Richard Milne, host of WXRT’s Chicago-music showcase Local Anesthetic

“I see [the local music scene] getting nothing but better. I think Chicago has become a wonderful place for bands to exist, and the art that’s being created here is so firmly entrenched now. Last year, I heard more consistently good Chicago band releases than I’ve heard in recent memory, and that will continue to grow. There will continue to be an influx of people coming to Chicago and to the infrastructure that’s arisen in the last 15 years. I think every year, interestingly enough, there’s a greater percentage of music that I play from people who didn’t grow up in the suburbs and came to Chicago—they came from far-off and distant lands, international places. And I wouldn’t be surprised in five years’ time if there are a couple more record labels like Drag City and Thrill Jockey and Touch and Go that set up camp here and become highly respected.”