Norm Winer, former WXRT Program Director, backstage at the Illinois Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction (Harris Theater, 9/27/26), with WXRT’s Terri Hemmert and Wendy Rice. Hog Pod Music Chat hosts Pete Jansons and Mike Orfanos catch up with Norm on how XRT found new bands first, the Belmont bus, Beatles talk, Lonnie Brooks, bowling with Buddy Guy, the Sex Pistols, and what made WXRT different.Sorry about the audio! We recorded this one backstage at the Illinois Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony (Harris Theater, 9/27/26) while the event was bustling around us.Explicit language: this episode includes a few swear words.CHAPTERS0:00 Teaser0:44 Backstage with Norm Winer2:17 Bowling with Buddy Guy4:50 It wasn’t the building, it was the people5:30 What Norm misses most7:08 The antenna jump7:27 Will there ever be another 90s?8:39 The Bumper on Belmont9:09 Norm recalls XRT playing Genesis early10:12 The Sex Pistols and the punk switch11:15 Waiting for Norm’s call13:12 The ratings book13:57 The end of an era at XRT16:21 Old dog, new tricks17:17 Pete on Norm’s influence17:55 Bonus backstage performanceHog Pod Music Chat. Chicago music, told by the people who lived it.Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/hogpodBe a guest or book us: booking@hogpod.orgJoin the email list: https://hogpodlist.subscribepage.io

Lorena Vallejo – drummer, percussionist and psychotherapist.Pete Jansons and Bongo Mike sit down with drummer and psychotherapist Lorena Vallejo to talk about what music does for the mind.She tells how she started playing drums, how a move from Mexico to the Midwest led her to a Chicago Black Sabbath tribute band, why a gong meditation at a festival stuck with her, and how she sees sound, rhythm and drum circles help people feel connected. Along the way: winding down after a show, breathing and coping tools, the stigma around mental health, how music affects the brain, the myths about hidden backwards messages in records, Mexican and Latin music, AI and therapy, her first big concerts, and one very important Pop-Tart question.CHAPTERS0:00 Cold open0:56 Hog Pod intro1:06 Music and mental health2:13 A charity tribute night and a drum jam4:41 Drums, percussion and sound healing7:15 Learning drums and moving to the Midwest13:13 After the show: sleep, stress and honest questions17:36 Breathing, therapy and the stigma22:30 How music affects the brain24:23 Backwards messages and hidden meanings in records32:12 Music, community and drum circles40:22 Mexican music, Latin rhythms and rock48:08 AI, therapy and mental health50:16 First concerts and favorite shows56:31 Pop-Tarts and where to find her bands60:37 OutroHOSTSPete 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

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