My friend James has a fun, new project called Car Con Carne, which is described as “the world’s only barbecue podcast recorded in a car.” Along with his friend Mike Bratton, the two of them drive to various BBQ restaurants, get takeout, and then proceed to eat (and talk) in the car. They also bring along a guest in the back seat, and sometimes get the restaurant owners to come out for an interview.
It was fun spotting many folks, from back when we used to work in the Q101 offices at the Merchandise Mart. In addition to seeing a lot of EI folks (AJ, Mike, Brian, Sandra), it was a nice surprise to see so many familiar faces that I hadn’t seen in many, many years.
For those not familiar with the backstory, the book is all about WKQX – Q101 Chicago, a station that saw the rise of Alternative during the 90’s and early 2000’s. James has been planning this book for a long while, and launched a Kickstarter campaign in 2011, attracting over 350 backers who pledged nearly $15,000 to make the book happen.
After work, several of us gathered at the nearby (and newly renovated Beef & Brandy) to say farewell to James – whose last day is tomorrow.
Last month, while we were over at his place… Justin, Anna, Liz and I got to glimpse some of his work, as he had a few sketches lying about. Very cool to see some copies online – they look so good!
Our most recent Friday challenge last week involved a bouncy ball, and a little Domo-kun, dressed inexplicably as some kind of luchador.
For lunch, a group of us headed out to a (semi) nearby Indian place called Chicago Curry House. Today was the official 10-year mark for Ben, as he officially has been an employee of Emmis Interactive for a decade now! To celebrate, a group of us headed out to lunch together. View of the bar. The interior is quite nice,…
After work on Friday, I headed over to Challengers Comics, to attend the book launch party for Off the Record Collection. Since we had a little time before the event actually began, a few of us headed over for a quick pre-event drink at the Green Eye. Mike, Chris and James (the consummate professional, sipping on a Diet Coke). Outside…
With the recent sale of WKQX (which most folks in Chicago know as Q101), my friend James had a brilliant idea: to write an oral history of the station. Having broadcast Alternative Rock on the Chicago airwaves since 1992, the station has played host to innumerable bands… and has been the source of what I can only imagine to be…
My friend and coworker James VanOsdol has just published a book! It’s entitled Off the Record Collection: Riffs, Rants and Writings About Rock. Here’s a blurb: Off the Record Collection compiles Chicago media personality/author James VanOsdol’s writings about rock and roll in its myriad forms, with special attention paid to classic rock, alt rock, and the dynamic Chicago music scene….
On Wednesday, I went to Schuba’s to attend a series called The First Time, hosted by CHIRP Radio. At each event, the participants are asked to speak on a particular theme. Each talk is limited to 5 minutes, and includes a reference to a particular artist or song. Immediately following each speaker, a band performs that song before the next…
Yesterday, James was featured on WGN TV on a segment about music. Lots of us were gathered around various monitors, watching the midday show online, and got to see him being interviewed by Steve Sanders. Well, things didn’t start off very well. During an earlier sports segment, when they were showing clips from the previous Blackhawks game… this lovely screen…
My friend James recently relocated his blog over to Chicago Now, and his most recent post is a hysterical read. I don’t want to give too much of it away, but it’s too much fun to quote: Dodgeball is not a nuanced sport. It’s a Darwinian contest where those with Popeye arms rule over all, and the slow-moving and weak…
My friend and co-worker James VanOsdol is raising money to fund his book, tentatively titled “Chicago Rocked!” In the 1990’s, James was on the airwaves at Chicago’s alternative station Q101, hosting a music radio show called “The Local Music Showcase” (later to be called “Local 101”). During that decade, he gathered together a ton of interviews, photos, clips, and stories……