The Bus Stop Blues’s Podcast
The Bus Stop Blues podcast is a weekly 2 hour radio show broadcasted from live and recorded at 98.3 FM – The Life radio station in Northern Lake County, Illinois from 7pm to 9pm on Sunday nights. The show features blues inspired music, with originals from Kevin Purcell & The Nightburners as well as Blues legends from today and yesteryear. The show includes “Tales From The Road” a recurring feature, plus witty conversations from your hosts and special in studio guests.
Episodes
EPISODE #50
12/28/25 - With Special Guest: Bob the DJ
Hosts: Kevin Purcell & Road Bill
This week on The Bus Stop Blues, we welcome a true hometown hero of the airwaves, Bob the DJ from Wauconda, Illinois. Bob is one of those voices that doesn’t just play the music, he lives inside it. With a deep love for the blues and a crate-digger’s ear for the good stuff, Bob has spen...
EPISODE #49
12/21/25 - With Special Guest: The Nightburners
Hosts: Kevin Purcell & Road Bill
This week on The Bus Stop Blues, we’ve got a full car and the engine’s already warm. Joining us in the studio are the Nightburners themselves, Bill LeClair, Don Laferty, Tony Root, and Pete Cruz. Five players, that make up one band that knows how to turn sweat, stories, and volume...
BONUS EPISODE #2
- With Axel Ellis, Charlie Slavik and Stevie Craig
Hosts: Kevin Purcell & Road Bill
Musicland!!!
Axel From Ax and the Hatchetmen came with with Hunter as well as Axles parents John and Nikki (Episode #20), Charlie was our very first overseas interview (Episode #35) and Stevie is the newest Guitar addition to the Nightburners (Episode #22).
In celebra...
BONUS EPISODE #1
- With Don Laferty and Mike Church
Hosts: Kevin Purcell & Road Bill
Musicland!!!
Don was our first guest to play on our show (Episode #5), Mike was the second (Episode #8).
In celebration of the completion of our first year we will releasing a number of clips from players on our previous shows stay tuned!!!
We hit 10,000 Downloads!!!
EPISODE #48
12/14/25 - With Special Guest Beth Miller and Craig Dreiling
Hosts: Kevin Purcell & Road Bill
Good evening, Musicland, and welcome aboard Episode 48 of The Bus Stop Blues. Tonight’s ride is packed with groove, grit, and a few curveballs straight from the engine room. We’ve got a longtime friend of the show, local music scene linchpin C...
EPISODE #47
12/07/25 - With Special Guest Sal Canzone
Hosts: Kevin Purcell & Road Bill
Tonight on The Bus Stop Blues! We’re rolling deep with local percussion powerhouse Sal Canzone, a drummer whose groove could thaw a Chicago winter. Sal’s played with Heather Moran, Jeff Anthony, Black Diamond Sessions, and helped power the recent “Last Waltz” tribute shows.
We’re spinni...
EPISODE #46
11/23/25 - A Chapter in the History of the Blues: Alan Lomax
Hosts: Road Bill & \Guest Host Bill "North Star" LeClair
Tonight, we open another chapter in the History of the Blues — a chapter about the man who preserved more American music than anyone before or since. A man who traveled the backroads into the deep South, carrying a massive, battery-powered reco...
EPISODE #45
11/23/25 Terry Abrahamson with Derrick Procell
Hosts: Road Bill & Kevin Purcell
Tonight on The Bus Stop Blues, Road Bill and Kevin “Shoeshine” Purcell welcome one of the great living storytellers of American blues history — Terry Abrahamson. A Grammy-winning songwriter for Muddy Waters, a longtime Chicago blues insider, and a guardian of the music’s legacy, Te...
EPISODE #44 11/16/25 The Black Diamond Sessions: Blake Wollerman, Todd Lazar, and Bongo Mike
Hosts: Road Bill & Kevin “Shoeshine” Purcell
On this episode we hop back on board The Bus Stop Blues to welcome members of The Black Diamond Sessions — Blake Wollerman, Todd Lazar, and Mike Orfanos — for a night of groove-heavy conversation, stories, and musical influences.
...
EPISODE #43 11/09/25 Pino Farina
Hosts: Road Bill & Kevin “Shoeshine” Purcell
This week on The Bus Stop Blues, Road Bill and Kevin “Shoeshine” Purcell take the big bus on a ride that crosses the lines between rock, soul, and pure emotional fire. Our special guest is none other than Pino Farina — frontman, songwriter, and powerhouse vocalist whose commanding presence and he...
EPISODE #42 11/02/25 The H.O.G. POD podcast
This week on The Bus Stop Blues! Road Bill and Kevin “Shoeshine” Purcell welcome the crew from The H.O.G. POD Podcast — Chris Rhodes, Pete Jansen, and Mike “Bongo” Orfanos — for a wild ride full of stories, laughs, and raw conversation about music, life, and brotherhood. 🎶 Featuring tracks by Led Zeppelin, KISS, Kansas, Santana, Gen...
A Chapter in the History of the Blues
This week on The Bus Stop Blues, we open another Chapter in the History of the Blues — a special edition dedicated to the life and legacy of John Lomax, the man who captured America’s earliest blues, folk, and gospel voices from cotton fields, chain gangs, and front porches across the South.
Episode 41 – Song List
Track #1: “Can’t Be Satis...
Episode 40 – October 19th, 2025
Guest: Ivy Ford
Known as “The Chicago Blues Kitten,” Ivy is a powerhouse guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter who’s been lighting up stages across the country with her mix of raw blues, soul, and fearless rock energy. She’s not just carrying the torch — she’s forging her own path, proving that the blues are alive, evolving, and as fierce as ever.
...
Episode 39 – October 12th, 2025
Guest: Laurie and Kellen Barth with Derrick Procell and Heather Moran
This week on The Bus Stop Blues, Road Bill and Kevin “Shoeshine” Purcell roll the big bus into Lindy’s Landing in Wauconda to celebrate 60 years of great music and good times! Joining the party are two powerhouse performers — Derrick Procell and Heather Moran — bringing their ...
Episode 38 – October 5th, 2025
Guest: Jimmy O'Connell
This week on The Bus Stop Blues, the Bus welcomes a powerhouse vocalist and performer — the one and only Jimmy O’Connell. Known for his smooth, soulful delivery and dynamic stage presence, Jimmy brings heart, energy, and authenticity to every performance. Whether he’s belting out a rock classic or crooning a tender ballad, h...
Episode 37 – September 28, 2025
Guest: A Chapter in the History of the Blues
This week on The Bus Stop Blues, Road Bill and Kevin “Shoeshine” Purcell open up a special chapter that’s close to home—the music that inspired them and shaped the soul of the show itself. Instead of the usual history lesson, tonight’s ride is a personal journey through the songs that built their musical...
Episode 36 – September 21th, 2025 Guest: The Abby Kay Band
Good evening, Musicland! On tonight’s ride of The Bus Stop Blues, Road Bill is at the wheel with the Amazing Bill LeClair filling in for Kevin “Shoeshine” Purcell — at least until we patch him in along the way. Together, we’re keeping the blues bus rolling strong with another unforgettable night of music, stories, and so...
Episode 35 – September 14th, 2025 Guest: Charlie Slavík
This week on The Bus Stop Blues, the Big Bus is making a very special stop — all the way in the Czech Republic — to welcome one of Europe’s finest harmonica players, Charlie Slavík.
Charlie has earned international acclaim for his fiery harp style, soulful phrasing, and the rare ability to make the blues harp whisper, cry, ...
Episode 34 – September 7, 2025 Guest: Jim Murry of Skip Towne and the Greyhounds
This week on The Bus Stop Blues, Road Bill takes the wheel alongside the better late than never, Mr. Kevin “Shoeshine” Purcell. And what a trip we’ve got lined up!
Our featured guest is none other than Jim Murry, the powerhouse drummer and vocalist of Skip Towne and the Greyhounds. For decades, Jim ha...
Episode #33 (08/31/25)
A Chapter in the History of the Blues!
Check out our Patreon
Hosted by Road Bill and Kevin Purcell
On this special edition of The Bus Stop Blues, we open up the book of time and turn to a chapter that tells the story of America’s greatest musical gift — the blues. From its earliest roots in the work songs and spirituals of the Deep South, to the raw grit of the Delta, and on to the ele...
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