The Interview Show With Mark Bazer

Paige Lewis' first novel is called "Canon," and it’s a real pleasure. Thoughtful,  idiosyncratic and epic, and very funny. Paige is also the author of the poetry collection "Space Struck" and coeditor of "Another Last Call: Poems on Addiction and Deliverance." Paige also teaches at the University of Iowa, so we appreciate them making the trip.  Our next show is a...

We saw Friko perform a sold-out album release show at Metro and had been looking forward to having them on The Interview Show ever since. They didn't disappoint.  We hope you'll enjoy this brief convo with all four members of the Chicago-based band, along with a performance of "Seven Degrees," a song on their wonderful second album, "Something Worth Waiting For." It&a...

Hi there. Well, I loved this conversation with Richard Osman. The author of "The Thursday Murder Club Mystery" series, including the latest one, "The Impossible Fortune," was as funny and as warm as his books. We also talked about his pre-author days as a quiz show (using the UK term out of respect) creator/producer/host in England.  Big thanks to The Book Cellar for inviting m...

Sometimes it's good to meet your heroes.  WBEZ, Chicago's wonderful public radio station, brought director Rob Reiner to Chicago on Sept. 17, as part of its Events series. Reiner is the author of the new book "A Fine Line Between Stupid and Clever: The Story of Spinal Tap."  Some 800 people filled The Music Box to hear Reiner discuss all things "Spinal Tap," along wit...

Evan Dando, frontman of The Lemonheads, has a memoir out, "Rumors of My Demise." He made Chicago—more specifically our show on Oct. 5 at FitzGerald's, in Berwyn—the first stop on the book tour.  The Lemonheads also have a forthcoming album. He didn't perform any songs off it on our show. Instead, in between talking, he played a couple Rolling Stones covers and even some Steely...

Sarah Spain is one of my favorites, she is an Emmy and Peabody Award-winning sports journalist; is the host of the first ever daily women's sports podcast, iHeart's “Good Game with Sarah Spain;” and has been a jack of all trades in her more than two decades in the sports business. But here we mostly talk about Sarah's first book, “Runs In The Family,” which tells the truly unbelieva...

Our interview with author Samantha Harvey. Her latest book is "Orbital," which won this past year's Booker Prize. We recorded the interview at FitzGerald's, in Berwyn, right outside Chicago, on March 20, 2025. Next on our live show front is a show at The Hideout, in Chicago, on May 30, with Austan Goolsbee, Sarah Spain and the band Moontype. More at: https://hideoutchicago.com/...

Our interview with actor Carrie Coon, from Jan. 10, 2020, as she prepared for "Bug" at Steppenwolf Theatre, in Chicago. Filmed at The Hideout, also in Chicago. Originally aired on WTTW, Chicago's PBS station. Our next live show is March 20 at FitzGerald's!  https://www.fitzgeraldsnightclub.com/tm-event/the-interview-show-w-host-mark-bazer-ft-samantha-harvey-jonathan-weismen/ Le...

We thought we'd revisit this interview with the late chef Charlie Trotter from ... 2010. June 4, 2010, to be exact. We had a great time that night at The Hideout. Chef Trotter has very much been on people's minds of late — thanks to the "Love, Charlie" documentary (of which video clips from this interview appear!) that's now on Netlfix (https://www.netflix.com/title/816337...

The first podcast episode from the long-running live, Chicago-based talk show The Interview Show With Mark Bazer ! Interview guest is: — Actor Robert Sean Leonard ( House , Dead Poets Society ), who is in the  Goodman Theatre's production of Harold Pinter's Betrayal, alongside Helen Hunt and Ian Barford. More at: https://www.goodmantheatre.org/ Musical guest is: — Sima Cunningham, who is...