(Photos courtesy of Missy Donovan Photography)
A new podcast focused on the Fox Valley, “Just A Coupla Guys,” premiered at a launch party at the Arcada Theater Thursday evening.
Roughly 230 people were in attendance as hosts Ray Rogina, beloved former mayor of St. Charles and lifetime educator, and Pat Crimmins, former Kane County Assistant State’s Attorney and now Geneva lawyer, entertained the audience while explaining the concept of the new podcast.
“We’re here primarily to be storytellers,” said Rogina. “This region has so many fascinating people in it, so many incredible places and things to do, we really want to tell that story.”
Crimmins related how the idea came about many years ago.
“We were both involved in coaching the mock trial team at St. Charles High School (later changed to St. Charles East High School) for many years,” he recalled. “We would have these long road trips to meets, and basically Ray and I were the entertainment during the trip, bantering back and forth about pretty much everything, and the students and parents would basically laugh at us the whole way.”
“It’s been something we’ve wanted to do for a long time,” Rogina agreed.
Award-winning singer Diva Montell also performed during the event.
Also in attendance were hosts for a collection of Fox Valley-related podcasts being featured on a new platform devoted to Fox Valley podcasting, Flock. The podcasts, “Know Your Neighbors,” hosted by Kristine Clemens, “Naperville Real Talk,” hosted by Chris Grano, “Decisions, Opinions and Analysis (DOA),” hosted by Jeff Ward and Fox Valley Magazine’s own “Route 25” can all be found, along with “Just A Coupla Guys,” at www.foxvalleymagazine.com/flock.
The podcast had a pre-launch sneak-peek earlier last month with the publication of its interview with actor and comedian Jim Belushi, and chose as it’s official launch episode a discussion with Kane County Cougars’ General Manager Curtis Haug.
Upcoming episodes include interviews with DuPage County State’s Attorney Bob Berlin; Academy Award nominee and Tony Award-winning actor/playwrite Chazz Palminteri (A Bronx Tale and Bullets Over Broadway); former WBBM Managing Editor Julie Mann; best-selling author (The Jordan Rules) and Bulls beat writer for decades, Geneva’s Sam Smith; Naperville investment magnate John Calamos, Sr.; St. Charles native and now radio voice of the New York Mets, Wayne Randazzo; Gary Johnson, defense attorney in the infamous Jeanine Nicarico murder trials; and GOP gubernatorial candidate Gary Rabine, among others. St. Charles’ Donnie Wahlberg has also committed to an interview.
The podcast can be found at www.foxvalleymagazine.com/couplaguys, and is currently also available on Spotify and Stitcher. It will soon be available on Google Podcasts and Apple Podcasts.
