Live, From Florida, it’s Saturday Night!
Jun 21, 2026
Johnnie Putman and Steve King come to you from the studios of WKGC-FM at the Charles Hilton Center for Advanced Technology and Hospitality Management at Gulf Coast State College in Panama City, Florida.
Our hosts are joined by Eli Ingram & Sandi MarLisa, the musical duo of ‘Jack & Gin,’ to talk about their new album, ‘Southern Gothic Tale.’
Gino Salomone of FOX6 WakeUp, Real Milwaukee and 4 p.m. news. provides Steve and Johnnie our showbiz update and Patrick Crispen, Director of Educational Technology, Keck School of Medicine of USC, gives us this weeks cyber-tips and more.
Steve and Johnnie: Recipes, Road Tests & Rock ’n’ Roll
Jun 14, 2026
On this episode of the Steve & Johnnie Show, the hosts kicked off the evening with a lively Round Robin discussion featuring Bob Fukuda, Ron Brown
The show then welcomed Todd Wilbur, founder of Top-Secret Recipes, who shared insights into his popular “Hack That Dish” concept, discussing how he reverse-engineers restaurant favorites and the secrets behind recreating iconic dishes at home.
Later, Musician Terry White joined the program alongside Rod Pierce to talk about Terry’s upcoming appearance at Fitzgerald’s American Music Festival. The conversation explored his music career, live performances, and what fans could expect from the festival. Terry remained on the show for an extended segment, allowing for a deeper discussion of his musical influences and experiences in the industry.
After midnight, automotive expert Tom Appel of Consumer Guide Automotive checked in remotely to discuss the latest vehicle road tests, automotive recalls, industry trends, and consumer advice for car buyers.
Steve and Johnnie: Post-postgame show
Jun 07, 2026
Johnnie Putman and Steve King kick off the show with hockey sticks in hand directly after the NHL Stanley Cup Final ready to roll with a reduced version of their show.
First, Steve & Johnnie talk to Ron Brown about the latest movies including how much they loved Remarkably Bright Creatures.
Then, Patrick Crispen, Director of Educational Technology, Keck School of Medicine of USC, talks Meta subscription plans, Google AI search and this week in hacks!
Lastly, Steve & Johnnie meet & greet their Producer Du jour for the evening, Neal E. Fischer, who talked about all his projects and along with new producer, Jonathan Lyle, kept things fun and interesting.
Steve and Johnnie: Great Moments, a full moon, and banning balloons
May 31, 2026
Johnnie Putman and Steve King kick off the show catching up with the crew, featuring Bob Fukuda, Ron Brown, and Jeff Carlin, and a discussion about superstitions.
Continuing the celebration of ‘Celiac Disease Awareness Month,’ Eli Sommerfeld joins the show to talk about the National Celiac Association Pickleball Tournament and how raising awareness has helped him.
Next up, prominent Chicago-based radio personality, voiceover artist, and musician, William Lindsey ‘Bill’ Cochran stops by the studio with some music from ‘Great Moments in Vinyl’ and to share some of his favorite music history stories.
Regular contributor, Tom Appel, publisher of Consumer Guide Automotive, warns about a possible motor oil shortage and why you might want to get your oil changed sooner, rather than later. Tom also has an update on the latest recalls and tips for buying the right size car.
Lastly, Steve & Johnnie meet & greet their new producer, Jonathan Lyle and get a sneak peak of coming weeks, including some dreaded premptions.
Steve and Johnnie: 60 years pushing buttons and making noise
May 24, 2026
Johnnie Putman and Steve King kick off the show catching up with the crew, featuring Bob Fukuda, Ron Brown, and Jeff Carlin celebrating the exact anniversary of Steve’s start in radio, 60 YEARS AGO! Then they are joined by Dane Neal to preview the upcoming 110th running of the Indy 500.
To continue the celebration of ‘Celiac Disease Awareness Month,’ Johanna Van Dorf, owner of Defloured Bakery, stops by the studio to share her expertise her story going from her kitchen making gluten free goodies for family & friends to over 25 Whole Foods stores, 30+ coffee shops, and brick-and-mortar shop in Andersonville on Chicago’s north side.
In the second half of the show, Patrick Crispen, Director of Educational Technology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, joins the program remotely. He will provides an update on the AI changes coming to Google, which AI agent Patrick ‘trusts’ most, and an experiment with AI radio stations.
Lastly, Johnnie shares a special gluten-free recipe in honor of Celiac Awareness Month, the perfect, gluten-free baked beans.
Steve and Johnnie: First gluten-free hotel in the U.S., Chicago’s Jewish delicatessens and Waymos
May 17, 2026
Johnnie Putman and Steve King kick off the show by celebrating the Chicago White Sox 8-3 win over the Chicago Cubs. Then, Steve and Johnnie welcome in news anchor Ron Brown, producer Ashley Bihun, and engineer’s Krista Flores and Bob Fukuda to share their review on Johnnie’s Celiac Awareness month gluten free rib recipe. Spoiler Alert: Everyone agreed they were 11/10. To close out the hour, ‘Movie Man’ Ron Brown talks about the original Top Gun in honor of the 40th anniversary, he shares his prediction of how the the new Paul Rudd and Nick Jonas film, Power Ballad will be and he share’s his reviews of the latest films in the theatre.
Steve and Johnnie are then joined by Michael Echols, co-owner of Hotel Monroe to talk about how they are the only gluten-free hotel in the U.S. Listen in while Michael shares what inspired him and his family into making a hotel 100% gluten-free.
Johnnie then share’s this week’s Celiac awareness month gluten free recipe which is great for a Sunday brunch.
Next, Steve and Johnnie welcome Neal Samors, co-author of Corned Beef on Rye: Remembering Chicago’s Jewish Delicatessens. Listen in while Neal shares why he wanted to write a book that celebrates the iconic Jewish delis that helped define Chicago’s culinary and cultural image. What’s your favorite Chicago delicatessen?
Then, Steve and Johnnie check in with their favorite car guru, Tom Appel, whom also happens to be the Publisher of Consumer Guide Automotive and Host of the Car Stuff Podcast to highlight the latest auto industry news.
Steve and Johnnie: Superdawg at 78, Bob Kessler’s avant-garde jazz, and Siri might owe you money
May 10, 2026
Johnnie Putman and Steve King continue to celebrate Celiac Disease Awareness Month with Chris Rich, the CEO of the National Celiac Association, to discuss the importance of awareness & advocating for yourself. Johnnie also shares a special gluten-free recipe perfect for the month of May, baby back ribs!
Bob Kessler visits the studio to talk about his brand-new album, “Frequency,” and shares insights into his latest musical journey, including starting his career with S&J, performing at Carnegie Hall, and recording his album himself.
In the second half of the show, Patrick Crispen, Director of Educational Technology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, has an update on the Canvas hack that has seen school across the world scrambling to get systems back online. Plus, Siri might owe you some money.
Then, Lisa and Don Drucker stop by to celebrate a major milestone: the 79th anniversary of the legendary Superdawg, which first opened its doors in 1948.
Steve and Johnnie: Celiac Awareness Month, Don McLean in Skokie, and car questions
May 04, 2026
Johnnie Putman and Steve King kick off Celiac Disease Awareness Month (May? Already?) with Jen Martindale from the Chicago Cubs to talk about Celiac Awareness Day at Wrigley Field (May 3rd) and tease a special recipe from Johnnie.
Merrill Miller, the Manager of Concerts for the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, joins the show to talk about recent changes to the venue and highlight some of this years big shows, including a night with Don McLean. Plus, Merrill highlights plans for a series of speakers this year like noted storm chaser, Reed Timmer.
Everyone’s favorite automotive guru, Tom Appel, is back and champing at the bit to discuss a slew of new cars, including a new offering from Honda & Genesis. Tom also has a timely update on various recalls making news.
In the mix, “Sunny Night’s” features a killer cover of Steve’s song “Satan is Her Name” by Holly Golightly, new Empty Pockets videos, and some phone-camera tips for replicating Johnnie’s ride in pics.
Finally, Johnnie has a great recipe for gluten-free stir fry. Seriously easy.
Steve and Johnnie: River road trio & roundtables
Apr 26, 2026
Steve and Johnnie are joined by Chief Meteorologist Chris Smith, who breaks down the latest on Florida wildfires and burn bans, giving listeners an important update on developing conditions.
The music takes over at 10:30 with a special in-studio performance from Jonelle & Terry Carter of the River Road Trio, bringing live energy into the studio. The trio continues into the 11 PM hour with extended performances.
The late-night stretch keeps things loose and entertaining with Unfinished Bidnez. May is Celiac awareness month, then wrapping up the show with Last Call at 1:45.
Steve and Johnnie: National Record Store Day, Uptown Theatre, Rt. 34 Drive In opens for the season and more
Apr 19, 2026
Johnnie Putman and Steve King kick off the show celebrating National Record Store Day by talking about the first albums they ever bought. Throughout the show they turned to the text line to see what listeners spent their hard earned money on for their first album.
Steve and Johnnie are then joined by author, journalist, and photographer from Chicago Robert Loerzel who joins to talk all things pertaining to the historic Uptown Theatre and where it’s at in its preservation journey. Listen in while Robert also shares details surrounding a special free presentation about the Uptown Theatre happening over at the Riviera Theatre from 2pm-4pm on Sunday, April 19th.
Next, Steve and Johnnie welcome Shelley & Paul Bottomley, owners of the Rt. 34 Drive In, in Earlville, IL to share that the theatre opens for the season on April 24, 2026. Listen in while Shelley and Paul talk about their new outside food policy, what movies they have lined up for their opening weekend, some drive in tales and more. Gates typically open at 7:00 PM, with movies starting at dusk. The drive-in operates on weekends through October.
Then, Steve and Johnnie check in with Patrick Crispen, Director of Educational Technology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC for a look at latest on the Google Android class action settlement, the Samsung messages app shutting down and, speaking of apps, this week in hacks and more tech news. Steve and Johnnie also talk about an audio tour app they used on their Grand Canyon trip.
For this week’s ‘Sports Between The Sheets‘ segment, News Anchor and sports master Gabe Salgado shares the answer to the question everyone’s been dying to know – “How many sports jerseys does Gabe Salgado have in his closet?”
Steve and Johnnie: Grand Canyon travel, live music, expert interviews
Apr 12, 2026
Johnnie Putman and Steve King are back from a fun trip to the Grand Canyon and are breaking down their experience.
This episode delivers a mix of live music, automotive insight, and late-night sports talk. The show kicks off with a special in-studio performance from Chicago band Empty Pockets, featuring Erika Brett and Josh Solomon. They perform new music and talk about their latest releases, upcoming shows, and the creative process behind their sound.
Later in the program, automotive expert Tom Appel, publisher of Consumer Guide Automotive, joins the show remotely to discuss the latest road tests, major vehicle recalls, and trends shaping today’s car market. It’s a practical conversation for anyone shopping for a car or staying informed about automotive news.
Johnnie Putman and Steve King are back from a much needed Florida stay just in time for the changing of the season and changing of the guard.
First on the show is Pamela Pulice, the Director for a new movie called “The Voice That Rocked America – The Dick Biondi Story” and we learn about the countless local legends in the movie that helped bring Pamela’s vision to life.
We then check in with Patrick Crispen, Director of Educational Technology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC for a look at the new FCC regulations on routers, Windows 11 updates and the war on social media rages on. Follow along with Patrick’s show notes so you don’t get lost!
Tom Appel, Publisher of Consumer Guide Automotive and Host of the Car Stuff Podcast makes a quick pit stop to follow up on the previous week’s power seat problems for Hyundai.
News Anchor and sports master Gabe Salgado checks in on the NCAA tournament as the Final Four are fast approaching.
To close the show, we close a chapter as Steve and Johnnie’s producer for the last 3 years moves on from WGN to the next big thing. To follow along with producer Julian’s next adventures, stop by Saldierna Media Productions for photo and video work from the previous 6 years and even more on the horizon.
Steve King and Johnnie Putman cap off their Florida spring break with a short and sweet show.
Tom Appel, Publisher of Consumer Guide Automotive joins the show for an update on all things car related including a Hyundai stop sale due to a fatal power seat malfunction and we learn what a crumple zone is, all while Tom navigates his own malfunction.
Tune in to the end for their tribute to WGN Radio’s own Orion Samuelson, passing just before his 92nd birthday.
Johnnie Putman and Steve King are in Panama City Beach with a very special guest local to the Florida panhandle but well known across the country! Johnnie’s watch also develops a mind of its own and they honor International Women’s Day, a day that is not celebrated nearly enough as it should be.
Michael Lister is an award winning crime novelist in northwest Florida best known for his ‘John Jordan’ series and he stops by the studio to provide creative insight behind his latest and upcoming work. Steve and Johnnie also share some of their favorite reads from the Micahel Lister bibliography essential for any true crime fan!
Checking back in with Patrick Crispen, Director of Educational Technology at the Keck School of Medicine at USC, we have the latest news on Apple’s new “entry level” MacBook Neo, the outlook of the Trump Administration removing Anthropic AI from government and military services and all of the usual tech and hack updates. You can follow along with the show notes at the Steve and Johnnie show blog!.
It’s the last show for Steve King and Johnnie Putman… in February and in Chicago. They’ll be in Panama City Beach for the next few weeks but not before celebrating with their friend Suzy! They even pay tribute to the legendary songwriter Neil Sedaka following his recent passing at age 86.
Before the show gets going, Steve and Johnnie are joined by Krista Flores to share memories of WGN Radio engineer Aubrey Mumpower.
Country music legend and Aledo, Illinois native Suzy Bogguss checks in with some more stories of her life on the road and, more importantly, breaks the news that she is now an esteemed member of the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee!
We then get up to speed with Consumer Guide Automotive’s Publisher Tom Appel for the latest round of auto news, including ‘over the air’ updates, the usual test drives and unsurprisingly, more Ford recalls.
Johnnie and Steve kick off the Chinese New Year
Feb 25, 2026
Johnnie Putman and Steve King are galloping into the Year of the Fire Horse with good friends and while you won’t hear any music, you can hear some of Steve and Johnnie’s new favorite Fire Horse songs at their blog!
First on the guest list is Dave Karger, Host at Turner Classic Movies for a talk about, you guessed it: movies! Dave shares some of his predictions for Oscar winners and we get a little sneak preview of his upcoming book 50 Movie Nights: Contemporary Stars on Their Favorite Classic Films. Be sure to preorder your copy to get the scoop on your favorite stars’ favorite films!
Ronnie Rice checks back in to share more of his glory days, stories behind some of his hits including TNT, which is featured on Chicago Rocks Vol. 1, a brilliant time capsule of Chicago rock and roll, courtesy of good friend Bill Dahl!
Patrick Crispen, Director of Educational Technology at the Keck School of Medicine at USC, brings this week’s latest news in tech, including a hefty Youtube outage, more Facebook shenanigans and a startling connection to the Epstein files. All that and more can be found at the show notes!
We also check in with News Anchor Gabe Salgado for his analysis on what’s to come for MLB as spring training begins.
Feel the Love Jones with Steve and Johnnie
Feb 20, 2026
Steve King and Johnnie Putman are feeling the love as they celebrate their 41st year together on the radio with a couple of other couples!
Before getting to the lovebirds, they are joined by John Davis, Host of Motorweek to highlight the 2026 Driver’s Choice Awards and close out the Chicago Auto Show.
It’s no secret that Jon Duncanson and Sylvia Gomez were CBS anchors together in Chicago for many years, and to celebrate Valentine’s Day, we get the untold love story that started behind the scenes and continued across the globe while founding Aviana Productions, showing that true journalism and storytelling don’t take a day off.
Bringing love from the Florida panhandle are Mike and Maggie McKinney, otherwise known as Lucky Mud. They share some of their love story and what it takes to write music and share the stage with your life partner.
Rounding out the show is Consumer Guide Automotive’s Publisher Tom Appel with the usual slew of test drives and auto news, including the latest recalls, some tariff and EV updates and a quick pit stop with his Car Stuff Podcast cohost Jill Ciminillo for some of her highlights out of the Chicago Auto Show.
Johnnie and Steve: Snacks, hacks and musical knicknacks
Feb 13, 2026
Johnnie Putman and Steve King are here with a tasty show, but if you know them, you know there is no gluten here. Courtesy of Big Plug Bob Fukuda, we have a little taste test of gluten free Cheez-Its and similar products!
Our first guest is Howard Levy, a fantastic musician whom you might think has two brains with his ability to play harmonica and piano at the same time. With plenty of upcoming shows, new music and a new memoir called I Speak Music, there are plenty of reasons to check out his website levyland.com.
The music conversation continues with John Mueller, best known for Winter Dance Party, in which he portrays the long lost legend Buddy Holly, along with his friends Linwood Sasser as the Big Bopper and Ray Anthony as Ritchie Valens. Learn about his upcoming shows and learn more about him in honor of The Day the Music Died.
Patrick Crispen checks in with the latest tech and hack news covering the the latest TikTok news, smart TVs targeting you with their ads like everything else, more Facebook shenanigans and some helpful tips on passkeys to keep your personal info safe in a growing age of insecurity. As always, follow along with Patrick’s show notes at the Steve and Johnnie Show blog!
Steve King and Johnnie Putman invite you to warm up as the temperatures hit single digits with some great guests and brilliant conversations!
Chris Smith, Meteorologist at Panhandle Weather for Northwestern Florida shared some of the crazy temperatures many Floridians experienced this winter which resulted in a delay to Steve and Johnnie’s February trip to the panhandle.
Our very own news anchor Ron Brown shares his take on the biggest Hollywood blockbusters from 2025 following the latest Oscar nomination news.
Chicago journalist James Elsener joins the show to talk about a new book on the City News Bureau that he co-authored with the late editor of City News Bureau Paul Zimbrakos, a legend among journalists. Sirens in the Loop: A History of the City News Bureau of Chicago, catalogs how integral it was to the efficiency of news and how many up and coming journalists sharpened their senses throughout the history of Chicago news
Tom Appel, Publisher of Consumer Guide Automotive and Host of the Car Stuff Podcast shares his bi-monthly car news covering the usual test drives and recalls along with some helpful advice for engines in the winter, sound system rankings and the ever uncertain future of AM Radio
Johnnie Putman and Steve King introduce you to another special guest on the show!
If you’ve seen Bears Superfan Dave Swerski‘s parody songs, you already know who he is, but do you know the man behind da ‘stache? Tune in to get to know the storied career of David Haack, the Iowa native behind the catchy songs!
We then check in with the Director of Educational Technology at the Keck School of Medicine at USC, Patrick Crispen for his analysis on the big Verizon outage and we dive deep on the growing need of two factor authentication passkeys! There is so much more Patrick digs into but don’t worry about taking notes, here are his show notes!
Steve and Johnnie 2.0 celebrates its 3rd anniversary!
Jan 07, 2026
Start 2026 with the best Saturday night show featuring your favorite radio couple! Steve King and Johnnie Putman are starting their 4th year back on the air with some of their favorites AND a very special guest for a full circle moment!
Gino Salomone returns for a look back at some of his best ‘Showbiz’ moments of 2025 and we get a sneak peek at how Chicago’s iconic film critic duo Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert are being honored, plus Gino breaks down the new movie featuring the music of Neil Diamond and the new Chevy Chase documentary.
The loyal listeners of The Steve and Johnnie Show that stay up until their segment known as Last Call might know about The Closing Song by Red Peters, and who better than the man himself to kick off the 3rd anniversary of the show! You won’t hear it here but we finally get to know the man behind that song!
We catch up with Consumer Guide Automotive’s Publisher Tom Appel for the latest test drives and recall news that took 2025 by storm, including Ford’s very rough year for recalls. We get a look ahead to 2026 as Tesla is dethroned for number one EV manufacturer by a company in China plus a huge “screw-up” for BMW vehicles.
Say goodbye to 2025 with Johnnie and Steve!
Jan 01, 2026
Johnnie Putman and Steve King bid adieu to 2025 with two of their favorite things: family and some good old fashioned, hometown rock & roll!
Kicking off the show is the Crispen family, including Joseph and his parents Patrick and Christine! Patrick wraps up the year with some tech news including some computer chip woes for consumers in favor of AI, CAPTCHA hacks and we get Patrick’s tech predictions for 2026!
Shifting over to music, Grammy nominated author, journalist, music historian and lifelong Chicagoan Bill Dahl joins for a spotlight on some of Chicago’s finest rockers to ever hit the airwaves, including Steve King himself. Chicago Rocks: Windy City Rock & Roll, Vol. 1 catalogs the rich history of Chicago rock & roll with various hits from the mid 1950s to 1960s and is a must own for any music historian in your life!
Relive the ’70s with Steve and Johnnie!
Dec 16, 2025
There were many eras of music that were memorable, but if you ask Steve King and Johnnie Putman, they’ll tell you that the 1970s in Chicago were the best for concerts and they have two guys who may agree!
The show kicks off with a frosty weather forecast from WGN-TV Meteorologist Mike Jansen as Christmas fast approaches.
The two guys mentioned above are Jim Summaria and Mark Plotnick, co-authors of ’70s Chicagoland Rock Concerts, a thrilling time capsule of concert photos, history and more! Mark is a retired Chicago journalist and Jim is a concert photographer and together they also are the hosts of That Rock Show with Jim and Mark where they celebrate all of the greatest music to come out of Illinois!
Later on, we check on tech with Patrick Crispen, Director of Educational Technology at the Keck School of Medicine at USC. There is plenty to talk about with AI as Disney makes a big investment and Patrick clears the air on some unease around Facebook/Meta “expanding” their AI tools. For all of you last minute Christmas shoppers, Patrick shares a few ideas for the tech and music nerds in your life and his pick for a cable TV alternative. Be sure to follow along with the show notes directly from The Steve and Johnnie Show Blog!
Car news with Johnnie, Steve and Tom!
Dec 11, 2025
Johnnie Putman and Steve King are in for a super short show featuring our favorite car guru, Tom Appel, whom also happens to be the Publisher of Consumer Guide Automotive and Host of the Car Stuff Podcast to highlight the latest auto industry news, test drives and recalls, including the Trump’s decision to roll back fuel economy standards, which may impact drivers’ wallets at the pump, plus the shaky future of AM radio being a standard feature in vehicles.
Happy Thanksgiving from Steve, Johnnie and Muriel
Nov 27, 2025
Steve King and Johnnie Putman bring all the stuffing you need for Thanksgiving, and the main course: Muriel Anderson! It’s that time of year for her Saturday-After-Thanksgiving Concert! Listen in for all the details as she returns home to Downers Grove for her 34th annual concert featuring Alberto Lombardi from Italy!
Tune in for Patrick Crispen’s latest tech news including a new Facebook message that is sure to startle some, Google and TikTok features are improving the way they handle AI, and so much more that you can read all about on The Steve and Johnnie Show Blog!
Stay tuned on the blog for more, including Johnnie’s stuffin muffin recipe and Youtube channel for many servings of videos from our musical guests this November and all that came before!
Seasons Greetings with The Empty Pockets
Nov 21, 2025
Johnnie Putman and Steve King welcome back everyone’s favorite musical guest, The Empty Pockets! Josh Solomon and Erika Brett stop by to perform and share more tunes and upcoming shows! The big one is on December 19th at the City Winery and don’t forget to go to Will’s Place in Skokie to get your Thanksgiving pies!
Tom Appel, Publisher of Consumer Guide Automotive and Host of the Car Stuff Podcast checks back in after much time off for a segment on reliable vehicles that may be more affordable for most sitting around the $30,000 mark, in addition to the usual recalls and test drives.
Be sure to stay tuned on The Steve and Johnnie Show Blog to stay up to date on the latest and upcoming videos of in-studio performances!
Back in action with Steve and Johnnie!
Nov 12, 2025
After a much needed recovery, Steve King and Johnnie Putman have returned after a few weeks off air! It may be a little colder and darker, but rest assured that this show is a return to full strength!
Starting off the show is a little weather check in with WGN-TV’s Meteorologist Mike Janssen that preceded the weekend’s wildly varied snowfalls, which may be a sign of what is to come this winter.
We check in again with one of Chicago’s top reporters, Monica Eng as the ongoing ICE occupation continues to terrorize, make false claims and illegally detain legal citizens in Chicago.
In the first of many musical guests this holiday season, Nikki O’Neill and Rich Lackowski return to the studio to share more tales and tracks from her band’s latest album “Stories I Only Tell My Friends.” We are also treated to Nikki’s rendition of a holiday classic! You can catch The Nikki O’Neill Band at Art Makers Outpost on Saturday, Novemeber 15th!
Also returning this week is the Director of Educational Technology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, Patrick Crispen! We’ve got all the show notes at the Steve and Johnnie Show blog for you to follow along as Patrick covers a new T-Mobile emergency feature for certain phones in a pinch, some more bad groups using public data maliciously, such as ICE, and Patrick shares his picks for reliable tech news sources
Rounding out the show is a special edition of Sports Between the Sheets featuring guest News Anchor Lauren Lapka!
Turn out the lights with Johnnie and Steve
Oct 15, 2025
Johnnie Putman and Steve King continue “Spooktober” following a sad elimination for the Chicago Cubs. We lament over another loss but we also take some time to pay tribute to a number of losses including some of Chicago’s very own.
Our first guest is Joe Berton, President of the Military Miniature Society of Illinois and we are talking about their 50th show which showcases a vast medium of historical miniature art and the talented artists behind them and the history of the medium itself. The 50th show takes place at the Marriot Schaumburg October 17-18.
Following another classic scary story, we jump into some fun photography time with rockstar photographer Will Byington! Will teaches the class about some handy iPhone photo tips covering exposure lock, burst mode and why a live photo is an underrated tool for capturing groups! With spooky season currently underway, it’s also helpful to learn some tricks for getting great low light photos.
Rounding out the show is Patrick Crispen, Director of Educational Technology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC with his latest tech and hacking news covering the removal of ICE tracking apps, Bose ending all internet streaming for their SoundTouch smart speakers, and so much more including TikTok, Meta’s AI Glasses. You can follow along with the show notes on Steve and Johnnie’s blog!
Beware the dark with Steve and Johnnie!
Oct 07, 2025
It’s time to step into October and get spooky with Steve King and Johnnie Putman! We are starting the show with an important PSA as ICE continues to terrorize Chicago, but we hope you will enjoy a fun scary story from the mind of Arch Oboler to balance it out.
Our first guest is the incredible Tommy Emmanuel for a much overdue reunion to promote his new album Living In The Light set to release October 10th! The album features the track Scarlet’s World, which he debuted here 2 years ago! We reintroduce him with a live version of that track and you can watch the full video here! We learn all about his songwriting process, how he handles playing his older songs, and working with legends like Chet Atkins and George Benson.
It’s also Consumer Guide Automotive Publisher Tom Appel’s turn to update us on all things automotive with his latest test drive and vehicle recalls. We also learn about some of the actual music manufacturers use when testing out a vehicle’s sound systems and we get a sneak peek at what’s to come on his Car Stuff Podcast.
News Anchor Gabe Salgado checks the pulse of Chicago sports and gives us some spark of optimism as our Bears, Blackhawks, Cubs and Sox continue to deliver what we have all come to expect. Tune in below for all of the above, plus an entertainment review by producer, photographer and avid theatergoer, Julian Saldierna, of the opening night of The Lion King at the Cadillac Palace Theatre and Leonardo DiCaprio’s latest blockbuster ‘One Battle After Another’.
Kick up the loving sound with Johnnie and Steve
Oct 02, 2025
Johnnie Putman and Steve King welcome friends from all over for another special show as October rolls around and we pay our respects in honor of a lost friend.
We welcome Becca Starke, Steve and Johnnie’s Panhandle Producer for when they are broadcasting from Panama City Beach, Florida. She stopped by Chicago to hang out with the class!
Before getting to our special guest, we honor the memory of a dear friend of the show following the news of her passing. Alice Selke was delighted to receive tons of birthday wishes from listeners all across the country for her 107th birthday.
It was our privilege to have Paul Cebar in studio to discuss his brand new self-titled album! We are treated to some fantastic live performances of some of the new tracks and we get a little insight into the man behind the music as well as a number of performances going on in and around his hometown of Milwaukee.
We check in for our regular tech updates and the week in hacks with the Director of Educational Technology at the Keck School of Medicine at USC, Patrick Crispen. We get the scoop on Microsoft ceasing all support for Windows 10 users, the latest from Apple and the kind of threat a SIM card farm may be for telecommunications networks. Tune in to the show blog for the show tech notes!
The Steve and Johnnie Fall Equinox Show!
Sep 24, 2025
Summer is officially over! Don’t worry, Steve King and Johnnie Putman are here to stay and they brought a bunch of friends!
Our first guests are Ed Janz and ABC7’s Roz Varon, who both have long careers in Chicago broadcasting, and they talk about a benefit concert in honor of their late daughter, Sara Janz. “Stars for Sara” takes place on Oct. 21 at the Des Plaines Theatre and features tons of big stars, including Carl Giammarese of The Buckinghams and Jim Peterik with The Ides of March! The funds go to the “Sara Janz Take Your Shot Memorial Scholarship.”
Next up, we have Terry White and Rob Pierce of the Yellowhammers to promote Terry White’s new solo album You Won’t Have a Name.
We are also treated to a few special performances of songs with some stunning visuals to follow, so make sure you stay tuned on the Steve and Johnnie show blog!
Last, but never least, it’s our car guy Tom Appel, who is the Publisher of Consumer Guide Automotive and Host of the Car Stuff Podcast! With Tom, we’ve got all the latest test drives, recalls and automotive news, including a big shakeup at the Ford headquarters in Michigan, where a majority of the American auto industry calls home.
Getting a little wiser with Johnnie and Steve
Sep 09, 2025
Johnnie Putman and Steve King are starting off September feeling a little older and wiser with this shortened show! We lament the Sox, welcome some new faces, and we celebrate Johnnie for completing another year around the sun!
Our first guest is Robert Loerzel, an author, journalist, and photographer from Chicago and we welcome him to the show to talk about his latest book about The Uptown Theatre, fittingly titled The Uptown: Chicago’s Endangered Movie Palace. The conversation covers the history of the theater, some of the iconic performances and guests that graced its stage, including some of Johnnie’s favorites growing up in the area and the efforts to restore the Uptown Theatre.
We then turn to the world of AI and hacks with our friend, tech guru and Director of Educational Technology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, Patrick Crispen. We take a deep dive into the fake news of a massive Gmail breach that didn’t actually happen and how to protect yourself from an actual scare. Along with some tips and warnings about Facebook messaging viruses, voice hackers and a number of other things that you can follow along with on the show notes!
So much more news along the way including the passing of The Turtles’ Mark Volman, a preview of the Illinois Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Sunday, September 14th (also in our “Best Of” replay the night before) and we talk with news anchor Gabe Salgado and guest producer Sammy Martino about the week in sports and their outlook on the Bears’ season opener.
There Goes Another Steve and Johnnie Summer!
Sep 04, 2025
Steve King and Johnnie Putman ring in September with a few friendly faces and celebrating the one thing all Americans love: labor!
Our first guest is Grammy and Emmy Award winning country musician John Berry, best known for his #1 single “Your Love Amazes Me.” We get to know the background behind some of his hits and a song called “All Come Together” he put together to benefit survivors of Hurricane Harvey with a number of fellow musicians. He’ll be in Chicago on September 12th at Hey Nonny in Arlington Heights.
Fans of this show may be familiar with 107 year old Alice Selke of Hoffman Estates, but this time we shine a light on her grandson Don Selke. He started Super CFL Radio, an internet radio station as a tribute to 104.7 WCFL with all of the music hits from the 60s and 70s.
We then flip through to our next guest John Dudley, writer of Big Shoulders an “urban fantasy” comic book series set in our very own “City of Big Shoulders.” He is proud to debut the launch of his new series that serves as a love letter to Chicago with fantastic artwork by Scott Gray.
Rounding out the show is our favorite car guru and Publisher of Consumer Guide Automotive, Tom Appel. This segment is a special one for him as he takes us through the trials and tribulations of buying a used car with his daughter, along with many of the things we should all be aware of when buying used cars.
We also discuss our first jobs, chat with news anchor Sylvia Snowden about the “dangers” of wearing socks to bed and we learn that beating the computer senseless sometimes just doesn’t fix it.
Steve King and Johnnie Putman are lucky enough to be graced with the presence of one of Chicago’s living legends!
Carl Giammarese, one of the founding members of The Buckinghams, comes by for a special show to debut some music from of his brand new solo album, Let The Music Play. We hear some great stories of his youth on the North side of Chicago, the past 60 years of his career, and we get the answer to Steve’s 60-year question: What is the chorus singing in the background of ‘Kind of a Drag’?
We then shift over to the world of technology with Dr. Patrick Crispen, the Director of Educational Technology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, for a whole list of updates. We learn that AOL is bringing their dial up internet service to an end, Coco Robotics is bringing their food delivery bots to Chicago, and we dig through the details of the government’s stake in Intel, one of the biggest computer chip manufacturers. Plenty of other stories among the headlines can also be found in Patrick’s show notes.
We also have tasty and not so tasty food combinations, Tommy Emmanuel news, and we get the sports outlook from our news anchor and sports master Gabe Salgado as the Bears close out the preseason on a positive note.
Johnnie Putman and Steve King like to change things up once in a while and along with some regular players, it’s another show full of surprises.
WGN-TV’s Meteorologist Mike Janssen managed to step away from the cameras and talk the past weekend’s hectic weather woes.
After recently setting up a trust, Steve and Johnnie aim to educate the class on how it all works. Julie Kolodziej is the Principal Attorney & CEO of JPR Law and she is on the show to talk estate planning, the difference of trusts and wills, and how to navigate all of the hurdles of leaving your legacy to the family in the right places.
Our dear friend and former WGN agricultural business broadcaster Max Armstrong to talk.. you guessed it, farms and tractors! The Half Century of Progress Show is taking place in Rantoul, Illinois and Max is talking tractor history, what attendees can expect and many of his favorite tractor trucks he has driven and worked on over the course of his life.
Tom Appel, Publisher at Consumer Guide Automotive joins for some regular automotive updates! The big news is what many are calling a “Model T moment” for Ford, with the reported investment at $5 billion. Along with the usual test and recall briefings, we also talk about the final days of Klairmont Kollections, a musuem with nearly 300 vehicles that are being auctioned off in September.
Steve King and Johnnie Putman may not have music in this show, but that won’t stop them from talking about it!
Our first guest Ron Romero is the CEO and Founder of the Illinois Rock & Roll Museum on Route 66. He joins Steve and Johnnie to talk about the Hall of Fame induction ceremony where they will be the presenters of the Founder’s Choice Award Recipient. They also talk about many of the inductees and performers as well as the global reach that the museum has.
There’s this thing called the Fest for Beatles Fans and our resident Beatle-ologist and author Wally Podrazik takes us on the long and winding road behind the big events at the Fest and some of the musicians that collaborated with The Beatles back in the day.
Our tech guru and Director of Educational Technology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC Patrick Crispen returns with a fresh tech news update on all things AI, ChatGPT and the big Google security breach resulting in a new voice phishing scam. Plus, Patrick answers listener questions including a big one regarding the yearly release of new iPhones and whether buying one right now is a good idea.
Many of other things along the way including fake tour dates, potentially fake music groups, rice pudding and a special guest: news anchor Sylvia Snowden!
While most of Chicago was enjoying Lollapalooza, Johnnie Putman and Steve King had a big turn out of their own! After a brief hiccup, Him n’ Her are back and ready to grace your ears with their auditory presence.
Ron Onesti, CEO of Onesti Entertainment is our first guest on the show and we learn of the Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations‘ (COPOMIAO) efforts to get the late legend Connie Francis inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Being the first woman to top the Billboard singles chart back in 1960 with “Everybody’s Somebody’sFool”, it’s been long overdue.
We are then graced with the physical presence of our two favorite experts, Patrick Crispen and Tom Appel for the rare crossover appearance!
With the Educational Director of Technology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, we cover some social media blues as we analyze the fall of television. As younger generations grow increasingly reliant on their handheld computers for information, entertainment and education, Patrick looks at one of Youtube’s new AI age protection safeguards to brace for the future. Plus, with the Crispens in Chicago, they had to take in some of the finest in entertainment and delectable deliciousness.
With the Publisher of Consumer Guide Automotive and Host of the Car Stuff Podcast, we cover the usual new test drives and bewildering numbers of recalls. Plus, with the rise in electric vehicles and heavy reliance on computers, both Tom and Patrick share their outlook for the automotive industry as more and more vehicles become “software defined” relying on ‘over the air’ updates for regular maintenance.
Sports Between the Sheets returns to look at the week’s latest news in baseball with our late night news anchor and sports master, Gabe Salgado. If you struggled or missed a detail in Patrick’s tech updates, you can follow along at The Steve and Johnnie show blog!
Steve King and Johnnie Putman are taking flight with some exciting topics including, but not limited to new fantastic new movies and all things photography, both good and bad. We start off with news anchor Ron Brown’s review of the new Superman movie and ask the big question: is it suitable for 9 year olds?
The great Chicago photographer Barry Butler is in studio to share some of his latest stories photographing magnificent sailboats, majestic lightning storms and marvelous dogs at dawn. We also learn of his mission to preserve the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse and we get some updates on some of his published and upcoming materials featuring his striking photography.
Gino Salomone is the Entertainment Reporter for Fox 6 in Milwaukee, and a great friend of the show, but we learn he was a great friend of Leslie Nielsen, whom would surely be having a gas knowing the new Naked Gun movie is a hit and an homage to the late comedy legend. Plus, we get Gino’s take on the news following CBS’ decision to cancel The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
Our favorite Director of Educational Technology of USC, Patrick Crispen checks in with the latest on questionable AI implementation from big tech companies such as Facebook’s impending update that may pry into your phone’s entire gallery, Delta’s use of AI in ticket pricing and a big hack on anyone who may have applied at McDonald’s and gone through their AI chatbot. All that and more on his segment, but as always, you can follow along with Patrick’s handy show notes.
Along with a tribute to the late Connie Francis, there are plenty of shenanigans along the way!
Johnnie Putman and Steve King take you on a journey back in time and surely you’ll feel like a kid again as we flashback with our friends!
Our first guest Alice Selke rejoins the show in time for her 107th birthday and together, we explore her history, her youth and some of her family’s history in the Hoffman Estates Fire Department along with some records she may or may not have grown up with.
Aaron Bearden is our next guest and he is the Owner of Instant Replay Sports in Panama City, Florida and a living encyclopedia of all things sports collectibles. We learn about the surprising value in some classic cards and his efforts to educate collectors in the form of good old fashioned television.
We then throwback to the Disco Demolition Night that took place 46 years ago with Chicago’s very own Vince Lawrence, record producer and one of the early pioneers in Chicago’s iconic house music scene. He takes us back to working in the disco scene on that infamous night and we analyze the destructive effects of that night on disco music and the culture of black and LGBTQ communities, much of which is covered in a new documentary called “Move Ya Body: The Birth of House.”
Our last guest, Tom Appel is Publisher of Consumer Guide Automotive and Host of the Car Stuff Podcast touches on some of his latest test drives, listener questions on gas types and old engines, big recall numbers for Ford and why a car being too quiet is a bad thing.
With shoutouts, highlights out of the Windy City Smokeout and getting up to a whole lot of nothing with our News Director Ryan Burrow, it’s another show to remember.
Halfway through 2025 with Steve and Johnnie
Jul 02, 2025
Steve King and Johnnie Putman ring in the second half of 2025 with some special auditory treats while down in Panama City Beach!
Tracy Mick returns to share some covers and her own original songs taking shape from her life story in Florida and the tough part about being our own worst critic as a musical artist.
We then pay tribute to the late great Bobby Sherman, recently passing at the age of 81, with an old interview of Steve and Johnnie’s in which her excitement could barely be contained!
Patrick Crispen, Director of Educational Technology at the Keck School of Medicine at USC shares the latest in tech, hacks and cyber news. The Supreme Court did something good and preserved the USF, which keeps telecommunication services affordable, we get the scoop on new tech revealed at Apple’s WWDC and Amazon launches Project Kuiper.
Plenty of other treats along the way including our gripes with NYT’s 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century and spreading the word on Bruce Springsteen’s massive music drop.
Steve and Johnnie remember Bobby Sherman
Jul 02, 2025
Singer, actor and teen heartthrob Bobby Sherman died on June 24th at age 81. In the 60s and early 70s, he appeared in countless television series and recorded over 100 songs, including hits like “Julie, Do You Love Me” and “Easy Come, Easy Go.” In this July 2000 clip, he talked to WGN Radio’s Steve King and Johnnie Putman ahead of a concert in Chicago to take them behind the early days when he met Micky Dolenz of ‘The Monkees‘ and his days on “Shindig.”
Beat the heat with Johnnie and Steve!
Jun 25, 2025
Johnnie Putman and Steve King return broadcasting in Panama City Beach after a two week hiatus, with good reasons, for a massive show sure to keep you cool and entertained!
Cary Baker, Journalist and Author of Down On The Corner: Adventures In Busking & Street Music stops by to tell us about a book signing event on July 8 at The Book Cellar in Lincoln Square and helps us follow the music with how the art of busking shaped his life.
Neal James is a new musically talented friend down in Panama City Beach and he shows off some great guitar and vocals in the studio and we learn a little about the man behind the music!
Patrick Crispen, Director of Educational Technology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, makes a quick stop to cover what is considered to be the largest data breach in history with over 16 billion passwords leaked on the web. We learn all of the details of this massive hack and Patrick turns our attention to haveibeenpwned.com where you can find out if your emails have been compromised. Of course, everything is laid out in Patrick’s handy show notes.
Consumer Guide Automotive’s Publisher Tom Appel eventually glitches his way onto the show and gives the scoop on his latest test drives and we take a ton of listener questions. Plus, Steve shares his brother Lee’s difficult driving decision that comes for us all.
Plenty of other things along the way for you to sink your jaws into, so tune in below and be sure to head over to the Steve and Johnnie show blog for even more bonus stuff!
Feeling the blues? Here’s some Steve and Johnnie!
Jun 02, 2025
Steve King and Johnnie Putman offer their two cents and close out a very musical May with a little blues celebration!
Guitarist and Chicago’s very own Dave Specter stops by the studio for a special appearance to talk about his new album LIVE at SPACE! Performed at the venue SPACE in Evanston, we learn a little bit about the venue itself, his take on the modern blues crowd and some of his heroes that influenced his style.
Lynn Orman, Founder of Women of the Blues checks in to shine a spotlight on some of the huge names headlining the Chicago Blues Fest, including Bobby Rush, Nellie “Tiger” Travis, Mavis Staples and so many more!
We shift gears to car talk with Tom Appel, Publisher at Consumer Guide Automotive for the usual updates on recalls and test drives, plus some news on a Kia price bump and discontinuation of some Porsche models. We also introduce Tom to a new friend and automotive genius with the ability to convert a v6 engine to a v8!
Plenty of other treats along the way including but not limited to goats, Mrs. Robinson and our news director Ryan Burrow learns that June comes after May!
Johnnie, Steve and some Empty Pockets!
May 28, 2025
Johnnie Putman and Steve King have all of your favorites for this packed show! Racing, routers and a pair of talented musicians are just some of the things crammed in!
Our own Dane Neal stopped by before he covered the Indy 500 to share some of the traditions, superstitions and expectations all racing fans should have.
The big stars of the show were Josh Solomon and Erika Brett, the front half of The Empty Pockets! We always get more tales from their shows, early inspirations and we share some new music, both recorded and live in the studio!
After jamming out, we take a long deep dive into WIFI routers with Patrick Crispen, Director of Educational Technology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. For those who might struggle following along for the router specific segment, Patrick’s show notes are the perfect companion for your brain to stay wired in.
We close out the show with some of Gabe Salgado’s latest sports analysis for Sports Between the Sheets, this time looking at the controversial move in football known as the “tush push”. Plus, we continue our spotlight on Celiac Disease Awareness Month!
Steve and Johnnie’s Musical MAYhem continues!
May 21, 2025
Steve King and Johnnie Putman bring some more musical mayhem, along with the usual tales from back in the day, car stuff and tasty treats!
Suzy Bogguss is the first guest and she is quite the busy bee with lots to talk about! She is one of the inductees at the Illinois Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum on Route 66 this September, she has a fantastic cookbook, and she has a brand new movie called “Everything Fun You Could Possibly Do in Aledo“, Illinois” coming in June!
Next up is a familiar voice for WGN-TV fan with the great Steve Sanders and he tells us what he’s been up to with his musical tribe known as The Mixaphors and why exactly they are called that!
Tom Appel, Publisher of Consumer Guide Automotive and the Car Stuff Podcast has the latest car recalls, test drives and answering your questions!
Last, but not least, our news anchor Gabe Salgado returns with a lengthy segment of Sports between the Sheets! Plus, another sugary gluten-free Johnnie snack that will cleanse your palette!
Mother’s Day magic with Johnnie and Steve
May 13, 2025
Johnnie Putman and Steve King give you the “mother” of all shows! We have some childhood ‘momisms’, our weekly food jones, weird new tech jargon, and magical music that is both new to us and to the airwaves!
We jump right in with Don Drucker and Lisa Berman Drucker, Owners of Superdawg in Norwood Park in celebration of the restaurant’s 77th anniversary! We learn fun behind the scenes facts about the iconic blinking dogs and get a little backstory and connection to the original owners Maurie and Flaurie Berman!
Next up are the big stars of this show, Nikki O’Neill and Rich Lackowski, partners in life and music as the Chicago-based Nikki O’Neill Band! We learn how they were introduced to the show and are treated to some very magical, unplugged performances! Check out their website for upcoming shows and be sure to listen to her new album “Stories I Only Tell My Friends”, a magnificent work of art full of Americana soul that showcases the diverse range and storytelling chops.
After some calming music, Patrick Crispen, Director of Educational Technology at Keck School of Medicine of USC, returns to stress us out with more tech troubles. We learn about a type of text scam called Pig Butchering and how you can report them, a big legal payout at the expense of Apple, and we learn about Perplexity AI. We cover that and so much more, which you can also read on Patrick’s show notes!
We cover plenty of other stuff including mom stories for Mother’s Day and another of Johnnie’s gluten free recipes for Celiac Disease Awareness Month!
Steve King and Johnnie Putman are back for tons of music, Malort and motor related goodness!
Our first guest is Monica Eng, Author and Axios reporter with some real reporting on the Real ID, Chicago’s impending curfew law after an influx of late night “teen takeovers” and the obligatory food jones, if you consider Malort candy food.
Our big star of the show is Chicago blues musician Wayne Baker Brooks, with some upcoming performances, new music and a couple live performances right in the studio!
After some of Wayne’s tunes, we get some of Tom’s tunes, Tom being the Tom Appel, Publisher of Consumer Guide Automotive. The tariff troubles continue, Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz has a recall, General Motors has immense recall numbers and we get more of Tom’s latest road tests!
Tons of other treats along the way with talk on new Chicago baseball outfits with Gabe Salgado and with May being Celiac Disease Awareness Month, Johnnie shares some delicious gluten free recipes!
Celebrating the life, legacy and licks of Duane Eddy
Apr 29, 2025
Johnnie Putman and Steve King have another cavalcade of characters on this super stuffed show! Throughout the show, we’re paying tribute to the late legend Duane Eddy on, what would have been, his 87th birthday. Plus, we have the obligatory food jones.
Our first featured friend is Steve Bernas, President & Chief Executive Officer of BBB of Chicago & Northern Illinois for the latest scams and spams. With reports on more text and call scams to restaurant reservation and concert scalping, there are plenty of reasons to perk up your ears!
With springtime weather in full bloom, it is the perfect time to go for a drive-in movie and who better to have on the show than Shelley and Paul Bottomley, Owners of the Route 34 Drive-In located in Earlville, IL. Following opening weekend, we learn about what is coming up in the following weeks, and we get some fun anecdotes from back in the day of old film reels before the shift to digital movies.
We also talk about our friend Steve Dawson‘s upcoming guitar class at the Old Town School of Folk Music along with a spotlight behind the scenes on the latest videos from his last in studio performance!
The last big player is Patrick Crispen, Director of Educational Technology at Keck School of Medicine of USC for his weekly roundup on tech and social media news! There is some news for Google Nest users, Google Chrome and we shed some light on Facebook as bad actors continue to plague the site.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a complete show if we didn’t have our very own newsman Gabe Salgado talking about the big wins and upsets from the NFL Draft on this week’s Sports Between the Sheets!
Celebrating a two for one holiday with Steve and Johnnie!
Apr 23, 2025
Kick back, relax and crack open a window for this full show with Steve King and Johnnie Putman!
After weeks of rescheduling, we finally get to add another hat to the many Jessica Radloff has! In addition to being the Senior West Coast Editor of GLAMOUR Magazine and the author of “The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive Inside Story”, we are excited to share that she is now the Host of the Official Big Bang Theory Podcast, which you can stream on Max or wherever you get your podcasts.
Next up, we jam out with the talented and versatile musician Robbie Fulks, promote his upcoming shows in Chicago on April 25th and 26th and showcase some of our favorite tracks that demonstrate his wide range.
Tom Appel, Publisher of Consumer Guide Automotive and Host of the Car Stuff Podcast is back for continuing updates on the auto industry’s response to the tariffs, the New York Auto Show’s big reveals, Ford’s laundry list of recalls and so much more!
We close out the show with a tribute to the late Wink Martindale, a legend among game show hosts. All that and so much more is in our Easter basket of audio goodies!
Game show host Wink Martindale, known for programs including “Tic-Tac-Dough” and “Gambit,” died Tuesday at age 91. Earlier in his career, Martindale was a radio DJ. In 1954, Martindale recorded one of the first interviews with Elvis Presley. In this clip from a 2001 interview with WGN Radio’s Steve King and Johnnie Putman, Wink Martindale describes that interview.
Looking back at the history of TV and technology with Johnnie and Steve
Apr 15, 2025
Johnnie Putman and Steve King are back in Chicago and back in full form with full sized shows!
For this first (almost full) show back, we’ve got tons of TV history tidbits, along with the inside scoop on the latest edition of Watching TV: American Television Season by Season, Fourth Edition. It is coauthored by Wally Podrazik, author, historian, Beatles expert and longtime friend of WGN Radio.
We’re then joined by another dear friend, Patrick Crispen, the Director of Educational Technology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. Patrick gives us the cost breakdowns as tariffs increase on our allies that provide a large majority of our technology imports. We also look at the Library of Congress’s additions to the registry of important songs and recordings, a few of which are a key milestone in the history in computer technology.
Enjoy some fresh tunes with Steve and Johnnie!
Apr 08, 2025
During their last week at WKGC in Panama City Beach, Steve King and Johnnie Putman introduce you to the latest master of music along the Florida panhandle.
Tracy Mick comes to the show for the first time to perform live at the studio and we learn a little about who Tracy is. Tune in below to enjoy some great guitar and some fantastic vocals!
Even for a shorter show, Consumer Guide Automotive’s Publisher Tom Appel sticks around to regale us with his car talk and car testing tunes! We catch up on the ongoing Trump tariff saga and how it is affecting the automotive industry.
Head down to the island of light with Steve and Johnnie!
Apr 02, 2025
Steve King and Johnnie Putman continue their Florida stay with some very special guests at WKGC in Panama City’s Gulf Coast State College.
We get to know more about fan favorite Floridians Eli Ingram and Sandi MarLisa, the Florida duo known as Jack and Gin are back on the show to talk about their new album Island of Light and they perform some of their top tracks.
There are plenty of other things to enjoy along the way such as some streaming picks and Gabe Salgado’s latest March Madness updates on Sports Between the Sheets!
On the panhandle with Johnnie and Steve!
Mar 27, 2025
Johnnie Putman and Steve King have left Chicago… and are enjoying the Florida weather running the show from Panama City! It may be reduced, but it’s still the same great Steve and Johnnie flavor!
Patrick Crispen checks in with the latest tech news, hacks, spam and AI updates, with the big headlines covering a major overhaul in how Amazon’s Alexa privacy system handles your audio recordings, big changes to Siri and a malicious social engineering scam known as ClickFix. For the full rundown on what they cover, check out Patrick’s show notes for the full details!
We also check in with our own resident sports expert Gabe Salgado for some March Madness themed Sports Between the Sheets!
Steve and Johnnie’s Music (and March) Madness
Mar 12, 2025
Steve King and Johnnie Putman bring back Steve Dawson for his third appearance on Steve and Johnnie 2.0! We have tons of auditory treats for you to enjoy and some news on how you can catch a live show in April! Stay tuned for visual treats to come on Steve and Johnnie’s blog and YouTube channel!
Consumer Guide Automotive’s Publisher Tom Appel is back for his routine automotive updates on recalls, new test drives and the latest news. This time, we’re tackling how the tariffs imposed by the Trump administration and how Elon Musk himself are hurting the auto industry and EV owners. Of course, it wouldn’t be a Tom show without some of Tom’s Tunes!
With March Madness in full swing, Gabe Salgado returns with his perspective during another round of Sports Between the Sheets!
If you thought you missed the show last week, don’t worry, it was just really small! Steve King and Johnnie Putman had a big 5 hour show packed into a little speck of time!
We get some anecdotes from the early days of caller giveaways, stories about Johnnie’s favorite instrument, and some big news for the Illinois Rock & Roll Museum on Route 66 with some very special guests set to introduce Suzy Bogguss as she receives the Founder’s Choice Award! Who are they? Tune in and find out!
Steve King and Johnnie Putman are rolling out the red carpet on a show fit for two Kings!
We start off with Steve Bernas, President & Chief Executive Officer at BBB of Chicago & Northern Illinois and he brings us up to speed on the latest slew of scams and spams with the big one being a very convincing email scam.
Steve’s brother Lee makes a rare appearance to go over the list of Oscar nominations, shares his take on some of the contenders for best picture and best actor/actress, plus his personal picks ahead of the 2025 Academy Awards. You can get Lee’s full piece of his mind at his blog!
Patrick Crispen, Director of Educational Technology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC checks in for a more tech-centric update regarding the brand new iPhone, the beta launch of T-Mobile’s Starlink satellite service, and a major Google Chrome update that may warrant the switch to other alternative browsers. Head over to the show blog for Patrick’s full list of notes!
Plenty of other surprises along the way, some musical memories and Johnnie’s latest recipe!
Celebrating 40 years on air as Him ‘n’ Her
Feb 18, 2025
Johnnie Putman and Steve King invite you to reminisce 40 years after their first show on air together. Along the way, we have a cavalcade of classic characters and a medley of music sure to keep you entertained!
John Davis, Host of MotorWeek and longtime friend of the show checks in to highlight some of the 2025 Driver’s Choice Awards recipients, many of which were featured at the Chicago Auto Show!
We chat with Gino Salomone, Entertainment Reporter for Fox 6 in Milwaukee to highlight some new TV features to check out! With a new Sly Stone documentary and the 50th anniversary of SNL, there won’t be a shortage of things to watch!
Patrick Crispen, Director of Educational Technology, Keck School of Medicine of USC continues to update us as Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency continues to seep into various parts of federal departments, gaining access to classified government information and releasing it to the public on the highly insecure DOGE website.
We also check in with Tom Appel, Publisher of Consumer Guide Automotive for the usual roundup on road tests and recalls with the biggest coming from the 2025 Subaru Forester. Inclement winter weather is at full blast and we touch upon some helpful tire information to be aware of.
Enjoy all of this and so much more that is stuffed in the cracks along the way!
Steve and Johnnie are feeling the blues!
Feb 11, 2025
Steve King and Johhnie Putman bring another shortened show, but still just as sweet with a couple of features you don’t want to miss!
With 25 years having gone by since the tragic loss of our very own Bob Collins, there was no better time to join Steve and Johnnie and reminisce on the man who spent a quarter of a century contributing to what made WGN Radio one of the greatest.
After that, we pick up into a different kind of blues with a great musician by the name of Tommy Castro to kick off his brand new album Closer to the Bone with his band The Painkillers. We learn a little bit of what led to this electrifying record, some of our favorite tracks and you’ll be able to witness some of Tommy’s magic live at SPACE in Evanston on March 5th! Head over to their website for information on tickets and how you can secure your own copy of Closer to the Bone!
Fully loaded February with Johnnie and Steve!
Feb 05, 2025
Johnnie Putman and Steve King are packed to the brim with a wide range of delicious audibles to kick off February! Between all of the computer, automotive and restaurant talk, we look at how everything is being affected as a new presidential power takes root into all parts of the nation.
We start off with Jennifer Morand, President of the Chicago Automobile Trade Association and General Manager of the Chicago Auto Show, for a look ahead at Chicago’s greatest automotive event. With nearly 1,000 vehicles and tons of manufacturers present, there’s sure to be something for everyone, car enthusiast or otherwise. We also get her take on how incoming tariffs may affect manufacturers.
Next up is Monica Eng, Axios reporter and co-author of Made in Chicago: Stories Behind 30 Great Hometown Bites with some defining dishes across iconic locations outside of Chicago and the outlook on the restaurant industry as ICE raids descend upon Chicagoans.
We then have TV historian, author and Beatles expert/superfan Wally Podrazik with his take on how the song “Now and Then” is brought to the masses through the use of artificial intelligence decades after its conception and his take on who should be the proper recipient of a Grammy award for the song. We also get a tease at his latest book set to arrive very soon.
Saving the best for last, everyone’s favorite tech professor, Dr. Patrick Crispen is back online with a batch of hacking warnings regarding Chrome and Subaru, massive AI news on DeepSeek and a surface-level analysis of Elon Musk’s digital takeover of government offices. You can dive deep into the discussion with Patrick’s detailed notes from the show..
Feel the universe with Steve and Johnnie
Jan 30, 2025
Dive deep within yourself and the universe! Steve King and Johnnie Putman have another loaded show to make you feel fulfilled and abundant! Along the way we have a some featured players to keep you up to speed on what’s happening in the world of sports, cars, television!
Jessica Radloff has the latest things to watch on television and a look ahead at stars of the FireAid Benefit Concert aimed at providing financial relief to those affected by the LA wildfires
Tom Appel checks in with more groovy tunes and a slew of automotive updates including some positive EV news for Belvidere, a potential General Motors engine recall upwards of 900,000 vehicles, and a highly sarcastic report on the commercial success the Tesla Cybertruck was.
Along with Gabe Salgado’s take on the new Bears head coach, there are plenty more morsels to be had on the show!
Bear the deep freeze with Johnnie and Steve
Jan 21, 2025
Johnnie Putman and Steve King have a shorter show, but one that’s sure to keep you warm all the same.
We kick it off with the always entertaining Gino Salomone, Entertainment Reporter for Fox 6 in Milwaukee, to look at some of the tougher things in life. They reminisce about the late Bob Uecker, a good friend of Gino’s, and what he’s seen coming out of the wildfires in Los Angeles.
Keeping things to the West Coast, we jump back into tech talk and the latest hacks with Patrick Crispen, plus the latest from the wildfires including news of a benefit concert. The big story is the future of TikTok and many laws surrounding it as a new organization takes the reins at the White House.
Along with some Sports Between the Sheets, we’ve got plenty of musical and movie morsels you don’t want to miss!
It’s always nice with Steve, Johnnie and Ronnie Rice
Jan 16, 2025
Steve King and Johnnie Putman welcome long time friend and member of New Colony Six for a show full of laughs, fun stories from the early days of NC6 and, despite a number of technical difficulties, some great jams from Ronnie (and the Rockin’ Rabbi)!
Patrick Crispen checks in from the west coast for an update on how he and the family are holding up during the Los Angeles wildfires and more of the latest from the weekend.
Tom Appel checks in for an update on all things test drives, EVs and recalls with a number of from vehicles that Steve and Johnnie and we learn that the days of the manual transmission may be over, and we learn of a couple of special guests on the Car Stuff Podcast.
Johnnie Putman and Steve King are back for another year of fun guests, conversations and stories! Kick up your feet and sit by the fire because, baby, it’s cold outside.
Our first guest is the one and only Charlie Meyerson, journalist, editor and most notably former newscaster right here on WGN Radio. He tunes in to catch up on the good old days at the Chicago Tribune, WXRT, WGN and with Johnnie at WAUR/WMRO! He tells us about Chicago Public Square, his online independent news source, which is much needed when many networks and publications are facing higher costs and corporate pressure.
Patrick Crispen, Director of Educational Technology at Keck School of Medicine at USC, checks in for a regular update on all things technology. We dive deep into more cyberspace with more hacking and AI shenanigans and we get the scoop on Patrick and his son Joseph’s driverless Waymo ride.
We have plenty of words to discuss(and words to dispose of), some Sports Between the Sheets with Gabe Salgado to close out the Bears season and everyone’s NYE recap.
End your year with Steve and Johnnie!
Dec 31, 2024
The countdown begins! Steve King and Johnnie Putman present their last show of the year! Knowing them, it had to be a special one with some special guests!
We kick off the show right away with a drive by appearance from Muriel Anderson and her legendary Captain, Bryan Allen! She treats us to some harp guitar magic and we learn about her big plans for 2025!
The Crispens are also in the house! Our favorite tech professor Patrick Crispen makes the long trip to Chicago and he brings his superstar team, Christine and Joseph! Patrick walks us through some wonky audio installation, some of the biggest hacks and scams of the year, including the latest from “free” browser add-on Honey, and what to expect bad internet actors going into 2025.
We have tons of other fun morsels throughout the show, so kick back, relax, get your grapes ready and start placing bets on how long it will take before you remember to write 2025 on your checks!
Merry Christmas from The Steve and Johnnie Show!
Dec 25, 2024
Steve King, Johnnie Putman and the rest of the cast bring you a special Christmas show! We’ve got everything you never knew you needed: Christmas music, harmonica, weird tech news and even Elvis himself!
The show starts with a crazy Christmas party for the whole cast of characters that make this show possible with gifts for everyone! Of course, it wouldn’t be a show without some wacky radio issues right at the start.
After we hand out gifts and solve our glitches, we are joined by Chicago’s own Corky Siegel, a musical master of the harmonica and piano. We get some great stories behind the man, the music and a taste of Corky’s talent live in studio! Corky will be performing in Evanston on New Year’s Eve!
We catch up with Patrick Crispen for some ongoing cyber news regarding a bunch of technology bans, including TikTok and we get a tease of what’s to come for the next show as Patrick and the rest of the Crispen gang will be coming to Chicago!
Jingle all the way with Steve and Johnnie!
Dec 17, 2024
Steve King and Johnnie Putman are counting down the days as Christmas gets closer, and we have a number of holiday treats to make your spirits bright
We start with a genius out of Wisconsin, Peggy Brown, whose incredible innovations with toys and games have put smiles on the faces of many children. We learn about what she and her team at Peggy Brown Creative have been up to and how it all came to be!
Next up is photography maestro Will Byington for another highly informative segment on taking the best iPhone photos and some handy camera hacks, just in time for those family gatherings. Be sure to head over to his website, cleverly named WillByington.com and you can also sign up for his Shot Club Photo Class!
We wrap up with car guy Tom Appel, Publisher of Consumer Guide Automotive for something every Midwest driver needs to know about: winter driving! We make sure you have all of the knowledge to beat the icy streets and keep your car healthy for the frigid cold.
Along the way, perk up your ears for more some fun musical tidbits, cat stories and mail mishaps!
Ride the cyberwave with Johnnie and Steve
Dec 10, 2024
As we get closer to 2025, Johnnie Putman and Steve King return with another show to prep you for the holiday! It’s a shorter show, but a great show nonetheless!
We catch up with Patrick Crispen, Director of Educational Technology at Keck School of Medicine of USC on the latest tech news and phone problems. We get the rundown on the Salt Typhoon cyberattack, who was targeted and how it could have been avoided. Patrick gives us some solid strategies and resources to brace for potential text and email hacks as the war for cyberspace rages on, plus more holiday shopping ideas.
We manage to cover some good morsels along the way with Sports Between the Sheets, a producer’s review of the latest Broadway hit Yippe Ki Yay, which you can find out more of on WGN’s Behind the Curtain podcast!
Tune in for all of that, plus a moment to remember the legacy of the late Dan Fabian, without whom we would not have Steve and Johnnie on the radio. Be sure to tune in to The Steve and Johnnie “Both Sides Now” blog for more!
Ring in December with Steve and Johnnie!
Dec 05, 2024
Steve King and Johnnie Putman hop in to the final stretch of 2024 with some iconic hometown heroes and some post Thanksgiving leftovers!
Kicking off the show, we have members of The Ides of March, bassist Bob Bergland and drummer Mike Borch in studio to talk about some major updates for the Ides and we learn some fantastic stories from the early days of their adventures with Jim Peterik and the rest of the band. They will also be at The Arcada Theatre on Sunday, December 8, tickets can be purchased at oshows.com!
Then we get up to speed with Consumer Guide Automotive‘s Publisher Tom Appel on tons of new test drives and recalls, plus we get to tackle some listener questions!
Among other things we have more Sports Between the Sheets, more videos and yes, we even have more of Johnnie’s delicious gluten-free recipes! Be sure to find everything and more at the Steve and Johnnie Both Sides Now blog!
Keep your bellies full and pockets empty with Johnnie and Steve
Nov 27, 2024
It’s a regular-sized show sure to make you feel the need to loosen your belt a few notches! Johnnie Putman and Steve King bring a hefty helping of goodies just in time for Turkey Day 2024 that you can catch throughout the show!
Keeping our streak of in-studio performances going are Josh Solomon and Erika Brett, the front half of The Empty Pockets! They also have a number of performances coming up including their MistleTunes special at Space in Evanston!
After a hearty rundown of tasty tips and recipes free of gluten, we talk big tech news with Patrick Crispen! We’ve got some things to know before you buy the latest Windows hardware, the big jump from Twitter/X to the new social media platform BlueSky and some handy tech gifts for your loved ones in time for Black Friday!
As always, tune in for more morsels, Sports Between the Sheets, and check out The Steve and Johnnie Show blog and Facebook page for bonus recipes and behind the scenes photos!
Steve King and Johnnie Putman bring you the incredibly rare and super fun-sized show! It’s not much, but with some music stories, early days of Him N’ Her, and Sports Between the Sheets, it’s the same cattywampus content you know and love! Tune in below to enjoy the shenanigans!
Johnnie Putman and Steve King invite you to a special show with two special performers!
Steve Dawson returns to the studio with his equally talented partner in life and performance, Diane Christiansen. They regale us with tales of their tours and we get the Diane side of some stories Steve left us with last time. Along the way, we get some enchanting performances sure to leave you wanting more.
Jessica Radloff, Senior West Coast Editor at GLAMOUR Magazine and NYT best-selling author of “THE BIG BANG THEORY: The Definitive, Inside Story”, joins us for our monthly meeting on what’s in store for all of you binge watchers and couch potatoes. Among a slew of new series, it wouldn’t be a Radloff segment without an update on the growing Big Bang Theory cinematic universe.
As always, Tom Appel treats us to some tunes and even more car recalls! We also get some updates on some costs that could affect tax credit for certain EV owners and his take on fully autonomous ride share vehicles.
Stay tuned to the Steve and Johnnie blog and keep an eye out for video from Steve and Diane’s appearance!
Going back in time with Steve and Johnnie!
Nov 07, 2024
It’s that time of year! Time to set back those clocks an hour, if you haven’t already! Steve King and Johnnie Putman bring you a show packed to the brim as the time shift gives us a “do-over” hour!
Kicking it off is the one and only Dean Richards bringing us behind the curtain of his annual Treetime Christmas Creations broadcast!
Next up is Cary Baker, Journalist and Author of the brand new book Down On The Corner: Adventures In Busking & Street Music joins the show to launch his new book and give us some backstory into some of his early experiences and inspirations that drove his career into what it is today.
The one guitar woman Sue Foley jumps on the show to discuss her recent pass through the Midwest on her great international tour between the US and Canada and we get some reflection on her latest album, aptly named One Guitar Woman.
After a brief political pause, Patrick Crispen takes the reins with his regular roundup of tech news and phone support for listeners, plus tales of a little respite with Joseph at the Smithsonian Museum, perfect for the young aviation aficionado.
We take the rest of the show to handle some unfinished business and once we hit 88mph, we go back in time and do the last hour all over again!
Happy Halloween from Johnnie and Steve!
Oct 29, 2024
It’s that time of year! The witching hour is close at hand! Johnnie Putman and Steve King are here to scratch that spooky itch with a number of ghoulish goodies to feast your ears on!
Music Archivist Don Romano stops in for a series of Halloween songs both ancient and unheard of from some dearly departed music legends that are sure to get you grooving!
Tom Appel, Publisher at Consumer Guide Automotive and Host of the Car Stuff Podcast, revs us up with some terrifying tunes and among our roundup of recalls and test drives, we also have some interesting morsels on seasonal gas blends and a few vehicles from ages past known for being infamously haunted.
It wouldn’t be a spooky Steve and Johnnie show without remembering renowned ghost hunter Richard Crowe and his immortal story of the Resurrection Mary.
There’s plenty more in between it all, but you’ll have to tune in to find out. Listen below… if you dare!
Steve and Johnnie’s Haunting Halloween Poem
Oct 21, 2024
Steve King and Johnnie Putman are in the Halloween spirit and what better way than sharing a frightening Halloween poem for everyone! Johnnie also provides instructions on how to spice up any Halloween gathering with ghoulish delight.
Dr. Patrick Crispen joins the show to discuss the use of alternative social media platforms such as Bluesky and some of the possible dangers of mainstream social media. Johnnie also asks about the shutdown of Verizon’s Message+ app and moving towards either Google Messaging or Apple Messaging for its users.
Finally Steve and Johnnie talk about the new additions to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, discussing the impact of this year’s inductees. Wrapping up with some sports talk with Gabe Salgado and guest producer Michael DeLeonardis.
Johnnie Putman and Steve King are back in Panama City Beach to give you a little spooky Southern show from the panhandle!
Author Katlyn Jones demonstrates her expertise of all of things spooky in Florida with her book Haunted Florida Panhandle sure to send a shiver down your spine if you’re along the panhandle!
Tom Appel, Consumer Guide Automotive Publisher and Host of the Car Stuff Podcast, checks in with his regular list of test drives, recalls and a fresh selection of Tom’s Tunes! We also discuss some of the more questionably designed vehicles from the past and present.
There are plenty of other spooky morsels along the way and to be expected throughout the months of October, so don’t miss it!
Steve, Johnnie and WGN’s newest member
Sep 29, 2024
Steve King and Johnnie Putman introduce you to one WGN’s brand new broadcasters, Charlie Roumeliotis, the latest addition on the Blackhawks Live broadcast taking up the mantle from long-time host Joe Brand.
The next big star of the show is Jim Peterik, the main man of The Ides of March, to talk about his show at the Des Plaines Theatre on October 2 and his latest music with World Stage, Roots and Shoots Vol. 2, featuring some talented artists that are brand new and old school.
We turn the channel to Jessica Radloff, GLAMOUR, Senior West Coast Editor, NYT best-selling author of “THE BIG BANG THEORY: The Definitive, Inside Story”, joins us for a special look at upcoming TV features on streaming and broadcast. We also dive in to some trending Netflix shows and the loaded catalog of CBS’ latest programs.
Patrick Crispen helps us power down at the end of the show with some vital PSAs regarding keeping your digital presence secure from cyberattacks, just in time for Cybersecurity Awareness Month and a striking new Apple Air-Pod software update approved by the FDA for use by the deaf and hard of hearing.
We know you missed them, we did too! It’s been a couple of weeks, but Johnnie Putman and Steve King are back in time to ring in autumn!
Suzy Bogguss starts the show with what would have been a recap of Illinois Rock & Roll Museum on Route 66 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. Sadly, the ceremony has been postponed. No reason to not have her on the show anyway and chat about her dear friend Muriel Anderson!
Publisher of Consumer Guide Automotive and Host of the Car Stuff Podcast Tom Appel is breaking down the cost of recalls following the news of over 100,000 Toyota Tundra and Lexus LX models from the last two years. We also ask some questions regarding updates and how you can find out if your car has a recall notice, whether at NHTSA or your car manufacturer’s website!
A night with the Magnificent Muriel Anderson
Sep 09, 2024
Steve King and Johnnie Putman are back from their West Coast weekend off for another show starring a very special musical guest this summer.
Muriel Anderson and her amazing harp guitar have made port and stopped by the studio for some enthralling anecdotes from her time at sea with her partner Bryan Allen, along with some truly masterful fingerpicking on the massive harp guitar which you’ll soon be able to see in visual form!
After some relaxing music, we turn to the terrors of technology with the Director of Educational Technology at Keck School of Medicine of USC and your tech guru, Patrick Crispen! Among this week’s topics are the DIRECTV drama shutting users out Disney and ESPN and what Apple Watch users may expect as the next generation rolls out! Ironically, we address tech issues with Patrick as they happen.
As always, there’s more classic Steve and Johnnie stories, so listen below and don’t miss a second!
Making musical discoveries with Johnnie and Steve
Aug 28, 2024
Think you’ve heard it all? Think again! Johnnie Putman and Steve King are exploring the history of songs both ancient and… wacky.
Dr. Don Romano, our resident musical archivist returns to the show after rave reviews! This time we take a turn for the odd, the awful and the downright silliest old songs to ever grace your ears. Don’s American Songbook is doing the world of music justice by preserving the history of music in digital form!
Tom Appel, Publisher at Consumer Guide Automotive and Host of the Car Stuff Podcast, takes us for a ride with some of his own old jams, which he uses to test the sound systems on his regular test drives. Among the topics with Tom, we talk about some modern updates to 2025 models, including some that might cause more problems than solutions with proximity sensors. We also get some much needed advice on the car buying process.
Tune in for a whole bevy of auditory amazement and as we jump back into Bears season, we tap into Bears superfan and WGN’s Gabe Salgado for a return to an old segment they like to call… Sports Between the Sheets!
New music, new food discoveries, and a massive data leak
Aug 20, 2024
It’s National Radio Day! Steve King and Johnnie Putman are back again with a whole bunch of fun and not so fun things to talk about!
Axios reporter Monica Eng walks over from the DNC kickoff party and airs some grievances with the paths and walkways allowing us to cross Lake Shore Drive safely. Naturally, we always end up talking about food.
Next up, we have Josh Solomon, Erika Brett and Nate Bellon from The Empty Pockets to celebrate the release of their new, live album Al Stewart & The Empty Pockets Live.
The big topic of discussion is the biggest data breach of the modern age. Patrick Crispen has a full breakdown on the social security leaks of millions of people. We learn about the bad actors who might be responsible and where to start in preventing your identity from being used against you.
Back to school again with Johnnie and Steve
Aug 16, 2024
There goes summer! Johnnie Putman and Steve King are your bookend to summertime and on this show we’ve got air show anniversary anecdotes, bricks disguised as phones, and we’re chatting about old tv and music legends!
Jon Provost, star of the classic TV series Lassie, is making an appearance at the Wheaton All-Night Flea Market. He stops in to chat about his visit, his TV days as Little Timmy, and he settles the decades long debate: did Timmy really fall down the well?
Then, TV historian, author and Beatles expert/superfan Wally Podrazik tells the class about the Fest for Beatles Fans and all of the Beatles trivia, treats and tunes one typically would expect at the Fest!
Closing out the show is Consumer Guide Automotive‘s Publisher Tom Appel with a slew of new car tests and some of the latest recalls. As usual, we enjoy some of Tom’s Tunes that he uses to test the sound systems.
Steve King and Johnnie Putman are in for a show you’d have to see to believe! With weather wackiness, new things to watch, tech woes and wizardry and you might learn a thing or two about photography
Chris Smith, WJHG-TV’s Chief Meteorologist touches down to teach the class about how a tropical storm develops into a hurricane and the potential fallout of Hurricane Debby as it hits the southern coast.
Jessica Radloff, Senior West Coast Editor at GLAMOUR and NYT best-selling author of “THE BIG BANG THEORY: The Definitive, Inside Story” is back again for your August update of what to catch on TV! We also catch up after her incredible trip to Switzerland and we get some Bob Newhart stories from his days on the set of Big Bang Theory!
Patrick Crispen, Director of Educational Technology, Keck School of Medicine of USC, is in studio once again for part two of his summertime Chicago visit, along with young Joseph. We have more scams as usual, an update for your phone that allows you to save your license, some Google Chrome rollbacks on UBlock Origin, a prominent adblocker extension, and we learn about plethora of other web browsers and why, like Steve, you might need a few.
We then close out the show with a fan favorite guest: Will Byington! He is a Rock Star Freelance Photographer based in Chicago who specializes in iPhone photography! We learn some new tricks when taking iPhone photos, some more incredible stories from his photo adventures, and with Lollapalooza in town recently, he gives the inside scoop of concert photography.
Another turn around the sun for Mr. King!
Jul 30, 2024
Johnnie Putman and Steve King have yet another show stuffed full of a bunch of guests, almost as stuffed as a pierogi! Following the recent birthday for Steve, there is more than enough reason to celebrate!
Joseph Crispen and the Crispen Gang (a.k.a. his parents) are in town for the first of a two part in studio appearance. We’ll save the tech talk for next week with Patrick; this time, it’s the Joseph Show! We learn about his latest Chicago adventures and a nifty Lego radio he built for Steve’s birthday!
Next up is Tony Panek, who might be better known as Mr Pierogi, for a mouth watering chat about Pierogi Fest! It’s an annual festival in Whiting, Indiana dedicated to the palatable pockets of Polish patisserie. This year was a big one as the Fest celebrated its 30th year!
Then we have Chuck Mead, Co-founder of the alt country group BR5-49, fellow radio host down in Nashville, and a masterclass of talent in the Americana music scene. He stops by to chat and promote a few Midwest appearances including SPACE in Evanston and Shank Hall in Milwaukee!
As usual, we get our routine automotive check-in with Consumer Guide Automotive Publisher Tom Appel. We have some more of Tom’s Tunes, a few interesting test drives, and a round up of recalls regarding hazardous Toyota engines, lethal BMW airbags and an odd update for all of you Maserati owners out there.
We also jam to some morsels from Steve and Johnnie’s Life After Dark CD, and stick around for a few reviews for movies that are new, old and really old!
Steve King and Johnnie Putman are back in town just in time to bring you some comfort after the crazy week in the world. We are talking all things tech, entertainment and some history with a musical cherry on top!
Alice Selke is a very important part of Illinois history being the very first dispatcher for Hoffman Estates Fire Department. She joins us following her 106th birthday and reveals the secrets to staying fabulous at her age!
Ron Romero, the Founder of the Illinois Rock and Roll Museum on Route 66, gives us a little status update following the recent tornado outbreak, one of which struck in Joliet where the Museum is located. After we breathe a sigh of relief, we jump in to the good stuff that all kinds of music fans can anticipate at the 2024 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, including, but not limited to Suzy Bogguss, Richard Marx and The Chi-Lites.
Our favorite Milwaukee entertainment reporter Gino Salomone stops by for more tomfoolery, but also joins the class in reminiscing on the loss of Chicago’s own Bob Newhart and the impact he had in the world of comedy and entertainment.
Chicago musician Steve Dawson is our special guest in studio to present us with a live performance for your listening pleasure, with visuals to come later. We learn a bit more about his new album ‘Ghosts’, his work with Dolly Varden and with his wife, Diane Christiansen and what the future holds.
Following the recent tech outages across the globe, your tech guru Patrick Crispen jumps in to give us the scoop on what happened, who was affected and who Crowdstrike is. We also discuss the 110 million AT&T customer logs that were breached. Then, we have a lengthy discussion about the X (formerly Twitter) AI chatbot known as Grok and how misinformation prevalent on X is leading users to seek other platforms for more accurate news and research information.
Due to inclement weather and after a very heated political discourse, Johnnie Putman and Steve King bring this brief show to you from a brief appearance in Panama City Beach, Florida all in the name of peace and tranquility!
In studio, they have Mike & Maggie McKinney, otherwise known as Lucky Mud, to play some of that sweet and relaxing ‘swampytonk’ they’re known for! They tell a few stories about their Florida roots, their musical farm, and we get the back story of how Lucky Mud came to be!
Tom Appel jumps on for his regular automotive check in! This time were covering a drop in Jaguar sales, numerous manufacturers phasing out models and a handful of other test drives!
Musical musings with Steve and Johnnie
Jul 01, 2024
More music with Steve King and Johnnie Putman?! No surprises there! But with topics covering new photos of old rockers, troubling tech terrors and ancient auditory artifacts, they may just have a surprise up their sleeves!
Dr. Don Romano, musical archivist and man of many hats, takes us on a musical trip down memory lane with some of the rarest patriotic gems from the Great American Songbook, just in time for Independence Day. If you thought you’ve heard all of the old music, you might discover something new!
We then have another double feature with our resident car and tech gurus!
Publisher at Consumer Guide Automotive Tom Appel gives us a brief update on the ongoing fallout from the CDK Global cyberattack affecting tons of dealerships across the country.
We then follow up on Patrick Crispen’s brief update from last week concerning the rise in malicious cyberattacks. Some of that entails a bump in voice AI scams and even voice cloning! We talk about what companies can do to to combat hackers and we also learn a bit about some fascinating new video communications from Google that can simulate the people you talk to in 3D models.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a regular show with Him n’ Her if we didn’t throw in chat about food, mull over some musical memories and cover some of the weekend headlines! It’s only radio if you like it!
Johnnie Putman and Steve King bring you a summer show full of surprises! With comics, cowboys and massive cyberattacks all building up to a monumental thunderstorm, we quite literally have a super electrifying show!
John Dudley joins the show to tell the world of his upcoming comic book set right here in the City of Big Shoulders! It’s a comic book aptly named Big Shoulders and he’s working with renowned comic book artist Scott Gray. You can help fund his passion project right here!
Dave Karger, host at Turner Classic Movies returns to the show to talk about a special interview on TCM highlighting Kevin Costner’s upcoming blockbuster Horizon: An American Saga and the inspirations behind it as well as the future of his immense 4 part saga.
With breaking news of more cyberattacks, Patrick Crispen makes a last minute appearance for a brief analysis on the hacks at Hilton and countless car dealerships across the country.
Lastly, Tom Appel checks in and we dive deeper into the what the cyberattacks on car dealerships mean for those seeking regular maintenance. We also learn a bit about more major recalls, Tom’s zippy new Fiat test, and a new documentary from Joe Ligo, a recent guest on Tom’s Car Stuff podcast
Music, fireworks, and Father’s Day with Steve and Johnnie
Jun 16, 2024
Steve King and Johnnie Putman skate into tonight’s show following Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals by talking about Chicago’s Navy Pier Saturday night firework show seen from WGN’s studio, flooding in Florida, and Tom Skilling returning to Hawaii.
To get it all started, Steve and Johnnie welcome Dave Specter, a Chicago blues and jazz guitarist, to discuss his photography exhibit at Delmark Records as well as his upcoming shows in Evanston at Space music hall.
Next, we chat with longtime musician and guitarist who has performed with New Colony Six, Ronnie Rice, about his injury and methods he has been taking to strum the strings once again. Ronnie highlights the cancellation of his gigs and his determination to get back on stage as soon as possible.
Following our conversation with two lifelong musicians, we talk with Patrick Crispen, Director of Educational Technology at Keck School of Medicine of USC, about frequent computer problems and helpful internet hacks. Patrick informs the audience about the impact of tiny URL’s, AI music websites, cyber threats, new Apple technology, and more!
Lastly, Steve and Johnnie make a shout out to their listeners across the country, hear producer Julian’s experience in Las Vegas, and focus on the importance of Father’s Day.
Steve King and Johnnie Putman bring you a reduced show with the same great taste! This time we have tv talk, car talk, the (posthumous) return of a radio legend, and a couple of birthdays, including one very angry duck!
Kicking it all off, we have Jessica Radloff, Senior West Coast Editor of GLAMOUR Magazine and NYT best-selling author of “THE BIG BANG THEORY: The Definitive, Inside Story,” to talk aptly about the Big Bang Theory prequel Young Sheldon and its heartfelt series finale, along with news of a new spinoff titled “Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage.”
Then, we spend some time reflecting on the life of a long lost friend, legendary guitarist and music pioneer, Les Paul, just in time for his birthday. Listen in for a conversation with the man himself from the Steve and Johnnie archives.
Last, but never least, it’s Tom Appel, Publisher of Consumer Guide Automotive! Along with more of Tom’s Tunes, we look at some staggering numbers in recalls for Toyota, Lexus and Kia Vehicles, and if you’ve ever asked yourself, “What is Polestar?” your questions will be answered!
It is also our duty to inform you that following our show, get ready to clap for the Wolfman! Catch The Wolfman Jack Radio Show after us from 2-5am!
Start your June right with Johnnie and Steve!
Jun 04, 2024
Johnnie Putman and Steve King kick off June with the perfect summer show! All you really need is fantastic food and magnificent music! If the sound of overpriced turkey legs and things that should not be pickled doesn’t whet your appetite, out first guest might.
We start off by saying hi to WGN-TV meteorologist Mike Janssen to talk about the quintessential summer food: corn! Shockingly, we even throw in a bit of weather talk after a dreadfully drenched drive into the studio.
Our main event for the show comes in the form of none other than (half of) The Empty Pockets! Josh Solomon and Erika Brett stop by to fill your pockets with more upcoming tour dates, a few summer surprises and they serenade us with some superb songs. We even get to learn a thing or two about the origins of how these lovebirds came to be! Listen in and you might catch a dose of “Beatle-mania”!
This week’s routine tech check up is brought to you by your tech doctor, Patrick Crispen. This time we’re taking a very serious look at the massive Ticketmaster data breach in which over 500 million user accounts are hacked. We also remind you to enable multi-factor authentication wherever you can and Patrick gives us the essential list of cyber safety tips! It’s truly a show you don’t want to miss!
After a long siesta in Florida, they’re back! Summertime usually means music, sports, cars and coughing! Luckily, this Steve and Johnnie show has all of those things!
Dane Neal, WGN Radio host and racing superfan, is on the show to talk all things NASCAR. Between star power that’s expected and the immense physical feats these track masters achieve in their super cars, there is a lot to be excited about!
Jonelle & Terry Carter, two third of the River Road Trio, are in studio to reflect on some tales from their tour and some things to look forward to this year including, but not limited to, new music and some new books from each of our guests. We also learn a bit about their latest single, “Best to You.”
Then we get to learn about Paul Howard Wittcoff and we get a bit of history on the many music mediums over the years and the latest scoop on some fantastic music and sports collectibles he’s seen over the years, much of which you can find at musicollectibles.com
Lastly, it’s another round of car talk with Tom Appel and this one is a doozy! We’ve got more of Tom’s Tunes, the latest on Tesla’s troublesome sales numbers and we bid a special farewell to… The Chevy Malibu.
The Steve and Johnnie Mother’s Day Special
May 15, 2024
Steve King and Johnnie Putman are celebrating all things mom on their last show… before they come back to Chicago. It’s a fully loaded show of scams, music and moms with our friends all over the country!
After a bit of Mother’s Day talk, we spread some scam awareness with everyone’s favorite scam buster, Steve Bernas, President and CEO of BBB of Chicago and Northern Illinois for a special look at the BBB’s Scam Survival Toolkit.
Then, we stop by Memphis with Lynn Orman, Founder of Women of the Blues Foundation, to recognize some big wins at the 2024 Blues Music Awards for a couple of special friends of the show, Bobby Rush and Sue Foley.
Back at the WKGC Studios in Panama City, Florida, Aaron Bearden, Owner of Instant Replay Sports Cards is back on the show to tell us about some of the tricky parts when verifying the authenticity and value in autographs and vintage collectibles. He also debuts some brand new tracks live in the studio!
Closing out the show, we bounce over to the west coast where Patrick Crispen, Director of Educational Technology at Keck School of Medicine of USC, is in Disney Land with the rest of the Crispen crew. A few of this week’s topics with Patrick cover some AI news, breaking down the various smart watches on the market and some awful email phishing scams.
Johnnie and Steve remember Duane Eddy
May 07, 2024
It wouldn’t be a Steve and Johnnie Show without talk of food, tech and old school jams. In addition to your weekly dose of laughter, this show also serves to remember a close friend.
Mike Himebaugh, vocalist of Hello Dave, stops by to talk about the Farm Raiser in Rosemont on Friday, May 10th. We also learn about the Farmway Sanctuary and the origin story of Hello Dave’s name.
Jason Elmore, founder of the Find Me Gluten Free app joins the class to fill your bellies and brains with some gluten-free information in recognition of Celiac Awareness Month. We talk about Johnnie’s expertise in delicious gluten free cuisine and how the app can help those, like Steve, with Celiac disease
We take a somber turn in light of the news of the passing a dear friend of Him n’ Her, Duane Eddy. Muriel Anderson and Jay McDowell come by to reminisce on their mutual friend and we play some of his greatest hits in remembrance of a lost legend
Tom Appel, Publisher of Consumer Guide Automotive gives us some updates auto braking systems, ‘over the air’ updates and some unfortunate new laws putting a damper on Tesla’s main selling point: self-driving.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Duane Eddy, whose guitar playing influenced the sound of countless musicians, died Tuesday at age 86. Duane was a frequent guest, and close friend, of Steve King and Johnnie Putman. Here are some of his visits over the years.
The Steve and Johnnie Panama City takeover continues!
Apr 29, 2024
The last few shows with Steve and Johnnie have been building up to this moment, a show dedicated to the coming of the cicada! Of course, it wouldn’t be The Steve and Johnnie Show without a few other tech and music related goodies along the way.
Marshall Chess, son of Chess Records co-founder Leonard Chess, spins some tales from the days at Chess Records and many of the music masterminds he has worked with including his time as founding president of Rolling Stones Records and you can listen to some snippets from his latest project, New Moves.
Next up, Mr. Cicada, otherwise known as Mark Hurley is the Environmental Educator at the Lake County Forest Preserve District and Cicada 101 is in session! We’re learning about the different broods of cicadas across the States and in Illinois, the three things that every young cicada has to look forward to in life and a handful of things you can participate in to learn even more as we approach… Cicada-geddon
Patrick Crispen, Director of Educational Technology at Keck School of Medicine of USC brings your regular round up of social media news revolving around the Tik Tok ban, Facebook’s new Meta AI and some tech support answering listener questions including the key differences between MacBook Pro and MacBook Air.
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