Pete Jansons and Bongo Mike sit down with Chicagoland booking agent and working musician Joseph Preissing (AJP Music Haus / A Sure Thing) for an inside look at the local music business.How he got started booking bands, why so many bars hire a DJ after the band, where the live-music crowds went, how he protects the bands he books, the $5 cover charge debate, the odd private-event gigs that actually pay, summer concert series that book the same bands every year, and his first stadium concert.Find Joseph: https://ajpmusichaus.comPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/hogpod | Be a guest or book us: booking@hogpod.org

The Flock – Illinois Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Class of 2026.Backstage at the Harris Theater in Chicago on induction night, Sept. 27, 2026, original members of The Flock and today’s line-up sit down with Pete Jansons and Bongo Mike to tell the story, 50 years later.How a suburban high-school band turned into a jazz-rock band on Columbia Records, how their roadie turned out to be a classically trained violinist, the Kinetic Playground showcase that started a record-label bidding war, opening night at the Olympia in Paris, the big festivals, and the day Led Zeppelin’s crew pulled the plug on them at the Bath Festival.Plus: the kid who grew up across the street from the band’s house and ended up playing in it, and how The Flock came back together for Ravinia and the Hall of Fame.CHAPTERS0:00 Cold open: Led Zeppelin pulled the plug0:57 The Flock live3:12 Hogpod intro3:22 Backstage at the Harris Theater: how The Flock got in5:57 Original members, 50 years later7:50 Eleven musicians on stage tonight8:36 How it started: the roadie who played violin, the Kinetic Playground, the record deal16:15 Opening night at the Olympia in Paris and the big festivals18:22 Everyone they played with, and Bath 197020:48 Jimi Hendrix walks into The Scene21:49 The kid across the street: how The Flock came back26:49 A harmonica player joins The Flock27:30 From The Mauds to The Flock28:47 Soul Machine, Spencer Davis and the Aragon33:48 “We really should be awarding the fans”34:03 OutroTOPICS: The Flock, Illinois Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2026, Harris Theater, Chicago jazz rock, 1960s Chicago bands, Kinetic Playground, Columbia Records, Olympia Paris, Bath Festival 1970, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, RaviniaHOSTSPete JansonsMike “Bongo” OrfanosSubscribe to HOG POD for more Chicago music conversations.SUPPORT THE SHOWPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/hogpodBe a guest or book us: booking@hogpod.orgJoin the email list: https://hogpodlist.subscribepage.io#Hogpod #ChicagoMusic #TheFlock

Chicago clubs want cover bands—but where does that leave original artists? Zacky Manic spent almost 10 years making Mood Swing, re-recording songs as his singing, guitar playing and production skills improved.Zacky joins Pete Jansons and Bongo Mike to talk grunge roots (he heard Nirvana at two years old), running the studio at Harper College, why Chicago clubs book cover bands over original acts, his struggle to get booking emails answered, and the story behind his song “Butt Rock.”Plus: the greatest grunge singer of all time, seeing Korn at Alpine Valley as a kid, and the Pop-Tarts debate.CHAPTERS0:00 Cold open: Why “Butt Rock”?0:49 Zacky Manic – Butt Rock (official video)4:37 Hogpod intro4:47 Harper, the home studio and 10 years on Mood Swing9:49 Grunge roots: Nirvana at two12:27 What is grunge? The Seattle sound18:02 Ten years to make Mood Swing19:12 Building a band21:10 Booking original music in Chicago24:00 Covers vs. originals27:12 Tribute picks and the Green Day voice28:37 How he writes songs32:07 Chicago loves cover bands34:58 “I’ll do it myself”36:18 Instagram, Spotify, TikTok39:39 Greatest grunge singer of all time41:40 Velvet Revolver, Spoonman, Temple of the Dog44:06 Why call it Butt Rock?44:58 First concert: Beach Boys, then Korn at Alpine Valley47:50 Favorite movie: Silence of the Lambs50:25 The white van speaker scam52:00 Pop-Tarts, toasted or not53:09 OutroTOPICS: grunge, original music, Chicago cover band scene, home recording, booking gigs, Layne Staley, Alice in Chains, Stone Temple Pilots, KornZACKY MANICLinktree: https://linktr.ee/zackymanicSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4dNmXG7aCKKPF6vNTFTXyAApple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/zacky-manic/1887815964Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zackymanicTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zackymanicButt Rock (official video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_BK3txbkfsHOSTSPete JansonsMike “Bongo” OrfanosSubscribe to HOG POD for more Chicago music conversations, and follow Zacky through the links above.SUPPORT THE SHOWPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/hogpodBe a guest or book us: booking@hogpod.orgJoin the email list: https://hogpodlist.subscribepage.io#Hogpod #ChicagoMusic #Grunge

Casper Alexander — the Peoria-raised rapper, stage manager and promoter behind CHISongwriter — says 400,000 TikTok followers don’t mean much at the door. He’s spent 15 years booking, performing and building shows, and he’s seen the gap between online clout and real ticket sales firsthand. Casper stage-managed the Mosquitoes’ set at this summer’s Lincolnwood fest, and now he’s on the other side of the mic. We get into the 319/309 Tour across central Iowa and Illinois, why booking in Peoria is harder than Chicago, what 10 years of 309Fest taught him about selling sponsors, why he went from AI skeptic to using it as a blueprint, how COVID pushed him into full-time freelance, Drake vs. Kendrick vs. the ’90s — and a lightning round that settles toasted vs. untoasted Pop-Tarts. 🎯 KEY MOMENTS0:00 Cold open — 400K followers vs. the door1:57 CHISongwriter performance7:17 Stage-managing Chicago’s summer fest season9:05 Riot Fest storms & the mud problem11:40 Bongo’s rain-boot rule12:43 The 319/309 Tour13:44 Iowa City vs. Peoria — Gabe’s & hometown venues16:38 Chicago vs. Peoria — town politics & cancel culture18:36 400K followers vs. ticket sales19:30 Rapper vs. band — who pays the players?21:40 AI in songwriting — from skeptic to blueprint24:11 Data centers, water & the power grid26:38 309Fest — 10 years, 8 editions28:28 Selling sponsors — pride & mental health30:08 The three sponsorship tiers32:43 Booking politics & security33:29 “Why should you be on this show?”35:24 COVID → full-time freelance36:39 Cubby Bear story — East Coast vs. West Coast37:30 Drake vs. Kendrick today40:01 What’s next — “What’s for me will be for me”41:53 Acting & modeling — Smashburger, All Steel44:56 CHISongwriter.com & artist consulting45:57 One song won’t sell out the Garden46:32 Lightning round — first concert, favorite movie, Pop-Tarts50:14 Wrap 📍 Chicago – Peoria – Iowa City – 309Fest – CHISongwriter – Hip-Hop – Independent Artists – Stage Management – Festival Production – Riot Fest – Live Music 🎤 Guest Links — Casper AlexanderWebsite: https://www.chisongwriter.com/X: https://x.com/CHISongwriterYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CHISongwriter ❤️ Support Hogpod — https://www.patreon.com/hogpod 🎙️ Hosted by Pete Jansons and Mike “Bongo” Orfanos (Bongo Mike). 📞 Booking — booking@hogpod.org #CasperAlexander #CHISongwriter #ChicagoMusic #PeoriaMusic #309Fest #ChicagoHipHop #IndependentArtist #StageManager #RiotFest #DrakeVsKendrick #AIMusic #LiveMusic #ChicagoMusicScene #ChicagoPodcast #MusicPodcast #Hogpod