The Local Glow
Through our story telling, in-depth featured interviews, and intimate live performances, we dig into the heart of local music, poetry, and arts throughout the Midwest and beyond, uncovering what makes your art and music communities come to life. This podcast is a celebration of art and the unique relationships that it fosters as it draws individuals from different worlds into a space where we all glow.
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Do You Want to Talk About It?
09/03/2019
Do You Want to Talk About It?
Marco Aziel, also known as Aaron, and his musical partner Travis Anderson are two great big hearts on the sleeves of southeastern Michigan’s musical world and together make up the emo-adjacent band, Daddy and the Long Legs. The two-person outfit glimmers with youthful resilience and curiosity, and it glows with a strong balancing force of beyond-their-years wisdom and emotional weight. Take our Listener Survey: Learn more about The Local Glow at ; listen to Daddy and the Long Legs’ new album at ; learn more about In The Band at Production music by Lowell Shaffer of IT( () and Frail Body () as well as Tariq Shihadah (). Outro song “Restless Sleeper” by Fay Ray (). Produced by Tariq Shihadah, Brian Doherty, Victoria Thomas, and Fredd Villa. Original performance mixed by Fredd Villa.
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Tethered
04/29/2019
Tethered
Art is intimate, and don’t mistake it, art is a choice. And it’s a hard choice to make, because intimacy is hard. It’s elusive, unknown, it bites. In today’s episode, we foray into this tenuous and fearsome space, featuring six poets from around the Midwest and beyond, exploring intimacy in its various forms and stages. We’ll hear poems about intimacy, new and old, close in proximity and close in heart, about the color it paints on an ordinary life, and the void it leaves when it vanishes. Poems that are vulnerable and honest, some that wonder and some that ache. Featured Poets: Holly McDermott - @worksbyham, Dominick Duda - @literarally, Nishat Ahmed - @thenishfish, Topher Leon - @topherleon, (Topher will be directing the world premiere of Desire in a Tinier House, with Pride Films & Plays here in Chicago, running May 30-June 29; find more at pridefilmsandplays.com) Rachel Egly - . Kim Addonizio - (learn more about Kim’s in-person and online poetry workshops on her website) Learn more about The Local Glow at www.thelocalglow.com. Production music by Snayl (), NAAL (), and sailbear (). Outro song “Queen Anne’s Lace” by Bailey Minzenberger, available on Spotify. Produced by Tariq Shihadah and Victoria Thomas
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...Anyway, Here's Wonderwall
03/25/2019
...Anyway, Here's Wonderwall
The open mic night is a celebration of talent as it showcases personality. It’s a testing ground, providing validation for the bedroom artist, and it’s a lab for the experimenting veteran. It’s a place to support and be supported, a place to laugh and to be moved, by whoever happens to come through the door that night…’cause you never can know what to expect. Special thanks to Santos Ramos and Mike Vivirito from Two Brothers and Eric Quigley from Uncommon Ground for their contributions to the episode. Featured single “Not Another Love Song” by Nikki Morgan, . Learn more about The Local Glow at . Production music by Snayl (). Check out Megan Sontag’s photography at @shutterblade and . Produced by Brian Doherty and Tariq Shihadah
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Furious
01/22/2019
Furious
Samantha Jordan, AKA FURY, is writing the soundtrack for a revolution. It started in her grandfather’s church, where she learned that music can be a feeling. That it’s not just words and melodies, but it’s got a soul that can spread far and wide, breathing life into communities and culture. With a revival of the lyricism and purpose of the Golden Age of Hip Hop, FURY brings a monsoon of vision and passion. Like a prescription for the ills of the world, she declares “What I’m doin’ is reducin’ the pollution on the airwaves.” Learn more about FURY at .Learn more about The Local Glow at .Production music by Snayl (), outro music by All Over the Place (). Music mixing by Tariq Shihadah, music mastering by Joni Elfers.Produced by Tariq Shihadah.
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For the Kids
12/10/2018
For the Kids
First Gig Rock Camp is a summertime gem found in a few cities around Central Illinois. The week long day camp brings in young kids from around the region to get together, and try on the rock star life for a few days. From learning songs, to photo shoots, to radio interviews, to Skype sessions where national musicians share stories of life on the road and how to find success in music, First Gig brings the stage to the next generation of hometown heroes. Learn more about First Gig Rock Camp on their . Learn more about The Local Glow on our . Production music by , outro music by . Special thanks to Guido Esteves, Mayah Bickers, and Deane Geiken. Produced by Tariq Shihadah.
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The Fusion of the High and Low
11/12/2018
The Fusion of the High and Low
Chris Bernstorf, a Taylor, Michigan resident, explores painful and beautiful realities through his high-energy, passionate spoken word poetry. There's a breathless urgency in his work, evident in the hard-hitting lines that tore through the silent living room at a DIY show one night in Uptown, Chicago last winter when we met him. He's a bright-eyed young punk with a few hundred shows across the country under his belt, an audacious and timely voice, and a spiritual life that guides him along the way. Learn more about Chris on his . Learn more about The Local Glow on our . Music provided by . Produced by Tariq Shihadah.
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Welcome to Season 2
11/05/2018
Welcome to Season 2
Our team has recently grown from 1 to 4, and our vision has grown even more. We've just announced the launch of Season 2 of the podcast to be November 12th, and we are exhilarated to share all new stories, performances, and more. This season will feature an exceptional line-up of narrative explorations of community experiences, passionate showcase performances by musicians and poets from around the country, and in-depth looks at the creative world around us. Support the season launch on Visit our brand new Music by and
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Act Right
10/31/2017
Act Right
There’s something undeniably charming about the homespun music of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania post-something or other folk band Birthrates. The duo band embodies a few of the things I love most about the DIY music spirit: it’s the undying urge to make music mean something, and the conviction to take care of the people around you. Their music is energetic, but it’s not in a hurry, it’s casual, but not coarse. And there’s a salient fear that braids itself through the lines of each song that seems to capture the burden of so many young folks in music as they bellow: “You know I’m not religious, not even a bit. But I’d like to know that when I go, if there’s a candle for me, someone’ll keep it lit.” Purchase this performance on .Birthrates on and their . -- Original music provided by and . Find The Local Glow on and , or email us at !
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Tell Me a Story.
10/01/2017
Tell Me a Story.
Today, we want us to celebrate the beautiful, chaotic humans that make up the hands and feet of our communities, and to take a minute to hear from the listeners. Send us your stories at ! -- This episode features original music by , , , and . Find The Local Glow on and , or email us at !
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Tell Me a Story. (Transcription)
10/01/2017
Tell Me a Story. (Transcription)
“First and foremost, we need to feel.” These are the words of Dominican-American writer Junot Diaz, in an essay of his, commissioned by the New Yorker. Do you long to feel? Do you ache to engage, to connect? He explains, “Vulnerability is the pre-condition to contact.” So...are you ready? What makes local music and art culture so...timeless, immersive, and magnetic, is how up-close and real it is. Unlike pop culture, this stuff...you can reach out and touch it, you can feel it around you. Nothing is too far away. But do we fabricate our own barriers to make up for this exposure, like curtains around our more intimate bodies? I mean, it’s incredible to listen to the stories shared on stage and on paper or through our speakers. You and I, we love being flies on the walls of our local venues, we like to listen through a one-way mirror, to our local universe because it is enchanting out there. But...what if you had the chance to speak, to share your world, this time? I’m Tariq Shihadah and you’re listening to The Local Glow--and this week, we’ve got something a little different for you. As I write this, I’m actually on the road with the Champaign/Chicago, Illinois band Tara Terra, helping tour manage for them on the East Coast leg of their summer tour. And while I’m out here, I’m listening for stories… One of the most exciting parts about traveling is seeing new faces, hearing new voices. Nothing makes you feel more human than letting go of your daily routine for a little while and tossing yourself into the hustle and bustle of a new city or community, diving into a tide of fresh experiences. And while I’m out here, I want to hear from you. The Local Glow is an independent podcast out of Chicago, Illinois, about local music culture in the Midwest and beyond; the story of where it’s been and where it’s going. And right now, we want to hear your side of the story. We’re working on developing a series of episodes right now that turns our focus from bands, bookers, and backstage, to the people and stories going on in front of the stage, between the headphones, in the day to day. We’re collecting stories from showgoers, listeners, and singers along whose lives have been touched by the music and art being generated and shared by their community--whatever that looks like. I want to hear from you, the diehard fan who doesn’t miss a show because hip hop has kept your heart beating. And you, the rebellious punk who found true love in the mosh pit. I want to hear from the teen who found the courage to step up and face their demons in the whispered lines of a spoken word poet; and the family whose memories of loved ones and years gone by live on in the bars of an old refrain. We’ve all got stories to tell. I’m sure that if you and I were to sit down somewhere quiet, maybe on the dusty porch of a small town cafe, with mellow music and a soft breeze blowing through our hair, favorite drinks in hand, we could talk for hours. While I’m on the road, maybe I’ll get to do that with one or two of you. But for the rest, let’s connect online. I’d love for you to get in touch with me so we can talk--email me at or on facebook, @thelocalglow--and share a story. We’re hoping to collect a whole bunch of stories from folks, around the Midwest and beyond, to share in an upcoming episode or two. We’ll select a few to record being spoken aloud, by you, the sender, or by one of our producers if you’d prefer to remain anonymous, and we might select a few more to share on our website as well. Sort of in the fashion of The Moth, for any big fans of that production like me. I want us to celebrate the beautiful, chaotic humans that make up the hands and feet of our communities, and to take a minute to hear [...] from the listeners. If you’re thinking to yourself “This sounds interesting, but I doubt anyone would want to hear what I have to say”, I want you to know that’s exactly what we want to hear. And if you’re uncomfortable having your name on your story but you still want it shared, we will 100% respect that and keep you as anonymous as you’d prefer. Send us an email--one sentence or a whole essay, whatever there is to say, I want you to say it. And to show you that it’s not so scary to share your story with the faceless world of podcast listeners, I’ll share a piece of my own experience, being touched by local music. . . . I had never been an emotional guy growing up, really. I’m not sure if it came from my poor communication skills, the hyper-masculine gender role that I felt was expected of me as the “man of the house”, or the conservative and confusing religious context in which I grew up--or genetics for that matter...but when it came to communicating feelings, I just...sucked. I sucked at it. And consequently I just kept things to myself. And nothing could break my poker face. I remember hearing about tragedy and wishing that I could experience the reactions that my siblings experienced, to feel that bittersweet tinge of sadness and empathy that connects us humans; and watching heartbreaking movies I would long for just one tear to well up in my eye so I could feel the soft, cool stream roll down and hydrate my cheeks that had been so dry for years. But it just wouldn’t happen, and I was convinced that was just the way I was. Stoic. Sweet but stone-hearted. I just didn’t understand... A few years back, I wanna say Spring 2014, my eldest sister shared with me an obscure indie band she had stumbled upon just days before. She did this a lot, and has introduced me to some of my favorite music over the years, but this one was different. They were local, from somewhere in Illinois--honestly, I’m not sure where, but I think it was a small rural town, lost in the center of the state--and listening to their music, it sorta sounds that way, you know? I can hardly find anything about them anywhere, apart from the ambiguous bio and the John Steinbeck quote on their 800-like facebook page which hasn’t been touched for years. Lonesome Animals--that’s the band. It’s a soft-spoken, whirring, ambient folk project, with the voice of an anxious, uneasy angel. And their music fit my taste well, ‘cause it was beautiful and delicate, and it sounded like heartache. Music like this was a drug to me, ‘cause it somehow gave me a peek into what I imagined it was like to live through the depth of emotions that I wished for, the compassion and longing that daily escaped me. It could lead me over all my mental blocks to glimpse a distant emotional self, like a mirage, just for seconds at a time. And I longed for that, so I’d collect playlists of songs that had this sort of power over me. Like little pin pricks in a curtain, they revealed to me that there may actually live sadness, joy, fear, compassion, and reaction, somewhere inside. Now, at the time, my life was pretty okay. I was in college, studying Civil Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, a carnival island in the vast sea of corn-belt fields. I was loving life. I had everything I could need--plenty of friends, daily buffets at the dining halls, and more fun and exciting events each week than I could ever go to. I was living at Allen Hall, my favorite place to be, working as an RA--kind of a dream job for me. My days floated on--stressed and exhausted by a rigorous academic program, and a family life that shifted unpredictably under my feet--but things were good. It was around this time that my then girlfriend, now wife, Laura and I are started getting serious. Laura and I would talk--we’d talk and talk, and talk for hours. We’d talk ‘til the sun came up. And she would listen, unlike anyone before. I always felt that listening was a commodity I could offer, but at the time I could count on one hand the number of times in the recent past that I felt that commodity was offered back to me. And Laura...she listened. Every time. I could talk to her about anything, and I don’t think I ever felt that freedom to explore myself so deeply before, but she was my guide, and no matter what I told her, she would be there ready to listen, just waiting to love me. And I guess, it turns out, I actually am an emotional person, after all. And maybe I talked too much too quickly! Those months came with a comprehensive awakening of my empathetic self, agitated by newly uncovered spiritual traumas, family crises, and years of backlogged anger and sorrow. That season brought a deluge of depressive thoughts that left me reeling, as I came nose to nose, basically for the first time, with a world full of disappointment, animosity, and turmoil. And it was a lot to take in, a lot to abide, all at once. My reactions were intense and confusing and a little out of my control. I felt like a runaway train, shaken off its tracks by the rumbling earth below, barreling along wherever its momentum leads. I spent days at a time, in bed or on my dorm room floor, racking my mind for a reason to get up and move or a reason to eat something--anything. I’d wait all day for Laura to finish her work and to be able to come be with me and guide and protect me through my long, arduous night. And by then, we usually wouldn’t talk much, we’d just wait, and wait, and wait... I felt shattered, and not much would help. Religious texts that so comforted me before couldn’t uplift me, TV shows that had never failed to make me laugh couldn’t shake me out of this...darkness, and I could hardly touch my guitar, an old, reliable escapist talisman of mine. We dug around for something that could help carry me back to the railroad tracks, and as I became more desperate things didn’t really become any simpler. I tried journaling sometimes to help me think, but it was hard to get anything out. I’d sit at my desk, pen limp and ineffective in my shivering hand, as tear drops scrawled their own desperate missives onto the pages. Until, one overcast and starved afternoon, I pressed play on a pensive and melancholic playlist that I’d been compiling over the years, of songs that had before given me a pinhole view into the soft, visceral space inside my chest. A playlist I had titled “The quiet”. These words and melodies that had captured my attention before with their incantations, now took me to a place where, all of a sudden, I didn’t feel so lost, and I didn’t feel so alone. And there they were. Lonesome Animals. Their self-titled EP, like anointing oils, poured through my headphones and over my body. These neighbors of mine sang for me, songs of their own grief, of their own pangs for a listening ear. That day their words reached out and grabbed my hand, and I don’t know how or why but it made more sense than anything had in weeks. It stole my attention and it tore the curtain surrounding my heart, and bathed me in its soft light. “I am still here,” she sang. “Come back down.” And as each song played through, I slowly dissolved into the sound. Before long, I had vanished from the room altogether, and only my pen remained, earnestly scratching stories of anguish and feeling misplaced on a page now stained with bitter water. But this music, before my only pried insight into what it was to feel sadness, enmity, and dread, the pages of my plagiarized affection, somehow spoke through my thick skin to explain that this new and overwhelming season wasn’t my last stop on this course. And that the language I had for years longed to learn, the fervor I had searched for in the bleeding tones of heartache-music, was still ahead. “Thoughts in Soft Light”, February 3rd, 2014 Think about giving into the crazy It’s not losing it that’s exhausting but holding onto it. If I were just to let go of being normal think of all the weight that would fall off of my shoulders. If every day that I’m in my right mind is a day of fighting to stay in control, maybe letting it go would be the best option. Alone with God and my art, seceded from whatever culture is, stepping back from what I’ve been tempted and encouraged out to, pulling back into the dark and quiet cave that I think about when I close my eyes, like a first home. I seem sometimes to wish that I had never fallen in love with anyone or anything because how could I ever let go? But in between it seems that nothing has any charm so what am I doing? I like the idea of watching myself from the third person as if I were a glowing 3D television screen so I could enjoy and see but not have to feel it--I’ve lived like that at times, haven’t I? So when I need to put on myself it feels like too much. To experience the strengths and forces of a heart of flesh, I’m feeling its weight. God, please help me bear it Sometimes I think, is Laura another God or art? Or a replacement God or art? Is she something new that I can’t understand? Maybe she’s more than an analyzing mind can contain, opening new space for God. . . . Thanks for listening, friends, I appreciate your ears. And now it’s your turn. Come talk to us. Send us an email, send us your story, to . We can’t wait to hear from you. This episode was produced by me, Tariq Shihadah, and featured a ton of phenomenal tunes. Today’s intro music was by Columbus, Ohio Dream Rock band The Dream Masons. You also heard lots of beautiful music by Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania experimental folk band, String Machine, as well as Chicago surrealist drone-rock project, Naal. We also featured the song “Where You Are” by the elusive Lonesome Animals. Please go listen to all of their music and pick up all of their merch, support them however you can, they’re all fantastic. And Lonesome Animals, if you’re out there somewhere and you hear this...please get in touch, I would absolutely love to meet you--it would just make my year. Want an easy way to support The Local Glow? We’ve got just the thing, folks. Please go on iTunes, the Apple Podcasts app, or Stitcher, find us, and rate/review us! It really, really helps us connect to new listeners and gives us momentum on the podcast charts. We would greatly appreciate your time! And while you’re at it, be sure to like us on facebook and share this episode with your friends. If you feel like taking your support of the podcast to the next level, consider supporting us through Patreon, at patreon.com/thelocalglow. And of course don’t forget to send us your stories! The email is [email protected]! Do you know someone who may have a cool story to share as well? Feel free to tell them about this opportunity, the more the merrier! Thanks for hanging out, friends.
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A Cure to Disillusionment
08/31/2017
A Cure to Disillusionment
Usually when he’s on stage, Evan is bursting with energy, fingers dancing along the fretboard of his guitar while horns blast in the background over a complex, math-y rhythm section. You’ll probably be bobbing your head and sweating next time you hear him perform, but today we get a glimpse into the more delicate side of this entertainer. Evan plays through some stripped-down versions of his band, The Phantom Broadcast’s tunes, and he and Tariq discuss what it means to find rest and refuge in music. Purchase this performance on .The Phantom Broadcast on and their . -- Original music provided by and . Find The Local Glow on and , or email us at !
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"Fantasy Folk"
08/06/2017
"Fantasy Folk"
“That feeling...when your only friend in the whole-wide-world is a giant mythological bird.” Rebecca Jasso has a voice that fits so naturally with the classic voices of American folk music--timeless, free, and curiously familiar. Her music, soft but engaging, will take you along with her, into the wintry forests of her latest project, a “fantasy folk” concept album. Today’s episode will introduce you to Rebecca and her music, and will give you a look into the life of a model Midwestern folk singer/songwriter. Purchase this performance on . Rebecca Jasso on . -- Original music provided by and . Find The Local Glow on and , or email us at [email protected]!
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Fed Up!
07/23/2017
Fed Up!
“We believe that at the center of liberation is radical love for each other and ourselves.” These are the words of the creators of Fed Up Fest, an annual queer and trans punk and hardcore festival that takes place every summer in Chicago, Illinois. Today we'll be talking with Masha, Ash, and E, three active members of the Fed Up Fest collective, about the fest and the Midwest's queer and trans punk culture behind it. The fest will be taking place July 28-30 this year (2017). It's not too late to pick up a ticket! Visit their for more information on how to join the party. Learn more about Fed Up Fest ! Check out El Rescate's . -- Original music provided by . Find The Local Glow on and , or email us at !
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Welcome to Chambana
07/08/2017
Welcome to Chambana
Central Illinois...to many it's just the wide, flat, corn-rife space between Chicago, St. Louis, and Indianapolis. However, deep in within the corn-maze lies Champaign-Urbana, one of the top destinations in the state for local music. Boswell Hutson, a booker and promoter from the area tells introduces us to the town and its local culture, as well as how that culture is changing and how the DIY scene is fighting the good fight to keep local music alive. Original music provided by . Find out more at: Contact us at: [email protected]
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Anxiety, Faith, and Post-Apocalyptic Parenting
07/08/2017
Anxiety, Faith, and Post-Apocalyptic Parenting
Sarah Garner (aka Trees Wanna Fly) crafts folk tunes that are sometimes energetic, sometimes slyly sarcastic, and always hauntingly beautiful. As we dive deeper with Sarah into the meanings and inspirations behind her music we encounter themes of anxiety, faith, and...post-apocalyptic parenting. In addition to writing music, Sarah also sells handmade, wearable items on Etsy and is currently serving as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Purchase this performance on . Check out Sarah’s . Original music provided by and . Find out more at: Contact us at: [email protected]
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This is the Local Glow (Intro)
06/20/2017
This is the Local Glow (Intro)
Music...to some it's the drug that makes us come to life, and to others it's the only thing that keeps us grounded. Building community around something as deeply personal as music is tough, and The Local Glow is here to figure out why as well as how we fight to make such a community a reality. Today's episode is an introduction to this brand new Chicago podcast, sharing our vision for this season as well as a quick peek into some upcoming interviews. Original music provided by . Find out more at: Contact us at: [email protected]
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