How did the idea for the show come about?

For a while I've been seeing strange records when I'm out record shopping -- how to close sales, bird training, broadcast schools, very obscure local musicians, etc. These records are usually signs of the times and are in danger of being forgotten to history. Many are unintentionally funny. But they're all fascinating. My friend Jim -- same Jim with whom I cohost Pie Factory Podcast -- suggested that I do a podcast about these oddities I've been finding.

What do you hope listeners take from the show?

I really hope that listeners can gain an appreciation for the various things over the decades that have been pressed to vinyl (and shellac and polystyrene -- and, in some cases, unconventional materials!) over the decades. Of course, I hope the listeners are entertained as well -- collecting weird records is a fun (and thankfully cheap!) hobby, and learning and podcasting about them is just as much fun.

What's been the biggest challenge for you?

Aside from the usual podcaster woes (motivation to record and do post production, write scripts, etc.) the biggest challenge is that one thing that makes these records weird is that they're pretty obscure. The challenge is in the research: trying to learn the history behind either the records themselves or the people who are on the records. It's a challenging but usually fun journey.

How can your listeners support your show?

The biggest way listeners can support the show is simply by listening. Feedback would be nice. Now, even though collecting weird records is cheap, it still costs money, so donations can be sent to me via Venmo -- any donations will go to basic maintenance like paying my hosting provider, equipment upgrades and maintenance, and of course, adding to my weird record collection: the more records I can get, the more episodes I'll be able to do. :)

Any future plans that you'd like to share?

I have some broadcast school records that I'll be covering on the show at some point in the future, but not any time soon (as of early 2024). That's going to be a huge undertaking, but it will definitely be fun. I'm excited about the episode(s) those records will produce!

Anything else you'd like to share?

Always feel free to reach out to me via email or the socials. If you're out and about on the north side of Chicago and recognize my voice, feel free to say hi. :)