The 78

About The 78

Historically, Chicago is made up of 77 neighborhoods with their own stories to tell. Only separated by blocks, woven in the microcosm that gives Chicago its unique taste, its people are the epitome of true grit. Each neighborhood, held together with blood, sweat, and tears that are now traditions, giving us this amazing collection of stories from each neighborhood. That is true Chicago. Chicago's newest neighborhood is being developed right now. It's called 78. Chicago, as in the 78th Chicago neighborhood. There you have it, this site is dedicated to all the stories in the 78 neighborhoods.

Publisher

Tom Barnas

Category

society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

30 Apr 2024

Latest episode

3 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

107 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   3 Oct 2026

   Dollywood NightFlight Expedition: Inside Tennessee’s Newest Family Adventure

   What happens when a roller coaster, whitewater adventure, flying experience and immersive dark ride collide? You get NightFlight Expedition at Dollywood. We went down to Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, for National Roller Coaster Day and got an inside look at one of the most talked-about new theme-park attractions of 2026. NightFlight Expedition takes guests on a search for Secret Lake through a fantastical version of the Great Smoky Mountains. Along the way, riders soar through the night, encounter rushing whitewater, travel across a mountain ridge and navigate mysterious bioluminescent waters—all inside a 44,000-square-foot climate-controlled attraction. But the bigger story may be Dollywood itself. From roller coasters and live entertainment to Southern food, traditional crafts and the famous cinnamon bread, Dollywood has built a destination designed to bring generations together. Come along with Tom Barnas for a behind-the-scenes look at Dollywood, NightFlight Expedition and the family experience that has made this Tennessee theme park such a unique destination. NightFlight Expedition opens to the general public August 19, 2026. Check it out at https://www.dollywood.com/ (https://www.dollywood.com/) For more Stories From The 78, follow @tombarnas78 (https://instagram.com/tombarnas78) on Instagram and @storiesfromthe78 (https://www.tiktok.com/@storiesfromthe78?lang=en) on TikTok.

2. 

   26 Sept 2026

   Tahaa Kahn: Finding the Funny in a Life Between Cultures

   Tahaa Kahn has lived in four countries—Pakistan, Turkey, Germany and the United States—and somewhere along the way, he discovered that moving between cultures can provide an almost endless supply of material. Book Concert Tickets For the New York-based Pakistani-American comedian,  comedy (https://storiesfromthe78.com/stories/tahaa-kahn-chicago/#) is about more than getting a laugh. It’s a way of looking at the world from a slightly different angle—and finding the universal experiences hiding underneath our differences. Kahn brings his nationally touring stand-up show, “72 Virgins,” to The Den Theatre in Chicago on Friday, Aug. 14. The show combines storytelling, deadpan delivery and cultural observations drawn from a life spent navigating different countries, religions, identities and expectations. And while his experiences may be uniquely his own, the subjects are surprisingly familiar: family, relationships, faith, awkward conversations and that lifelong question of figuring out exactly where you fit in. That idea sits at the center of Kahn’s comedy. His perspective may come from an international upbringing, but his punchlines often land because they reveal just how much people have in common. Kahn’s debut comedy special, “Halalarious,” earned the 2025 Evergreen Award for Best  Comedy (https://storiesfromthe78.com/stories/tahaa-kahn-chicago/#) Special by an Immigrant Comedian in the USA. The special is available across multiple FAST television platforms, including FawsomeTV, Amazon Fire TV, Relay and The Stand-Up TV Channel, as well as major audio streaming services. His newest special, “72 Virgins,” is also available to stream. Before “Halalarious,” Kahn reached the semifinal round of NBC’s 2019 Diversity Stand-Up Competition, won the 2022 Funniest in Hospitality competition and performed alongside comedians including Jim Gaffigan and Sammy Obeid. But Kahn’s work doesn’t stop at the stage. He also serves as a UNICEF ambassador and operates Comedy For Good in partnership with UNICEF. The touring comedy initiative directs its net proceeds toward UNICEF projects supporting children and families around the world. For Kahn, comedy can be a way to examine difficult subjects without making them feel inaccessible. “Comedy is my magnifying glass,” Kahn said. “It helps me examine faith, identity and politics, then bring people together through laughter.” That may be the real trick behind Kahn’s work. The differences are there—culture, religion, nationality, family traditions and the places we call home. But put them under the bright lights of a comedy stage, and suddenly those differences can start looking a lot less intimidating. Sometimes, the quickest way to understand one another is to laugh together.

3. 

   19 Sept 2026

   Warren Haynes on Gov’t Mule, Life on the Road, and Why Live Music Still Matters

   For more than three decades, Warren Haynes has lived where rock ’n’ roll, blues, improvisation and American roots  music (https://storiesfromthe78.com/stories/warren-haynes-chicago/#) collide. As the guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and longtime leader of Gov’t Mule, Haynes has never seemed particularly interested in staying inside the lines — and that restless creative spirit has carried him from the Allman Brothers Band to the Grateful Dead, from solo records to some of the most celebrated live performances in modern rock. Now, Haynes is looking back while still pushing forward. In this conversation, Haynes talks about life on the road, Gov’t Mule, the enduring power of live music and why playing in a room with other musicians remains so important in an increasingly digital world. For Haynes, the magic isn’t necessarily found in perfection. It’s in the moments when something unexpected happens — when musicians listen to each other, react in real time and allow a song to breathe. That philosophy became particularly meaningful during the pandemic. With touring suddenly off the table, Haynes found himself in an unusually prolific creative stretch. That period ultimately produced two albums recorded around the same time: Heavy Load Blues, a deeply rooted blues record, and Peace…Like a River, a sprawling Gov’t Mule rock album that brought together Haynes’ love of improvisation, soul, blues and classic rock. Rather than slowing him down, the disruption seemed to open another creative door. “Live” has always been central to Haynes’ musical vocabulary. Gov’t Mule’s shows have developed a reputation for unpredictability — performances where extended jams, spontaneous choices and musical chemistry can take a familiar song somewhere entirely new. And that, Haynes argues, is precisely the point. There is something inherently human about musicians sharing a stage. A missed note, a different tempo, a spontaneous solo or an unexpected musical turn can become part of the story. In an era of increasingly polished recordings and technology-driven production, Haynes still believes there is nothing quite like the electricity of real musicians playing together in the same room. That commitment to musical exploration has defined Haynes’ career.

Who has been a guest on The 78

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

• Andrew McMahon
• Mark Warnaar
• Chuck Meyers
• Chicago Philharmonic

Reach and audience

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

YouTube views

964,127

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

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

83

Social presence

0

YouTube

86

Engagement

0

Contact The 78

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.