Have you ever experienced that magical moment when music bridges the gap between generations? Our latest chat with Sharri Scott dives into the heart of Chicago's Rock and Roll Playhouse, where families are grooving together to live music tailored for kids but with a vibe that keeps the adults tapping their feet. Peter Shapiro's brainchild, crafted alongside early education expert Amy Striem, has revolutionized family concerts, making them a shared joy rather than a parental chore. Sharri's stories of the Playhouse's origins and her own Windy City journey with the program echo the laughter and connection that only music can foster.
Sharri divulges some secrets as to how one can be an effective fundraiser and talks about her journey into the world of marathons and non-competitive distance running. She also shares some of her favorite and least favorite aspects of Chicago and specifically Humboldt Park. Anyone remember Chance the Snapper?!?!?
When the world turned virtual overnight, local bands and our communities were thrown for a loop, but the beat went on—online. This episode tunes into how artists spun the challenge into an opportunity, creating at-home concerts that kept spirits high. We also pour out the tale of boozy pudding shots, illustrating how creativity and camaraderie can flourish, even when times are tough. So, grab your headphones, and let's celebrate the resilient rhythm of our lives with a soundtrack that reminds us that every cloud has a silver rock-and-roll lining.
Have someone you think should be a guest on this podcast? Let us know! Email your suggestions over to: karen.sandvoss@berealtygroup.com, andrew.wendt@berealtygroup.com
Connect with Karen and Andrew at Be Realty: Be Realty Group
Email the Show: karen.sandvoss@berealtygroup.com
Guest: Sharri Scott of Rock and Roll Playhouse
Link: Umphreys
Link: Park West
Link: Humboldt Park
Link: Binny’s Beverage Depot
Link: Chicago Marathon
Link: Shirley Ryan Ability Lab
Link: Smoque Steakhouse
Have you ever experienced that magical moment when music bridges the gap between generations? Our latest chat with Sharri Scott dives into the heart of Chicago's Rock and Roll Playhouse, where families are grooving together to live music tailored for kids but with a vibe that keeps the adults tapping their feet. Peter Shapiro's brainchild, crafted alongside early education expert Amy Striem, has revolutionized family concerts, making them a shared joy rather than a parental chore. Sharri's stories of the Playhouse's origins and her own Windy City journey with the program echo the laughter and connection that only music can foster.
Sharri divulges some secrets as to how one can be an effective fundraiser and talks about her journey into the world of marathons and non-competitive distance running. She also shares some of her favorite and least favorite aspects of Chicago and specifically Humboldt Park. Anyone remember Chance the Snapper?!?!?
When the world turned virtual overnight, local bands and our communities were thrown for a loop, but the beat went on—online. This episode tunes into how artists spun the challenge into an opportunity, creating at-home concerts that kept spirits high. We also pour out the tale of boozy pudding shots, illustrating how creativity and camaraderie can flourish, even when times are tough. So, grab your headphones, and let's celebrate the resilient rhythm of our lives with a soundtrack that reminds us that every cloud has a silver rock-and-roll lining.
Have someone you think should be a guest on this podcast? Let us know! Email your suggestions over to: karen.sandvoss@berealtygroup.com, andrew.wendt@berealtygroup.com
Connect with Karen and Andrew at Be Realty: Be Realty Group
Email the Show: karen.sandvoss@berealtygroup.com
Guest: Sharri Scott of Rock and Roll Playhouse
Link: Umphreys
Link: Park West
Link: Humboldt Park
Link: Binny’s Beverage Depot
Link: Chicago Marathon
Link: Shirley Ryan Ability Lab
Link: Smoque Steakhouse
Welcome to Records in Real Estate, a podcast about well records and real estates. You'll be entertained and informed as we explore the intersection of these two worlds through interviews with Chicago's most interesting and successful people from both industries.
Speaker 2:That was Andrew Wendt and I'm Karen Sanvoss. We are Chicago Real Estate Brokers, property Managers, avid Music Lovers and your hosts of Records in Real Estate. Hi, karen Andrew.
Speaker 1:How are you?
Speaker 2:I'm good, I'm cold.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we gotta turn the heat off in order to record.
Speaker 2:That's right, because the blower is right next to us and it is loud, but all worth it because we got to talk to.
Speaker 1:Sherry Scott, sherry Scott yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, delightful. This is in the orbit of many of the guests that we've had, and one degree of separation.
Speaker 1:Yes, yeah, and she comes from a different side of it and puts on performances for children. Kids, I guess, Children kids. I mean they're the same.
Speaker 2:They're the same, that's right.
Speaker 1:One of the same.
Speaker 2:Children and kids are synonymous right, but she takes the rock and rollers of Chicago and then puts on the show as four kids. Yes, yeah. And I like she's playing ukulele wheels on the bus.
Speaker 1:No, which is amazing. So yeah, she talks about Peter Shapiro. I don't know much about him, but I know that he is a concert promoter and she says put on the Fairly Well Grateful Dead 50. It was basically all the members of Grateful Dead, my Jeri Garcia plus Tray Nostagio, you know, guitarist for Fish. Funny story about that. I went to one show the first night in Chicago and you know I'm a huge music fan, as you can probably tell from this podcast, name Records and Real Estate and Jam Band fan, and my dumb ass thought it was going to be like just a nice little tribute, a nice little sing-along. You know that they weren't going to get into it and obviously that was just completely wrong. I mean the God damn Grateful Dead plus the Fish guitarist, and I was like, oh okay, I'm an asshole. So then I, you know, ponied up for all three nights and it was just a phenomenal, phenomenal weekend.
Speaker 1:So he started Rock and Roll Playhouse and, yeah, I mean I went to one concert and it's like oh hi, oh, hey, oh, you know, we all have kids now we're all older and so it was awesome. So Talking Heads is coming up and we can bring that X-Man and Lenny loves to.
Speaker 2:Talking Heads show. That'd be amazing. I'd love it. Yeah, it was really again an inspiring person who's doing good for the community and, you know, fundraising, which is not a job that I would ever want to have, and she loves it. And it's just like, yeah, she's a natural phone, so yeah, very cool.
Speaker 1:And I think that's what she has to say let's do it. Well, we're here with Sherry Scott. Thank you for joining us, Sherry.
Speaker 3:Thank you for having me.
Speaker 1:Yeah, thank you for eventually deciding to come on. You wore me down. Yeah, you're probably just like enough. Enough, I will. I will join. I will be a guest. Fine, after six attempts to reach out to them Wow. All right, that's an exaggeration. Very gracious.
Speaker 3:I mean, I've seen the guests you've had and I thought what could I possibly add?
Speaker 1:But you know, I thought you were going to go a different direction, Like oh my gosh, I don't want to be associated with those clowns.
Speaker 3:No, no, no, no, you wore me down with the kids.
Speaker 1:you know like let's rock and roll playhouse.
Speaker 3:Like you know I, if there's one thing I can talk about, it's how much I like that.
Speaker 1:So how long have you been affiliated with rock and roll playhouse?
Speaker 3:Yeah, so we'll just go right into it. Yeah, rock and roll playhouse came to Chicago in March of 2018. Okay, you want me to just kind of give you the history of how that came about.
Speaker 2:Yeah, tell us what it is.
Speaker 3:So the rock and roll playhouse is the brainchild of Peter Shapiro. Peter Shapiro is he's a pretty big deal. He's a concert promoter, probably most famously known for his being the brains behind Fairly Well with.
Speaker 3:Grateful Dead. He also owns the Brooklyn Bowls. He also is the founder of Lockin Music Festival. He's the publisher of Rolex Magazine. Wow, he, I mean he's done so much. He's, you know, he's wrote a book. He's done a lot. And he the rock and roll playhouse came about because he had small kids and he realized that there was really no great programming for family concerts.
Speaker 1:Right. You know, there was like kid music, you know like.
Speaker 3:Barney, but nothing that you as parents wanted to come to also. So he hooked up with Amy Streim. She was, I think her background is like early education and I think that her daughter and Pete's daughter were in the same kindergarten class. So they got together and they created rock and roll playhouse, which is you know. The mission is to introduce the love of live music to the next generation.
Speaker 1:Lovely, yeah, love it. And so it was 2018 in Kim, chicago. When did it start? In general, do you know?
Speaker 3:I think he founded it in 2014. Okay, yeah.
Speaker 3:So he he was, you know, obviously testing it out in New York at his own venues, I think Capitol Theater. I mentioned that also when I was saying Brooklyn Bulls, yeah, so Capitol Theater, he was doing these shows and then he was looking to branch out. So he was coming to Chicago. You know, somebody reached out to a mutual friend of mine and said, hey, we're bringing this concept to Chicago. Do you know anybody like you know like a good music person and then a good, you know like person to work with the kids? So you know, she hooked them up with Markeigh and Paul Bolger from Mr Blotto, Okay, and me, Nice. So, yeah, they came to Chicago. The people from New York all came. We did a show. Our first show was at Valley Hall in March of 2018.
Speaker 1:Right yeah.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and you know they were kind of like all right, you guys got this and we've been doing it ever since.
Speaker 1:That's cool.
Speaker 3:That's fantastic.
Speaker 2:So when you say it's music that you know kids can enjoy but also adults can enjoy, so are is it regular bands playing that are, you know, clean and kid friendly and they can play a show, their normal show, or is it? What are they doing?
Speaker 3:Well, so it's. It's always like kind of a group of core musicians, like like Markeigh is the person that coordinates the music. So you know, some of the shows we do are like Grateful Dead Fish, bob Marley, I mean. It goes on and on. Those were Grateful Dead Fish, and Beatles were kind of like our bread and butter and our rotation and then we branched out.
Speaker 3:So obviously, if it's like Fish or Grateful Dead, you know these musicians can do that in their sleep. But in recent years we've branched out to, you know, taylor Swift and then we've got to bring in some other people. So you know Mark does a great job of bringing in. You know they're all local. You know Chicago musicians. We've had a lot of you know really great musicians come and play with us. It's kind of funny because a lot of times these guys will be coming from a gig the night before and then they are, you know, loading in their stuff the next day, you know the next morning to play with kids.
Speaker 2:Right, right, taylor Swift. Yeah, yeah, that's so good. Yeah, oh man. I loved that when I was a kid.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I mean it's great because, like the you know, we started out at Thalia Hall and now we've branched out to Cubby Baron Wrigleyville.
Speaker 1:Nice.
Speaker 3:And then we're in Caligarway. In the summer we have free shows at Caligarway which are really fun because they turn on the fountains and the kids play in the water and, you know, dance and do their thing. And then we're also in Evanston space.
Speaker 1:Yeah, sure, yeah, that's great.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so that's where we are now.
Speaker 1:Nice and what do you do at the shows? I mean to walk us through kind of your experience at the shows.
Speaker 3:Okay, so at first I was brought on to be they call it a teaching assistant a TA, which is basically I play with the kids, along with the music. So we have, you know, whatever band, we have the music of Blank, and then we have a set list and then we have activities that go with the set list.
Speaker 3:So you know we'll bring out the parachute. Well, I'll back up. We always start. We have kind of a format. We start the show with like a hello song. Get the kids you know like interactive, like they know what's going on here, and then we'll do like introduce the instruments where we're like you know what's this person playing, and the kids all shout it out and it's super cute. And then we'll just go into the songs. And so you know we'll have a set list and then we'll have assigned activities. So we'll have a parachute and we'll have a limbo stick.
Speaker 2:And.
Speaker 3:I mean, you know, we used to pre COVID, we had these streamers so we'd fly around with the streamers, but they don't like those anymore because I'm I guess I'm the germs. We'd literally have to spray and try to clean streamers. But yeah. And we'd freeze dance. I mean, you know, like, as we took those away, we introduced other things. So we have like freeze dance, and you know we'll, we'll make a train, like going around the room. So so basically that's my role.
Speaker 3:I'm kind of leading the activities and then we have an end of day report that you know we sent to New York because obviously it's you know, they need to know what's going on and there are different venues and I would I would be like super extra, I'd write these long reports and I would do more than what was asked of me. So they're kind of like hey, you know what Would you like to be in charge in Chicago? Like would you manage the shows and be like the liaison? So I'm basically the liaison between New York and the venues.
Speaker 1:So that's awesome. Yeah, what a great role.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:What's the age group of the kids that tend to come?
Speaker 3:Um, I'd say like our. I mean, you know, they're everything from you know in the womb you know like I've I've met babies strapped to mom, and then a few years later, I'm like oh my gosh, they're like dancing around and running under the parachute, um.
Speaker 3:But I would say like the sweet spot is probably, like you know, eight like well, kids to like seven, eight, nine years old before they get jaded Right, right, or, you know, they get to that age where they're like ugh, I don't want to be here with mom and dad Exactly. But usually when I see a big kid I will enlist their help and they love that.
Speaker 2:Oh, that's a great idea so you know I'll be like.
Speaker 3:Can you, you know, help me with the parachute, or can you help me with the limbo, and do you have a teaching background? I do not.
Speaker 2:Okay, I do not, which is naturally good with kids and organizing.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I mean, I'm the one of my friends' group that if there's kids there, they're going to be with me. Okay, you know, like I'm the kid magnet, which is great. But you know, sometimes I'll, you know we'll be somewhere and my friends are like Sherry, you know, can you, can you come over here and play with the adults?
Speaker 1:Kids and dogs, they they like me Gravitate towards you. Yeah, totally yeah. I need to see my father.
Speaker 2:Sherry time right now, so and Karen and Karen needs her Karen time.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so how often do concerts happen in Chicago?
Speaker 3:Um, you know, there's not a set schedule. Pre pandemic, we were, like you know, ramping up and getting really popular and like selling out shows, and it was great. Um, and then, obviously, uh, when the pandemic hit, we had to pivot and we did some, you know, at home, kind of like programming. Sure, um, that must have been hard.
Speaker 3:Yeah it was. It was weird. Uh, we, I did one once at home and, uh, you know, my husband like set up lights and I was trying to do it. I, you know, I can't really remember exactly how we were doing it, but basically I was trying to do it like like something visual Right, and I was like over the top animated and I mean I just I've never even watched it because I can't, which is probably what, which is probably why it took so long to get me in here, because I think of that and I think, oh, geez.
Speaker 1:Anyway, you were over the top, you were trying, it was, everybody was thrown off.
Speaker 3:But then they were doing it in New York, like they had like a you know some people who were there in New York. I think that was easier Gotcha, um, but yeah. But anyway, to answer your question, um, you know, then, as we came back slowly from the pandemic, we're building back up now. And so now I'd say we're like back up there some months you know one or two shows Some months three or four.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you know. Yeah, I mean, I don't know which one.
Speaker 3:Which show did you come to? I can't remember.
Speaker 1:I mean it was, it was either, I don't remember it was, it was one of your like it was fish grateful data or the Beatles, but it was. You know it was a tough ticket.
Speaker 3:Well, if you ever want to come, you know, so I do.
Speaker 1:I do. But yeah, I mean I was. But, like I said, when we're, you know, kind of gearing up for this, I mean I was there not expecting well, I guess I was. I was there without any information that other people that I knew were going to be there, and of course you know I saw this person and that person all kind of from the jam band scene. But you know, for example, kevin Kaiser in that group, you know who's a friend of mine from high school, who knows you really well, and so you know what sort of ingratiates yourself to all of these different types of different groups of people.
Speaker 3:You know, I mean obviously there's a common thread of music, but um yeah, Well, I mean we joke about it, but all roads do lead back to Barry Brown.
Speaker 2:I mean, I knew.
Speaker 3:Barry Brown Back in the day, like when he would play with Jack Straw at Griffin's side note. I dated a guy in his band. So, yeah well, yeah, that's how I got to know him. But then you know, like it just kind of, you meet Mr Blotto, like there's all these Chicago like local bands that would play at Griffin's you know you meet like that's how I know Kevin Kaiser from like back in the day.
Speaker 1:Sure.
Speaker 3:Sure, yeah, I just think it's a combination of, like you know, always going out to see live music. I've always worked in nonprofit and if you know anyone who's worked in nonprofit and fundraising, we're always hustling, you're always looking for, you know, donations and things like that. So, you know, I think it all kind of just like overlaps Sometimes I will well, like recently, I have a friend who seems to know everyone that I do, and you know, one day I said something about, like did we meet at a Mr Blotto show? And she's like no, we met when you were selling boozy, putting shots during the pandemic. And I'm like, oh geez, it seems like we should have been friends.
Speaker 3:And now we are Now. I see her all the time but it's just kind of funny Like, oh yeah.
Speaker 1:How didn't I meet you earlier, which is kind of what I was saying about. You know that I'm sure we have met back in the day. I'm sure we've probably been to a concert together or party together or something like that?
Speaker 3:Yeah for sure. Did you go to Griffin's like back in the day?
Speaker 1:You know, I don't think I did go to Griffin's. I did not go enough. You know, if I went, it was just a couple of times and I don't know what I was doing.
Speaker 2:I don't know where I was, but I was not. You were not there. Yeah, yeah, putting shots, yeah.
Speaker 3:That was a, thing. Oh yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:So not Jell-O shots, but putting shots.
Speaker 3:No, sounds harder to eat. No, it's delicious. I maybe I just brought you guys pretzels today, but maybe I'll bring you putting shots next time. Yeah, I started making them and then, during the pandemic, I you know there was no fundraising going on.
Speaker 3:So I thought or you know events so I thought I'd throw my own little fundraiser and I would make these boozy putting shots. And well, to back up, I got the idea because in one of my neighborhood Facebook groups someone posted that they were an out of work Flamenco dancer and they were selling coquito and they would bring it to your house. And I thought I would like cookie, though brought to my house. So I bought so many, brought it to me and I thought this is genius, I will sell putting shots. You know I'll make. I make lots of flavors, and it was close to the holidays. So I was like, okay, I'm going to make it a fundraiser, obviously, and I will dress up as an elf and deliver them. That's so nice. Well, when I started, I said like for an additional $2, that was my idea for, like the fundraising part. Like for an additional, like whatever, I would dress up as an elf. But then everybody wanted me as an elf.
Speaker 1:So I thought what?
Speaker 3:am I going to do, like change clothes in my car, like okay, here's the price? And then people were like ordering me, like I put it in one neighborhood group, well, no, I put it in a couple. And then I had to go back and take it out and just keep to the one in the buck town neighborhood group because those women were into it.
Speaker 2:And sometimes I mean they're busy in buck town. That's a new neighborhood logo. During the pandemic, people were locked in and they wanted you to come dress as an elf to deliver them boozy pudding shots.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:That's so great. Were you getting these during the day at night?
Speaker 3:Well, I would, you know, I'd take the orders and then I would have a delivery day and then I'd, you know, go out and do it. But sometimes people would order me as like a gift, or they were going to like you know, the pudding shot, because I'd package them all cute for the holidays and they were going to take them to a party that weekend. But then they would just try one and then they were like, oh, and then they would try them all, all of them, yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so I mean, you would say later yeah, so I make great flavors.
Speaker 3:Like you know, I changed my menu according to like the holiday, so like I was making like Mexican hot chocolate and I was making like peppermint and white Russian and like boozy chocolate, bourbon and.
Speaker 2:I mean yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3:I was so like that was my hobby, I would go to Benny's and I would just kind of peruse, you know, and get flavor inspirations. That I started talking to like I think she was a manager or I can't remember what her title was, but anyway she, she gave me a discount and she said when you come, you ask for me.
Speaker 1:Oh, my goodness.
Speaker 3:I brought her pudding shots and then I got discounts on booze.
Speaker 1:That's amazing.
Speaker 3:Yeah, you know, when they bring up your customer history, like when you give your phone number, they're like oh wow, yeah, so good yeah.
Speaker 2:Did you have to?
Speaker 1:did you feel like compelled to explain the situation so they didn't think you were just like some? You know, alcoholic yeah.
Speaker 3:Well, listen, I would.
Speaker 1:I would tell anybody who would listen about my pudding shots, because I was super into them Right.
Speaker 3:Yeah, Nice, I mean we were talking a lot about the pandemic. I mean we often talk a lot about the pandemic, because I mean things.
Speaker 1:Stories like this come up. You know I mean it's. You know, obviously there was huge tragedy, lots of loss of life, but a lot of you know, wonderful sort of stories like this come from the pandemics.
Speaker 3:Yeah, Well, I was going to. I was going to bring it back to music because you know the drive-in shows during the pandemic. I would have the pudding shots and I would hand them out and people loved it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so good, that's amazing.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I've got you intrigued, I know yeah.
Speaker 2:Well, I was thinking of my old waitressing days where we I worked at a bar 24, like seven days a week, live music in Ann Arbor, and you know we had to go around with pudding, with Jell-O shots.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:So I just you know it's a whole new world with the pudding.
Speaker 3:Yeah, the pudding is delicious. I put them in little, like you know, the little two ounce containers and then a little plastic spoon.
Speaker 2:Yeah, oh, the spoon. I was thinking you had to crush them like you do a Jell-O shot.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I know, that sounds messy, but you're sophisticated. Yeah yeah, sometimes I'll put a boozy whipped cream on top. It just really depends. You know, that's amazing.
Speaker 1:So you know, speaking of fundraising, you did fundraising with the pudding shots and you also are involved with Jake and Brendan's holiday show, which is a you know Berry Brown production.
Speaker 3:Absolutely yeah.
Speaker 1:And you also did a fundraising component to that too. Yes, my sister and you have been elves.
Speaker 3:Yes, we have what does that mean?
Speaker 1:What does an elf do at that show?
Speaker 3:Well, so I mean I back up a little and tell you how I okay. So I used to obviously go to the I say Brendan and Jake holiday show. You can say Jake and Brendan, but I would go you know, as a fan.
Speaker 3:And then this was back in, like I think, 2015,. I was working at the Alzheimer's Association, okay, and you know, brendan and Jake always have a charity component to that. A lot of times it's people's music school, but sometimes it's, you know, something different and Joel's dad had been diagnosed. So Berry Brown called me and said hey, this year the charity recipient is going to be the Alzheimer's Association. Would you like to accept the check on their behalf? Nice, and I immediately panicked because I knew that would be going on stage and speaking in front of people, which was, you know, mortifying to me. But I did. So, you know, I got to go on stage and they handed me a big old check and it was super cool and I, you know, I gave a little speech.
Speaker 3:So that was my first, you know, kind of like introduction into being more than just a fan. So then, you know, the next year the people's music school was the recipient again, but Berry was like, you know, hey, do you want to volunteer? Yeah, I need someone to sell ornaments in the lobby. So I was the ornament girl and I, would, you know, set up and sell a lobby. And getting back to my how I, you know, I always do like I'm always a little extra, when I was selling in the lobby I thought like it's kind of dark and nobody knows I'm over here. Like next year I'm going to like yeah, I'm going to make myself known yeah.
Speaker 3:So the next year I, you know, I asked if is it okay, if I like decorate this area? And Berry is like, do whatever you want to do. So I decorated the area and sold ornaments. So then my job was secured as the ornament girl. Then, like just a couple of years ago, I was promoted to elf.
Speaker 2:So wow, congratulations, that's amazing. Thank you, thank you.
Speaker 1:And well deserved Thank you.
Speaker 3:Thank you. Yeah, I was freed from the lobby and. I was able to do what I do, which is run around and talk to people and separate them from their money, and I'm good at that. I'm good at that, but yeah, so Steph and I do that together and she's so funny, she she would, so she gave us names and she is what I'm shelf and she's stealth, and it probably took me longer than I should admit to realize that connection.
Speaker 1:What was happening? Yeah?
Speaker 3:Oh, oh, that's so cute Okay.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:So, so yeah, I got to. I sell raffle tickets. Now I'm an elf and we get to, you know, go on stage and pull all the winners and it's super fun.
Speaker 2:Love it. Here's a question. So you love going around, you love talking to people, separating them from their money. You know you're, you're obviously a very vivacious person, but yet getting on stage and talking in front of people is seems kind of terrifying to you. So what? What's that disconnect? Yeah, I know.
Speaker 3:Yeah, people, if I like shy and Sherry Scott don't seem to go in the same sentence, but I mean I can tell you even going on stage at rock and roll play house, like I always intro the show and I would get so like in my head and freaked out and then you know I had to stop and say their kids you know, no one's going to boom me off the stage and you know, with, with a little time, and then you know, you come off the stage and all the parents are, like you know, just gushing about what a great time they had and saying thank you so much for this, and you know, but yeah, no, just getting up there.
Speaker 2:It's more of a performance at that point, as opposed to you approaching somebody one on one. Oh yeah, I can approach you and talk to you all day long.
Speaker 3:But to get up there, I mean for the dumbest thing I read in rock and roll play houses. I welcomed everyone to the music of fish at a print show, yeah. And then I was like, oh my but. But you know again, like nobody is going to boot you off the stage at a kid's show. We're just glad to be out of the house and they're glad that their kids are running around and expelling some energy.
Speaker 1:But you know, in a contained environment, whether it's prints or fish or yep, yeah, yeah. I mean, how many musicians have thanked Cleveland when they were in Pittsburgh?
Speaker 2:Right, right, that's exactly.
Speaker 3:I think also at the at the holiday show. It's like this is my favorite band and I'm accepting like a donation, you know, on behalf of a job that I love in front of people, that I respect. What if I get up here and say something stupid? I just don't want to embarrass myself.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:So now they kind of do it differently. I think sometimes the person will speak before the show starts. Before it was sort of like in the middle of the show or like before the encore or whatever. So that year that I was going on stage I sat and all my friends are drinking and Sherry, do you want anything? I'm like no, leave me alone. Oh, my God, because all I was doing was going over my head, like if I can just get the first line out, I'll be okay.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know that's good. That's good, I mean good for you for having that discipline. It's like when you're given a best man toast and you're shmammered by the time.
Speaker 3:I got this. That's cool yeah.
Speaker 1:Well.
Speaker 3:I actually did embarrass myself at that show, but it was not on stage, it was side stage, oh good.
Speaker 1:Nobody knows yeah.
Speaker 3:We're side stage waiting to go on, and it's you know, barry, myself, steph and I did not know it, but the rest of like the band members were standing behind me. And that year because you know it was the Alzheimer's Association. Joel was there.
Speaker 1:So it was.
Speaker 3:Brendan and Jake and Joel and Andy, and I'm standing there and I kind of feel something behind me and I slowly turn and look and there they are, and I mean I'm friendly with them some of them more now, but back then you know just a huge fan.
Speaker 3:And I turned around and I said how about that Zonkey? Because Zonkey had just been released. And I remember Brendan looked at me and goes oh, you like it? And I'm like yeah, and then I just turned back around and I was like oh my God, what is wrong with me? Like that's all I could come up with. So you know.
Speaker 1:That's all right, you did it. You said something, at least. Yeah, I said something. I said something and I got the name of the album right. Unlike Barry, unlike Barry. Yeah, so that's awesome. So you take the fundraising to your own sort of extent too, with you were mentioning Jingle Jams earlier, yes, so what tell us about Jingle Jams?
Speaker 3:So Jingle Jams, my husband is a very talented musician as well Nice. And I'm, you know, being a fundraiser. I'm always looking, you know, for a way to have an event, use my husband as the talent and raise a little money. So you know we started doing that. I don't even know what year it was at first, but, oh my gosh, again it leads back to Barry Brown.
Speaker 2:There you go, the thing.
Speaker 3:This started off as a joke, but it's really true. All roads do lead back to Barry Brown. So, Barry Brown was a bartender at Harrigan's Pub.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 3:And he was trying to get some people you know, trying to hustle getting those people in and he said you should like, you know, have that here.
Speaker 3:And I said great, so I did. My husband played Barry bartended, we all wore ugly sweaters. So the name has changed over the years it's been. It's been an ugly sweater party, it's been a holiday for Ray and most recently it's kind of settled into Jingle Jam. So yeah, we do it. It's not always a fundraiser because, like I was telling you guys earlier, you know you don't want to keep dipping from that you know, saying well, you want to give your friends time to forget how much money you've taken from them, so they're feeling more generous.
Speaker 3:But usually when we have it and there's a fundraising aspect, it's because something is going on. In our friend group we had a. We have a dear friend Her name is Katie and she had an accident in Broker. Neck dove into shallow water and that year obviously it was like we're going to donate to the. It was the rehab institute at that time.
Speaker 1:It's now the.
Speaker 3:Shirley Ryan Ability Lab. But you know we've done that. We had a friend. We lost a friend to cancer, so we have raised money for that. Most recently, other recipients have been like suicide prevention. This year we had it and the recipient. So we have a. We have a friend and his dad was in an accident. He here's a little lesson for you Never throw anything foreign into a fire. He did. He threw something into the fire, the fire exploded.
Speaker 3:He had burns over most of his body. Yikes, yeah, serious. He was in the hospital in Rockford for about two months and then he moved to Shirley Ryan Ability Lab. But his family was able to stay at the Ronald McDonald House and they have stayed at the Ronald McDonald House before because he has a younger sister who has had chronic illnesses and she's been at Lurie Children's Hospital. So so basically what I'm saying is we wanted to donate the money but in like he, the family didn't necessarily need the donation to be made to them. So they, we thought let's do it for Ronald McDonald House because they've helped so much.
Speaker 3:So that's our that's our most recent recipient.
Speaker 1:Nice, that's great. Yeah, where was the jingle jam held this year?
Speaker 3:It was held at Fortres Tavern. Our friend Mark Worthley is the bartender there. So he is. You know, between myself, mark and Jeremy we can curate a pretty good night of music and you know, like got a bunch of raffle items. You know we were telling you earlier, like the between the Rock and Roll Playhouse and and Mike at Jam and Omfries McGee, like they're always so generous Whenever I ask for something, they are more than willing and and helpful.
Speaker 1:Yeah, Nice, nice, that's great.
Speaker 3:So we raised about, I think about $1,300.
Speaker 1:Oh, wow, yeah, yeah, that's awesome.
Speaker 3:Yeah, we're going to make that donation to the Ronald McDonald House in the name of the family the Johnson family.
Speaker 1:Good yeah, that's great. What a great story. Did you sell putting shots at your jingle jam?
Speaker 3:I didn't, but I have had putting shots at that bar before, yeah, although I'm not sure if that is really allowed, so maybe oh keep it on the low down.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, yeah, keep it on the low down. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Back for the musicians.
Speaker 3:Well, it's like you know, the tamale guy comes in and plays. So I like have my little cooler. I'm like pudding and it's funny People are skeptical when you offer them a putting shot. Yeah, right, you know and it's funny how often people are.
Speaker 2:You know, guys, especially guys, are like I don't think so like pudding, because it's just not manly enough, or they don't know, I don't know, they don't know, if you're poisoning them.
Speaker 3:But guess who the repeat customers are? The men. The men are like you guys are more of those pudding shots. So I try to make some flavors that are like you know, like bourbons.
Speaker 2:Axe body spray.
Speaker 3:Yeah yeah, Peanut butter screwball whiskey, that's a good one. That's a good one.
Speaker 2:Peanut butter screwball yeah, I had that for the first time at last year's St Patrick's Day. It blew my mind.
Speaker 1:What is it? Is it it's peanut butter whiskey and it is so peanut buttery.
Speaker 2:It is amazing if you love peanut butter, yeah. It's a punch in the chest. It's so good yeah.
Speaker 3:I do that with chocolate pudding, oh my God, and then I've, I've tried to add like I'll try to like melt. I try different things and then I realize I'm not a chef but I'll, I'll try to like get some peanut butter like melty, and then I'll incorporate that in there with like a swirl with the booze.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's good. All right, I'm going to hit you up for some of those. Oh yeah, you're yeah.
Speaker 1:Next Jingle Jam. Please invite us yeah.
Speaker 2:Please bring some pudding chads, of course, sure.
Speaker 1:So you and your husband? I've seen posts that you guys are runners.
Speaker 3:Yes, we are.
Speaker 1:Yeah, run marathons or.
Speaker 3:Yes, you know there's a joke. How do you know? Someone has run a marathon and the punchline is don't worry, they'll tell you.
Speaker 1:Yeah Well, here's your opportunity.
Speaker 3:Yeah, how much time do we have? Yeah, so I started running late in life and you know, it's kind of like a slippery slope, like my first thing I ever was going to do. It was going to be the only thing I was going to do. I was going to run the shamrock shuffle.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:And that was it.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:And you know, I was such an inexperienced runner I, you know, I was wearing like cotton capris and you know, like all the wrong things and and I remember, like almost you know, finishing and being like, no way, I'm never, never doing this again. Yeah, yeah, you know. But then you finish and you're like, oh, that was awesome, I'm going to do it again. So, anyway, slippery slope. Next thing, you know you're running a half marathon and then you're like, well, may as well, so I'll do it.
Speaker 3:I mean, I mean, I'm never going to be in butter shapes than I am now, so I might as well try it. But I mean, you know, I'm not a natural runner Like my. My marathon training group used to say that they knew when they didn't need their garments to tell them when we were at mile four, because that's when I would start talking. Because it's true, you know marathon training. You run like two by two and you're supposed to run at a conversational pace, so you know the first four miles I would literally be in my head going what are you doing? This is ridiculous.
Speaker 3:You know you you can't do this. This is hard. And then, by mile four, it's like your brain finally gives in and says all right, you know like.
Speaker 1:I guess she's doing this, yeah, so so let's go so.
Speaker 3:So, yeah, yeah, I ran Chicago. I've only ran Chicago marathon and I ran it four times, okay, wow, congrats.
Speaker 1:That's great, thank you.
Speaker 3:Everyone thinks my husband is the big athlete runner and I have to remind them that I ran marathons before he did Uh-huh, dude, you know, that's how. I, that's how I lured him in. He was impressed with my running, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3:And and I, you know, I met him at a bar and literally he was like so you just ran, I just ran the marathon. So he's like so you just ran the marathon. And it was like I talked for the next 20 minutes and now we're married. That was it. Yeah, that was it. Wow, that's amazing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, what? What do you? So I mean, if you're training, you're training with other people, you're talking, but do you have a playlist, like a running playlist, that you listen to? You listen to music along.
Speaker 3:Um, yeah, so yeah, when you're, when you're like doing official training, like if you're training with a group like a CARA or something like that with Chicago Area Runners Association, they don't encourage music because you're supposed to talk. But when I'm just running myself, you know I'm listening to music and it's kind of funny. My, what I listen to during a race is very different than what I listen to when I'm just out there like getting it done. Sure, um, you know, when I'm running a race, I like to listen to like 90s, like old school rap, you know, yeah.
Speaker 2:Really oh yeah.
Speaker 3:Interesting.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 3:And it's kind of funny too, like you'll be running and you know you'll it'll be, like you know hard It'll you'll be late into your miles. And then you've got like some, you know some, like explicit lyrics in your ears and you're looking around and you're thinking if any of these people knew you know like, look at me, I don't look like super athletic. I don't look like whatever, but I am like this is what's getting me to the finish line yeah, hardcore gangster rap, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:So it's funny.
Speaker 3:Also you'll start singing it out loud and then you're like, oh wait, oh wait, wait, wait, yeah, I can't say that I did seriously hope.
Speaker 2:I started climbing the stairs in my condo building. It's a 20 story building.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And I go down to the bottom and I climb up and I listen to stand up comedy.
Speaker 1:And.
Speaker 2:I have it on YouTube and I'm literally just walking with my phone and by the time I'm like I'm already on the 12th floor or whatever.
Speaker 3:The same. The same I like to listen to podcasts yeah, you know, like my husband would die before he would listen to. Like you know, he'll put on a whole show. So, like we're very different, he'll put on, like you know, umphreys or disco biscuits Like he'll put on a whole show and he'll run to that. Yeah, I, that's not my jam. Yeah, you know, like I like to listen to a podcast because I it's going to keep me interested and I'm going to stay out there longer.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 3:But it strikes your brain, it totally it distracts your brain, yeah, but again, it depends on what you're doing, because if I'm, you know, like I'm running a race, then I want to listen to something. All right, I also like soundtracks, like Hamilton.
Speaker 1:Like when.
Speaker 3:Hamilton came out, man, I would be like running around Humboldt Park, Dun, dun, dun, dun dun. And then my like I would look at my you know I'm not much for stats, I'm not the fastest person out there Like I'm, I like to say I'm getting my money's worth, you know, because my husband and I will run the same thing and I'll be like, oh my gosh, did you see, you know like whatever on the trail, Like did you see that cute dog on the trail? And he's like no you know I was running.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3:Or, like I like to say, I'm getting my money's worth because, you know, my husband will run a marathon and, like you know, I think his fastest is like 335. Wow, yeah, and I'm. You know, my fastest is like 448. But my, my first was, like you know, five and a half. Yeah, I'm like, well, I know one could run for three and a half hours. You know, like you shouldn't have seen me three and a half hours then I was having a great time. You know, try running for five and a half.
Speaker 3:And he's like I would hate that.
Speaker 2:Like shoot me, like I would never do that. That's a good point. Yeah. The slower you are like, the more yeah, the more respect you should garner, right, yeah?
Speaker 1:Well, do you get to take in Chicago? I mean, I always think like walking through, I don't, I don't run, but walking through Chicago is a great way to get to know the city. Do you, do you run through the neighborhoods or is it like strictly in the lake?
Speaker 3:Well, yeah, when I first started training. And you're in groups, you know you run along the lakefront, so you know when you're a beginner, every furthest distance is the furthest distance and you'd be like, wow, you know, like I remember the first time I ran around, like is it the Shedda Quarry on? Or the yeah Right, like how it's like it just out? Yeah, yeah, I'm making hand gestures, yeah, but you know, like the first time you run around, that it's amazing.
Speaker 3:Yeah, you know you're like holy, I can't believe I am all the way down here and my own two legs got here, yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, especially when you drive it the next day and you're like I ran this whole thing, oh yeah.
Speaker 3:You know, cars like when you're running like along the lake, and cars are like going on Lakeshore Drive and they're honking at you and you're like yeah. I'm so cool and you know whatever, but then it's like the running back, you realize, oh God you know, because we, you know, I trained out of Montrose, so you kind of like, after you're doing this for a couple of years and you're training for the marathon, it gets. It's like the opposite effect instead of like excitement at what's next, it's dread at what's still to come.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 3:So, but you know, I also run around Humboldt Park. Okay, I live in Humboldt Park, right? Between the actual park and the 606. Okay so between those two things. You know, I know, I know one trip around Humboldt Park is two miles. Yeah, you know, I know the distance of the 606.
Speaker 1:So you know there's those things.
Speaker 3:And then we also like to go out of town and run. Okay, so you know, I've run four Chicago marathons. I was trained for five and I got hurt which really is a bummer, because it's like I hate that I sometimes I think, maybe if I had one more in me like you know, just so I could end on a nice number like five. Five is respectable. I've ran five Chicago marathons.
Speaker 3:But, when I say I ran four, I feel like I need to give the disclaimer. Well, I got booted in September you know, so I whatever, but we like to travel and run. So I mean this year so I kind of took a break from my personal running and I managed, like charity marathon teams Okay. But this year I kind of got back into running for myself and my husband wanted to run. My husband's son lives in San Francisco.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 3:Jacob, my stepson, and his girlfriend goes to Stanford.
Speaker 1:Medical.
Speaker 2:They're a couple of smarties, nice, nice, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3:So you know, like you do when you have kids, you try to make them, or, you know, influence them to like what you like. So when Jacob was, you know, younger and living here, we would get him out running and he would run but he hated it yeah. But then, you know, fast forward. A few years later he's living in San Francisco and he starts running again. So he tells his dad that he and his girlfriend signed up for the San Francisco half.
Speaker 1:Nice.
Speaker 3:So of course my husband's like well, let's see, and if there's, you know, if there's a full option, he's going to run it. So he ran the full and Jacob, ella and myself ran the half. And it was great because I was. I was not in the best shape, but the new to me scenery yeah Like, oh yeah, san.
Speaker 2:Francisco. Oh yeah, what was the route? I still live there, so.
Speaker 3:Well, I got to run across the Golden.
Speaker 2:Gate Bridge which was amazing. Yeah, you know, amazing yeah, gorgeous, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3:And then, you know, there were, there was like two different routes, so there was like a bridge. It was very. It was kind of confusing. You know, I'm just like sign me up for whatever, as long as I can run across a bridge, I don't care, right, so that was kind of like. You know, you were working toward the bridge, then you were on the bridge, then you came back across the bridge and then you were like okay, I've got the, but the hills.
Speaker 2:I was going to say it's hilly there, because here it's wet.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, yeah, the hills were crazy Brutal, Are you guys Ted Lasso fans? Yeah, yeah, so um, now of course I'm drawing a blank, but the angry like Kermudgeny um one, roy Roy Kent, yeah yeah. Yeah, I, every time I would turn and like go up a hill, I'd be like you know, I would make that noise. You know, I mean I seriously, I probably did it like a hundred times. It was so hard.
Speaker 2:Yeah, oh, my God, you know again, you can do it there, you can probably do it anywhere.
Speaker 3:Yeah, once you finish, you're like oh yeah, man, I rock that thing.
Speaker 1:And you'd yeah.
Speaker 3:So yeah, that's, that's a good way, to you know, take in scenery and and kind of takes the sting out of what you're doing, because you're just like what's next? What's around this corner? What's at the top of this hill?
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Oh, another hill.
Speaker 2:Yeah, great Yep, yeah yeah.
Speaker 1:Well, since we reached the top of a hill, why don't we take a quick break and we'll come back and talk a little bit about Chicago.
Speaker 2:Sounds great.
Speaker 1:Karen Andrew, do you have a record of the week Record of the week Record Record. Record of the week.
Speaker 2:Andrew, yes, I do have a record of the week.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:It is or it's a band of the week. It's called Mute.
Speaker 1:Mute? Yeah, I don't think you talked about mute, you never brought this up.
Speaker 2:Okay, M-E-U-T-E no definitely not. I mean, and it might not even be pronounced that way, I don't know Miaute, miaute or mute, and I don't know how I found it, randomly, yeah. But when I was listening to it I was like sort of LCD sound system. It's little techno-y, it's very drive-y, dance-y, kind of cool things. And then I looked them up and it is a marching band.
Speaker 1:Oh, my goodness.
Speaker 2:And they're playing music like solid dance, techno, cool, but it's all live marching band instruments.
Speaker 1:That is awesome.
Speaker 2:It's so cool.
Speaker 1:I actually have seen them on Instagram, okay, maybe.
Speaker 2:That's how I found them.
Speaker 1:I think I've seen them on Instagram. I've seen some of the similar on Instagram, but that is really, really cool. How talented must they be.
Speaker 2:Oh, I mean, it is like astounding how tight they are and they're playing out on the streets and all these videos and stuff. So I can only imagine it's an 11-piece self-described techno marching band from Germany. That's what Wikipedia is saying to me and I so I don't have an album per se. I just kind of looked them up and put them on Spotify and I love it.
Speaker 1:That's cool.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so that's my record of the week, perfect.
Speaker 1:That's perfect. Let's let our listeners just you know learn more about mute or, meute, meute, m-e-u-t-e Perfect. Well, we're back with Sherry Scott. Are you having fun? I am Good, I am, that's great. Yeah, we like it.
Speaker 3:It always works out like that right, you dread something. Yeah, I mean you know, and then you have the best time.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, you're not scary. Well, I mean Karen can be really scary.
Speaker 2:I can be scary. Oh yeah, just looking, just looking yeah.
Speaker 1:I mean, sometimes I dread getting on this red gas. You never know how it's going to go.
Speaker 3:But this has been amazing. No, you guys are great, you're really cool Handling leading me right through it, that's right, yeah.
Speaker 1:So speaking of that, I was researching. Do you have a journalism degree?
Speaker 3:Yes.
Speaker 1:Yeah, me too. Oh, nice yeah.
Speaker 3:My first job ever was at an advertising agency and the first big thing I got to work on was an account with Asiago cheese.
Speaker 1:OK.
Speaker 3:And I remember being in a room with a big table and the big block of Asiago cheese.
Speaker 2:They had it in front of you yeah.
Speaker 3:And they gave us all some. We took it home. I was like, am I in heaven?
Speaker 1:You put it under your pillow?
Speaker 3:Yeah, I was like you're sending me home with a block of cheese Nice.
Speaker 1:Best day ever. You turned it into pudding.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's the perks of the job, right, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:That's awesome, yeah, so journalism degree, I guess maybe helps. Like I've never used it, but now I get to ask people questions.
Speaker 3:There you go.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so yeah, thank you for telling us all those stories about your experience with not-for-profits and fundraising. That was a lot of fun. Just have some sort of simple Chicago-based questions. That I was talking about Chicago, so let's continue on with the music theme. Oh, what are your favorite venues to go see music at? And if you feel like you can't answer that question because you might offend venues that you have relationships with, you can artfully dodge it.
Speaker 3:No, I mean, Thalia Hall is amazing, both being able to it's awesome. It's a historic landmark and so just the building itself, like inside, how cool looking it is. It's neat to go to as just Sherry Scott concertgoer.
Speaker 3:And then working with the rock and roll playhouse, I get to see behind the scenes, I get to see downstairs. I know the code to the green room, yeah, so I mean I love all the venues that we you know. I think earlier we're talking about the favorite venues for rock and roll playhouse and, again, like the different venues hold different you know attributes. So, like with Dahlia Hall, it's like, oh, that's like a big stage, and then at Evanston Space or Cubby Bear, the stage is lower to the ground and so that's more like you know, interactive for the kids.
Speaker 3:But I mean, you know me personally. I would say you know, dahlia, I love an outdoor venue. I mean, you know I love a. I've been to the salt shed a couple of times. Salt shed is great. Yeah, you know, if I had one critique of the salt shed, it would be. I wish there was some different levels. Right, you know if you're on the floor it's hard to see. You know, I saw King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizards there this summer and I couldn't see a thing.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:I had to be like kind of tiptoe, look up there. You know, yeah, I saw Tyler Childers there this summer outside it was fantastic.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we went there for a party for cross country mortgage and rod tough curls and the bench press was there, they were great yeah they're fun yeah. It was not. It was not full. Obviously it was an event put on by a private event, but I took a really good picture of Karen. She's like at the front and it like kind of just the perspective, looks like she's the only person in the crowd. Oh, that's fun and I'm dancing. That is so fun.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I forgot about that.
Speaker 3:I also think a lot of like as far as like my favorite venues kind of depends on like the experience that you have there, obviously, and you know the where your seats are.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 3:I've recently went to the RIV to see Humphreys. New Year's Eve and husbands splurged on some nice VIP balcony tickets and we were front row balcony and. I had the best time you know, because, like you're right there and you feel in it. Now, like looking down on the floor, I'm like, no, thank you Right, but that first row balcony was fantastic.
Speaker 3:And we had several friends at the show also and you know they were a little behind us up some rows, yeah, and I'm like, oh, I should go say hi, but yeah you just have to leave those seats.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm like, I'm really I can't do it.
Speaker 3:I'll talk to you on that set break. Yeah, yeah, so yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I used to be somebody that, like you know, floats amongst the crowd and goes to see all my friends at shows, and now I just like.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:I'm a little bit that way, although.
Speaker 3:I've learned not to you know talk, I think they call them. I think the Humphreys people call them chompers.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I've been a chomper. You're not supposed to talk during a show.
Speaker 3:No, ok, no, I've been, I've been guilty of it in the past, certainly me too. If anyone's listening right now, they're like you're guilty of it now.
Speaker 1:My sister, stephanie, who is an elf, with you and she was a pregnant elf this year, the first first pregnant elf. There have been times where I've talked her ear off at shows and now it's a joke. I think we were at, we were at J Rad recently and I'm like just making jokes like so do you want to? You know, get into that thing about our parents. She's like good one, good one, yeah. What are your favorite restaurants in Chicago? Do you guys get out to eat?
Speaker 3:Not as much as we should. You know, whenever you go out and have a great meal, you're like, why don't we go out to dinner more often? But the best meal I can say like that I can think of that I've had in Chicago is Maple and Ash. I celebrated a birthday there and wow delicious. Where is it? It's downtown.
Speaker 1:Yeah, like Gold Coast area You've. You live in Humboldt Park now, but is that like your favorite neighborhood, or do you have other favorite neighborhoods that you like to? You know that you lived in or that you like to visit?
Speaker 3:Yeah, you know I've lived in several neighborhoods and you know they serve different purposes in your life at different times, like my first apartment in Chicago was in Roscoe Village. Sure, loved, loved that apartment Funny side note so I lived in that apartment in Roscoe Village and I could I could see this guy in his window. I sound like a peeping tom, but anyway I could see this guy and he was always doing like weird things, like animated you know.
Speaker 3:So I'd be like what in the world? I didn't know exactly what he did or whatever. And then, but my downstairs neighbors knew him and like whatever. And then I heard that he was like an actor, like did some second city, like stuff, you know. But again I don't know. Like you know he's, he's, he's just a guy.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 3:But I'd always see him doing weird things and I'm like, okay, you know whatever. And then I got a job and we all went out to celebrate little place in Roscoe Village, and he came along and he was you know, everyone's congratulating me the nights about me, but they were congratulating him as well and I'm like, you know, he's like I got a new job too. I'm like, oh, what's your job? Well, he was moving to New York to go to SNL.
Speaker 2:And.
Speaker 3:I can't believe, I can't think of his name right now, but he he's in all like the Will Ferrell movies like coach coachner, david coachner. He played like coach in those like in the in the movies.
Speaker 2:You know what I'm talking about. Yeah, yeah, anyway.
Speaker 3:Cool. Anyway, Roscoe Village was a great apartment in my younger, like new to Chicago days. I lived at Clark and Belmont like above the what was the alley?
Speaker 1:I lived above the alley. Okay, nice yeah.
Speaker 3:Um you know, was it really fun when I was in my, you know, early twenties.
Speaker 1:And the alley is what, like it's a store, is like kind of like a biker leather.
Speaker 3:Yeah, Like biker leather, like punk, like you know, Punk punk rock store.
Speaker 1:It's actually. It moved. It's right near my, my place now, oh yeah, in Avondale.
Speaker 3:Oh, I didn't even know it was still.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's still a, thing, yeah.
Speaker 3:But so, yeah, I mean, you know, was it fun in my twenties? Yeah, I worked at a restaurant, I went out all the time you know what I? Mean I was living my no sleep life.
Speaker 2:Would I live there now? No, um, you know, I've lived in.
Speaker 3:Bucktown. You know I had a crooked apartment in Bucktown. I remember like you could look down my apartment and the toilet, like you could see into the bathroom and the toilet was crooked.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Um, you know, the kitchen floor was crooked.
Speaker 1:These are absolutely experiences that that Chicagoans who you know have lived in Chicago for 20, 30 years and you know had apartments when they're in their early twenties. All sorts of experience. Yeah, it's amazing.
Speaker 3:And I didn't have a car, so everything was based on public transportation.
Speaker 1:Right, right. You know, yeah, I would yeah, no car.
Speaker 3:But yeah, I mean I met my. I lived in Lincoln square when I met my husband and he lived in Logan Square at the time and to me that was like deal breaker because I'm like I'm not taking two buses to get here. Oh yeah, crazy. And then he said he was looking for a house in Humboldt Park, which was even more foreign to me. And yeah, so then fast forward.
Speaker 1:Yeah, do you like Humboldt Park?
Speaker 3:I do. I like it a lot. It's changed a lot. I'm a girl that likes to shop, so I could totally handle some more shopping in that area some more restaurants. But I love you know we live on Sawyer, right between, like, humboldt Park and the 606. So I mean it's crazy to walk through Humboldt Park and be like I can't believe this is in the city. Like this is not something I like the lagoon there. Yeah, it's beautiful.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think it's one of my favorite parks in the city. I mean nostalgic reasons too. I used to play softball there for many, many years, but it's a beautiful, beautiful park. Oh, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3:Remember when the alligator was in the lagoon, oh my.
Speaker 2:God, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3:I would, I would I had a hearing about that that got me out of my house to go for a run because, I'm like I can't just like walk over there and be like so what's going on with the?
Speaker 1:alligator search guys.
Speaker 3:That's right. But I was like, if I'm gonna run and I just casually, I'm like, oh yeah, I was just on my run, what's going on, you know? So I would go over there every day and I had a runner on my Alzheimer's team whose husband was the curator at Wildlife Discovery Center.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 3:So she's like Sherry, you know Rob's out there, so I'm like, okay, I'm gonna go get the scoop. Yeah, so every day I would go over there and then I would do these dumb Facebook posts. Like you know, alligator watch Journalism major.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's true, right, yeah, I couldn't help it.
Speaker 3:I went and got Rosers Bakery.
Speaker 1:I don't know if you know Rosers.
Speaker 3:Bakery yeah, delish. So I went in there one day and I was getting donuts but I'm like, can you individually package them? So I went over and that's how I ingratiated myself to like the newscasters and the people that you're not supposed to be near. You know they're like get back, get back. I'm like I brought donuts. They're like come on down, Let her through let her through, so I had like exclusive, you know, like alligator, oh yeah, yeah, that's amazing, yeah. You were scooping the news stories just by posting on Facebook.
Speaker 1:Right, I forget the name of the alligator.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it was like. It wasn't like Chance the Snapper.
Speaker 1:Chance the Snapper, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3:I didn't know that I didn't like that name. There were other ones that I thought.
Speaker 1:Yeah, oh, my God, chance was really Was it Chance?
Speaker 3:the Snapper.
Speaker 1:I can't remember that sounds right. I mean, cause Chance was really big at that time.
Speaker 3:It was something with Chance. I just can't remember.
Speaker 1:Yeah, Do you have, I mean so we. So Humboldt Park is your favorite park. Do you have like a favorite street, Like a strip of commerce or a strip of bars that you used to go hang out at?
Speaker 3:You know, like when I lived in Lincoln Square, like that little like the square area like right down there, is super cute and nice and I mean it's also changed a lot. You know when I lived there they didn't have as many restaurants as they do now but I've always liked that little area. There's some cute little stores there, like on joy, like that little urban general store.
Speaker 2:That's good.
Speaker 3:But you know I did want to mention we were talking about restaurants earlier and you said you live in Avondale. Have you been to? Is it smoke steak?
Speaker 1:I have. Yeah, I was there for my birthday and it was amazing.
Speaker 3:Agree, I was there for my anniversary and I mean, it was amazing. Yeah, it was really cool.
Speaker 1:We met one of the owners and their first restaurant was Smoke the Barbecue.
Speaker 3:Joint yeah.
Speaker 1:And it was really cool. I mean it was, like you know, an approachable steakhouse. It didn't seem so hoity-toity. You know it had a little bit of that smokiness flavor, but it was an overwhelming. Just a quick side note that the worst thing that happened that night was I left the leftovers out. Oh, I remember you telling me about that the audible gas, yeah, oh my wait first of all, you had leftovers.
Speaker 3:I know it was a weird thing. That's weird.
Speaker 1:I mean, I have small kids and so like we were probably rushing a little bit to get through dinner and we did order quite a bit, the bone, bone marrow the bone marrow. So that was it. So like we took the bone marrow home and I'm like I don't know if the bone marrow is going to keep the next day. And they're like it'll keep if you just put it back in the oven, but the bone marrow that they give you, it blows any other bone marrow experience out of the water.
Speaker 1:It's just like it's so much more than you were expecting. Yeah, and you know I was filling up on that. So, yeah, we had some leftovers that sadly we did not get to enjoy because I left them out.
Speaker 3:Wow, that's really sad.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it was terrible.
Speaker 3:We picked that plate. We were looking at a few different places to celebrate our anniversary and neither of us my husband or I had bone marrow. And we thought, like the way they described it and they had a picture of it, we're like, yeah. And then the drink that I had there it was like a smoke pineapple, oh nice.
Speaker 2:I mean with the bone marrow. Good job though.
Speaker 3:Yeah, the drink, like you know. I mean, I've seen drinks like where they, like you know, remove something and the smoke comes up, but then you take the drink and you don't. Actually, it was more like a visual thing than my flavor thing. Not this place. That drink is delicious and I still think about it, thinking about it right now. Yeah, yeah well, like I think, maybe my well they brought us a glass of champagne while we were waiting, because it was our anniversary.
Speaker 1:So like there was that.
Speaker 3:And then, you know, I think, maybe my second smoked pineapple drink. I wanted to video the smoke coming off. So I'm like Jeremy, jeremy you know, like video it, which is great until you hear my voice on it. And then I go, oh my God, like I sound like, I'm just like so impressed, which I know leads me to my worst fear about doing this, like hearing my voice on recording.
Speaker 2:But yeah, obviously I was a little little tipsy and very excited about that drink, but yeah, I literally, oh, my God, that's so embarrassing, but the drink was delicious, like you tasted that smoke till the last drop.
Speaker 3:Wow.
Speaker 2:Cool.
Speaker 1:Highly recommended. That's a really cool and it's a welcome addition to the neighborhood of Miss Walking Distance. Yeah, it's so good and they do a good brunch.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we should go sometime yeah.
Speaker 1:What don't you like about Chicago?
Speaker 3:Well, I'll tell you what I don't like. I don't like getting tickets in the mail when I had no idea I did something wrong.
Speaker 1:Dude, that's the worst.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so I don't know if this is just a brief thing, but for about four months I was getting tickets about every two weeks for speed cameras that were not post. Nothing was posted.
Speaker 2:It was just a hidden camera and I went back to the area and I'm like there's no speed limit signs here and yet I got dinged every single, like every two weeks, hundreds of dollars a month racking up, and then all of a sudden it kind of stopped. So I don't know if it was a pandemic thing, but now I have speed cameras on all of my apps.
Speaker 1:Right, and I just.
Speaker 2:I spend more time looking at the friggin' app than looking at the road because I'm like where's the speed trap? Where's the speed trap?
Speaker 1:And.
Speaker 2:I'm like I'm not a fast driver, but you go 22 next to a cemetery and all of a sudden you're getting dinged and you're like what did I do?
Speaker 3:And like when you're approaching it, and it's like you have that moment where you're like, oh, like should I go? And then you go because you think isn't that more dangerous to stop.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 3:Or, you know, this is so my car. So when they mail the tickets, they're nice enough to include my husband on my ticket. Like he's my dad, or? Something you know. So he'll get my ticket in the mail and then he'll be like, he'll be talking and he's like so anything you wanna tell me? And I'm like missy, yeah, I'm like no. And then he'll say where were you on?
Speaker 1:You know he'll cam it up and be a dork about it.
Speaker 3:And then I'll be like, what are you talking about? And then he'll pull out the ticket and he'll show it to me and you know they have pictures of your car.
Speaker 2:Yeah, they do.
Speaker 3:And I say, well, like that's not right, like that is like camera trickery, because it looks like I'm you know, like whatever, or I'll be like I'm sure I stopped Like those. No, turn on reds oh yeah. Yeah they get me. I'll say to Jeremy I'm like like how am I supposed to know? He's like there's a sign that says no turn on red. I'm like, yeah, but there's so many different variations, Like there's no turn on red during these hours and no turn on red during whatever.
Speaker 3:So then he's like well, there's a video, Do you wanna watch it? And I was, you know, new to this. And I'm like, well, yes, I do. So, he pulls up the video and you see me go and like I didn't even like think about breaks. I mean like cause you know I'm like well.
Speaker 1:I'm sure I stopped.
Speaker 3:You know, I'm like sure I'm stopped and then I probably went, because probably somebody with you know people behind you will honk you and you know. So, yeah, I watched the video and it's just me, you know, but I'm like I don't like getting tickets in the mail because I'm not learning anything in the moment.
Speaker 1:Yeah, if.
Speaker 3:I got pulled over in the moment and then you know, then you'd have half a chance at talking your way out of it. But, when you get the ticket, it's like here's all the photo evidence and here's a video and here's three witnesses. And you're like take my money?
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Sorry.
Speaker 1:You know, totally yeah.
Speaker 3:I actually just got a. I just got a $200 ticket. I know, I know, because my sticker was expired. And here's the thing I thought that all my stuff expired in February, like I know something else I have expired in February, like so whatever. And I mean, you know, it's kind of hard to argue it because it's like it's right here in your windshield.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:And it says really big 11, 23. But it's kind of like you get like blind, like you don't really pay attention.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 3:And so you know, whatever I was shopping for New Year's Eve and I always pay my meter If I'm speaking of which I should look, I'm gonna get a ticket sitting here talking about how I have about the tickets and I don't deserve them.
Speaker 1:We'll have a fundraiser to take care of it.
Speaker 3:Right, yeah, but I, you know, I'm like I'm only gonna be in here 20 minutes. I'm just gonna run in and see if there's something I might like for New Year's and then leave. I paid the meter, I came in, blah, blah, blah. I was thinking about getting this shirt, whatever. I go outside, I see the ticket and right away I'm like oh no, oh no, you didn't. I look at my phone and I'm doing a screenshot to show that I still have minutes left. And then I pick up the ticket and I'm like sticker.
Speaker 1:Sticker.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so that the girl from Makira texts me like are you coming back for the shirt? I'm like no, I got a $200 ticket, I'm not coming back for anything. Yeah. I'll wear something I own. Actually, I'm like I'll wear what I bought yesterday. I just wanted to have backups, you know that's right.
Speaker 1:Yeah, what do you love most about Chicago?
Speaker 3:Geez, you know I love that there's so much to do, although I don't take advantage of like half of it. Like most people that live in Chicago. It's like I'll say the summers make days like today worth it. Like I love I have a house with a backyard and a garden. Like I love all that, yeah, just in the community, like I've built here over the years the music community non-profit life.
Speaker 1:And yeah, well, it's, yeah, I don't like those tickets in the mail.
Speaker 2:Yep, I'm all fired up, I know right. And.
Speaker 3:I'm thinking I really should look at my parking app.
Speaker 1:Yeah, well, we can wrap up, okay.
Speaker 3:No, I mean, oh, no, I can talk for 20 more minutes. No, no, no, this has been great.
Speaker 1:Thank you so much for your time. Loved hearing your stories and love what you do and keep on doing it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, thank you so much. Thank you, thank you.
Speaker 3:As Brandon Bayless would say, like thanks for letting me do what I do. That's right, absolutely I always do that at rock and roll playhouse shows. I'll get up and I'll say, like you know, you guys got time for one more. And in my head I'm laughing because I know that I'm, like you know, doing my Brandon Bayless imitation.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 3:And no one else does, but. I'll be like thanks for letting us do what we do.
Speaker 1:Some people in the crowd, get it.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, some people do, Some people do.
Speaker 1:That's awesome. It's fun. Well, we'll see you there.
Speaker 3:Yeah, this has been really fun. Thank you so much for having me Of course, Sharon Putting shots next time.
Speaker 2:Yes, that's right, nice, so intense Okay.
Speaker 1:Hey, karen, andrew, hi, I just talked to Sherry Scott and she is, you know, comes to us from the Jam Band Circle. Yeah, and I've been wanting to ask you in this. I'll bake it into our why question why fish? You went to a fish show with me when they were in town in October. I did. That was your first show.
Speaker 2:Yeah, like you, it took a long time to convince Sherry to come on and be our guest. You took a long time for me to be like, fine, I'll go to a fish show. Yeah, I was just talking to somebody last night about this.
Speaker 1:Nice.
Speaker 2:Really eye-opening. So, listeners, I am not a I have never been a Jam Band fan. It's just like I listened to the Grateful Dead and it's that classic thing of like all their songs sound the same to me and whatever. I just don't get it. I also whatever, but being at the live show experience, I get it. Now I totally get it.
Speaker 2:I have never it was at the United Center I have never been to a concert that was so like. The vibe was so positive and that idea that you're watching something but you are part of it, as opposed to watching a performance where you could be a brick wall and it wouldn't matter, and everyone from the people standing next to you, to when you're sort of back in the arena side area where you're trying to figure out where your seat is and you're walking around the stadium thing. Normally there's just a vibe, there's some aggression. I'm at a rock concert. People have been drinking and it's whatever, and it's probably part of it as the drugs or whatever that people may or may not be on. But it was like we're just all brothers in arms, just part of the human being race, and we're all gonna come together and we're gonna love the hell out of this band and they're gonna love the hell out of us.
Speaker 2:I mean, that's hard to achieve, even when you're in a more intimate venue. But here's I don't know 25,000 people or however many people are in that venue, and it was just a heartwarming experience. And that's not even talking about the musicianship, of course. They've been playing for a million years. They're so seasoned, so tight. They go on these escapades with not even a moment where I'm like how did that happen? Like the vibe between all the musicians and whatnot is just unspoken and it was eye-opening.
Speaker 1:Nice, well, that's amazing. I mean, you've nailed it. I mean that's kind of the essence of why people love this band and why people go to these types of shows, and it's to be part of something that has not existed before and hopefully have a great communal experience and come out, go in one person and come out a different person.
Speaker 2:Yeah, exactly. So if you say that you don't like jam bands, but you've never seen fish, hold that thought. And go to a fish show with somebody who loves them like you do, because you were my Sherpa and you guided me through the experience.
Speaker 1:What did I say? I said I think I give two pieces of advice. I said their lyrics or their singing might grate on you a little bit. Just ignore it. And then I said if you get a little lost, just listen to the drummer.
Speaker 2:Yes, that's right, and actually I didn't get graded by the singer at all. Ok, I was just kind of mesmerized by the whole thing.
Speaker 1:Nice, that's great. Well, it was a lot of fun. We were there with our previous guest and colleague, micas, and so it was like a little a be realty excursion to a fish show and it was awesome.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I appreciate you making that introduction. For me, that will be a memorable experience in my rock and roll history.
Speaker 1:Nice, let's do it again. Let's do it. This has been an episode of Records in Real Estate. Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoyed it. Today's episode was brought to you by Be Realty. Be where you want to be. Be Realty.