The Modernist – Celebrating high / low culture since 2003

Mike “In Tokyo” Rogers of The Rotters- The Modernist Society Ep. 11

The Modernist · October 18, 2020

We tune in Tokyo and talk to Mike Rogers, lead singer of 1970s LA punk band The Rotters and host of the aptly named Mike Rogers Show. Mike is also running JIFF–the Japan Indies Film Festival Online–which is the first online film festival in Japanese history and takes place Nov. 16 and 17, 2020. It’s …

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The Goblins’ Dom Nation & The Phantom Creeper – The Modernist Society Ep. 10.5

The Modernist · August 31, 2020October 18, 2020

We talk to The Phantom Creeper and Dom Nation of legendary masked Chicago rock band, The Goblins. Will their secret identities finally be revealed? To be honest… no. But you’ll want to tune in for this short but sweet chat with these American icons. LISTEN to The Modernist Society now via your favorite podcast provider …

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Jake Austen & Joe Losurdo – The Modernist Society Ep. 10

The Modernist · July 18, 2020August 31, 2020

In this episode, we talk to a couple of Chicago countercultural heroes: Jake Austen and Joe Losurdo. Jake is best known for his long-running Roctober zine and Chic-a-Go-Go public access program. Joe is a hardcore legend, having sung and played bass for Life Sentence in the late 80s and with his wife Cristina runs Regressive …

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Michael Bradley of The Undertones – The Modernist Society Ep. 9

The Modernist · June 3, 2020

We talk with Michael Bradley of The Undertones about what it’s like being in ONE OF THE BEST BANDS EVER, what Bono did for Ireland, and that time they covered a Skrewdriver song. Michael is also the host of The Mickey Bradley Record Show on BBC Radio Ulster, and the author of Teenage Kicks: My Life as an …

Frank Davis - Bushwick Grill Club - The Modernist Society

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Frank Davis of Bushwick Grill Club – The Modernist Society Ep. 8

The Modernist · May 5, 2020July 17, 2020

In episode “ate” of The Modernist Society, we talk about cooking with puns, punk rock, and post coronavirus food culture with recipe zinester Frank Davis of Bushwick Grill Club. LISTEN to The Modernist Society now via your favorite podcast provider (and don’t forget to subscribe): The Modernist Society on Apple PodcastsThe Modernist Society on SpotifyThe …

The Modernist Society - Coronavirus Potluck

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Coronavirus Potluck – The Modernist Society Ep. 7

The Modernist · April 2, 2020April 7, 2020

It’s an all-star cast in this special episode in which we ring up past Modernist Society guests and other folks around the world to talk about how the coronavirus pandemic is shaking out where they live and what lies ahead. Also… they help us pick songs for a COVID-19 playlist. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll …

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Shane Bugbee on The Joys of Satanism- The Modernist Society Ep. 6

The Modernist · March 4, 2020March 5, 2020

Our guest this time is Shane Bugbee: artist, writer, publisher, provocateur, and all-around hustler. Shane is one of the most prolific makers of things we know and he drops by Eric’s place to talk about The Joys of Satanism, Bill Ayers’ quinoa collection, getting “jumped in” to underground culture in Chicago, publishing Mike Diana, watching …

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Tim Kinsella & Jenny Pulse of GOOD FUCK – The Modernist Society Ep. 5

The Modernist · December 16, 2019March 5, 2020

We talk about records that sound like their broken, hangover cures, booking your own fuckin’ life, the creative wellspring that is the desert, and musical firsts with Tim Kinsella and Jenny Pulse of the totally accessible electronic rock duo, GOOD FUCK. Listen to Shane Bugbee on The Modernist Society now via your favorite podcast provider …

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Talking Zines with Quimby’s founder Steve Svymbersky – The Modernist Society Ep. 4

The Modernist · November 20, 2019November 21, 2019

On the 4th episode of the The Modernist Society podcast, we talk about the past, present, and future of zines and zine culture with Steve Svymbersky, who founded the original Quimby’s (Qvimby’s Qveer Store) in Chicago in 1991 and in 2017 returned to the game with Quimby’s Bookstore NYC. We wax nostalgic about 1990s Wicker …

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Getting Real with James Romberger

Jason Mojica · November 8, 2019November 8, 2019

The first issue of Romberger’s For Real is an engrossing tribute to–and an analysis of–comics legend Jack Kirby In the mid-2000s I eked out a living writing art reviews for Time Out Chicago. It’s hard for me to remember how the arrangement came about, because I had no particular expertise in the art world. I …