H.O.G. POD: Chicagoland Hyper Local Music Scene

Welcome to HOG POD: Chicago's Music Scene Unplugged! Hosted by Mike Orfanos, Mike Dermont, and Pete Jansons, we dive into Chicago’s vibrant music scene. From classic rock to indie vibes, we bring you exclusive interviews, behind-the-scenes stories, and live performances. Discover local legends and emerging artists while exploring the city’s diverse music culture. Tune in for special episodes featuring tribute bands and live events!

H.O.G. POD: Chicagoland Hyper Local Music Scene is a music podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 118 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Unknown Host hosts H.O.G. POD: Chicagoland Hyper Local Music Scene, a music show with 118 episodes published.

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  H.O.G. POD: Chicagoland Hyper Local Music Scene

  Tamara Woodruff: 3 Bands, 4-Part Harmony & a Day Job in HR | Hogpod Chicagoland Music Scene Podcast

  Sep 8, 20261h 12m

  What happens when the powerhouse voice fronting three Chicago bands turns out to spend her days as a senior HR executive? Tamara Woodruff is back on Hogpod — and this time the biggest surprise isn't a song. She fronts Pacific Sound Company (a West Coast tribute running LA to Seattle), sings lead in the country band Wildfire, and runs an acoustic duo on the side. By day? Thirty years in human resources, a master's in the field, a senior HR business partner at a 900-person global firm. "People look at me funny when I say I'm in HR," she says. Music is the alter ego. With Pete Jansons and Mike "Bongo" Orfanos, Tamara traces how her Linda Ronstadt tribute Blue Bayou grew into Pacific Sound Company — three lead singers, four-part harmonies, and a songbook running from Fleetwood Mac and Journey to Heart and Santana. She digs into the craft, too: the terror of a silent concert hall versus a loud bar, building a 40-song set in a spreadsheet, why some legacy bands should've hung it up, and the West Coast sound nobody else in the room is covering. Plus: Pacific Sound Company presents Blue Bayou — an all-Linda Ronstadt night — Thursday, September 11 at The Venue in Aurora. KEY MOMENTS 00:00 Cold open + intro 03:22 Tamara's back: the Wisconsin ranch gig & 40-song spreadsheet 09:25 Summer gigs and sweaty stages 10:19 Empress wraps after four and a half years 11:05 Alex James joins — first lead: Hendrix's "Fire" 14:18 Blue Bayou becomes Pacific Sound Company (LA to Seattle) 16:20 "We don't need another Journey cover band" 19:49 Building the four-part harmonies 21:54 Wildfire — joining an established country band 23:07 Opening for Corey Farley at Nico's 26:06 Headlining the Vixen + a three-show weekend 31:15 Full-time job by day, gigs by night 35:49 Wait — she's a 30-year HR pro? 38:41 Inside a 900-person global HR role 39:09 Her music alter ego 40:47 Harassment training & workplace culture 44:28 The Goat Village co-bill with the Mosquitoes 45:20 Blue Bayou returns: all-Linda night in Aurora (9/11) 47:49 The Raue and the art of the concert hall 48:37 Why silence is scarier than a loud bar 55:38 Linda Ronstadt's illness 57:01 Should legacy bands hang it up? 1:03:41 Worst concert ever: Aerosmith at Poplar Creek 1:07:00 The night the car went in the pond TOPICS IN THIS EPISODETamara Woodruff - Pacific Sound Company - Blue Bayou - Wildfire - Chicago music - Chicagoland music scene - live music - cover bands - tribute bands - West Coast tribute - Linda Ronstadt - four-part harmony - concert halls - Fleetwood Mac - Journey - Heart FEATURED LINKSBlue Bayou (Linda Ronstadt tribute) https://bluebayoutribute.com/ Tamara Woodruff / tamarawoodruffmusic ❤️ SUPPORT HOGPOD / hogpod ️ Hosted by Pete Jansons with Mike "Bongo" Orfanos BOOKINGbooking@hogpod.org #Hogpod #ChicagoPodcast #MusicPodcast #TamaraWoodruff #PacificSoundCompany #BlueBayou #Wildfire #ChicagoMusic #ChicagolandMusic #LiveMusic #TributeBand #LindaRonstadt

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  H.O.G. POD: Chicagoland Hyper Local Music Scene

  Ron Onesti: He Saved the Arcada Theatre | Hogpod Chicagoland Music Scene Podcast

  Sep 1, 20261h 1m

  How do you save a historic theater, keep legendary artists coming back — and build a life around "music and meatballs"? Ron Onesti, President & CEO of Onesti Entertainment, joins Hogpod as the Arcada Theatre in St. Charles prepares to celebrate its 100th anniversary. Ron tells the story of driving out to the Arcada 25 years ago, finding a dumpster out front and discovering the theater was being gutted for offices. He had no money, started making what he calls "stupid offers," and somehow began a journey that would transform the Arcada into one of Chicagoland's most distinctive live music venues. Then he did it again — helping bring the condemned, fire-damaged Des Plaines Theatre back to life. But this episode is about more than buildings. Ron explains why relationships can matter more than money when booking artists, why George Thorogood calls the Arcada "home," what really goes into an artist rider, and why one performer told him coming there was "like going to my aunt's house for dinner." And yes, there are meatballs. We also get into Neil Sedaka's six pairs of black socks, Paul Anka rewriting "My Way" for Ron's birthday, Brian Wilson's years in St. Charles, the growing competition for touring acts, aging rock legends, tribute bands, and what it takes to keep live music alive. The timing couldn't be better: the Arcada Theatre turns 100 on September 6, 2026, with a centennial celebration featuring Priscilla Presley, Chubby Checker, a Ferris Bueller's Day Off parade recreation, thousands of people doing the Twist, and a History of Rock 'n' Roll show. NEW MUSIC "Ron Onesti's Meatballs" — our Dean Martin-style tribute to Ron's favorite combination: music and meatballs. https://open.spotify.com/album/2821lRz13s1pVxUpxf5AAV MORE HOGPOD MUSIC ON SPOTIFY https://open.spotify.com/artist/2QtmZydAIuDFTsbgOxqr7f KEY MOMENTS 00:00 Music & meatballs 02:00 Meet Ron Onesti 02:42 A dumpster outside the Arcada changes everything 04:14 The condemned Des Plaines Theatre 05:38 Rebuilding during COVID 09:18 Meatballs, Taylor Street & Sunday gravy 12:20 George Thorogood: "I'll always come back here" 13:34 Neil Sedaka's six pairs of black socks 14:43 "It's like going to my aunt's house for dinner" 15:46 "You set the bar" 17:14 "My life is all about music and meatballs" 20:40 Celebrating the Arcada's centennial 21:34 September 6: the 100th anniversary parade 22:34 The History of Rock 'n' Roll 26:32 The challenge of booking aging legends 28:44 "The music has become bigger than the people" 35:04 "It's 150% relationship based" 40:17 The artists Ron still gets excited to book 41:04 "Uncle Paul" Anka rewrites "My Way" 42:12 Brian Wilson in St. Charles 49:48 The Onesti formula: make it feel like home TOPICS IN THIS EPISODE Ron Onesti - Arcada Theatre - Arcada 100th Anniversary - Des Plaines Theatre - Chicago music - Chicagoland music scene - live music - concert promotion - George Thorogood - Priscilla Presley - Chubby Checker - Brian Wilson - Paul Anka - Neil Sedaka - music and meatballs FEATURED LINKS Arcada Theatre 100th Anniversary + Events https://www.arcadalive.com/events Des Plaines Theatre https://desplainestheatre.com Onesti Entertainment https://oshows.com Backstage with Ron Onesti https://www.arcadalive.com/blog/category/backstage-with-ron-onesti Regina Karma — Sunday Music with Regina Karma Sundays at 5 PM at Capri of Willow Springs Mike Dermont + FRICTION Friction Fest — October 24 at The Broken Oar ❤️ SUPPORT HOGPOD https://www.patreon.com/hogpod ️ Hosted by Pete Jansons with Mike Dermont and Regina Karma BOOKING booking@hogpod.org #Hogpod #ChicagoPodcast #MusicPodcast #RonOnesti #ArcadaTheatre #Arcada100 #DesPlainesTheatre #ChicagoMusic #ChicagolandMusic #MusicAndMeatballs

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  H.O.G. POD: Chicagoland Hyper Local Music Scene

  C-Bob Bobrowski on Rok Brigade & the Death of Live Music | Hogpod Chicagoland Music Scene Podcast

  Aug 25, 20261h 16m

  If you've spent any time in the Chicago tribute scene, you've probably seen Chris "C-Bob" Bobrowski on a stage somewhere — Rok Brigade, Super Unknown, Ten, No More Tears, No More Faith, and roughly ten other projects depending on the weekend. C-Bob returns to Hogpod with Pete Jansons and Bongo Mike for a wide-ranging one: AI and musicianship, the Chicago tribute scene, shrinking attention spans, David Lee Roth, legacy bands with zero original members, and Reggie's full-album Halloween shows — all circling the big question underneath: is live music becoming a dying art form, or is it just changing? Plus the Long Grove bridge that's been hit 75 times, C-Bob's line of the night — "Everybody wants to be a rock star; they just don't want to pay for it" — and the reveal that the man has roughly 28,000 albums catalogued in Excel and backed up on a NAS. KEY MOMENTS 00:00 An AI companion sings C-Bob the Lane Tech fight song 00:46 Two Lane Tech alums reconnect — room 144 & the drafting-to-engineer path 03:02 Welcome back — and congrats, C-Bob married Amy 03:47 The Coterie's comeback & the one-hit-wonders scene 05:20 Herding 30 musicians — the Wolfie jams & how these events come together 07:58 In memoriam: Peter Katsis — Ministry, Riviera & The Firm 09:45 C-Bob's 15 bands — Rok Brigade, Super Unknown, Ten & No More Tears 13:08 The Long Grove bridge that's been hit 75 times 15:30 Reggie's Halloween full-album night — Ten does Pearl Jam's "Vs." 17:10 Rock House — the band playing what nobody else plays 19:13 Why the Discord jam ended — Andrew Blake takes the torch 22:00 Orland Park fest, the rain & Wedding Band at 25 years 25:55 Ronnie Platt — Shooting Star to Kansas 34:58 AI & musicianship — "a tool, not a creative element" 37:16 Glenn Hansard, "Falling Slowly" & the live-music conversation 43:57 Can AI replace the musician? The synthesizer question 47:14 Are younger fans still coming out to live shows? 51:11 Is live music a dying art form? 51:53 "Everybody wants to be a rock star" — nobody wants the 10,000 hours 55:34 Keeping people engaged — video walls, medleys & showmanship 1:01:11 "Nobody watches the whole thing" — the Shorts game 1:07:03 Old bands with zero original members — the Ship of Theseus 1:07:59 David Lee Roth: showman, not singer 1:10:44 Rapid fire — favorite new band, Jerry Garcia & getting old 1:14:15 28,000 albums, an Excel list & a triple-backed NAS Chicago music - Chicagoland music scene - tribute bands - Rok Brigade - Ten - Super Unknown - AI and musicianship - David Lee Roth - Ship of Theseus - live music - Reggie's - Pearl Jam - Chicago tribute bands FEATURED LINKS Rok Brigade — Def Leppard tribute https://rokbrigadeband.com/ / rokbrigadechicago Ten — Pearl Jam tribute https://tenchicago.com/ / tenpearljam Super Unknown — Chris Cornell / Soundgarden / Audioslave / Temple of the Dog https://super-unknown.com/ ❤️ Support Hogpod on Patreon / hogpod ️ Hosted by Pete Jansons and Mike "Bongo" Orfanos (Bongo Mike) Booking — booking@hogpod.org #Hogpod #ChicagoMusic #ChicagolandMusicScene #ChicagoPodcast #MusicPodcast #TributeBands #RokBrigade #LiveMusic #AIMusic #ChicagoMusicScene #PearlJam

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  H.O.G. POD: Chicagoland Hyper Local Music Scene

  Personal Trainer by Day, Nancy Wilson by Night — Lisa LaManna | Hogpod Chicago Music Podcast

  Aug 18, 202653 min

  A guitar player walked into her Lake Zurich fitness studio, said "I have a proposition for you" — and that's how a personal trainer became the Nancy Wilson in one of Chicago's premier Heart tribute acts. Lisa LaManna sings and plays the Nancy Wilson role in Heart 2 Heartbreaker — the Chicagoland Heart & Pat Benatar tribute alongside Jerry (Benatar) and opera-trained Diva. This week she gets into getting recruited right before COVID, the terror of nailing the "Crazy On You" intro solo in heels ("you're on an island"), her years with the '80s All-Stars and the "I Love the '80s" all-star nights, first concert Billy Squier at the Providence Civic Center (and the video that "ruined him"), why Prince is her "music Jesus," front row at the Purple Rain tour, why Tinley Park's skyboxes wreck the sound, and a completely unhinged Pop-Tart debate involving Crisco, butter, microwaves and "extra gluten." KEY MOMENTS 00:00 "I have a proposition for you" — a guitarist walks into her gym 01:01 Welcome, Lisa 01:05 Broken Oar storm show & the summer-festival weather gamble 02:56 The Skokie Backlot Bash umbrella storm 04:05 Chicago's premier Heart & Pat Benatar tribute — the Vixen / Heart of Glass connection 05:29 Adam, Diva & the band — joining right before COVID 05:45 The recruitment story, full version 07:37 MaxFitness — her Lake Zurich training studio 09:14 Festival showcases & meeting Aussie Reborn 10:58 The washboard wedding & the "I Love the '80s" all-star nights 13:10 Piano to guitar — "once you plug that thing in, there's no going back" 14:58 The "Crazy On You" intro & playing in heels 15:49 Solo nerves — "you're on an island" 17:19 "How can you say no?" — the honor of playing Nancy 18:05 Jerry & Diva — Evanescence, Joan Jett & Scandal 19:38 The Warrior, FM/Easy FM & juggling bands 21:32 Festival season & getting lost on the way to gigs 24:30 Parking-lot war stories & the captain's suit 26:57 Deep-cut Heart & the Bad Animals tour 29:36 Why Tinley Park's sound gets screwed up (skyboxes) 30:51 Ann & Nancy Wilson — key changes & aging rock voices 33:28 Heart's "Stairway" at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 34:34 Rapid fire begins 35:04 First concert — Billy Squier at the Providence Civic Center 37:45 "That one video ruined him" — the Billy Squier debate 39:44 Favorite artist: Prince — front row at Purple Rain, "music Jesus" 41:31 The Gap Band, Earth, Wind & Fire & Paisley Park 44:07 Favorite movie: Titanic 45:14 The Pop-Tart question — Crisco, butter & "extra gluten" 47:36 Where to train & catch the band — MaxFitness, Alpine Fest, Jack Tripper 49:44 Gun to your head: Pop-Tart or hot dog? 51:09 The wig that won't quit — "funny for everyone but me" 52:18 Let's get all three back on Heart 2 Heartbreaker - Lisa LaManna - Nancy Wilson - Heart tribute - Pat Benatar - Chicago cover bands - Crazy On You - Billy Squier - Prince - Purple Rain - MaxFitness - Lake Zurich - 80s rock - women in rock - Chicago music scene GUEST LINKSMaxFitness: https://www.maxfitnesslisa.com/ Heart 2 Heartbreaker: https://heart-to-heartbreaker.com/ Heart 2 Heartbreaker on Facebook: / heart2heartbreaker Lisa on Facebook: / lisa.lamanna ❤️ Support Hogpod on Patreon: / hogpod Hosted by Pete Jansons and Mike "Bongo" Orfanos (Bongo Mike). Booking — booking@hogpod.org #Hogpod #ChicagoPodcast #MusicPodcast #Heart2Heartbreaker #HeartTribute #NancyWilson #PatBenatar #ChicagoMusicScene #TributeBand #80sRock #WomenInRock

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  H.O.G. POD: Chicagoland Hyper Local Music Scene

  John Gabrysiak: 40 Years Booking Chicago — Johnny Winter, Duffel Bags of Cash & $175 to See a Laptop

  Aug 11, 20261h 2m

  John Gabrysiak — "John G" — has spent 40+ years in the music business, from booking agent for John Mayall, Johnny Winter and Levon Helm to Music Director & Talent Buyer at Special Events Management (chicagoevents.com), where he now books the bands for Chicago's biggest summer street festivals.Pete and Bongo Mike sit down with John for a full-circle conversation: Pete booked the Cubby Bear in the early '90s; John was on the agency side that fed it. What follows is duffel bags of cash, sold-out shows in 20 minutes, the smoke weekend that cancelled BurgerFest, and an honest look at why a concert ticket went from $11.50 to $341.This episode opens with a tribute to Peter Katsis (1957–2026), the legendary Chicago-born music manager (Ministry, Bush, Smashing Pumpkins, Backstreet Boys), whose name comes up during John's Morrissey story.CHAPTERS 0:00 Cold open — in memory of Peter Katsis 0:40 Welcome — meet John G 1:15 Billboard at the library - Elton John at 12 3:49 NIU concert committee: Cheap Trick, Zappa, Sammy Hagar 5:02 American Famous Talent: Lonnie Brooks to John Mayall 6:40 ZZ Top's Antenna Tour & Levon Helm with Ringo's All-Starrs 8:05 Fred Bohlander and the birth of Monterey International 9:43 Cubby Bear days, Q Productions & Coran Capshaw's $150 11:44 Johnny Winter sells out the Cubby Bear in 20 minutes 14:29 Duffel bags of cash - wire transfers & ACH 18:11 The smoke weekend: BurgerFest Friday cancelled 20:47 Weather, lightning & a festival monsoon save 22:44 Freddie Jones' "In a Daydream" on the Artemis mission 23:34 Festival economics: the $10 donation nobody pays 26:01 Booking the season — it starts in October 27:46 Fewer national acts / "drink and sing 'Jessie's Girl'" 31:34 The opening-act shakedown: how agents bundle 33:21 Why people stay home now 35:04 DJs, laptops & "$175 to see a laptop" 37:46 AI ads and unlicensed band photos 40:05 Ticket prices: Rush at $11.50 vs $341 45:53 VIP packages with "no artist participation" 46:33 What Special Events Management actually does 48:22 The Lincolnwood Fest turnaround 51:04 Polestar & the idea of a local booking database 53:07 How many fests? ~15 a season 54:09 Rapid fire: the worst concert ever (Morrissey / Riviera) 57:23 Molly Hatchet & the cowboy-hat standoff 58:47 Pop-Tarts closer + come back soonGUESTJohn Gabrysiak — Music Director & Talent Buyer, Special Events Managementchicagoevents.com | LinkedIn: /in/johngabrysiak | X: @JGTRICK | IG: @johngchicago #Hogpod #ChicagoMusic #LiveMusic #ConcertBooking #MusicBusiness #ChicagoFestivals #JohnnyWinter #JohnMayall

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