Night of Show

Go backstage with Prince at the Super Bowl, The Rolling Stones as they face off with the Pope in Cuba, and Michael Jackson as he escapes to Bangkok amid a media frenzy. In Night of Show, accomplished concert promoter Adam Wilkes joins music industry legends as they share behind-the-scenes stories about the pressures superstar artists faced when staging some of their biggest performances. Co-hosted by Adam and Tom Wright, a NYT bestselling author, Night of Show gives listeners a backstage pass to never-before-heard stories about the biggest names in pop and rock! For more, visit www.nightofshow.com Night of Show is a Project Brazen production. For more thrilling storytelling, search for the Brazen channel on Apple Podcasts or visit brazen.fm, home to all our podcasts, documentaries and newsletters. At Brazen, we show you how the world really works – from espionage and corruption to deal-making and showbiz, we’ll take you inside stories from hidden worlds. Don’t stay in the dark. Subscribe to Brazen+ on Apple Podcasts or at brazen.fm/plus and get exclusive bonus episodes, as well as ad-free listening and early access to new shows. For the latest from Brazen delivered straight to your inbox, subscribe to our newsletters at brazen.fm/newsletters. Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://brazen.fm/plus/

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Episodes

Introducing The Illuminator: Art, Conspiracy and Madness

The Illuminator is OUT NOW. Subscribe to get early releases and listen ad-free. http://brazen.fm/plus Mark Lombardi, a conceptual artist on the cusp of international success, had everything to live for. So why was the 48-year-old found hanged and deemed suicidal? Was his death the ultimate conceptual art, an afterlife laugh at those who doubted his brilliance? He did, after all, carry business cards eerily portending "death defying acts of art and conspiracy." Or was he ultimately overwhelmed by...

Dec 02, 2024•3 min•Season 1Ep. 6

5. Michael Jackson’s Thai Showdown

It’s 1993, and Michael Jackson embarks on a world tour after facing his first sexual abuse charge. Wherever he goes is chaos. Then, in Thailand, the tour takes an absurd turn as MJ wants to cancel a concert. Thailand’s royal family has other ideas, putting pressure on local promoter Brian Marcar. We take listeners inside the circus of Michael Jackson’s life in the early 1990s. Night of Show is a Project Brazen production. Subscribe to Brazen+ on Apple Podcasts or at brazen.fm/plus and get ad-fre...

May 22, 2023•22 min•Season 1Ep. 5

4. Kenny G, Jackie Chan, and an Unlikely Hong Kong Controversy

Kenny G is beloved in China. His tune “Going Home” is played to close shopping malls. So, in 2014, Kenny wasn’t expecting the backlash that occurred when he inadvertently takes a photo with pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong. Called out by China’s Foreign Ministry, Kenny calls on his friend Jackie Chan for advice. Adam Wilkes is left running around, trying to avert a diplomatic incident. Night of Show is a Project Brazen production. Subscribe to Brazen+ on Apple Podcasts or at brazen.fm/plus ...

May 15, 2023•25 min•Season 1Ep. 4

3. The Beach Boys, Nancy Reagan, and a Ban on the 4th of July

In 1983, at the height of concern over drug culture, a moralizing Reagan cabinet member bans the Beach Boys from playing a July 4th party on the Mall. The group, promoted by John Meglen, are furious. But then Nancy Reagan, a superfan of the band, steps in to help out, and the ensuing publicity helps the Beach Boys launch one of the great comebacks in pop history. Night of Show is a Project Brazen production. Subscribe to Brazen+ on Apple Podcasts or at brazen.fm/plus and get ad-free listening an...

May 08, 2023•25 min•Season 1Ep. 3

2. The Rolling Stones Concert That Won Over Castro, Obama, and Even the Pope

The Rolling Stones, with four Grammys and 200 million in record sales, have no more dreams to chase…until Mick Jagger decides he wants to play Cuba. Adam Wilkes is sent down into the newly open Communist state to prepare. With $50,000 in cash, his team plans for one of the strangest concerts in history. Even President Obama and the Pope can’t stop The Stones. Night of Show is a Project Brazen production. Subscribe to Brazen+ on Apple Podcasts or at brazen.fm/plus and get ad-free listening and ea...

Apr 30, 2023•31 min•Season 1Ep. 2

1. Prince's Super Bowl Comeback Shakes the Music Industry – and Michael Jackson

Most Prince fans forget he was once in the wilderness after his 1980s heyday. He’d walked away from his record contract and had released a slew of albums that didn’t chart. Then, with John and Paul as promoters, he stages a major comeback. In 2007, he played the Super Bowl half-time show, considered one of the best ever live performances, followed by a popular Vegas residency. Micheal Jackson, whose career has failed to reignite like Prince’s, seeks inspiration in his old rival’s renaissance. Ni...

Apr 24, 2023•28 min•Season 1Ep. 1

Introducing Night of Show

In Night of Show, accomplished concert promoter Adam Wilkes joins music industry legends as they share behind the scenes stories about the pressures Prince, The Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson, Kenny G, and other superstar artists faced when staging some of their biggest performances. Co-hosted by Adam and Tom Wright, a NYT bestselling author and podcaster, Night of Show gives listeners a backstage pass to never-before-heard stories about the biggest names in pop and rock! Night of Show, out now...

Feb 23, 2023•2 min

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