Car Con Carne

Are you doin’ the Dale? You should plan on doin’ the Dale. 

https://dointhedale.com/

My guests are Shawn Podgurski (DMen/Sybris) and Dave Hornyak (Livewire Lounge), organizers of Doin’ the Dale, an Avondale-centric music and arts festival happening 2/26-3/1.

We met outside Avondale Tap and talked about the event, which will include (but isn’t limited to) the following:

Thursd...

Jaime Black (Dynasty Podcasts) has been podcasting for 20+ years, and has a wealth of experience and success behind that history. While not his first time on the podcast, this marks his first time joining me in the car - very exciting stuff.

We talk about the art and business of podcasting. It’s a bit “inside baseball,” but I think it’s a conversation that will click with anyone who’s ever taken a ...

Yeshi and Zach of La Rosa Noir jump into the car, conveniently parked outside their Pilsen practice space, for a chat about the band’s history, their Riot Fest performance, and new music/happenings for 2026.

See La Rosa Noir at the Athenaeum on February 21!

Car Con Carne is sponsored by Exploding House Printing.

Exploding House Printing is here for all of your screen printing, embroidery and other merchandising ...

Jonathan of Time Thieves returns to the podcast in advance of the band’s LP release show at Empty Bottle on February 26 (also featuring Josh Caterer Trio, Al Scorch, and Earl Gary).

We met at Dante’s (1936 W. Chicago), which played host to a Palermo’s Unreal Foods pop-up: VEGAN TACO HELL. Returning guest Mustafa is one of the principals at Palermo’s, and he shared the amazing Crunchwrap and Taco Hell ...

Arden and Courtney of DØUBLE IDENTITY jump in the car in the dead of winter to talk about the band’s growth, songwriting, live show, and the need for CDs.

Car Con Carne is sponsored by Exploding House Printing.

Exploding House Printing is here for all of your screen printing, embroidery and other merchandising needs.  They’re local, headquartered in the heart of Hermosa. Here’s why I want you to...

“You're born, you'rе cursed, and every deck is stacked.”

Who are the Brokedowns? “A tradesman, two remote workers, and a pizza chef named Mustafa forged their sound in the industrial glow of Chicagoland, channeling blue-collar grit through a lens of existential comedy and transforming Midwest frustration into something loud enough to sound like hope.”

The Brokedowns piled into the car to chat a...

I’ve been reading comics since I was a small child. I’m pretty sure, without exaggeration, that I learned how to read largely because of comics.

Like anyone in the hobby, I’d fallen in and out of it through the years. These days, I’m fully back in it, though I’m not terribly concerned with new titles. I’m more interested in back issues, mainly from the formative years of my youth- the so-c...

As I head toward the end of my appendectomy/ileocectomy recovery, I jump back into podcasting with an obvious guest: Dr. Daryl Wilson of the Bollweevils. Who better to talk through the past 2 ½ months of medical madness than a celebrated ER doctor with decades of experience?

We talk through my experiences, from the moment my appendix burst through my current recovery, all discussed with a requisite amount of dark humo...

Guest host Gillian McGhee is a local musician, leading bands Hi Ho and Turnspit over the last decade, and is returning to Car Con Carne to interview her friend and fellow musician, Aly Jados. Aly's here to discuss her band Blood People's debut full length record 'Here' - a collection of songs that weave together heavy distortion, intricate guitar riffs, singalong choruses and Aly's unmistakably raw vocals. In short, you need to hea...

Guest host Jake “Jacques” LaMore, formerly of Pop-Punk & Pizza, now the voice behind new narrative storytelling podcast, “This One Time in Kankakee”, sits down for a conversation with Kevin Andrew, the lead vocalist of Chicago’s diet punk band, Guardrail. The two discuss:

-Kevin’s recent wedding

-How their bands used to play shows together

-The meaning behind the group’s new sing...

I’m back for a special end-of-the-year episode! Watch/listen for a handful of memorable highlights from 2025, including two especially wonderful musical performances.

As I explain early in this episode, this is in no way meant to be considered a “best of.” With over 80 episodes recorded this year, it would be impossible to pull something like that together (and incredibly unfair to my guests). Consider this an...

Comedian/radio personality Kevin Kellam returns to guest host and welcome special guests Sklar Brothers! 

Randy and Jason Sklar have been seen everywhere, including Curb Your Enthusiasm, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Playing House, Better Call Saul, Roast Battle III, Grey’s Anatomy, Entourage, and Cheap Seats on ESPN Classic. 

My big takeaway from watching this episode is that I want the Sklars...

Comedian/radio personality Kevin Kellam returns for another guest-hosting stint, and this time around he welcomes comedian Adam Burke.

Kevin digs into Adam’s comedy career and the details of Adam's recently-released comedy special, “Unamerican,” recorded at the Den Theatre. There are also a few political tangents, and Kevin learns Amerigo Vespucci’s name for the first time (Ciao, Kevin!).

Thanks to Kevin for...

Guest host Jaime Black interviews Stewart Hicks (Associate Dean of Physical Resources and Planning and Associate Professor of Architecture at the University of Illinois at Chicago) about his eponymous YouTube channel that features deep dives on all things architecture.

Hicks details the role of architecture in our everyday lives, reveals the work that goes into producing his YouTube videos, and shares how Chicago influences ...

Hi. It’s me. James VanOsdol. As my recent (and forthcoming) guest hosts continue to kill it, I’m finally in a physical and emotional place where I can check in and let you know everything that’s been going on with me.

This isn’t a traditional episode - it didn’t make sense to read sponsor tags or play the theme song - instead, it’s a full recounting of all the medical stuff going on with m...

As I continue to recover from a variety of appendix-related issues, I’m turning to capable and talented guest hosts to keep Car Con Carne running.

This episode offers something a little bit different: It features the podcast-hosting debut of my daughter, Fiona VanOsdol. Joining her are her friends Faith Ferry and Fionn Riley, co-hosts of her college radio show called “The F Word” (their names all start with &ldquo...

Guest Host Evan J. Thomas (TAG Publicity, Sound Fury Magazine, Bad Ass Radio Network) fills in for me while I'm recovering from a cruel appendix. For this episode, he welcomes Chicago rockers Now It’s Dark, who are set to play the Bad Ass Radio Network's 4th Anniversary Show at Durty Nellie’s on December 5.  

Thanks for supporting Car Con Carne, especially during this weird period where I’m off the grid....

As I continue to recover (and prepare for a couple of procedures and impending surgery) from appendix issues, I’ve excitedly turned Car Con Carne over to guest hosts.

For this episode, Karen and Ivan from the Chicago bass duo Bellhead steal the keys to the car while I recover. Their guest is a post-punk legend, entrepreneur, author, and museum founder: the infamous Martin Atkins (Pigface, NIN, PiL). They recorded at Ma...

Hello from James VanOsdol. As I type this, I’m recovering from appendix-related issues and preparing for an appendectomy just before Christmas. I’m counting it as a holiday gift. Bottom line: I’m not able to get out and record the podcast in-person or at my usual pace at the moment.

When I first announced that I had been hospitalized (twice!) for a perforated appendix, I had a few kind friends offer to step in and...