GARAGE TO STADIUMS Music History Podcast

Dave Anthony
  • 5.0 (32)
  • MUSIC COMMENTARY
  • UPDATED SEMIWEEKLY

Garage to Stadiums is one of the Top 5% of podcasts in the world. From the bars to the arenas, learn the fascinating stories of how our biggest rock music legends made the leap. Each episode reveals the stories, songs and little known facts of the journey from obscurity to fame of one of rock music’s biggest stars. Join us on Garage To Stadiums as host Dave Anthony teams up with an author of a rock biography or director of a rock documentary to explore that journey, their early years, the stories behind the scenes, their top songs, and their place in music history. Learn about the passion, talent, luck and even scandal that often came together to propel these stars from obscurity to household names.

  1. The Story of The Who

    2D AGO

    The Story of The Who

    Take yourself back to Swinging London for the formation of The Who in 1964.  Guest Mark Wilkerson, author of Who are You: The Life of Pete Townshend discussed The Who's enormous influence on rock music sound, album structure and concert staging all while navigating through the offstage mayhem that become synonymous with this group.  In this episode you'll learn: How lead songwriter and guitarist Pete Townshend became rock's foremost innovator How a mysterious religious figure’s theories were embedded in the band’s most famous songsThe bizarre tale of The Who's manager in a violent crime in an uncharted area of Amazon RainforestHow the band used an opera structure to create new formats for music Why the band was banned from a major hotel chain for lifeHow band members' distaste for one another was a cited key to their success Anchored by songwriter and guitarist Pete Townshend, an art school student, who as you will hear brought art concepts into the band's songs and stage performance. Townsend continued that innovation by creating incredible forms of rock music, modeled after operas and integrating computers into music before any other band.  Guest Bio:Mark Wilkerson wrote Who are You: The Life of Pete Townshend. Mark was born in England and lived there for 14 years and fell in love with The Who's music before moving to the US in 1984. A few years later, a fellow Townshend fan Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam, asked Mark to join the team that put together PJ:20 An official history of Pearl Jam to commemorate the band's 20th anniversary.   Follow the Show / Receive bonus content: Follow GTS on Apple or Spotify podcasts to be alerted when our next episode dropsFollow Garage to Stadiums (GTS) on social channels  Download the Official Garage to Stadiums playlists for each episode on Apple Music or SpotifyVisit GaragetoStadiums.com for bonus content on The Who, including concert footage, transcripts and other interesting facts.Known for their influential music, explosive live shows and rebellious sound, The Who's impact on rock music and cultural landscape continues to inspire and influence generations, with over 100 million records sold. This band is truly a global phenomenon and has influenced bands across punk, alternative, and rock.  You will be astonished at the story of The Who's musical sophistication and innovation.  Yet, The Who live in concert still knew how to get down to business and rock you.  For years, they were considered the best live band in the world, and the loudest.  And as you will hear, there were several tragic downsides that threatened this band to create an incredible story like no other.

    55 min
  2. The Story of The Cars & Ric Ocasek

    APR 14

    The Story of The Cars & Ric Ocasek

    If any band defines the long odds of the garage-to-stadiums journey...it’s The Cars. Grinding through years in Boston, they cycled through wildly different sounds before finally striking gold—fusing punk edge with pop precision to help define a new musical decade. In this episode, you’ll learn: How bandleader Ric Ocasek and his partner Ben Orr struggled for years to unlock their breakthrough sound The surprising number of genres the band attemped before succeedingThe reveal of the secret formula of musical styles they combined and perfected  The strange, behind-the-scenes reasons the band unraveled at their peak How Ocasek’s vision went on to shape countless future artists  Want to learn more music history?   Subscribe to our bonus Garage to Stadium content across our social + web channels for more interesting music history facts delivered to you   Episode Guest Peter Aaron is the author of Moving in Stereo: Ric Ocasek, The Driving Force Behind the Cars. Peter is a veteran of the music industry having written on acts like the Ramones and the Band, and as the arts editor of Chronogram Magazine.  Peter is also the front man of influential New York band The  Chrome Cranks. His writing has appeared in The Village Voice, the Boston Herald, and several other publications.

    58 min

  3. APR 1

    What is Garage to Stadiums? - trailer for the show

    A top 5% of podcasts in the world, Garage to Stadiums is a podcast for true music fans — the ones who want more than just headlines and hype. This show is for listeners who care about the full story behind the artists:  their childhoods, musical influences, early gigs, personal battles, journey to stadium-level fame and the drama in between.  Why are we different? In each episode host Dave Anthony features guests who know their stuff and bring real insights from their time with the performers — from respected rock journalists to documentary filmmakers. If you want smarter music commentary and behind-the-scenes stories you won’t hear anywhere else, subscribe now and get your backstage pass to music history.

    2 min

  4. MAR 27

    The Story of R.E.M.

    Picture a 1970s American teen, dressed as Frank N. Furter from Rocky Horror, interviewed on local TV outside a suburban cinema. That fearless teen grows up to be Michael Stipe, lead singer of R.E.M., the first alternative band to achieve global commercial success, from its origins in tiny Athens, Georgia.  On this episode you'll learn: How Athens, Georgia became the unlikely spawning ground for several successful bands.How R.E.M. created a memorable sound by combining punk, pop music, southern rock and R'n'B  Why Pearl Jam and Nirvana cited R.E.M. as a major trailblazer, and influence on their soundHow an onstage near-tragedy changed the band forever... The college radio strategy the company employed to build its credibility and momentumWhy R.E.M. turned down the offer to write a theme song for the popular TV show FriendsThe first alternative band to experience mass commercial success, R.E.M. occupies an influential position in music history, inspiring many bands with their fiercely independent spirit and sound. Astonishingly, the band first heard on 1980s college radio went on to sell 90 million albums.    Guest Bio - Peter Ames Carlin, author & journalistPeter appeared on our Bruce Springsteen episode. In addition to writing a best-seller about Springsteen, he's chronicled Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys and Paul McCartney of The Beatles. His new book, The Name of This Band is R.E.M., has just been released.    Follow Garage to Stadiums (GTS) on social channels   Share this episode with this linkFollow GTS on Apple or Spotify podcastsDownload our official killer playlists for each performer on Apple or Spotify Follow GTS on Instagram Follow GTS on LinkedIn Sign up for the Garage to Stadiums e-newsletter to get more bonus contentTranscript for this episode

    46 min
  5. The Story of The Eagles

    MAR 18

    The Story of The Eagles

    Listen to how a true California sound was born… from musicians who didn’t even come from California. In the late 1960s, four young artists arrived in Los Angeles from completely different corners of America. Blending country, rock, and soaring harmonies, Eagles captured the spirit of the American West and helped launch a new musical movement. Over the decades they would sell more than 150 million records and secure 2 of the top 4 spots in album sales in history. This is their journey from the garage to stadiums.  In this episode, you'll learn:  How their childhoods shaped the music they would createThe superstar who gave Eagles their first big break in Los AngelesThe personality clashes that simmered behind the harmoniesWhy the band deliberately changed their sound at their peakThe onstage threat of violence that foreshadowed the band’s breakupWho shaped their sound - and the artists they went on to influenceGuest BioThe guests for this episode are the authors of Eagles: Up Ahead in The Distance Eagles are our two guests, Steve Caparelli and Rick Forgo. They have authored a trilogy of books chronicling the incredible rise of this quintessential band. Want to learn more music history?  Subscribe to our bonus Garage to Stadium content across our social + web channels

    1h 1m
  6. The Story of Stevie Wonder

    MAR 7

    The Story of Stevie Wonder

    This is an astonishing story of the human spirit. Travel back to early 1960s Motown when an 11-year old child prodigy mysteriously appeared on the scene. Stevie Wonder rose from deep poverty, a fractured home and a significant physical disability to become one of the most influential musicians of all time.  As you will hear, he was also a master of innovating new sounds, producing hits across many musical genres - soul, R'n'B, rock, reggae, pop, funk and more. In this episode you'll learn: The incredible story of Stevie's birth and difficult family life How Motown records was formed by an unexpected source, and then discovered StevieThe ultimatum by a young Stevie that changes his economic situation How a knock on a random door in New York resulted in Stevie's greatest albumsHow a terrible accident changed Stevie forever About his diverse set of hits from various genresWant to learn more music history?  Subscribe to our bonus Garage to Stadium content across our social + web channels Guest Bio Paolo Hewitt  has followed Stevie's career for decades. Paulo was a writer for UK music magazines, New Musical Express and Melody Maker, where he both interviewed Stevie Wonder and reviewed several of his albums. Paulo has also written extensively about the hiphop scene and has authored books on several artists. He appeared on two very popular Garage to Stadiums episodes to discuss the careers of David Bowie and Oasis.

    1h 3m
  7. The Story of The Band

    FEB 27

    The Story of The Band

    Experience the improbable ascent of The Band — five road-worn club musicians from forgotten rural towns who for years played beer-soaked barrooms, drove endless highways and dragged battered amps across borders. And then fate intervened for these four young Canadians and one Southerner. The result: the music they invented was the opposite of the psychedelic rage of the late ’60s — blending country, blues, R&B and story-telling into songs that reshaped rock’s future, leaving its mark on Crosby, Stills & Nash, The Eagles, The Beatles, and The Rolling Stones. In this episode you'll learn: 1. How relentless touring of bars and clubs forged their otherworldly chemistry 2. The incredible accident of timing that launched them from bar gigs to the global stage3. Their controversial world tour that changed modern music 4. The internal challenges that began to hinder The Band's chemistry5. How one member went on to be the musical architect of several famous Hollywood movies For more music history... Subscribe to our Garage to Stadium content across our social + web channels Guest Bio Craig Harris, is the author of The Last Waltz: The Full Story of The Band, a musician who has performed with a member of the band and the host of the Craig Harris show on WAMU-FM, Bluegrass/Country.

    55 min
  8. The Story of Nirvana

    FEB 20

    The Story of Nirvana

    Rewind to the early 1990s, when a high school dropout from Aberdeen, Washington, turned his angst into anthems. This is the story of Nirvana—a band that took Seattle-based grunge from garage floors to global stages - with a rebellious yet melodic sound that resonated with a generation.  In this episode, we uncover: How Kurt Cobain felt like a fish out of water in his small-town upbringing The two legendary bands that inspired Nirvana’s signature sound A hidden clue about Kurt in the Smells Like Teen Spirit video you likely missed...A previous surprising clue about Kurt in their first-ever demo single Bassist Krist Novoselic’s unheralded backstage role in the band's success How Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl became Nirvana’s seventh—and final—drummer Who the hit song About a Girl was really written for....About our GuestMichael Azerrad is the author of The Amplified Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana, an extensively illuminated version of his classic 1993 Nirvana biography Come as You Are, named as one of the 50 greatest rock books ever written by the UK's prestigious music magazine Q. Michael was also a former contributing editor for Rolling Stone, and he wrote the famous Rolling Stone cover story on Nirvana from 1992 in which Kurt wears a homemade T-shirt that says "Corporate Magazines Still Suck". Garage to Stadiums resources & bonus coverage:Experience our bonus Garage to Stadium content across a variety of social + web channels

    1h 2m
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About

Garage to Stadiums is one of the Top 5% of podcasts in the world. From the bars to the arenas, learn the fascinating stories of how our biggest rock music legends made the leap. Each episode reveals the stories, songs and little known facts of the journey from obscurity to fame of one of rock music’s biggest stars. Join us on Garage To Stadiums as host Dave Anthony teams up with an author of a rock biography or director of a rock documentary to explore that journey, their early years, the stories behind the scenes, their top songs, and their place in music history. Learn about the passion, talent, luck and even scandal that often came together to propel these stars from obscurity to household names.

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