GARAGE TO STADIUMS Dave Anthony

Hop on the wild ride of Led Zeppelin that swings between euphoric triumphs and gut-wrenching tragedies. In this episode we delve deep into the Led Zeppelin story with Bob Spitz, the author behind Led Zeppelin: The Biography, who shed light on the band's journey from their humble beginnings in 1968 to their premature demise in 1980.  In this episode you will hear:
How the founder of Zeppelin was a stellar studio musician seeking a new challengeHow two famous members of the band were unknowns playing in bar bands  How Led Zep tours reached levels of sexual debauchery not seen before nor since How Zeppelin transformed music styles and concert economics for all artistsHow a 300 pound former wrestler created their innovative marketing strategyThat one of its members was studying to be an accountantHow several tragic events changed the band forever Led Zep was composed of stellar musicians 
Led Zeppelin wasn't just a band; it was a powerhouse of talent. Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones weren't your average musicians—they were session legends, popping up on more records than you can shake a drumstick at. From The Who to commercial jingles, these guys did it all, bringing a wealth of musical experience to Led Zep recordings. In fact, Jimmy Page seemed destined for prodigy status when he appeared as a 13-year-old appearing on the BBC. 
 
Innovation in music style
Jimmy Page had a vision: to rock the socks off mainstream music. And, did he deliver. Led Zeppelin wasn't just music; it was an experience. From Page's wailing guitar to Robert Plant's thundering vocals to John Bonham’s relentless attack on drums, every note was a punch to the gut, leaving fans reeling with excitement.
 
Record breaking concerts
America fell head over heels for Led Zeppelin, adopting them as their own. And Zep? Well, they repaid the favor by crisscrossing the States like rock 'n' roll nomads. In fact, years later the Kennedy Center would honor them for their career achievements with stirring tribute performances from the likes of the rock group Heart. 
 
Savvy marketing and PR
Enter Peter Grant, the man you wouldn't dare cross, according to our guest Bob Spitz. He didn't just manage Led Zeppelin; he had a secret strategy to turn them into legends, and it worked.  

Shocking levels of debauchery  
If you thought rock 'n' roll excess was a myth, think again. Spitz told us stories of how Led Zeppelin took debauchery to new heights (or lows, depending on your perspective). Young girls, some barely out of middle school, flocked to their hotels like moths to a flame. Bob Spitz tells us about the shocking details. 
 
Burnout, addictions and demons 
Behind the scenes, darkness lurked. Founder Jimmy Page and drummer John Bonham battled addictions that threatened the integrity of the band. 
 
Led Zeppelin's journey was a whirlwind of highs and lows, triumphs and tragedies. Their musical prowess, unmatched charisma, and savvy marketing propelled them to the pinnacle of rock 'n' roll success. From sold-out stadiums to groundbreaking albums, Led Zeppelin left an indelible mark on music history.  Zep even teased everyone with a stellar performance in 2007 reunification in London featuring the three core members plus the son of their deceased drummer. 
 
Air date: May 2024
Guest: Bob Spitz, author of Led Zeppelin: The Biography
Songs played:  Good Times Bad Times, Babe I’m Gonna Leave You, Communication Breakdown, Dazed and Confused, Whole Lotta Love, Hearbreaker, Living Loving Maid, Ramble On, Immigrant Song, Bron-Y-Aur Stomp, Black Dog, Rock and Roll, Going to California, Over the Hills and Far Away, D’Yer Mak’er, Kashmir, Trampled Under Foot, All My Love. 

Stream the Garage to Stadiums official Led Zeppelin playlist on Apple
Stream the Garage to Stadiums official Led Zeppelin playlist on Spotify  
 

From the bars to the arenas, how did our biggest music legends make the leap?  Join us as we take a deep dive into music history to explore the stories surrounding the fascinating journey and sometimes little-known facts of rock music’s biggest legends. 
In each episode of Garage To Stadiums, 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. 
  

Step into the whirlwind journey of Fleetwood Mac, where relationships intertwine, songwriting flourishes, and musical evolution knows no bounds. We delve deep into the band's captivating narrative with host Dave Anthony and author Mark Blake, a master story teller and author of the upcoming book Dreams: The A to Z of Fleetwood Mac. Blake has conducted several interviews with the band over the years and gives us the inside stories behind the drama that often permeates this group. 
In this rollicking episode, you'll learn:
The origins of the band in England in the 1960s as a blues band featuring a very different lineup  How the original founder suffered a serious mental health decline that altered the course of the bandHow the aristocratic son of a Royal Air Force commander went from a window cleaner to Fleetwood Mac leaderHow one band member left the band to join a cultHow a trip to the grocery store led to the discovery of soon-to-be superstars Stevie Nicks and Lindsey BuckinghamThe revealing true meaning of 5 of their most famous songs based on Mark Blake's interviews with the band Join host Dave Anthony and guest Mark Blake, author of Dreams: The A to Z of Fleetwood Mac for the fascinating story behind Fleetwood Mac's journey from the pubs of England to become a US and global phenomenon.   Picture this: a plot straight out of a gripping soap opera, where band members forge romantic connections, battle with addiction, weather breakups, and witness a revolving door of musical talent. And at the heart of it all lies Fleetwood Mac, a band synonymous with drama and musical brilliance.
In this episode, you will experience the sight and sounds of the mid 1960s London scene version of Fleetwood Mac typified by this performance on Monster Mash, the BBC television show from the era.  We'll next take you to their early US period from 1970 to 1975 where songs like Sands of Time begin to foretell the vocal harmonies that will become a staple of Fleetwood Mac.
Blake then reveals the incredibly random way in which Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham were discovered and went from a folk performing duo on their first album Buckingham Nicks to become additional members of the band, contributing powerful songwriting, vocal harmonies ad Buckingham's blazing guitar.  These two were directly responsible for massive hits like Rhiannon seen in a scorching live performance in 1976 from NBC’s music show Midnight Special
Amidst the musical triumphs, Fleetwood Mac's journey was not without its share of challenges. Mark Blake paints a vivid portrait of the band's dynamic personalities, fueled by passion, breakups, tension, drug use and the occasional thrown drink. Yet, from this cauldron of creativity emerged Rumours, an album born from chaos yet etched into the annals of music history as one of the Top 10 albums of all time.
Stream the Apple Fleetwood Mac Garage to Stadiums Official Playlist 
Stream the Spotify Fleetwood Mac Garage to Stadiums Official PlaylistFor bonus content, videos and blogs go to GaragetoStadiums.com 
 
Guest: Mark Blake, author of Dreams: The A to Z of Fleetwood Mac
 
Songs Featured in Episode:  Smokestack Lightnin', Watch Out, Albatross, Green Manalishi, Sands of Time, Future Games, Rhiannon, Landslide, Over My Head, Say You Love Me, Dreams, Go Your Own Way, You Make Loving Fun, Gold Dust Woman, The Chain, Don't Stop, Silver Springs, Beautiful Child, Little Lies
Guest Mark Blake's song picks: Future Games, Silver Springs, Beautiful Child

Air Date: 2024
Host: Dave Anthony
Produced by Podstarter

Learn the real story and the tragedy behind AC/DC’s journey from the garage to the stadiums in this fast-paced episode, complete with songs from each phase of their career. In this episode you’ll learn:
 
·    The fascinating origins of the band name AC/DC   
·    How The Rolling Stones played a role in AC/DC’s sound
·    How a boy band singer helped evolve AC/DC’s music
·    Why guitarist Angus Young created his trademark schoolboy outfit
·    How tragedy has impacted and evolved the band
·    Who helped the band create one of the Top 5 selling albums of all time
·    AC/DC’s place in music history
 
Join host Dave Anthony and guest Martin Popoff, author of AC/DC at 50 for the fascinating story behind AC/DC’s journey from Sydney, Australia bar band to global phenomenon.  As we discussed in the episode, AC/DC sales of 200+ million albums worldwide would be equivalent to 2 out of every 3 Americans owning an AC/DC album!
AC/DC’s popularity is evidenced by the diverse set of performers who have sampled covered AC/DC’s music. Samplers include The Beastie Boys, while Guns N Roses, The Offspring, Joan Jett, Living Color, Dee Snider of Twisted Sister, and even Shakira have all covered an AC/DC song.  The country group Big & Rich even covered the band’s tune Shook Me All Night Long.
Stream the Apple AC/DC Garage to Stadiums Official Playlist 
Stream the Spotify AC/DC Garage to Stadiums Official PlaylistFor bonus content, videos and blogs go to GaragetoStadiums.com 
In this episode, you will experience the sight and sounds of the early days of AC/DC touring the bars of Australia and the UK. You will literally feel the pressure of performing to a hardworking pub crowd who like their drinks and their songs heavy. If you have ever wondered how a heated penny could be a dangerous projectile, your listening journey to these bars will provide an answer.
Next, you’ll learn the incredible inside secret of how a member of a bubblegum boy band played a large role in sculpting the AC/DC sound and lyrics.  Hear the result of this collaboration with some hits such as Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, TNT, and Highway to Hell, here featured in a raucous concert in The Netherlands. 
Listeners will also experience the elation and agony as the band reaches its creative pinnacle with a global smash hit album only to experience the worst tragedy imaginable that nearly ended the band. Feel firsthand the pressure as the band fights to find its bearings, determined to punch back from that awful event.  The result is one of the most successful offerings in the history of rock…that somehow includes a key band member who wasn’t even in the music business and helps write the new hits!
Get back on the stadiums journey to hear how AC/DC seems to be continually confronted by a torrent of bad luck that will test the band to its limits in the ensuing decades.  
Equal to all challenges, AC/DC has a certain place in the pantheon of rock gods. As Martin Popoff described in the episode, AC/DC took a simple, hard-driving sound and made it their own and provided insights into why the sound is unique. The result has been legions of fans and cover bands across genres who know that an AC/DC song will deliver a good time every time it is played.
Guest: Martin Popoff, author of AC/DC at 50   
 
Songs Featured in Episode:  TNT, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, Let There Be Rock, Highway to Hell, Sin City, If You Want Blood (You’ve Got it), Back in Black, You Shook Me All Night Long, Hells Bells, Shoot to Thrill, For Those About to Rock (We Salute You), Thunderstruck, Money Talks, War Machine

Air Date: 2024
Host: Dave Anthony
Produced by Podstarter

Learn the real story of how Alice Cooper came to fame from our episode guest Reg Harkema, director of the documentary Super Duper Alice Cooper.  In this episode you’ll learn:
 
●  How a shocking onstage event propelled Alice to fame
●  The strange secret behind the Alice Cooper name
●  The innovations Alice created for rock show presentations
●  How he and a high school friend turned a love of art into a band concept
●  About the unknown 19-year-old that created the sound for their radio hits
●  That religion has incredibly always played a role in Alice’s life
●  How Alice directly influenced Kiss, Bowie, and even Taylor Swift
 
The tale that Harkema weaves about Alice’s journey on this Garage to Stadiums episode has so many bizarre twists and turns, it almost begs for a movie treatment. Incredibly, it starts with Alice being born to a devout Christian pastor and his wife.
You will be transported back to the late 1960s to hear firsthand how the peace and love generation was radically altered by the Alice Cooper Band sound and stage show.  Discover Alice Cooper’s inspiration for creating a brand of onstage gore and violence delivered Alice’s stated goal “to drive a stake through the hippie dream of the 1960s”. 

Stream the Alice Cooper Garage to Stadiums Playlist Spotify Alice Cooper Garage to Stadiums Playlist For bonus content, videos, and blogs go to Garagetostadiums.com  
Not only did guest Reg Harkema weave a fantastical tale of how the strange Alice Cooper name came about for the band, but he also illuminated listeners on how Alice’s surrealist art influence led to early intriguing stage shows and bizarre songs like the Ballad of Dwight Frye here performed at the Beat Club in 1971.  
 
You will also learn how Alice deftly tapped into the angst-ridden teenage brain wave with a song crafted in the mold of the song My Generation by The Who Alice went on to even greater heights with the release of the album containing the title track of School’s Out in 1972. As Reg says, “you can’t find a straighter line into the brains of a teenager than the phrase school is out for the summer”.
 
Journey with host Dave Anthony and guest Reg Harkema back to the bell bottoms and high heeled shoes of the early 70s when the band plotted a shocking theatrical show that succeeded in driving international publicity by shocking parents with fake hangings, and levels of violence never seen on stage.
Reg also revealed the inside story of Alice’s harrowing brush with addictions, including how a famous rock icon introduced him to cocaine and how a dancer and his parents played a key role in his recovery.  The rollicking tale of Alice Cooper will not only entertain but will give every listener an appreciation for the influence Alice Cooper has had on many famous rock and pop stars.   
Guest: Reg Harkema, director of the documentary Super Duper Alice Cooper

Episode Song list: Living, Changing Arranging, I’m Eighteen, Ballad of Dwight Fry, Second Coming, School’s Out, No More Mr. Nice Guy, Welcome to My Nightmare, I Never Cry, Poison, Pass the Gun Around
Host: Dave AnthonyProduced by PodstarterAir Date: 2024

Learn the fascinating story of how Rush made its journey from Canadian bar band to global phenomenon from our guest Sam Dunn, director of the documentary Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage. In the episode you’ll hear:
How an incredible event launched Rush from bar band to opening act for Kiss How diabetes lead Rush to discover one of the best drummers in rock historyWhat major rock stars think of Rush’s place in music historyThe story behind Geddy Lee’s and guitarist Alex Lifeson real namesThe influences on Rush’s music evolution from early days to later albumsA best of Rush playlist Stream the official Rush Garage to Stadiums playlist on Apple Music 
Stream the official Rush Garage to Stadiums playlist on SpotifyFor great bonus content, videos, and blogs go to GaragetoStadiums.com 
Rush has sold the most consecutive gold/platinum albums behind only The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. Sam’s documentary features an array of rock luminaries praising Rush: Gene Simmons of Kiss, Kirk Hammett of Metallica, Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails, Billy Corgen of The Smashing Pumpkins and Taylor Hawkins of The Foo Fighters. 
Having spent significant time with band members, Sam gave us interesting insights into the personalities of vocalist and bassist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson and drummer Neil Peart. One early interesting note is that Neil Peart, widely considered to be one of the best rock drummers in the world, only became part of Rush due to the sickness of original drummer John Rutsey.  

Not only did Rush gain an incredible drummer who would transform their ability to create complex music, they unexpectedly added a deeply well-read individual who also took over the lyric writing duties. Neil’s song writing skills propelled the band to fashion musical tales beyond anything they could have previously imagined and quite different from their first hit, Working Man seen here is a rare early live appearance. 
  
We discussed the musical prowess of the three members; you can see demonstrations of this in Alex Lifeson shredding the guitar during a major outdoor festival in Toronto in 2006, Geddy Lee sharing his approach on the bass and the phenomenal Neil Peart on the David Letterman show playing drums. 

Rush was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2013.  You can see their Hall of Fame induction announcement by Jann Wenner publisher of Rolling Stone Magazine and the standing ovation featuring musicians such as Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine, Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters, John Mayer and Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers clapping along with the thousands in attendance. 

Foo’s vocalist and guitarist Dave Grohl and drummer Taylor Hawkins do a hilarious introduction speech for Rush, at once describing their career, musicianship, achievements and eccentricities into one rollicking tale. 

As part of the Hall induction, then the Foos do an incredible impersonation of early 70s Rush complete with wigs and kimonos performing 2112: Overture and The Temples of Syrinx.  Get your air guitar and drums ready for some dual playing by Rush members and the Foos.  

Sadly, Neil Peart died in 2020 and rumors have abounded ever since about whether surviving members Geddy and Alex might reunite.  Geddy and Alex actually performed with drummers Danny Carey, Dave Grohl and Chad Smith of Tool, Nirvana/Foo Fighters and Chili Peppers at the 2022 tribute for deceased drummer of the Foos Taylor Hawkins.
For more bonus material on Rush go to garagetostadiums.com and check out our 'Episode' and 'Blog' tabs.
Guest: Sam Dunn, of Banger Films, 
Songs played in episode: 
Date: November 2023
Host: Dave Anthony
Produced by Podstarter