Chicago Speaks August 2nd 2026

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
V one O three presents Chicago Speaks with your Host
Darryl Denard. This program is designed to address issues that
affect you. Your opinions matter, toll free at eight three
three five nine one V one O three. The views
and opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the station,
it's management, sponsors, or iHeartMedia Ink.

Speaker 2 (00:20):
Hello and welcome to Chicago Speaks. Your Communications Condowood for
speaking to the issues impacting our community.

Speaker 3 (00:26):
I'm your host, Daryl Denard.

Speaker 2 (00:27):
It is Sunday, August secod twenty twenty six, mostly cloudy
and cool today with a high in the mid seventies,
currently at sixty eight degrees. This morning, we'll devote much
of the program to how the arts in theater can
heal and connect us. We'll learn about the Checkout a
venue which is dedicated to introducing audiences to the beauty
of classical music. Then we'll celebrate forty years of Chicago

(00:51):
Shakespeare Theater, and we'll hear how punk funk legend Bootsy
Collins is using music to treat people with mental health illness. Plus,
we'll take calls on the top news stories of the week.
So as is the case every Sunday morning. There is
a lot to speak to, and we begin with trying
to answer the age old question of.

Speaker 3 (01:10):
Why do we exist?

Speaker 2 (01:11):
Why do we exist is a question that has been
on the minds of conscious human beings since their existence
on this planet. Providing answers to this age old question
are provided in a must read book by acclaimed astrophysicist
doctor Quem Oluchei Doctor Kim Oluchee. I have admired your
work for years, and I want to thank you for
your excellent commentary during the recent Artemis two mission around

(01:35):
the Moon. First of all, what inspired a kid from
New Orleans, Whites and also the rough side of Houston
to become an astrophysicist?

Speaker 4 (01:42):
Thank you, sir for having me. I have always been curious,
and I've always loved nature, and I love living indoors
and eating right, so I need job. So astrophysicists was
natural for me. It was my home.

Speaker 2 (01:59):
But the thing that I find most actually kind of
encouraging but yet discouraging about you saying something like that,
is because far too many people don't consider the sciences,
particularly cosmology. It's one thing to say that, but there's
such a dearth of a particularly black and brown kids

(02:22):
that want to do this.

Speaker 4 (02:23):
Yeah, there is right, and it's not just us.

Speaker 5 (02:26):
Man.

Speaker 4 (02:26):
If you look around any race, any ethnicity, you know
the majority of their community is not going to be
participating in things like astrophysics.

Speaker 6 (02:35):
Right.

Speaker 4 (02:35):
If you go to any university, it's a tiny you know,
ten students or less. A vast majority of universities. We
are weird those in a way. But at the same time,
you know, when it comes to inspiring the youth to careers,
if it's in your house, that's when it's most effective. Right,
Someone like me, whose parents didn't graduate high school becoming
an astrophysicist is an outlier. And I think that, you know, honestly,

(02:57):
in order to inspire the youth and to educate the youth,
have to inspire and educate the adults.

Speaker 3 (03:02):
So what was the inspiration for why do we exist?

Speaker 4 (03:05):
It is a question that has been plaguing me for
my entire existence, and I set out on this journey
of understanding. I always wanted to understand how the universe
came into existence, how life came into existence. And we've
gotten those answers right through our science. We've gotten a
lot of those answers. You know with the universe, we're
a great way there. With life, we're most of the

(03:27):
way there. And I became a scientist and I got
to actually get real information. I thought, not only can
we begin to answer these questions, we can answer the
weird questions that we don't address, like why do we exist?
And we can invite all humans in because frankly, we've
slowed down in our understanding of the universe and we

(03:48):
need new brains. We need the hive mind of humanity,
not just us nerds.

Speaker 2 (03:53):
And the interesting thing is that when you talked about
we need to slow down when you start approaching the
speed of life light, I believe, according to Einstein, things
do slow down. But yet we are on this phenomenal
race in terms of just increasing intelligence and increasing technology.
But I find that we have lost the awe in

(04:16):
terms of really drilling down and asking ourselves what am
I here for?

Speaker 4 (04:22):
Yeah, it's a fast moving world we're in, right. We
don't have the time to slow down and ponder. Our
children our on devices, our adults are on devices all
the time. And there is a value in that, right,
you know, kicking back, looking up at the night sky
and just wondering why you know. So, I do think
that there is something to do with the soul of

(04:42):
the people, right, that we need to nurture that. As
much as we nurture and grow our economy, we need
to nurture and grow and maintain the health and the
soul of our humans.

Speaker 2 (04:53):
I remember as a kid and being starstruck by the
Apollo Moon missions. The first time in fifty years, we
were finally heading back to the Moon. Yet I was
and I am perplexed by the lack of enthusiasm around
the Artimists two mission. It was like many young people
didn't even really know that it occurred.

Speaker 4 (05:14):
Yeah, this is true. My colleagues at professors around our
professors at around the country, and they said their students
did not even know it was happening. But I would
tell you this. I spoke to other people who were
in the Apollo era and they said they didn't pay
attention to those launches either. It wasn't until Neil Armstrong
was about the set foot on the Moon that they
actually paid attention. And now, you know, we know that

(05:37):
many of the working scientists of a generation were inspired
by that moment to become scientists. And I do think,
you know, with people like Victor Glover going up. Man,
it is inspirational and I get just.

Speaker 2 (05:50):
The diversity, the beauty of diversity that was on display
in that crew. Yeah, and then you bring into account
the playlist in terms of their wake up songs.

Speaker 3 (06:01):
It was like, you can't get more diverse than that, right.

Speaker 4 (06:05):
But here's the thing, man, we have some heroes who
are our school teachers, who they reach out to me,
they show me what they're doing in their classrooms, and
they are using this They're using the inspirational people, they're
using the inspirational moments, and it is getting to a
lot of the children, man, because these these teachers are
from those communities and they care about those children.

Speaker 2 (06:24):
What do you hope that readers will take away from
this book? Do you hope it will leave them with
more questions or have more answers to their questions.

Speaker 4 (06:35):
I think it's both right. Number one, it's gonna peak
their curiosity because this book is full of new thoughts
and new ideas. This is not rehashing what everybody already
knows or the same conversations they're having on YouTube every day.
So when you get that new knowledge, that new cognitive
map of the universe. You're also going to get new
questions that are going to rise in your mind. And

(06:55):
when you see that you can understand this stuff, you're
going to be imposs to go for it, right, And
so it's a provocation, and it's an invitation.

Speaker 2 (07:04):
And what provocation do you hope that we collectively as
humanity will instill in terms about Araison Detroy in terms
ofbout reason for existence?

Speaker 5 (07:18):
Wow? Yeah?

Speaker 4 (07:19):
So you know one of the things that is so
clear to me about us as human beings. You know,
for every species that exists, the universe has an expiration
date for you, right, You're going to go extinct, And
we are one of those species that has the ability
to outlive the extinction date that the universe has set
for us by a lot. We are in control of
our destiny. We have the creativity and we're already miraculous.

(07:43):
So let's let's keep the miracles going.

Speaker 2 (07:45):
How do we do that? How do we instill this
sense of doing the miraculous, particularly in our young folks
and the whole folks.

Speaker 4 (07:53):
You know, every generation right that it deals with that
exact same problem. And I do have faith in the youth.
You know, I've been in the universities, most recently George
Mason University, working with young people, and they give me hope,
they keep me hopeful. But there are some fundamentals, right,
we do have to maintain the value of education. But

(08:15):
I also understand that we're better together. We're greater than
the some of our parts. And when we work together
as humans, we can accomplish just about anything. But you know,
there's so much that divides us, and so I've often said,
you know, we need a good old alien invasion so
we can see ourselves as one humanity and work together. Right,
But that is our superpower, right, Our minds, our imaginations

(08:38):
working together can accomplish anything.

Speaker 5 (08:40):
You know.

Speaker 2 (08:40):
And I go back to the seventies when we had
an existential threat in terms of the ozone layer, and
yet the world banded together to reduce that whole. Why
can't we do this when it comes to climate change?

Speaker 4 (08:55):
We can. I'm not gonna say we cannot. Why hasn't
it happened? Because there are always forces that are oppositional,
working for and against right, you know, And it has
to do with On the one hand, you have the
noble efforts right that we're doing the right thing. On
the other hand, you have forces like greed and the
desire for more, and I do think that the reality

(09:19):
can slap you in the face.

Speaker 2 (09:21):
Right.

Speaker 4 (09:21):
We do see that the environment is changing drastically, and
there are many fewer people now who think that climate
change is not something that's really occurring. But once it
gets to the tipping point, you're not going to be
able to deny its reality.

Speaker 3 (09:38):
And I think it's going to be too hot to handle.

Speaker 5 (09:40):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (09:41):
Well, one thing that we can do is purchase your
book and follow you on social media and all the
great work that you do. And the book is Why
Do We Exist? Doctor kim Oluchi. We definitely appreciate you
joining us this morning.

Speaker 4 (09:56):
Thank you, sir, I'm honored.

Speaker 2 (09:57):
Coming up next we'll learn about the check out and
celebrate forty years of Chicago Shakespeare Theater.

Speaker 3 (10:03):
Please stay with us.

Speaker 1 (10:05):
Chicago Speaks with Daryl Donard. You can voice your opinion
right now toll free at eight three three five nine
to one V one O three. Now back to Chicago
Speaks with Darryl Denard. Share what's on your mind, toll
free at eight three three five nine to one V
one O three.

Speaker 2 (10:25):
Welcome back. It's Sunday, August second and sixty eight degrees
and you're listening to Chicago Speaks.

Speaker 3 (10:31):
I have a.

Speaker 2 (10:31):
Confession to make. I really enjoy classical music, particularly the
works of the Romantic and Impressionist periods. I'm speaking about
works from composers like Tchaikowsky, Chopin, Liz Debussy, and Ravel.
Chicago is considered one of the classical music centers of
the world, but the most popular music form in Chicago

(10:54):
is hip hop. Here now with more on how to
attract new audiences to classical music is our with Northwestern
University Ali Barr Ali.

Speaker 7 (11:03):
This is Ali Park reporting for Chicago Speaks in Chicago Insight.
Classical music has long been viewed as an art form
rooted in tradition, but The Checkout is reimagining what that
experience can look like. By transforming a former convenience store
into an intimate venue for our chamber music, jazz, cabaret,
and contemporary performance. That Checkout is making live music more

(11:25):
welcoming and accessible to audiences who may never have considered
attending a classical concert. Coming up, we'll explore how innovative
performance spaces are reshaping classical music and building a community
through the arts.

Speaker 2 (11:38):
Thanks Ali joining us this morning with more on the
checkout our Sef Boas said. He is the founder of
Access Contemporary Music as well as its director of Development,
Christy Bennett Seth. First of all, I want to commend
you on what you're doing here in terms of Access
Contemporary music, in terms of building audiences up good first

(12:00):
music platforms. But what was the inspiration for the checkout?

Speaker 8 (12:04):
Well, you know, it's in our name, Access Contemporary Music.
I mean we want to do two things. We want
to celebrate the past with classical music, but also show
people that are still living art form and that, you know,
composers that live today are much like the people who
live today, you know. So the composers that you mentioned
are arving from the past are absolutely fantastic, But there

(12:24):
are a variety of people that are still writing what
we call classical music today. So that's really something that
we're very interested in. And the second is the accessibility
part of it, just bringing it into people's neighborhoods. I
think that the Chicago Symphony is fantastic, and I kind
of think of the you know, Symphony Center as like
the temple for classical music, as it were. But we

(12:45):
want to be the storefront churches. We want to be
in the neighborhood kind of, you know, preaching the gospel
as it were, of classical music in the community. And
so this idea that there was an abandoned seven to
eleven in the Uptown community, it was just irresistible to
me to turn that into to a venue that would
be accessible to all kinds of people to come in
and hear music from all different eras.

Speaker 2 (13:05):
Speak specifically in terms of where it's located.

Speaker 8 (13:08):
Yeah, so it's in a lakeview Uptown, I mean the
broader district. We're in the Uptown Chamber of Commerce.

Speaker 9 (13:13):
But it is on.

Speaker 8 (13:14):
Clark Street, just south of the Black Ensemble Theater, just
north of the Music Box Theater and across from the
Graceland Cemetery.

Speaker 2 (13:22):
I know exactly what you're talking about, and that's a
wonderful space there. I find it interesting because as a
young person growing up, I had the opportunity to see
Lenda Bernstein's Young People's Concert with the New York Philharmonic,
and it was just extraordinary to be a young kid
from the Bronx to go down to Lincoln Center and

(13:46):
watch this performance of classical music. I remember seeing Swan
Lake and Peter and the Wolf, and exposure is so
necessary in terms of broadening people's palette when it comes
to music. Is that one of you goals here?

Speaker 5 (14:01):
Yeah?

Speaker 8 (14:02):
And I mean Bernstein is an incredible you know, his
legacy is just unbelievable because he did exactly that. He
did these people's concerts, He did that wonderful television series,
and his lectures were you know, they were funny. I mean,
he's very serious about the music, and the musicians are
very well prepared, and everybody's doing what they're supposed to
be doing. But he was also very approachable. He didn't
take himself overly seriously, and I think that is kind
of a model for us. I mean to say, look,

(14:23):
we're going to you know, present really high end music.
The musicians are going to be very good, they're going
to practice, you know, they're going to do all the
things they're supposed to do. But hey, you know this
used to be a seven eleven. We're also going to
have slushies. I mean, it's going to be fine, It's
going to be approachable.

Speaker 2 (14:37):
You know, Christy's speak about the venue going inside, what
is going to be the sensory experience that people will receive.

Speaker 6 (14:46):
Well, you walk in the doors and you're going to
hear that familiar seven eleven ding. That's the first thing
you'll notice you walk in the door. We kept a
few things from the old seven eleven to keep that
spirit alive. And as you walk into the space, it's
a really warm, welcoming space. You've got a bar to
the left where you can get all kinds of beverages,
both alcoholic and none, and you're slushy, as Seth mentioned.

(15:10):
And then to your right you'll see a performance space
and a nice spread of tables and chairs where you
have like a comfortable seat to enjoy the show amongst
your neighbors.

Speaker 2 (15:22):
What about the schedule.

Speaker 10 (15:24):
We have shows basically seven days a week throughout most
of the year. We always print a brochure that has
a list of our offerings, and the schedule includes not
only classical music, we also have some jazz offerings. Thursday
night is jazz Night, and we have some cabaret shows.
So it's always a good idea to keep up with
what's going on through our social media or grabbing a

(15:48):
brochure when you come by.

Speaker 2 (15:50):
And what is the best way for people to receive
that information online.

Speaker 6 (15:55):
We are at the checkout Chicago is our handle for
basically all social media sites.

Speaker 8 (16:03):
And they can also go to the checkout dot org.

Speaker 9 (16:06):
Seth.

Speaker 2 (16:06):
What has been your experience in terms of looking at
people that go through the doors of a former seven
eleven and then come out transformed?

Speaker 8 (16:17):
Well, you know, I mean, you know the building, you
know the neighborhood. I mean, so do so many people.
It was a seven eleven, it was a white hen
before that. I mean, it's amazing. I actually want to
collect the memories. People have so many memories of this building.
And people walk in and they say, oh my gosh,
you know, and it was empty for I mean, we
kind of disagree, but anywhere between seven and ten years.
It was empty for a very long time. And we

(16:38):
had the fortune to get some money from the city
and to raise some money and be able to really
radically transform this building. I mean, so you know, what
you normally see is joy and delight and then this
kind of flood of memories. I used to come here
and get my Chicago Sun times. I used to come
here and you know, et cetera, and I love that.
I mean, before they even hear a note of music.
They're already in this headspace of joy.

Speaker 2 (17:00):
Get a burnt hot dog on a stale roll. You
still love that?

Speaker 8 (17:04):
Well, we did tell ourselves we were not going to
follow seven eleven of hygiene.

Speaker 2 (17:10):
Indeed, Ali, a question you may have for you this
seth or Christy.

Speaker 7 (17:16):
Just a more general question. I'm wondering what you guys
hope is visitor's main takeaway after attending their first performance
at the Shuckout.

Speaker 6 (17:25):
I really hope that they feel like they had a
unique experience.

Speaker 11 (17:28):
I feel like the things that we put together at
a CM are different than what you experience and other venues,
like obviously Chicago is rich with really great venues, and
I hope that they feel like, well, that was a
really fun, different night.

Speaker 12 (17:46):
That was kind of my wish.

Speaker 5 (17:48):
Yeah, I agree.

Speaker 8 (17:49):
I would say that, you know, we take in Chicago,
so we borrow from the improv community and their philosophy
of yes, and that's our philosophy too. Whatever music you're
already listening to, yes, we love it too. You know
you're a hip hop fan, you're a gospel fan. That's fantastic.
We don't want anybody to replace what they're listening to
We're just really interested in, you know, presenting classical jazz
cabaret in this small, accessible neighborhood venue and adding that

(18:12):
to their musical diets.

Speaker 2 (18:13):
Well, I can tell you that I am going to
visit the checkout because I'm intrigued at your mission. What
is the best way for people to support you, not
only as a volunteer, but also financially.

Speaker 8 (18:27):
Well, they can go to Acmusic dot org or the
checkout dot org and there are certainly links to donate.
We are a five O one C three nonprofit and
donations are a big part of what floats the boat.
There are not very many organizations or venues in the
world that make things work on ticket sales, I think
we all know that, and we really do strive to
pay the musicians as much as we can. That's really
important to us, and in fact, most of the ticket

(18:49):
sales at the checkout do go to the musicians. That's
really something that we're really, very very strongly believing in.
So we do hope that people will consider going to
the checkout dot org or Acmusic dot org to find
out more about all of our opportunities.

Speaker 3 (19:01):
And things that we do.

Speaker 8 (19:02):
We also have a classical music street festival coming up
in August. So that's going to be August twenty second
and twenty third in the Ravenswood neighborhood on Wilson Avenue
and they can find out more at Acmusic dot org.

Speaker 2 (19:13):
Well, I want to thank Seth Prostad as well as
Christy Bennett and Ali Park for joining us. Nothing but
continued success for you.

Speaker 8 (19:21):
Thank you, Daryl.

Speaker 2 (19:23):
There are numerous reasons why Chicago is considered one of
the world's great cities. Near the top of the list
are its cultural and artistic offerings. One of those institutions
that is part of the mix is Chicago Shakespeare Theater.
It's hard to believe, but the theater on Navy Pier
is celebrating its fortieth anniversary. And joining me this morning

(19:43):
to discuss this milestone event for Chicago Shakes is its
artistic director, Edward Hall. Edward congratulations, Thank.

Speaker 13 (19:51):
You so much, and thank you for having me. It's
lovely to be here.

Speaker 2 (19:54):
It is wonderful to hear you, and also to commend
Chicago Shakespeare, which we affectionately called Chicago Shakes and going
back and looking at it, it started on a rooftop
in nineteen eighty six. Describe its origin.

Speaker 14 (20:10):
Yes, In nineteen eighty six, the legendary Barber Games brought
together a small group of actors and they performed for
free on the rooftop of the Red Lion Pub in
Chicago and began Chicago Shakespeare Theater. She actually she was
teaching Shakespeare before that in a basement.

Speaker 13 (20:29):
I heard she told me the whole story the other day,
and then that.

Speaker 14 (20:32):
Slowly evolved into an idea of doing one of the plays,
and it was so successful it kind of grew and
grew from there. And she is such a dynamo creats.
It's got so much creative energy and determination. Cut two
about two thousand and two, three, and I'm standing on

(20:54):
the pier doing.

Speaker 13 (20:55):
My first show.

Speaker 14 (20:57):
This incredible new building that Barbara has somehow managed to
rise out of Lake Michigan, and sits looking over the
lake and the city.

Speaker 13 (21:06):
I mean, it's the most stunning place.

Speaker 14 (21:08):
And I directed my first play there for Barbara in
two thousand and three and started my personal love affair
with CST and with Chicago.

Speaker 2 (21:18):
We are the better because of that. But the thing
that I find that is full of so much gumption,
if you will, is the fact that she chose Navy Peer,
which was being renovated and totally transformed in terms of
what it is today to be the location for Chicago

(21:39):
Shakespeare Theater. What was it that she saw in Navy
Peer that took something stodgy like Shakespearean theater to be
on a place that has become the number one tourist
attraction in Illinois.

Speaker 14 (21:52):
I think she recognized an opportunity, I mean visionary leaders
city opportunities before other people. And she saw the opportunity
to create a palace of dreams over the lake in
the most beautiful setting. And today, when you walk up
that Peer, or you drive and you get out of
your car and you get up into the building, you're
straight away struck by the majesty and beauty of nature

(22:16):
around you, and the incredible beauty of the architecture of
the city, and it sort of just allows you to
let go of your day, let go.

Speaker 13 (22:25):
Of your worries, go somewhere else. And then you walk
into this theater with a group of strangers, and.

Speaker 14 (22:31):
You sit down and you watch a play, and you're
ready imaginatively to receive that story and enjoy it with
a group of people.

Speaker 13 (22:39):
You don't know and.

Speaker 14 (22:40):
Come together in community over one of Shakespeare's incredible stories.
So she recognized the place that this Navy peer was
and the magic of that place, the potential for a theater,
which is I always say theaters are palaces of dreams
and it's a perfect place.

Speaker 13 (22:59):
To have it.

Speaker 2 (23:00):
Also is this sense of opening up something that in
many respects people consider to be a closed environment. Now
I'm not talking about the theatre complex itself, but I'm
talking about Shakespeare type of works or classical works like
Shakespeare in terms of opening it up to the masses,
because that really is also what Chicago Shakespeare Theatre does.

Speaker 13 (23:24):
Yeah, it is.

Speaker 14 (23:25):
It's really important that it's important to her, and it's
one of the things that has driven me through thirty
years of working with Shakespeare is largely Shakespeare's.

Speaker 13 (23:35):
Audiences couldn't read, they couldn't write.

Speaker 14 (23:38):
They were working people, and that's who the majority of
his audience were.

Speaker 13 (23:44):
Today, at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, if.

Speaker 14 (23:47):
You are thirty or under thirsty, you can get a
thirty dollar ticket for any show, any time of the day,
and that hopefully will follow on from your first experience
in the theater, perhaps high school, coming to one of
our short Shakespeare shows. Last year, we had nearly twenty
thousand young people through our doors enjoying Shakespeare. I'm watching

(24:08):
it in a way that I think I always say
that brings it down to eye level. I don't want
my audiences to have to sort of swallowed a dictionary
in order to enjoy one of the plays.

Speaker 13 (24:17):
And they shouldn't be like that.

Speaker 14 (24:18):
So we work really hard to make sure that these
stories reflect the world we live in.

Speaker 2 (24:24):
That I just want to give some of the just
highlights of your four year existence. You are considered one
of the largest year round theater companies in the nation
dedicated to Shakespeare. You produce more than a dozen productions annually.
You serve nearly a quarter of a million people in

(24:46):
terms of visiting each year. And this is the thing
that I want to commend you the most for you
provide educational programming for more than twenty thousand students and
teachers each year. Speak about that mission.

Speaker 14 (25:01):
Yeah, that's that's really important. You know, theater is entertainment.
Of course, it's entertainment. It should be something that transports
you somewhere else and that you can enjoy. But it's
also we know particularly for young people. It's a great
arena to develop your critical thinking and your social emotional skills.

(25:23):
I think, particularly now, what I've observed over the last
few years, and I have a teenager, I have a
slightly more grown up daughter a bit is that young
young people learn and relate more and more in a
digital environment. And whilst there are huge pluses and pros
for that, the possible negative sides of that are well

(25:45):
documented and we're wrestling with that every day. And in
the theater you can come together in space and connect
with real people in real time, and we know that
this helps people's social skills, their emotional skills.

Speaker 13 (26:01):
There's critical thinking.

Speaker 14 (26:03):
So for young people, I think theater and culture is
not nice to have, it's a neat to have.

Speaker 13 (26:10):
Actually, it's a right to have.

Speaker 14 (26:12):
And I always felt it's every young person's right to
have that as part of their education in growing up,
and we like to try and make that as accessible
as possible and also know to our audiences in their
twenties and thirties, and then are kind of more senior
patrons who've been supporting the theater for many, many years,

(26:33):
some of them, I mean, there's a huge support and
love around this institution that I feel very honored to
take over and steward over its writing its next chapter
forward from its fourteenth anniversary, and there's an incredible, incredibly
proud and loving group of Chicagoan's from our board of
directors and almost our donuts and philanthropists and supporters.

Speaker 13 (26:55):
We see the.

Speaker 14 (26:56):
Value of having that theater in this city and what
we can can actually contribute, not just in.

Speaker 13 (27:02):
Dollars to the economy, to jobs, the kind of trickle down.

Speaker 14 (27:06):
Effect of when we do a show like Lord of
the Rings and we have people coming in from forty
four countries around the world, all fifty states.

Speaker 13 (27:13):
They're bringing you know, they're bringing commerce, economy and all
sorts of things into the city.

Speaker 14 (27:17):
But I think just serving particularly the communities within Chicago,
which is the most fantastically diverse community of seventy seven.

Speaker 13 (27:27):
Neighborhoods, and trying to find ways as we are now
in our.

Speaker 14 (27:32):
Currencies, and we're doing our first full scale bilingual Spanish
Shakespeare and serving the people in.

Speaker 13 (27:41):
The local and which locale and which we.

Speaker 14 (27:43):
Operate, mixing that up with a very kind of international
outlook as well, so the rest of the world can
start to appreciate. What I've begun to appreciate since I've
been here is the beauty and brilliance of Chicago as
a global where.

Speaker 2 (27:59):
You are going to mark this wonderful fortieth anniversary with
a free open house that's taking place at the Theater
on Monday, August third. Tell me all about that.

Speaker 14 (28:09):
Yeah, we're throwing the doors open from four thirty in
the afternoon.

Speaker 13 (28:13):
It's completely free. So if you've wanted to lease Shakespeare karaoke,
we have a dressing up box.

Speaker 14 (28:19):
We had lines. Come on to our famous courtyard stage
and try your hand at actually doing a bit of Shakespeare.

Speaker 13 (28:25):
I'll be on asked to.

Speaker 14 (28:26):
Give you a little bit of support. You can learn
how to speak Shakespeare. You can do a backstage tour.
We're going taking people backstage to see how it full made, props, costumes,
what it feels like to be in the wings in
one of these big spaces. We've got photographs, photographic opera opportunities.

Speaker 13 (28:46):
With Olivier Awards and Tony Awards. We're doing a silent auction.

Speaker 14 (28:50):
We've got some wonderful things for people to bid for,
including books signed by cit Ian McCallan, who was here
earlier in the year and did an incredible event for
for about eight.

Speaker 15 (29:01):
Hundreds of high schoolers in our theater which he did
for free, which was fantastic. And then in the late
we finished off at seven o'clock with a fantastic hour
of presenting and opening up our fortieth anniversary season. And
there will be special appearances by cast members for some
of the shows and little performance moments and surprise a

(29:24):
surprise video from a very very special guest. So all
of that starts at four point thirty on Monday, it's
the third of August. It celebrates our fortieth anniversary and
opens up.

Speaker 13 (29:35):
Our doors.

Speaker 14 (29:37):
And for people who are interested in getting behind the
iron and seeing a little bit more about how it's
all done and how it's all made.

Speaker 2 (29:44):
And in addition to what we talked about this morning,
what is the best way for people to find out
more about CST.

Speaker 13 (29:50):
Well, you can come to our website.

Speaker 14 (29:52):
Chicago Shakespeare Theater website is the best place to come to.

Speaker 13 (29:56):
Everything is on there. I like to think it's very quick, pull.

Speaker 14 (30:00):
And accessible and click on book tickets and it says
free tickets, and.

Speaker 13 (30:05):
There you go, and you'll be on the list and
you'll be in. Parking is very easy on this We've
got discounted parking for for anyone who wants to drive.

Speaker 14 (30:15):
And of course the bus stops right at the end
of the pier and you can make a real day
of it and walk up the side of the pier
and enjoy the views of the leak and the.

Speaker 13 (30:22):
City before you get a lovely theater.

Speaker 2 (30:25):
Well, we want to encourage people to attend that day,
but also the other three hundred and sixty four days
of a year where people have the chance to witness
Shakespeare live on stage.

Speaker 13 (30:39):
Yes, I love it.

Speaker 14 (30:40):
In the winter, you know, when the temperature is really
plunged and the pier goes quiet and we are our
audiences are flocking into the warmth of the theater and
you can drive in underneath the building so you never
have to feel that biting wind hitting your face off.

Speaker 13 (30:59):
Like Lake Michigan.

Speaker 14 (31:00):
It's a really lovely time actually in the in the
heart of the winter as.

Speaker 13 (31:04):
Well as well.

Speaker 2 (31:05):
Chicago's show shakes year round, so it's only appropriate that
you have the opportunity to do it in the spring, summer,
winter and fall. We want to thank you for everything
that you bring to the city.

Speaker 13 (31:17):
Thank you very much. It's a pleasure.

Speaker 2 (31:19):
Coming up next, we'll take your calls on the top
news stories of the week, from passing a new controversial
budget for CPS and the ongoing blame game and who's
responsible for the cyber tax of the nation's water supply.
Call us now with your thoughts in commons at eight
three three five nine one V one O three.

Speaker 3 (31:36):
Please stay with us.

Speaker 1 (31:39):
Chicago Speaks with Darryl Denard. You can voice your opinion
right now toll free at eight three three five nine
one V one O three v one O three presents
Chicago Speaks with your host, Darryl Denard. This program is
designed to address issues that affect you. Your opinions matter,
toll free at eight three three fiev one oh three.

(32:02):
The views and opinions expressed are not necessarily those of
the station, it's management, sponsors, or iHeartMedia in.

Speaker 2 (32:09):
And welcome back at that time of the morning where
it's your opportunity to speak to the stories that are
impacting our community. Joining us this morning to discuss the
top news stories of the week are John Fountain, journalist,
author and professor Jamie nes Big Golden, who is the
Bronxville reporter for Block Club Chicago and doctor Gerald McNair
columnists as well as a school administrator. It's something that

(32:33):
we always do because we like to inform our listeners
here who are listening all across the country, even in
Mount Vernon, New York, and we want to tell them
in terms of what you do you, as people who
are part of the Fourth Estate, what do you consider
to be the top news stories of the week that
we need to focus our attention on. We're going to

(32:54):
begin first with you, John, Good.

Speaker 5 (32:57):
Morning, Daryl into everyone else. Despite it being a rainy,
rainy weekend, still a good day. My top three stories,
I would put headlines on them. There would be war
rages that would be number one. Intensifying war in Ukraine.
Attacking by Russia has really escalatedland, yes, and it is

(33:26):
I don't know how many of us as Americans, you know,
sometimes we can be very it seemed very far from
the events in the world. But you know, certainly Europe
keeps its eye on what is happening because of the
world wars that have started there, and I think it's
just worth watching what is going on in Ukraine. And
President Zelenski is increasingly asking America to allow it to

(33:51):
build patriot missiles because the president of Ukraine says that
he just simply has no defense against incoming Russian missiles.
In terms of the American front, our engagement in the
war in Iran also is a widening a prospect is

(34:11):
Iron has apparently shot missiles at in Jordan and targeted
Saudi Arabia, and President Trump himself said that he is
going to escalate intensify US attacks against Iran, although overnight

(34:32):
he apparently appears to be saying that he's going to
delay that for now. But the US State Department has
issued new security alerts for Americans in ten countries in
the region, and so it is something that bears watching
because it has not only implications for the United States,

(34:52):
but also implications for the world. My second story, it
would be when it rains, it pours. We have certainly
the face the deluge of inclement rainy weather. In fact,
on Monday, according to National Weather Service, at least seven
tornadoes touchdown in the Chicago area, and I don't think

(35:14):
there were many people who were untouched, and be some
of my neighbors in nearby South suburban park forests. Yesterday,
we're still without power, and I haven't heard about any fatalities,
but there are lots of people who have been displaced
from their homes, who are living, who are sheltering at
hotels and who have been there for some time. There's

(35:37):
still again people without powers, without power, lots of homes
with damage, trees down. But you know, thank goodness, it
seems that most people have made it through okay. And
the last story would be ain't no love in the
heart of the city would be my headline, and it
refers to the continued violence and murdering the city of Chicago.

(36:01):
Tim Bankston, former teammate of Ben Wilson Benji at Simeon
High School, was found fatally shot inside home and Aubert
Gresham on the south side. Bankston, who was sixty years old,
was a south Side basketball star at Semeon and current
boys basketball coach at Thoughton are keyf North High School

(36:21):
in Kamas two thousand and two. As we remember Ben
Benji was Wilson was fatally shot on the south Side
in November nineteen eighty four, huge story, shortly before his
senior basketball season. It was in nineteen eighty four the
Bankston led Simeon to the State high school basketball title.

(36:41):
It ties into Chicago Police. According to Chicago Police, their
lives at so far this year two hundred and forty
five homicides or murder compared to two hundred four year
at the same time last year this two forty five
to two forty and shooting incidents are people were shot
were eight hundred and eighteen so far this year compared

(37:03):
to eight hundred and sixteen. So we see that there
are three and a half times the number of shootings
then there were murders. But it is important to remember
that that was deadly violence, that the intention was presumably
to kill someone. And so it is inasmuch as is
sometimes police will downplay the numbers, it does not downplay

(37:30):
the significance and the impact of violence on communities, and
it is something that continues to need to be addressed.

Speaker 2 (37:39):
And inside of those numbers is the alarming fact that,
unfortunately the victims here are far too many cases are
children and teenagers.

Speaker 5 (37:51):
You're absolutely right, Darryl. And it is a exponential impact
in terms of on families of shooting victims of children,
teenagers who have nothing to do with nothing, and even
those who adults who are slain. It is it is

(38:13):
a tremendous ripple effect across the city of Chicago, across
communities and runs deep.

Speaker 2 (38:20):
And the other thing that we need to talk about
the cost in terms of treating those that do survive
these violent attacks, because many times you have exorbitant costs
with regard to their hospitalization, but also in terms of
many of them being left disabled.

Speaker 5 (38:39):
That is that is so precise, and you know, people
don't think about the economic cost and we all pay,
you know, in one way or another. And I also
think that you know, we talk about post traumatic stress disorder,
and we see in certain communities when there is an incident,

(39:01):
they bring in the cavalry in terms of in terms
of counseling and trauma services, and that just doesn't happen
in our communities. And it needs to happen because you know,
these soldren when they go to school, even the sound
of gunfire and having to go through territories or having
the night before knowing that someone will kill blocks away

(39:22):
or on their block, and it is it is devastating.
And so it's something that everybody should be paying attention to.
And it doesn't matter if you live in will Met
doesn't let matter if you live in the South suburbs,
you can't control chaos, and so we're all we're all affected.

Speaker 2 (39:40):
Yeah, move it on to Gerald. I know you want
to have a response there because I can hear it
in your voice.

Speaker 16 (39:47):
Oh man, I tell you good morning to your wonderful
panel and of course to your audience.

Speaker 5 (39:53):
Yeah.

Speaker 16 (39:53):
I can speak for hours about the impact that violence
and teams have on schools the communities. I mean, I've
been doing this thirty punch of years as an educator
and administrator, and it's it's it's really something talk about
ass adverse childhood experiences and what does that look like as.

Speaker 5 (40:11):
Kids grow older.

Speaker 16 (40:13):
But I'm gonna go back to uh, the topic in
terms of the three main topics for this year, and
hopefully we'll come back to that that issue with Tea Violet.
But I think, well, let's let's let's make a prediction
that peak access will be forced out. There is no

(40:35):
off rank for the war and the course serving this
great country for nine years as an army veteran. Yeah,
I appreciate that. The politics that goes on amongst the brass,
I mean, it's really something I've never seen it play out, Uh,
in this way in terms of being so visible to

(40:55):
the public and to see how the Secretary of Defense
has uh so much division amongst the ranks, and I
have you know, some people that are still serving it,
you know, just to hear or who just recently got
out of it, just to hear some of the issues that
have happened just amongst troops because of the morale. But
he will be forced out. That will be Trump's way

(41:16):
of taking some form of responsibility for the war and
how it's kind of gone off course, so to speak.
So I predict in the next two weeks heexass will
be He'll be the escapegoat. Well, let's talk more importantly
about the upcoming elections. You see a growing growing number

(41:39):
of what we call democratic socialists similar to the Mega movement.
You see the Mega group pushing the Republicans over to
the extreme right. You also see the Democratic Socialists pushing
the Democrats to the extreme left. What does that look
like for the upcoming elections, more importantly in twenty twenty eight,

(42:01):
what will that look like for the independent voters? And
so whatever candidate in a Democratic or Republican party can
avail themselves and be more moderate, I think they will
attract a great deal of support from those independents, and
we will know we're you know, these elections are all
about the fifteen to twenty percent, you know, the majority

(42:21):
of people going to vote Democratic Republicans. But who's going
to speak to those independents? And just to see the
growing number of Democratics.

Speaker 2 (42:29):
Particularly in those swing states.

Speaker 16 (42:32):
Swing states, there was a wonderful polar CNN that pole
Democrats and surprised me. One out of three voters said
they're Democratic socialists.

Speaker 5 (42:40):
Wow.

Speaker 16 (42:41):
So it's more about economics. It's less about political science
one on one, but more about economics one on one.
And that's a quote I got from the governor of Maryland.

Speaker 5 (42:50):
I thought that was so absolutely right, Darryl. And it
is a exponential impact in terms of on the families
of shooting victims, of children, teenagers who have nothing to
do with nothing, and even those who adults who are slain.

(43:12):
It is it has a tremendous ripple effect across the
city of Chicago, across communities and runs deep.

Speaker 2 (43:21):
And the other thing that we need to talk about
the cost in terms of treating those that do survive
these violent attacks, because many times you have exorbitant costs
with regard to their hospitalization, but also in terms of
many of them being left disabled.

Speaker 5 (43:40):
That is, that is so precise, and you know, people
don't think about the economic cost and we all pay,
you know, in one way or another. And I also
think that you know, we talk about post traumatic stress
disorder and we see in certain communit of these when

(44:00):
there is an incident, they bring in the cavalry in
terms of in terms of counseling and trauma services, and
that just doesn't happen in our communities, and in need
to happen because you know, these soldren when they go
to school, even the sound of gunfire and having to
go through territories or having the night before knowing that

(44:21):
someone will kill blocks away or on their block, and
it is it is devastating. And so it's something that
everybody should be paying attention to. And it doesn't matter
if you live in will Met, doesn't matter if you
live in the South suburbs. You can't control chaos, and
so we're all we're all affected.

Speaker 2 (44:41):
Yeah, moving on to Gerald, I know you want to
have a response there because I can hear it in
your voice.

Speaker 16 (44:47):
Oh man, I tell you good morning, to your wonderful
panel and of course to your audience.

Speaker 17 (44:53):
Yeah.

Speaker 16 (44:54):
I can speak for hours about the impact that violence
and teams have once who's in the communities. I mean,
I've been doing this thirty plus years as an educator
and administrator, and it's it's it's really something talk about
ass adverse childhood experiences and what does that look like
as kids grow older. But I'm gonna go back to uh,

(45:16):
the topic in terms of the three main topics for
this year, and hopefully we'll come back to that that
issue with tea violence. But I think, well, let's let's
let's make a prediction that peak access will be forced out.
There is no off rank for the war and the

(45:36):
course serving this great country for nine years as an
army veteran. Yeah, I appreciate that. The politics that goes
on amongst the brass. I mean, it's really something I've
never seen it play out, uh in this way in
terms of being so visible to the public. And let's
see how the Secretary of Defense has caused so much

(46:01):
division amongst the ranks. And I have you know, some
people that are still serving it, you know, just to
hear or who just recently got out of it just to
hear some of the issues that have happened just amongst
troops because of some the morale and and but he
will be forced out. That will be Trump's way of
taking some form of responsibility for the war and how

(46:23):
it's kind of gone off course, so to speak. So
I predict in the next two weeks Pete Texas will
be uh, He'll be the escapegoat. Well, let's talk more
importantly about the upcoming elections. You see a growing growing
number of what we call Democratic socialists, similar to the

(46:43):
Mega movement. You see the Mega group pushing the Republicans
over to the extreme right. You also see the Democratic
Socialists pushing the Democrats to the extreme left. What does
that look like for the upcoming elections? More importantly in
two thousand twenty eight, what will that look like for
the independent voters? And so whatever candidate in the Democratic

(47:07):
or Republican party can avail themselves and be more moderate,
I think they will attract a great deal of support
from those independents. And we will know we're you know,
these elections are all about the fifteen to twenty percent.
You know, the majority of people going to vote Democratic Republicans.
But who's going to speak to those independents, And just

(47:28):
to see the growing number of Democratics.

Speaker 2 (47:30):
Particularly in those swing states.

Speaker 16 (47:32):
Swing states, there was a wonderful polar seeing inn that
pole Democrats and surprised me. One out of three voters
said they're Democratic Socialists.

Speaker 5 (47:41):
Wow.

Speaker 16 (47:41):
So it's more about economics. It's less about political science
one on one, but more about economics one on one.
And that's a quote I got from the governor of Maryland.
I thought that was so well stated. People care less
about the politics, more about the economics. And so the
Democratic Socialists speak to the the affordability the issue. But
it's going to be interesting to see how that plays

(48:02):
out closer to home. And it's kind of piggybacks off
what John talked about in some sense. Chris, you're signed
that the just signed the Children's Social Media Safety Act
and it goes into effect in twenty twenty eight. And
I can't tell you how important that legislation is. It

(48:23):
puts more responsibility on these these social media platforms to
get their house in order, so to speak. One wonderful
part of this legislation is social media sites they cannot
send notifications to minors between the hours of ten pm
to seven am. Now that means children will get more sleep,

(48:47):
that means we're talking about less anxiety depression. And also
it makes some changes to how these.

Speaker 5 (48:55):
Algorithms are prolonged, and so we know.

Speaker 16 (48:58):
The algorithms often are often ways of addiction in which
you know, kids get addicted to certain things and they
continue to see the same thing and how the impact
their sleep patterns. And so for Prisco to sign that legislation,
I thought it was excellent, and of course I wish
if wuld go into effect like tomorrow because I see
it the educators and parents can can see the impact
that that has, and locally, I think we should celebrate this.

(49:22):
We have the Chicago Cubs and the Chicago White Sox,
both of them are bound for the playoffs. That's a pro.

Speaker 3 (49:33):
And the kickoff of Bears cap too.

Speaker 16 (49:35):
Man, there are so much euphoria, there's so much jubilie
amongst uh Chicago fans. To your point, missus Dinard, the Bears,
there's so much anticipation. Now we have to keep in
mind the Bears do have the toughest schedule, one of
the toughest schedules, and so that's gonna be.

Speaker 17 (49:50):
You know, it's gonna be.

Speaker 5 (49:50):
Interesting this year.

Speaker 16 (49:51):
But to see the Cubs in the Life Sox both
bound for the playoffs, It's only happened three times in history.
So there's so much, there's so much anticipate patient for them.
But I would be remiss as an educators. And I've
talked about the the you know, we're happy that the
CBE pass the the budget for education eleven or seven votes.

(50:14):
There is some issues in terms of one hundred and
fifty million dollars shortfall and are hoping the state will
think in But so it's a celebration for that and
Brandon Johnson and that whole and in its administration to
get that pass. But the devil was in the details.

Speaker 2 (50:29):
Indeed, you said, well, I appreciate it was for but
it was good. And Jamie, in terms of your perspective
with regard to the stories that we need to focus
our attention.

Speaker 18 (50:42):
On, well, I would piggyback off of the other two
guests in terms of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and
of course the lovely sports ball news. But what I
found interesting this week was that Janeen Piro dropped charges again.
Former olympian David hearn over the reflecting.

Speaker 17 (51:04):
Pool and right.

Speaker 18 (51:07):
Of course, which you know, I think sort of exposes
cracks with any administration. Thankfully that folks are now, you know,
sort of reversing course and now disagreeing publicly with Trump,
but Trump sort of publicly disagree with its own administrations findings.
They continue to argue that Herne and other quote unquote
vandals were primarily responsible for the damage, and he criticized

(51:32):
Perro for dismissing the case and the Justice Department, you know,
finally side new evidence. They claim that the problems they're
from a Russian ovation and construction defects. For folks who
are unfamiliar, David Herne was charged with vandalizing the reflecting

(51:52):
pool using an American hero.

Speaker 2 (51:57):
Yeah no, and but let's make this plane, Jamie.

Speaker 3 (52:01):
All he did was pick up.

Speaker 2 (52:03):
All he did was pick up a piece of the
floating paint that had dislodged itself from the bottom of
the pool. And that is supposed to cause all of
the algae that ended up because of it being installed,
you know, wrongly the first time.

Speaker 18 (52:21):
We shouldn't know, it shouldn't happened like this was unnecessary upgrade.
But again, as we find out, you know, the the
money that went towards his renovation actually went to one
of Trump's longtime cronies, so it was an easy payoff.
But yeah, so I think what we're seeing here is that,

(52:43):
you know, in an attempt to sort of a can railroad,
you know, or push through or get rid of civil
liberties that you know, there are some folks within this
ministration that are pushing back on this, and it will
be interesting to see how that plays out going forward.

Speaker 4 (53:00):
And for my.

Speaker 2 (53:02):
Other story, so you had messaging conflict in the third yes.

Speaker 18 (53:10):
Yes, So CPS is cutting funding that has been dedicated
to replacing police officers with resortive justice programs. The district
says that the move is part of a broader you know,
budget reduction plan meeting next. Schools that previously received extra
resources after moving resource officers will lose some of that

(53:32):
financial and staffing support. So they're looking at a cut
that's you know, roughly one hundred and fifty to one
hundred and sixty dollars like sixty thout, sorry boof not
talking about my words. They're looking at a reduction that's
roughly about one hundred and fifty to one hundred and
sixty grand loss per school. So but the problem was

(53:59):
that these these programs were actually working, returning to Tide,
they were sort of helping these kids mediate conflicted in school.
So now that you're taking away this front funding, what
does that mean to the future of these programs.

Speaker 2 (54:13):
I want you to personalize this for me, Jamie, because
we are going to talk on the other side of
the break about the one hundred and fifty million dollar
deficit of this nine point something billion dollar budget, which
fortunately it wasn't exactly what CPS Supervisor Board or CPS
CEO macln King wanted doctor King wanted, but it did

(54:35):
restore many of the cuts, particularly in terms of personnel
cuts that were included in the original budget. But I
want you to personalize this in terms of how do
you feel, because we know that you have a teenage
son I believe that is still enrolled in a CPS school.

Speaker 3 (54:53):
What do you feel a.

Speaker 2 (54:55):
Parent level needs to really happen for people who know
that the children and truly are our greatest resource.

Speaker 18 (55:04):
Honestly, I think it's a matter again of putting your
money where your mouth is. If you truly believe in
the in the power of public schools. If you truly
believe that education should be for all, then that needs
to be equal funding allocate to these schools. And you know,
school shouldn't have to, you know, wait until the beginning

(55:26):
of the year or the end of the year. And so,
you know, holding your breath wondering, you know what programs
will have to cut some sort of meat. You know,
these requirements. It seems really unfair, but every year they
have to do well.

Speaker 5 (55:41):
And yeah, we know.

Speaker 2 (55:44):
Now I'm just going to say, we know that Speaker
of the House of Annual Chris Welch, says that he
is going to bring up that one hundred and fifty
dollars one hundred and fifty million dollar stop gap funding
during the special session. For me very quickly before we
head into break. One, of course, is the water crisis
in terms of the cyber attack on our existential which

(56:08):
I consider to be an existential threat to our very
existence in terms of attack on our nation's water supply.
Now all leads are pointing to it being an Iranian
cyber attack, which has now expanded to three states. Primarily
it began in Minnesota. Now it's gone to Michigan and

(56:30):
another state. But The reality is is that initially the
president decided to blame the governor and Minnesota officials for
a cyber attack on their own infrastructureure, but what do
you do now that it's been expanded to other states?

Speaker 3 (56:51):
And even in the.

Speaker 2 (56:52):
Intelligence agencies FBI and CIA are all pointing to and
BRNI and cyber attack.

Speaker 3 (56:58):
So that's one.

Speaker 2 (56:59):
The other piece is mixed messages in terms of not
only the cyber attack, but also where do we stand
with regard to the DOJ and the President, because whether
we know it or not, many many of these really

(57:20):
some call it malicious attacks in terms of the legal
system or unwarranted definitely going against individuals and corporations that
the current administration doesn't like. Are being thrown out of court,
and in some cases the judgees are so frustrated with

(57:41):
it that they're literally thinking about pressing charges against the
attorneys that presented the case. So these are extraordinary developments,
and I want you who are listening right now, we're
trying to inform you in terms of really what we
need to be focused on, because the bottom line is
is that the greatest thing that we need in this world,

(58:04):
or the greatest things I should say, are truth and
accountability and if we deal in that area, we're going
to be all right. Call us now with your thoughts
at eight three three five nine one v one oh three.
You are listening to Chicago Speaks. Give us a buzz.

Speaker 1 (58:19):
Chicago Speaks with Daryl Dinard. You can voice your opinion
right now toll free at eight three three five nine
one V one O three. Now back to Chicago Speaks
with Daryl Dinard. Share what's on your mind toll free
at eight three three five nine one V one O three.

Speaker 3 (58:39):
And welcome back time.

Speaker 2 (58:40):
Check for you right now at seven twenty and you
have that number eight three three five nine one v
one O three.

Speaker 3 (58:45):
We are going to go straight to our callers as.

Speaker 2 (58:48):
We have assembled a dynamic panel in terms of being
to dissect the top news stories of the week. The
panel includes Johnson as well as Jamie Nesbit Golden and
doctor Jerald McNair. I mentioned going into the break that
the cyber attack on the nation's water infrastructure was extended

(59:08):
from one to three. Now it is expanded to seven states,
and I just saw that in terms of the news flash.
So this is a growing controversy that isn't limited to
just Minnesota. I want to go here from Chris right now,
Chris is calling from oak Park. Chris, you are on
Chicago Speaks. You're comment to question this morning and good

(59:29):
morning to you.

Speaker 13 (59:30):
Go ahead, Chris, good morning.

Speaker 19 (59:33):
Hope everybody's well shut up to the one or three family.
Just wanted to say with this current administration that can't
fly straight. In my opinion, I would think the breach
is more and because they don't give it to the
American people straight. So that's my opinion. And they are

(59:54):
getting handled in the courts a lot of cakes that
they are bringing and denied, like you said, a lot
of the attorneys to possibly you know, be brought up
on chargers, you know, as far as their law license.
And I just think we're in a perilous time.

Speaker 5 (01:00:11):
Man, John, I.

Speaker 2 (01:00:14):
Want you to tackle that. And I can also hear
from Jamie and also Gerald following your comments there. But
you are an esteemed member of the fourth Estate and
all that means people fourth the state is just oppressed.
But what does it mean when we battle with what
is truth?

Speaker 5 (01:00:33):
You know, I was watching some years ago when President's
press secretary is I'm sure other people were as well.
It brought up his notion of alternative facts, that there
are alternative facts, and.

Speaker 3 (01:00:46):
She was White House advisor.

Speaker 5 (01:00:48):
Yeah, I was going to allow her to remain an
honor it, but that's exactly who it was, and you know,
being a member of the fourth of State. And one
of the things that you know, I teach students in
any journalists journalism, Professor worth Assault teaches our students is
that a journalists first obligation is to the truth. That
our first loyalty is to the readers, to the citizens,

(01:01:10):
and that journalism is a discipline of the verification of facts.
And so you know, there is an objective truth. We
operate as journalists with that understanding, and the way we
get to that truth is we search for facts, and
so we talk to people we balked the experts, and

(01:01:31):
the experts are not just the analysts and researchers, but
sometimes an expert is an eyewitness, someone who saw something occur,
and someone who is involved in an issue. And we
have seen this disintegration of truth in this I want
to say it goes along with the kind of moral
decay that we see in America. And I think that

(01:01:55):
we increasingly live in echo chambers people tune in the
news not because they want truth, but because they want
their own ideas and philosophies confirmed. But the words that
they spew. Then you know, I can't let conservatives or
or or liberals off either because they.

Speaker 20 (01:02:15):
Tune into CNN for the same thing.

Speaker 5 (01:02:17):
And so you know, we as con yes and so
and so, we as consumers, we have to be ever
more diligent and analytical about in and about the information
we receive. We have to become critics and not just

(01:02:42):
accept it as truth just because somebody says it, but
to seek to corroborate that information and for us to
decide what is truth it is. It is so critical
right now because we have the liar in chief who
is you can't believe anything that he says, and so
we we have to we have to be discerners of

(01:03:04):
the truth in a way I think that we have
never had to be.

Speaker 3 (01:03:09):
Hey, Chris, I appreciate you.

Speaker 19 (01:03:12):
Go ahead and on the campaign the campaigns he stated
many years ago, he loves the poorly uneducated and the chilling,
the chilling effects of sent into decent into the journalists
where the subpoena, the subpoena of them subpenion of them
and acting their sources is a chilling effect.

Speaker 2 (01:03:32):
You know, Well, look at the current case that just
literally happened, was literally thrown out of court in terms
of subpoenaing subpeing the New York Times reporters.

Speaker 3 (01:03:49):
And their relatives.

Speaker 2 (01:03:51):
And you know, the judge was just totally taken aback
by that and really was thinking about, you know, bringing
up charges against the is representing the administration that wanted
to subpoena the New York Times, Jamie, I want to
talk and when we talk about this impact of truth
is that it also has an impact in terms of

(01:04:14):
trust because when we question truth, it also affects our trust.

Speaker 18 (01:04:24):
Well, that's that is true. But it's on the fourth
estate to present the facts. It's on us to do
our due diligence to make sure that we are getting
that information out and accurately to our readers. I will
say this. Recently, there was a redo of the White

(01:04:45):
House Correspondence dinner, which I don't know why is still
going on considering who's in office currently, where you know,
the President took about forty minutes to insult and they
the folks in that room.

Speaker 2 (01:05:02):
Yeah, it's usually a chance for the president to be
self effacing and jovial and you know, kind of being
the brunt of jokes.

Speaker 17 (01:05:11):
But this sort of thing.

Speaker 18 (01:05:13):
But right, and again, like historically, the Correspondent Center is
the sort of you know, lighthearted event where you know,
they you know, sort of you know jokingly, you know,
rid each other about, you know, the relationship between the
press and the and the White House. That said, this
was more like a forty five minute you know, like
angry man, you know, angry old man rant in which

(01:05:37):
again he's insulting journalists and the outlets that have been
covering him. But again that doing things like that erodes
public trust. Being the same room with the person who
again has made it clear that it's open season on
your kind is an erosion of public trust. It doesn't help,

(01:05:57):
you know, it makes us. It makes folks believe that
you're in league with the same people who are trying
to harm this country. And I think it's again important,
uh for journalists to sort of draw that line, because
when we do commiserate with folks who have treated us
like enemies of the state, it's a bad look. So

(01:06:21):
so that said, you know, we have a responsibility to
again do our jobs, and from what I'm seeing lately,
a lot of us aren't doing that. It seems a lot.
It seems like the main point is access and not
necessarily reporting facts as is.

Speaker 3 (01:06:44):
Yeah, quickly, go ahead, John.

Speaker 5 (01:06:47):
I was just to echo what Jamie said. Our only
currency is journalists is public trust, and if we ever
lose that as fourth the State, we're done. I tell
my students, all you have is your name. You can't
lose it. One's the public doesn't trust you, can't believe
you as a media professional, We're done. And I would
suggest that the fourth of State is currently on life support.

Speaker 2 (01:07:12):
Yeah, Gerald, how do you do a balancing act between
being an educator as well as a journalist?

Speaker 5 (01:07:21):
You know?

Speaker 16 (01:07:21):
I so many things can can glean from that question.
We talk about the impact of AI and how does
AI impact our schools and our kids? And but the
Trump administration knows, and not just him, but politicians know.
If you say something often enough, often enough, people began

(01:07:42):
to look at.

Speaker 2 (01:07:42):
Well George Orwell pointed that out. Yeah, George Orwell, it's Urwellian.
It's called double speak.

Speaker 16 (01:07:49):
It's double speak. And we know the twenty We all
know the twenty twenty elections was lost by Trump. But
if you say it often enough, people began to believe it,
as George Orwell pointed out decades ago.

Speaker 19 (01:08:02):
Uh.

Speaker 16 (01:08:02):
But I think John and of course Jamie alluded to it.
We had to be willing to look and look and
dig and listen to people we may not agree with,
listen to people that we do agree with. That's how
you get to the truth. But we have these echo chambers,
and we have this individualism and all of these things

(01:08:23):
which kind of stopped us from wanting to go that
extra mile and actually listening to the facts. And so
the Supreme Court has pushed back and I don't want
to get too long, whase I know you have callers.
But the Supreme Court has pushed back on Trump. And
then what does Trump do. He goes after his.

Speaker 2 (01:08:42):
Yeah, but quickly, you know, because I want to get
to the phone lines. But in spite of the pushback, Jerald,
look what happens. The Supreme Court says you cannot.

Speaker 4 (01:08:50):
Use tariffs, but he looked what he did.

Speaker 3 (01:08:53):
He went causes people.

Speaker 2 (01:08:57):
He's going after people not only in terms of the justices,
but he also has drafted new legislation to come up
with new tariffs, like literally spitting in the face of
a ruling from the Supreme Court. I want to hear
from Hank right now. Hank is calling from Naperville.

Speaker 3 (01:09:14):
Hank, you're on. You told me you have some important information.

Speaker 17 (01:09:18):
Go ahead, man, Yes, do I have some valuable information? Uh?
And I praise Yahweh.

Speaker 3 (01:09:24):
The god of the Bible for bro go ahead.

Speaker 17 (01:09:28):
This information. Now. What has happened is that on June.

Speaker 21 (01:09:34):
On July the sixteenth, the President signed an executive order
to bring all forces together to work together to arrest, detain,
enable all political terrorists.

Speaker 17 (01:09:52):
Do you hear me? Political carest now is a political terrorist.
So what we're doing now is that he has omanized
all of these agencies to come against the people that
are not part of his administment.

Speaker 2 (01:10:10):
I disagree, you know all of them?

Speaker 17 (01:10:12):
Yeah, yes, yes, And this happens now. This is public knowledge.
And I want to thank the Fruit of Islam for
sharing this information with me. But it's time for all
of us, as moral people, regardless, we've got to come together.
We've got to stand together, we've got to go together,
because that's the only way that we're going to be

(01:10:33):
able to do this thing.

Speaker 2 (01:10:36):
One and Hank and I appreciate you bringing that information about.
And as John said, we need to be very very
meticulous about our news sources and also to look at
what alternating or conflicting media are saying, because that way
we're able to balance things out. But the other important

(01:10:58):
thing is that can be no disagreement, Hank John Jamie Gerald.
There is no disagreement on what.

Speaker 4 (01:11:06):
A fact is.

Speaker 2 (01:11:08):
A fact is a fact. There is no such thing
people as alternative facts. The universe exists on facts primarily
in terms of what holds this thing together. Are forces, gravity, light,
the space continuum, and everything else that goes along with that.

(01:11:30):
In terms of physics. You cannot come up with an
alternative fact when it comes to physics. All right, if
you stand if you stand on a building, if you
stand on yeah, But if you stand on a building,
right and you're just standing in front of a building
and somebody above the building has a cannon ball directly

(01:11:52):
over your head, I don't care how much you say
that cannon ball isn't going to impact if he lets
it go from the top of the roof, that's a fact.
And so what happens is is that we that Yeah,
it's just that I need to also shift gears here.

(01:12:12):
But I appreciate you bringing to me my brother, and
I appreciate your faithfulness.

Speaker 3 (01:12:18):
Go ahead, yeah, okay. But all I'm saying.

Speaker 5 (01:12:22):
Here is.

Speaker 2 (01:12:24):
That's why that's why I let you on there, because
it is public record and we need to be informed.
And there is there is and I appreciate that call, Hank.
There is an on wi Hank, There is on we John,
in terms of a weariness that people just don't want
to deal with it, and I think about that. I

(01:12:44):
was at a party, a celebration yesterday, and it was
primarily baby boomers, right in a few you know, millennials
and stuff. But you know, one of the millennials said,
in terms of vaccines, I don't believe in that. And
I told her, I said, if vaccines and if you
have a child with autism, that is a hard that

(01:13:07):
is a thing that is very difficult to deal with.
But I said, if vaccines caused autism, there would be
billions of people, billions, John, that would have autism myself
And the other thing about it, yeah, And the other
thing about it I said is that because of this

(01:13:27):
mistrust in terms of vaccinations, they don't want to go
back to the baby boomers still. You know, if you're
a baby boomer from the fifties and you knew people
you were a kid, but you saw people walking around
with braces because.

Speaker 5 (01:13:41):
Of polio, yes, sir.

Speaker 2 (01:13:43):
And as soon as that vaccine, as soon as that
vaccine came to light, people mothers lined up for days
to get that vaccine. And the incredible thing about the
polio vaccine is that the first batch that you was
the wrong formula, and there were children that died. But

(01:14:04):
because people had faith in the government and faith and
faith in the efficacy of the vaccine and science, they
stayed with it. And because of that, polio has almost
been eradicated. And so, you know, this battle that we
have in terms of truth is something that's going on.
I just want to shift gears, but I just want

(01:14:24):
to encourage people to deal with the truth. Later today,
NBC five is announcing that later this morning or early
this afternoon, current State Secretary Secretary of State Alexei Jenulius
is going to announce that he is running for mayor
and he has a twenty two million dollar war chest. Well,

(01:14:48):
I'm just saying.

Speaker 3 (01:14:49):
It's getting kind of hectic.

Speaker 2 (01:14:50):
It's getting kind of hot.

Speaker 3 (01:14:51):
It's getting hot in here, so quickly I wanted to
try to get.

Speaker 2 (01:14:59):
Very very crowded race, you know, with some formidable candidates,
but he has to be near the top of those
who are you know, considered to take over the fifth
floor of city Hall. Go ahead, Jamie quickly.

Speaker 18 (01:15:13):
Well, no, I will say that Alexi Junlius has sort
of been building, you know, like that behind the scenes.
You know, he's been building towards us for a while,
and he you know, has respect of both sides. He's
been doing a phenomenal job a Secretary of State, according
to some people. So I mean that would make him
a bible candidate for the mayor's office. And mind you

(01:15:35):
you know, Johnson's numbers are dismal at this point, and
some of that, you know, some people will say, is,
you know, do partly do to you know, some of
the positions he's taken throughout the years, particularly you know,
people have been coming at him free to the public housing, uh,
you know, or the affordable housing tact, the you know, uh,

(01:15:59):
city violence is an ongoing issue. All these things sort
of you.

Speaker 3 (01:16:02):
Know has and he's done a good job at city valance.
You know, let's just be honest there.

Speaker 18 (01:16:06):
Yeah, but I think folks have been so the negative
that you know, again, like I think Johnson hasn't had
a fair chance to turn things around. And again he's
you know, we're talking about policies that predate him by
you know, at least two two innustrations that he's trying,
but you know, sort of reverse course on he hasn't
had a chance.

Speaker 13 (01:16:25):
To do so.

Speaker 3 (01:16:26):
So I hold that thought there.

Speaker 2 (01:16:27):
I hold that thought because I want to get I
want to get Gerald. I'm sorry, because I want to
try to pack in as much information as I can,
just wanting gerald quick response there. In terms of the movie,
is entering the race, Yeah he had.

Speaker 16 (01:16:40):
I mean he has the most money, and we know
money impacts who, Uh, it impacts individual candidacy and how
polard it'll be quite frankly. Immigration and shot spotter, uh
and the team and the response to team takeovers. I
think those are the three things that have impact negatively
impacted uh. Mayor Johnson. He's some some good.

Speaker 5 (01:16:59):
Things on certain things.

Speaker 16 (01:17:00):
He loved Chicago. He talked about jobs for are youth,
but the immigration, pee and shot Spotter, those are major topics.
I think this administration could have had that a little better. Uh,
And we'll see. I mean it's a it's a crowded field,
so we'll see.

Speaker 3 (01:17:17):
And John.

Speaker 5 (01:17:20):
My response is, why would anybody want to be mayor
of the City of Chicago. It's a great thing. Don't
get me wrong.

Speaker 3 (01:17:30):
I'm thinking back.

Speaker 2 (01:17:31):
I'm thinking about I'm thinking about the old TV series
back in the day King for a Day, you.

Speaker 17 (01:17:36):
Know who a Millionaire?

Speaker 22 (01:17:41):
Because you know, I think back to Lori Lightfoot and
uh and and Brandon Johnson, and you know, it doesn't
matter who the next mayor of the City of Chicago
is that what else Chicago was set in motion years ago?

Speaker 5 (01:17:54):
We forget that the two Dailies, Richard J. And Richard M.
Were mayor of Chicago for combined total of forty three years.
In the City of.

Speaker 20 (01:18:03):
Chicago, mary Lloyd Leifel didn't sell off the parking, She
didn't sell the toll way.

Speaker 5 (01:18:09):
He didn't create.

Speaker 20 (01:18:10):
This this this uh, this issue with you know, finances
and the retirement system and so on, and so you know,
whoever inherits that office is also.

Speaker 5 (01:18:23):
Going to inherit its problems. And man if I had
a ward just that big, I would just get on
the plane and go somewhere and see the world. Forget that.

Speaker 3 (01:18:34):
Well, you can still lose it, and you can still
lose it and keep it.

Speaker 2 (01:18:37):
I guess based on campaign finance, but I want to
thank John Fountain. Okay, I want to thank John Fountain,
Jamie ness mc golden as well as doctor Jerold McNair
and please follow them on their social media handles. Coming
up next, listen to this gang, I sit down and
talk to Bootsy Collins. He has a brand new initiative

(01:19:01):
called Metal Healing and what he's doing is that he
is combining his love of music with musicians to deal
with the issue of mental health awareness and so it's
something that is must do. Listening and please stay tuned
for that. I want to thank John Fountain, Jamie Nesberg Golden,

(01:19:21):
and doctor Jerald McNair.

Speaker 3 (01:19:23):
Coming up, the one and only Who Who Who wha
who Who Woo but baby.

Speaker 2 (01:19:26):
Bootsie Collins, please stay with us.

Speaker 1 (01:19:30):
Chicago Speaks with Daryl Dinard. You can voice your opinion
right now toll free at eight three three, five nine
to one V one O three Now back to Chicago
Speaks with Darryl Denard. Share what's on your mind? Toll
free at eight three, three, five nine one V one
O three.

Speaker 2 (01:19:51):
The relationship between music and mental health goes back to millennia.
The Bible talks about how David played to Saul to
sue this trouble mind, and today science speaks about how
music can play a positive role in our mental health.
Joining me this morning to talk about how metal music
can help with mental health is the legendary Bootsy Collins.

(01:20:14):
It is a.

Speaker 9 (01:20:15):
Pleasure to talk to you.

Speaker 2 (01:20:16):
How are you doing, my friend.

Speaker 23 (01:20:18):
I'm doing good, really doing good, man, And thank you
for the time to put something else on other people's mind, man.

Speaker 2 (01:20:25):
And it's what we want to put on people's mind,
is the healing virtue that's in music, and you're doing
it in your own, funky, unique way. In terms of
combining metal music with mental health creates a whole new
situation called metal health.

Speaker 9 (01:20:46):
Yeah, yeah, well I think you know.

Speaker 23 (01:20:51):
But with myself and Buckethead, you know, we connected back
in nineteen ninety one and since then we always kept
in touch and you know, to look back on where
we came from, it's all been kind of a struggle.

Speaker 9 (01:21:10):
But at the.

Speaker 23 (01:21:11):
Same time we've been on that edge of losing it.
But somehow getting over the hump, and it's got to
be the music. It's the music. And we get to
a point here like now that you know, people want

(01:21:31):
to hide the fact that something is wrong, you know,
and this record, we wanted to put this out to
to say it's okay to not be okay, you know,
and so when we find ourselves in that situation, we
have to get help. We have to help ourselves and

(01:21:54):
get help. And it's you know, it's not like what
it used to be where you had to hid everything.
Everything's out in the open now. So we need to
talk about it, we need to dance about it, we
need to funk about it, and you know, it's okay
to not be okay.

Speaker 2 (01:22:11):
Back in the day, in terms of Jimmy Hendrix, he
spoke about any depression. Yeah, he did a cover with
Eric Gill of that great hit that he had.

Speaker 23 (01:22:21):
Yeah, yeah, well we had to do that because all
the stars lined up and Janie Hendrix actually allowed us
to do the cover and so everything works so beautifully
that it was like, well we got to do this,

(01:22:43):
and you.

Speaker 9 (01:22:43):
Know, to my mind was like, who can I get
to cover this?

Speaker 23 (01:22:49):
That would for the blessed, you know, and since we
did the Experience tour together Eric Gales, and it was
like I had to get into touch with him. And
you know, this happens to be a real hot time
for him now. And like I said, all the stars
lined up, and you know he jumped in and did

(01:23:11):
his thing and would blessed Jimmy and Jimmy blessed us.

Speaker 9 (01:23:16):
And you know we all and smoking now.

Speaker 2 (01:23:21):
So what is it about metal and funk that allows
a collaboration to deal with this sensitive issue in terms
of getting your head right? Well, we talk about your head,
your mental head.

Speaker 23 (01:23:34):
I think the frustration part, the anger, you know, all
of that stuff that comes up with mental health. You know,
you have to attack it from all sides. You can't
just be soft, you know, or be lukewarm. You can't
be soft. Yeah, yeah, you have to attack it, you know.

(01:23:58):
And with the funk and the mental health together. You know,
it can't be like one without the other, you know,
it has to be both sides. Everything is on the one,
but it takes to the phone.

Speaker 9 (01:24:12):
You wrote that down right, I got that down.

Speaker 2 (01:24:15):
But also you gotta deal with the one who is
you that to get convince yourself that as you said,
before it's okay not to be okay. And this is
a reality that we contend with consistently in the black community,
among black men in particular.

Speaker 9 (01:24:35):
Yeah, absolutely right.

Speaker 23 (01:24:37):
We don't want to be the one that's you know,
just known as out there, you know, and so you know,
you you gravitate towards, you know, trying to prove that
you are okay, you know, and everybody, you know, everybody knows, especially.

Speaker 2 (01:24:56):
In the community, that you ain't okay, right.

Speaker 23 (01:25:00):
So you know, that's what happened to me when I
was growing up, you know, like I had to carry
the welfare bags and most most of us was weary
about doing that because they didn't want nobody to know
that they were.

Speaker 2 (01:25:17):
On welfare stigma.

Speaker 23 (01:25:19):
Yeah, and so I didn't really care because it you know,
at least I was eating and my mother was trying
to do everything she could do to get us something
to eat. And so when the kids was laughing about
me carrying bags, I was laughing too, you know, it
wasn't like I was laughing at them. So well, yeah, yeah,

(01:25:43):
And so we have to treat these things like, you know,
let's let's get it out, you know, it's it's all right,
you know, and you can talk to people about it,
you know, because we all got that same thing. Some
of its some of it's more so than others, but

(01:26:03):
you know, we all got the same thing. So you know,
let's come together on this. Let's you know, let's breathe
take a.

Speaker 2 (01:26:10):
Deep breath and breathe, Yeah, and take time to listen
to the music and smell the coffee so the street.
But twenty twenty six is a really significant year for you.
It's your seventy fifth birthday, It's the fiftieth anniversary your
debut stepping out in the Bootsies Rubber Band.

Speaker 9 (01:26:31):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:26:32):
I greve to that when I was in college.

Speaker 9 (01:26:34):
And the day oh man, all the way man.

Speaker 2 (01:26:39):
You know, and you know, people are still, you know,
trying to recreate. I hope you had a chance to
copyright and trade mark those glasses. But talk about all
of these events that you have. In addition to this
mental wellness campaign that you're embarked on, you also are
dealing with the Bootzilla bucket, heead Land of Illusion event.

Speaker 3 (01:27:02):
What is that?

Speaker 23 (01:27:04):
Yeah, I'm gonna let she's beaming to get in on
the conversation.

Speaker 24 (01:27:09):
Nay, it's Peppermint Patty Hey, So we just did pale
Fest and pale Fest was where we launched Metal Health.
It was our album release party, so visualize this. We
were at a water park in Middletown, Ohio, is actually
labeled as Land of Illusions.

Speaker 12 (01:27:27):
So we had children running around everywhere.

Speaker 24 (01:27:30):
We had Bootsy gigantic six foot tall Bootsy dolls all
around the park, buckethead mask all around the park. Barbie
t who's the female buckethead, she had her own telephone
booth which she could step in and out of.

Speaker 12 (01:27:46):
So it was just an amazing, amazing day.

Speaker 24 (01:27:49):
And the results of that are people are contacting us saying, hey,
I now know it is okay not to be okay.
So we just feel really good about what we're doing
and how we're moving.

Speaker 12 (01:28:01):
And it's all about community.

Speaker 24 (01:28:02):
It's all about your neighbor, and we're just lifting everybody up.

Speaker 12 (01:28:06):
That don't help.

Speaker 23 (01:28:07):
And it's actually start up, you know, seeing something positive
about a negative and times it allows people to do
that within themselves because a lot of people think they
don't have a voice.

Speaker 9 (01:28:23):
You know, and we're saying, yes, you do. You know,
it's it's okay.

Speaker 2 (01:28:27):
And not only that, it stretches across ethnicities and genres
and building people together. Yeah, it's unifying and that's beauty
about it. But I really want to talk quickly about
the BOUTSI Colleins network and then you having your own
e game in terms of fourth Night.

Speaker 9 (01:28:46):
Oh yeah, my girl again, she hooked me up. She's
wide and ready to go.

Speaker 12 (01:28:52):
Go ahead, Patty, believe that? Can you believe it? So
we have a producer and we've been working on this
for a good year. So we now have Bootsy's.

Speaker 24 (01:29:02):
Own Fortnite map and it's on the Epic platform and
it's called Capture the Funk.

Speaker 12 (01:29:08):
So we actually took this game to.

Speaker 24 (01:29:11):
Pyalfest the Bootsilla Bucketheadlane of Illusions, but this time we
brought a gaming truck with us.

Speaker 12 (01:29:18):
And the reason, Daryl, why we brought the.

Speaker 24 (01:29:20):
Gaming truck was because Bootsy's game, Capture the Funk, the
children have to play together. That means a child cannot
silo themselves.

Speaker 12 (01:29:31):
In their room or wherever they are. They have to
connect with someone.

Speaker 24 (01:29:34):
So that's what the game is really programmed to do.
And we're able to put Bootsy's singles that we want
to release on each and every game that we produce
and We're working with artists like Davy, We're working with
artists like Oui our Son, and they are able to
also release their new music on the Bootsy Collins Capture

(01:29:58):
the Funk Game forever.

Speaker 12 (01:30:00):
So this is very exciting.

Speaker 17 (01:30:01):
Yes, sir, you got to quickly.

Speaker 2 (01:30:03):
Give it and give us the one website where we
meet the majority of all this information we talked about.

Speaker 24 (01:30:09):
Today, dccollins dot com.

Speaker 3 (01:30:13):
That is the way to go.

Speaker 12 (01:30:15):
Yes, sir, thank.

Speaker 3 (01:30:17):
You, well, you are very welcome.

Speaker 2 (01:30:18):
Bootsing nothing but success and happy birthday to you, my friend.

Speaker 9 (01:30:22):
Oh man, thank you so much. Man pleagere talking to you.

Speaker 13 (01:30:26):
Well.

Speaker 2 (01:30:26):
That wraps up this edition of Chicago Speaks. As always,
I want to thank my guests, but most importantly you
the listeners and callers into this program. If you desire
news on a twenty four to seven basis, it's always
available with our sister station with the Black Information Network
at AM six forty right now, and get ready to
get your praise on what's on your blaky I'm Darryl Denart.
We'll see you back here next Sunday beginning at six

(01:30:46):
am for another edition of Chicago Speaks. Please be sure
to take care of yourself