H.O.G. POD: Chicagoland Hyper Local Music Scene

Hosted by Mike Orfanos and Pete Jansons and Chris Rhodesy Rhodes and Mike Dermont · HogPod Chicagoland's Hyper Local Music Chat

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123
Episodes: 1
Ratings: Daily
Cadence: 2023
First episode: 654K
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About H.O.G. POD: Chicagoland Hyper Local Music Scene

Welcome to HOG POD: Chicago's Music Scene Unplugged! Hosted by Mike Orfanos, Mike Dermont, and Pete Jansons, we dive into Chicago’s vibrant music scene. From classic rock to indie vibes, we bring you exclusive interviews, behind-the-scenes stories, and live performances. Discover local legends and emerging artists while exploring the city’s diverse music culture. Tune in for special episodes featuring tribute bands and live events!

Publisher: HogPod Chicagoland's Hyper Local Music Chat
Category: music
Language: en
Explicit: Yes
First episode: 13 Dec 2023
Latest episode: 7 Oct 2026

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Latest episodes

123 episodes in the feed.

7 Oct 2026
400K Followers Don't Sell Tickets — Casper Alexander | Hogpod Chicagoland Music Scene Podcast
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 MOMENTS 0:00 Cold open — 400K followers vs. the door 1:57 CHISongwriter performance 7:17 Stage-managing Chicago's summer fest season 9:05 Riot Fest storms & the mud problem 11:40 Bongo's rain-boot rule 12:43 The 319/309 Tour 13:44 Iowa City vs. Peoria — Gabe's & hometown venues 16:38 Chicago vs. Peoria — town politics & cancel culture 18:36 400K followers vs. ticket sales 19:30 Rapper vs. band — who pays the players? 21:40 AI in songwriting — from skeptic to blueprint 24:11 Data centers, water & the power grid 26:38 309Fest — 10 years, 8 editions 28:28 Selling sponsors — pride & mental health 30:08 The three sponsorship tiers 32:43 Booking politics & security 33:29 "Why should you be on this show?" 35:24 COVID → full-time freelance 36:39 Cubby Bear story — East Coast vs. West Coast 37:30 Drake vs. Kendrick today 40:01 What's next — "What's for me will be for me" 41:53 Acting & modeling — Smashburger, All Steel 44:56 CHISongwriter.com & artist consulting 45:57 One song won't sell out the Garden 46:32 Lightning round — first concert, favorite movie, Pop-Tarts 50:14 Wrap 📍 Chicago - Peoria - Iowa City - 309Fest - CHISongwriter - Hip-Hop - Independent Artists - Stage Management - Festival Production - Riot Fest - Live Music 🎤 Guest Links — Casper Alexander Website: https://www.chisongwriter.com/ X: https://x.com/CHISongwriter YouTube: 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
30 Sept 2026
Casey Torrey of Remix Riot: Rock Anthems Meet Pop Hits | Hogpod Chicagoland Music Scene Podcast
What happens when a Chicago singer takes Ratt's "Round and Round" and drops Katy Perry's "Last Friday Night" right on top of it? The guys cheer, their faces fall, the girlfriends rush the stage, and by the chorus the whole room is back.Casey Torrey fronts Remix Riot, a Chicagoland festival band that mashes rock and metal anthems with pop hits. Think "Smoke on the Water" under Lady Gaga's "Poker Face." She also sings in Acousticatz, her duo with pianist and guitarist Eric Floden.Casey tells Pete and Bongo Mike about the mashup she "hated and loved at the same time," how Remix Riot came together with Dan Banker, Larry Neubauer, TJ Wilkes and Randy, why music purists don't always love the mashup idea, and how she went from Tennessee church soloist to Monster Jam regular to one of the busiest voices in the Chicago scene.Plus: the Coterie charity shows, a Slayer tribute that sounded like one very long song, Dolly Parton's time-capsule song, Prince's vault, Def Leppard in the round, Lord of the Rings in Legos, Steven Tyler's lyric monitors, and the Pop-Tarts question.🎯 KEY MOMENTS00:00 The mashup she hated and loved02:03 Remix Riot live mashups05:20 Meet Casey Torrey06:00 The Coterie & Mike Dermont08:35 Acousticatz with Eric Floden09:17 What is Remix Riot? Smoke on the Water + Poker Face10:43 From Blue Sirens to Acousticatz11:54 Bongo's tambourine gets confiscated13:16 Why Chicago musicians support each other15:33 How Casey caught the music bug16:18 Monster Jam & her first band, Pet Rock18:03 Dolly Parton's time-capsule song19:36 Prince's vault21:24 Gatlinburg, stick shifts & Chicago people23:38 COVID collabs & Amy Grant24:34 Johnny Cash, the Man in Black25:18 How Remix Riot was born27:28 How they pick the mashups28:45 Devil Went Down to Georgia + Summer of '6930:04 Ratt meets Katy Perry at the Vixen32:04 A rocked-up "Royals" & the guitar-solo payoff33:26 Run-DMC, Aerosmith & "Walk This Way"36:15 Purists vs. mashups37:19 "Is this the same song?" A Slayer tribute38:04 Sampling & borrowing chords39:28 "When I sing, I make people happy"40:37 Cover bands complaining about covers42:06 Broken Peach & being first44:36 Congrats on the engagement45:52 De Beers, Blood Diamond & a lab-grown ring47:35 Bongo's serious questions47:59 First concert: Def Leppard in the round51:00 Worst concert & Pete's Aerosmith '8453:51 Favorite movie: Lord of the Rings in Legos56:57 Pop-Tarts: love 'em or hate 'em?58:05 Steven Tyler's lyric monitors1:00:30 Where to see Casey next📍 TOPICS IN THIS EPISODECasey Torrey - Remix Riot - Acousticatz - rock pop mashups - Chicago music - Chicagoland music scene - live music - cover bands - the Coterie - Def Leppard - Ratt - Katy Perry - Aerosmith - Run-DMC - Dolly Parton - Lord of the Rings🎤 FEATURED LINKSRemix Riothttps://remixriotband.comhttps://www.facebook.com/remixriothttps://www.instagram.com/remixriotmusichttps://www.youtube.com/@RemixRiotBandhttps://www.tiktok.com/@remix.riotAcousticatzhttps://www.facebook.com/purrcatzNext up: Acousticatz, Fri Oct 9 at Reefpoint Brew House, Racine WIRemix Riot returns for the 2027 festival season❤️ SUPPORT HOGPODhttps://www.patreon.com/hogpod🎙️ Hosted by Pete Jansons with Bongo Mike📞 BOOKINGbooking@hogpod.org#Hogpod #ChicagoPodcast #MusicPodcast #CaseyTorrey #RemixRiot #Acousticatz #Mashup #ChicagoMusic #ChicagolandMusic #LiveMusic
23 Sept 2026
Elise McLearen: Metalheads Are Soft at Heart | Hogpod Chicagoland Music Scene Podcast
What makes a mosh pit one of the friendliest rooms in music? Elise McLearen says metalheads are all show on the outside and soft at heart underneath — the same crowd that runs full speed into each other will drop everything to pick you up off the floor.Elise joins Hogpod with fellow Diva Lisa Orduna and guitarist and scene-supporter Adam of Lombardy Black to talk about the Ronnie James Divas: an all-women Dio, Rainbow and Black Sabbath benefit raising money for kids' cancer care at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital.We get into why Lisa's connection to this one runs deep, the Dio deep cuts nobody ever plays live, Elise's signature "helicopter" headbang, and how a rock star by night runs a corporate brain by day. Then Bongo Mike opens the floor: when a band has zero original members left, is it still the band? Foreigner, Kansas, Queen and Chris Cornell all come up — and it turns into the best argument of the night.Plus the next benefit already on the calendar — Bark at the Moon, a Halloween show for a no-kill animal shelter — and, of course, a heated verdict on the Pop-Tart.KEY MOMENTS(Times are close but confirm against the final MP4.)00:00 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpgJGz_gKSA&pp=0gcJCWMAwfN6Pr3D) Metalheads are soft at heart02:29 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpgJGz_gKSA&t=149s) Meet Adam & Lombardy Black05:25 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpgJGz_gKSA&t=325s) Who is Elise? Sabbatha, My Metal Heart & the Ronnie James Diva origin09:00 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpgJGz_gKSA&t=540s) The Divas & the band behind them12:00 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpgJGz_gKSA&t=720s) Raffle prize: a signed Vinny Appice "Heaven & Hell" package16:00 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpgJGz_gKSA&t=960s) Dio deep cuts nobody plays19:30 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpgJGz_gKSA&t=1170s) The helicopter headbang22:00 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpgJGz_gKSA&t=1320s) Inside the mosh pit28:30 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpgJGz_gKSA&t=1710s&pp=0gcJCWMAwfN6Pr3D) "Kill the King" is 235 BPM31:30 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpgJGz_gKSA&t=1890s) Rock star on stage, corporate brain by day38:00 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpgJGz_gKSA&t=2280s) Bark at the Moon: the Halloween animal-shelter benefit40:00 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpgJGz_gKSA&t=2400s) Branding the benefits: ALS Cooper & what's next46:00 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpgJGz_gKSA&t=2760s) Lisa: why this one is personal48:00 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpgJGz_gKSA&t=2880s) What hard rockers actually wear50:00 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpgJGz_gKSA&t=3000s) When is a band still the band? Foreigner, Kansas, Queen53:00 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpgJGz_gKSA&t=3180s) The Pop-Tart questionTOPICS IN THIS EPISODEElise McLearen - Ronnie James Divas - Lisa Orduna - Lombardy Black - Dio - Black Sabbath - Rainbow - Lurie Children's Hospital - Childhood Cancer Awareness - Chicagoland music scene - heavy metal - mosh pit - Bark at the Moon - One Tail at a Time - tribute bands - Foreigner - Kansas - QueenFEATURED LINKSElise McLearenhttps://elisemclearen.com (https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUZZTVljRzU5Zk1meVpaaTJ5cEJMbmUzTHdQVnxBTl9pYzRjMHMzQkw1aU9DdjMtOGFQd2ZZenR0Njkwb3NqZENYQkJmcEx4VDJqRjhXTDYyUm80M3pxZnJIUmFoemhTRy1pOU92UzRrd3NRMlVNRDMyZS1VU3FpQU9ndlhqdWFo&q=https%3A%2F%2Felisemclearen.com%2F&v=UpgJGz_gKSA)Bark at the Moon Benefit (Oct 31)https://elisemclearen.com/batm (https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUZZTVljRlBFdThmekt4bHJrNGhPa0hHRGIxNnxBTl9pYzRmeHZVRzlaZ1hDRjN5MFBZa2hlZTdSMHZjaFdvcTBQTExXUTRQUHhTZFVEVmR3NjFhRTJ6dlhvQzRGV2Vwby1pcFV1RUI5eU5KUFNuNmhtQVBpcS1BM295VFNISEtS&q=https%3A%2F%2Felisemclearen.com%2Fbatm&v=UpgJGz_gKSA)Ronnie James Divashttps://elisemclearen.com/ronnie-jame... (https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUZZTVljRmxIR1lJSkh0dE1Eel9WT2NHZjJPb3xBTl9pYzRkNUZlVWFlZ25qdFZXQkI1WnlrVk9SbVF6bnBQd0ZhUnJKRTBhbzkyYXN6clN4SFgzSVpOMEJndmVrcTBGdmo0ZFdvczFrZ05OSlZkWlRPR0tCb2ZTR05OX0hjOEVy&q=https%3A%2F%2Felisemclearen.com%2Fronnie-james-divas&v=UpgJGz_gKSA)Lombardy Black / lombardyblack (https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUZZTVljRzY2NEhsWTNrNHR3Ry1XaUJ5U1hORXxBTl9pYzRmbURjLWlMRkNoNVRWX1dVdEhndzdsaDMwYjFGUmh5Q2VSS0RhTS1jaG5PbENBak9GMzA5c2NhTDVUa1NqS1ZCd1dEVldFdTF6ekRsYjZvUUx3cFF4ejdRaVdxWGZz&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FLombardyBlack&v=UpgJGz_gKSA)Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospitalhttps://luriechildrens.org (https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUZZTVljRkhMZzhaMi1qbmkwdUtMczVQSEQ3UnxBTl9pYzRjSDJZSWRaYjZWcEp5UlZPdXduQzZzSnVYNjl2Q2FhRjU3QWNFUUo5NVpUajRCeUpXZ0dOSjl3aHpIM2Q4ZVZZZHVtM0J1R0hzRFc5VTg2S1JDeGFoa29jN0RpT1BU&q=https%3A%2F%2Fluriechildrens.org%2F&v=UpgJGz_gKSA)One Tail at a Timehttps://onetail.org (https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUZZTVljRzQwV05vZ3lWR19DYVJBS2ZoanlvcnxBTl9pYzRlSHJoRnBPRzNKRGhzYkNrSFBMLVl3bmZuMWdVcDRzNFRGSThZYUlDaFE1OVZISUc4NDZ2MVdHVGgxeEtTQ0xhMmRZR250STE4QzRULVZ6RFJaYmFkWUgwcXZjQ2dE&q=https%3A%2F%2Fonetail.org%2F&v=UpgJGz_gKSA)SUPPORT HOGPOD / hogpod (https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUZZTVljR2JhXzBPZDVDdnFXT0l6WmpFdE9MLXxBTl9pYzRlN19YNFZsMGZBUHlVWGZXMFZLRHJOSHdvampBWEgwNU9DWkRyQ1NMakhiNXFQTW5IckN6R09PREI4VlhoTXN5dVhscnQybUQ5d3Z2MlVyeFlGNlBnOHVnOUlOTUo5&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.patreon.com%2Fhogpod&v=UpgJGz_gKSA)Hosted by Pete Jansons with Mike "Bongo" OrfanosBOOKINGbooking@hogpod.org#Hogpod (https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/hogpod) #ChicagoPodcast (https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/chicagopodcast) #MusicPodcast (https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/musicpodcast) #ChicagolandMusic (https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/chicagolandmusic) #RonnieJamesDivas (https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/ronniejamesdivas) #Dio (https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/dio) #BlackSabbath (https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/blacksabbath) #HeavyMetal (https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/heavymetal) #EliseMcLearen (https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/elisemclearen) #LurieChildrens (https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/luriechildrens)

Who has been a guest on H.O.G. POD: Chicagoland Hyper Local Music Scene

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

Brian Priest
Dannie Schramm
Jim O’Connell
Bongo Mike
Tamara Woodruff

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views: 653,992; Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Spotify: 5.0 / 5; 1 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 59 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality: 70
Social presence: 0
YouTube: 86
Engagement: 32

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Questions about H.O.G. POD: Chicagoland Hyper Local Music Scene

Who hosts H.O.G. POD: Chicagoland Hyper Local Music Scene?

Mike Orfanos and Pete Jansons and Chris Rhodesy Rhodes and Mike Dermont host the show. Published by HogPod Chicagoland's Hyper Local Music Chat.

How often do new episodes come out?

The show publishes daily, based on its RSS feed.

Does H.O.G. POD: Chicagoland Hyper Local Music Scene take guests?

The show does not typically feature guests, based on episode analyses.

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