The Spark Parade

What happens when a major Hollywood studio trades gritty, nitty-gritty realism for hyper-stylized queer camp and neon aesthetics? Host Adam Unze sits down with the brilliant comedian, RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 14 finalist and performance artist Bosco to dive deep into her Spark: Joel Schumacher’s 1995 cult-classic superhero movie, Batman Forever . Bosco shares how growing up with a well-loved VHS...

How did a short-lived 2005 TV satire accurately predict our modern obsession with social media and internet culture? Host Adam Unze sits down with brilliant comedian, writer and performance artist Morgan Bassichis to dive into their Spark: Lisa Kudrow and Michael Patrick King’s cult-classic comedy masterpiece, HBO’s The Comeback. Morgan tells Adam how the iconic Valerie Cherish profoundly shaped t...

This week, Adam welcomes the ultimate "Broadway Baby" of drag, Ginger Minj , who brings her lifelong passion for musical theater to the parade to break down her ultimate artistic spark: Jon M. Chu’s spectacular 2024 cinematic adaptation of Wicked . Adam and Ginger dive deep into the Emerald City, exploring how a childhood introduction to The Wizard of Oz at three years old became a brilliant Techn...

How does a small-town kid from Indiana find the courage to reject traditional pop-star expectations and build a fiercely independent music career? On this episode of The Spark Parade, Adam sits down with indie-pop singer-songwriter Lauren Sanderson to explore the artistic impact of Pink’s multi-platinum 2008 album, Funhouse. Sanderson details her vivid childhood memories of discovering Pink’s musi...

Tony Award-winning actor and acclaimed singer-songwriter John Gallagher Jr. ( Spring Awakening , The Newsroom , 10 Cloverfield Lane ) joins Adam to chat about his Spark: The Replacements ' front man Paul Westerberg’s raw, soulful 1993 solo debut, 14 Songs . John opens up about discovering the record during a blue period with his own songwriting and how Westerberg’s "not taking it too seriously" st...

The irrepressible electro-pop visionary Kiesza sits down with Adam to discuss the album that redefined her understanding of sonic "language": Pink Floyd’s 1973 masterpiece, The Dark Side of the Moon . Kiesza shares the cinematic story of hearing the album for the first time while hitchhiking through the Canadian mountains under a full moon, an experience that cemented her belief that music should...

"Gene Kelly redefined what it meant to be a leading man." 🕺✨ On today’s episode of The Spark Parade , Adam Unze welcomes the Grammy-winning powerhouse and original Hamilton cast member, Sydney James Harcourt . Sydney joins the pod to celebrate his personal Spark: the legendary Gene Kelly and the 1952 cinematic masterpiece, Singin' in the Rain . We dive deep into Kelly’s athletic, effortless masc...

What is it about a fedora, a whip, and a "history avenger" that sparks a lifelong obsession? This week on The Spark Parade , host Adam Unze is joined by Broadway powerhouse and star of HBO’s The Gilded Age , Claybourne Elder . Claybourne takes us back to a small-town theater in Utah to revisit the 1989 masterpiece, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade . We dive deep into the "virile" energy of Harri...

"You don't have glass bones. You can take life's knocks." ✨ In this episode of The Spark Parade , host Adam Unze sits down with Michelle Joy , the mesmerizing frontwoman of the dream-pop sensation Cannons . As the band prepares to release their highly anticipated new album, Everything Glows , Michelle joins us to deep-dive into the 2001 French masterpiece that shaped her artistic identity: Jean-P...

Can 90s camp actually save classical art? This week on The Spark Parade , host Adam Unze sits down with classically trained soprano and celebrated video essayist Khadija Mbowe to dive into their "Spark": Baz Luhrmann’s neon-soaked, 1996 cinematic fever dream, Romeo + Juliet . From reenacting Juliet’s death scene on a suburban couch at age five to mixing "WAP" with "Habanera" in their own operatic...

Is Another Cinderella Story actually the best adaptation of all time? Rising pop icon Hemlocke Springs (the mind behind the viral hit "Girlfriend") joins Adam to explain why this 2008 Selena Gomez classic is her ultimate creative "Spark." 🥀✨ From the depths of the $5 Walmart DVD bin to the high-stakes choreography of the "Mary and Joey" dance-off, Hemlocke breaks down how this movie defined an e...

After a brief hiatus, The Spark Parade is back! To kick off our new season, we are joined by a literal legend, the Mother of Mothers and RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 15 winner, Sasha Colby . Sasha joins host Adam Unze to deep-dive into the album that provided her blueprint for survival: Janet Jackson’s 1997 masterpiece, The Velvet Rope . In this raw and deeply personal interview, Sasha Colby opens up...

In this high-voltage episode of The Spark Parade Podcast, host Adam welcomes actor Jefferson White ( Yellowstone, Chicago Fire ) to dive deep into the film that ignited his creative "spark": the 2003 sci-fi action epic, The Matrix Reloaded . Jefferson shares his vivid, almost electric memory of seeing the trailer for the first time—calling it his favorite movie before the film even released! The d...

Indie-pop songwriter and producer Carter Vail joins Adam to talk about how Wes Anderson’s film The Royal Tenenbaums became a major creative Spark in his life. Carter shares how discovering the movie in high school—and being struck by its soundtrack, meticulous visual style and mix of whimsy and deep sadness—reshaped the way he thinks about storytelling, world-building and emotional honesty in his...

Award-winning songwriter and composer Jeremiah Fraites, co-founder of The Lumineers, joins Adam to explore the powerful impact of Bruce Springsteen’s minimalist masterpiece, Nebraska. Jeremiah reveals how Springsteen’s stripped-down storytelling and raw, lo-fi production inspired his own creative journey—from writing chart-topping hits with The Lumineers to scoring the feature film Deliver Me From...

Sophie Ellis-Bextor joins Adam to talk about her Spark: Charli XCX’s bold and boundary-pushing album Brat. They share the story of how the album’s daring production and confessional lyrics sparked Sophie’s creative inspiration just before it exploded into the mainstream. From its genre-blurring sound to its cross-generational appeal, they explore how Brat embodies the fearless honesty and queer cu...

Join comedian and actor Gianmarco Soresi for a campy, nostalgic journey into his Spark:  Spiceworld , the 1997 Spice Girls album and film phenomenon. Gianmarco share memories of first hearing the album in childhood, the theatrical personas of Baby Spice and friends and the explosive pop energy that defined an era. Gianmarco dives into the group’s dynamic, the album’s enduring charm, and why S...

Join legendary horror drag icons The Boulet Brothers for a campy, queer journey into their Spark: The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Adam and the Boulets share first encounters with the groundbreaking cult film, its impact on their lives, and why it remains a loud, proud anthem for queer joy, radical self-expression, and chosen family. Swantula takes us back to being a closeted 14-year-old, blown away...

Matt and Trevor of Cheat Codes sit down with Adam Unze to talk about their Spark: the movie  Ready Player One . They share the story of how the film’s immersive virtual reality and flood of pop culture Easter eggs blew their minds and sparked creative inspiration. From parallels between gaming, music and business to navigating the future of AI and virtual worlds, they explore how  Ready...

Alex Gaskarth of All Time Low joins  Adam  to share the story of his Spark: Jimmy Eat World’s  Futures . Alex takes us back to his teenage years in Baltimore, discovering  Futures  on a chance trip to the record store and instantly connecting with the album’s emotional depth, powerful rock energy and flawless sequencing. From the freedom of those first windows-down drives...

Pop singer-songwriter Maggie Lindemann joins Adam to share how Lana Del Rey’s landmark album  Born to Die  sparked her creative journey. Maggie opens up about falling in love with Lana’s cinematic world, relatable storytelling and signature Old Hollywood-meets-Tumblr vibe—and explains how that influence shaped her own music. In this episode: How  Born to Die  inspired Maggie’s...

Grammy-winning country singer-songwriter Cam joins Adam for an intimate conversation about her Spark: the Indigo Girls’ acclaimed album  All That We Let In . Cam explores her journey from discovering the Indigo Girls at choir camp, to wearing out her copy of the album, to becoming friends and collaborators with Emily Saliers herself. The episode delves into the ways this folk-rock classic con...

Award-winning comedian, writer, and actress Chanel Ali joins host Adam to talk about her Spark—Alan Parker’s 1980 musical drama  Fame . Chanel discusses how the film shaped her creative journey, from childhood dreams of performing to the realities of making it as an artist in New York City. The conversation covers ambition, life lessons, arts education, and what it takes to chase success both...

UK pop sensation Mimi Webb chats with Adam about her Spark: the timeless romantic comedy  How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days . Mimi reveals how the film’s witty banter, unexpected twists, and real emotional moments shaped her love of rom-coms—and inspired her own songwriting, including her new track “Romcom.” Episode Highlights: Why  How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days  is Mimi’s go-to comfort m...

Australian music sensation G Flip sits down with Adam to explore the surprising source of their creative spark: Pixar’s beloved animated film  Cars . G Flip shares how watching  Cars  with their dad became a powerful family tradition, why Lightning McQueen’s journey resonated so deeply, and how Pixar’s emotional storytelling helped shape their identity—both as an artist and as a per...