Blind Spot was an experimental live radio program that aired on WLUW 88.7 FM Chicago between 2004 and 2006, broadcast on Sunday nights from 10–11 PM. Beginning in the spring of 2026, the episodes are being re-released as a podcast in batches of approximately ten at a time.
Founded by Philip von Zweck and John Wanzel, the show was conceived as an extended exploration of the possibilities of live radio – one with a collaborative approach at its core. Spanning two seasons and over ninety broadcasts, Blind Spot was made each week with a varying cast of frequent contributors, such as Jacob Christopher Hammes, Keri Butler, Richard Holland, Eric S. Humphrey, Jenny Walters, Peter Rosenbloom, Brian Taylor, and Sonia Yoon.
Drawing inspiration from radio theater of the 1930s and 40s, while embracing aspects of sound collage, improvisation, and performance art, Blind Spot stood apart from the rest of Chicago radio in the mid-2000s. The show worked with radio as a historical form, a cultural asset, and as a technology, and explored multiple modes of radio art:
- Performative actions, like The Fantastic Race to WLUW, Olympic, Digging, Guided Meditation, Total Request Karaoke, A Cappella, Free Time, Blind Spot Feeds the Sons of God, Radio Bingo, VS.
- Experimental radio plays, such as twilight of the idols, I’ve never been to Philadelphia; it’ll be alright, D_DAY60, September 11; A Musical, the Talk, Trouble on Planet Earth
- Experimental news and information, To Be Announced; everyday-life chaos made easy for one year, This Day in History, community perspective, new years, elect-o-ween, up close and personal, production meeting
- Sound collage and abstraction, exemplified by. war with orson, working, skip skip skip, A Night of 3000 Balloons, the theory of evolution, nautical night
- Site-based performance, includingCity Battery, live from rodgers park, Cellscape New York, Live from the RNC
About the Archive
The shows are presented in their original order of production, accompanied by notes and images where available. Each episode has been remastered with minimal edits. A small number of episodes are currently missing; if they are recovered, they will be inserted into the sequence to maintain that original order.
This site will continue to expand as additional materials are completed and added. For the most updated info, please subscribe to the podcast.
Blind Spot captures a distinct moment in time, one shaped by work produced outside of day jobs and alongside ongoing studio practices and other creative efforts. At the same time, the archive serves as a record of these activities from a period before podcasts and streaming platforms became widespread.
Below in this tag cloud is the growing list of contributors that worked on the program.
Anna Benavidas Brian Taylor Carolina Wheat Chuck Jones Dan Gleason Eric Humphery Eric Humphrey Eric S. Humphrey Jacob Christopher Jacob Christopher Hammes Jenny Walters Jesse Seay Jesse Wyss John Wanzel Mark Booth Mike Wolf Paul Dickinson Peter Rosenbloom Philip von Zweck Richard Holland Steve Barry the un-collector Thom Bailey Tim Cornell Woody Sullender
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