Hosts Harvey Couch and Jeff Kollath recap Widespread Panic's continued West Coast run through Bend, Oakland, and Sacramento, plus some fun retro tangents before diving into current shows.

• Deer Creek 7/8/01 video coming to YouTube by Sandbox channel (missing encore); official premiere drops next Tuesday 7/28/26
• Harvey attended his first-ever Wilco show at The Burl in Lexington - set interrupted by severe weather, second set became "hits-laden" after the delay
• World Cup recap: both hosts fine with the final result, noted Argentina's goalie carried the team

• Airplane opener night one in Oakland
• Mercy > Schoolgirl > King Baby > Fishwater closing set two
• Four-song run all starting with "Little" on night two
• Vampire Blues played after friend-of-the-pod artist Mark Spusta suggested it to Dave backstage - "it would be cool if..." request that actually landed
• Ride Me High opener (rare - maybe 2-3 times ever) into Proving > Action Man

• JB's charming lyric-flub on Let's Get the Show on the Road, inverting verses on Bear's Gone Fishing - time for a teleprompter?
• Mysterious dead-air moment mid-Bear's Gone Fishing suggesting a possible audience medical situation
• Nick playing slide on Barstools
• Dave Schools "soapbox" moment during Floozy - part rap, part "let's all love each other," with a "Sacramento Tuesday night" shoutout
• Contentment > Conrad opener noted as matching the exact same two songs that closed the band's only previous Sacramento show (1991, opening for Blues Traveler) - "berk" (coincidence) or intentional nod
• Diner > Fishing > Pilgrims transition called the highlight of the run - "splendid," "almost perfect"
• Fishing's return to rotation praised as a great "vibe rider" - not a set-killer

West Coast Tour concludes with 3 nights in LA. Both hosts hope for a proper Midwest or Southern tour next, reminiscing about old-school spring tour stops like Starkville and Johnson City.

Harvey:

• Beartown by Fredrik Backman (Swedish hockey-town drama, first of a trilogy)
• London Falling by Patrick Radden Keefe - true crime story with a bit of history of London

Jeff:

• Dark Side of the Ring (Vice) - wrestling documentary series
• A specific AEW Collision six-man tag match (Conglomeration vs. Outrunners vs. Dalton Castle) - "sometimes it takes a handful of talented individuals to do the bits right"

• "It's not like there's one great moment of the show — there's multiple moments, which is awesome." - Harvey
• "We need to find something to argue about... there's no conflict." - Jeff, after agreeing on Goose and now Nick Johnson

Personal Notes: Jeff heading to his 30-year high school reunion in Wisconsin; Harvey heading to Disney World.

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After a 6-month hiatus, hosts Harvey Couch and Jeff Kollath return with a packed episode covering Widespread Panic's western tour, a Goose show in Birmingham, and Harvey's surprise announcement: he's running for Midway, Kentucky city council.

Jeff declares Nick Johnson his 2nd favorite guitarist in band history (behind George McConnell) after the Red Rocks run. Both hosts note Nick has moved past "Jimmy copycat" tone into his own sound - compared to Mike Houser's early experimentation with pedals/effects. Harvey: Mike also wasn't perfect, and that unpredictability is part of what's exciting now.

• Postcard after Colorado Music Hall of Fame induction - "grungy and dirty"
• Maggot Brain as a "guitar player showcase song" - Nick "killed it"
• Heroes returned after 105 shows (first since April 2023)
• Stop Go played for first time in ages
• Band inducted into Colorado Music Hall of Fame; jazz tribute set discussed

• Dwayne Betts (local resident) sat in for Mountain Jam and Bowlegged Woman
• Rebirtha discussion: Harvey traces the song's lyric origin to October 2nd, 1994 at Red Mile Racetrack, tied to the MLB strike/lost World Series

• Classic set construction returning: Please opener, mid-set Hatfield, Me and the Devil > Heaven encore
• Second night: rare "I'm So Glad" opener, strong Holden/Impossible run into Rockin' Red > Impossible > Drums > Nobody's Fault > BMD > Chilly Water

Both hosts express excitement about an actual multi-week tour format returning (vs. weekend residencies), creating better flow and unpredictability in setlists. Upcoming: Bend, 3 nights Oakland (Fox Theater), 3 nights LA, a sold-out midweek club show in Sacramento, Atlantic City, Wilmington, 2 nights Mempho, 3 nights Milwaukee (likely Halloween).

The guys have been revisiting summer '96 shows including Tipitina's (6/25-6/26) with no AC, and Cincinnati Zoo, which "crushes everything."

Jeff and Harvey caught Goose at Coca-Cola Amphitheater the week before Panic's shows there. Highlights: Dripfield, Arrow, State of the Art (Jim James cover), big Madhuvan, Jed Stone. Discussion of Goose's family-friendly crowd compared to Panic/Phish shows, and their strong video production quality.

Harvey defends Goose's new record's 80s pop-influenced direction after a conversation with a younger fan who preferred their Dripfield-era sound: "I want to see them evolve, try new things... they might not all work, but why not?"

Harvey announced his candidacy for Midway, Kentucky city council (population 1,600). Key details:

• 8 candidates running for 6 open spots (5 incumbents, 1 open seat)
• Nonpartisan race; election in November
• Campaign site: couchformidway.com
• Ballot position #2
• Hot local issue: whether to allow golf carts on city streets
• Jeff jokingly offers unsolicited campaign advice (union print shops for yard signs)

Harvey (on a reading kick after a Project Hail Mary audiobook):

• The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
• Challenger by Adam Higginbotham (author of Midnight in Chernobyl) - "flushes out" the characters behind NASA's slow march toward disaster

Jeff:

• Star City (Apple TV+) - For All Mankind spinoff following the Soviet space program in an alternate history; no direct crossover needed with the original series

• "I like hearing that they're not a Widespread Panic featuring Jimmy Herring cover band." - Jeff
• "Number 2 on the ballot, number one in your heart." - Harvey on his campaign

Harvey briefly started and ended a board gaming podcast during the hiatus. Harvey will miss Mempho this year due to a 50th birthday trip to Europe with his wife. Both pledge (again) to record more frequently with the band's return to regular touring.

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In episode 144, hosts Harvey Couch and Jeff Kollath recap Widespread Panic's three-night New Year's run at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta (December 29-31, 2024) while addressing news that broke after recording: Jimmy Herring's health issues and Nick Johnson stepping in as guitarist.

Episode recorded January 6th, before Thursday's announcement about Jimmy being unable to tour. Nick Johnson confirmed as touring guitarist.

Billy Strings' Statement: Billy revealed he was on standby for New Year's: "I came ready to play as much or as little as they needed me... Jimmy absolutely killed it... Nick Johnson is an absolute monster on the guitar and will handle the reins until Gandalf the Loud can get back in the saddle."

Night 1 - December 29:

• Billy joined for final portion of second set
• Fishwater > Surprise Valley > Fishwater with tempo changes
• Jimmy and Billy "played around each other" rather than traditional call-and-response

Night 2 - December 30:

• Dark and heavy second set theme
• Jeff's critique: "Jack doesn't work in that second set spot"
• 17-minute Second Skin featured "slinky bass intro" from Schools

Night 3 - New Year's Eve:

• Don't Be Denied acoustic: poignant as always
• NICK JOHNSON DEBUT: Ribs and Whiskey, Tall Boy, Diner - "acquitted himself very well"
• War Pigs: Only second time ever played
• Paranoid: Third time ever (Halloween '87, Halloween '16, NYE '25)
• DISCO HIGHLIGHT: 11-minute version "right up there" with greatest ever

Background: Atlanta-based guitarist, played with Colonel Bruce Hampton, close friends with Duane Trucks

Host Reactions:

• Harvey: hopes Nick "crushes it"
• Jeff: "Curious" about stage presence and gear setup
• Jeff's wishlist: "I hope Nick refuses to play Cosmic Confidante and puts Stop-Go on his must-play list"

Riviera Maya (Jan), Austin (Feb), St. Augustine (Mar), Birmingham (Apr), Jazz Fest, Las Vegas (May), All Good Now Festival (June)

Jeff:

• "I'm Chevy Chase and You're Not" (CNN documentary)
• Allman Betts Family Revival Tour clips with Amanda Shires (Nuggs/YouTube)

Harvey:

• "A Year with C.S. Lewis" daily readings book
• Dry January with non-alcoholic Lagunitas IPAs

• "That's why you stick around to the end. You never saw anything like the other night." - Jeff
• "The one thing Billy Strings doesn't need is to join Widespread Panic." - Jeff

Episode recorded on Mike Houser's birthday (January 6th).

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