GARAGE TO STADIUMS Music History Podcast

In chaotic Tijuana, Mexico a young violinist, Carlos Santana, is pushed into music by his demanding Mexican band leader father.  He secretly discovers blues and R&B guitarists and changes his instrument. After moving to San Francisco's explosive late-1960s rock scene, Carlos fusing those influences with his native Latin rhythms .  Then an unlikely opportunity places his unknown band on an unimaginable stage and changes everything, introducing audience to a sound that was powerful, hypnotic, and deeply melodic.  In this episode you'll learn:The painful childhood secret Carlos carried for decadesHow his demanding father shaped the musician he becameHow an unexpected industry legend changed his destinyWhy Santana risked success by repeatedly reinventing their soundHow Santana achieved one of music’s most improbable comebacksGuest bio:Our guest is Ashley Kahn, a Grammy-winning American music historian, author, professor, and producer who co-wrote Carlos Santana's autobiography, The Universal Tone: Bringing My Story to Light, which won the prestigious American Book Award. Ashley teaches at New York University's Clive Davis Institute for Recorded Music and is a producer of the 2023 documentary on Carlos Santana that is available on many streaming platforms.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 Santana including concert footage, transcripts and other interesting facts.

Now rising to the top 3% of all 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.    

In the mid 1960s, four English university students still learning to play instruments began jamming. What emerged was Pink Floyd, psychedelic early architects to experimenting with grand, cinematic soundscapes, deeply philosophical themes and live shows that felt more like journeys to the human mind than concerts. Prepare for an absolute roller coaster ride from the London Underground clubs to global domination, heartbreaking losses and dramatic fireworks from within.  You'll learn:1) How university students who could barely play instruments became a global phenomenon2) How an early tragedy involving their primary song writer nearly derailed the band3) The staggering evolution of sound this band executed4) The interpersonal drama that produced incredible albums and significant tension5) Details of the final internal battles that engulfed the bandWant to learn more music history?  Subscribe to our bonus Garage to Stadium content across our social, podcast & web channelsGuest BioOur returning guest is acclaimed rock journalist and author Mark Blake wrote Pink Floyd Shine On: The Definitive Oral History. He is also the author of books on Queen and Fleetwood Mac.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 Pink Floyd, including concert footage, transcripts and other interesting facts.

The Cure proved something very rare in the history of music: that darkness and beauty could coexist in the very same catalog. While navigating immense and shocking internal chaos, band leader and guitarist Robert Smith and The Cure inspired generations of artists, helped define the sound of alternative music, and showed millions of outsiders that they weren't alone.  In this episode you'll learn:How Robert Smith managed to perform in two famous bands at one timeThe surprising musical influences that inspired The Cure soundWhy Robert Smith was embarrassed by some of his biggest hitsThe levels of The Cure's debauchery that rival rock's most controversial actsThe intellectual prowess of Robert Smith and its various influencesGuest Bio Acclaimed music writer and journalist Ian Gittins is author of The Cure: Perfect Dream, a coffee table-like retrospective of The Cure's career, complete with album indexes, song listings and rare photographs included. Ian is a music writer for the British paper The Guardian, and has also written for Melody Maker, Q, MTV, The Daily Telegraph, and New York Times, and he is a best-selling author who has penned biographies of Bjork and Talking Heads.   Want to learn more music history?  Subscribe to our bonus Garage to Stadium content across our social + web channelsFollow the Show / Receive bonus content:Follow GTS on Apple or Spotify podcasts to be alerted when our next episode dropsDownload the Official Garage to Stadiums playlists for each episode on Apple Music or SpotifyVisit GaragetoStadiums.com for bonus content on The Cure including concert footage, transcripts and other interesting facts.

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.  The first alternative band from the college radio airwaves to experience mass commercial success with 90 million albums sold, R.E.M. occupies an influential position in music history, inspiring many bands with their fiercely independent spirit and sound.  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 FriendsGuest Bio - Peter Ames Carlin, author & journalistBest-selling author Peter Ames Carlin appeared on our Bruce Springsteen episode. He is the author of  The Name of This Band is R.E.M. He's also written biographies on Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys and Paul McCartney of The Beatles.  Follow Garage to Stadiums (GTS) on social channels  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 R.E.M. Apple Music or SpotifyVisit GaragetoStadiums.com for bonus content on all of our acts featured including concert footage, etranscripts and other interesting facts.