Bluest Tape

We Fancied Rat Patrol: Beacon Residency 2020 Episode #99 hits at a particularly harrowing time in the recent history of our nation. The NBA is on hiatus. March Madness will be played in arenas in front of moms, dads, ballboys, and janitors, and no one else. Tom Hanks - FREAKING TOM HANKS - has the damn virus. End times? Nope. Just 2020, the best year ever. Well, despite the darkness, at least we still have some Widespread Panic to talk about. The band just completed its first five-nights-in-a-row RESIDENCY in many, many years - five nights, no repeats, and a return back to the 9 song first set, 9-10 song second, and 2 song encore format that served this band so well for so long. We discuss all five shows, but focus on the first and fifth nights. Harvey takes a deep dive in the 2nd set of night one for an old school combo kicking off with “Blight,” while Jeff waxes poetic about the 2nd set in night five, including a killer “Hatfield” with an all time JB rap about Hatfield’s mama and random TV shows and movi

Why Do We Even Exist? A Very Special, Existential Bluest Tape Yep, we ask this question and many more in this, our 98th episode of The Bluest Tape. What ostensibly began as an episode to discuss the recent Panic en la Playa Nueve turns into a discussion about washer/dryer repair and the very nature of this podcast that you are about to tune into. We go DEEP. But, we also talk about PELP, and another great PELP it was, really turning into a family reunion in some ways, not just for the fans, but the band as well, too. It was a very loose, very loose four show run, kicked off with an epic “Lawyers Guns & Money” opener and shutting it down with “Last Dance > Porch Song.” Take a ride with us through these four shows and stick around for a discussion best suited for your freshman year Philosophy 100 discussion section. Links below go to whole show streams from the good folks at Panicstream 24 January 2020 - Riviera Maya, MX - Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Lawyers, Guns, & Money > Chilly Water >

Everyone Gets A Second Chance 2020 Is Upon Us First time we’ve recorded in a while and so much has gone on, most notably, Panic concluding a strong three night run at the Fabulous Fox Theater in Atlanta over New Year’s. This episode, we recap the holidays, recap our illnesses, complain about football and basketball referees and the ridiculous amount of replays, and of course, end up talking about Panic. We give the 2019 run a good once over, and then we let Harvey wax poetic about NYE 94 and 95. No surprise, but some pretty good music here. Links below go to whole show streams from Panicstream 31 December 2019 - Atlanta, GA - Fabulous Fox Theater 31 December 1994 - Macon, GA - Macon City Auditorium 31 December 1995 - Macon, GA - Macon Coliseum  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Nothing Lasts Forever in the Cold November Rain Montana, November 2000 We recorded this episode in the midst of a driving Memphis rain storm and a 25+ degree temperature drop on Veteran’s Day, so tipping our cap to the great W. Axl Rose and Stephanie Seymour seemed appropo. We dropped a new format for our Halloween 2019 recap and promptly cast it aside for a return to the old format. Sorry! This week, we have two great examples from Fall Tour 2000 - a couple of unheralded shows from the State of Montana. 11/10/00 finds at Montana State University in Bozeman for a killer trio of mid-first set songs. The next night (11/11/00), we head over to the University of Montana in Missoula for a smokin’, cover-laden encore that has a little bit of everything: killer sound, Schools’ bombs, engaged JB, and so much more. Absolutely love this segment! Along the way, we talk about spring 2020 tour, the Black Crowes reunion, the end of Matt Bevin, and the mess that the University of Memphis finds itself in. #freewiseman

Get Your Hot Takes! Halloween 2019 Recap What a great three night run in New Orleans! Wow! Excellent performances on all three nights, some BIG surprises, great covers, and killer setlists all around. Obviously, the talk of the run was the tribute to Andy Kaufman on Halloween night that ended in a bizarre piece of performance art to the tune of "Volare" and “Tacos are Cheap.” I hope they book Tony Clifton as an opener for Panic en la Playa in 2021. Trying a new format this week. We talk about the shows, sure, but we also play just some selected snippets from each show. Please check out the links below to listen to each show. We hope you like it! Links below go to whole show streams from Panicstream 31 October 2019 - New Orleans, LA - UNO Lakefront Arena 01 November 2019 - New Orleans, LA - UNO Lakefront Arena 02 November 2019 - New Orleans, LA - UNO Lakefront Arena  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

“‘Millioke,’ which is Algonquin for “The Good Land” Panic Returns to the Cream City! This weekend, the boys hit the Riverside Theatre in Milwaukee, Wisconsin for what will likely be another excellent run of three shows. The band has made the Riverside its exclusive Milwaukee home since 2006, but before that, they played all over “The United States of Milwaukee,” from Shank Hall and the Modjeska to the Eagles Ballroom and Summerfest. We get things started with the band’s first trip to the Cream City in 1992, follow it up with their first set at Summerfest in 1995, and close it out with the epic 1996 show from the Modjeska, and a damn fine Fall 1998 show from the Eagles Ballroom. In between the music, Jeff tries to remember his Milwaukee geography and recall some of his favorite haunts from when he worked in the city in 2012-13. His memory is not as sharp as it used to be though, so he probably made some mistakes. He also forgot to recommend his actual favorite places: Sobelman’s (burgers!), Soup Brothers

Back to the Mother Church Ryman 2019 If you are a regular listener to the Pod, you’d swear that we have turned this in a Billy Strings podcast! Lots of Billy Strings talk again this week - we unveil his previously unknown, completely secret REAL last name (dramatic enough for you?) - as Harvey waxes poetic about Billy’s role in the three night acoustic run at the “Mother Church of Country Music,” the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. These acoustic shows mark a giant leap forward for the band from the days of Sit n Ski (amazing, but not really acoustic other than the first 3 nights) and the Wood Tour (too processed, too planned out for us). They are incredibly well played; tight, yet loose; transcendent jams, concise country-soul brilliance; you can tell this band is having fun and really pushing all the right buttons. This week, Harvey shares his experience at the 2nd night of the Ryman and attending the two Sam Holt Band post-shows (more quality Sam Holt!), plus the usual beer talk, pop culture talk, da

By the Time We Got to Woodstock This week, we take a trip back to the 1969 Aquarian Exposition, aka, the Woodstock Music and Arts Fair, held in Bethel, NY. Through three days of rain, mud, bad trips, no food, traffic jams, and more mud, nearly a half million young people from all over the US made their way to this legendary festival. One such person was Jeff’s father-in-law, Larry, who hitched his way from New York City on Saturday morning, arriving just in time for the day’s music. In this episode, we learn all about Larry’s experience and memory of this incredible event in a special ‘setbreak’ interview. Since this is a Widespread Panic podcast, though, we chose Panic’s versions of nine songs that were performed at the festival. From Joe Cocker and the Paul Butterfield Blues Band to Creedence and The Band, we got it all. Enjoy! Links below go to the tracks from Relisten (just this one time, we promise!). 27 April 1997 - Burlington, VT - Memorial Auditorium Jingo Jam 10 August 1993 - Antioch, TN -

"The Music Is Running Itself and They're Just Hanging On" A Conversation with Sam Holt Harvey is joined again by friend of the podcast, Sam Holt. They dig deep into the archives and play some of Sam faves from shows in 1990, 1992, 1994, 1996, and 2001. They discuss Sam's upcoming Remembering Mikey event in Atlanta on August 10, 2019 at Terminal West and also his late night shows in Nashville after Ryman Panic on 8/23 and 8/24. Links below go to whole show streams from Panicstream. 31 October 1990 - Athens, GA - Georgia Theatre Dog Song Source: Shure SM57s >D6 by Sam Holt 30 October 1992 - Athens, GA - Georgia Theatre Machine > Barstools Source: Nakamichi CM-300/CP1 > DAT by J.T. Lucchesi 27 July 1994 - Pensacola, FL - Bayfront Arena Analyze > Fishwater Source: SBD > DA-P20 28 June 1996 - Oak Mountain - Pelham, AL Space Wrangler > Disco Source: FOB EV-RE20 > SBM-1 > D8 by Michael Wilker 22 July 2000 - Brewery District Pavillion - Columbus, OH The Waker > Rock, This Part of Town, Chilly Water >

On the Road with Harvey, Jeff, and the DDBB Another Joyous Occasion, Vol. 2 For all your first times or long times out there, we have a landmark first in this episode of the Bluest Tape. Whilst driving up I-75 to the Tedeschi Trucks Band in Cincinnati, Jeff and Harvey actually recorded an episode in the SAME place at the SAME time, this time, in Jeff’s Honda Pilot! Harvey does most of the nuts and bolts this time around so Jeff could keep his eyes on the road, but the discussion goes back and forth about the Summer 1999 tour with the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Red Rocks 2019, the 4848 Festival, Bobby Womack, the Pontiac Silverdome, and how we still don’t like “Christmas Katie.” The content this week takes us back 20 years (stunning!) to the glory days of the Panic + DDBB collaboration. Some great, non-Another Joyous Occasion live Panic included inside - enjoy! Links below go to whole show streams from Panicstream. 27 July 1999 - New York, NY - Roseland Ballroom Ophelia > Swamp Source: FOB Schoeps Mk4

Unexpected, Graceful, Not Forced Red Rocks 2019 Jeff is still in the fog of newborn parenthood, so we'll give him a pass for not finding time to join us on the podcast this week, but we are lucky enough to call in an ace reliever in the form of Ted Rockwell. Ted attended the most recent Panic three night run at Red Rocks, and as we learn, has attended all of the 60 consecutive WSP sell outs at Red Rocks, dating back to that fantastic show on May 31, 1996 (of course it was fantastic, it was 1996). But these 2019 shows are pretty darn stellar in their own right. Some great bustouts, but as is common at Red Rocks, the setlist doesn't tell the whole story. Some inspired playing and some magical meteorological moments made for yet another memorable Red Rocks run. One that was full of unexpected, graceful, and not forced musical moments. Plus, Jimmy's yellow guitar!  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Babies Only Care What the People Feel Well, we stay true to our element with some more 1996 heat, this time to celebrate the arrival of the Kollath progeny. “Little Wrangler” Ellison Liron Kollath arrived on Tuesday, June 4, weighing a robust 8lb, 7oz. Mom and baby are doing well and dad is trying to figure out how to go hide at work and not offend anyone. In his short time on Earth, Baby Ellison has shown a keen interest in “Take Off Jam” - no, I’m not making that up - it is amazing what you find out at 230am with a 5 day old. Anyway, the music - we decided to celebrate with some “baby” songs - when you hear ‘em, you’ll know what we mean. Some excellent playing here again, getting started with another gem from spring/summer 1996 from The Backyard in Bee Cave, TX, and closing it out with some first set heat from October 1996 in Gainesville, GA. Heat! Links below go to whole show streams from Panicstream. 13 June 1996 - Bee Cave, TX - The Backyard Holden Oversoul > Jam > Gradle, Junior > Space Wrangl

Getting Back to Our Roots: A Return to 1996 Since it had been SO long since we dropped a new episode on you all, we thought it best to go back to our roots and play some serious, super sleeper, spring/summer 1996 heat. We head all the way out west to Tacoma, Washington where we find Panic inhabiting the Temple Theater for a smoking two setter that is oftentimes overlooked because of what comes before (5/31 through 6/2) and after (6/5). 6/4 is a special day for the Bluest Tape since, unless nature intervenes, will be the birthday for the newest Kollath child - updates on that to come in the next episode. Anyway, we celebrate all of our good news with the back half of the first set, starting with a killer “It Ain’t No Use” and closing out with a great “(Slow) Porch Song > Mr. Soul.” The middle of the second set here, though, is the fire, especially the first “Do What You Like” since 1991. What a show! Link below go to whole show streams from Panicstream. 04 June 1996 - Tacoma, WA - Temple Theater Set

Late for the Future Spring 2019 Sometimes we have the best of intentions. Sometimes we record two episodes at once. Sometimes we plan on putting out episodes in back to back weeks. Sometimes life intervenes. Sometimes Jeff forgets to write the liner notes. Sometimes we feel bad about all of this. Here it is, a review of the early and middle part of the Spring 2019 Panic tour. We recorded the show just before the Sweetwater 420 and Trondossa Festivals so we don’t have anything from those four shows, but there is a pretty good smattering of tracks from DC, Port Chester, and Durham. As many of you may know, the band is really playing well right now, so enjoy this episode and don’t hate us for the tardiness. It isn’t personal. We swear. Links below go to whole show streams from Panicstream. 17 March 2019 - Washington, DC - The Theatre at MGM National Harbor Sell Sell > Sharon Source: FOB Schoeps MK4V’S>CMC6>Lunatec V2>Sound Devices 722 (24/44.1) 65′ From Stage, 8 1/2′ High by Z-Man 24 March 2019 - P

It Was Twenty Years Ago Today... Early Spring 1999 All these 20/25/30 year anniversaries are making us feel OLD, ya’ll! It is hard to believe that Panic has been around that long, and even more remarkable that the band is still together and killing it (yes, even we now admit the band is on fire, just needed to ‘recalibrate’ our thinking - we’re late to the party, sue us!). We go back 20 years to the spring of 1999, probably the best tour of the year and one of the last great tours before Mikey departed in summer 2002. We start off with show #1, a smoker from Hampden-Sydney College in VA, followed by a rare “Rock” sandwich from Ann Arbor on April 14, and close it out with one of Jeff’s all time favorites, April 17 in Huntsville, AL. Along the way, we talk about our usual array of things, including politics, memories from the road, TV, and Panic counterfactuals. Enjoy! Links below go to whole show streams from Panicstream. 08 April 1999 - Hampden-Sydney, VA - Kirby Fieldhouse, Hampden-Sydney College

84: We Enjoy Ourselves Part 2 of the Panic/Phish Osiris crossover podcast experience. After Harvey wandered aimlessly through an episode of Helping Friendly Podcast with RJ Bee, RJ returned the favor and appears on the Bluest Tape to discuss some memorable Panic moments. After a very un-scientific survey of Panic Twitter, Harvey decided to have RJ listen to: 03 April 1996 - Huntsville, AL - Von Braun Center Maggot Brain 07 May 1997 - Louisville, KY - Palace Theatre Fishwater 28 October 2000 - New Orleans, LA - Lakefront Arena Mardi Gras in New Orleans We discuss setlist creation, lineup changes and band "versions", and guest appearances (why Panic likes them and Phish doesn't). Outro music : 11 November 1993 - Los Angeles, LA - The Roxy Get Up Early in the Morning, Low Spark > Time is Free Jam > Low Spark (with Page McConnell, Trey Anastasio, and T Lavitz) Check out Harvey's appearance on the Helping Friendly Podcast  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Lagniappe #6: March the 29th In this lagniappe episode, Harvey looks back at some pretty special shows played by the band on March 29th. Please continue to support the podcast by buying one of our swell t-shirts here! Links below go to the whole show stream from Panicstream: 29 March 1992 - Fort Collins, CO - Fort Ram Hatfield > Rock, Mercy > Entering A Black Hole Backwards > Chilly Water Source: SBD 29 March 1995 - Somerville, MA - Somerville Theatre Red Beans, And it Stoned Me Source: AKG 461 29 March 1996 - Columbia, SC - Carolina Coliseum, USCjr Holden Oversoul > Makes Sense to Me Source: AKG 468 29 March 1997 - San Francisco, CA - Warfield Theatre Hopeless World > Cream Puff War Source: SBD  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

“We’ll Be Back to Clean It All Up Later:” Traditional Closers, Vol. 2 We close our the closers series with the top five picks in our draft. It was a tough choice at the top of the draft, a true Ryan Leaf v. Peyton Manning kind of decision, but in this case, I suppose there were really no losers and no one ended up in jail for drugs and theft. If that’s the case, then I guess it was nothing like Leaf v. Manning. Anyway, I digress. So, Widespread Panic. Closers. Jeff had the 1st, 4th and 5th picks, and went with “Conrad,” “Proving Ground,” and “Cream Puff War,” while Harvey used his 2nd and 3rd picks on “Chilly Water” and “Love Tractor.” Along the way, we discuss some of our favorite tropes like Midwest shows, random mid-90s tribute albums and compilations, hyperbolic thoughts on 1996, Danny the Sound Guy, split “Proving” vs. un-split “Proving,” and shows we discover during show prep. Just another great episode from your friends at the Bluest Tape - turn it up and enjoy! Links below go to whole show

“We’ll Be Back to Clean It All Up Later:” Traditional Closers, Vol. 1 It certainly took us a while to get back to this theme of traditional openers → traditional closers (are we doing encores, Harvey?) but here we are with volume one of the closers portion of the proceedings. Some excellent selections here (Harvey with three, Jeff with two) that may spark a little debate amongst the Panic fans out there. We get started with a selection from the Travelin’ Light Tour of summer 1998, and then go back a year to summer 1997 for a couple of hot mid-July shows with Warren Haynes guesting on slide. Harvey’s picks close us out with yet another return to NOLAWeen, this time the second night of 1999, and then onto a Kalamazoo, Michigan show from November 1997 that has to be one of the all time sleeper shows. Excellent playing. Nice sounding tapes. Not a ton of dad talk. What more could you ask for? Links below go to whole show streams from Panicstream. #10 - Harvey 13 June 1998 - Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphi

That Other January Tour Here we are in the midst of another Sit n Ski anniversary, but this time around, we’ll take a pass on the landmark 1996 tour and jump back three years further in the past and look at 1993. Taking two weeks off after an epic NYE at the Georgia Theater, Panic hit the road for a remarkable 41 shows in a little over 50 days, starting in Florida and ending up in New Orleans in early March. The shows for this episode come from late January and find the band in prime form - crisp transitions, extended jams and solos, a massive tease or two, and transcendent setlists. The crowds are in prime form as well, which you can hear loud and clear on these excellent audience tapes - nary an SBD in the bunch, which is a GOOD thing, people! Get your Bluest Tape t-shirt here and support the podcast! Links below go to whole show streams from Panicstream. 26 January 1993 - Charleston, SC - Myskin’s Gimme, Machine > Worry, Stop-Go > Henry Parsons Died Source: Nakamichi 300/CP4 28 January 1993