This week on the Hogpod Chicago Music Scene Podcast, we welcome Rob Stepen — Chicago rocker, storyteller, and frontman of The Generations. Rob’s story is incredible: in 1985 he recorded songs that sat forgotten for nearly four decades in his attic. Thanks to legendary producer Steve Albini, those long-lost tapes were restored and re-released as the album Alternate View.
Hosts Mike “Bongo” Orfanos, Mike Dermont, Pete Jansons, and Chris “Rhodesy” Rhodes are joined by booker Beth Miller to dive into Rob’s journey — rediscovering his analog reels, working with Albini, honoring Flock violinist Jerry Goodman, playing iconic venues like the Des Plaines Theatre, and giving back through Joey’s Song, a nonprofit raising funds for epilepsy research in memory of Joseph Gomoll.
Rob shares what it’s like to hear your teenage self on tape 38 years later, how much it really cost to restore the reels, and why passion and service fuel everything he does with The Generations.
đź”— Connect with Rob Stepen & The Generations:
Website: https://robstepenmusic.com/
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Are you a band, club owner, or booker and want to be on the show? Reach out to Beth Miller for booking:
Beth@hogpod.org | 708-287-3692
0:00 Opening Clip WGN 2024 Interview with Rob and the band The Generations https://youtu.be/oY84UxwspXc
7:04 Happy Anniversary Mike And Debbie
7:39 Chris Rhodes playing with Focal Point in Buffalo Grove
12:08 Shoutout to Anthem
17:44 Special Guest Rob Stepen
18:28 Rob Stepen Intro
20:15 Joey’s Song Charity https://www.joeyssong.org/our-story Joey’s Song fights epilepsy with music in memory of Joseph Gomoll, who died in 2010 just shy of his fifth birthday after suffering a debilitating form of epilepsy called Dravet Syndrome.
20:48 Rob tells the story of refurbishing his long-lost album with Steve Albini!
23:11 Butch Vig
25:42 The Flock Band https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Flock_(band)
26:51 Jerry Goodman violinist
27:42 Des Plaines Theatre and Ron Onesti Hospitality
28:54 Rob Interview WGN https://youtu.be/y04t-cyqPwA and Rob’s mastery of marketing plans
38:35 Shout out to company Rob works for Insperity https://www.insperity.com/
40:53 Coterie Yacht Rock event Sep 28 2pm The Vixen McHenry https://www.facebook.com/share/1K2so91vET/
42:01 Sandy Gennaro https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandy_Gennaro
43:31 Rob, Beth Green Room Story
44:53 Mike Gomoll Founder at Joey’s Song Story https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-gomoll/
49:42 Shout out to Green Room Manager Jackie Des Plaines Theatre
51:53 The Generations Band Story
57:18 What was it like to go back and listen to yourself in high school on those tapes
58:16 Steve Albini story on refurbishing the tapes the first visit
59:35 How much was it to get refurbished?
1:01:46 What would Steve Albini say about music and AI if he were alive today
1:03:09 Joey DeMarco United Talent Corporation Booking shout out
1:08:42 TUTS and other old school bars
1:12:50 Differences today vs old school bands
1:17:08 Bongo Mike Question Time
1:21:48 How to book The Generations? https://robstepenmusic.com/
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