Bluest Tape

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 its entirety in all of its imperfect glory. The filler on the old cassette was Allgood’s set from that HORDE show, so we’ve included their set closer as the outro music this week. We’ll be back next week with a great show with a very special guest. 18 July 1993 - New Orleans, LA - Municipal Auditorium Diner > Pigeons > Better Off, Pilgrims > Love Tractor, Get up Early in the Morning (w/Chan Kinchla and John Popper), Fishwater (w/Chan Kinchla and John Popper), E: Porch Song, Makes Sense to Me Source: Un

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 gonna complain about ‘Steven’s Cat!’ It was a stellar weekend of performances and setlists - the band really is bringing it with this new concept of doing weekend runs and experiences as opposed to longer tours. We’ll dive deep into the whole scene at Friday’s show, including some pointed commentary on ‘lot shirts,’ talk about the Saturday show (check out the 2nd set and encore!), and leave you with a reminder that while Panic 3.0 is potentially growing on us, we are still - and will always be - Panic 1.0 partisans

“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-wise, we start off in April 1995 with a tipsy JB bringing the good on “And It Stoned Me” and “Holden,” jump forward to a killer “Stop-Go” closer from July 1997 (pay attention to the jam at the end), and then two selections from 2001. Hope you enjoy and take a drink if you had Goran Ivanisevic in the pool for “first male tennis player mentioned on the Bluest Tape.” Links below go to whole show streams from Panicstream. 04 April 1995 - New Haven, CT - Toad’s Place And It Stoned Me, Holden Oversoul Source: SBD

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 Jordan, and “Don’t Be Denied” (nuff said) - and stay for Jeff’s stories about living in Cox’s Creek, Kentucky with some random forestry students. Quite a time, indeed! Links below go to whole show streams from Panicstream. 13 June 2001 - San Diego, CA - Navy Pier Coconut > Stop Breakin’ Down Blues > Vacation Source: Neumann AK40 > LC3 > KM100 > AD-1000 by Andrew Rakow 16 June 2001 - Los Angeles, CA - Wiltern Theater Chilly Water Source: FOB AKG 481 > M148 > modSBM-1 > DA-P1 > D8 17 June 2001 - Los Angeles, CA

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 ‘random’ openers, featuring songs that ended up in the first slot only a handful of times, or just once. We start way back in 1987 with the only “Feelin’ Alright” opener, and then jump ahead to the 1990s with strong - and rare - showings from Paolo Soleri in New Mexico (1996) and the American Theater in STL (1999). Closing it out this week is probably one of top “HOLY S&%T” moments in the band’s history, the historic “Sweet Leaf” opener from the first night of NOLAWeen 2000. Good thing the UNO Lakefront Arena is we

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 20th anniversary gift of china to our dear listeners, what do you think the boys from Bluest Tape give here in episode 60? Sandwiches. We first touched on Panic's sandwich artistry way back in episode 25. But as Jeff dug through the first run of shows of the Summer 98 tour, he was struck by the frequency and uniqueness (is that a word?) of the sandwiches. So we return to make a second run at the topic. This week we check out some great stuff from the first couple weeks of that tour in Southern California,

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 could become vehicles for expansion. We will definitely be coming back this way again. Links below go to whole show streams from Panicstream. 08 September 1995 - Raleigh, NC - Walnut Creek Amphitheater Heroes > Impossible > Airplane > Love Tractor Source: SBD 05 June 1996 - St. Paul, OR - Champoeg State Park Driving Song > Tallboy > Jam > Driving Song > Breathing Slow Source: SBD 27 May 1998 - Mesa, AZ - Mesa Amphitheater Rebirtha > Wondering > Pilgrims > Greta Source: Microtech Geffels 21 May 1993 - Atlanta

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 with some airline bottle liquor (if you’ve lived in Charleston or been there beyond the last couple years, you know what we’re talking about) and settle in for the pod - enjoy! Links below go to whole show streams from Panicstream. 04 March 1988 - Charleston, SC - Captain Harry’s Me & My Uncle > Travelin’ Light, Wooden Ships > Another Man Done Gone Source: SBD 23 September 1993 - Charleston, SC - The Music Farm Rock, Worry, Me & the Devil Blues Source: SBD 27 September 1997 - Charleston, SC - Joe Riley S

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)>SONY R500 with SBM on Taped by Eric Levita (Smiley), Conversion by Eric Foelske Photo is of exterior of the, sadly now closed, Denny's right off of I-65 in Franklin, Kentucky, just across the KY-TN state line.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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 they had ever played to. And boy were they up to the task. A good chunk of the show was released on VHS, CD, and then finally DVD. This week, we play all of the tunes from this show that were not released officially. Included are three debuts: "All Time Low", "One Arm Steve", and "Christmas Katie" as well as some fantastic versions of Panic classics like "Diner" and the apt "Papa's Home". We also were lucky enough to be joined by Gordon Lamb, Senior Writer and Columnist for Flagpole, and author of the new book, Wid

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 have a set open with “Bowlegged Woman” and close with “Dear Mr. Fantasy.” Then, to follow it up with a “Low Spark” in the encore, well, there just might be a big old pile of melted faces laying on the dance floor. Last week, we restrained our inner fanboys; this week, not so much. Enjoy! We are pleased to announce that we are now part of the Osiris Podcast Network, and brand new venture that brings together the finest Phish, Grateful Dead, and lifestyle podcasts together in one place. Check them out - www.osirisp

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, we have put together what could certainly been reasonable first set from 1997. Sure, it would be great to include all of favorite songs, but come on, we cannot be total fanboys, can we? Join us as we visit Baltimore in July, and Asbury Park, suburban Austin, and Washington, DC in April. Disc One: Tie Your Shoes Fishwater Radio Child Genesis B of D The Last Straw You Got Yours Jack Fishwater We are pleased to announce that we are now part of the Osiris Podcast Network, and brand new venture that brings

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 moments, too, with hot versions of classic tracks like “Diner” and “Stop-Go,” and we close it out with what we think might be the best “Weight of the World” the band has ever played. Next time we do this, maybe we’ll learn some French and do the pod all bilingual-like. The episode kicks off with the second half of our conversation with Jonathan Spencer, a Panic stalwart from years gone by. Enjoy! We are pleased to announce that we are now part of the Osiris Podcast Network, and brand new venture that brings together t

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 hear the fans up and close personal with the band and their fellow travelers (a lot “Shhhhs” during the run!). All told, these shows represent some of Panic’s finest work, and, really set the stage for the Travelin’ Light Tour. This week, we look at the first five shows, filled with too many highlights to mention. Pay attention, though, to the smoking hot “Love Tractor” from 3/18 and damn fine “It Ain’t No Use” from 3/19. We start the episode chatting with Jonathan Spencer a Panic stalwart from years gone by. He tel

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 and the Michigan State Spartans. So, while it’s guaranteed that NONE of these teams will make the Final Four in San Antonio, we can guarantee that you’ll love the music we chose as we visit great shows from Lexington 1996, Cincinnati 1997, Philadelphia 1999, and East Lansing 1995. We are pleased to announce that we are now part of the Osiris Podcast Network, and brand new venture that brings together the finest Phish, Grateful Dead, and lifestyle podcasts together in one place. Check them out - www.osirispod.com.

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 and Sunny rarity only played four times in the early nineties. Next, we visit Tipitina’s in NOLA for “Dog Song” and “Smoke and Burn,” two tracks played quite often but seem to have gone away for good. We close it out with another Houser song, “It Was You,” and “New Blue,” a nice mid-tempo ditty from Fall Tour 2001. We are pleased to announce that we are now part of the Osiris Podcast Network, and brand new venture that brings together the finest Phish, Grateful Dead, and lifestyle podcasts together in one place.

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 visit Panic 2.0 for the first time for a cover of “Last Date,” the monster 1960 pop hit by Floyd Cramer. Welcome to The Bluest Tape, George McConnell - we’ll see you again soon! We are pleased to announce that we are now part of the Osiris Podcast Network, and brand new venture that brings together the finest Phish, Grateful Dead, and lifestyle podcasts together in one place. Check them out - www.osirispod.com. Links below go to whole show streams from Panicstream. 22 October 1996 - Knoxville, TN - Tennesse

It’s A New Day Panic en la Playa 2018, A Conversation with Curtis George, and Breaking News! Well, we did it. It only took 47 episodes and well over 100 hours of Widespread Panic to FINALLY play something recorded after July 2, 2002. To usher in this new era for The Bluest Tape, we invite Mr. Curtis George, the creator and overseer of Panicstream.com, the essential online streaming source not just for live Widespread Panic, but dozens of other bands, too. Curtis lets us in on how his site got started, how it keeps it going, what he thinks about the current state of the band, and how good of a time he had down at Panic en la Playa. Hey, it’s good to have someone on the show that still actually goes to shows, right? Great picks, Curtis - come back anytime! Oh, and from the Department of Lead Burying, we are pleased to announce that we are now part of the Osiris Podcast Network, and brand new venture that brings together the finest Phish, Grateful Dead, and lifestyle podcasts together in one place. Check

“Love,” Panic-Style Happy Valentine’s Day! Young Lovers! You are in luck tonight as your friends here at The Bluest Tape have provided you with the perfect soundtrack for Valentine’s Day 2018. We have the set for you - a tender love song or two (including the 2nd greatest love song as delivered by a Filipino Elvis Tribute Artist!), a not-so tender love song or two, and some songs about, well, the physical act of “love.” But, of course, these songs come with a warning, too - just be careful of your audience, fellas, as you might end up sending the wrong kind of message with a few of these picks. Regardless, sit back (or lie down), enjoy your chocolates and your champagne, and turn it up on this most special of all Hallmark holidays. Links below go to whole show streams from Panicstream. 24 February 1994 - Charlotte, NC - The Capri Can’t Help Falling In Love (w/ Renelvis on vocals), Chilly Water Source: Unknown single stereo mic>home analog cassette deck 01 November 1996 - Milwaukee, WI - Modjeska Th