Night of Show

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 the subject of his work: the financial networks connecting some of the most powerful and corrupt people on earth? His intricate drawings traced hot money, from Cold War funding to the heroin trade. But his most dogged scrutiny fell on the Bank of Credit and Commerce International, a global money laundry bankrolling fraudsters, smugglers, and CIA operations abroad. Since his death, Lombardi's masterwork on the rogue bank has been held at the Whitney Museum of American Art. Could it be responsible for his demise? The answer can only be found within Lombardi himself. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://brazen.fm/plus/

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-free listening and early access to new podcasts. For more fearless storytelling visit brazen.fm, home to all our podcasts, documentaries and newsletters. At Brazen, we show you how the world really works and take you inside stories from hidden worlds. nightofshow.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://brazen.fm/plus/

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 and get ad-free listening and early access to new podcasts. For more fearless storytelling visit brazen.fm, home to all our podcasts, documentaries and newsletters. At Brazen, we show you how the world really works and take you inside stories from hidden worlds. nightofshow.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://brazen.fm/plus/

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 and early access to new podcasts. For more fearless storytelling visit brazen.fm, home to all our podcasts, documentaries and newsletters. At Brazen, we show you how the world really works and take you inside stories from hidden worlds. nightofshow.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://brazen.fm/plus/

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 early access to new podcasts. For more fearless storytelling visit brazen.fm, home to all our podcasts, documentaries and newsletters. At Brazen, we show you how the world really works and take you inside stories from hidden worlds. nightofshow.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://brazen.fm/plus/

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. 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 early access to new podcasts. For more fearless storytelling visit brazen.fm, home to all our podcasts, documentaries and newsletters. At Brazen, we show you how the world really works and take you inside stories from hidden worlds. nightofshow.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://brazen.fm/plus/

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. For more, visit nightofshow.com 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 early access to new podcasts. For more fearless storytelling visit brazen.fm, home to all our podcasts, documentaries and newsletters. At Brazen, we show you how the world really works and take you inside stories from hidden worlds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://brazen.fm/plus/