The Interview Show, a talk show in a bar, features comedy, music and guests from every walk of life sharing their stories, worldviews and talents in a laid-back, intimate setting. Since the show began in February 2008, the show has featured such guests as actor Brian Dennehy, WTF podcaster Marc Maron, The Style Rookie Editor Tavi Gevinson, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, novelist Gillian Flynn and many more. Called one of the “40 Reasons to Love Chicago” by Chicago magazine, The Interview Show is held the first Friday of every month at The Hideout, as well as twice a year at Union Hall in Brooklyn.
MARK BAZER
Mark created the show with the goal of bridging the gap between late-night talk shows and serious-minded interview programs. Since the first show — when he invited novelist John Green, comedian Hannibal Buress and Lifeway Foods CEO Julia Smolyanksy to his poor excuse for a couch — Mark has interviewed nearly 200 of the most interesting writers, chefs, musicians, actors, comedians and innovators in Chicago and beyond. Mark is also a humor writer/performer and has also interviewed people/moderated discussions for conferences, the Chicago Cultural Center and more. He is working on an eight-part documentary about Ken Burns. Email him here.
BEN CHANDLER
KEVIN VIOL
Kevin shoots and photographs each installment of the show, and he’s been doing it since, we believe, the third-ever one back in 2008. Kevin is also a fantastic singer-songwriter . . . actor . . . and filmmaker. He’s an ensemble member of Shattered Globe Theatre, has produced his own film At Last, Okemah! (which received a special viewing at the Woody Guthrie Free Folk Festival in Okemah, Okla.). And if we haven’t named enough things he can do, Kevin also works as a freelance photographer, videographer and editor. He also performs Elvis karaoke songs at Mexican restaurants after shows. You can and should reach him here.
Adam joined the show recently with the idea — and the ability — to get the show’s podcast off the ground. Along with handling podcast duties, Adam also helps shoot the show. Adam comes from WBEZ, Chicago’s public radio station, where he is a producer. He also hosts a weekly music show on WLUW Loyola and engineers a monthly podcast about . . . you guessed it . . . the Pittsburgh Pirates. Adam used to be a biomedical engineer at Baxter Healthcare, where he helped develop the ever-popular Floseal Applicator. He is much happier now. If you are a storyteller or audio adventurer, contact Adam here.
GINA BAZER AND SENDER FRIDLAND
Gina (host’s wife) and Sender (host’s father-in-law) built this fantastic website that you are looking at right now. DIYers to the core, it’s, amazingly, the first website they ever created. More amazingly, they did it while being editor-in-chief of Chicago Home+Garden (Gina) and working as a Senior QA Engineer for Oracle (Sender). Gina also helps Mark book guests for the show and has the somewhat dubious distinction of being the only person to have attended every show. Sender would have attended all the shows, too, but he tends to be booked on those nights.
And the biggest of thanks to The Hideout, the best bar in America, for giving the show a shot, helping it get off the ground and providing a second home to all of us involved. Whether you come to The Interview Show or not, if you’re in Chicago, go to The Hideout.
PHOTO CREDITS: Rob Elder (Crowd), Aleks Tomaszewska (Mark), Lindsay Weinberg (Ben), Kevin Viol (er, Kevin), Amy Belaire (Adam).
