It’s our last show of the year, having decided that we won’t work on December 32nd. Today we are gifted with an informative and entertaining visit from Matt Dahl. He’s in the process of cleaning out his items from the family storage locker. Among the things he’s taking are his skis, which prompts some memories from Dag and Brendan. He also shares some fascinating insight into the life of a firefighter/paramedic. Brendan, Steve and Dag all come armed with their year-end lists. Steve is also planning a special midnight light show to celebrate the arrival of 2025. Thanks for a wonderful year to our subscribers and podcast partners!

Steve woke up sick on Friday and spent most of the weekend in bed, save for some Sunday football. Dag felt like he was not productive over the weekend, but he cleaned his house, kept watch over his dogs, took a walk, went to Wisconsin for lunch, and saw the new Bob Dylan biopic. So, he did do some stuff after all. Brendan is gearing up for Iowa football, but he’s not sure if he’ll take it in at home or amongst other local Hawkeyes. Tom Thayer knows Caleb Williams will benefit from playing in the NFL’s oldest rivalry. Tom’s eight year old great nephew is a budding musician/composer.

These are confusing times for purchasers of dog food, especially when it comes to the fancy stuff. Steve once displayed a hybrid of ingenuity and shortsightedness (not to mention West Coat naivety) by dragging a snowblower up to a roof. He also gave off a mystical aura when he arrived in Detroit with his extensive knowledge of Mexican food. Speaking of food, Brendan was gifted with a nearly complete set of pierogis. Also today, we learn about the ins and outs of vaping, because the safety of our listeners is our highest priority at The Steve Dahl Show.

Steve and Janet watched a church pageant and Steve felt he was being glowered at. Brendan had a splendid celebration at each of the locations he visited. Dag received a body pillow that he’d been longing for. Mary Dahl gifted Grandpa Steve a neon hot dog sign for his podcast studio.. Does Steve have a shot at a job at WINK-TV News? He’s got perhaps the only two-word resume on LinkedIn. Dag received a body pillow that he’d been longing for. Mary Dahl gifted Grandpa Steve a neon hot dog sign for his podcast studio. Janet was moved by Beyonce’s performance of a Paul McCartney classic. Mike Dahl wore an apron modeled after Michelangelo’s David.

Steve was tasked with mailing the family Christmas cards, and wound up in front of an anxious driver. Steve is feeling slight sympathy towards Aaron Rogers. Dag was not impressed by the Mariano’s produce section, but his Jewel was out of tomatillos. Steve convinced Janet to watch a Netflix movie about a hunky snowman. Steve also apparently spends most his time on two different couches. Hozier performed one of Steve’s favorite Christmas songs on Saturday Night Live. Dag opted for a noteworthy fragrance before a recent show. Merry Christmas and happy Hanukkah. God bless us, every one!

Big doings at the Dahl house over the weekend, as Steve recovered from his medical procedure (lots of details from both Steve and Janet on that today), and Matt (mostly) moved out. Mike Dahl drops by to outline how a whiskey trade works, and to try and sell Tom Thayer on a Netflix program about Aaron Rogers. Steve’s got a good question for Bears interim head coach Thomas Brown, and Tom is planning to get the question over to him. Tom is also anticipating an earful from his local grocery employees about the state of the Bears.

The Cubs have invited Sammy Sosa to the 2025 Cubs Convention, and Brendan is elated. Dag dealt with a banking issue that left him flummoxed. Canadians are facing a postal strike and a polar bear infestation. The Expo ’76 Big Xmas Bash is tonight at Fitzgerald’s in Berwyn.

Dag faced off against a troublesome furnace as Jack Frost aimed his blustery chill at the Juhlin home. Brendan had a confusing moment at a liquor store, but he quickly washed his hands of it. McDonald’s is taking a page out of the Spotify marketing book. Three bungling Bridgeport burglars thought they cashed in on a big score.

Steve fondly remembers canned hams of his youth. Barbara Streisand is also obsessed with Envy apples. Steve and Janet ordered an excellent Broasted chicken (they love Broasted chicken) meal from Papa Passero’s in Westmont. Dag’s twisted acoustic guitar journey leads to a tearful reunion of sorts. Talk To Me Tuesday continues. We also revisit an old Steve and Garry TV show in which Steve appears as a Michael Jackson impersonator. Looking ahead to Steve’s upcoming medical procedure tomorrow, Brendan and Dag will be hosting the next couple of shows with Vince also on hand.

Steve’s without Rosie in his studio today, and he’s resigned to the fact that maybe watching Daddy do his show isn’t as exciting for her as he’d like it to be. He’s working through his yearly holiday fruitcake, and is offsetting his intake with exercise. We all want to make sure that we acknowledge each other’s comedic contributions to the show, and today’s end of show wrap-up helps us relive some of the magical moments we created earlier. Joe Callahan Jr. of the Steve Dahl and Garry Meier Appreciation Society Facebook page passed away.

Do Zodiac signs truly have anything to do with personality traits? Or is it just Scorpios that believe all the hype about themselves? Steve and the whole family had a lovely Brunch With Santa. Even Janet and Steve couldn’t resist a photo with Santa. Tom is conveniently in Minneapolis today for tonight’s Bears/Vikings matchup. Will he be watching every move made by Vanilla Ice at halftime? Does Dag want to see the upcoming Springsteen or Dylan biopics?

Buzz recalls how Steve introduced him to the Zanies crowd last Thursday, and he’d like a transcription of it, so moved was he by Steve’s words. He also warmed up with some bacon cheddar soup from Panera. Virginia describes herself as “born ready and rich.” Are the Bears just stringing Arlington Heights along? Buzz warmed up with some bacon cheddar soup from Panera. Aufguss, German sauna rituals are all the rage across the snow globe. The best Aufgussmeisters participate in 14-minute challenges to determine who is the world’s best. Is Home Alone the best Christmas movie? What does Buzz think?

Rochester, Michigan has a tremendous Christmas light display that Janet hoped to bring to Western Springs. Steve confesses to having zero whimsy, but hopefully a viewing or two of Polar Express will help him acquire some holiday spirit. Speaking of movies, Janet recaps the magic of Wicked, which she saw on a recent outing with friends. She also recaps the magic of our wickedly funny Zanies show last week. We take a closer look at Matt Dahl’s dog Roger, and get a behind the scenes look at the Thanksgiving Jarritos incident.

Steve and Matt watched the Yacht Rock documentary, and Matt seems to have inherited Steve’s “stop and explain” viewing tendencies. Brendan stops and explains the drinking game that’s the cause of a worldwide Guinness shortage. Are you splitting the G? Also: is a dive bar something you’d enjoy smelling like, by choice? The marketing geniuses at Miller Lite are hoping that’s the case this holiday gift-giving season. Joe’s bike mechanic origin story is revealed.

Though he hasn’t been too comfortable in them in the past, Steve recently wore a sweater and enjoyed the experience. Whilst wearing said sweater, he tried to be polite in the bathroom line at Gibson’s Italia. Rosie lets Steve know her feelings on certain types of holiday decorations. We recall some of the harsh takedowns of theater critic Brendan. Dag explains the backstory behind the Yacht Rock documentary. Steve has zero interest in ever visiting a movie theater again. Dag mocks snot rock, but won’t balk at a yacht rock doc.It’s also a Talk To Me Tuesday where we find out if people are really lining up to purchase used China.

Steve’s got a dentist appointment to get to and Brendan wants to know if he’ll get a mouthful of clay. We’re also treated to podcast gold today, as we get both Tom Thayer and Jeff Joniak on the show to sort out some on-air and off-air dust ups. We also get a peek into the complex dynamics of their 28/29-year partnership. Although he was a broken man, Tom brought Jeff a burger and fries on the plane and then proceeded to the comfort and solitude of the back row. FYI: Tom puts Equal and two creams in his coffee, Jeff drinks his black (when he actually grabs his). We all concur that the 49ers gave the Bears a solid beatdown.

Steve celebrated 70 years at Zanies with 250 of his closest friends! The audience traveled from far and wide to share his milestone birthday. He seized the Crowd Work crown from Brendan, who attempted to sabotage the microphones so only his worked. (The coup failed) Buzz provided Oscar worthy chops to Brendan’s Virginia monologues, Dag’s pith and wordplay enhanced the evening, Michael Helfer provided beautiful tokens to all attendees, and Jim Fabbrini greeted all the revelers with roses. It was a beautiful, special night, and a reminder that Steve has been in Chicago for a half century because of all the wonderful people who have shared his lifeline. Thanks to all who came, and all who listen. Happy Birthday, Steve! 

Janet gives a full rundown of the magical and memorable Dahl family Hawaiian adventure. Steve is intrigued by the new Amy Adams dog mom movie trailer. Janet and her girlfriends have a Wicked movie night planned. Steve finally figured out where the good crystal goes. We’re wondering if Welcome To The Jungle is on your Spotify wrap this year. The song was inspired by a warning given to Axl Rose, in one of two possible cities. Steve is feeling good today, but his voice tells a different, huskier story. He could probably be referred to as Instagrampa these days. 

Steve is battling a head cold, but he sounds worse than he actually is. Still, though, it’ll be a day of naps for him as he gets ready for tomorrow’s Zanies show. He’s considering upping his sweater game, now that his weight loss has left him feeling colder in general. A lack of dipping sauce leads to a scuffle at a Raising Cane’s in… guess which state. Steve had problems feeling his tailbone on his Hawaii flight. And we catch up on all our subscriber phone calls.

Steve lost his phone in the woods, but a kind soul found it and got ahold of him. Retrieving it took some skills, and his phone would have helped him locate the woman’s home. He also went on an unprompted weather/Maui diatribe, an instinctive and uncontrollable kvetch, aimed at a health club employee. Janet made Steve some Roast2Order Pumpkin Spiced Tea with a delightful dash of honeycomb. A full bank of Talk To Me Tuesday calls awaits as well.

Steve recommends watching the series Landman starring Billy Bob Thornton. The homemade cranberry sauce didn’t make it to Dag’s Thanksgiving table, but it was found in time for leftovers. Tom Thayer joins us to talk about the disappointment (including his audible sigh at the end of the game) and how he feels about the team’s immediate future. Thayer would be thrilled to see Thomas Brown take the reins of this Bears team and show he’s the man for the job. Steve thinks he knows the five mistakes the team made in their final 43 seconds, and Tom quizzes him.

We’ve got the honest to goodness “Bomber” on the line today. That’s right, Joe Walsh phones us for his and Steve’s yearly birthday check-in. We hear some great stories about Famous guitars and guitarists, The Sphere, songwriting, recording and so much more. Once at the Sphere, Joe became transfixed by a giant display of his own nose. Deacon Frey had to remind him he was supposed to start singing. It seems like Steve and Joe agree on just about everything, all the time.

Steve maneuvers through some pre-show headaches and we’re soon recounting his surfing lesson, as well as his magnificent birthday dinner with Janet at Merriman’s on Maui. Janet also adds some clarity to the story of a dust-up on the beach featuring Pat Dahl and some locals who swiped a Dahl family football. Steve and Janet nearly danced at the family luau. And we check in with centerpiece provider to the stars, our florist friend Jim Fabbrini. The front room in the Dahl house was masterfully rearranged by Janet and Matt. Jim Fabbrini has a centerpiece for your Thanksgiving table!

Steve has returned from Maui, with a surfing lesson under his belt and a mildly frightening looking to knee to prove it. Despite the Bears loss yesterday, there was hope to be found in the way they executed their comeback. Tom Thayer sees Caleb Williams making strides and appreciates how quickly he adapted to a new play caller. Tom also got a report from a friend that Steve was spotted on Maui buying cinnamon rolls at a legendary spot. Steve accidentally fell in love with an alcohol-free high calorie frozen drink during his two weeks on the island.