The First Time is a regular storytelling and reading series benefiting CHIRP Radio. Each reader tells a personal story based on that month’s theme, and requests a song that’s played by our band, The First Time Three.

First Time First Time: First Choice - Steve Reidell

STEVE REIDELL is a typography enthusiast and a Chicago musician: he is one-half of DJ/production duo The Hood Internet, and one-half of the band Air Credits alongside fellow Chicagoan ShowYouSuck. He formerly worked as the in-house art director at Metro and Smart Bar.

The First Time is CHIRP Radio’s Live Lit and Music series. It pairs a reader’s personal story about a specific "first time" -- a different "first" for each show -- with a song performance. This unique structure allows the story to resonate with audience members as they experience the accompanying song covered by The First Time Four. The band takes special care to perform unexpected song arrangements, so it is hard to tell which the audience enjoys more: the story or the song.

The First Time is produced and directed by Julie Mueller with Assistant Producer Bobby Evers and Host Jenn Sodini. Podcast produced and recorded by Jenn Rourke. Engineering by Tony Baker.

Photo credit: Graham Gardner

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First Time First Catch | Marites Velasquez

Marites Velasquez is the Outreach Director for CHIRP Radio and the bass player and singer for Chicago indie rock band, OVEF OW. She spent the last decade organizing for the PIRGs, a consumer and environmental advocacy group. Born and raised in Las Vegas, Marites left the glitzy lights of the Strip for Chicago seven years ago.

Produced by Brian Heath

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First Time First Catch | Natalie Grace

Natalie Grace Alford was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1987. She was raised in a suburb of Chicago and was classically trained in music from the age of 11. She is a multi instrumentalist playing piano, guitar, and uses loop pedals to perform and make the song live. She has opened for various artists such as Jack Garrett, Nellie Mckay, Tim Fite and many more amazing artists. She was also named The Deli Music Magazine's artist of the month for March of 2017. You can find her music on ITunes, Spotify, Bandcamp, Google Play, and Amazon.

Produced by Brian Heath

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First Time First Catch | Wes Needham

Wes Needham is an actor, writer and producer here in Chicago, having performed at iO Theater, Second City and ComedySportz. Currently he's Content Director, writer and producer for "Good Evening with Pat Whalen", Chicago's only political late-night talk-show. As an ensemble member of The New Colony theater company, he's appeared in such shows as 11:11, Sordid Little Story, Frat, reWilding Genius, Merge and B-Side Studio. You've maybe even caught him oh-so briefly keeping the streets safe from riff-raff on NBC's "Chicago PD".

Produced by Brian Heath

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First Time First Catch | Dan Shapiro

Dan Shapiro is a writer and comedian from Wichita.  He is a regular at local writing performance competition, Write Club.  He co-hosts a mental illness and addiction themed variety show the first Wednesday of each Monday at Schuba's in Chicago called Psychotic Break.

Produced by Brian Heath

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