Episode 25: Doug Sohn of Hot Doug's

Explicit content warning

07/08/16 • 96 min

For 13 years, Doug Sohn was the purveyor and head chef of Hot Doug's, one of Chicago's many must-eat establishments before the encased-meat emporium closed in the fall of 2014. During that time, Doug served up to 800 sausages a day -- with each usually being named after a musician, actress or former Cubs player. Lines wrapped around the block no matter the weather, and Hot Doug's gained acclaim from foodie household names like Anthony Bourdain and Graham Elliot. Those with the dedication to get the restaurant's logo tattooed on their body even ate for free for life there, as documented in 2013's Hot Doug's: The Book. But for those who missed out on experiencing the deliciousness of Hot Doug's the first time around, his frankfurters can now be found in the bleachers section of Wrigley Field -- along with Doug himself most home games -- as well at "takeover"-type events that raise money for local charities. Today, Doug discusses his vinyl memories, The Untitled Hour podcast he's co-hosted with Chicago musician Nick Marcos for the last year, various jobs he held prior to opening his own restaurant, his discovery of punk and new-wave in high school, thoughts about Instagram foodie culture, concerts that broke out at Hot Doug's, his partnership with the Cubs and much more! Visit hotdougs.com and follow @HotDougs on Twitter and Instagram to keep up with everything sausage-related. Also be sure to subscribe to The Untitled Hour on iTunes or however you listen to podcasts, and follow @UntitledHour on Twitter and Instagram!

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Episode 24: Josh Caterer of the Smoking Popes (Exclusive Live Performance)

Chicago's Smoking Popes are one of my seminal favorite bands, having released several crucial albums of lovelorn power-pop including 1994's Born To Quit and 1997's Destination Failure. Gaining notoriety via soundtrack appearances on films like Clueless, Tommy Boy and Angus, the band split up at the turn of the century, reformed 11 years ago, and have since added a few more proper full-lengths to their catalog while focusing their performances primarily around the Midwest. Recorded on a rainy night in his church office, singer/guitarist Josh Caterer -- now a pastor of music and worship -- discusses the influence of his father's record collection on he and his bandmate brothers, getting the first few Popes seven-inches pressed, the process of reissuing Born To Quit on vinyl, astonishing interactions with both Morrissey and Dave Grohl, the new EP Black As Midnight from his blues-focused band Jackson Mud, and so much more! PLUS Josh graciously performs two songs LIVE and exclusively for Vinyl Emergency! Follow @joshcaterer on both Twitter and Instagram, and visit SmokingPopesMusic.com and JacksonMud.com for social media, live dates and more info on both bands.

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Episode 26: Collector's Club with Kristian Sorge (Record Nerdz Podcast)

Host of the Record Nerdz podcast Kristian Sorge joins me to discuss his 5,000+ collection of records, his urge to collect only the rarest forms of any particular album, digging at the world's largest record fair in Holland, and his day-job as a casting director, working on films like "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" and "Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist." We also talk about specific rare releases in his collection from The Misfits, Run The Jewels, Shellac and more, plus we find out what on earth a "vinyl hot stamper" is! Follow both Kristian and Record Nerdz on Instagram (@thepunkguy and @recordnerdz, respectively), and find the Record Nerdz podcast on iTunes, Soundcloud or however you listen to podcasts.