Midwest Beat

Tom Lounges interviews Michael Jahnz about his new collabrative project "Richrath Project 313" and working with the late great Gary Richrath.

Fans of REO Speedwagon's late guitarist Gary Ritchrath will want to tune in to Friday's edition of the 89.1FM-Lakeshore Public Radio's music program, "Midwest BEAT with Tom Lounges."

Although the music man whose guitar parts helped to propel such classic songs as "Take It on the Run," "Golden Country," "and "Ridin' the Storm Out" to hit status, passed away in 2015, his musical legacy is being carried on via the Richrath Project 3:13.

The project's Michael Jahnz guests live here with selections featured from the group's new album, "L.A. is Mine."

TUESDAY, AUGUST 3rd - 7:00-8:00pm
GUEST:  "THE LITTLE MERMAID" Director ALLY SHINKAN & various cast members

Info:  Disney's "The Little Mermaid" is being presented on stage this coming weekend, as the Highland Parks & Recreation Department re-boot their annual as a community summer theater production at the town's Main Square Park. 

Returning as show runner and director for this season is Munster's Ally Shinkan, a rising young theater talent who studied under former Munster High School Theatre Director Larry Brechner, now co-host of Lakeshore Public Radio's "Art On The Air."  Shinkan was welcomed back after successfully directing some of the town's more recent production's including 2019's "Willy Wonka." 

Guests in studio for this program will be Shinkan, along with regional cast members: Samantha Corey ("Scuttle"), Christina Arroyo ("Ursula") and Klayr Taylor ("Flounder").

VIP tickets for each performance can be bought for $2 at the Lincoln Center. All other seating is free.

The long-awaited autobiography from heavy metal music icon Ronnie James Dio, the powerhouse voice of Elf, Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow, Black Sabbath and his long-time bespoke band DIO, will be published on July 27 by Permuted Press in the U.S. and Canada and Constable in the U.K. Co-written with British music journalist and longtime Dio friend Mick Wall, and Dio’s widow and long-time manager Wendy Dio. 

For two years now, the Austin-based trio Nobody's Girl Rebecca Loebe, Betty Soo, Grace Pettis has been bridging the divide between Folk and Pop music. Their new, 11-song, self-titled album is the long-awaited full-length follow up to their 2018 EP, "Waterline."  The new collection of original songs will be released worldwide on July 30 in multiple formats vinyl, CD and digital through Lucky Hound Music. Although Nobody's Girl is a relatively new musical project, the three women have more than 15 between them as solo artists.

In the decades that followed Creedence Clearwater Revival's 2 year reign as the number 1 band in the world, Creedence drummer Doug Cosmo Clifford focused his creative energy on producing album projects. His concept was to assemble a top shelf mix of players, write an album’s worth of original songs, then record, mix and master each album. When a project was completed, the masters were archived and safely stored in Cosmo’s Vault until the time was right to release them. Fast forward to 2021 and Cosmo has retrieved those masters and will be releasing them one album at a time on his own label, Cliffsong Records. The first release will be For All The Money In The World by Clifford Wright.

            Since the release of "Kingfish," his 2019 debut for Chicago's Alligator Records,  Christone "Kingfish" Ingram has taken the blues world by storm in a relatively short amount of time. Since the release of Kingfish, Ingram has quickly become the defining blues voice of his generation.  He has been pegged as a "superstar" bluesman on the rise and clearly with the release of "662," Ingram has avoided the dreaded "sophomore slump."

             That break out album earned the 20-year-old newcomer volumes of accolades from both the media and his peers; along with five "Blues Music Awards" -- "Album Of The Year," "Contemporary Blues Album Of The Year," "Best Emerging Artist Album," "Contemporary Blues Male Artist Of The Year," and the coveted "Best Guitarist of the Year" award. Add to that, Ingram also won four "Living Blues Awards," including "Album Of The Year" and "Artist Of The Year."

            Now, just a about a year after dusting off places for his many trophies, comes the rising star's sophomore album for Alligator, "662," officially being released this weekend with a two day celebratory party at the Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana (5400 W. 29th Ave.) in Gary.  Admission is free both nights, but advance RSVPs are necessary to attend as space is limited.

            "We did Evansville before, but this is my first time playing in Northwest Indiana I'm pretty sure," said Ingram, who is clearly excited to be playing the same stage this weekend christened just a few weeks ago by his mentor and friend, Buddy Guy, during the casino's Grand Opening.

            Guy has been an important part of the Kingfish saga and put the lad's feet on the path that has brought him to this point. Early on, Guy saw something special in young Ingram and put him together with his own Grammy Award-winning producer Tom Hambridge, who also once made musical magic with guitar great Roy Buchanan. 

Tom will welcome once again to the program, Foghat drummer and founder ROGER EARL, to discuss the band's 50th Anniversary and the release of "8 DAYS ON THE ROAD," a 14-track live performance that will be released as a double CD/DVD package on July 16 via their own Foghat Records label, distributed by Select-O-Hits, a division of the legendary Memphis-based Sun Records label, owned by founder Sam Philips son and nephew.  Recorded on November 17, 2019, the collection features the band’s biggest and most legendary hits, including Slow Ride, I Just Want To Make Love To You, Fool For The City, and others. Foghat 's tour behind the album brings them on July 17 to St. Charles, Illinois for a performance at The Arcada Theatre.

Tom will talk with STYX guitarist JAMES YOUNG about the iconic Chicago band's brand new album, "CRASH OF THE CROWN," their current tour, and future plans for the long-running rock group. New songs from "CRASH OF THE CROWN" will be spotlighted during the interview and discussed.

FRIDAY JULY 2 AT 1 PM
GUEST: Chan Kinchla - -Blues Traveler

Chan Kinchla - -Blues Traveler, is on this special edition of Midwest Beat with Tom Lounges.

Fathers are important and in the music industry, they have influenced many people including their very own children! Tune in for this special show dedicated to the the Daddies in the music industry! 

What would it mean to be defeated beyond your wildest dreams? Get ready to walk under the aching sky and absinthe clouds into the love, violence, and light of American Canyon. The Jenny Thing’s American Canyon, coming June 2021, and we have Matt Easton of The Jenny Thing on this far out episode of Midwest Beat!

Nashville-based singer-songwriter James DiGirolamo, has extensive experience as a session musician and touring sideman. As a keyboard player, he’s worked with Mindy Smith, Holly Williams, Peter Bradley Adams, Alice Peacock, Robby Hecht, Fognode, The Bittersweets, Judson Spence, and many others. Join Tom Lounges as we encounter the new album by James called "Paper Boats"

Oscar and the Majestics were an American garage punk band formed in Gary, Indiana in 1960. The band, led by Oscar Hamod, achieved regional acclaim and produced seven well-regarded singles in their heyday. As the group progressed, they experimented with psychedelic rock and soul influences which led to their most acclaimed piece, a cover song deemed "House of the Rising Sun 1969".

TODAY: FRIDAY, JUNE 4 @ 1:00pm CST
“MIDWEST BEAT with Tom Lounges”

GUEST: JOHNNY IGUANA of "THE CLAUDETTES"

Today's "Midwest BEAT with Tom Lounges" will feature a call in by JOHNNY IGUANA of the red hot Chicago group, THE CLAUDETTES, whose latest album "HIGH TIMES IN THE DARK," was released in 2020, but due to COVID-19 never had a chance to really get much promotion.

Less than a week away from our next show! Enjoy four talented regional artists while supporting the Humane Society of NWI. Come on out for a great time and help a great cause!

On Sunday, June 6, 2021 from 5pm-8pm, The Hobart Art Theatre will be the site of the 2021 "Songwriters Circle For Critters." 

Today's live musical guests on Midwest BEAT with Tom Lounges" from 1-3pm on Lakeshore Public Radio will be the four writers/performers -- Robby Celestin, Leslie Hunt, Eric Lambert and Ivy Ford who doing this charity fundraiser for the Humane Society Of Northwest Indiana, where 100% of the funds raised benefit HSNI to help homeless and abused animals find safe and caring homes.

This edition of "MIDWEST BEAT with Tom Lounges" originally aired TUESDAY, MAY 18th on 89.1FM-Lakeshore Public Radio 

Musical Guest: SEAN LATHAM -- Director of the Institute of Bob Dylan Studies at The University of Tulsa & editor of "The World Of Bob Dylan"

Singer, songwriter, and performer only scratch the surface of the powerful entity that is Robert Zimmerman, aka BOB DYLAN, who sprung upon the world from the unlike community of Hibbing, Minnesota to transform popular music of various genres, poetry, pop culture, and certainly the politics of a turbulent era.

Lyrics that at first often make little sense -- have over the years, become the topic of deep discussion in think tank scenarios by experts in various fields of literature, musicology, political science, and various aspects of the arts.

It is a daunting task to talk about Bob Dylan in just an hour's time, but that is the task I will attempt with this evening's special guest --- SEAN LANHAM -- the Director of the Institute of Bob Dylan Studies at The University of Tulsa.

Mr. Lanham is the editor of the new Cambridge University Press release -- "The World Of Bob Dylan" -- a collection of essays from a bevy of greatly respected writers and musicologists about the impact Bob Dylan has had on the world during his 80 years of life.

Mr. Lanham also directs the Oklahoma Center for the Humanities, edits the James Joyce Quarterly, and has written or edited ten books on modern culture. More: https://dylan.utulsa.edu/

This edition of "MIDWEST BEAT with Tom Lounges" originally aired on FRIDAY, MAY 7th on 89.1FM-Lakeshore Public Radio

Musical Guest: JAMES HOLVAY  -- Songwriter/Performer

FRIDAY, APRIL 30th - 1:00-4:00pm  -- CINCO DE MAYO SPECIAL CROSSOVER SHOW with CHEF NICK's "LET'S EAT" and “MIDWEST BEAT”  with TOM LOUNGES.

The fabulous voice and namesake of The Lauren Dukes Band will visit in-studio on this evening to talk about and spotlight her first original music album.  After years on the scene singing blues, jazz and R&B covers to appreciative audiences throughout Chicagoland, Dukes is putting her own music on the front burner.

Giovanni Taliaferro, who as the Director of Memorabilia Design for Hard Rock International, creates the amazing and historic musical artifact displays that draw thousands of people to the Hard Rock Cafe locations worldwide, including the brand new location in Gary, Indiana.

Legendary album cover artist Ioannis who has created over 175 iconic album covers from artists that include: Uriah Heep, Deep Purple, Allman Brothers, Styx and many others.

He talks new projects and old works on the this artistic episode of Midwest Beat!

GUEST:  MAIA SHARP - Singer/Songwriter/Recording Artist

Veteran singer/songwriter Maia Sharp returns with her boldest and most confessional offering to date.  After living in the Los Angeles area most of her life, Sharp recently relocated to Nashville to start a new chapter of her life and her musical career.  On Tuesday's "Midwest BEAT with Tom Lounges," Sharp will reflect on her musical journey and discuss her career, her evolution as a songwriter/performer, and the making of her newest album, "MERCY RISING," which is coming out on MAY 7th.

STOP.DROP.REWIND is unique, in that their progressive roots set them far apart from the pack of other alt groups out there. The guys will drop by in studio to preview song new songs, talk about their latest original music album, and getting things going again in this new year.

OLA TIMOTHY is a popular Chicago bassist who spends a lot of time performing and recording as an in-demand session/sideman. Today, Ola will call in to talk about his career and the journey he has had to date, while also focusing on his own forthcoming new album that will be dropping soon. Listeners to today's program will get a sneak peek at two of the songs from it.

One of rock's most famous and influential drummers, Carmine Appice, is live on this special edition of Midwest Beat with Tom Lounges

This edition of "MIDWEST BEAT with Tom Lounges" originally aired on FRIDAY, APRIL 9th on 89.1FM-Lakeshore Public Radio 

This program is a 2-part episode with concert production company MUSH MUSIC, LLC and one of the many rock bands the company is presenting as live music returns to concert halls as COVID pandemic numbers drop and restrictions start to ease up.

HOUR ONE:  IN -STUDIO GUEST:  PAUL PANICALI of MUSH MUSIC     

The Chicagoland music and event promoter PAUL PANICALI discussed the return of live concerts in the Great Lakes Region following the year of COVID- shut downs. 

There was also discussion about some of the shows and bands has promoted in the past, and ones that he is working on bringing to the area in the coming months of 2021, many being presented at Hobart Art Theatre, including an April show with Southern Rockers, JACKYL.  Songs by some of those artists -- hed PE, Buckcherry, Fasterpussycat, Jackyl, L.A. Guns, and others were featured during the program.

HOUR TWO:
GUEST:  JESSE JAMES DUPREE of JACKYL    

Colorful rocker JESSE JAMES DUPREE talked about his years of rockin' with JACKYL, their music, their current tour plans and his own line of Spirits. 

An assortment of JACKYL songs were also played during the second half of the program, in and around the segments of interview chatter...