Vocalo Presents: Music & Stories…LIVE!

Vocalo Presents: Music & Stories…LIVE!

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Join us for an evening of stories, good music, and conversation with your neighbors. Featuring stories from some of the city’s best storytellers, local writers, starving artists, and community members. 

Theme: LOVE HANGOVER

With special story guests: Dana Norris and Rob Ruiz

+ open mic and music!


Hosted by Luis of Vocalo 90.7FM (CHI)/89.5FM (NWI) with music by Ayana Contreras.

*Elements of the Event will be recorded for broadcast on Vocalo Radio 90.7 FM/89.5 FM WBEW and 91.5 FM WBEZ*

Dana Norris:

Story Club franchise founder Dana Norris is the editor-in-chief of Story Club Magazine, a teacher at StoryStudio Chicago and producer and host of Story Club North Side at Holiday Club.  She has been published in McSweeney’s Internet Tendency,  The Rumpus and Tampa Review, and her stories have been featured on WBEZ-FM and Vocalo.org.   Norris performs around Chicago with Mortified, The Paper Machete, The Kates, Essay Fiesta, This Much is True, Write Club and Guts & Glory. Norris has an MFA degree in Creative Nonfiction from Northwestern University.

Rob Ruiz:

Logan Square storyteller Rob Ruiz’s stories draw from his past experience as a law enforcement officer, boxer, bouncer, bodyguard, teen counselor, diamond messenger, hotel manager, radio personality, film producer, grocery store clerk, bank security guard, sofa sleeper mover and handbag salesman, and, particularly, his extended family of more than 100 members. Friendships with everyone from ministers to street hustlers, and countless trips to his motherland of Puerto Rico also inspire Ruiz’s stories. His vast body of experience guides his raw, impromptu stories. 


This is an all ages event
21+ to drink

FORMAT: Featured Storytellers are invited to share their stories, which we take a short music break courtesy of Ayana Contreras host of Vocalo’s Reclaimed Soul

Members of the crowd take the stage for an OPEN Mic as well. The best stories will be featured on Vocalo.

Bring your best stories to share… otherwise just come to listen, chill, and groove.

Open mic rules: You and the microphone with a kick ass TRUE story. No music acts, no poetry, ONLY STORIES. 6 MINUTE LIMIT. Take advantage of your chance to be heard on the radio.