Car Con Carne

This week, it's a trip for vegan food at Ground Control (3315 W. Armitage) with peerless author Mike "McBeardo" McPadden (Heavy Metal Movies). Mike's always been one of my favorite guests; he has a shocking depth of knowledge about horror and metal. We talk about: *Heavy Metal Movies. The process of writing the book that almost led to an intervention. *Must-see old horror: Pieces, Tourist Trap, Dr. Butcher M.D. (Medical Deviant) *Mike's new book about teenage sex movies from the VHS era, due out this Fall. *Mike's work with Gilbert Gottfried *Why Kong: Skull Island was awesome

Chicago band Bad Bad Meow met me at Jimmy's Red Hots (4000 W. Grand) for old school Chicago dogs and fries. We talk about the band's history, that questionable band name and that most of the band members were surprised to learn Car Con Carne was a food podcast. And then... they jammed in the car. One vocal mic. Two guitars. One melodica. A. MAZE. ING.

Baconfest founder Seth Zurer returns for Car Con Carne's annual preview of Baconfest 2017 (March 31 & April 1 at the UIC Forum, 725 West Roosevelt). You need to go, but bring an appetite. And for the love of all that's holy, take your time. We're lucky to be joined by Honey Butter Fried Chicken (3361 North Elston) owner/chef Christine Cikowski, a delight by any measure. She shares HBFC's Baconfest dish: Mashed potatoes made with chicken fat mixed with bacon. Fried chicken, pimento buffalo sauce, chive crema, chopped bacon and chives. Remarkably, it tastes even better than you imagine. Honey Butter Fried Chicken is a Chicago favorite, and with good reason. We cover a lot of ground on this one: *I read three bacon-inspired Haiku poems *We go deep into what makes Baconfest great. Seth says to tell yourself at the event, "I'm going to engage in untrammeled indulgence today." *HBFC history, told by Christine. The "honey butter" thing was a happy accident. *Is Christine alluding to a HBFC expansion plan? Mmmmma

(This episode contains adult language that may not be appropriate for non-adults and/or hypersensitive people.) I'm joined this week by the very funny Abe Kanan, who can be heard every weekday morning on Mancow's show on The Loop (WLUP Chicago). Abe's also the host of Abe Kanan:ON HOLD, an excellent podcast that's been running for roughly three years. We met up at Maxwell Street Depot, just blocks away from Sox Park (411 W. 31st). Listen to this week's episode for conversation about: *Sideburns. Great idea in the 90s. Not so much in 2017. *The napkin issue at fast food restaurants *Abe's paper towel strategy *The evolution of Abe's many voices/characters (e.g. Magellan, Leslie Anderson) *Abe's version of the Polish sausage: It involves cheese *Abe's secret to getting in at Au Cheval *The dark side of plus-sized inner thighs *The real purpose of Snapchat *Abe's successful avoidance of ringworm *Steroid pros and cons (cons: old age fatness and backne) *The secret message shared with Abe on this week's WWE RAW t

OH MY GOD, this episode was fun to do. I'm joined by 3/4 of Blood People (Aly, Mickey and Jeff) for tacos at the much-celebrated L' Patron (3749 W Fullerton Ave, Chicago, IL 60647). Blood People is a band you need to know... truly one of the best independent bands in Chicago right now. The show ends with an amazing acoustic performance of "Mirror Mirror" that tested the physical limits of my tiny Mazda 3 (listen through until the end to hear it). Covered in the show: *Was Aly giving the cashier a hard time? *"My hands are covered in that orange grease already" *I pour sausage in Jeff's water and he drinks it, thus winning the night's food challenge *The origin of Blood People *Aly's near-death experience in a Hostel-movie-like situation *Car Con Carne is for lovers *The letdown of not having dessert after L' Patron tacos *The problem with ice cream cones See the Facebook Live video of Blood People in my car on YouTube! This week's show is sponsored in part by the Bad Ass Art and Music Show March 4 in Rolling

This week, I'm joined by John Carruthers, co-founder of meat social club ManBQue (manbque.com) and co-author of two must-own ManBQue cookbooks. We take a trip to a northwest side Taco Bell on the day of the national release of the Naked Chicken Chalupa... Taco Bell's new menu item that features taco contents folded into a shell made out of fried chicken. Is it any good? Well, it was enough to make John say, "I feel like Salieri in Mozart." You'll know what that means when you hear it in context. Promise. After a definitive Naked Chicken Chalupa discussion, we also talk about: *The ultimate Facebook Live fail *The movie on Netflix you need to watch RIGHT NOW. Seriously. We both can't recommend it enough. *Tumblr language. You know, like, "woke." *The difficulties of wing-eating *Drinking "Diabetes Dew," the precursor to "Type Dew Diabetes" *The amazing dishes made at the most recent ManBQue event *Nashville hot chicken: KFC vs. Budlong *The different people who gawked into the car as we were recording *Why eat

This week, it's wrestling talk with wrestling entrance theme-writer Sheri Shaw at wrestling-themed restaurant The Squared Circle (2418 N. Ashland). The food was awesome... I tried the "Screamin' Demon" (Merkts cheddar and fresh jalapeno stuffed, Merkts cheddar, fresh and pickled jalapeno, pork rinds, cholula aioli), a burger I justifiably described as a "two-hander." As for the interview, Sheri and I go way back. I first met in the 90s, and I explain why she's been on my office wall for years. We talk about her latest musical project, sstaria, and how she got sucked into the professional wrestling world. Specifically: *How she started working with Billy Corgan six years ago ("it's a very Cinderella story") *The Resistance Pro days ("It was really fun at first") *The Resistance Pro reality show on AMC ("there were a lot of egos") *The benefits of kayfabe (also: What is kayfabe?) *Why Billy Corgan is living the American Dream *The end of the line for Billy Corgan at Impact Wrestling ("Billy is a total fan... he

Mike Gebert, author of "The Fooditor 99: Where To Eat (And What To Eat There) in Chicago" jumps in the Mazda 3 to create audio food porn. We visit Khan B.B.Q. (2401 W Devon Ave, Chicago, IL 60659) for chicken boti, which Mike says is one of the "top three dishes in Chicago" (he's right). Khan B.B.Q. is an interesting space. I said,"Looks kind of like a bus stop." Gebert adds, "With a chandelier... like a meeting room at Harrah's Joliet." We talk at length about the Fooditor 99, covering restaurants like: Blackbird The Budlong Red Hot Ranch Honey1 Hoosier Mama Duck Inn 90 Miles Mike's an authority on food and Chicago restaurants, and I always enjoy chatting with him. Pick up his new book, and to get a taste (sorry) for the restaurants that move him, listen to this week's show!

In advance of the AAW Wrestling "Unstoppable" event (December 30 at 115 Bourbon Street: 3359 W 115th St, Merrionette Park, IL), AAW Producer Keith Lipinski jumps in the car to talk wrestling. We meet up at the Sandlot (1120 W Touhy Ave Park Ridge, Illinois) for burgers... really good, surprisingly delicious, burgers. We chat about the similarities between music and wrestling, the beauty of indie wrestling, and what happens behind the scenes.

Chicago blues treasure Li'l Ed Williams (Li'l Ed and the Blues Imperials) jumps in my car for a burger, as well as conversation about the blues and his career. Before I started rolling tape, I had to shatter Ed's illusions of what Car Con Carne was about ("I didn't know what to expect. I thought you might pull up in a limo"). It's worth mentioning here that you should see Ed play. He's got some big Chicago gigs coming up: B.L.U.E.S. (1/6 and 1/7) Opening for Buddy Guy at Buddy Guy's Legends (1/20) So anyway, we got our food to go from The Dogout in Bannockburn (2567 Waukegan Rd, Bannockburn, IL 60015). He got a cheeseburger. I got a Polish. We talked about: *Ed and food: He has lots of songs about eating *BBQ. Ed goes big when he does his summertime backyard BBQs. *Concert preparation("I used to try setlists") *38 years and counting with the Blues Imperials ("We are family now") *Lessons learned from blues legends like James Cotton and Muddy Waters ("I have a high respect for those guys... they played from th

This week's mouth watering food comes courtesy of the Carnivale Food Truck (http://www.carnivalechicago.com/food-truck-menu/) With Chicago band-on-the-cusp My Gold Mask (Jack and Gretta) in the back seat, Carnivale's Chef Rodolfo sits shotgun to talk about the food we're eating. Episode highlights/points of conversation: *Chef Rodolfo rained delicious food down on the car: "This is like Christmas over here" *Chicago's food truck regulations and what they mean to the local food truck business *The thought process between picking the food truck menu *The difference between disco fries in the 70s and disco fries in the 10s *The "comfort food" aspect of Carnivale's menu *Carnivale's rooftop garden and bee hives: Perfect location for a My Gold Mask video? *Why food trucks are like marijuana *My Gold Mask's upcoming show at Empty Bottle (12/9) *My Gold Mask is so close to breaking big, it won't be long before I won't be able to book them into my car for an interview *The new album ("Anxious Utopia"), and how it cry

Legendary Chicago radio DJ Johnny Mars (WXRT) jumps in the car for a (gasp) vegetarian meal at Amitabul (6207 N Milwaukee Ave). We cover a lot of things, including: *Amitabul provides no napkins with carry-out ("that's what pants are for") *Johnny's move to veganism after hard living in the 80s *My move away from vegetarianism after hearing the steak sizzle at Ruth's Chris *XRT in the 80s ("There was a lot of pot smoking. There was a lot of cocaine, as well.") *The club scene of the 80s (Tut's, Smart Bar, 950... ) *Johnny's radio history, from the Loop to Texas to WXRT *My stripper name *Amitabul's food: Sure, there's no meat, but it's awfully tasty... *The car accident that caused me to use a rental car for this particular recording *Johnny being on the air the night John Lennon was killed *The situation at XRT when Johnny was fired and I awkwardly had to replace him *Johnny's all-time favorite album *The "good old days" of record store shopping Johnny Mars is a Chicago treasure. A GODDAMNED CHICAGO TREASURE

Styx drummer Todd Sucherman is one of the best in rock and roll, something he reminds us of every time he sits behind the kit at a Styx show. He and I go way back... to freshman year of high school. We haven't properly hung out since we were both Niles West Indians, so it was a true delight to be able to catch up over hot dogs and Polish sausages from Poochie's in Skokie (http://www.poochieshotdogs.com). We talk about: *Our high school days: "My earliest memory of you was in gym class; we were sarcastic and laughed at a lot of the same stuff." *His role in high school; playing drums kept him from being picked on or bullied *His high school-era band, Adventures In Dining, and the bar gigs the band played while underage *Styx's album plans *Recording an album in the present day: "It's an exercise in burning money" *The Midwestern-ness of Styx *Playing alongside artists from Spinal Tap to Brian Wilson *The Chicago scene in the 90s, and why his awesome band Falling Wallendas may not have been awesome with a balan

Chris Fetchko, writer/director/producer of the excellent indie film All In Time (allintimefilm.com), jumps in the Mazda 3 for a trip to Club Lago in River North (331 W Superior St.). Lago co-owner Guido Nardini jumps in the backseat with bags filled with two of Lago's signature sandwiches: The Guido and the Gus. Guido joins in the conversation, talking about Lago history (what's up with that cash register, anyway) and explaining why the sandwiches are so damn good. The conversation covers movies, music, food and Chicago (is there anything left?). Topics include: *Everything about All in Time *The elevator pitch for All In Time (it really should be Cameron Crowe meets M. Night Shyamalan) *How the music industry aspects of the movie reflect Fetchko's real-life experiences *Fetchko's true passion ("I've always loved music more than film") *The band that got Fetchko through puberty *The problems with basil *Fetchko's favorite band, the Badlees("They're the best f*****g band in the world") *The difference between

It's the first-ever Car Con Carne remote broadcast, as the show rolls into San Francisco! Joining me for this episode is no less than Matt Pinfield, the entertainment industry's most trusted music voice (he currently hosts mornings at KFOG in San Francisco). We record in Car Con Carne's sister station, a rental SUV with a sweet moon roof and top-notch Bluetooth integration. We talk a lot about his book, "All These Things That I've Done: My Insane, Improbable Rock Life," which is loaded with incredible music stories, remembrances and opinions. Food is kind of an afterthought because Matt couldn't eat. To summarize: He started the day out cold on a tile floor and ended it with a mouth filled with blood. By default, Car Con Carne had to be the highlight of his day. (For the record, I had a burger from Burger Meister, which was amazing). We also talk about: *Why we're radio twinsies. *The most important life lesson of all? Don't be a dick. *His unlikely shot at hosting 120 MInutes on MTV: "(I'm a) short, bald, ch

My favorite restaurant on earth is Epic Deli (2616 Schaid Ct, McHenry, IL 60050). I couldn't resist going there with Josh Caterer of Smoking Popes, who recently helped create the "Smoking Pope" sandwich for Epic. Our plan for the night was for me to try a Smoking Pope and for him to eat a JVO. It sounds weird, but it's not. We accomplished our goal, but ate a lot more than planned. A LOT MORE. And we have Tyler Wildey, owner (and former CCC guest), to thank. He kept bringing us Epic Deli food to try. It was too much for any stomach to contain, but we approached the challenge with the courage and fortitude of Olympic medalists. Everything was stupidly, wonderfully delicious. And I was adequately full for a full 24 hours afterward. Before we ate, Josh played some songs in the backseat of the Mazda 3: An acoustic version of the "Car Con Carne" theme song, the new Smoking Popes song "Simmer Down" and the Jackson Mud song "It's Nothing." This is a fun one with some of my favorite people. Hope you enjoy listening!

"Am I allowed to eat while we're doing this?" "That's kinda the thing." Model and radio/TV star April Rose jumped in the Mazda 3 while Game 2 of the NLCS was happening 15 minutes away. Her sacrifice wasn't in vain: There were enchiladas involved (4 Hermanos 5239 N. Central Ave, Chicago, IL, 60630). We talk about: *What led her to modeling after starting a career in the medical industry *The smarmiest, most horrifying,thing she experienced in modeling... and it's flesh-crawling *My choice in anatomical terms which clearly paints me as uncool *Her experience as the Loop Rock Girl. Regarding radio work vs. TV work: "It is such a different talent, and I respect DJs a lot more than I ever have." *Norwood Park housewives yammering on about nothing at all

The all-female KISS tribute band Slutter jumps in the car for Taco Tuesday at El Comalito (2234 N Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60647). We talk about: *Slutter history *How they got on KISS's radar (and why they're better than the all-little-people tribute band Mini-KISS!) *What Peterless Criss and I have in common *The band's Ankh-free line-up: "We're KISS purists" *The best KISS album *Yngwie Malmsteen *Boobless audiences at KISS shows *The "Flash Pass" aspect of KISS concerts

This is a weird, brief and wonderful one: I'm joined at Fatso's Last Stand by "The Keeper" from electronic band Magic Sword. Magic is a full-blown concept: The band members perform in black cloaks and masks, living out a sci-fi fantasy set to a John Carpenter-meets-Daft-Punk vibe. Things discussed with The Keeper: *Comic books *John Carpenter *The battle between good and evil *The overall band aesthetic *The protective spell The Keeper put on my Mazda 3

"You can take the band out of Hawaii, but you can't take the Hawaii out of the band..." Pepper drummer Yesod Williams from Pepper sat down with me at Riot Fest 2016 to talk about the band's long history. He was a gracious, kind and charming person to interview; despite the level of success Pepper's achieved, he approaches it with modesty: "My life is filled with 'pinch myself moments'" Another backstage interview from the Chicago date of Riot Fest 2016. This time around, it's Yesod Williams, drummer for Pepper, a band that's blissfully been bringing chill vibes for two decades. We started the interview with a discussion of the band's sound. Simply put, you can take the band out of Hawaii...but you can't take Hawaii