"The Good Place" should be much higher.

Your Friday Cage Match: Peter Gabriel-fronted Genesis vs. Phil Collins-fronted Genesis. Discuss.

Bill Wyman @hitsville.bsky.social, who turns song rankings into provocative deep-dive essays in his "Rock & Roll Lists," bats around the Beatles’ worst song, Pink Floyd, the Eagles, the Clash, Nirvana, Poptimism and Chicago’s early ‘90s glory days on the new Caropop. www.caropop.com/caropopcast/...

It's time to Guess Tomorrow's Caropop Guest! Hint #1: He used to live and write in Chicago.

Your Friday Cage Match: In a Silent Way vs. Bitches Brew. Discuss.

From 10,000 Maniacs to solo heights to Mother Goose and "Cabinet of Wonder," @nataliemerchant.bsky.social reflects on her musical adventures and tells why making music for children is bringing her the most joy. On the new Caropop... www.caropop.com/caropopcast/...

It's time to Guess Tomorrow's Caropop Guest! Hint #1: She's had hits with a band and as a solo artist.

Your Friday Cage Match: “Don’t Bring Me Down” (The Animals) vs. “Don’t Bring Me Down” (ELO). Discuss.

I don’t understand why the women’s 1 seed is playing the 3 seed, and the 2 seed is playing the 4 seed at the U.S. Open. Shouldn’t it be 1 vs 4 and 2 vs 3?

On the new Caropop, @susanorlean.bsky.social reflects on a brilliant career of crafting compelling narratives from idiosyncratic topics (The Orchid Thief, The Library Book) before turning the lens on herself with Joyride. Being portrayed by Meryl Streep also comes up. www.caropop.com/caropopcast/...

After a few weeks' break, it's once again time to Guess Tomorrow's Caropop Guest! Hint #1: She's an author and has been a movie character.

Last-second victories feel thrilling, but when it’s a no-second victory…

Your Friday Cage Match: "Pulling Mussels (from the Shell)" vs. "Tempted." Discuss.

Your Friday Cage Match: "Love To Love You Baby" vs. "I Feel Love." Discuss.

Today is the 100th anniversary of Rudolph Valentino's death, and he was a big deal in Chicago. He also challenged a @chicagotribune.com editorial writer to a duel before circumstances prevented him from following through. It's all in my Vintage Tribune story. www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/23/v...

Silent film star Rudolph Valentino died holding a grudge against a Chicago Tribune editorial writer

Some consider Valentino to be the world’s first international sex symbol. Those four syllables, Va-len-ti-no, were enough to set hearts aflutter.

chicagotribune.com

Your Friday Cage Match: "Bus Stop" vs. "The Air That I Breathe." Discuss.

Sat down to finish writing a story, and Microsoft has me locked out of my Word account. The note on its customer support page indicates this may be a system-wide problem with Microsoft and Mac OS. I hate that some company remotely can keep me from working on my own material on my own computer.

Your Friday Cage Match: Flip-flops vs. Slides. Discuss.

Your Friday Cage Match: Charlie Chaplin vs. Buster Keaton. Discuss.

Broadway star Laura Benanti talks comedy, songwriting, recovering from being a people-pleaser, graduating from ingenue status, imitating Melania, working the stage or screen, and crafting her one-woman show, Nobody Cares, on the new Caropop. www.caropop.com/caropopcast/...

Broadway star Laura Benanti talks comedy, songwriting, recovering from being a people-pleaser, graduating from ingenue status, imitating Melania, working the stage or screen, and crafting her one-woman show, Nobody Cares, on the new Caropop. www.caropop.com/caropopcast/...

It's time to Guess Tomorrow's Caropop Guest! Hint #1: She's a soprano.

A friend of mine who owns an out-of-town coffee shop texted me a clip of water coming through his leaky ceiling. Because I always try to be helpful, I responded: "You could change the name to Drip Coffee." He wrote back that he'd meant to send the clip to another Mark.

Damnit. Jeff Connolly RIP. I saw some unforgettable, sometimes-verging-on-unhinged Lyres shows after college in Chicago and then, more often, during my Boston stint. Turn it up and getting moving! www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tw93...

Lyres - Not Looking Back

YouTube video by Munster Records

youtube.com

Your Friday Cage Match: "Hold On, I'm Comin'" vs. "Soul Man." Discuss.

Did P-Funk guitarist Michael Hampton know whether he was playing on a Parliament or Funkadelic session during those bands' concurrent classic runs? Was it as much of a party as it sounded like? Why "King Kong"? Hampton tells all on the new Caropop. www.caropop.com/caropopcast/...

Did P-Funk guitarist Michael Hampton know whether he was playing on a Parliament or Funkadelic session during those bands' concurrent classic runs? Was it as much of a party as it sounded like? Why "King Kong"? Hampton tells all on the new Caropop. www.caropop.com/caropopcast/...

It’s time to Guess Tomorrow’s Caropop Guest! Hint #1: He’s been performing for decades, but he’s also a Kidd.

I'm so sad to learn that Glen Hansard has died. One of my favorite movie memories is seeing "Once" at Sundance followed by Hansard and Markéta Irglová performing the songs on stage. And one of my favorite workdays was watching Hansard arrange and record a John Martyn song in an Evanston studio.

Your Friday Cage Match: Station to Station vs. Low. Discuss.