Jamesvanosdol Podcasts

Car Con Carne Extra - 2/7/23 Impulsive Hearts - "Melody" Support the band at impulsivehearts.bandcamp.com

In this episode, I’m joined by Chicago indie band LOTEC (Dan, Kenny and Sean) for a visit to PINK’S SHRIMP & OYSTERS (773 N. Quentin Road). LOTEC’s back after being away for… decades (how is that even possible?). We talk about their just-released fourth album, ”Squares,” what the past meant, and what the future holds for them. As for the food from …

Eater Chicago named Bartoli’s one of the Essential Deep Dish Pizza Restaurants in Chicago. USA Today called Bartoli’s Chicago’s Best Pizza. Food And Wine said it’s the Best Pizza in Chicago. The critics aren’t wrong… Bartoli’s makes fantastic pizza. For this episode, I’m joined by Bartoli’s Owner/Founder Brian Tondryk. We talked about Bartoli’s pla…

Car Con Carne Extra - 2/2/23 Space Age Zeros - "Wishing Well" Support Space Age Zeros: https://spaceagezeros.bandcamp.com/album/blast-off-e-p https://open.spotify.com/album/07WljA789NR6UBXbmPcuQg?si=GYWKeZdMTjKUK8IE-GllXQ

Mustafa, Eric and Jon from the Brokedowns joined me for a chat over slices from Dante’s Pizzeria (3028 W Armitage Ave, Chicago, IL 60647). We talked about their fantastic new album, “Maximum Khaki,” their first release in five (!) years. We also talked about laserdiscs, the joy of vinyl, Pink Floyd, video making, that awesome “Maximum Khaki” album …

Car Con Carne Extra - 1/31/23 Pink Frost - "On the Way Down" Support Pink Frost on Bandcamp

Car Con Carne Extra - 1/26/23 Almost There But Not Really - "Marquette Park" Support the band on Instagram, Bandcamp and Spotify!

Car Con Carne Extra - 1/24/23 Man's Body - "Dark Horse Matter" Support the band at mansbody.bandcamp.com

Comedian Mike Stricker joins me for hot dogs from Gene & Jude’s in this episode. He’s a very funny guy, and we talked about: *How I totally forgot we’d already met, and feel really dumb about it. *Gene & Jude’s war on ketchup. *McDonald’s ketchup profiteering. *Mike’s goal to perform in all 50 states. *Mike’s vape shop performances (no, really). *W…

Car Con Carne Extra - 1/19/23 wht.rbbt.obj - "Once More Down the Rabbit Hole" Support the band at whtrbbtobj.com

Chicago Magazine says Peanut Park Trattoria (1359 W. Taylor St.) is one of the “10 hottest restaurants in Chicago right now.” Time Out named it one of the 30 best Italian restaurants in the city. The accolades are well-deserved. Dave Bonomi, owner of Peanut Park Trattoria (1359 W. Taylor), joined me to talk about Peanut Park as we ate delicious pas…

Car Con Carne Extra - 1/17/23 Marina City - "Youth" Support Marina City on all streaming platforms

Sweetie is an excellent Chicago-based punk band with Birdy Vee, Sweet Johnny Marble, and Joe Pennington. The band joined me for a chat before a gig at Punk Rock Tacos on 1/13/23, and we talked about: The religious rebellion that shows up in their songs The band’s origin story Their cool cover of “These Boots Were Made for Walkin’” The appeal of bei…

Noah Corona, creator and curator of Punk Rock Tacos, joins me for an episode about the ongoing live music series. The need for all-ages shows has never been stronger, and Punk Rock Tacos nailed it. This was my first visit, and every expectation I had for it was exceeded. Noah and I talked outside Cemitas Poblanas (345 North Avenue Villa Park), and …

Car Con Carne Extra -1/12/23 KILL SCENES - "ACID BLACK WINDOW" Support Kill Scenes at killscenes.bandcamp.com

Listen to Caroline Lucius "The Great Stone Face," and support her on Bandcamp at carolinelucius.bandcamp.com.

It’s Dry January, and I think a lot of us are working toward GO BREWING’s mantra of “Less alcohol, fewer calories… more productive tomorrows.” Go Brewing is the first low-alcohol or NA brewery in Illinois, and I’m joined by Go Brewing’s President, Joe Chura, for this episode. We talk about Go Brewing’s first 90 days since opening the taproom, the c…

The members of GHOST FOREST (singer/guitarist Scott “Gub” Conway, drummer James Kimball, bassist Brant McCrea, join me on the first episode of 2023. We recorded at the super cool Rot Shop (a former location and topic for Car Con Carne) and chatted about the band’s fiery post-punk debut. It’s primal, powerful, stuff. Check out the interview, then st…

Tony, Louie and Jim of Vortis return to Car Con Carne to talk about their excellent new garage/punk record (in mono!), “The Miasmic Years.” Covered in this episode: *The accuracy of the new album title. *The mind-blowing inspiration for their song “COVID Blues.” *Being a politically-charged band in the 20s: How do you reach beyond the ‘converted?’ …

Violin virtuoso Susan Voelz recently released a fantastic album, “Trust the Waves Will Hold You,” a collection of unreleased Poi Dog Pondering songs that she fleshed out and made whole. Discussed in this episode: *Background on “Trust the Waves Will Hold You” *The “gateway drug” that is the song “Oyster” (listen to this as soon as you can; you’ll l…

Returning guest/Car Con Carne favorite Mike Vanderbilt (voted Best Bartender in Chicago by the the readers of the Chicago Reader) joins me for a holiday show at Cigars & Stripes BBQ Lounge (6715 W. Ogden, Berwyn). We recorded on “Monster Movie Meatball Night,” before Christmas screenings of “Silent Night Deadly Night 1 & 5” and ate amazing food fro…

It’s the year-end special! It’s been a fabulous year on Car Con Carne, and this episode features 10 of 2022’s many highlights. __ Looking for your next read? Ninety Days in the 90s: A Rock N Roll Time Travel Story is the ultimate novel about the '90s and Chicago's music scene. Join record store owner Darby on her trip back to 1990s Chicago as she j…

Car Con Carne pulls up to Wicker Park for a long chat with Bill Jacobs, owner of the much-celebrated Piece Pizzeria & Brewery (1927 W. North Avenue). As we eat Hot Doug’s Atomic Sausage pizza (red pizza with pepper jack, caramelized onions and atomic sausage), we talk about: *Piece’s quick rise to fame in Chicago *What exactly is “New Haven-style” …

The 19th Annual KT’s Kids Holiday Fundraiser happens at Liar’s Club (1665 W. Fullerton), starting at 7pm on 12/17!! Liar’s Club owner Herb Rosen and Katie Augustyn of KT’s Kids joined me for a preview of the event while eating steak sandwiches from Booby’s in Niles. Local H’s Scott Lucas also checks in over the phone… Scott’s part of the Nefarious …

Welcome to the 800th episode of Car Con Carne! For this special episode, we’re looking back at 10 memorable moments from the past 799 episodes. They’re not the “ultimate” or “definitive” 10 moments; because, really, how could you narrow those down? Instead, these are just some of the many Car Con Carne highlights, taken from in the car, onsite and …

Chicago-based singer/songwriter Caroline Lucius is an artist I think you should know. She and her bandmate/brother Schaffer Lucius joined me for a fun episode that included incredible vegetarian food from Handlebar (2311 W. North Avenue). Caroline talked about her music, how she and Schaffer have rededicated themselves to home recording, and why ta…

Chicago punk pioneers Sludgeworth (Dan Schafer- vocals, Adam White - guitar, Brian Vermin - drums) joins Car Con Carne right as their 1995 compilation album, “Losers of the Year,” is set for vinyl release (Red Scare) for the very first time! We talk about the band’s beginnings, their break-up in 1992, their “Midwestern-ness,” and whether the new vi…

Ryan Argast and Eric Somers-Urrea of Marina City return to Car Con Carne to chat about the making of their current release, “The Simulation.” We chatted outside Fabulous Freddie’s Italian Eatery on 31st and dined on “Yerminators” and pizza puffs. South Side, represent. We talked about Ryan’s time on “American Idol,” bachelor parties, eating unhealt…

Chris Castaneda joins me for a preview of DEDICATED - A Benefit for the American Diabetes Association, happening at Blue Island Beer Company (13357 Olde Western Avenue, Blue Island) on Saturday, December 10. Featured at the event are Sonic45 (White Sox play-by-play announcer Len Kasper’s band) as the house band and a one-time-only R.E.M. tribute se…

Skeleton Key Brewery (8102 Lemont Road in Woodridge) is a fantastic craft brewery with a variety of inventive and delicious beers. That’s where this episode was recorded, as co-owner Paul Slayton and I were joined by musician Henry Scherrer (The Spectral Silhouette Radio Show, Black Bolts, Jukebox JBC). Discussed in this episode: The horrible torna…

Nora O’Connor returns with “My Heart” (Pravda), her first solo album in close to 20 years. That’s not to say she hasn’t been busy, of course. We talk about her work with everyone from Decemberists and New Pornographers to Robbie Fulks and Iron and Wine. Nora answers the question “why now?” for putting out a solo release, and we talk about its disti…

J Niimi and Greg Franco of Man’s Body join me in advance of their show at GMan on Friday, November 11. The band recently released a live collection, “Taking the Edge off: Live at Kingsize Chicago,” which follows their second studio release,, “A Set of Steak Knives.” __ Now is the time to go solar! Introducing Transparent Solar. With zero money down…

I love the Streetwalkin’ Cheetahs. In addition to being in the Cheetahs, singer/guitarist Frank Meyer is an award-winning director, producer and author. He’s also in a handful of other fantastic bands that span a variety of styles. In this new episode, Frank and I talk about the new Streetwalkin’ Cheetahs covers compilation - “All the Covers (And M…

KELLAM ALL! Kevin Kellam returns to the podcast after many years to talk about the fantastic “Roast Battle” nights happening at the Lincoln Lodge (1st and 3rd Thursdays, 8pm). Roast Battle pits two comedians against one another in a no-holds barred insult war. Kevin and I talk about what it means for the local comedy scene, as well as if there are …

Alex Wight, Xack Brame, and Jake Fritzler of the Linden Method join me for an eye-opening virtual episode. Discussed in this episode: A post-hardcore lesson: What is it? Where does it come from? The mental health issues that inform the songs that make up the new concept album, “Grief.” Linden Method history. Now is the time to go solar! Introducing…

For this episode (recorded on my aunt’s birthday!), I’m joined by Pink Frost at Pizzeria Serio (1708 W. Belmont). We talked about the excellent new Pink Frost album, Until the Summer Comes, as we sampled a few of Pizzeria Serio’s brick oven pies. We all agreed that the “Sweet Heat” (Mama Lil’s peppers, sausage, honey drizzle) is a must-have. (Thank…

It's been said that you can't truly judge a politician's worth until you watch them being interviewed in a 10-year-old car while eating pizza. Paul Vallas is the former CEO of Chicago Public Schools and former budget director for the city of Chicago. He ran for Illinois Governor and Lt. Governor, and most recently was a candidate in the 2019 Chicag…

Author Matt Pais returns with a new book that broadens his 90s pop culture net: "Talk '90s with Me: 23 Unpredictable Conversations with Stars of an Unforgettable Decade.” The book’s a super fun collection of interviews with TV/film entertainers from the 1990s, spanning a variety of genres. We talk about his 23 interview subjects, the reason for dig…

This episode finds Car Con Carne at 13th Floor Haunted House (5050 River Road, Schiller Park). Featured in this episode: Fred Frey (frontman/songwriter, You Died), Zach Spangler (video producer, ZSpang) and Bryan Kopp (Senior General Manager, Thirteenth Floor Entertainment Group) We talked to Bryan about our visit to 13th Floor, then segued to all …

It’s that time of year! Car Con Carne hit the road to visit the The Old Joliet Haunted Prison (401 Woodruff Rd, Joliet, IL 60432). Sharing in the spooktacular with me were James Farber and Patrick McDermott of local band James The Boneless . We talked about our experiences walking through the attractions at the Old Joliet Prison, and dove into Jame…

Sean Whittaker and Meghan Lamb of Chicago band Kill Scenes jumped in the car to talk abut their haunting, layered, and made-for-earbud-listening new release, “Masque.” For this episode, we visited Club Belmont (7844 W. Belmont, Chicago 60131) and ate their fantastic dive bar pizza (it pairs beautifully with Old Style). We all agreed that we love Cl…

At last, the Toadies have taken the “Rubberneck” 25th anniversary tour on the road, a tour that lands at Metro in Chicago on October 9th. Bassist Doni Blair called in just as the band was set to take the stage in Kansas City. Discussed in this episode: The legacy and impact of the “Rubberneck” album. The Texas explosion of the 90s (including Trippi…

I hadn’t gone solo on Car Con Carne in a very long time. Since I had some down time on a quiet Monday night, I decided to go live on Facebook. In this episode, I talk about what’s happening with the podcast, how I’m seeing mental health issues exacerbating around me, what I’m enjoying musically, what i’m enjoying during Spooky Season, and what I br…

The music photography of Paul Natkin has, for decades, been the gold standard for how musicians should be captured on film. It's been a long time coming, but Paul's most iconic and interesting work is finally collected in a gorgeous coffee table book, "Natkin: The Moment of Truth." We talk about the book, Paul’s career in music photojournalism, and…

Smashed Plastic provides an essential service to the fans and interviewees of Car Con Carne, as the only record pressing facility in the state of Illinois. Smashed Plastic has put together a massive live music/record show event on October 1: Smashed Plastic Live Vol. 1. Joining me to talk about the must-attend event are Smashed Plastic co-owners An…

Phil, Dan and Chris from reunited Chicago band Treaty of Paris talked with Car Con Carne after their set on Day Three of Riot Fest 2022. Among the many things discussed… new music is on the way! Also, the music will be so good, you’ll someday wear diapers while listening to it. (That will make more sense when you listen to this interview.) Car Con …

Chicago band Night Spice kicked off the Radicals stage on Day Three of Riot Fest, and Kevin Singleton from the band came by after their set to talk about the amazing year they’ve had… and the fact that Kevin swallowed a bee (!) early in today’s performance. Car Con Carne’s featured sponsor is SopelSolar.com. Now is the time to go solar! Introducing…

Photographer Bobby Talamine is a true pro, and I’ve been circling his orbit for years/decades. I asked him about what the life of a photographer is in a festival situation, and what his strategy is for capturing the most iconic moments possible. Car Con Carne’s featured sponsor is SopelSolar.com. Now is the time to go solar! Introducing Transparent…

Bad Religion guitarists Brian Baker and “The Serb” Mike Dimkich joined me backstage at Riot 2022 before their “big font” set (that will make more sense when you listen). Things discussed: -How does Bad Religion break through to “the unconverted?” -The question of who’s the better guitar player is answered. -It sure looks like the band is still havi…

Jordan from Alexisonfire talked backstage at Riot Fest about the band’s new path forward. Car Con Carne’s featured sponsor is SopelSolar.com. Now is the time to go solar! Introducing Transparent Solar. With zero money down, you can go solar and enjoy benefits like a 25 year warranty, saving money on your electric bill after installation and increas…