The ALL NEW Big Wakeup Call with Ryan Gatenby

Send us Fan Mail Comedy and musical legend Weird Al Yankovic returned to the show for a chat about the success of his album "Mandatory Fun" and an upcoming tour. (From 5/20/16)

Send us Fan Mail Toto keyboardist Steve Porcaro visited the show for a chat about his career, a summer tour, and his first-ever solo album. (From 5/13/16)

Send us Fan Mail Dr. Jen Wademan joined the show to talk back-to-school eye exams and her partnership with Zeiss to recognize Children's Eye Health and Safety Month.   Dr. Jen Wademan, OD, is an optometrist dedicated to promoting a modern approach to eyecare with cutting-edge technology and innovative products while showcasing a general love of eyewear.  Dr. Wademan is an author and eye healt...

Send us Fan Mail Returning guest Tucker Perkins visited the show once again to talk back-to-school bus safety and how propane-fueled busses lead to healthier kids who don't choke on a cloud of diesel fumes like I did for most of my school years. Tucker Perkins is the president and chief executive officer for the Propane Education & Research Council, a position he’s held since 2017. He has...

Send us Fan Mail Kathryn Nicolai's podcast "Nothing Much Happens" was literally a life-changer for me, as I've been able to have more consistent and restful sleep night after night. I couldn't recommend it more highly.  (From 10/20/20). KATHRYN NICOLAI , the Michigan-based writer and creator of the enormously successful podcast Nothing Much Happens , is an architect of coz...

Send us Fan Mail Joanna Ho is one of our favorite guests, and it was a pleasure to have her on the show once again, this time to talk about her book "We Who Produce Pearls: An Anthem for Asian America." Joanna is now a member of our 4-Timers Club!

Send us Fan Mail Longtime  Rolling Stone  columnist Rob Sheffield joined us in 2016 to discuss his book "On Bowie."

Send us Fan Mail We unlock the massive and highly-secured Big Wakeup Call Vault and retrieve my 2014 interview with "Karate Kid" and "Cobra Kai" star Ralph Macchio.

Send us Fan Mail We celebrate the opening of the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics and the U.S. Women's Gymnastics team and revisit  my 2018 interview with 7-Time Olympic Gymnastics medalist Shannon Miller. Shannon talked about her career, and we shared our experiences as cancer survivors as we recognized National Cancer Survivors Month.

Send us Fan Mail From 2018: "Kids In The All" legend Mark McKinney joined the show (appearance #2!) to chat about the season finale of his show "Superstore" and some favorite KITH sketches

Send us Fan Mail We go deep into the archives to 2012 for a chat with comedian, actor, and "Bob's Burger's" star Eugene Mirman.

Send us Fan Mail Jenny Boyd, model, actress, sister-in-law to George Harrison & Eric Clapton and wife of Mick Fleetwood (twice), discusses her memoir Jennifer Juniper. (From 4-2-20)

Send us Fan Mail Baseball legend Dave Winfield discusses his Hall-of-Fame career as one of the few people to be drafted in three major sports.  (From 5-23-17)

Send us Fan Mail Chicago's very own Josh Johnson returned to the show for a chat about his first one-hour Comedy Central special, Trevor Noah Presents Josh Johnson. (From 6-15-21)

Send us Fan Mail We're back from our Summer break and happy to once again have consumer expert Alanna Shipley for DoorDash to share some fun and helpful travel tips. About Alanna : Alanna Shipley is the Head of Audience Insights and Consumer Insights Expert at DoorDash, where she is responsible for establishing, defining, and growing the Marketing Insights function. Alanna discovered her appr...

Send us Fan Mail Bestselling author Dan Gutman joins the show to discuss the 20th anniversary of the "My Weird School" series and the 100th "My Weird School" book Miss Nichol Is in a Pickle!   Dan Gutman is the New York Times bestselling author of 185 books for young readers, including the "My Weird School" series, the "Baseball Card Adventure" series, and t...

Send us Fan Mail Scott Aukerman first appeared on The Big Wakeup Call back in 2014 to discuss the season one DVD of the Comedy Bang! Bang! TV show. Here on his 20th appearance, we discuss the origin of the TV show and what could have been a spinoff, the 15th anniversary of the podcast, the CBB action figures, CBB book, and the Bang! Bang! Into Your Mouth Tour that will visit the Chicago Theater on...

Send us Fan Mail Jennifer Donnelly discusses her newest book Beastly Beauty. Jennifer Donnelly is the author of A Northern Light , which was awarded a Printz Honor and a Carnegie Medal; Revolution , named a Best Book by Amazon, Kirkus Reviews, School Library Journal, and the Chicago Public Library; and many other books for young readers, including Lost in a Book , which spent over 20 weeks on the...

Send us Fan Mail Singer-songwriter and "The Voice" alum (Team Blake) Gina Zo called in to talk about her time on the show, what she experienced in the music industry following her appearance, and a story of self-empowerment that led to her embracing her personal truth. Gina's band Velvet Rouge has a new single coming out soon - check them out on Bandcamp and Spotify !

Send us Fan Mail From May 17, 2018: Kate Walsh called in to chat about season 2 of her critically-acclaimed series "13 Reasons Why," which returns to Netflix on Friday. Kate revealed all spoilers for the newseason (which unfortunately could not be included on the podcast version for legal reasons -- sorry!), gave us an update on her health (following surgery to remove a thankfully benign...

Send us Fan Mail From October 30, 2019:  It was a fun visit with returning guest Felicia Day as she called in to promote her newbook "Embrace Your Weird."  We talked about our experiences as weird kids and how we were able to harness our mutual weirdness and turn it into a career.  With help from her book, you can do it, too!

Send us Fan Mail From October 9, 2020: Amy Bruni is an expert in the world of paranormal investigating.  You’ve seen her on the popular tv shows “Ghost Hunters” and “Kindred Spirits.”  She’s the author of a newbook, “Life With the Afterlife: 13 Truths I Learned About Ghosts,” which is available now where you buy your books. 

Send us Fan Mail Award-winning ABC News correspondent Deborah Roberts called in to talk about her book Lessons Learned and Cherished: The Teacher Who Changed My Life. Deborah Roberts is an award-winning ABC News Correspondent and co-anchor of the prestigious news magazine, "20/20". A media veteran, Roberts has traveled the world for her reporting. She also served as a substitute anchor f...

Send us Fan Mail Chef Michael Symon guested on the show for the first time in a decade to talk about his career, how to make sure a restaurant is keeping food and the dining room clean and safe, and shared a recipe as grilling season finally arrives in the Midwest. Chef Michael Symon is a celebrity chef, restaurant owner and the author of six award-winning cookbooks, including four on the New York...

Send us Fan Mail Michelle Strong, Verizon Business Director Small & Mid-Size Business, joined the show to discuss Verizon's "Small Business Days."  Michelle Strong is the Director for Small and Midsize Businesses at Verizon Business. In this role, Michelle is responsible for leading a team of over 115 sales professionals in the Mountain West Territory of the US to care for Ameri...