What does it take to build a world-class music museum from scratch?Ron Romero, Founder, CEO and Board Chairman of the Illinois Rock & Roll Museum on Route 66, joins Hogpod for an inside look at the museum preserving Illinois' incredible musical legacy. From honoring legendary artists like Cheap Trick, Survivor, REO Speedwagon, Muddy Waters, Curtis Mayfield and countless others, to creating a destination for music fans in downtown Joliet, Ron shares the vision behind one of the Midwest's most exciting cultural projects.We also talk about rebuilding after the devastating Joliet tornado, the Illinois Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, rare artifacts inside the museum, Cars & Guitars, Route 66 tourism, artificial intelligence and music, and why preserving our state's musical history is more important than ever.If you love rock & roll, Chicago music, Route 66, or the stories behind the artists who shaped generations, this episode is for you.🎯 KEY MOMENTS00:00 Welcome to Hogpod02:16 Rob Stepen on The Generations' summer schedule08:48 Meet Ron Romero12:41 How the Illinois Rock & Roll Museum was born17:14 Recovering from the Joliet tornado20:56 Cars & Guitars and creating a destination24:33 The Illinois Rock & Roll Hall of Fame29:07 Preserving Illinois music history34:09 Legendary Illinois artists and museum artifacts39:38 How the community can help the museum grow43:05 AI, technology and the future of music48:37 Ron Romero's journey as an entrepreneur53:18 Rapid Fire58:12 Favorite concerts, Beatles, Pop-Tarts and closing thoughts🎸 FEATURED LINKSIllinois Rock & Roll Museumhttps://roadtorock.org/Insperityhttps://www.insperity.com/The Generationshttps://thegenerationsband.com/❤️ Support Hogpod / hogpod 🎙️ Hosted by Pete Jansons and Mike "Bongo" Orfanos 📧 Bookingbooking@hogpod.org

Scott Muzzey is a Chicago drummer-for-hire who plays the washboard, can trace his family in America back to 1633, and at seventeen sliced through five tendons, an artery and the carpal nerve in his wrist after falling onto a drinking glass mid-practice. The therapy that brought the hand back? More drumming. He joins Pete and co-host Bongo Mike (26 years in The Mosquitoes) plus fellow drummer-for-hire Chris "Rosie" Rhodes for a Chicagoland drummers' roundtable: early vs. 80s REO Speedwagon, the rub-board vs. washboard fight, the trick of gluing thimbles to work gloves, Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich, a 1978 Foghat first concert, and why he still won't trust AI — on the show that turns every conversation into an AI album. 🎶 NEW HOGPOD AI ALBUM — "The Hand Remembers" (8 tracks) is out now on Spotify, built from this conversation:https://open.spotify.com/album/0vydx1... 🎯 KEY MOMENTS00:00 Intro23:27 REO Speedwagon — the stalled tribute, early vs. 80s, "157 Riverside Avenue"32:45 The washboard — antique-store find, thimbles vs. gloves34:34 The glued-glove thimble trick37:02 The wrist — five tendons, one drinking glass, drumming as therapy38:21 Washboard vs. rub board (frottoir) — zydeco, Black Oak Arkansas, New Orleans44:02 What got him going — Buddy Rich, Gene Krupa (all-time hero), Keith Moon, Carl Palmer50:00 Bongo Mike's origin — Santana at Poplar Creek, Take Two, 26 years in The Mosquitoes54:55 Two drummers for hire — scottmuzzy.com, 90-band site, why he won't trust AI56:00 The Muzzy family since 1633 / Battle of Lexington57:05 Rosie's update — Tesla, July show, Dirty Nelly's cancer benefit58:00 Octobans & roto-toms from Allen1:00:42 First concert — Foghat + Pat Travers, International Amphitheater, 19781:03:25 Worst concert — Supertramp, fourth row, Alpine Valley1:05:50 Rapid fire — Pop-Tarts (hard no), greasy lunchroom pizza1:07:09 Sign-off 📍 Chicago drummers — washboard — REO Speedwagon — zydeco rub board — Gene Krupa — Buddy Rich — Foghat — Rush — drummer for hire — tribute bands — drum gear 🎤 Scott Muzzey — scottmuzzy.com ❤️ Support Hogpod on Patreon 🎙️ Hosted by Pete Jansons & Bongo Mike 📞 Booking — booking@hogpod.org #ChicagoPodcast #MusicPodcast #Hogpod #ChicagoMusic #Drummers #Washboard #REOSpeedwagon #TributeBands #LocalMusic #Chicagoland