Theme Songs

This week Dave and Steel by Dave’s high-rent lawyer friend Grayson. Together the three of them discuss quick favorites from this year’s NBA playoffs, do a special legal-themed edition of Ask OTC, rank the on/off chainness of various categories of things, play angsty music from Bleached, Fugazi, The Misfits, The Hotelier, PJ Harvey, and Teenage … Continue reading "Episode 74: Lawyer Up"

This week Dave and Steel were joined by Jack Bangerter to talk about the best haircuts and best names of the year, share spring musical memories from 2007 and 1997 by Okkervil River, Dan Le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip, Rihanna, Wyclef Jean, Ben Folds Five, and Soul Coughing, and share a moving springtime poem by … Continue reading "Episode 73: Mark Davis’ “Rube Do”"

This week Dave and Steel are joined by their old friend and marketing professional Alan Stoffer, who fills us in on top-level marketing strategies, what it’s like to live in Silicon Valley, the joys of having your garage rented out to a guy named Darrell for $1000/mo, and why he’s so relieved not to have … Continue reading "Episode 72: Market This!"

It took Steel three weeks to get this episode edited (which explains all the Valentine’s Day references in early March) but we’re back! This week Dave and Steel make a new induction to the OTC Hall of Fame (congratulations public libraries!), give you some new topics to discuss in another installment of Small Talk, praise … Continue reading "Episode 71: We’re Baaaack!"

Here’s the second part of our 2016 year in review podcast. Think of it as an early Christmas present from us to you! On this episode Jack Bangerter joins us to talk about the year in art, culture and food, and Aaron Peck comes to talk about all things film. We’re pretty happy with how … Continue reading "Episode 69: 2016 in Review, part 2"

This year we’re trying something new (and awesome). We asked six of our friends to join us for a recap of the year that was, with each of them covering a subject that they’re an expert in. We’ll be bringing you our 2016 in review in two episodes (this week and next), but this week … Continue reading "Episode 68: 2016 in Review, part 1"

Ho! Ho! Ho! This week on Off the Chain Dave and Steel are joined by their old friend Jordan to discuss all things Christmas. The three of them share Christmas memories, cover their gift giving guide (with lots of help from Oprah), give a quick run down of the best/worst Christmas movies ever made, share … Continue reading "Episode 67: Our 2016 Guide to Christmas"

Dave was out on vacation for a while, so Steel invited his old buddy Jack Bangerter to fill in for a week. The two of them talked about the latest news in the world of sports hair, ran through a segment of small talk (toilet recommendations and drawings of Buraq!), talked about collecting and collections, … Continue reading "Episode 66: Collections"

This week Dave and Steel are joined by Steel’s sister-in-law Jennie Bastian, an artist and professional photographer. Together they talk household pets (cats. vs. dogs), take questions from listeners throughout the great state of Illinois, ask Jennie a bunch of questions about her upcoming show on Fear and her photography practice generally, share great music … Continue reading "Episode 65: The Art of Photography"

This week Dave and Steel are joined by Spencer to discuss the latest in Vin Diesel news, their favorite fringe presidential candidates, historical also-rans, and fringe political parties, revive Lost the Plot, share outsider classics from Daniel Johnston, Dan Reeder, The Toadies, They Might Be Giants, Congress-Woman Malinda Jackson Parker, and Leonard Cohen, and hear … Continue reading "Episode 64: The Party! Party! Party! party"

This week Dave and Steel are joined by Dave’s gaming buddy Zac Beus. Together the three discuss their nerd bona fides, Zac and Dave’s love of board games, a few of Steel’s numerous fringe Game of Thrones theories, and share epic fantasy music by Leonard Nimoy, Rick Wakeman, and Ninja Sex Party, and drop some … Continue reading "Episode 63: On Nerdery and Games"

This week Dave and Steel are joined by Steel’s old friend Jack Bangerter to talk all things Summer Olympics. We talk about our lack of world-class talent, they also throw in a segment of small talk (this week featuring edible crayons, demonic chimpmunks, and metallic hydrogen) and then spend a solid 40 minutes reliving all the … Continue reading "Episode 62: Eye on the Gold Chain [Rio Olympics 2016!]"

This week Dave and Steel are joined by Steel’s old friend Liz Feezor. Together the trio discusses the recent political conventions leading up the US presidential elections, ask Liz all about her career in HR, recent misadventures in Colombia, her past life as a member of the University of Oregon marching band, and her ongoing … Continue reading "Episode 61: That One Time at Band Camp …"

This week Dave and Steel are joined by the artist Jack Bangerter, who many listeners have long suspected was merely a figment of Steel’s imagination. This week’s episode proved for once and all that he is, in fact, a real human being. Together the three of them discussed their great summer vacation memories, discussed some … Continue reading "Episode 60: Art Talk with Jack Bangerter"

In this week’s episode Steel and Dave are joined by their old friend Spencer. It’s not exactly as timely as when we recorded it (thanks a lot for being a super quick editor, Steel!!!), but this episode is mostly dedicated to the recent NBA Finals, the gripping, seven game battle between the Golden State Warriors and … Continue reading "Episode 59: NBA Finals Recap"

This week Dave and Steel are joined by their old friend Spencer. The trio discuss wedding planning, Steel’s first Vin Diesel film experiences, debate the future of artificial intelligence and the ethics of robot hunting, share great music from Radiohead, Looper and Ane Brun, and hear an allegory of the afterlife from the poet David … Continue reading "Episode 58: ROOOOOOOOOBOTS!"

This week Dave and Steel welcome their old buddy Spencer back to the show. Together, the trio discusses their dream tattoos, the NBA playoffs, great moments in terrible officiating, the best sports gambling moments in life and film, share some monumental hidden tracks from Travis, Todd Snider, Cracker, The Beatles, Wilco, and Beck, and Dave … Continue reading "Episode 57: [Hidden Track]"

This week Dave and Steel are very pleased to break some super important political news as Jordan Ford Faux announces his presidential bid for 2020. We discuss The People’s Elbow, his newly formed political party, cover some very important platform positions, hear his take on the most pressing issues of tomorrow, listen to his ideas for … Continue reading "Episode 56: Flip the Switch! Jordan Faux for President in 2020"

This week Dave and Steel are joined by their old buddy Jordan to discuss the biggest news of the day. They cover sportsball (NBA PLAYOFFS! LEICESTER CITY!), as well as the most important questions facing this year’s voters as they seek to decide who should become the next president of the United States, share some … Continue reading "Episode 55: Politics, Presidential Style"

This week Dave and Steel bring back their old friend Amy (Scott) Anderson. Together the trio discuss epic meltdowns, some amazing things that have they’ve been dying to share with each other during Dave’s paternity leave, talk (for a long time) about babies and parenting, share great music they’ve been digging recently by AURORA, the Strumbellas, Pinegrove, … Continue reading "Episode 54: Everything You (N)ever Wanted to Know About Babies"