Then This Happened: Musical Stories
34 episodes - English - Latest episode: 11 months ago -True stories are told and musical improvisers cut in and out with songs moving the story along. Each episode is about 15 to 25 minutes long. The show is put together by comedian and musician Matt Griffo. It’s recorded in his tiny studio in Chicago.
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Episodes
2004 Dave Matthews Band Chicago River incident
August 08, 2023 21:00 - 26 minutes - 17.9 MBSend us a Text Message. On August 8, 2004, a tour bus belonging to the Dave Matthews Band dumped an estimated 800 pounds of human waste from the bus's blackwater tank through the Kinzie Street Bridge in Chicago onto a passenger sightseeing boat sailing in the Chicago River below. STORYTELLER Gina Palm BAND Fiddle - Sam Hyson Piano - Matt Griffo Drums - Mike Amandes Bass - Tom Urwin Acoustic Guitar - Arne Parrott Saxophone - Eli Wilson VOCALS Griffo Drake Shrader Lexi Alio...
Chance The Snapper & Alligator Robb, a Chicago Tale of Two Lives Saved
June 20, 2023 19:00 - 38 minutes - 26.3 MBSend us a Text Message. Chance the Snapper is a four to five foot long alligator that was found swimming in the Humboldt Park lagoon, in Chicago, Illinois, on the evening of July 9, 2019. The animal was named after Chance the Rapper in an online poll conducted by the Block Club Chicago news website,beating other suggested nicknames such as Ruth Gator Ginsberg, Croc Obama, and Frank Lloyd Bite. The alligator inspired several social media accounts, and was the subject of national news coverag...
When Charna Met Del Close - A story of the creation of long from improvisation
January 25, 2023 20:00 - 31 minutes - 21.5 MBSend us a Text Message. CHARNA HALPERN Charna Halpern (born June 1, 1952) is founded the ImprovOlympic, now known as iO. Upon iO's founding, in 1983, with partner Del Close, she began teaching Harold to many students in the Chicago theater community. Many prominent comedians performed at iO, from Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Mike Myers, She and Close co-authored the book Truth in Comedy: The Manual of Improvisation with editor Kim "Howard" Johnson in 1994.She published Group Improvisation in 2...
Halley's Comet and the Panic of 1910
January 23, 2023 18:00 - 14 minutes - 10.1 MBSend us a Text Message. In 1910, Halley’s Comet was due to pass close by Earth — and everyone from religious fanatics to news reporters stoked the fires of a global panic, believing it was the end of the world. Samba/Bossa Nova Band (Chambered Electric/Acoustic Guitar) Mercedes Sara Landazuri (Ukulele Bass) Adam Haus (Percussion) Leo Peña 18" bass drum 14" snare Hi hat Ride & stand Pandeiro, tamborim, shakers 14" Floortom VOCALISTS Matt Griffo Drake Shrader Kathleen Gibson ...
The Curse of the Ghost of Colonel Sanders and the Japanese Kansai-based Hanshin Tigers baseball team
January 18, 2023 05:00 - 15 minutes - 10.7 MBSend us a Text Message. The Curse of the Colonel refers to a 1985 Japanese urban legend regarding a reputed curse placed on the Japanese Kansai-based Hanshin Tigers baseball team by the ghost of deceased KFC founder and mascot Colonel Sanders. The curse was said to be placed on the team because of the Colonel's anger over treatment of one of his store-front statues, which was thrown into the Dōtonbori River by celebrating Hanshin fans before their team's victory in the 1985 Japan Champions...
The Story of Y2K - The Year 2000 Problem - The Millennium Bug - The Y2K Glitch - The Y2K Error
December 30, 2022 05:00 - 17 minutes - 12.2 MBSend us a Text Message. When complex computer programs were first written in the 1960s, engineers used a two-digit code for the year, leaving out the "19." As the year 2000 approached, many believed that the systems would not interpret the "00" correctly, therefore causing a major glitch in the system STORYTELLER Jonald Reyes BAND Piano, Organ - Matt Griffo Drums - Mike Amandes Bass - Gordon Walters Acoustic Guitar - Arne Parrott Saxophone - Eli Wilson VOCALS Matt Griffo Drake...
The Radium Girls
July 12, 2022 13:00 - 18 minutes - 13 MBSend us a Text Message. The Radium Girls were female factory workers who contracted radiation poisoning from painting watch dials with self-luminous paint. The painting was done by women at three different factories, and the term now applies to the women working at the facilities: one in Orange, New Jersey, beginning around 1917; one in Ottawa, Illinois, beginning in the early 1920s; and a third facility in Waterbury, Connecticut, also in the 1920s. After being told that the paint was harm...
Bret Hart & The Montreal Screw Job
May 17, 2022 21:00 - 19 minutes - 13.7 MBThe Montreal Screwjob was an infamous unscripted professional wrestling incident that occurred on November 9, 1997, at the Survivor Series pay-per-view at the Molson Centre. Vince McMahon and his employees covertly manipulated the outcome of the match between Bret Hart, the reigning WWF Champion, and Shawn Michaels. Storyteller Chris Hanley BAND: Charlie Malave (vocal, guitar, electronic drums, synth) Matt Griffo (piano, vocal) Lily Emerson (vocal) Helena Handbasket (Background vocals...
Bret Hart & The Montreal Screw Job - WWF Wrestling incident
May 17, 2022 21:00 - 19 minutes - 13.7 MBSend us a Text Message. The Montreal Screwjob was an infamous unscripted professional wrestling incident that occurred on November 9, 1997, at the Survivor Series pay-per-view at the Molson Centre. Vince McMahon and his employees covertly manipulated the outcome of the match between Bret Hart, the reigning WWF Champion, and Shawn Michaels. Storyteller Chris Hanley BAND: Charlie Malave (vocal, guitar, electronic drums, synth) Matt Griffo (piano, vocal) Lily Emerson (vocal) Helena Hand...
Music vs Brazil's Military Dictatorship - Bossa Nova Style
April 05, 2022 16:00 - 26 minutes - 18 MBMost Brazilians believe their national identity is closely tied to the country’s music, as it unites those of all social backgrounds and creates a place of refuge from real life. However, as the dictatorship gained more control and became increasingly strict during the mid-1960s, innovation and creativity in art greatly diminished. One key figure in uprooting this paradigm was Caetano Veloso. He aligned with the hippie movement and joined Gil to create a new form of music known as Tropicali...
Music vs Brazil's Military Dictatorship - Bossa Nova Style
April 05, 2022 16:00 - 26 minutes - 18 MBSend us a Text Message. Most Brazilians believe their national identity is closely tied to the country’s music, as it unites those of all social backgrounds and creates a place of refuge from real life. However, as the dictatorship gained more control and became increasingly strict during the mid-1960s, innovation and creativity in art greatly diminished. One key figure in uprooting this paradigm was Caetano Veloso. He aligned with the hippie movement and joined Gil to create a new form of...
Music vs Brazil's Military Dictatorship
April 05, 2022 16:00 - 26 minutes - 18 MBMost Brazilians believe their national identity is closely tied to the country’s music, as it unites those of all social backgrounds and creates a place of refuge from real life. However, as the dictatorship gained more control and became increasingly strict during the mid-1960s, innovation and creativity in art greatly diminished. One key figure in uprooting this paradigm was Caetano Veloso. He aligned with the hippie movement and joined Gil to create a new form of music known as Tropicali...
The Case of Aileen Wuornos - American Serial Killer
December 02, 2021 20:00 - 23 minutes - 16 MBSend us a Text Message. Aileen Wuornos is an American serial killer who murdered at least seven people in 1989–90. Her case drew national attention to issues such as the relationship between gender and violence and the legal treatment of acts of self-defense by women. Storyteller Sharron Palm BAND: Charlie Malave (vocal, guitar, electronic drums, synth) Matt Griffo (piano, vocal) Lily Emerson (vocal) Support the Show. Support the show via Matt Griffo's Patreon page at Patreon.com/mat...
The Brunost Cheese Fire - A Norwegian Food Disaster
November 19, 2021 21:00 - 18 minutes - 12.8 MBSend us a Text Message. About 27 tonnes of caramelised brown goat cheese - a delicacy known as Brunost - caught light as it was being driven through the Brattli Tunnel at Tysfjord, northern Norway in 2013. The fire raged for five days. Told by Asgeir Døhl Dybvig from Oslo, Norway. BAND: Charlie Malave (vocal, guitar, electronic drums, synth) Matt Griffo (piano, vocal) Lily Emerson (vocal) Gordon Walters (bass) Support the Show. Support the show via Matt Griffo's Patreon page at Pa...
The Brunost Cheese Fire
November 19, 2021 21:00 - 18 minutes - 12.8 MBAbout 27 tonnes of caramelised brown goat cheese - a delicacy known as Brunost - caught light as it was being driven through the Brattli Tunnel at Tysfjord, northern Norway in 2013. The fire raged for five days. Told by Asgeir Døhl Dybvig from Oslo, Norway. BAND: Charlie Malave (vocal, guitar, electronic drums, synth) Matt Griffo (piano, vocal) Lily Emerson (vocal) Gordon Walters (bass) Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/mattgriffo)
Mercy The Coyote
August 27, 2021 05:00 - 11 minutes - 7.68 MBA coyote bit a little boy, Chicagoans wanted the coyote dead, but Flint Creek Wildlife Rehabilitation in suburban Barrington, IL stepped in to show everyone Mercy. Listen to the unedited podcast and help support the episodes at --> https://www.patreon.com/mattgriffo <-- Malic White (Storyteller) BAND: Matt Griffo (vocals, ukulele, keyboard, bass) Brittany Flynn (vocals) Andy Masters (electric guitar) Robbie Ellis (piano) Mike Amandes (cajon) Support the show (https://www.patreon.co...
Mercy The Chicago Coyote
August 27, 2021 05:00 - 26 minutes - 18 MBA coyote bit a little boy, Chicagoans wanted the coyote dead, but Flint Creek Wildlife Rehabilitation in suburban Barrington, IL stepped in to show everyone Mercy. Listen to the unedited podcast and help support the episodes at --> https://www.patreon.com/mattgriffo <-- Malic White (Storyteller) BAND: Matt Griffo (vocals, ukulele, keyboard, bass) Brittany Flynn (vocals) Andy Masters (electric guitar) Robbie Ellis (piano) Mike Amandes (cajon) Support the show (https://www.patreon.co...
Mercy the Coyote gets in trouble in Chicago
August 27, 2021 05:00 - 11 minutes - 7.68 MBSend us a Text Message. A coyote bit a little boy, Chicagoans wanted the coyote dead, but Flint Creek Wildlife Rehabilitation in suburban Barrington, IL stepped in to show everyone Mercy. Listen to the unedited podcast and help support the episodes at --> https://www.patreon.com/mattgriffo <-- Malic White (Storyteller) BAND: Matt Griffo (vocals, ukulele, keyboard, bass) Brittany Flynn (vocals) Andy Masters (electric guitar) Robbie Ellis (piano) Mike Amandes (cajon) Recorded using ...
Mercy the Coyote gets in trouble in Chicago
August 27, 2021 05:00 - 11 minutes - 7.68 MBA coyote bit a little boy, Chicagoans wanted the coyote dead, but Flint Creek Wildlife Rehabilitation in suburban Barrington, IL stepped in to show everyone Mercy. Listen to the unedited podcast and help support the episodes at --> https://www.patreon.com/mattgriffo <-- Malic White (Storyteller) BAND: Matt Griffo (vocals, ukulele, keyboard, bass) Brittany Flynn (vocals) Andy Masters (electric guitar) Robbie Ellis (piano) Mike Amandes (cajon) Recorded using a Universal Audio Apollo ...
Super Massive Black Holes and LIGO
January 02, 2021 09:00 - 27 minutes - 18.8 MBSend us a Text Message. Cosmic science. Black holes and how we know about them thanks to multiple scientists and LIGO (The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory). Listen to the unedited podcast and help support the episodes at --> https://www.patreon.com/mattgriffo <-- Drake Shrader (Storyteller) BAND: Matt Griffo (vocals, bass, electric guitar on "I'm On The Sun" song) Brittany Flynn (vocals) Andy Masters (electric guitar) Robbie Ellis (piano) Mike Amandes (cajon) ...
The Story of Streeterville
March 12, 2020 16:00 - 26 minutes - 18.5 MBThis is a Story about Cap Streeter, a drifter who schemed his way into creating what is now one of the most expensive parts of Chicago. Steph Charaska (Storyteller) BAND: Drake Shrader (vocals) Holly Souchack (vocals) Mary Hynes (vocals) Lexi Alioto (vocals) Arne Parrott (guitar) Matt Griffo (vocal/piano/bass) Dan Krackhardt (cajon) Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/mattgriffo)
The Story of Streeterville - A Chicago Legend
March 12, 2020 16:00 - 26 minutes - 18.5 MBSend us a Text Message. This is a Story about Cap Streeter, a drifter who schemed his way into creating what is now one of the most expensive parts of Chicago. Steph Charaska (Storyteller) BAND: Drake Shrader (vocals) Holly Souchack (vocals) Mary Hynes (vocals) Lexi Alioto (vocals) Arne Parrott (guitar) Matt Griffo (vocal/piano/bass) Dan Krackhardt (cajon) Support the Show. Support the show via Matt Griffo's Patreon page at Patreon.com/mattgriffo
The Waitangi Day Protest Dildo
February 05, 2020 20:00 - 23 minutes - 15.8 MBSend us a Text Message. The woman who threw a dildo at Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce on New Zealand's national day. Listen to the unedited podcast and help support the episodes at --> https://www.patreon.com/mattgriffo <-- Robbie Ellis (Storyteller) BAND: Drake Shrader (vocals) Brittany Flynn (vocals) Andy Masters (guitar) Matt Griffo (vocal/piano/bass) Mike Amandes (cajon) Support the Show. Support the show via Matt Griffo's Patreon page at Patreon.com/mattgriffo
2019 College Admissions Bribery Scandal
January 29, 2020 05:00 - 21 minutes - 14.7 MBIn 2019, a scandal arose over a criminal conspiracy to influence undergraduate admissions decisions at several top American universities. The investigation into the conspiracy was nicknamed Operation Varsity Blues. Listen to the unedited podcast and help support the episodes at --> https://www.patreon.com/mattgriffo <-- Danielle Elizabeth (Storyteller) BAND: Drake Shrader (vocals) Holly Souchack (vocals) Lexi Alioto (vocals) Arne Parrot (guitar) Matt Griffo (vocal/piano/bass) Da...
Operation Varsity Blues
January 29, 2020 05:00 - 20 minutes - 14.4 MBIn 2019, a scandal arose over a criminal conspiracy to influence undergraduate admissions decisions at several top American universities. The investigation into the conspiracy was nicknamed Operation Varsity Blues. Listen to the unedited podcast and help support the episodes at --> https://www.patreon.com/mattgriffo <-- Danielle Elizabeth (Storyteller) BAND: Drake Shrader (vocals) Holly Souchack (vocals) Lexi Alioto (vocals) Arne Parrot (guitar) Matt Griffo (vocal/piano/bass) Da...
Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal
January 29, 2020 05:00 - 20 minutes - 14.4 MBSend us a Text Message. In 2019, a scandal arose over a criminal conspiracy to influence undergraduate admissions decisions at several top American universities. The investigation into the conspiracy was nicknamed Operation Varsity Blues. Listen to the unedited podcast and help support the episodes at --> https://www.patreon.com/mattgriffo <-- Danielle Elizabeth (Storyteller) BAND: Drake Shrader (vocals) Holly Souchack (vocals) Lexi Alioto (vocals) Arne Parrot (guitar) Matt Grif...
Jane Fonda The Activist
January 08, 2020 17:00 - 12 minutes - 8.74 MBSend us a Text Message. Jane Fonda has had a life full of activism and has now begun “Fire Drill Fridays.” The protests, which Fonda refers to as "Fire Drill Friday," are to show support for a Green New Deal and bring awareness to the ways in which climate change affects other parts of human life, such as women's rights, access to drinking water and global militarism. It's amazing to me how many other people she is having come with her to join the cause. It's truly inspiring. This episod...
The Vantablack Feud - Anish Kapoor vs. Stuart Semple
December 26, 2019 21:00 - 22 minutes - 15.8 MBAn art feud over color between Stuart Semple and Anish Kapoor. They have been feuding since 2016 when Kapoor received exclusive rights to the Vantablack pigment, said to be the blackest shade of black ever created. In retaliation, Semple created the "pinkest pink" paint pigment and banned Kapoor from purchasing it, shortly followed by his Faze colour-changing paint. Now the British artist has done the same thing with Black 3.0. Listen to the unedited podcast and help support the episodes a...
The Vantablack Feud - Anish Kapoor vs. Stuart Semple & The Chicago Bean
December 26, 2019 21:00 - 22 minutes - 15.8 MBSend us a Text Message. An art feud over color between Stuart Semple and Anish Kapoor. They have been feuding since 2016 when Kapoor received exclusive rights to the Vantablack pigment, said to be the blackest shade of black ever created. In retaliation, Semple created the "pinkest pink" paint pigment and banned Kapoor from purchasing it, shortly followed by his Faze colour-changing paint. Now the British artist has done the same thing with Black 3.0. Listen to the unedited podcast and he...
The Vantablack Feud
December 26, 2019 21:00 - 22 minutes - 15.8 MBAn art feud over color between Stuart Semple and Anish Kapoor. They have been feuding since 2016 when Kapoor received exclusive rights to the Vantablack pigment, said to be the blackest shade of black ever created. In retaliation, Semple created the "pinkest pink" paint pigment and banned Kapoor from purchasing it, shortly followed by his Faze colour-changing paint. Now the British artist has done the same thing with Black 3.0. Listen to the unedited podcast and help support the episodes a...
Paul McCartney Goes to a Tokyo Jail for a bag of cannabis
December 10, 2019 20:00 - 17 minutes - 11.9 MBSend us a Text Message. In this episode comedian Ron Ervin tells the story of Paul McCartney getting arrested in Tokyo in 1980. Listen to the unedited podcast at and help support the episodes at --> https://www.patreon.com/posts/32302553 <-- Ron Ervin (Storyteller) BAND: Brittany Flynn (vocals) Matt Castellvi (vocals) Arne Parrot (guitar/piano) Matt Griffo (vocal/piano/ukulele/melodica) Mike Amandes (percussion) This one was really fun to record in studio and we tried making the...
Paul McCartney Goes to a Tokyo Jail for a bag of cannabis
December 10, 2019 20:00 - 17 minutes - 11.9 MBIn this episode comedian Ron Ervin tells the story of Paul McCartney getting arrested in Tokyo in 1980. Listen to the unedited podcast at and help support the episodes at --> https://www.patreon.com/posts/32302553 <-- Ron Ervin (Storyteller) BAND: Brittany Flynn (vocals) Matt Castellvi (vocals) Arne Parrot (guitar/piano) Matt Griffo (vocal/piano/ukulele/melodica) Mike Amandes (percussion) This one was really fun to record in studio and we tried making the songs kind of song like ...
Paul McCartney Goes to a Tokyo Jail
December 10, 2019 20:00 - 17 minutes - 11.9 MBIn this episode comedian Ron Ervin tells the story of Paul McCartney getting arrested in Tokyo in 1980. Listen to the unedited podcast at and help support the episodes at --> https://www.patreon.com/posts/32302553 <-- Ron Ervin (Storyteller) BAND: Brittany Flynn (vocals) Matt Castellvi (vocals) Arne Parrot (guitar/piano) Matt Griffo (vocal/piano/ukulele/melodica) Mike Amandes (percussion) This one was really fun to record in studio and we tried making the songs kind of song like ...
Cleveland Balloonfest ’86
December 05, 2019 17:00 - 20 minutes - 14 MBSend us a Text Message. Balloonfest '86 was a 1986 event in which the United Way of Cleveland in Ohio set a world record by releasing almost one-and-a-half million balloons. The event was intended to be a harmless fundraising publicity stunt, but the balloons drifted back over the city, Lake Erie, and landed in the surrounding area, and caused problems for traffic and a nearby airport. The event also interfered with a United States Coast Guard search for two boaters who were later found dro...