First Time: First Wave - Erin Allen

Erin Allen is an artist and communicator, driven by her curiosity about the stories of people. She hosts "The Rundown" podcast and Prisoncast at WBEZ, and she has produced audio and multimedia projects at stations and companies across the country, including WDET and Pizza Shark Productions. Erin has also produced several audio-based events, including the Detroit Podcast Festival and Radio Campfire. Her passion for social justice and art with her skills in marketing and communications have led her to spaces like Allied Media Projects and Stone Soup Housing Cooperative. With spare time, she dances her heart out at music festivals and binges science fiction media of the Octavia Butler persuasion.

The First Time is a live lit and music series recorded at Martyrs in Chicago's North Center neighborhood. Each reader tells a true first tale, followed by any cover of the storyteller's choosing, performed by our house band, The First Time Three.

The First Time is hosted by Jenn Sodini. Production provided by Andy Vasoyan, Noah Janes, and Executive Producer Bobby Evers. Podcast produced by Andy Vasoyan. Recorded by Tony Baker.

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First Time: First Wave - Carolyn Kassnoff

Carolyn Kassnoff is an illustrator who creates artwork under the name It'll Glow On You. She was the Chicago Public Library's Maker in Residence, and has studied almost every kind of art under the sun, including papercutting and neon sign bending. She is currently working on a Chicago music venue journal. She has about 200 close dog best friends, and you've probably seen her on the north side walking dogs sized anywhere from a yorkie to a newfoundland. She DJs occasionally on CHIRP, designs shirts and graphics for the station, and is also the person who picks up your donated records and cds.

The First Time is a live lit and music series recorded at Martyrs in Chicago's North Center neighborhood. Each reader tells a true first tale, followed by any cover of the storyteller's choosing, performed by our house band, The First Time Three.

The First Time is hosted by Jenn Sodini. Production provided by Andy Vasoyan, Noah Janes, and Executive Producer Bobby Evers. Podcast produced by Andy Vasoyan. Recorded by Tony Baker.

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First Time: First Wave - Andrew Sa

Actor and Vocalist Andrew Sa has earned the title of Chicago's premiere queer country crooner. Sa's career has always been rooted in songwriting that highlights his easy and elegant voice, but when he met mentor and pioneer Patrick Hagerty of Lavender Country, “Lonesome Andrew” was born. Diving headfirst into the catalogs of Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, and other classic songwriters that defined his childhood, Sa easily slipped into this new but familiar persona. It wasn't long before all of Chicago was seeking out his voice.

Sa quickly became the star of The Cosmic Country Showcase, an instant smash hit camp-country revue based out of the Hideout, a bar that has fostered many golden voices for decades. One of those legendary voices, Kelly Hogan (Mavis Staples, Neko Case), instantly recognized Sa's abilities and quickly the two were booking gigs across the city as a duo. The young and talented Liam Kazar (Tweedy, Marrow) also recruited Sa for a duet on his debut album Due North. Sa also created a stunning film, Andrew in Anotherland, which was a celebration of Chicago's many voices that accompanied a live revue at the prestigious public amphitheater Millennium Park. Audiences and fellow artists alike reveled in Sa's intra-generational appeal that, while timeless, is rooted in a definitively young, queer perspective.

The First Time is a live lit and music series recorded at Martyrs in Chicago's North Center neighborhood. Each reader tells a true first tale, followed by any cover of the storyteller's choosing, performed by our house band, The First Time Three.

The First Time is hosted by Jenn Sodini. Production provided by Andy Vasoyan, Noah Janes, and Executive Producer Bobby Evers. Podcast produced by Andy Vasoyan. Recorded by Tony Baker.

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First Time: First Wave - Patrick Hicks

Patrick Hicks is a storyteller, digital creator, podcaster, and dad based in Chicago. His mini music documentaries on TikTok have gotten him 450,000+ followers and millions of views. He also hosts a music history podcast called Good Measure with Patrick Hicks. He has worked with and created content for major record labels, publishers, music festivals, films, and symphonies. And musicians from Willie Nelson to Questlove have reposted his videos. 

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