Our WGN Radio New Year’s Eve “Game Plan”

24 years ago we rang in the New Year on the air with you on WGN Radio from the Michigan Ave. Showcase Studio for the very first time.  Well, this year it will be just like old times ringing in the new year with a six hour show, from 10:55PM-5AM.  We’ll be high in the sky from the brand new WGN Radio studios as we welcome in the new year with the 2018 into 2019 edition of “Steve  & Johnnie’s Cheap Date Life After Dark New Year’s Eve Extravaganza” looking down on the fireworks and creating some of our own.

Happy New Year!!

Helping us usher in 2019 will be a dear friend who just happens to be one of the world’s great blues harmonica players, a celebrated composer, blues pianist, singer, songwriter, band leader and author, the legendary Corky Siegel.

Corky Siegel

We’re happy to welcome back two of our favorite people, Josh Solomon and Erika Brett from The Empty Pockets.

Josh Solomon & Erika Brett

Because so many of you have e-mailed us asking for a return visit from one of our most popular guests, joining us, once again, for this special New Year’s show will be one of the featured artists on the PBS Soundstage Special “Cornerstones Of Rock,”  the man who sang lead on many of The New Colony Six’s hit records, Ronnie Rice.

And, also due to multiple requests after his past few New Year’s visits with us, making a return appearance is the world’s only Musical Mentalist, Sidney Friedman, who will have some predictions for the new year.

Sidney Friedman

We’ll also be introducing you to a couple of new “finds” that we’re really excited about.

Joining us for the first time for an in-studio performance will be the River Road Trio.

The River Road Trio

Also, joining us for the first time will be a talented bluegrass performer we saw for the first time at the GuitarWorks Christmas Show.  From Evanston H.S., Charlie Lowman and his group, the 3 C’s, will fill the studio with some very cool music.

Charlie Lowman

Consumer Guide Automotive‘s Publisher, Tom Appel, will recap some of the best and worst of 2018’s automotive scene and give us a preview of what to look for in 2019.

Tom Appel

We’ll be checking in with friends like Certified Guitar Player, Tommy Emmanuel, from various far flung points around the globe.

Steve & Johnnie with Tommy Emmanuel

We’ll have hourly countdowns from different time zones:

At 11PM, we’ll go live to New York’s Times Square for their ball drop.  At 12AM, we’ll usher in 2019 in Chicago with help from, Public Relations Coordinator, Lydia Jordan-Parnell who joins us for our countdown to Midnight live from Navy Pier.  At 1AM, we’ll go live to the Prescott Arizona Boot Drop for their New Year’s Eve countdown.  At 2AM, we’ll go to California and join our former Website Wednesday Night Cybersquad chief, Patrick Crispen along with thousands lined up at the site of the Rose Bowl Parade for their countdown.  At 3AM, we’ll go to Anchorage, Alaska for the “End Of The World Masquerade 2018 7.0” countdown from the historic Chilkoot Charlie’s.  At 4Am, we’ll travel to Hawaii to say “Aloha” to the new year.

We’ll be adding more details as we know them.

Remember, no cover charge and no dress code!!

This is gonna be fun!

We hope you’ll tune in to 720 AM or, if you’re not in the Chicago area, you can still listen and watch by clicking this link to WGN Radio’s live stream.