Then This Happened: Musical Stories

Matt Griffo
  • 5.0 (21)
  • COMEDY
Then This Happened: Musical Stories Podcast

True stories are told and musical improvisers cut in and out with songs moving the story along. Each episode is about 15 to 25 minutes long. The show is put together by comedian and musician Matt Griffo. It’s recorded in his tiny studio in Chicago.

  1. 2004 Dave Matthews Band Chicago River incident

    08/08/2023

    2004 Dave Matthews Band Chicago River incident

    Send us a Text Message.On August 8, 2004, a tour bus belonging to the Dave Matthews Band dumped an estimated 800 pounds of human waste from the bus's blackwater tank through the Kinzie Street Bridge in Chicago onto a passenger sightseeing boat sailing in the Chicago River below.STORYTELLERGina Palm BANDFiddle - Sam Hyson Piano - Matt GriffoDrums - Mike AmandesBass - Tom Urwin Acoustic Guitar - Arne Parrott Saxophone - Eli Wilson VOCALSGriffoDrake Shrader Lexi Ali...

    26 min
  2. Chance The Snapper & Alligator Robb, a Chicago Tale of Two Lives Saved

    06/20/2023

    Chance The Snapper & Alligator Robb, a Chicago Tale of Two Lives Saved

    Send us a Text Message.Chance the Snapper is a four to five foot long alligator that was found swimming in the Humboldt Park lagoon, in Chicago, Illinois, on the evening of July 9, 2019. The animal was named after Chance the Rapper in an online poll conducted by the Block Club Chicago news website,beating other suggested nicknames such as Ruth Gator Ginsberg, Croc Obama, and Frank Lloyd Bite. The alligator inspired several social media accounts, and was the subject of national news coverage. ...

    38 min
  3. When Charna Met Del Close - A story of the creation of long from improvisation

    01/25/2023

    When Charna Met Del Close - A story of the creation of long from improvisation

    Send us a Text Message.CHARNA HALPERNCharna Halpern (born June 1, 1952) is founded the ImprovOlympic, now known as iO. Upon iO's founding, in 1983, with partner Del Close, she began teaching Harold to many students in the Chicago theater community. Many prominent comedians performed at iO, from Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Mike Myers, She and Close co-authored the book Truth in Comedy: The Manual of Improvisation with editor Kim "Howard" Johnson in 1994.She published Group Improvisation in 200...

    31 min
  4. Halley's Comet and the Panic of 1910

    01/23/2023

    Halley's Comet and the Panic of 1910

    Send us a Text Message.In 1910, Halley’s Comet was due to pass close by Earth — and everyone from religious fanatics to news reporters stoked the fires of a global panic, believing it was the end of the world.Samba/Bossa Nova Band(Chambered Electric/Acoustic Guitar) Mercedes Sara Landazuri(Ukulele Bass) Adam Haus(Percussion) Leo Peña 18" bass drum14" snareHi hatRide & standPandeiro, tamborim, shakers14" Floortom VOCALISTSMatt GriffoDrake ShraderKathleen GibsonKerri Morrison ...

    15 min
  5. The Curse of the Ghost of Colonel Sanders and the Japanese Kansai-based Hanshin Tigers baseball team

    01/18/2023

    The Curse of the Ghost of Colonel Sanders and the Japanese Kansai-based Hanshin Tigers baseball team

    Send us a Text Message.The Curse of the Colonel refers to a 1985 Japanese urban legend regarding a reputed curse placed on the Japanese Kansai-based Hanshin Tigers baseball team by the ghost of deceased KFC founder and mascot Colonel Sanders.The curse was said to be placed on the team because of the Colonel's anger over treatment of one of his store-front statues, which was thrown into the Dōtonbori River by celebrating Hanshin fans before their team's victory in the 1985 Japan Championship S...

    16 min
  6. The Story of Y2K - The Year 2000 Problem - The Millennium Bug - The Y2K Glitch - The Y2K Error

    12/30/2022

    The Story of Y2K - The Year 2000 Problem - The Millennium Bug - The Y2K Glitch - The Y2K Error

    Send us a Text Message.When complex computer programs were first written in the 1960s, engineers used a two-digit code for the year, leaving out the "19." As the year 2000 approached, many believed that the systems would not interpret the "00" correctly, therefore causing a major glitch in the systemSTORYTELLERJonald Reyes BANDPiano, Organ - Matt GriffoDrums - Mike AmandesBass - Gordon WaltersAcoustic Guitar - Arne Parrott Saxophone - Eli Wilson VOCALSMatt GriffoDrake Shrader&n...

    18 min
  7. The Radium Girls

    07/12/2022

    The Radium Girls

    Send us a Text Message.The Radium Girls were female factory workers who contracted radiation poisoning from painting watch dials with self-luminous paint. The painting was done by women at three different factories, and the term now applies to the women working at the facilities: one in Orange, New Jersey, beginning around 1917; one in Ottawa, Illinois, beginning in the early 1920s; and a third facility in Waterbury, Connecticut, also in the 1920s.After being told that the paint was harmless,...

    19 min
  8. Bret Hart & The Montreal Screw Job - WWF Wrestling incident

    05/17/2022

    Bret Hart & The Montreal Screw Job - WWF Wrestling incident

    Send us a Text Message.The Montreal Screwjob was an infamous unscripted professional wrestling incident that occurred on November 9, 1997, at the Survivor Series pay-per-view at the Molson Centre. Vince McMahon and his employees covertly manipulated the outcome of the match between Bret Hart, the reigning WWF Champion, and Shawn Michaels. Storyteller Chris HanleyBAND:Charlie Malave (vocal, guitar, electronic drums, synth)Matt Griffo (piano, vocal)Lily Emerson (vocal)Helena Handbasket (Ba...

    20 min
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5
out of 5
21 Ratings

About

True stories are told and musical improvisers cut in and out with songs moving the story along. Each episode is about 15 to 25 minutes long. The show is put together by comedian and musician Matt Griffo. It’s recorded in his tiny studio in Chicago.

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