not to use grocery delivery services during this time.  The local quarantine music this week comes from Red Cent. To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our iTunes page or RSS feed.

Posted 7 years ago Tagged