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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In episode 134 of The Bluest Tape, hosts Harvey Couch and Jeff Kolath welcome a special guest with deep connections to Widespread Panic history - mandolin player Matt Mundy, formerly of the Aquarium Rescue Unit and the musician who played on Panic's "Pickin' Up The Pieces."

Topics Discussed:

• Matt's musical journey from his bluegrass upbringing to joining Colonel Bruce Hampton's Aquarium Rescue Unit
• The story behind Matt's mandolin playing on Widespread Panic's "Picking Up The Pieces"
• Recollections of the early days with ARU and being part of the Capricorn Records roster in the 1990s
• Matt's experiences on the H.O.R.D.E. festival tours in 1992-93, including the legendary collaborative jams between bands
• What it was like to rejoin Widespread Panic on stage at the Fox Theatre in 2022 after a nearly 30-year absence
• Memories of playing with Jimmy Herring and Michael Houser
• Matt's bluegrass roots, his family's musical history, and the Louisville and Lexingtoni Holiday Inn circuit where his parents performed alongside future stars like Tony Rice and Ricky Skaggs
• His current musical projects, including an upcoming album featuring his mother on bass and a mix of bluegrass and swing tunes

Guest Info:

• Matt Mundy - Former mandolin player for Aquarium Rescue Unit who has played with Widespread Panic numerous times, including a session on "Pickin' Up The Pieces." He continues to perform bluegrass music and is currently working on a new album with his family.

Musical Influences Mentioned:

• David Grisman, Sam Bush, Colonel Bruce Hampton, Bobby Osborne
• The Louisville bluegrass scene featuring JD Crowe, Tony Rice, and Ricky Skaggs

Hosts' Recommendations:

• Harvey: "Adolescence" on Netflix - a four-episode drama filmed in single takes
• Jeff: The first four songs of Jason Isbell's new album (with mixed feelings about the rest)

Notable Quotes:

• "I gig quite a bit, but I've held a day job for years... Music's a lot of fun, but there's very few mandolin players in your square mile that earn a living." - Matt Mundy
• "Bluegrass has been in my life all my life... Still I'm playing bluegrass music. I started when I was probably 11. It bit me a little bit right in there." - Matt Mundy
• "You're basically just doing it to have a record, a record of something... It's not to make money. It's not to promote a tour. It's just to do, and we have a studio, so why not?" - Matt Mundy on recording his new album

At the end of the episode, listeners are treated to two new unreleased tracks from Matt's upcoming album, "Flatt Lonesome" and "Island Hop"

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On episode 133 of The Bluest Tape, hosts Harvey Couch and Jeff Kollath catch up on recent Widespread Panic shows in St. Augustine before welcoming special guest Mitchell Davis, member of the Widespread Panic preservation band 54 Bicycles and founder of the Million Memory Project.

Topics Discussed:

• Highlights from Widespread Panic's recent St. Augustine run, including standout openers and encore performances
• Discussion of My Morning Jacket's new album "is" and their longevity in the music scene
• Mitchell's introduction to Widespread Panic at Greenstreets in 1990 and how it changed his musical trajectory
• The founding and philosophy behind 54 Bicycles, which Mitchell describes as "preservation work" rather than tribute
• The challenges and joys of playing Panic songs and gaining new appreciation for less-familiar tracks
• Mitchell's work with the Million Memory Project and his focus on preserving community stories
• The importance of audience taping and music documentation in the digital streaming era
• Discussion of Mitchell's Rarebird Farm venue and the vibrant old-time music scene in Madison County, NC
• Reflections on the long-term recovery from hurricane damage in Marshall and Hot Springs, NC

Guest Info:

• Mitchell Davis - Member of 54 Bicycles (Widespread Panic preservation band), founder of the Million Memory Project, and host of music events at Rarebird Farm near Asheville, NC

Upcoming Events Mentioned:

• Tiny Festivals at Rarebird Farm (May 2-3, plus June and October dates) featuring old-time musicians and reinterpreters of traditional music
• Nashville shows for Widespread Panic

Notable Quotes:

• "I compare it more to when composers in the 16th and 17th century started writing music and they could notate it and debut it in Vienna. And then if you had a set of musicians good enough, you could recreate that experience for people who couldn't get to Vienna." - Mitchell Davis on preservation vs. tribute
• "One of the hardest things I've faced in my career working with military veterans and musicians is the concept of memory on the whole and passage of time and things becoming fuzzy over the course of years." - Jeff Kolath

Outro Music:

Weight of the World*, 54 Bicycles, The Charleston Pour House, 6/7/2024

*- with Andy Masker [saxophone] and Patrick Marzett [trumpet] [Illazilla]

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