Chicago Acoustic Underground Podcast

Windows Wide came to the studio from a farm on the far south side and in order to remain true to their sound they lugged a Fender Rhodes piano up the stairs and trust me they are heavy.

Eclectic Theory Pete, Scott, Steve, and Duff came in and knocked our collective socks off. My co-host Theresa Carter and The Wizard of the Mix, Mr. Michael Vez had the most amazing time with this band. I am sure you can hear by our comments, we had a blast with these guys! Originally from Champaign, Illinois and now taking over Chicago by storm, these guys demonstrate the quality of the music scen...

Heather Styka rides up to the studio on her trusty bicycle Butterscotch. Heather played once before for us with the Rebecca Rego Band. This time she plays both the piano and guitar while performing her own original compositions. It was truly a magical afternoon of music and just plain fun.

Bully in the Hallway describes themselves as a Rock/Punk/Psychedelic band. They are all that and a whole bunch more. This creative and exciting group spent the better part of two hours with us and we all were exhausted when it was over. They are a most satisfying experience! See them live!!! December 5th at The Tonic Room, December 13th at Martyrs, and December 22nd at an extremely interesting Stu...

Chicago Farmer Cody Diekhoff came into the studio and brought the down home charm of Delevan, Illinois to us with the urban twist of now living in Chicago. This is a working manand#39;s singer/songwriter. The strident tones of his voice will make you sit up and listen. You can see him live on November 23rd at The Wise Fool Pub w/ Second Hand Smoke. After hearing this show I am sure that you will w...

Jessica Robbins, Educator, Magician, and lovely lady joined me for an afternoon of fun and music. Jessica tells wonderful stories with her music. We obviously had a lot of fun recording this show. I hope you enjoy it as much as I am listening to it right now. Check out some pics from the show.

Mer and his guitarist Mel Washington came in on a sunny afternoon and proceeded to play some of the most creative and beautiful songs. These two gentlemen were wonderful. Merand#39;s energy is so infectious that I found myself dancing in the studio. Trust me, you donand#39;t want to see that. To see that energy harnessed on stage, check him out on Saturday November 17th at Lord Stanleys in Dekalb,...

Theresa Carter from The Local Tourist my guest Co-host selected the most amazing band for our first of many joint shows. Mindsight was her choice and I couldnand#39;t be happier to present these guys. There is absolutely no option but to go see these guys live. We shook the foundation of the studio with this band. Arron, Tony, Q, and Danni are, each in their way, intensely creative. They own the s...

Jennifer Lucrezio and her new band arrived in the studio with about six months of playing together under their collective belts. Jennifer on the Yamaha P-70 digital grand piano with her magnificent vocals , Jordanand#39;s great guitar licks and a solid rhythm section of ten years featuring "PC" on bass and Daveand#39;s wonderful drums set the stage for a great evening of music!!!This band is going...

Woody Hart came into the studio to record this show and I felt at times like I was listening to so many different singer/songwriters from the past wraped up in this man of mystery that I thought I saw him transform from one to the other. I leave it to you to create your own images. Kick back and enjoy this wonderful performer. Check out some pics from the show.

Bucky Halker comes to us directly from the "Great Performers of Illinois" stage at Millennium Park where I saw his amazing performance and he brought with him Don Stiernberg, perhaps the best Mandolin player you may ever hear. I had a difficult time remembering that we were recording a show. I sat in awe at their masterful performance. Enjoy!!!Check out some pics from the show.

Claire Stahlecker and her friend/manager Katie joined us for a most wonderful show. Claire has established herself as one of Chicagoand#39;s best singer/songwriters in a field dominated by men. She is an excellent performer and tells the most meaningful stories through her songs. I know that you will enjoy this show, so kick back and enjoy her songs and be sure to catch her live as she has the mos...

Donna Adler I first met Donna at The Uncommon Ground and fell in love with her voice and music. I was so excited to have her on the show, and you will fall in love with her from her very first song on the show. Check out her site and go see her "Live", you will not be dissapointed! Check out some pics from the show.

Stolie Without a doubt, the hardest working singer/songwriter in Chicago. I fell in love with her spirit and her music the moment she walked in the studio. Besides hosting open mics at Hops Barley, Paddy Macand#39;s, The Globe Pub, and Murphyand#39;s Bleachers; she also two cover bands, Acoustic Sideshow (Stolie Scott) and The G Strings (Stolie Gina).Click on Stolie above and go to her site for da...

Double Barrel Darrel comes to us from Goshen, Indiana and this five piece band rocked the studio. Arron vocals and guitar, Andrew vocals and guitar, Nathan on drums, Phil on bass and Sonny vocals and percussion. We had a great time and you can feel it in their performance. I love these guys and their sound. Double click on "Double Barrel Darrel" and buy their new CD "Overland Underground". It is a...

Rebecca Rego How can a guy go wrong hosting a show with three lovely ladies. Rebecca Rego is a wonderful singer/songwriter with a hauntingly beautiful voice. Heather playing the Yamaha P-70 and singing backup. Stephanieand#39;s perfectly placed percussion and her uninhibited backup dancing. There is no question that you are going to enjoy these Ladies!!!

Five Foot Nine came into the studio and we immediately started having fun. This is one kick ass band with some fabulous harmonies and excellent musicianship Headed by Michael (Mr. Perfection) Hushel and the group played some great songs and we must have recorded about an hour and a half of content and shrunk it down to about 22 minutes. Laura Colemanand#39;s vocals are excellent! Enjoy the show, I...

Arwin is an indie-pop band from Chicago that draws comparisons to Rilo Kiley, The Flaming Lips, and Nada surf. Perhaps the most amazing and enjoyable five piece band we have recorded. As you will tell from the show, we had a blast with these people. their harmonies and rhythmic twists and turns are awesome. So, kick back, open a drink of your choice and enjoy Arwin. Team Arwin websiteArwin on Mysp...

Khupera Tum is Darryl Danru, songwriter,arranger, guitarist, and vocalist and Andrea Else, and established Chicago violinist and vocalist. They create a dark jazz-infused music likened to My Bloody Valentine, Morphine, and The Dresden Dolls. I saw them perform live about a week before we recorded this show and their performance was outstanding. I am sure you will enjoy this unique blend of musical...

Nashville born, long time Chicagoan Brandon Harvey with his acoustic guitar and vocals and his band members Ben Margolis on violin and Kaleb Barkley on djimbe came into the studio and cranked out some amazing music. We had so much fun that we set a new record for the length of the show, almost 40 minutes, but who cares when youand#39;re having a good time. Brandon will be at Smoke Daddyand#39;s on...

Touring Musicians Shane Watt and Krista L.L. Muir from Montreal, Quebec Canada came in the studio and Sang the most beautiful harmonies with Shane on Guitar and Krista on baratone uke and we had a most enjoyable time Their vocals are just magnificantI am proud to present these wonderful singer/songwriters from Canada. Their final song is performed in French and I could actually understand the word...

Folk singer Andy Seagram comes to us from Berwyn, IL via University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Los Angeles where he got an education in music at the famous Rhino Records, and The Old Town School of Folk Music here in Chicago. Andy is the first performer of our second year, and just as in our very first show, it was recorded during the Chicago Air and Water show. Andyand#39;s unique style reminds me...

Simon Flory had the distinction of having his show fall on the first anniversary of Chicago Acoustic Underground. Simon brought his unique musical vision to the show and with background vocalist Maura Lally blew my socks off. Their show also is the longest show produced so far and with songs like "Unholy Town" as an example, you can see why I didnand#39;t want the performance to end.

Wil Maring and virtuoso guitarist and fiddler Robert Bowlin came to the studio after their "Great Performers of Illinois" set in Millinium Park on Chicagoand#39;s lakefront. Michael Vez and I were both at that concert and as you will hear, they are one of the most exciting acoustic musical performers ever to appear on CAU. If you ever get a chance to see Wil Maring live, and I feel confident that...

Travis and I had so much fun with this show that we lost track of time. Michael Vez "Wizard of the Mix" had to chop almost ten minutes to get it down below 30 minutes. This man has such a unique and wonderful style. To steal a line out of his Bio "Travis will keep a smile on your face and a log burning in your heart". You can see Travis live on September 14th at Caryand#39;s Lounge 2241 W. Devon i...