It’s A Wonderful Pod: Puttin’ a Bow on 2018 Bonus Tracks and Deep Cuts Let’s bring good ol’ 2018 to a close in style with a selection of bonus tracks, which in our case means “shows we really dug and never found the chance to play ‘em this year, or they were in an episode that got cut for one reason or another.” In the case of these four selections, we think the wait was WELL worth it. After Harvey and Jeff get caught up with their lives and holiday plans, they charge headlong into a ripping per...
Dec 24, 2018•3 hr 30 min•Ep. 77
“Settle Down, What Do You Think This Is, a Rock n Roll Show?” Classic Openers, Part 2 Let’s close out the openers show in style, with five burners from days gone by. Harvey kicks things off with his second and third picks, “Send Your Mind” from the great Van Morrison, and a return to the well (so to speak) with a nice “Little Kin” opener from the essential March 1996 show in Johnson City, TN. Jeff comes back with the first of his final two selections: a stellar “Pleas” delivered in front of a ro...
Nov 28, 2018•2 hr•Ep. 76
"I'm Surprised Nothing Got Broke" 14 shows in 14 days, part 2 Ted Rockwell returns for part 2 of our conversation on the 25th anniversary of the October/November 1993 tour. We play some fantastic music, including perhaps the greatest Garrie intro of all time: "Please help me in that respect, Thank You!"; a fantastic stretch of music from the Big Potato State; and a sublime encore from Eugene, Oregon. Come along for the ride as we listen to a band firing on all cylinders. But before we get to the...
Nov 06, 2018•1 hr 46 min•Ep. 75
“No Fuss, No Muss” 14 shows in 14 days, part 1 We've been away for a few weeks (we wanted to give everyone a chance to get caught up on back episodes and listen to all the recent shows the band has been playing). Harvey and Jeff do a quick update and discuss some first thoughts (and hot takes) on the band's Halloween run in Vegas. Then Harvey is joined by good friend of the pod, Ted Rockwell, to discuss one of the classic runs of the band's history, the 14 shows in 14 days in 13 cities through t...
Nov 01, 2018•1 hr 54 min•Ep. 74
...and you are gonna be happy from now on! Classic Openers, Part 1 This week, we bring you the first of six episodes focusing on classic Panic openers, closers, and encores. Harvey has come up with a complicated mathematical formula that guided us through the fantasy football-like snake draft allowing us to determine what we think are ten of the best classic or traditional (but not THE BEST) Panic openers of all time. Jeff kicks it off with another trip to NOLA for a great segment from Halloween...
Oct 09, 2018•2 hr 58 min•Ep. 73
We Gotta Go, Thank You Very Much! Flip the Bird Encores! No matter the version of Panic, we have ALL been there. A killer setlist, badass playing, and a great post-drums just leaving you wanting more. You even stay standing and clap for the band to come back for the encore - that’s how excited you are. The band comes back, the crowd pops, the energy is high, and...and...and...Nobody’s Loss? Why the hell didn’t they just hit the lights, play “Wonderful World,” and send us all home? Yep, that’s ri...
Sep 27, 2018•3 hr 24 min•Ep. 72
Fear and Loathing in Nashvegas So, here we are, 71 episodes in and, finally, Harvey and Jeff have seen Panic 3.1. We have complained, we have criticized, we have rationalized, and we have waxed poetic about the distant past, but in this episode, we finally come clean: we cool with Panic 3.1. The last three night run in Nashville was a good one and Harvey has a full recap from the second night and from the Sam Holt Band show on Friday night, too. Some good stuff for you this week - some great stu...
Sep 12, 2018•2 hr 43 min•Ep. 71
The Irrelevant Four 2018 College Football Preview Last year, we did the expected, giving you a top four for the College Football Playoff, and added to it with special guest Mark Schlabach. This year, with the help of the Phil Steele (we discuss if he is, in fact, a real person) college football preview magazine and Wikipedia, we highlight four (highly irrelevant) bowl games and choose four great shows to make up for the (irrelevance). We start off in 2001 with a sleeper 1st set pick from May 200...
Aug 29, 2018•2 hr 33 min•Ep. 70
Out of the Left Field A Year of Unexpected Jams All due credit to faithful listener of the pod Chad Coates for suggesting the theme for this week’s episode. Way back in November, Chad sent us a list of “unexpected jams,” extended versions of songs or super long “>” buried in a setlist that, on paper, might look a little sleepy. Chad picked some sure fire winners for us from the year 2000 - he has some other suggestions, too, and we definitely think we will go back to this well again. Come for...
Aug 21, 2018•2 hr 10 min•Ep. 69
This week we bring part two of our conversation with Panic fan/taper/guitar tech/guitarist Sam Holt, who shares additional stories from his time with the band and lets us in on what he’s been up since parting with the band. Check out a sublime “Heaven” from the encore on August 5, 2006, followed by an excellent run of songs from August 10, 2006 featuring a couple of “OTPs” (Only Time Played) - a Sam Holt original and a Michael Houser solo track. Closing out the show is a run of songs from the Sa...
Aug 10, 2018•1 hr 46 min•Ep. 68
Lagniappe #5 We’re taking a brief respite from the Sam Holt Chronicles to give you a taste of one of the better shows from the Travelin Light Tour of Summer 1998. The tour featured some inspired playing, some interesting setlist experimentation, and a ton of special guests almost every night. This one, from Jackson, Mississippi has all of those things in spades and is a particular favorite of ours. We feature a very nice post-drums segment and an intense encore with the guys from Galactic (RIP H...
Aug 02, 2018•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 67
The Holt Chronicles, Part 1 Many thanks to our very special guest this week, SAM HOLT. That’s right, the guy that has lived the dream of so many Panic fans - fan, taper, guitar tech, MEMBER OF THE BAND. Sam jumped on the bus back in 1989 and has never left it. He is to thank for a pile of tapes of the early days of Panic - some stories of which he shares with us - and heavily documented the classic years of 1995-96. Sam joined up with the band as a guitar tech in summer 2000 and stayed on after ...
Jul 25, 2018•1 hr 57 min•Ep. 66
Lagniappe #4 Celebrating a silver anniversary We’re taking a break from our regular programming this week. But this week’s lagniappe is a little different. Harvey goes solo this week and celebrates the 25th anniversary of his very first show, back when he was just a young buck. A 1993 HORDE show from the Municipal Auditorium in New Orleans, Louisiana. This show is not in circulation digitally, so he dusted off his 3rd generation cassette, captured it, did a little hiss removal, and here it is in...
Jul 18, 2018•1 hr 26 min•Ep. 65
Jeff (Actually) Hearts Panic v3.0 A Very Special Episode of The Bluest Tape This week, we recap the weekend that was at Mud Island in Memphis, TN. Jeff and Harvey had both planned on attending the shows and giving you the hard-hitting, accurate analysis that you all have grown to love over the past year, but alas, it was not to be. Jeff, however, did go to the show on Friday night, and, SURPRISE, he LIKED it. That’s right, faithful listeners, Jeff actually LIKED the show. Hell, he’s not even gon...
Jul 06, 2018•2 hr 53 min•Ep. 64
“We’ve Been Having An Exquisite Time!” Random Show Closers Well, after the success of our “Random Openers” show we decided to run it back (sort of) with “Random Closers.” We debate the differences between 1st set closers, 2nd closers, and encores, recall some of our favorite closers from days of yore, and share the (somewhat) famous story of the Deer Creek 2001 show where a pre-show storm turned the sky a purplish-green color. For all you amateur meteorologists out there, that ain’t good. Music-...
Jun 28, 2018•2 hr 3 min•Ep. 63
Way Out West First Leg of Summer 2001 June 2001 was a big month for Widespread Panic. They released their final studio album with Michael Houser, Don’t Tell the Band , and embarked on a mighty fine summer tour starting way out west in California. This week, we talk about the first handful of shows from this tour, with stops in San Diego, LA, and a return to Paolo Soleri in Santa Fe. Tune in for the music - including a great version of “Coconut,” a killer guest spot from War keyboardist Lonnie Jo...
Jun 19, 2018•2 hr 22 min•Ep. 62
Setting the Tone Random Panic Openers We have all had that moment at a Widespread Panic - when the lights come down, the crowd noise goes up, and in your head, your mind is spinning with the thought of “What are the boys gonna kick it off with tonight?” Sometimes, the band will start it off nice and slow and ease the crowd into the night; other times, they will just smack you in the face with a 2 x 4’ and you are just along for the ride at that point. This week, we look at four shows with ‘rando...
Jun 08, 2018•1 hr 48 min•Ep. 61
More Sandwiches! Travelin' Light Tour 1998 We've done a lot of celebrating the 20th anniversary of things recently: the historic 10 night Paris run; the release of Panic's first official live album, Light Fuse Get Away; and the record-breaking Panic in the Streets. So it only makes sense that we move on to the 20th anniversary of Panic's big summer tour in 1998, the "Travelin' Light" Tour - Panic's first summer tour headlining sheds across this great country! So instead of giving the traditional...
May 30, 2018•2 hr 31 min•Ep. 60
First Variations Classic Panic Songs Get a Facelift So, once you get past Harvey’s condescension and, frankly, outright hostility towards Jeff for not “understanding” this week’s theme, this is pretty damn fine episode of The Bluest Tape. We tackle “first variations” of classic songs, including lengthy versions of “Airplane,” “Tallboy,” and “Wondering,” and also slow “Porch Song,” diving deep, especially, into the evolution of a couple of these songs and debating which other short Panic songs co...
May 22, 2018•2 hr 31 min•Ep. 59
A Low Country Boil: Panic Does Charleston Harvey’s back from sabbatical and the band is back together for our 58th episode - can you believe it? This week, we take a trip down to Charleston, SC for some Low Country Panic. The band has been playing there for nigh on 30 years, and delivering some classic performances over the years. We touch on a great, cover-heavy, early show from 1988; a great SBD recording from 1993; and a stellar first set selection from September 1997. Tip back a beverage wit...
May 11, 2018•1 hr 42 min•Ep. 58
Lagniappe #4: A Tasty Treat from Spring 1998 We’re taking a little break from our usual programming this week. We hope you like this little taste from the spring 1998 tour closer in Iowa City, IA. Jeff even mentions going camping again! Links below go to whole show streams from Panicstream. 03 May 1998 - Iowa City, IA - Hubbard Park, University of Iowa Diner > Driving Song > Fishwater > Driving Song > Happy > Hatfield Source: AKG 483 > EAA PSP-2 > DA-P1>(Post Production)&...
May 03, 2018•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 57
Lagniappe #2: A Tasty Treat from Fall 1999 We’re taking a little break from our usual programming this week. We hope you this little taste of Widespread Panic from Fall Tour 1999 and a quick little story about Jeff’s 1996 Pontiac Grand Am. Links below go to whole show streams from Panicstream. 24 October 1999 - Milwaukee, WI - Eagles Ballroom Fishwater, C. Brown, B of D > Pigeons > Me & the Devil Blues Source: AKG 483 > Oade m248 > SBM-1 > DAT by Jeff Frank Hosted on Acast. Se...
Apr 27, 2018•58 min•Ep. 56
20 years ago, on April 18, 1998, Widespread Panic played a free record release release party to approximately 100,000 fans on the streets of their hometown Athens, Georgia. There were a lot of challenges to pulling something like this off, but with that band in that place at that time , it almost seemed meant to be. Coming off of a European tour which saw the band playing in some of the smallest venues they had played in a decade, they returned to their hometown and played to the largest crowd t...
Apr 18, 2018•3 hr 2 min•Ep. 55
Light Fuse, Get Away: Vol. 2, Disc One 20 years later - A Modern Mix, Vol. 2 This week we present Volume Two of our tribute to the 20th anniversary of Panic’s first - and greatest - live album, “Light Fuse, Get Away.” Last week, we created a first set; this week, we go with a second set that could have been played during spring/summer of 1997. Same rules apply: all SBDs and no repeats. Sure, it might be a little far afield, to have two instrumentals pre-drums. Yeah, it might be a bit absurd to h...
Apr 13, 2018•1 hr 55 min•Ep. 54
Light Fuse, Get Away: Vol. 2, Disc One 20 years later - A Modern Mix, Vol. 1 Pretty impossible to believe, but Widespread Panic’s first live album, “Light Fuse, Get Away” dropped twenty years ago this month. A true watershed in the band’s career, the album highlights the excellent Spring and Summer Tours of 1997. To celebrate this anniversary, we take a crack at putting together a Volume Two of “Light Fuse, Get Away.” Using only SBD recordings from the same tours, and no repeats from the album, ...
Apr 06, 2018•1 hr 38 min•Ep. 53
Paris 98: The Chesterfield Chronicles, Volume 2 Widespread Panique in Paris 1998 Well, here we go, the final five shows from the epic ten show run from the Chesterfield Cafe. The boys brought the heat the first five nights, took a couple days off (Eiffel Tower? Louvre?), got all wound up again, and closed the run out with a bang. We get things rolling with a stellar “Impossible” on March 24, followed by a nasty “Driving Song > Arleen” sandwich on March 25. The last three nights have great mom...
Mar 30, 2018•3 hr 23 min•Ep. 52
The Chesterfield Chronicles, Volume 1 Widespread Panique in Paris 1998 Twenty years ago this month, Widespread Panic embarked on their first Transatlantic journey, landing in Paris for a what has become a legendary ten show run. Playing in front of a crowd that was at least 80-90% American each night out, the band rolled through classics, rarely played favorites, and took some serious setlist risks, too. While the sonic quality of the tapes leaves a bit to be desired, it is pretty amazing to hea...
Mar 22, 2018•3 hr 6 min•Ep. 51
The Golden Anniversary Bracketology Spectacular! FIFTY episodes, y’all! That’s FIFTY! Wow, we made it through almost a year of this crazy show and we’re ready to celebrate with our picks for the 2018 NCAA Tournament. Our picks coincide with some hot selections from Panic’s catalog. Harvey took the South and West brackets, choosing his beloved Kentucky Wildcats and the Xavier Musketeers, respectively, for the Final Four. Jeff, took the East and Midwest brackets, and chose the Villanova Wildcats a...
Mar 15, 2018•2 hr 25 min•Ep. 50
We’re Kind of Like Archaeologists! Whatever Happened To…??? Songs come and go - not everything can be around for 1,100-plus versions, like “Porch Song” and “Chilly Water.” Some of these songs make you wish they were still in the mix, and others make sense as to why they went away. Tonight, after some serious digging around the archive, we give you a mix of the two. This week, we start out with “Sun Keep,” a cool little Houser-led instrumental from 1990, and follow it up with “Benefactor,” a JB a...
Mar 09, 2018•1 hr 53 min•Ep. 49
The Return of the Alyrical Miracles An Instrumental Ethos, Volume 2 Hard to believe that it has been almost a year since we dropped our first episode highlighting Widespread Panic’s vast catalog of instrumentals. We run it back this week by revisiting a few of our favorite shows (6/7/98 and 10/27/00), visit a smoker from fall 1996 (of which there are many), a wildly underrated show from 1999, and post-Halloween gem from 2000. Just one week after we launch into Panic 3.0, we jump back to 2005 and...
Mar 02, 2018•2 hr 3 min•Ep. 48
