

AirGo
Damon Williams and Daniel Kisslinger
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/airgo/id1016530091
A podcast and radical media hub reshaping Chicago and beyond for the more liberatory and creative. Listen to longform humanizing conversations with artists, organizers, performers, comedians, scholars, and more who are reimagining Chicago and beyond toward liberation. Hosted by Damon Williams and Daniel Kisslinger.
A podcast and radical media hub reshaping Chicago and beyond for the more liberatory and creative. Listen to longform humanizing conversations with artists, organizers, performers, comedians, scholars, and more who are reimagining Chicago and beyond toward liberation. Hosted by Damon Williams and Daniel Kisslinger.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Apr 11, 2020 • 41min
Ep 231 - On the Line with Sharlyn Grace
From the isolation of our homes, AirGo is presenting a series called On the Line, which focuses on the COVID-19 pandemic and the people putting their bodies on the line to help us all survive and heal. Over the next few weeks, we'll be hopping on the line with workers in the health care, educational, governmental, organizing, and prison abolition spheres to talk about what their work looks like right now, and what we can do to help as we isolate our physical bodies at home. This episode's guest is Sharlyn Grace, who is a cofounder and the Executive Director of the Chicago Community Bond Fund. She talks about the front lines work CCBF is doing to protect and free the 4500+ people currently held in Cook County Jail, where the COVID infection rate is 40 times that of the rest of Chicago, and shares how y'all can contribute to their current call-in campaign.
Participate in the call-in here: https://chicagobond.org/call-in/
Recorded 4/6/20 in Chicago
Music from this week's show:
On the Line - Isaiah Rashad

Apr 10, 2020 • 57min
Ep 230 - On the Line: Dame and Kiss Mailbag
The guys are doing okay. From the isolation of our homes, AirGo is presenting a series called On the Line, which focuses on the COVID-19 pandemic and the people putting their bodies on the line to help us all survive and heal. Over the next few weeks, we'll be hopping on the line with workers in the health care, educational, governmental, organizing, and prison abolition spheres to talk about what their work looks like right now, and what we can do to help as we isolate our physical bodies at home.. On this first episode, Damon and Kiss check in about how their quarantines have been and answer some listener questions.
Recorded 4/6/20 in Chicago

Apr 9, 2020 • 1h 3min
#GoBack - Saba in 2015
Each month this year, we're going to revisit an episode from the 200+ episodes in the AirGo Archives and bring that conversation back to the forefront. This month, we're revisiting our conversation with the magnificent recording artist Saba from 2015. Since then, Sab has ascended to a global spotlight–he killed a feature on Dreamville's collaborative Revenge of the Dreamers III, has released two critically-acclaimed projects Bucket List Project and CARE FOR ME, and now lives in LA with his brother Joseph Chilliams and his partner(who you may have heard on last week's episode). At the time of recording, Sab had recently released Comfort Zone, a beautiful project that solidified his spot as one of Chicago's hottest rising stars, and was about to play a show at Township, a small venue in Logan Square–the venue sold out so quickly that they ended up moving the show the day before. We talk about his craft, the solidification of Pivot Gang, and much more.
Recorded 11/18/2015 on WHPK 88.5FM in Chicago
Music from this week's show:
Fighter - @sabapivot x @kainamusic

Apr 2, 2020 • 1h 39min
Ep 229 - Qurissy
Back before the world turned upside down, Dame and Kiss kicked it in LA with the wonderful Qurissy, a Chicago native and member of the community here who recently moved to Los Angeles. Qurissy is a portrait photographer, designer, art director, and visual creator whose photography has shone a lens on so many members of the arts world in the city that we showcase and celebrate. She's the Art Director at Gumbo Media, a multimedia company that curates content, experiences, and services to expand the narrative of Black life. We talk about her transition to LA, cohabitating with her boo (who's an AirGo alum), developing one's eye, and much more. Plus, some damn good jokes from the guys and a little constructive feedback time, since Qurissy is a regular listener of the show. Get in the pre-pandemic time machine!
Follow Qurissy: http://instagram.com/qurissy
Recorded 2/3/2020 in Los Angeles
Music from this week's show:
Uptown - Podington Bear
Rebelion - Joe Arroyo

Mar 28, 2020 • 19min
Cottage Groove #11 - On the Couch
Sitting on your couch? So is our resident AirGo DJ. Daniel aka DJ Empathy returns with a new #coronamix for you couch potatoes out there. Sit back and enjoy.
Songs on this mix:
Everybody Wants to Rule the World - @themind
Moon River - Frank Ocean
CYANIDE - Daniel Caesar
Time Alone - Jacob Collier x Daniel Caesar
Break In - @themind
Yo Love - Vince Staples x Mereba x 6lack
Antidote - Orion Sun
Mixed 3/28/20

Mar 26, 2020 • 48min
Ep 228 - Climate Changemakers Vol. 1 with Suzy Schlosberg
Climate Changemakers is a 5-part podcast series, showcasing and celebrating leaders in equity work and climate action across Illinois, presented by Elevate Energy. This episode's guest is Suzy Schlosberg, the Co-Director of the Chicago Youth Alliance for Climate Action. A senior at Whitney Young High School, Suzy is also on the steering committee for the Ready for 100 Chicago Collective and is a student intern at the Sierra Club office.
Learn about Elevate Energy and their 20th anniversary: www.elevateenergy.org/
Check out the Chicago Youth Alliance for Climate Action: https://www.cyaca.org/
Recorded 2/23/20 in Chicago

Mar 19, 2020 • 8min
Ep 227 - Sending Love in the Time of COVID
Well, that escalated quickly. In the first week of Chicago’s social distancing and self-isolation due to COVID-19, AirGo takes a moment to wish you and yours some love, and share some laughs from a recent recording session. We’ll be back next week with full AirGo episodes. Keep your hands washed and your hearts full!
Recorded 3/18/20 in Chicago

Mar 12, 2020 • 1h 22min
Ep 226 - Unelectable Vol. 1 with Stacy Davis Gates and Ald. Jeanette Taylor
Unelectable is an live podcast event series that engages electoral politics through the filter of radical imagination. AirGo and Black Youth Project are using the 2020 election cycle to have tangible conversations about impactful issues dismissed as being too big or unrealistic by mainstream political media. Vol. 1 happened on Feb. 26 at the Silver Room in Hyde Park, and featured Ald. Jeanette Taylor and Chicago Teachers Union VP Stacy Davis Gates. It was a great conversation about what protecting the public looks like, what elected officials need from movement workers, and how we learn about politics in the classroom.
Check out Black Youth Project: http://blackyouthproject.com/
Recorded 2/26/20 in Chicago
Music from this week's show:
Burn - Lava La Rue

Mar 5, 2020 • 1h 40min
Ep 225 - Benjamin Earl Turner, Pt. 2
Time stands still sometimes for Benjamin Earl Turner. The emcee, writer, craftsman, and intellectual has a theory and praxis for his writing and music-making that creates some of the most remarkable raps in the world, in which he can challenge himself and his listeners to see themselves, their shortcomings, and the complexity of their spirits. Dame and Kiss went to his home studio in Burbank, CA for a sitdown that turned to an all-nighter, which we are releasing in two parts. On part 2, Benjamin tells a mythical story, talks through how he's thinking about masculinity and growth, and a remarkably comprehensive beef with the 20th century.
Music on this week's episode is all from @benjaminearlturner's album Bad Nature, which you should stream now!: soundcloud.com/benjaminearlturner/sets/bad-nature
Follow Benjamin on twitter: twitter.com/benjaminearltea
Recorded 1/30/2020 in Burbank, CA

Feb 28, 2020 • 1h 17min
Ep 224 - Benjamin Earl Turner, Pt. 1
Time stands still sometimes for Benjamin Earl Turner. The emcee, writer, craftsman, and intellectual has a theory and praxis for his writing and music-making that creates some of the most remarkable raps in the world, in which he can challenge himself and his listeners to see themselves, their shortcomings, and the complexity of their spirits. Dame and Kiss went to his home studio in Burbank, CA for a sitdown that turned to an all-nighter, which we are releasing in two parts. On part 1, we talk about finding his craft, his bond with Damon, and the magical summer of 2012 that he spent creating and growing in Chicago. Part 2 drops next week!
Music on this week's episode is all from @benjaminearlturner's album Bad Nature, which you should stream now!: https://soundcloud.com/benjaminearlturner/sets/bad-nature
Follow Benjamin on twitter: https://twitter.com/benjaminearltea
Recorded 1/30/2020 in Burbank, CA