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

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