About

Vocalo is a next generation public media service that connects with younger, culturally diverse audiences through music, stories, and training.  But here’s the thing, we not only want to connect with you,  we want to inspire you to make big things happen. 

Real.Talk.Radio from Samuel Vega on Vimeo.

Many of you will love us because of the awesome music we play (we have great taste), but we also talk about news and issues that affect us all.  We are, after all:  Real. Life Radio.

Keeping it real means that we aren’t talking heads, we use a cadre of on-air contributors and community experts to deconstruct headlines, debate, and challenge us all to respect and appreciate different points of view.   This means that your participation is crucial. 

You can chime into any of our conversations by following us on Facebook, sending us a tweet, or asking interacting with us on our tumblr page.  You can also use our Soundcloud Dropbox to collaborate with us by uploading spoken word, commentaries, community reporting, or your music.  

Here’s a summary of our programming schedule:

General Themes by Day of the Week

  • Miscellaneous Monday – A catch all for any topic, but we often cover:  Politics, Religion, Spirituality, & Sports.
  • Cash Money Tuesday-Economy/Jobs/Personal Finance
  • Feminist Wednesday - All topics through a feminist lens
  • Peace Prize Thursday - Race/Social Justice/Civil Liberties
  • Critic for a Minute Friday - Pop Culture/Media/Entertainment
The Vocalo Morning Amp (Monday thru Friday, 8am to 10am and Fridays 8-11 am)-hosted by Brian Babylon and Molly Adams, is a fast-paced, call-in talk show that seamlessly blends edgy humor and progressive, culturally relevant topics ranging from headline news, pop culture, business and economy, and health and wellness.

The Overdrive (Monday thru Friday, 4-6 pm)-hosted by Luis Perez and Shantell Jamison, is a drive-time show with music and stories. 

The MusicVox (Monday thu Thursday, 6-8pm)-hosted by Jesse Menendez,  is a magazine-style show featuring newly released music, music news, local bands and artists, and in-depth interviews dealing with the culture and politics of the music scene.

Live From Studio 10 (Wednesdays 8-9pm/rebroadcast Fridays -7pm)-a whole hour dedicated to one band - live music and interview hosted by Jesse Menendez, featuring the best emerging local bands and music artists.

Beat Latino with Catalina Maria Johnson (Wednesdays 9-10pm/rebroadcast Sundays 10-11am)

Reclaimed Soul (Thursdays 8-10PM CST) Featuring sound rich interviews and an all-vinyl playlist (courtesy of host Ayana Contreras), Reclaimed Soul is about taking old materials (records, buildings, ideas, et al) to push us all forward.

The Barber Shop Show (Fridays 12-1:00pm/rebroadcast Saturdays 12pm)-is real talk straight from the shop floor.  Hosted WBEZ’s Richard Steele, and in collaboration with the Chicago Reporter, the Barber Shop Show broadcasts live from Carter’s Barbershop in North Lawndale.  

The Friday Night DJ Series (Fridays from 8pm-2am)-hosted by Jesse De La Peña - Vocalo’s Friday Night DJ Series is a 6 hour DJ session featuring a collective of local, national & international DJs, producers & audio artists sharing stories, exclusive mixes & unreleased music. 

Practically Speaking-Saturdays 1pm-hosted by Audra Wilson-features frank yet thoughtful conversations about issues impacting people of color. 

Sundays en Español-

  • 10am-La Hora de Son with Sones de Mexico
  • 11am-Beat Latino=
  • 12pm-10pm-Music Mix

The MixTape is Vocalo’s automated creative tapestry of music and stories. You’ll never know what you’re going to hear, but we promise that it’s the most unique listen you’ll find on the radio.  The Mixtape is made of  content that you contribute and segments from the Morning AMp, Overdrive, and the MusicVox.  

The Mixtape kicks in whenever Vocalo is not on live, typically between 10am-4pm, overnight, and on weekends.

Our music format is a unique mix of progressive Hip-Hop/Chicago House//R&B/Alternative/ and Indie everything.  We’re HUGE supporters of the local music community. 

Do you have any questions?  Hit us up at info@vocalo.org and thanks for being a part of #teamvocalo. 

Did we mention that we’re the cool sister station to WBEZ 91.5 FM?  If you didn’t know, now you know. We also produce a show called Vocalo on WBEZ- that airs every 8-10pm.  (Don’t tell our bosses, but we air a lot of non-traditional public radio music on it) hosted Jesse Menendez. 

Contact Us

Hotline to the live broadcast or leave a message for our on-air folk: 888-635-1112

General Questions or Comments: info@vocalo.org or 312-948-4632

Our office is located at 848 E. Grand Ave., Navy Pier, Chicago, IL 60611.

Listen to us on 89.5 FM (NWI/CHI) or 90.7 FM (CHI).