"The Dinner Party Download"(www.dinnerpartydownload.com) is a smart, funny public radio show about everything excellent in culture, from the company that brings you "Marketplace." Think NPR meets Vanity Fair. In each episode, hosts Rico Gagliano & Brendan Francis Newnam talk with some of the world's most interesting celebrities, and along the way equip you with bad jokes, fresh drink recipes, hot food finds, odd news items... and etiquette tips from the likes of Henry Rollins and Dick Cavett. Past guests include Michelle Williams, Judd Apatow, Kid Cudi, Sir Richard Branson and others. Wallpaper magazine calls it one of their "30 Reasons To Live In The USA."

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INSPIRATO - The Masterpiece Album from Yanni : http://smarturl.it/yanni-inspirato

It took 4 years to complete the album, 30 years to write the music that inspired it.

YANNI’s greatest music performed by the world’s most extraordinary voices: 
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It's not easy to find a success story as genuine as Creed's in popular culture these days when considering all of the carefully scripted rises to glory and the falls that inevitably follow careers built on hype. If any band in recent years can claim to have ascended strictly on its own merits, it's Creed. This Florida-based band went from zero to sixty, (or, more accurately, from zero to selling more than twenty million albums) by virtue of a combination of finger-on-the-pulse songs and powerful live performances. Their debut album, My Own Prison, has sold over six million albums to date. Creed's sophomore effort, Human Clay, debuted at #1 on the Billboard charts and has gone on to sell more than 10 Million copies. The band's third release, Weathered, also debuted at #1, selling more copies in its first week than any other rock release in 2001, and tying the record for the longest run at the top following a #1 debut.

"With My Own Prison, I knew we had the talent to get a record deal and I knew we had songs good enough to get played on the radio, but I never had any expectations of reaching this many people," says Creed's frontman Scott Stapp.

Nonetheless, the band's success has been truly phenomenal. Creed was the first band in history to have four #1 Rock Radio singles from a debut album. On the strength of their singles, including the crushing title track and the more pensive "What's This Life For," Creed topped countless year-end charts and was recognized as the Rock Artist of the Year at Billboard's 1998 Music Awards. Their debut album was also the #1-selling Hard Music album of 1998 on SoundScan's Hard Music chart.

With the release of their second album, Human Clay, Creed upped the ante yet again. "Higher," the first single from their 10-times platinum sophomore release, broke the Active and Mainstream Rock airplay records for the most consecutive weeks at #1, holding the coveted spot for eighteen weeks. Furthermore, Creed was recognized once again as the Rock Artist of the Year at Billboard's 1999 and 2000 Music Awards. Human Clay 's first three singles ("Higher," "What If" and "With Arms Wide Open") again achieved #1 status, setting a record with a total of seven consecutive #1 Rock Radio singles.

"We're the type of band that functions really well under pressure and the only pressure that we recognize is our own. We definitely wanted to top ourselves [after the My Own Prison album]," says Stapp. "We wanted to make a really great record. The band's goal has always been to make records that are solid from start to finish; records that take you through an entire range of emotions." Guitarist / co-writer Mark Tremonti added, "We always kept in mind that we had to write for ourselves because as long as we are proud of it, our fans will be as well. We try not to set any other goals above and beyond that." While Stapp grants that the band's increased resources had some impact on the structure of Human Clay, it's clear that Creed's evolution is far more than just a matter of dollars and cents.

Once again, Creed has returned with an album of songs that collectively offer the listener a passionate journey of emotive energy. Tremonti and Stapp's collaborations stand among the select few that seem to effortlessly draw the listener in and truly move the spirit through the simple art of expression. The lead single, "My Sacrifice," opens with a signature Mark Tremonti guitar intro and then envelops the listener with the mood and power no other band today commands.

For Weathered, Creed once again turned to longtime friend and producer John Kurzweg to ensure that they captured the anthemic guitars, dramatic vocals and bold lyrics that have made the band's brawny-yet-intimate sound a radio staple for several years. The band also decided to invite Kirk Kelsey, their longtime live sound engineer, to co-produce the new material. Together with Kurzweg and Kelsey, Creed recorded the new album in a home studio just outside of Orlando. Drummer Scott Phillips commented, "We've done our previous two albums in home studios and have felt that this is our best creative environment where we can feel comfortable and creative as a band." Guitarist Mark Tremonti performed all of the bass guitar tracks on Weathered and a few special guests made passionate contributions to the album. On "Don't Stop Dancing," the band was joined by the Tallahassee Boys' Choir and Amie Stapp. Regarding his sister's appearance on the album, Stapp noted, "I had been looking for a female vocalist for awhile and it dawned on me that I didn't need to look any farther than home." On "Who's Got My Back?," vocalist Bo Taylor, an archivist at The Museum of the Cherokee Indian, makes a special appearance on the invitation of Creed. Taylor mentioned, "I really like Creed's music because they are asking questions that all human beings should ask as they look outside of themselves. Music touches people and Scott contacted me to celebrate where he originally came from and to reconnect with his ancestry. It speaks volumes about his character that he reached back and made this statement and it means a lot to me personally that he did this."

"I think my lyrics are very direct and understandable," says Stapp. "People can relate to that, so that's something I didn't want to move away from. At the same time, we're a little bit older and more mature now and we've been through a lot in the past few years, so we are looking to put things across in a way that reflected that." Co-writer Mark Tremonti added, "We wanted to take our sound and expand on it. I think Weathered is the most diverse, dynamic record we have written to date."

Creed's reputation for dynamic and passionate live performances has led to consistently sold-out shows. Over the past four years the band has played to more than four million fans worldwide. "We were out on tour for a long time and wherever we went, there were people telling me how much certain songs meant to them and how they felt so close to them," says Stapp. "That means more to me than any other kind of attention. It's important to feel as if you're doing something worthwhile and in this band, with Mark and Scott, I feel like I am." On a similar note, drummer Scott Phillips added, "Our success has been dictated by the fans. They are the most important thing in the band's life. The three of us feel blessed to have such a great following of people. It's amazing to me when I sit behind the kit during a show and see the passion and emotion displayed by the audience."

In January 2002, Creed embarked on a world tour that will bring them to over one million fans throughout the year. The year began with a trek across North American arenas in January, after which they touched down in Australia and New Zealand in July. The band will then return to the U.S. for a Summer / Fall stadium tour. When asked before the tour about his feelings on getting back on the road and in front of the band's fans, guitarist Mark Tremonti replied, "Personally, I can't wait to get back on tour. It is something I truly enjoy and can't live without. It has been too long since we played a full blown show." Scott Phillips mentioned, "It's been over a year since we've had a chance to perform in front of a crowd. Our experiences in previous years have been amazing and we can't wait to continue that feeling."

In 2000, Creed's presence on television and their impact on end-of-year award shows were undeniable. The band released their VH1 Behind The Music special, taped and released VH1's Storytellers with The Doors and garnered numerous awards. In November, Creed earned two awards at the Radio Music Awards and the fans bestowed four awards on the band at the My VH1 Awards. They also received the award for Rock Artist of the Year, for the third year in a row, at the Billboard Awards in December. The writing team of Mark Tremonti / Scott Stapp kicked off 2001 by winning a Grammy Award for the band's composition, "With Arms Wide Open," a deeply personal song that was inspired when Stapp learned he was going to become a father.

Stapp is also continually besieged with requests to help with a variety of fund-raisers and charities and helps whenever and wherever he can. He has started his own charity, the "With Arms Wide Open Foundation" in an attempt to help underprivileged children and to be able to give something back to the communities that have supported Creed.

Never has the phrase “he shoots, he scores” been more applicable than when mentioning rabid hockey fan and chart-topping singer/songwriter John Ondrasik. The Los Angeles native, who goes by Five for Fighting (a five-minute penalty for on-the-ice fist-a-cuffs), burst on the scene some 15 years ago with his Grammy Award-nominated hit “Superman (It’s Not Easy),” and has been a mainstay on mainstream radio ever since. While he doesn’t wear tights and fight crime as his breakthrough track “Superman” suggests, his songs could bring any maniacal villain to their knees (and tears) with his poignantly sharp songs that cut deeper than a Ginsu knife.

Ondrasik signed his first deal in 1997 with "Message For Albert,” but it was his follow-up “American Town” that really took flight for Fighting.  The aforementioned “Superman (It’s Not Easy)” went Platinum (as did the album), was #1 on Adult Top 40, #2 on Hot AC, and in the Top 40 Top 10.  The song actually hit the airwaves, and reached #1 the same week his daughter Olivia was born. Not too shabby as Adam Sandler once said. Adding more fuel to the emotional fire, the mega-hit served as sort of an unofficial anthem following the 9.11 attacks on American soil. Naturally, he performed it at The Concert For New York City.

In his career, Ondrasik has sold over 2.5 million albums including 2004's “Battle for Everything,” which spawned the 2X platinum “100 Years,” which continues to melt hearts, provide all ages with an instant case of nostalgia.  Other hits have included “The Riddle,” "World," "Chances" and "What If." His music has been featured in 350 films, TV shows and advertisements ranging from the The Blind Side to Hawaii Five-O. He has also written tunes for everyone from Josh Groban to The Backstreet Boys. 

When not writing killer tunes, Ondrasik is putting pen to paper for his other passion: sports. The avid Stanley Cup Champion Los Angeles Kings fan has been a sports commentator for SI.com,  the Kings, and a guest on everything from Jim Rome to ESPN SportsCenter, the latter of which he became the first “band” to appear and perform.
“I recognize the immature shallowness of the adult sports fan obsession, but I've always had it. Lakers as a kid, UCLA, Kings etc...Many folks use music as their escape, I imagine sports as mine. Writing is a kick as I've always had a fantasy to be a sports reporter/writer,” he says gleefully.

As he explores the possibility of a Broadway show featuring his tunes, he’s currently on the road (not literally) performing songs as a quartet (Five for Fighting literally) and with symphonies around the country.  "The symphony and quartet shows have been fantastic,” he said. “I've had the honor of working with some world class arrangers in my career.  To present the more ambitious songs, as well as the popular tunes, in this format has refueled my passion for performing.”

...And making new music. Ondrasik's "What If" hit the Hot AC charts and was chosen by Richard Branson (sorry, Sir Richard Branson) as the soundtrack for his non-profit Virgin Unite.  And his most recent song "All for One" was penned for the 100th episode of Hawaii Five-O.  Ondrasik is currently working on the follow-up to his sixth album, Bookmarks.

Looking ahead while looking back, the one-man Fighting army, said, “I have been blessed to have loving and supportive parents, an amazing wife and partner, and two great kids. Family is crucial to any career, keeps the ups and downs, down and up.” 


A weekly audio podcast giving you Alonzo Bodden's unique comedic take on what's going on in the world.

FYI to any Soundcloud exclusive listeners: This show is no longer hosted here. You can find it on all other podcast catchers and platforms for new episodes and the full archive. Thanks for listening!

The Chong and Chong Show with Tommy Chong is an insightful and hilarious look at the world of marijuana focusing on both the impact it has had on culture and comedy.

Will Anderson: Lead Vocals, Guitars, Piano
Kit French: Saxophone, Keyboards, Vocals
Alex Hargrave: Bass
Johnny Stubblefield: Drums
Nate McFarland: Lead Guitar, Vocals

For the members of Mercury Records group Parachute, the name of their third album, Overnight, could well be a sly commentary on the hard work and commitment it’s taken for them to experience the success that’s been building over the last four years and first two albums. Their 2009 debut Losing Sleep featured the Top 15 single, “She is Love” (boasting more than 6.5 million views), while 2011’s The Way It Was included the #1 iTunes Rock Song “Kiss Me Slowly” (co-written with Lady Antebellum) and the Top 15 hit “Something to Believe In.”

Or it could refer to the late evenings put in by chief songwriter Will Anderson, burning the midnight oil, writing in his new Nashville base, after moving from the band’s hometown of Charlottesville, VA (where they were discovered and signed to Dave Matthews Band’s Red Light Management out of college). Anderson composed more than 50 songs for the album with a variety of collaborators, including Ryan Tedder (the first single, “Can’t Help”), as well as Grammy winner Chris DeStefano [Kelly Clarkson] and Ashley Gorley [Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban] on the title track.

“Even though there’s plenty of pressure to break through on your third album, the actual recording process was much less stressful,” says Will about the band’s sessions at Ocean Way in Nashville with producer Oren Yoel, a young contemporary who has worked with hip-hop phenom Asher Roth as well as Miley Cyrus, among others. “All of us were on the same wavelength. We all kind of knew exactly what we wanted without having to say it out loud. There was a weird sense of peace that we knew where we were going and where we needed to be.”

From the pop fervor of “Can’t Help” and the powerful simplicity of “Hurricane,” composed on acoustic guitar by Will after a long frustrating day, to the ‘80s Phil Collins-meets-U2 flair of “Waiting for that Call” and the slow Peter Gabriel/John Mayer jam of “The Other Side,” Parachute prove adept at combining guitarist Nate McFarland’s Edge-influenced arena-rock guitar licks with Will’s melodic sense of what will resonate with their passionate fan base. 

It’s no surprise for anyone who has followed the band’s history. Will has been playing with drummer Johnny Stubblefield, bassist Alex Hargrave and saxophone/keyboardist Kit French since they were high school classmates in Charlottesville almost 10 years ago. Anderson met Nate while attending University of Virginia together, and the guitarist joined the band six years ago.

“We’re just now getting to know one another as musicians as well as we know each other as people,” says Will. “We wanted to capture a sound in the studio that reflected us as a band. And we all know which parts each of us had to play to get that sound.”


The band’s stylistic palette can run the range from old-school legends like Stevie Wonder, Elton John, Paul Simon and Bruce Springsteen to newer acts like U2, Coldplay, Weezer, Ben Folds, Maroon 5 and John Mayer.

With producer Yoel, the band has even begun to stretch the boundaries, with Will’s spoken word vocals adding almost a hip-hop flavor to a new song called “Didn’t See It Coming,” about an actress friend of theirs in Hollywood excited to land a gig, only to discover it was an X-rated feature.

“That’s probably the catchiest song I’ve ever written,” he says. “I just laid down this spoken-word track, thinking we’d replace it later, but everyone loved it so much, we kept it on.”

Anderson is most proud of “Hurricane,” a song he wrote before going to sleep by strumming an acoustic guitar.

“It’s like the feeling you get when you think you’re never going to be able to write another song,” explains Will. “Once I started, it all came spilling out.”

Anderson credits guitarist Nate with creating parts that were “just perfect” for each song. “He really nailed it, with a unique spin to every song that made them epic, but at the same time, within a pop framework. That’s something we’ve always tried to do, melding his rock guitar to my sensibilities, making it work both for the arena and within the melodic sense of strong hooks. I think we really nailed it this time.”

Having played more than 400 shows over the last few years, touring around the country with everyone from NeedtoBreathe to Andy Grammer, Parachute’s live show continues to grow and impress. They’ve also played before several million at a New Year’s Eve celebration in Times Square, as well as appearing on NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, ABC’s Good Morning America and Jimmy Kimmel Live and CBS’ The Early Show. The band’s songs have been featured on MTV’s The City along with CW’s One Tree Hill, Vampire Diaries and 90210.

“It’s so nice to have three albums’ worth of material to choose from in concert,” says Will, while the band has always played an eclectic variety of covers, from Spencer Davis Group’s “Gimme Some Loving” to vintage tracks from Elton John, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, the Commodores and Motown. “We’re just now hitting our stride as a live band. We’re better musicians who have come to trust one another. We all have our pocket and fill it. But we still have a long way to go.”

Overnight has a little something for everyone. Longtime fans will recognize their favorite band, with a fresh sound bound to intrigue newcomers.

“The last album was like taking a brand-new car straight off the lot,” says Will. “This album is just as fun to drive, but it’s like a vintage Mustang, a little more muscle and grittier, built to last.”

On their third Mercury Records album, Parachute is firmly in the driver’s seat.


you may say that I'm a dreamer.... but I'm not the only one.... :3

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