Bongo Mike: Inside the Life of a Percussionist | Hogpod Chicago Local Music Podcast cover art

Bongo Mike: Inside the Life of a Percussionist | Hogpod Chicago Local Music Podcast

Bongo Mike: Inside the Life of a Percussionist | Hogpod Chicago Local Music Podcast

Listen for free

View show details

About this listen

 🪘 Get ready to dive into the life behind the rhythm with Bongo Mike, the legendary Chicago percussionist who’s powered bands like The Mosquitoes, Black Diamond Sessions, and more. In this episode of the Hogpod Chicago Local Music Podcast, hosts Pete Jansons and Mike Orfanos take you inside Bongo Mike’s world of 90+ drums, his signature washboard gloves, and how he became the go-to guy for adding groove and grit to local live music.🎙️ From spontaneous jam sessions to festival stages, Mike shares:🎧 How he got started with congas and fell in love with percussion🥁 Why he’s more of a second drummer than just a percussionist🔧 The DIY magic behind his washboard setup (hint: thimbles + gloves!)🪣 The true skill behind Chicago’s bucket drummers📦 Why he’s tempted to add Menards buckets to his arsenal🪵 A full basement tour of his congas, bongos, timbales & more🎶 The art of coloring around the drummer in a bandYou’ll also hear about some of his recent shows, his upcoming festival gigs, and what it means to sit in with over 25 different bands—all while keeping his own rhythmic voice.🎵 Upcoming Shows – See Bongo Mike Live:📅 July 3 – Morton Grove Days w/ The Mosquitoes 👉 https://mortongrovedays.org/📅 July 19 – Long Grove w/ Deadfest 👉 / 1enmexjdcs 🥁 Black Diamond Sessions Gigs: 🎶 July 17 – Wooden Nickel 🎡 July 20 – Highwood Days 🛍️ July 23 – Northfield Market at Clarkson ParkSpecial thanks to Beth Miller for booking this amazing episode and keeping Chicago’s local music scene connected and growing.⏱️ Key Moments:0:00 Intro1:00 Mike Orfanos Wrigley Rooftop Trip2:37 Libertyville Days & catching some tunes4:48 How Did Bongo Mike Get into Being a Percussionist7:00 Mike Orfanos Bongo Show and Tell13:08 How Did Mike Get the Nickname Bongo Mike?16:11 How Do Drummers and Percussionists Work Together?24:30 🪣 Bucket Players in Chicago31:38 🎺 Soldier Field Tunnel Performers35:24 🥁 Steel Drums36:41 🧤 The Washboard Setup40:18 🗓️ Bongo Mike’s Upcoming Shows41:20 🎵 Black Diamond Sessions Gig Schedule🎧 Enjoying the show? Support Hogpod on Patreon and help us keep the Chicago music stories alive! / hogpod 📣 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🔖 Hashtags:#Hogpod #ChicagoMusic #BongoMike #Percussionist #Bongos #Congas #BucketsAndBeats #StreetDrumming #MusicPodcast #MikeOrfanos #PeteJansons #ChrisRhodesyRhodes #BethMiller #BlackDiamondSessions #TheMosquitoes

What listeners say about Bongo Mike: Inside the Life of a Percussionist | Hogpod Chicago Local Music Podcast

Average Customer Ratings

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Audible.com.au reviews

Amazon Reviews
No Reviews are Available
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.