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November 27, 2024
“It’s All Inside My Head” -Joe Walsh
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.
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November 26, 2024
Mac Nut Crusted Anything
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!
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November 25, 2024
The Septuagenarian Surfer
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.
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November 22, 2024
We’re (probably) not gonna take it
Big Norm’s Beef in Gurnee invented a gyro burrito that appears to be a mealtime game-changer. We chat with Norm himself about the development of the taste sensation. Turns out Norm is a longtime Steve Dahl listener. Was Johnny Cash an underground fan of Twisted Sister? Dee Snider claims it to be true. Dag and Brendan answer more Ask Me Anything questions from emailers.
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November 21, 2024
Milk Dreams
Dag’s puppy experienced snowfall for the very first time. Playfulness and wonder distracted him from doing her business. Brendan judges the worthwhileness of certain autobiographies. Dag’s dairy dream inspires impromptu unprofessional psychoanalysis. A wayward deer escaped hunters’ rifles by barreling into a furniture and mattress store.
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November 20, 2024
Hello, I’ll be your dinner this evening
Dag released a wealth of music on his Bandcamp profile, which is worth checking out. Johnny Depp recently caught an actor pal perform onstage. Brendan met a king crab at MingHin before it became dinner. Dag and Brendan respond to Ask Me Anything emails. Police recovered Kris Bryant’s Lamborghini from car thieves.
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November 19, 2024
Swimming With Sharks
Matt Dahl joins the program with stories of snorkeling and whale sightings. The roasted pig at the luau shocked his kids. Dag and Matt conjure the spirit of a tropical Steven Tyler. Matt and Brendan’s mobile party DJ business is primed for success. Listener emails offer both glowing and biting feedback on Dag and Brendan’s podcast fill-in performance.
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November 18, 2024
Mutual adoration society
Tom Thayer and Jim McMahon sat in a skybox with Mike Tyson and Robin Givens at the 1988 NBA All-Star Game at Chicago Stadium. A listener inquiry about Brendan’s nickname reveals an origin story. Dag found sound equipment via Facebook Marketplace. A gimlet-fueled oversight caused a missed connection with Brendan’s Thai delivery guy, but a miraculous phone call to the restaurant offers a chance for redemption.
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November 15, 2024
A turtle knows, it just does
Buzz Kilman joins Dag and Brendan to share bluesy wisdom and a turtle parent’s perspective. Virginia seeks professional help for her woebegone Bears. Instructing five thousand rats to act on command is one thing, but potty training is a whole other hurdle. Bono knows how to pronounce Hozier.
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November 14, 2024
Birthday wishes and un-saucy dishes
Steve and Janet send Dag an audio message from Hawaii on the anniversary of his birth. Dag celebrated his birthday at Simon’s in the company of Expo ’76 and a ton of adoring music lovers. Brendan shares a clip from his trip down to Gilman, IL. Vince’s Marvel chronology is questioned by a newbie. Brendan treats himself to some homemade enchiladas, but there’s a safety concern when his attempts to open a couple of cans of sauce produce only metal shavings instead the crucial component. Cheese to the rescue.
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November 13, 2024
Toe Holes and Bike Monks
Dag describes the fun he had on his high school radio station. Brendan’s gym shoes are degrading in a mysteriously repetitive manner. Pitchfork will no hold a music festival in Chicago, a devastating blow to the alternative community. A true 80s hair band star will rock a venue, big or small. Woodstock, NY is home to a decidedly windblown shop owner/monk/guitarist.
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November 12, 2024
The raincoat, the parking lot and other things
Tom Thayer reacts to the dismissal of Bears offensive coordinator Shane Waldron. Tom knows that a victory over Green Bay on Sunday would put the season right back on track. Brendan encountered a legend at Louis Armstrong International Airport. Speaking of Brendan, he’s back home in Chicago, where he was welcomed not only by Hank, but by his favorite burrito stand. He and his LSU buddies kept cool heads in the midst of Tide smack talk. Preparation for Dag’s upcoming tour isn’t that different from committing hundreds of football plays to memory and being ready to deploy them in real-life situations.
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November 11, 2024
Elegant and Confusing
It’s our first day of Steve’s Maui vacation, which by all accounts is going well, and Brendan is still on the scene in Baton Rouge/New Orleans. As we heard at the end of last week, he’s on an odyssey of fun, food, and football. Turns out all three of those are available in abundance, and Brendan had no trouble sourcing any of them. He also filed a couple of reports, which we’ll hear today as he sets up camp in a needlessly elaborate hotel lobby. Dag’s cajun food experience was far less authentic than Brendan’s, but he did treat himself to a slow-moving Pope-themed movie over the weekend. Our friend, audio genius Vince Argento is manning the controls, so we are in good hands.
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November 8, 2024
Bumpy and Stoolie
With Brendan still getting after it in Baton Rouge, Steve and Dag are manning the S.S. Steve Dahl Show — don’t worry, Steve’s not buying a boat. But would selling his beloved ’59 Apache 31 truck inspire such a purchase? Let’s not go there. Buzz Kilman told his contractor that he wanted a cool floor, and he got just that, and more. This week’s episode of The Virginia Monologues features a guest narrator from Down Under. Steve helped Dag to post the Thursday show. Also, we pay tribute to the unsung hero of radio: the legal ID.
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November 7, 2024
Pretty Man
With all his weight loss over the year, Steve puts on a fashion show for Janet to see which clothes fit him and which clothes need to go to Goodwill. Calling all 2XL fans of Tommy Bahama shirts! Brendan is getting after it in Baton Rouge, and his night featured stand-up comedy, open mic music and a glorious meal at Waffle House. Multiple tailgate parties await him for Saturday’s LSU/Alabama matchup. Matt Dahl got the alarm party started last night after a fog machine mishap in Steve’s future study. Dag met a minimally appreciative John Cleese in Norway in 1976.
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November 6, 2024
Can I Start Over
Brendan has a good idea for an airport restaurant. Speaking of airports, he and Steve are getting ready for their respective trips. Brendan is hopping a flight to Louisiana, whilst staring down a lurking tropical storm and Steve and family are headed to Hawaii. Steve is ready to pack his various medicines and select his airplane vittles for Hawaii. We learn their unique individual packing strategies. What about you, listener? Are you a folder or a roller? Steve saw a clip of John Sebastian restarting a song on Saturday Night Live starting his featured song over (a famous Steve Dahl stage move).
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November 5, 2024
Flying Fried Chicken
There’s a new Steve on Steve’s block, and it has him wondering if there’s a new pecking order being established. Election Day is here, and Dag is readying himself to vote at the Woodstock Fairgrounds. Urban Brendan has his choice of polling places. Brendan has some thoughts on corn dogs and Dag has some thoughts about bringing home-cooked fried chicken on an airplane. Steve recalls how his dog Spud was sent to a real farm, not a fake one, intended to soften a traumatic blow. And we love hearing from our listeners on Talk To Me Tuesday.
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November 4, 2024
Steak 44, Hut!
Steve, Brendan, and Dag had a marvelous hang on Saturday; first at Steve’s and then at Hillgrove Tap, where Dag ordered exactly as expected. It was also where Brendan’s status as a beloved Western Springs figure was confirmed by his friend “Fogger”, who was also on hand. Tom Thayer’s day in the broadcast booth got off to a poetic start, thanks to Jeff’s Poetry Corner. Despite the Bears dismal efforts, Tom at least had a chance to marvel at the accommodations at the Cardinals’ stadium.
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November 1, 2024
Chip in the Jar
Buzz has a stepladder he must climb twice a day. While Steve wants to help him with this situation, it soon becomes clear that Buzz may have to live with it. He also noticed a chip in his vintage cookie jar. He suspects Piper, who recently began storing bagels in the jar. We turn the tables on investigative reporter Pam Zekman by uncovering facts about her house. Brendan’s whipped up another hilarious episode of The Virginia Monologues (a weekly feat that impresses us), and it cleverly calls back to the Bears recent crushing loss. Is this Friday DahlCast short on fun? Nah!
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October 31, 2024
Go You Chicken Fat
Steve texted Bobby from his California burrito place after the Dodgers captured the World Series title last night. Dag’s new Spinone is fitting into his life at the Juhlin home. Janet recaps the trustee meeting, where Steve was chatty. Brendan reveals that his school had a carpeted gym. Speaking of a gym, did you work out to Robert Preston’s “Chicken Fat” record when you were a youngster? Update: Nerds Gummy Clusters will be passed out at the Dahl house for Halloween.
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October 30, 2024
A Cluster of Nerds
Janet oversaw last night’s Village Caucus with authority and community spirit, and was aided by Steve’s audio expertise (ha!). A light bulb went off in Brendan’s head with regard to the process of creating a parody song. Dag, on a concert roll, witnessed a marvelous Nick Lowe concert, which was followed by a quality post-show hang with Nick. Two Yankees fans tried to pry the ball out of Mookie Betts’ glove during Game 4 of the World Series. Joe turns us on to a great seasonal song from the ‘70s that somehow we have missed. What are our respective Halloween decorations and treats?How do you measure a Nerd?
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October 29, 2024
Purple Whoppers
Steve is obsessed with a new stat-spewing baseball app, which arrived just in time for his major baseball announcement/renouncement. Is Brendan seriously thinking about getting a tattoo? He’s grown accustomed to his temporary 773 tattoo. Steve is slated to help Janet out for an important town meeting tonight. All he has to do is sit and look. Also, on this Talk To Me Tuesday, listeners offer some advice on Steve’s TKR test flight concept. Has anyone tried the Purple Whopper at Burger King?
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October 28, 2024
Crash on the Stevenson
Steve suffered through a soggy deep dish from Lou’s, while Brendan delighted in the glory of party cut sausage and garlic at Vito & Nick’s. Brendan’s new broadcast table was procured over the weekend, as was the new dog in Dag’s life. But the real elephant in the room here is the Bears crushing loss. Tom Thayer, coping with three stages of anger/grief/dismay joins us to share his no-holds-barred opinions of the way things turned out yesterday. He has been a part of over eight hundred football games in his life, and the Commanders’ Hail Mary was the first successful one he’s ever witnessed.
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October 25, 2024
Radio Waves (Goodbye)
Buzz talks about an elaborate radio prank he pulled off with Jim O’Heir 30 years ago, which went flawlessly and could in fact still be active. What happened to local radio, and where can we find it these days? Small towns and college radio, we reckon. Steve recalls the delight Roger Dahl took in running his grade school’s haunted house, and what elements of that still haunt him to this day. Steve finds the perfect blue apron for Brendan’s costume. Buzz isn’t dressing up, nor is he passing out treats.