Episodes
Hustling on the streets of New York. Wagering with a U.S. president over who could sleep with more women. Knocking back beers with Elvis. Waving his gun around at the funeral of Jay Sebring, one of the victims of Charles Manson’s murderous family. The same family that had their sights now set on the King of Cool, Steve McQueen, who needed the speed of a Mustang or the power of a Magnum to keep Charlie’s crazy cult at bay. To see the full list of contributors, see the show notes at...
Published 03/19/24
This week in the After Party, Jake discusses conspiracy theories, this week’s DISGRACELAND episode concluding the Peter Tosh story, and of course your emails, texts, DMS, and voicemails. Why was Peter Tosh murdered? Was it a conspiracy? What do you make of the revenge against the would-be assassins of Bob Marley? Get in touch at 617-906-6638, [email protected], or on socials @disgracelandpod, and come join the After Party. To hear an extended version of the After Party with even more...
Published 03/14/24
As a reggae revolutionary who rejected peace in the name of truth and justice, and an outspoken critic of the Jamaican government, Peter Tosh's refusal to compromise nearly cost him his life many times over. He tried to amplify his message by purchasing Jamaica's Radio One. He tried to protect himself by way of African bush doctors and medicine men. He spent years knowing there was a bullet out there with his name on it. And in 1987, when Peter Tosh was 42, that bullet found him. Murdered in...
Published 03/12/24
Bob Marley is known as the peace and love reggae superstar, but the truth of who he really was is a bit more complicated. After gunmen raided his home, putting bullets into him, his wife, his manager and his guitar player, Bob survived. But the lives of his assassins—all of them—were eventually brought to violent, horrific ends. And their killers were never found. Many think the perpetrator was an angry young man from the Trenchtown ghetto, who was called, by those who feared him,...
Published 03/08/24
This week in the After Party, Jake talks this week’s DISGRACELAND episode on Peter Tosh, the history of DISGRACELAND two-parters, and pulls back the curtain to discuss the research and sources that go into bringing these stories to life. Plus, who are the true badasses of the history of music and culture? Let Jake know at 617-906-6638, [email protected], or on socials @disgracelandpod, and come join the After Party. To hear an extended version of the After Party with even more insane...
Published 03/07/24
Peter Tosh was a reggae subversive who used his music as a means to fight corruption, oppression, and hypocrisy. Unlike his one-time bandmate Bob Marley, Tosh didn’t fight for peace. He fought for truth–and justice. He did this with a guitar shaped like an M-16 automatic rifle. He lobbied for the legalization of marijuana, using the profits of the drug trade to get his message onto the most iconic album of his career. All of this put Peter Tosh in the crosshairs of authority, the government,...
Published 03/05/24
Chuck Berry was imprisoned numerous times. He was a victim of violent systemic racism and accused of horrific acts of sexual depravity. He also invented rock ‘n’ roll. Chuck Berry was as complex a character as he was influential as a musician. Throughout his career he found himself in numerous dust ups with authorities; some of them justified, most of them not. And through it all, whether he cared or didn’t, Chuck Berry made great music—literally some of the greatest music ever made. To view...
Published 03/01/24
This week in the After Party, Jake talks this week’s DISGRACELAND episode on Andy Warhol, the new DISGRACELAND All Access Membership Club, plus much more. What are your thoughts on the Warhol episode, and on fame in today’s world? Have you had your own brushes with fame? And who played Hunter S Thompson the best? Let Jake know at 617-906-6638, [email protected], or on socials @disgracelandpod, and come join the After Party. To hear an extended version of the After Party, become a...
Published 02/28/24
Andy Warhol was the first artist to achieve rock star status. He was a Beatle with a silkscreen printer. His work and play space, the Factory, attracted people of all ages; rich and poor, straight and gay, sane and…not so sane. It was in the Factory that he was shot by a would-be assassin. He was rushed to a hospital and pronounced clinically dead. But Andy Warhol's second life began the moment he was resurrected on an operating table. As soon as his heart began to beat again, he became a...
Published 02/27/24
Led Zeppelin were the biggest band on the planet. The great white shark of the seventies. They defined excess. They designed the avatar for the heavy metal rock star: themselves. Along the way there were violent brawls, car crashes, lots of cocaine, alcohol, satanic sexual rituals and a very freaked out David Bowie. To see the full list of contributors, see the show notes at www.disgracelandpod.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Published 02/23/24
This week Jake talks the inspiration and background behind this week's brand-new DISGRACELAND episode on Anthony Bourdain, plus your emails, voicemails, texts, and DMs. What did you think of the Bourdain episode? What other icons should we cover this year? Get in touch at 617-906-6638, [email protected], or on socials @disgracelandpod, and come join the After Party. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Published 02/22/24
This week Jake talks the inspiration and background behind this week's brand-new DISGRACELAND episode on Anthony Bourdain, plus your emails, voicemails, texts, and DMs. What did you think of the Bourdain episode? What other icons should we cover this year? Get in touch at 617-906-6638, [email protected], or on socials @disgracelandpod, and come join the After Party. Enter the new DISGRACELAND contest to win exclusive prizes and unlock rewards. Visit DISGRACELANDCONTEST.COM Hurry, the...
Published 02/22/24
Anthony Bourdain had a lust for life. He went all in on adventure, indulgence, food, romance – including the romance of a heroin addiction that he chased through the restaurant kitchens and grimy rock clubs of 1980s Manhattan. For years he was a struggling cook and writer, but his first book, published when he was 43 years old, was an overnight success. He parlayed success as a writer into success as a TV host, traveling all over the world, dining with rockstars, presidents, and everyone in...
Published 02/20/24
In the late seventies, Studio 54 was the place to be for musicians and celebrities alike. John Lennon, Mick Jagger, Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen and others all famously hung out at the notorious club where hedonism was part of the venue’s allure. The success of Studio 54 was sudden and massive, resulting in mountains of cash, cocaine, jealousy, revenge, an FBI raid, and an ironic ending for one of its owners. To view the full list of contributors, see the show notes at...
Published 02/16/24
This week in the After Party, Jake talks the new DISGRACELAND episode on The Clash, as well as this week's REWIND episode on Studio 54, and provides insight into next week's episode on Anthony Bourdain. Plus, your emails, voicemails, texts, and DMs. Who are your top five 70s punk bands? Let Jake know at 617-906-6638, [email protected], or on socials @disgracelandpod, and come join the After Party. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Published 02/15/24
The Clash were once described by their manager as a news organization first, and entertainers second. They were, as their record label put it, “the only band that matters.” They were on the front lines at the dawn of punk rock, but were adventurous enough to quickly branch out into reggae, dub, and hip-hop. They were arrested on suspicion of terrorism in London. Chased out of Jamaica by local drug lords armed to the teeth. Caused a near riot in Times Square when their week-long takeover of a...
Published 02/13/24
MC5 embodied revolution in a way most bands only pay lip service to. The Detroit cops sent riot squads and even a tank to break up their shows, and even raided their house. They were the only band to play at the infamous protest outside the 1968 Democratic National Convention. Their radical manager, John Sinclair, wrote manifestos allying with the Black Panthers and declaring rock ‘n’ roll THE vehicle for revolution. But by the 1970s, all that idealism curdled into the classic story of broken...
Published 02/09/24
This week in the After Party, Jake talks this week's brand-new DISGRACELAND episode on Scott Weiland, our REWIND episode on MC5, and your voicemails, texts, emails, and more. Who are your top five 90s frontmen? Who are your top 5 proto-punk bands? Drop a line at 617-906-6638, [email protected], or on socials @disgracelandpod, and come join the After Party. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Published 02/08/24
Scott Weiland was sent to a psych ward when he was just 16 years old. Thirteen stints at rehab within the span of three years. In and out of two huge rock bands, Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver. On and off drugs. Addictions to heroin and cocaine that put him in harm’s way, not least of which were three muggers in Paris who abducted and tried to kill him. Addictions that also caused him to hallucinate “demonic forces.” Forces that Scott Weiland fought off, physically and mentally,...
Published 02/06/24
This week Jake talks the trailer and upcoming subjects in DISGRACELAND's Icons series, this week's REWIND episode on Run DMC, plus answers your DMs, texts, voicemails, emails, and Insta Live questions. Who do you want to see an episode on? Thoughts on the Jam Master Jay killing and current trial? Get in touch at 617-906-6638, [email protected], or on socials @disgracelandpod, and come join the After Party. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Published 02/01/24
Welcome to DISGRACELAND in 2024. Jake Brennan will continue to bring you the most insane stories about rock stars getting away with murder and behaving very badly ... and will also tell other stories about icons from beyond the world of music who possess dangerously compelling rock 'n roll hearts. Like Anthony Bourdain. Andy Warhol. Hunter S. Thompson. Kobe Bryant. Garth Brooks. Public Enemy. Van Halen. And so many more. Get the scoop on the exciting 2024 we have planned for you, the biggest...
Published 01/30/24
Gunned down onstage by a delusional fan who thought his metal heroes had stolen lyrics from him, Dimebag Darrell Abbott blazed a savage new trail in hard rock during his short time on this earth. Weaned on Eddie Van Halen, Dimebag Darrell would wow the guitar gods he bowed down to as a teenager and gave metal a groove that the music had been lacking before Pantera made their first definitive statement, Cowboys from Hell. Though they made mean music, Darrell and his brother Vinnie were always...
Published 01/26/24
This week on the After Party, Jake talks this week's new episode on Stu Sutcliffe, as well as the REWIND episode on Dimebag Darrell of Pantera and Damageplan. Plus, your emails, voicemails, texts, and DMs. Do you want more Beatles episodes? What should they cover? What's your favorite Beatles era? Let Jake know at 617-906-6638, [email protected], or on socials @disgracelandpod, and come join the After Party. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Published 01/25/24
Stu Sutcliffe was rock 'n roll's original Sid Vicious. Just like Sid, Stu was a bass player. But also like Sid, Stu could hardly play. What he did have in spades was style and attitude. He was by far the coolest looking member of the Beatles, back when the Fab Four were still a fab five (minus Ringo). These were the days of the Reeperbahn in Hamburg, Germany, a violent landscape of gangsters, thugs, prostitutes, and vindictive club owners who ran their depraved joints with an iron fist. It...
Published 01/23/24
Madonna always knew her life would be art. She rose through the late 70s New York scene reinventing pop iconography and feminism alike. But whether it was Toronto police threatening her for indecency, her short-fuse husband, Hollywood bros exploiting her charisma, or far worse, Madonna learned quick: the world doesn’t know what to do with a truly free woman. To view the full list of contributors, see the show notes at www.disgracelandpod.com. This episode was originally published on October...
Published 01/19/24