The Spark Parade
On The Spark Parade podcast, your host Adam Unze geeks out with the artists and entertainers you love about their Sparks, movies and music that inspire them, bring them joy and shape their artistic practices. You’ll hear from artists like Margaret Cho on Velvet Goldmine, Chris Gethard on Gross Point Blank, Sleater-Kinney on Patti Smith’s Horses, Bob The Drag Queen on The Color Purple and many more. The Spark Parade. Your favorite entertainers. Their favorite entertainment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
Legendary singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega joins Adam to discuss her deep connection to Lou Reed’s 1973 concept album Berlin — a haunting, operatic record that became a major influence on her songwriting, especially her iconic hit “Luka.”
Suzanne shares how seeing Lou Reed live for the first time at Columbia University blew her mind, how Berlin’s brutal honesty shaped her approach to writing about difficult subjects, and why pairi...
Legendary drum and bass DJ and producer Goldie joins Adam for a deep dive into the cultural force that helped shape his identity: the groundbreaking graffiti documentary Style Wars.
From his first encounters with the film and Subway Art to his close relationships with graffiti pioneers like Henry Chalfant and TATS CRU, Goldie unpacks the profound connection between street art and jungle music.
He also reveals how the layering...
Filmmakers Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck (Captain Marvel, Half Nelson) join Adam for a rich and nostalgic dive into two beloved films: Francis Ford Coppola’s The Outsiders and Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining.
They explore how both films shaped their creative lives, the emotional and stylistic impact of each, and their unique experiences discovering them. From Flea’s surprise cameo in The Outsiders' Rumble scene to Ryan’s unforgettable...
This week on The Spark Parade, Adam is joined by the incredible musician Corook for a deep dive into Juno, the 2007 indie classic starring Elliot Page and Michael Cera. Together, they unpack the film's raw honesty, its nuanced approach to teenage life, and the way it portrays relationships with humor and depth.
Adam and Corook also explore Elliot Page’s groundbreaking career and the complexities of looking back on past work thro...
In this episode, Adam Unze sits down with ZORA, the genre-blurring artist and producer, to dive deep into the nostalgic world of Spy Kids 2 and its lasting cultural impact. They discuss why the film remains iconic, how early-2000s music and aesthetics shape ZORA’s sound, the evolution of nostalgia-driven reboots, and the unexpected celebrity connections of the Spy Kids cast. Plus, ZORA shares insights into her creative process and ...
🎙️ In this episode, host Adam sits down with singer-songwriter David Gray to explore his deep connection to Van Morrison’s iconic album Astral Weeks. From his first listen at university to his eventual obsession, David unpacks the album’s hypnotic power, poetic brilliance, and unique soundscapes.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
✅ How Astral Weeks shaped David Gray’s musical journey
✅ The poetic intensity and raw exper...
Singer and songwriter Bishop Briggs loves the sweeping emo theatricality of My Chemical Romance's breakout album The Black Parade. She's drawn to its punchy lyrics and anthemic melodies, but also loves the risk taking aesthetics that border on camp. In a wide ranging conversation, Bishop talks to Adam about her love for MCR, Lady Gaga's fearlessness, the exciting rise of queer artists like Lil' Nas X and Chappell Roan.
Prolific actor Chris Diamantopoulos latched onto George Michael's monster hit solo debut album Faith at a young age. It resonated with him as a fellow singer of Greek descent, but he was also blown away by Michael's songwriting prowess and the singular sound of his legendary singing voice. He's marveled at Michael's ability to create timeless songs without any formal training and has come back to his work for inspiration time and t...
GRAMMY-Award winning songwriting and composing duo, Barlow & Bear (Emily Bear and Abigail Barlow) have been breaking boundaries in musical theater by independently carving their own path in the heavily male dominated space. Part of their success is their vastly different tastes and influences, as evidenced by their Spark choices. Abigail absolutely loves Katy Perry's breakout album One Of The Boys, with its massive pop hits "I ...
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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