135: Nashville Shows, Audience Tapes, and Guess the Year with Mike McClure

In episode 135 of The Bluest Tape, hosts Harvey Couch and Jeff Kollath catch up on recent Widespread Panic performances, share their revelation about audience tapes, and host a special segment with Mike McClure (IG @guesstheyearshow) from the "Guess the Year" podcast.

Topics Discussed:

• Recent Widespread Panic shows at Ascend Amphitheater in Nashville, featuring guest appearances by Daniel Donato and Jarrod Walker
• The revelation that Charles Fox's audience recordings provide a superior listening experience compared to soundboard recordings
• Announcement of Widespread Panic headlining Mempho Festival in Memphis this October with Father John Misty, Leftover Salmon, Galactic, and other notable acts
• Harvey's experience seeing My Morning Jacket during their five-night residency at the Palace in Louisville
• Jeff's proposal to find and discuss the top five Widespread Panic shows from each era of the band
• New music releases including Goose's latest album and Widespread Panic's Athens '98 release
• A discussion about the Sphere venue in Las Vegas and concert experiences there

Guest Segment:

• Mike McClure from the "Guess the Year" podcast joins to discuss Grateful Dead fandom, music eras, and the art of discerning years by sound
• A friendly competition where Harvey and Jeff try to identify the years of three Grateful Dead performances
• Discussion of the crossover between Grateful Dead and Widespread Panic fans
• Insights into the evolution of the Grateful Dead's sound through different eras

Recommendations:

• Jeff: McKay's used media stores in Nashville, Knoxville, and Chattanooga - https://www.mckaybooks.com
• Harvey: "Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Kid Influencing" documentary on Netflix - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJ6H2QyeWAE
• Mike: Nick Paumgarten's article "A Fan's Notes on the Super Bowl" in The New Yorker - https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/03/10/a-fans-notes-on-the-spectacle-of-super-bowl-week

Upcoming Guests:

• Marq Spusta, Widespread Panic poster artist who created artwork for their latest album and singles

Notable Quotes:

• "I had a breakthrough on listening to this era of widespread panic... it's audience tapes." - Jeff on the superior sound quality of Charles Fox's recordings
• "Let's start to compile a list of the five best shows in each era of the band." - Jeff proposing a new segment for future episodes
• "The search for those moments is why we do this, why we follow bands around the country." - Harvey on the thrill of live music experiences

Follow The Bluest Tape on social media for updates on upcoming episodes and guest appearances.

Links:

Guess the Year: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/guess-the-year/id1649273235

BT Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BluestTapePodcast/

BT Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@bluesttape9773

BT IG: https://www.instagram.com/bluesttapepodcast/

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