Bruce Springsteen, Passaic, NJ, September 21, 1978

Before The Jukebox Blow The Fuse

ARCHIVE RELEASE: Bruce Springsteen, Capitol Theatre, Passaic, NJ, September 21, 1978

By Erik Flannigan

Imagine that years after your favorite television series had ended (be it Seinfeld, The Sopranos, Stath Lets Flats, Twin Peaks or any other), you learned that additional episodes had been shot during the show’s best years and were about to be released in pristine quality. Would it matter that you had already watched dozens of episodes from the same season?

No, you would be thrilled that more of the show you love–a sublime artistic creation for which your fandom had become part of your self identity–was newly available. Let’s say you even had a lower-quality video tape or a pirated download of one of those lost episodes. Would it diminish your interest in an HD version of the lost show, looking even better than the original series ever did?

It’s with that framing we welcome another Darkness tour show to the Live Archive series and complete the Capitol Theatre trifecta with the release of Passaic 9/21/78. It’s the final show of a three-night stand that would be the last small-theatre residency Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band would ever play in the Northeast. Let’s not forget these shows were something of an anomaly at the time, coming after a trio of gigs at the Palladium and the statement-making, three-night stand at iconic Madison Square Garden in New York City, both just a New Jersey Transit ride away.

Bruce was already many times bigger than the Capitol Theatre capacity, but his home state of New Jersey lacked an arena-sized venue until Brendan Byrne opened in 1981. The Passaic shows were a gift to those who lived across the Hudson River and especially fans on the Shore. When Bruce asks during the 9/21 show how many folks in the house are from Asbury Park, the roar is considerable.

The first night of the Passaic run was the legendary September 19 radio broadcast which spiked sales of blank tape in the tri-state area (presumably). That show and the more relaxed second night on September 20, are both essential titles in the Live Archive series. Now, the equally enthralling final concert joins them.

Comparing or ranking masterpieces is a pointless exercise; instead we should be grateful that we can now hear all three Capitol Theatre performances in outstanding, multi-track mix quality. That being said, the three Passaic shows are distinct. 

Night three strikes an appealing balance of intensity and looseness, some of which can be attributed to its proximity to Springsteen’s 29th birthday, which would take place in two days’ time. The fans want to celebrate it and Springsteen lets them: he plays to the crowd and the crowd gives it right back in what might be the most interactive Darkness tour performance to be professionally recorded.

Amidst all the hand-wringing about setlist variations in recent times, some trainspotters have pointed out that for all the adoration showered upon it, the Darkness tour largely stuck to its core set and didn’t offer a great number of changes from show to show. That ignores the fact that when there were multi-night stands like Passaic, Bruce not only made surprise additions (usually covers, see below), but in the days leading up he prepped special material for the run. At the Capitol Theatre this included the return of deep cuts like “Meeting Across The River,” “Incident on 57th Street,” “Kitty’s Back,” and even “The Fever.” 

Those older songs were clearly a nod to longtime fans from the area, but the key setlist-change feature of the Darkness tour was its rock ‘n’ roll jukebox covers: the exceptionally capable E Street Band regularly performed foundational rock songs like “Rave On,” “Heartbreak Hotel,” and “Summertime Blues.” With rollicking reverence, it’s obvious how much pleasure Springsteen got from taking each golden nugget for a ride.

September 21, 1978 was a hot day in New Jersey and the Capitol Theatre was surely warm and sticky when Springsteen kicked off the evening with Jerry Lee Lewis’ “High School Confidential.” This is one of nine performances of the song that year, and marks its first appearance in the Live Archive series.

Later in the first set, we get another Archive series debut cover, Chuck Berry’s “Sweet Little Sixteen,” featuring great baritone saxophone from Clarence Clemons and a spirited vocal from Springsteen that includes the fitting lyrical rewrite, “deep in the heart of Passaic.”

Those are but two highlights in a sterling opening set that also includes the work-in-progress “Independence Day” and an interesting “Prove It All Night.” Max Weinberg drops the beat at the 1:07 mark, and in Jon Altschiller’s detailed mix we hear just how important Clemons’ triangle playing is to the rhythm and tone of the song’s enchanting prelude. Mix inspectors will also likely be pleased with the placement of Danny Federici’s fader throughout the show compared to other ’78 releases.

Set one ends with the perfect pairing of “Meeting Across the River” into “Jungleland.” If we needed further confirmation of Springsteen’s commitment to his performance, we get it in two signature, heightened “Jungleland” vocal lines, as he reaches to his upper range to punctuate “dress in the latest rage” and “desperate as the night moves on.” 

Given how well it worked the night before, the second set opens with a very early “Santa Claus is Coming to Town,” again complete with fake snowfall and Springsteen doing his best Darlene Love imitation at the end. Clemons’ fine percussion playing and some impressive flying cymbal work from Weinberg mark an excellent “Because the Night,” one of five unreleased original songs featured in the 9/21/78 set along with the aforementioned “Independence Day,” “Fire,” “Point Blank” (in a version with great glockenspiel from Federici and piano from Roy Bittan) and “The Fever.” While our familiarity with those songs means we take their inclusion for granted in a 1978 show, if five unreleased originals were to appear in 2024 sets, we’d be soiling ourselves with glee.

The second set features epics, too, including a long “Kitty’s Back,” in which Bittan turns in a solo that’s among his modern-jazziest ever, accented by more cymbal shimmering from Weinberg. Bruce eventually presents the audience with a choice between “The Fever” and “Incident on 57th Street,” but lucky them, he plays both. 

“The Fever” brings another memorable vocal moment, when Springsteen goes on an epic, Van Morrisonesque run through “But I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I — I’M GONNA BE ALRIGHT” at 6:15. Brilliant. As nature intended, “Incident” flows directly into “Rosalita,” and after vamping on the Village People’s “Macho Man” following the introduction of The Big Man, this deeply satisfying second set comes to a close.

The encore is a victory lap and maintains the energy of the main set with more vocal gems like Springsteen putting an exclamation point on his first utterance of “Baby we were BORN TO RUH-UH-UH-UN.” He elects to close the three-show homecoming with the night’s fourth cover, perhaps the most beloved encore song yet to be played in Passaic, Gary U.S. Bonds’ “Quarter To Three.” Led by Clemons’ wailing saxophone, the version runs some ten minutes before Springsteen and the band finally wave goodbye. 

After they leave the stage, someone (promoter John Scher perhaps?) takes to the microphone to say, “It’s been a wonderful three nights. A great way to help Bruce celebrate his birthday.” True, but the real gift of Passaic is the recordings the Record Plant Mobile Truck made of all three nights.


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KPFA Grateful Dead Marathon

This Saturday, March 2nd, everyone is invited to join us in the nugs app for the annual KPFA Grateful Dead Marathon! From 9AM-midnight PT, David Gans and Tim Lynch spin rare, unreleased Grateful Dead recordings, interviews, and more. Enjoy 15 hours of Grateful Dead and Grateful Dead related material,
“putting the FUN in fundraising for KPFA”

The stream is free for everyone. To listen…

  • nugs subscribers: Listen here. If on the web player, click the ‘nugs radio’ icon in the upper right hand corner.
  • non-subscribers: Get the app now for iOS or Android. It’s free to use, and in addition to the 24/7 radio player you also get access to all live audio streams and select shows curated from the archives.

KPFA was the first community-supported radio station in the United States, so as you listen, please consider donating to support their cause and keeping public radio free and righteous. Contributors will have a chance to receive a number of prize packages, including free nugs subscriptions, Dead & Company CD box sets, and more.

The White Stripes: January 2004 London, UK and Paris, FR

An exclusive archive from The White Stripes is now available for streaming in the nugs.net app, featuring one night in London and one night in Paris from early 2004. From long time White Stripes fan Mike on this month’s ‘Third Man Thursday’ releases:

Staring down one of the longest breaks they would have since first taking the stage at the Gold Dollar on Bastille Day 6 years earlier, Jack and Meg return to their “home away from home” in London, before heading to Paris to close out this phase of the Elephant tour at the appropriately named “Zenith”.

Having just completed the filming at Blackpool, rather than rest on their laurels for these final two shows, the band were still pulling out surprises and making each one unique right to the end, with London getting impromptu quotes from George M. Cohan’s The Yankee Doodle Boy and Leadbelly’s Red Bird, and Paris getting a performance of The Kills’ Superstition along with an uber-rare update of Diddy Wah Diddy – a song not performed live since 1999, when the band opened for the great Wayne Kramer.

The London performance would coincide with another milestone, as earlier in the day Jack would sit down for what would end up being the final interview with DJ John Peel, who would pass away later that year.  The two spent the time playing records for each other, chatting about movies, and of course discussing the Stripes’ success – of which Peel certainly played a role in, having hosted the band on his show during their first visit to the UK back in 2001. When asked “So, where do you go next?”, Jack’s response was a mix of relief and closure: “We’re done with ‘Elephant’ and we’re not touring any more on that album. So, I just need a break. We’ve toured the world on it, and I’ve gotta get inspired again.” True to that feeling, the session ends with Jack performing songs solo on the acoustic – including covers of songs by Blanche, Loretta Lynn, and a song that he had written for Cold Mountain which the producers had declined to use.  As if bringing the cycle with Peel full circle, Jack also performed Jack the Ripper, a callback to that first session in 2001, here a stripped-down version played at the DJ’s request.

In a way, the period between that first Peel appearance in July 2001 and the final one in February 2004 was like a 2 ½ year trek up a mountain, where Jack and Meg had gone from being the small band that few had heard about, to an internationally known live act who were days away from completing a successful world tour. Having enjoyed the kind of 360 degree view one would get from the top of a peak by traveling across the globe, it’s fitting that the final show of the tour would be at a venue named The Zenith.  And while the performance in London happened to coincide with a final visit with Peel, who had helped kick off a sort of reverse Beatlemania for the band (the final interview also taking place on the 35th anniversary of the Beatles final live performance on the Apple rooftop), the performance in Paris just so happened to take place on the eve of La Chandeleur, the French observation of Candlemas, which marks the end of the Christmas period.  One last day on tour, before the decorations finally get taken down.

And just as soon as they finished in Paris, they would fly to Los Angeles for the Grammys on February 8th, exactly 1 year and a day after the first live preview of Elephant at London’s Electric Cinema. Putting on the red and black trousers one last time, the band tore through an epic Seven Nation Army, complete with a surprise version of Death Letter included within it.  A watershed moment, capped off by Seven Nation Army winning “Best Rock Song”, and Elephant winning “Best Alternative Music Album”.

The significance of the Grammys performance mirrors that of the first Peel broadcast. Where one was like a secret transmission audible only to those in the know, the other was a takeover of every channel on the dial, an instant conversion of the masses. It’s a funny thing when a band spends a year touring, and then has a moment like that, right as they go off the road.  As if they should get right back out there and do it all again, to capitalize on that momentum.  How many times have you seen a band suddenly become that visible (just days later, SNL would even make a sketch about them), only to look up their touring schedule and find out that they had already come around months, if not a year earlier?  And for the fans who were there from the beginning, it’s as if now suddenly the entire world sees what you knew all along. Random co-workers ask if you’ve heard of this band. Relatives and friends tell you that they saw that group you like on TV.  It’s one thing to reach a peak when only a few people know about it.  When now everyone knows about it, that’s the true zenith.  

1/30/04 London
Brixton Academy

Listen to the show here.

Returning to the city where Elephant was recorded, Brixton Academy joins the Masonic in Detroit and the Aragon in Chicago as one of the three venues to get a repeat visit on the Elephant tour. Having previously broadcast a performance at the Academy when they last visited in April 2003, the release here closes the gap of 2004 being the only year when they played in the UK not to have some kind of “Live in London” out there.  Like the December 2001 broadcast, where the band had also played London earlier in that tour and then came back for a closing show, this show feels a lot like a radio broadcast that never was, a perfect encore performance capturing the band putting on a near-flawless set. After the openers of Black Math and Dead Leaves, Jack greets the crowd with “London! Our home away from home!” and it’s right into When I Hear My Name, which features an impromptu verse from George M. Cohan’s The Yankee Doodle Boy, complete with Jack modifying the lyrics to reference his own birthday “A real life nephew of my Uncle Sam, Born on the 9th of July!”.  While the UK had adopted them as family, an unabashed reminder of their American roots. The ending of the song features a frantic run of soloing with the whammy, which like the inclusion of Leadbelly’s Redbird in I Think I Smell A Rat, is proof of just how much they still had left in the tank, even as they prepared to close out the tour.  Listen for Jack singing along to the end of In the Cold Cold Night, and Meg returning the favor by again singing along during This Protector, where you can just about hear a pin drop in the venue. The main set goes out heavy with Ball and Biscuit, with amateur video of the performance showing Jack close the song by thrashing around next to Meg’s kit, even knocking a stand over, before going to the floor and letting the feedback ring out as he leaves the stage.  Before Seven Nation Army, Jack asks “Is everybody friends with the person next to them? You make sure of that now. Cuz Meg and I aren’t leaving until every one of you get a friend on either side of you, okay?”  The version of Seven Nation Army here features the opening line of “I’m gonna kiss ’em off” which was unique to the three London shows. Before closing with Boll Weevil, Jack introduces it as “an old song”, as if now officially able to refer to the days before Elephant as being from another time in the band’s history.  Even though this is the end of the tour, they leave the stage letting the crowd know that they won’t be gone too long: “We’ll see you guys at Reading and Leeds festivals in August, all right?”

2/1/04 Paris
Le Zenith

Listen to the show here.

With a 6 month break just days away, it’s fitting that the final show of the tour opens with the line “When I hear my name, I want to disappear” and closes with “I just don’t know what to do with myself”.  Having ended their first show in Paris back in 2001 with Jack proclaiming “Lafayette, we have returned!”, he couldn’t have predicted just how far the band would rise since then, as he tells the audience at the Zenith, “Good Lord, there’s so many of you!”.  No doubt happy to be closing out the tour, there is a feeling of movement in this show, as the band confidently go from song to song.  Listen as Meg enters early in Love Sick, with Jack giving an audible “Yeah!” in approval.  There’s another moment like this during Ball and Biscuit, with Jack heard asking for “just one now” and Meg responding with a single hit on the drums, right on time.  Perfect reminders of just how tightly connected the two were on stage.  While many of the familiar songs in the set would carry over into the band’s eventual return in August, In the Cold Cold Night would get its final performance of the year, not to be performed again until the Get Behind Me Satan tour in 2005.  And even though the set is mostly filled with songs that they had played dozens of times on the tour, many of the performances feel as if updated for the occasion of this being the last show. During I Fought Piranhas, the line “Who puts up a fight walking out of hell?” never sounded so appropriate, and the version of The Same Boy You’ve Always Known is played as if having been written for that moment when it’s time to say goodbye.  Never ones to go quietly, Cannon gets a rare inclusion of Diddy Wah Diddy, a song only played one other time back in 1999, and gets followed by The Big Three Killed My Baby with Jack riffing on everything from George Bush, the auto companies, and a declaration that “America’s mind is lazy!” before going into a chant of “I’m about to tell the news Meg!” – thoroughly getting it all in for this final performance.  After Jack the Ripper they also slot in an impromptu cover of the song Superstition by The Kills. Unlike the quote of the song at LA on 9/22/03, here it gets played complete with the original riff.  In the encores, Lafayette Blues serves as the perfect setup before they close the show with I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself, with Jack thanking France for being “the country that produced Michel Gondry”.  Having now wrapped a year’s worth of touring going out on a high at the Zenith, the farewell of “My sister thanks you, and I thank you! Good night Paris!” is delivered as if literally shouted from the top of a mountain. 


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Straight From the Fans: January 2024

Welcome to the inaugural edition of ‘Straight From the Fans’! We love reading about fans’ experiences about both attending and listening to shows – and it’s those transcendent moments of joy and revelation shared that keeps the music discovery going! Each month we’ll curate a list of ten of our favorite fan reviews left in the nugs app, showcasing the best of recent shows and archival releases from the month.

Want to be featured in the future? You’ve got the mic. Share your show-going and listening experiences with us on any live recording in the nugs.net catalog when you subscribe or purchase a download. From any show page in the app or the web player, just hit that “+ Add Review” button and drop your thoughts.

Without further ado…Straight From the Fans: January 2024!

Click on each image to listen to the show.

Bruce Springsteen, Akron, Ohio September 25th, 1996

A One-Way Ticket To The Promised Land

ARCHIVE RELEASE: Bruce Springsteen, E.J. Thomas Performing Arts Center, Akron, OH, September 25, 1996

By Erik Flannigan

Those of us who like to discuss Bruce Springsteen’s touring history often focus on a show’s narrative arc. Through his setlist choices and order, what story is he telling?

Tours tied to his new studio albums often start as showcases for that particular work and its ideas, but after several months on the road song selections turn wide ranging, at times drifting far from the shore to which they were originally docked.

The Ghost of Tom Joad tour is Springsteen’s purest in terms of holding onto its vision and telling its story night after night. That the tour eventually spanned three calendar years stands as a testament to how satisfying Springsteen found solo work and the songs he was performing. 

The tour launched in late 1995 and those early sets offered a heaping helping of tracks from the album. By the time he reached Akron ten months later–a point at which deviation from the norm would be underway on most tours–Springsteen was digging even deeper into this music’s wellspring.

Akron begins with a staggering debut performance that immediately validates the inclusion of the show in the Live Archive series. Springsteen had been invited to appear at a special Woody Guthrie tribute concert in Cleveland on September 29, in preparation for which he performed the folk legend’s “Tom Joad” to open the Akron set.

With command and focus, Springsteen breathes new life into Guthrie’s murder ballad about the plight of the poor heading west in the Dust Bowl era. The song is a darker, spiritual companion to Springsteen’s own “The Ghost of Tom Joad,” and the two share key words and phrases in their final verses. While the film adaption of John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath was a major reference for Springsteen’s “Joad” lyrics, the inspiration and influence of Guthrie’s “Tom Joad” is there too, and not just in the title track but across the album, and even as far back as Nebraska, where its style and shape inform compositions like “Johnny 99” and “Reason to Believe.”

From that unprecedented start, Springsteen moves purposefully through the weighty Joad tour set, which offers little in the way of fan service but remains unquestionable in its musical artistry. The seventh song, “Nebraska,” starts with a high-vocal musical prelude that drifts into the somber harmonica line, setting the dark scene that’s about to unfold. It’s a stark, intimate reading that ends with Springsteen subtly shifting into a character voice for the harrowing final line: “I guess there’s just a meanness in this world.”

The first half of the set includes “It’s the Little Things That Count” and “Red Headed Woman,” which bring welcome levity, before the fitting pairing of “Shut Out the Light” and “Born in the U.S.A.” Springsteen performs the b-side with feeling and fragility, while the A-side rides bluesy guitar slides in a swaggering reading that plays more as a cautionary tale than ever before.

A second high-vocal intro comes ahead of another Nebraska track, “Reason to Believe,” missing its original and thematically contrasting musical lilt, replaced here by a somber tone that’s chilling in spots. No one will misread the meaning of this version.

The main set heads towards conclusion on the back of five stellar performances from Joad starting with “Youngstown” (just 50 miles from Akron), “Sinaloa Cowboys,” “The Line,” the rarely performed “The New Timer” and finally a glimmer of hope from “Across The Border.” 

After delivering the set’s central themes completely on his own terms, Springsteen acknowledges the Akron audience’s patience and respect with the rousing return of “Does This Bus Stop at 82nd Street?” The song dates back to his own time as a Greenwich Village troubadour and is a fitting inclusion in an evening of folk music. A sweet “This Hard Land” further rewards fan faith, and the good vibes continue on a quick rip through “No Surrender,” a song about the bonds of friendship and what matters in the face of hardship.

“I appreciate coming out here and having the room to play like this,” Springsteen says sincerely in the encore. However one feels today about the music he was performing circa 1995-97, it meant everything to Springsteen. In early 1995 he was at a crossroads, having effectively finished a solo album in the vein of “Streets of Philadelphia,” only to pivot suddenly and reconvene the E Street Band to record new music and promote Greatest Hits. But that year, Springsteen ultimately rediscovered himself as a solo artist through The Ghost of Tom Joad album and tour.

If we support the idea that he had to make Nebraska before he entered the inevitable superstar spotlight with Born in the U.S.A., Springsteen needed to write, record and perform Tom Joad songs on his own before he could reunite with the E Street Band. This Akron recording is a compelling chronicle of that journey, including one key piece of the original source material. 

Addio alla tua cara mamma
Adele Springsteen 1925-2024


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The White Stripes: January 2004 Glasgow, Scotland

An exclusive archive from The White Stripes is now available for streaming in the nugs.net app, featuring a two night stand in Glasgow from January 2004. From long time White Stripes fan Mike on this month’s ‘Third Man Thursday’ releases:

January 2004: Glasgow, Scotland

Scottish Nation Army

Just weeks after the New Years Eve show in Chicago, the band were back across the pond once more, to perform a final run of concerts in the UK and France.  These shows in Glasgow took place at the midpoint of the tour, and were the last stop before they’d be under the lights and the cameras at Blackpool.  Being of Scottish descent, Jack and Meg were back in “the homeland”, playing to audiences of 5,000 fellow Scots in the aptly-named Hall 3 of the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre.  On a tour where each show was a consistently excellent performance, what makes the Glasgow concerts special is that together they represent the moment when Seven Nation Army officially became an anthem.

While already on a steady path through the stadiums of Europe, the now ubiquitous “Seven Nation Army” riff had already been chanted by audiences at the band’s live shows pretty much right from the first time it was performed live. Having been released to radio just weeks before the start of the Elephant tour in February 2003, crowds quickly went from clapping in time to the riff at the opening show in Wolverhampton, to singing along to the riff at Manchester the very next night. Nearly a year later, and it’s at the first night in Glasgow where the participation from the audience would reach a kind of critical mass.  With so many versions played at the shows before this, the ones at Glasgow are different.  On the recording from the first night, you can even hear Jack’s reaction as he starts the song and the crowd of 5,000 immediately begin chanting the riff in unison, causing him to delay his entry into the first verse. The very next night, the crowd would do it again. Where other audiences may have chanted the riff or sung the lyrics to the first line before respectfully getting out of the way so as to enjoy the rest of the song, Glasgow is the moment when the audience didn’t get out of the way.  Like a Scottish war cry, the audiences here aren’t just singing along, the band and the crowd are performing the song together.  

As if the universe couldn’t possibly let this kind of moment happen without also letting its polar opposite exist within the same time and space, the triumph of the Seven Nation Army chant at Glasgow is met with an equally unique moment from the crowd, as it’s at the first show where a member of the audience throws a shoe which hits Jack square in the face during the encore of “I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself.” Rather than let it ruin the evening, Jack responds by immediately launching into a defiant Astro and Jack the Ripper, with the audience roaring in approval in the background.  Having completely erased any impact from the incident, he then closes the show by restarting “I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself,” not missing a beat, with the audience again right there and singing along to every word.

After that first show, in an almost too-good-to-be-true coincidence, the second performance in Glasgow just happened to take place on Burns Night, the annual celebration of the birth of Scottish poet Robert Burns, the author of Auld Lang Syne. One of the most recognized songs in the world, the poem that Burns wrote was originally put to a different melody, but as it spread it eventually evolved into the song now known the world over, which gets sung every year on New Year’s Eve.  As eloquent as the lyrics to that song are, many only get as far as the opening line of “Should auld acquaintance be forgot” before losing track of the words that follow, while the melody has a more permanent place in our collective consciousness, instantly recognizable from the very first notes.  At some point, after a song reaches that level of popularity, it becomes a kind of folk music, where the people singing it, or chanting it, get to decide what the song means, or how it should be sung.  Once that happens, it doesn’t really matter what the words are.  Sound familiar?

1/24/04 GlasgowScottish Exhibition and Conference CentreLISTEN NOW

Kicking off the only two-night stand of the tour to take place entirely on a weekend, the band return to Scotland with an epic show. As much as this one is all about the band’s excellent performance, it’s perhaps the audience who steal the show.  You can hear them in full force from the very beginning, singing along to lines in “Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground,” “Hotel Yorba,” and even singing along to the melodies of “In the Cold, Cold Night and I Think I Smell a Rat.”  No surprise that they turn “Seven Nation Army” into a definitive moment where the sound of the crowd chanting is nearly as powerful as the sound of the band playing the song. The setlist also features multiple rarities, with “Stop Breaking Down” getting the first airing since the Livid Festival performance at Melbourne, complete with the adlib of Stones “In My Passway” by Robert Johnson. This night also gets an even more rare outing of “You’ve Got Her In Your Pocket,” followed by the final live performance of “Hypnotize.”  Reflecting the intimacy and connection so present at this show, “We’re Going to Be Friends” gets dedicated to the red headed women and soccer players with long black hair in the crowd, which elicits an audible laugh from Meg.  While a shoe-throwing attendee could have otherwise spoiled such a special show by hitting Jack in the face during the encore of “I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself,” the band respond defiantly with a fantastic “Astro” and “Jack the Ripper,” before calmly returning to the song to close the show, again to full audience singalong.  

1/25/04 GlasgowScottish Exhibition and Conference CentreLISTEN NOW

Night 2, and the band put the jukebox on shuffle. The fantastic run starting with “When I Hear My Name” goes all the way through a cover of Dylan’s “Outlaw Blues,” with the line “I might look like Jacky White, but I feel like Jesse James”, into “Cannon,” which includes the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ “Man,” “St James Infirmary,” “I Think I Smell a Rat,” and “Take a Whiff On Me” before returning to the “Cannon” solo and closing out with a single riff from “Ball and Biscuit.”  The rarities continue at this show, as an excellent “Suzy Lee” gets followed by a funny moment where Jack briefly forgets the name of the song after it, “This one is called….uh, what is this called?…Truth Doesn’t Make a Noise!” “The Hardest Button to Button” gets the always welcome “brain that felt like peanut butter” line, and just as the audience singalongs were the highlight of the first night, here it’s the singalong that Jack and Meg do together on “This Protector,” making it perhaps the very best version of this understated song that you’re likely to hear. As the band plow through the rest of the excellent set, “Offend In Every Way” jump-cuts into “You’re Pretty Good Looking,” just as the beginning of “Union Forever” cuts to “Baby Blue,” which in turn gives way to “Ball and Biscuit” and “Screwdriver” to close the main set.  Before “Seven Nation Army,” Jack declares the Scottish crowd the best in the world, with the song again featuring the now mandatory chanting from the crowd, before the band close the show with “Boll Weevil.”  Next stop, Blackpool Lights.  


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Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Cardiff, Wales July 23, 2013

Prime Time First Run

ARCHIVE RELEASE: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales, July 23, 2013

By Erik Flannigan

There comes a point in every Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band tour when caution is thrown to the wind in terms of the setlist. While the spine of the show can remain intact, the number of changes from night to night goes up and the choices veer towards the daring.

The Wrecking Ball tour was the peak of the sign-request era, when fans in the audience asked for specific songs to be played by holding up signs that Bruce would see, collect, and from which he would typically grant wishes.

Sporadic sign requests go back decades at Springsteen concerts and have been acknowledged occasionally through the years. But on the Magic tour the practice became part of the fabric of the show, with Bruce acknowledging and de facto encouraging the practice. As soon as he threw down the gauntlet, “try to stump the E Street Band,” the audience upped its game.

The aforementioned point was in the rear view mirror when Springsteen rolled into Cardiff, Wales for a July 23, 2003 show at Millenium Stadium. This second European loop behind Wrecking Ball kept the spotlight on the album: these versions of “Death to My Hometown,” “We Take Care of Our Own,” “Pay Me My Money Down,” “Shackled and Drawn” and the title track still bristle with energy and purpose. Springsteen’s commitment to the Wrecking Ball album was undeniable every night.

But beyond set-closing and encore staples, everything else in 2013 sets was  for grabs, duly illustrated by the contrast between Cardiff and the previously Archive Series-released Leeds July 24 set, just 24 hours apart.

Bruce swaps 16 tunes from Cardiff to Leeds, playing 49 different tracks across the two nights. The first 11 slots in each set share only two tracks in common, one of which is the not-exactly-ordinary “Roulette,” aired just 16 times in the Reunion era.

That sense of “anything can happen” at a Springsteen show is thrilling to experience, both for the chance to hear long-lost favorites and to witness extraordinary musicians tap their collective history and muscle memory as they rise to each sign challenge. Sure, they nail some more squarely than others, but on a night like they had in Cardiff, ragged but right prevails.

Before we get to the true chestnuts, Cardiff commences with “This Little Light of Mine ” from the Seeger Sessions (it is also reprised in the encore), lending a spiritual revival vibe to what was a warm and balmy day in the Wales capital. “Long Walk Home” keeps the rejuvenating spirit flowing and works great this early in the set. How nice would it be to see this underappreciated song return to 2024 sets?

The band (and especially the horn section) get cooking on a stomping “Adam Raised a Cain” that goes to extra time as sign requests are collated. “We’ll do an easy one first,” says Springsteen before another Darkness classic, “Prove It All Night,” performed straight down the line.

The requests then move from easy to unimaginable. “This has never been played… partly because it’s ridiculous. Completely ridiculous. It’s a very silly song,” Springsteen says as he flips a sign that says “Seaside Bar Song” on one side to reveal “TV Movie” on the other. The Born in the U.S.A. outtake had been rumored for years and was even namechecked by Max Weinberg as a memorable leftover before being released on Tracks in 1998. It’s one in a long line of sell-deprecating tales like “Local Hero” that take shots at what stardom gets reduced to.

ARCHIVE RELEASE: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales, July 23, 2013

Springsteen holds a few moments to try the song out and find the key, then says, “The Professor’s very important on this” (only to say the opposite during the song) before gamely launching into the roots rocker. After a wobble or two Springsteen and the band get it to ride pretty smoothly, though he does say at the end, “You heard it first. You heard it last.”

Whether your response to “TV Movie” is “That was fun!” or “WTF?,” that Springsteen and the band are confident enough to play a song on the spur of the moment that they recorded in just a few takes 30 years prior is pretty fucking awesome in the grand scheme of things. A triple-shot of Tracks ensues with “TV Movie” followed by the charming “Cynthia,” another BIUSA outtake, and River holdover “Roulette.”

After a mid-set pass through Wrecking Ball material, “Spirit in the Night,” “Hungry Heart” and “My City of Ruins,” another surprise. “I have a friend who’s going to sit in tonight,” Springsteen says. “When I was trying to get that guitar out of Western Auto, it was because I wanted to play and sing like this guy.”

His heartfelt words were for Eric Burdon, leader of The Animals, who takes the stage to sing “We Gotta Get Out of This Place.” Back in 1975-77, Springsteen’s cover of The Animals’ “It’s My Life” (written by the late Carl D’Errico) was a centerpiece of his live shows. In November 1976 at the Palladium in New York City, “We Gotta Get Out of This Place” became another classic Animals cover in the E Street repertoire. At the special 2012 SXSW performance in Austin that helped usher in the Wrecking Ball era, Burdon joined Springsteen and the band to sing his classic. In Wales they did one more time with aplomb.

Inspired by the moment, Springsteen calls for another sixties blues banger, John Lee Hooker’s “Boom Boom,” best known on E Street from its Tunnel of Love tour appearances which also featured a horn section. Energy from an excellent reading lingers and “Cadillac Ranch” keeps the engine chugging on a warm summer night, riding some especially hot guitar work from Stevie Van Zandt and solo turns from Soozie Tyrell and Jake Clemons.

Now in the zone, Springsteen moves seamlessly from “Cadillac Ranch” to “Summertime Blues,” with Stevie deputizing admirably on backing vocals for the late Clarence Clemons. There’s more good Van Zandt business on “You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch),” which keeps up the breakneck pace for the fourth straight song before the gas pedal is eased for “Pay Me My Money Down” and “Shackled and Drawn.” The set returns to previously scheduled programming through “Badlands” to close the main set.

A compelling 10-song encore opens with a rare-for-the-tour “Tougher Than the Rest,” played only six times circa 2012-’13. With Patti Scialfa away, interestingly it’s Van Zandt who fills the essential backing vocal with support from Tyrell, creating a distinct version of the song that’s well worth a listen. The evening’s fifth and final River song (not counting “Roulette”) features another unusual switcheroo as Roy Bittan plays the customary organ solo in “I’m a Rocker” on piano.

Following a lively reprise of “This Little Light of Mine” that feels like the last song of the night, Springsteen returns to the stage to close with a solo acoustic version of yet another Born in the U.S.A. outtake, “Janey, Don’t You Lose Heart,” rearranged with tender melancholy and used as a prelude to “Thunder Road” into which it melts. The Born to Run opener is performed beautifully unaffected and the result is an especially poignant and lovely cap to a night of welcome surprises.


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Top Streamed Shows of 2023

2023 was a banner year of touring for many of our artists, with the app boasting nearly 3,000 shows from 2023 available for streaming. Among the myriad of standout moments, we’ve gathered the most-listened-to shows as determined by you, the fans!

From the last bow on Dead & Company’s Final Tour to Goosemas, Metallica’s M72 World Tour kick off and Bruce Springsteen’s New Jersey homecoming, there’s something for all tastes in this list. Dig into each artist’s catalog and discover new favorites with these as a jumping-off point. There’s so much to uncover from the year in live music!

The official and professionally-mixed audio from all these concerts are available to stream in the nugs app. Sign up for a free trial to listen, or for a limited time, save on a year of streaming with our Year End Sale!


2023’s Top Streamed Shows:

(In order of most listens in 2023, including shows from 2023 and New Year’s 2022. Inclusions are capped at one show per artist.)

#1. Dead and Company: Jul 16, 2023

Oracle Park, San Francisco, CA

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#2. Billy Strings: Dec 31, 2022

UNO Lakefront Arena, New Orleans, LA

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#3. Widespread Panic: Oct 28, 2023

Enmarket Arena, Savannah, GA

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#4. Goose: Dec 9, 2023

Hampton Coliseum, Hampton, VA

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#5. Billy & The Kids: Apr 27, 2023

Saenger Theatre, New Orleans, LA

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#6. Orebolo: Jun 10, 2023

Chautauqua Auditorium, Boulder, CO

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#7. Bruce Springsteen: Sep 3, 2023

MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ

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#8. Joe Russo’s Almost Dead: Jan 29, 2023

Capitol Theatre, Port Chester, NY

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#9. The String Cheese Incident: Oct 28, 2023

Suwannee Hulaween, Live Oak, FL

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#10. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard: Jun 11, 2023

The Salt Shed, Chicago, IL

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#11. Gov’t Mule: Aug 7, 2023

Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO

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#12. The Disco Biscuits: Oct 28, 2023

Capitol Theatre, Port Chester, NY

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#13. Pearl Jam: Aug 31, 2023

Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, MN

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#14. My Morning Jacket: Nov 11, 2023

Chciago Theatre, Chicago, IL

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#15. Greensky Bluegrass: Dec 31, 2022

The Tabernacle, Atlanta, GA

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#16. Bobby Weir & Wolf Bros: Sep 28, 2023

Pier Six Pavilion, Baltimore, MD

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#17. Umphrey’s McGee: Dec 31, 2022

Coca-Cola Roxy, Atlanta, GA

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#18. Metallica: Apr 27, 2023

Johan Cruijff Arena, Amsterdam, NLD

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#19. Twiddle: Nov 26, 2023

Capitol Theatre, Port Chester, NY

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#20. Kitchen Dwellers: Aug 26, 2023

Bridger Brewing, Three Forks, MT

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#21. Daniel Donato: Jul 23, 2023

The Double E Performance Center, Essex Junction, VT

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Stream all these shows and more with a free 7-day trial, or jump on our Year End Sale – offer ends January 17th.

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, E. Rutherford, NJ, July 15, 1999

I Hear The Guitars Ringin’ Out Again

ARCHIVE RELEASE: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Continental Airlines Arena, E. Rutherford, NJ, July 15, 1999

By Erik Flannigan

When news first emerged in late 1989 that the E Street Band had been dismissed indefinitely by Bruce Springsteen, it began nine years of uncertainty and speculation as to when, if ever, they would join forces again. They did come back together to record new material for Greatest Hits in 1995 and undertook a small series of promotional appearances in support of it, but the fact that they parted ways again without touring only made the odds of a full return feel even longer.

It was the release of Tracks box set in 1998 that would ultimately serve as the catalyst for what Shore Fire Media’s December 8, 1998 press release deemed was indeed a “reunion tour.” Our long, cold E Street winter was finally coming to an end, but not before Bruce and the band took the unprecedented step of starting a tour in Europe, which meant U.S. audiences would have to wait until summer to see their heroes.

This is the backdrop to July 15, 1999, the first U.S. arena show of the Reunion era and the earliest professional recording of the tour. Having been fortunate enough to attend the show, I can attest to the heightened anticipation in the building before the house lights went down, excitement you can hear just before Springsteen says, “Good evening, New Jersey. We’re gonna bring it to you.”

What follows is an exemplary and evolving performance that finds the men and women of E Street road-tested and ready for action, playing a 26-song set that follows the structural blueprint that would underpin the entire Reunion tour.

ARCHIVE RELEASE: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Continental Airlines Arena, E. Rutherford, NJ, July 15, 1999

Born in the U.S.A. outtake and Tracks-essential “My Love Will Not Let You Down” opens the show, captured in an appealingly guitar-soaked mix by Jon Altschiller. For those of us seeing the Reunion tour for the first time, a triple whammy was in play: the E Street Band was back on stage for the first time since 1988; Stevie Van Zandt was standing stage left, officially rejoined after a 17-year absence, and Springsteen was playing outtakes many of us never dreamed would feature in a setlist, let alone open a show.  

It wasn’t just Van Zandt who “might have been right all these years” about Springsteen’s treasure trove of previously unreleased material: here was “My Love Will Not Let You Down” (which, like other songs here, had circulated in mediocre sound among collectors on cassette in the mid-1980s) serving as the show’s storming start. 

The first six songs of the set are sharp and provide endearing showcase moments to members of the band: Clarence Clemons blasting a big solo on “The Promised Land,” Stevie sharing vocals on “Two Hearts,” Nils Lofgren doing the same on “Darlington County,” Roy Bittan leading “Darkness on the Edge of Town” while Max Weinberg pounds away on drums, and Phantom Dan Federici pulling out the accordion for the first time in decades on a rearranged “Mansion on the Hill” which spotlights Miss Patti Scialfa on backing vocals.

Reunion needed to strike a balance between familiar and fresh and Springsteen largely got it right. Eight songs had never featured in an E Street Band show before 1999, including wonderful Tracks-liberated outtakes “My Love Won’t Let You Down” and “Where The Bands Are,” which was arguably even a bigger jaw-dropper to hear live having been cut for The River. Another BIUSA outtake, “Murder Incorporated,” had already become a showstopper in Europe; with nine-cylinder E Street power, it crushes here.

An electrified “Youngstown,” a faithful “The Ghost of Tom Joad” and a stately reading of the Oscar-winning “Streets of Philadelphia” (with solemn backing vocals from Van Zandt) brought Springsteen’s recent solo work into the fold, while vocal turns from Nils, Steve, Patti and Clarence recast “If I Should Fall Behind” from 1992’s Lucky Town as an E Street spiritual.

The encore features two other newcomers: the Joad-tour bred “Freehold,” Springsteen’s hilarious and poignant hometown confessional, and the first new E Street Band original of the Reunion era, “Land of Hope and Dreams,” which doubled as a mission statement for the entire tour and resurrection of the band.

The rest of the set is composed of classics and album cuts, some substantially rearranged like “The River,” while others offered nifty, subtle changes like the intros to “Darkness on the Edge of Town” and “Working on the Highway.” A feeling of renewed commitment even comes across in every-nighters like “Out in the Street,” “Born to Run” and “Bobby Jean” which are played reverently at this point in the tour. 

This recording’s hot guitar mix and a strong lead vocal give “Backstreets” a charge of vitality and the fiery performance make this one of the night’s standouts. Similarly, “Badlands” is buzzed by electric guitars, reinvigorated to the point where you sense the joy that the E Street Band is feeling to play it together again.

Because it stands as the start of Springsteen’s modern era, our perception of the Reunion tour is well established 24 years later. But listening to this earliest U.S. performance, the rebirth of the E Street Band is more thrilling to hear than you may remember.


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The White Stripes: Chicago, IL, New Years Eve, 2003

An exclusive archive from The White Stripes is now available for streaming in the nugs.net app, featuring a New Years Eve performances from Chicago, IL. From long time White Stripes fan Mike on this month’s ‘Third Man Thursday’ releases:

New Years Eve 2003: A Finale With Friends

To close out the 20th anniversary of the 2003 Elephant tour, it’s only fitting to go out big, just as the band did. For the final Third Man Thursday of 2023, here is the White Stripes New Year’s Eve concert from 2003, back at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago.  A special performance to finish the year, featuring a little help from some friends, and artwork from longtime Stripes-collaborator Rob Jones.

12/31/03 Chicago: Aragon Ballroom – LISTEN NOW

What to say about 2003?  Over 100 days of shows played across 5 continents. In clubs, theaters, sports arenas. At festivals, on the radio, on TV, at a primary school.  A music video showing a girl with a broken wrist. A music video showing a boy with a broken finger.  A record that turned from Gold into Platinum (and went double platinum earlier this year).  Planes, trains, and automobiles. Interviews, interviews, interviews.  And still, no two performances or setlists ever alike.

Here is the final show of the year, with the White Stripes bringing the Elephant back into the room at the Aragon. With parts of this show broadcast live on CNN, the return to Chicago was a party on a grand stage to close out a grand year, shared with a global audience of millions.

For this special occasion, the band had brought along two groups of friends. The first opening act on this night was the band Blanche, who’s members shared a history with Jack going all the way back to Goober & The Peas and Two Star Tabernacle. A cover of Blanche’s song “Who’s to Say” was featured on the single for “I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself”, and they would be joining the band on the upcoming January tour of the UK.

The second openers on the bill were the Flaming Lips, a group who also had a connection with the band. While the Stripes had spent 2003 unleashing Elephant on the world, the Flaming Lips were also on the road, helping Yoshimi battle those Pink Robots.  It would be at a show in Detroit the year before, where the Lips were playing as both opener and backing band for Beck (just as they would at this show for the Stripes), where Jack would present frontman Wayne Coyne with a gift that would be memorialized in the song “Thank You Jack White (For The Fiber-Optic Jesus That You Gave Me)”.  After Jack had injured his finger in the car accident in July, the first concert that the Stripes would have to cancel would be the T In the Park festival in Scotland. It would be the Flaming Lips who would fill in for the band, taking to the stage dressed in red and white and opening with a reworked cover of “Seven Nation Army”, featuring lyrics that included bits from the Butthole Surfers’ “Moving to Florida”, which you can just make out on the performance of the song here, with Jack sharing the verses with Coyne, who can be heard singing through a megaphone, complete with air-raid siren.

The New Year’s Eve show is a wonderful capture of lightning in the bottle for both the White Stripes and the Flaming Lips. While the Stripes and their minimalism would be on their way to the UK to immortalize the power of simplicity on film, the Lips would soon be bound for Coachella, with animal costumes, floodlights, fake blood, and a space bubble in tow.

From the very start of the Stripes performance on this New Year’s Eve, there’s an audible sense of joy, with the band no doubt refreshed after having had a month off since the end of the November leg.  Perhaps not surprising that the set here leans heavily on pre-Elephant tracks, including a few callbacks to the last time they played the Aragon on 7/2, by opening with “When I Hear My Name” in place of “Black Math”, and featuring adlibs of “Aluminum” and “Cool Drink of Water Blues.” The setlist is a perfect summary to close the year, featuring a little bit from every era of the band’s history, with a song like “The Big Three Killed My Baby” brought current with an adlib commenting on the ever-present political climate of the time.

The version of “We’re Going To Be Friends” is simply beautiful, with the Flaming Lips providing gentle backup on guitar and bass, while frontman Coyne can be seen in the footage from the show giving Jack a hug mid-song, smearing fake blood on his shirt.  And of course that Stripes/Lips Seven Nation Army mashup, kicking off the New Year as a shower of red, white, and black balloons were dropped from the ceiling onto the crowd.  This show is a fitting celebration to close out 2003, complete with party favors, as attendees were given a small viewfinder which showed a message of “Happy New Year 2004 from the White Stripes”.  

While it was the end of an incredible year, the Elephant tour wasn’t quite at the finish line just yet, with more shows to come in January.  As Jack would say after “Seven Nation Army”, now officially in 2004, “Well, we can’t stop now, right?”


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Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Philadelphia, 10/14/2009

In The Darkness I Hear Somebody Call My Name

ARCHIVE RELEASE: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Wachovia Center, Philadelphia, PA, October 14, 2009

By Erik Flannigan

The third and final leg of the Working On a Dream tour wrapped 25 months of near-continuous touring for Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. The run started in support of 2007’s Magic, while 2009 was in service of its aforenamed follow-up.

With so many gigs already under their belts and multiple passes through key markets, Springsteen was looking for a way to shake things up. “We were trying to [do] some things that would make these last series of shows special for our fans,” he tells the Philly faithful gathered in what was once simply called The Spectrum — and home to some of the band’s greatest arena shows.

The idea they settled on was to perform his classic albums in full. On this night the selection is Darkness on the Edge of Town, “a record that means a great, great deal to me,” Springsteen says. “I think it summarized a lot of things that were going on in the world that I was in at the time. When it came out…it wasn’t greeted right away with the kind of affection that it’s gained over the years. People didn’t initially know quite what to make of it.”

While he has alluded to it before, Springsteen’s point of view that the album took time to resonate is fascinating to reconsider. In hindsight, it feels like Darkness on the Edge of Town was a seminal album from the start, but its status was earned over time, due in no small part to the songs, “being in our setlist…night after night for [33] years.”

A full performance of Darkness on the Edge of Town is the centerpiece of this fine October 14, 2009 set, part of a four-show stand that would mark Springsteen’s farewell performances at the legendary Spectrum.

As Springsteen notes, Darkness songs have been a persistent force in his setlists for decades, but this in-sequence reading resets our perspective on the material. “Badlands” is returned to a starting role opening the album, and there’s still bite in the old warhorse, aided by an exuberant audience reaction and singalong.

Sonic sharpness continues through a seamless transition to “Adam Raised a Cain.” The guitar tone is spot on, especially the solo, and Springsteen sings with conviction that belies the years that have passed since the song was written. From the angst of “Adam Raised a Cain” is the majestic “Something in the Night,” led by Roy Bittan’s emotional piano part. 

Next, “Candy’s Room” combines the prettiness of “Something” and the edge of “Adam” into one of Springsteen’s most dynamic and appealing arrangements. Stevie Van Zandt’s backing vocals provide an extra jolt of urgency. Bittan takes center stage again for “Racing in the Street,” as he carries the unforgettable melody on piano, while Springsteen’s vocal cadence and phrasing have shifted in modern performances to emphasize weariness over wistfulness. The “Factory” whistle blows earnestly in Philly with fine pedal-steel guitar from Nils Lofgren and intriguingly angular fretwork from Van Zandt.

The stunner of the Darkness set is “Streets of Fire,” easily the least-played song from the album since 1978 in only its ninth appearance since the Darkness tour. Springsteen gets up for it, hitting the heightened vocal line “I heard somebody call my name” like you want him to and turning in scorching guitar throughout.

ARCHIVE RELEASE: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Wachovia Center, Philadelphia, PA, October 14, 2009

The spark of “Streets of Fire” helps ignite the final two songs of the album sequence. “Prove It All Night,” often played early in live sets, serves as more of a sizzling denouement with all three guitarists contributing meaningfully, including Lofgren’s Theremin-like solo. The title track also serves as the album closer, and the reading here is full-blooded and flawless, as again Springsteen reaches for and reaches his most emotive vocal range on lines like “I lost my faith when I lost my wife,” “I’ll be on the hill ‘cause I can’t stop,” and the song’s final, held “towwwwwwn.” It feels wholly appropriate that the expanded 2009 band line-up stood down to let the core E Streeters and Charlie Giordano perform Darkness On the Edge of Town as authentically as it could be in 2009.

While a child singing “Waitin’ on a Sunday Day” does shatter the spell woven by the full Darkness, the rest of the show that surrounds the album suite has its share of special moments. The first half of the show includes the only airing to date of “What Love Can Do” from Working On a Dream. It’s a shame the song has been slept on by the merits of this excellent performance in which the band is firmly locked into the arrangement and Springsteen and Van Zandt sing with gripping intensity. Fun fact: the song also gives this concert two different biblical references to Cain.

The second part of the show boasts the welcome inclusion of “Human Touch,” which, after ten previous attempts, crosses the line fully into E Street Band territory and declares its citizenship. This lively take offers plenty of guitar, lilting vocals from Patti Scialfa and a superb ending.

“Long Walk Home” follows, and doubles as a good title for this final stretch of the 2009 tour, when Springsteen gave the people what they wanted, full performances of his most beloved works, without it coming off as nostalgia.


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The White Stripes: Milwaukee, Indianapolis and Columbus, 2003

Two exclusive archives from The White Stripes are now available for streaming in the nugs.net app, featuring performances from Milwaukee, Indianapolis and Columbus. From long time White Stripes fan Mike on this month’s ‘Third Man Thursday’ releases:

November 2003 – Looking for a Home

Back in the US for a fourth round, the November leg would begin the journey to close out the year, and close out the tour. Kicking off with a trio of shows in Milwaukee, Indianapolis, and Columbus – they start the run by playing in the three states that border Michigan, as if deliberately making a point of playing everywhere but home. Detroit would have to wait until the end of the month, and even then they had already signed up for a New Year’s Eve show in Chicago. As they would look back on this leg, Meg would recall “We were like a moth right next to the flame. It’s like, do any more and you go down. We were so tired. One final lap, and then have a rest.”

Like the three shows in Scandinavia that kicked off the European tour six months earlier, these first shows of the November run are a complementary snapshot in time. Where those shows in May saw the band experimenting with the new songs and pushing the setlists and arrangements outward, by November the new songs were now long established in the set, and yet somehow the band were still able to keep the performances continuously evolving. Notice that each of the shows here opens with the same three songs (Black Math > Dead Leaves > I Think I Smell a Rat), and even with those otherwise familiar ingredients to work with, each performance is still very much a unique serving – even at this late stage in the tour. From the debut of Bob Dylan’s Outlaw Blues at Milwaukee, to an impromptu version of Sister Do You Know My Name? played as an intro to Death Letter at Indianapolis, to Jack singing into the guitar pickup on his Airline during Hello Operator at Columbus. Still finding ways to pull new rabbits out of old hats, night after night.

11/10/03 Milwaukee: Eagles Ballroom – LISTEN

Having had to reschedule this concert twice (once earlier in the year due to scheduling conflicts, and again after Jack’s car accident), they finally make it to Milwaukee. Coming so soon after the October tour of NZ/AU/JP wrapped, this show nicely consolidates many of the highlights from that run, all within the same show. Why Can’t You Be Nicer To Me? gets included within I’m Finding It Harder to be a Gentleman, and Loretta Lynn’s God Makes No Mistakes is performed here within Screwdriver, both having been debuted at Adelaide 10/15. Girl You Have No Faith In Medicine features the adlib from the Beatles’ Boys at the end – the first since Hiroshima 10/26, and the Hardest Button to Button gets the Melbourne 10/14 “brain that felt like Pea-nut Butter” line. Milwaukee also features the debut of Bob Dylan’s Outlaw Blues, which follows after a blistering version of Ball and Biscuit. Out of the handful of times they would do this cover, the version here just might be the best one. “I might look like Robert Ford, but I feel like Jesse-Fucking-James!”

Other highlights include a funny play on words during Cannon, “I saw Guns! Tanks!…..Tanks, You’re Welcome!” The Death Letter/Little Bird combo is also excellent here, and during the intro you can just make out a tease of the slide riff from Sister Do You Know My Name? The next night in Indianapolis he would perform an impromptu version of the song in this spot. Later in the song, Jack ramps up the ending of Little Bird with a fantastic adlib of “Can’t you hear me knocking Meg?!” while he taps his slide on the fretboard. Listen for the shoutout to the local crowd before Boll Weevil, a throwback to their performances in town from earlier years: “Are we at the Cactus Club? My memory’s not so good. Hi Milwaukee, I forgot to say hello to you!” And later in the song, an acknowledgement of how the band were feeling by this point in the tour, so close to home, and yet still so far away: “See it’s funny, because you all have a home, I guess. But my sister and I, no such luck. Y’all here, you got Milwaukee, Green Bay, Oconomowoc. We used to have Detroit, but that was a long, long, long time ago.”

11/11/03 Indianapolis: Egyptian Room at the Murat – LISTEN

Where Milwaukee the night before saw the band seamlessly cutting in the latest additions from the October run, the crowd at Indianapolis got treated to a longer and more experimental set. There’s an abundance of one-off and unique performances here. Shine on Harvest Moon gets an airing in Cannon, having last been performed at Los Angeles on 9/22, and Mr Cellophane makes a return to the set – the second to last performance. This Protector gets performed complete with the off-mic spoken word intro, and Folk Singer by Brendan Benson gets the first airing since the debut in Madrid on 5/25. An epic 7 minute Ball and Biscuit features Jack singing lyrics from Howlin Wolf’s Smokestack Lightning, the only known time he actually sings along to the riff, which had been debuted back at Stockholm on 5/13. Seven Nation Army gets a one-off adlib of “make the sweat drip…drip”. I Fought Piranhas here is one of the longest known versions, hitting the 6 minute mark and ending in a wail of whammy and feedback.

The biggest surprise of the night is the impromptu version of Sister Do You Know My Name?, which gets played during the intro to Death Letter. Having been hinted at the night before, and one of only two performances on the Elephant tour, the version here is unique, as the Kay guitar is in a different tuning than the one the song is normally played in. As a result, Jack ends up doing a bit of on-the-fly improvising with the vocal melody and the guitar parts. A completely inspired and unexpected surprise. Later in Death Letter he does the quick version of the Motherless Children lines, like he did at Melbourne 10/14. For a bit of comedy, listen for the sound of a local radio station being picked up by Jack’s amp after Seven Nation Army and again after The Hardest Button to Button. Continuing the theme from the night before, there is yet another reference to not knowing where “home” is during Boll Weevil, with Jack making a joke to the Indiana audience saying “We love being here in Houston Texas!”. This show also features a unique milestone, as it’s the first one where Jack closes the show by stepping on the Big Muff pedal and letting the guitar feedback ring out as the band exits the stage.

11/12/03 Columbus: PromoWest Pavilion – LISTEN

Similar to the previous night in Indianapolis, where the show ended with Jack thanking the city of Houston, he takes the joke a step further in Columbus, referring to different cities throughout the show (Boise, Des Moines, Akron). Given the band’s long history of playing in Ohio, it’s safe to say that they’re clearly glad to be back and are in good spirits, as this is an excellent performance, with energy to spare. Many of the songs get an extra dose of enthusiasm, particularly in the vocals. While they were surely looking forward to the end of the tour, and pushing back against the fatigue of touring, there’s certainly no sign of it here. Listen to the version of I Think I Smell a Rat, where Jack throws in the line “Video Games! Tattoos! Body Piercings! I think I smell a rat!” – a comment on some of the distractions of the day. He’d insert this line again at New York on 11/18. During Let’s Shake Hands he adds in the line “Well you can do what you wanna do Meg….we’ve been playing this song for 6 years! So say my name!” As if in amazement of how long they had been together and how long they had been on tour by this point.

Or listen to the must hear version of Hello Operator, where Jack sings one of the verses through the guitar pickup in his Airline. Or Little Bird, where he sings the “When I get you home” lines while toggling the pickup selector on the Kay to cut the sound in and out, mimic’ing the stutter effect with his voice. This show also features a rare outing of Now Mary, the second of only two performances on the Elephant tour (the other was at Sydney 10/10), which in turn segues into a welcome appearance of Sugar Never Tasted So Good. After the encores of Little Room, the Joss Stone version of Fell In Love With a Girl, Apple Blossom, and I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself, where they’ve kept the energy they had at the beginning of the show all the way through to the end, they break the pattern of ending the show with Boll Weevil and instead close with Seven Nation Army, with the intro “Okay Akron, you’ve been very nice to us. My sister is very pleased, and I’m very happy too!”. Like the night before, the show closes with a wail feedback ringing out as the band leave the stage, the now official “ending” to each show that would follow on the tour from here.


Stream these three new shows, and all other exclusive archive releases from Third Man Records with a 7-day free trial. Explore The White Stripes catalog and start your free trial here.

Bruce Springsteen Contest

Now up for grabs on the nugs.net subscriber contest’s portal is the Born In The U.S.A. collectors-edition CD box set! The 18-CD factory-pressed set contains six of the finest recordings from the 1984-1985 Born In The U.S.A. Tour, including five shows in East Rutherford, NJ. In addition to the box set, the winner will also get MP3 downloads of every show. One runner up will get all six FLAC downloads.

Don’t miss your chance to own this piece of music history, nugs subscribers can enter to win today! If you’re new to nugs.net, start a free trial now to unlock unlimited streaming of the Live Bruce Springsteen archives, then come back to enter tomorrow. Good luck, this contest ends on November 21st.

Enter To Win

Treats from Halloweens Past

Bust-outs, covers, costumes, guest sit-ins, tricks and treats…a Halloween show just hits a bit different. Explore some of our favorite Halloween concerts from years past, all available to stream with a nugs.net free trial. There’s a lot more out there too, so do some discovery and find the show that’s sure to shake your bones.


  • Billy Strings2021/10/31 in Asheville, NC
    • The Wizard of Oz themed three-night run concluded with debut covers of the Rolling Stones, The Doors, Elton John, and more. Billy was dressed as the Scarecrow.

  • Billy Strings2022/10/31 in Asheville, NC
    • ‘Away from the Shire’ was a three night celebration of The Lord Of The Rings, culminating with special-guest drummer Duane Trucks of Widespread Panic and tributes to Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, and Black Sabbath.

  • Billy Strings2023/10/31 in Grand Rapids, MI
    • Oh yeah! Filled with guests and smack downs, the ‘Van Andel Scramble’ took the Halloween themed show to a whole new level, with a wrestling ring and guests ranging from Duane Trucks to Bill Nershi, Sierra Hull, Molly Tuttle and more.

  • Big Something2021/10/31 in Wilmington, NC
    • Night three of their 2021 Halloween run billed as “Talking Something”, a tribute to the Talking Heads

  • Dave Matthews Band1998/10/31 in Oakland, CA
    • From one of the most well-regarded tours in the band’s history, and their last Halloween concert to-date, this show has long been hailed a classic and every performance is a highlight.

  • Eggy2022/10/31 in Charleston, SC
    • Dressed as different eras of Elton John, Eggy went undercover and performed nine songs by Elton John, while welcoming special guests from Doom Flamingo to join on keytar and vocals.

  • Dead & Company2019/10/31 in New York, NY
    • This was the first show Dead & Company played together after the passing of lyricist Robert Hunter, and the first two sets featured songs that Hunter had co-written. The show began with the four original Grateful Dead members performing an emotional rendition of “Ripple,” one of Hunter’s many masterpieces.

  • The Disco Biscuits2015/10/31 in Syracuse, NY
    • Their first Halloween show in 5 years, a disco and funk extravaganza with debut covers and guests the Philly Stray Horns plus singer Alita Moses.

  • Frank Zappa1977/10/31 in New York, NY
    • By 1977, Frank Zappa’s Halloween shows were already the stuff of legends, and this special night capped off six historic shows over a course of four nights

  • Goose2021/10/31 in Worcester, MA
    • The Austin Powers’ themed evening consisted of rare covers like the “Dr. Evil Rap”, “My Generation”, “I’m A Believer” and more.

  • Gov’t Mule2013/10/31 in Oakland, CA
    • One of the many special Mule-O-Ween’s, this 2013 show featured Robby Krieger of The Doors for all of set 2, with a setlist focused on The Doors catalog reimagined.

  • Gov’t Mule2022/10/29 in New Orleans, LA
    • The band returned from set break in full costume, inspired by the 1984 rockumentary Spinal Tap. Warren Haynes and co. then ran through tunes from the classic film, with seven debuts and help from The Levee Horns.

  • Grateful Dead1971/10/31 in Columbus, OH
    • There were friendly spirits indeed at play on this Halloween night, a gem of a show from early in Keith Godchaux’s tenure with the Dead.”

  • Greensky Bluegrass2022/10/29 in San Francisco, CA
    • In a venue where the Grateful Dead spent many nights, Greensky Bluegrass went with a Dead themed Halloween set at The Warfield, dressing as the band had in white garb for their 1980 album cover of Go To Heaven.

  • Jerry Garcia Band1992/10/31 in Oakland, CA
    • After three months off the road due to health issues, Jerry Garcia was welcomed by a crowd of 17,000 at the Oakland Coliseum Arena in Oakland, CA. He greeted the crowd with a heart-felt “How Sweet It Is” as his first song back on stage.

  • Leftover Salmon2013/10/31 in Atlanta, GA
    • “Basically Frightened” through “Right Now” with Col. Bruce Hampton. Count M’butu plays congas and percussion the whole show.

  • Lotus2009/10/31 in Baltimore, MD
    • Dubbed “Protein Pills in the Labyrinth”, members dressed up as several David Bowie characters including Ziggy Stardust, Thin White Duke, and Jareth. The band performed 8 Bowie songs that night.

  • moe.2015/10/31 in Philadelphia, PA
    • A “Halloween Star Wars rock fest” with the band members dressed as the movie characters and the show was comprised of Star Wars songs, altered themed lyrics, puns on moe. originals, and never before played covers.

  • Pearl Jam2009/10/31 in Philadelphia, PA
    • The final night of a four-show run at the Spectrum, a massive double encore where in the final set the band came out dressed as Devo and performed live debuts of “Whip It” and “Sweet Lew”.

  • Phish1994/10/31 in Glens Falls, NY
    • Where it all began, a three-set, late-night marathon, with a full-album debut of The Beatles’ The White Album.

  • Pigeons Playing Ping Pong2021/10/31 in Columbus, OH
    • A “Daft Side of the Moon” Halloween featuring mashups of Daft Punk and Pink Floyd songs throughout the night.

  • Pigeons Playing Ping Pong2023/10/31 in Austin, TX
    • The “Talking Radioheads” show featured mashup of originals weaved in and out of songs by the Talking Heads and Radiohead. Members of Dogs In A Pile joined throughout the night to add to the fun(k).

  • The String Cheese Incident2004/10/31 in Madison, WI
    • First Time Played: Peace Train (Cat Stevens), Rock The Casbah (The Clash), I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-to-Die Rag (Country Joe), Rockin’ in The Free World (Neil Young), Revolution (The Beatles) & Take The Power Back (RATM)

  • Umphrey’s McGee2012/10/31 in Silver Spring, MD
    • Dressed as Presidents, a VP, and a First Lady, Umphrey’s McGee threw down in Maryland for a Halloween show for the ages where UM fans got to vote on a full set of covers for an ‘All Night Wrong’ set II.

  • Umphrey’s McGee2014/10/31 in Boston, MA
    • Massive mashups including “Sweet Emotion” x “Walk This Way” x “Funk 49”, “She’s A Bad Mama Jama” x “Give It To Me Baby” and more.

  • Widespread Panic2015/10/31 in Asheville, NC
    • The band debuted 4 covers including “Dooley”, “The Fishin’ Hole”, “Have A Cigar” and “Young Lust”. Fiddle Player Nicki Sanders joined the band on stage for several songs.

  • Widespread Panic 2022/10/29 in Savannah, GA
    • A ‘dream’ themed set and production, featuring ‘sleeper’ covers of The Allman Brothers Band, Tom Petty, Metallica, and more.

  • Widespread Panic2023/10/29 in Savannah, GA
    • Donned in Wizard of Oz costumes, the show pulled from the film’s storyline with a heavy dose of Ozzy and Black Sabbath covers intertwined. In total we heard seven debuts, ranging from Ozzy tracks to Pink Floyd, Grateful Dead, Neil Young, Talking Heads and more.

The White Stripes: Wellington and Osaka, 2003

Two exclusive archives from The White Stripes are now available for streaming in the nugs.net app, featuring performances from Wellington, New Zealand and Osaka, Japan. From long time White Stripes fan Mike on this month’s ‘Third Man Thursday’ releases:


After the success of the September US tour, the band were off to New Zealand, Australia, and Japan, repeating the journey of the “Three Island Tour” from 2000. With the excellent Melbourne, Australia show released back in March as part of Third Man Thursday, here are the closing shows from the other two “islands” to complete the trio.

Wellington may be the most relaxed show of the entire Elephant tour. There is a pacing and vibe to this show that sits in a comfortable sweet spot, with the band no doubt buzzing off of the performances the day before in Auckland, where they had performed at the Freemans Bay Primary School to a crowd of schoolchildren, and then delivered an excellent performance later that evening at the St James Theatre. There is just something to the Wellington show that makes it feel both unrushed, while yet still delivering all the right amount of energy.  You can hear it in the set, which has a great flow from start to finish. From the “Everybody well in Wellington?” greeting to the audience, to the relaxed version of “Look Me Over Closely”, to a flawless “Truth Doesn’t Make a Noise”, and Jack’s introduction to “We’re Going to Be Friends”, complete with the mid-song aside “This is the important part…we don’t notice any time pass” – an almost Freudian acknowledgement of the pace of this show.  Or how about the version of “You’re Pretty Good Looking”, which gets a nearly half-minute pause midway through for no apparent reason, before kicking back in with the “swing” version to finish the song off.  Instead of going into “Hello Operator” per the normal pairing, they instead throw in “When I Hear My Name”, featuring a cappella lines from “The Object of My Affection”, the first known appearance since the Bowery show in 2002, and the last known time they’d perform it.  Also unique at this show is that Jack stays on guitar for the last verses of “I’m Finding It Harder to be a Gentlemen”, instead of returning to the keyboards.  By the next performance of the song in Adelaide on 10/15, he’ll take advantage of that section to include an updated version of “Why Can’t You Be Nicer to Me.”  “Girl,You Have No Faith in Medicine” also gets a change from the typical delivery, starting with a low-key intro and gradually ramping up to the familiar frenzy. The encores further highlight the sense of balance at this show, with “Astro” and “Jack the Ripper” getting followed by another appearance of the “Joss Stone” slow version of “Fell In Love With A Girl” (that Stone album had only just been released a few weeks earlier).  The soloing in “Ball and Biscuit” similarly features excellent slow blues lines right alongside the guitar hero style runs with the whammy.  Closing out with “I’m going to Wellington” in “Seven Nation Army” and the line “We’re gonna be o-kay when this song is through…that is my promise to you!” in “Boll Weevil”, it’s a satisfying close to a laid-back show.    

LISTEN: The White Stripes live at Town Hall in Wellington, New Zealand

On the other side of the equator, Osaka is a confident power set to close out the Japan run.  While New Zealand and Australia largely went off without a hitch, Japan was not without a few challenges – likely owing to the near-constant jumping across timezones as they moved from city to city, and country to country.  Fast forward a bit and you’ll find this exchange from an interview the band gave on MuchMusic TV in Toronto on 11/13/03, looking back on this leg of the tour:

Jack: We just played Japan, Australia and New Zealand, and it was…I think we had 21 airplane rides in like 2 ½ weeks or something like that. That starts to get, you know…you start to get really messed up. Because you don’t know what time it is, you don’t know when you’re supposed to be asleep and when you’re supposed to be awake, and you’re just expected to play every night, you know? It’s very difficult to keep that up, you know?

Having kicked off the Japan tour with the pair of shows in Tokyo on 10/21 and 10/22, it would be the Nagoya show on 10/23 where fatigue would catch up with the band, with that show getting cut-short due to illness.  The band would quickly get back on their feet at Fukuoka 10/25 and Hiroshima 10/26, with the show in Osaka on 10/27 being the confident return-to-form to close out the tour.

For a band that never used a setlist, there’s an almost clinical precision to the setlist here. A proper kicking out of the jams, one after another.  From the rush of “Let’s Shake Hands” into “Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground”, to that transition at the end of “I Think I Smell a Rat”, with the final chord hanging there for a second before slingshotting into “Black Math.” The set is loaded with tight run-throughs. “Love Sick”, “Death Letter” – “Grinning In Your Face”, “The Hardest Button to Button”, “We’re Going to Be Friends”, “Ball And Biscuit”. An almost “greatest hits” set for the Elephant tour right down to the closer of “Seven Nation Army” (“Boll Weevil” was skipped for the Japan tour, but would be played on the return visit in 2006).

LISTEN: The White Stripes live at Namba Hatch in Osaka, Japan

As if this wasn’t enough, what really puts Osaka into must-hear territory is that it features an ultra-rare performance of “Little Acorns”, the second of only two known performances.  The Adelaide show in Australia on 10/15 would be the first, but that show was sadly not captured by RADAR.  So, for “Little Acorns”, Osaka is it.  And while it’s a brief version, much like the debut of lines from “There’s No Home For You Here” at Los Angeles the previous month, there’s no doubt of the power the song had in a live setting.  A fitting surprise for the last night on the tour, like a bonus track on those Japan-only releases from back in the day.

While they were officially back to health by the time of the Osaka show, the relentless touring schedule would continue, almost comically so, with the band going from Japan to Brazil for a one-off show on 10/31, and then back to the US for the Voodoo Festival in New Orleans on 11/2, and then off to Scotland for the MTV Europe Awards on 11/6, before returning to the US to kickoff the next leg of the tour in Milwaukee on 11/10.  


Stream these two new shows, and all other exclusive archive releases from Third Man Records with a 7-day free trial. Explore The White Stripes catalog and start your free trial here.

The White Stripes Live at The Greek Theatre, September 13, 2003

An exclusive archive from The White Stripes are now available for streaming in the nugs.net app, featuring a performance from 2003 at The Greek Theatre in Berkeley, CA. From The White Stripes’ archivist Ben Blackwell on this month’s ‘Third Man Thursday’ release:

The return from the finger injury. While a shorter set overall (about 1 hour and 13 minutes from start to finish), there is excellent enthusiasm here, and even a few debuts as well. This is the first show to feature the “That’s what I’m gonna do” adlib in “Seven Nation Army”, the first to feature a quote from the song Evil by Howlin Wolf, and the first to feature a cover of “Man” by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, who would be joining the tour a few days later in Seattle on 9/16.  This show also features an acapella performance of the song “I Got Stripes” by Johnny Cash, who had passed away the day before, as the lead-in to “Death Letter.”  While it had only been 9 weeks since Jack’s finger was broken, the only real sign of the injury here is the abrupt aborting of “Offend In Every Way”, which itself isn’t all that unusual, as they were known to jump from one song to another all the time. While there’s no reason given for the pivot away from the song here, a week later in Las Vegas on 9/20 Jack would again abort the song, revealing the inability to play the D minor chord as the reason.  This would also explain why “Jolene” (which also relies on D minor) would be absent for most of the September tour, not returning to the set until San Diego on 9/25.  As the setlists would show, the September leg would be a progressive return to the stage, with each performance getting additional songs from the earlier Elephant live set added back in.

LISTEN: The White Stripes at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley, CA, 9/13/2003

Having been off the road for 2 months, if there is any rustiness here it’s mainly heard in some of the missed lyrics throughout the set, as opposed to anything instrumental or anything in the vocals. Jack hits all the right notes here, just misses a lyric here and there and adlibs through it where needed. The pivot away from “Offend In Every Way” results in a similarly abbreviated quote from “Isis”, which stops after a few rushed/hybrid verses, including the rarely performed verse 7 (“Pyramids embedded in ice”).  In the encores, Jack starts “Truth Doesn’t Make a Noise” on the keyboards, similar to the versions from Pomona/Chicago/Detroit Jun-Aug 2002, where he starts on the Rhodes and goes to the guitar midway through. Here, he does a verse, but then goes silent while he continues on the keys before finding his way back into the next verse.  But while the finger may have been injured and some of the lyrics missed, his vocals and the energy are in great form here. A highlight at this show is the run starting with “Cannon”, which goes through the usual “John the Revelator” interlude and ends on the familiar last line of “Evil!” before going into an unheard riff where he debuts lines from the song Evil by Howlin Wolf.  So, the word “Evil!” sets up the song “Evil.” Nice. This then segues into “Cool Drink Of Water Blues” (another Howlin’ Wolf quote) and transitions seamlessly into an excellent “Ball and Biscuit”, which features soloing played as effortlessly as any version you’d have heard pre-injury.  A few songs later and that “Offend”/”Isis” attempt gets more than made up for by Jack launching into “Let’s Shake Hands”, which includes the debut of the YYYs “Man” and a unique version of “Pick a Bale of Cotton”, with Jack doing what can be described as a low-end “burp” sound into the mic as a counterpoint on the lines “Me and *burp* pick a bale of cotton”, before some nice whammy soloing to close out the song and the main set.  The encores kick off with “Seven Nation Army”, featuring the first appearance of the “that’s what I’m gonna do” adlib. While the band had been off the road, the popularity of the song had of course continued to rise, with the Berkeley crowd heard going nuts in the background the moment the first note is played. While “Little Room”/”Union Forever” are a familiar duo here – “Little Room” gets a heavy delivery here and “Union” gets a clean intro – a flip-flop of the way the songs were usually paired up, with “Little Room” typically serving as the quieter set up for a bombastic entrance into “Union.” And “Truth Doesn’t Make a Noise” is a nice addition to the set, even with the missed lyrics, being the first performance since 2002. All tied up with a sincere shoutout to San Francisco as “the first city to like us” setting up “Boll Weevil” to close out the show.

A great start to the September leg, likely played short to make sure they didn’t overdo it on the first night back.  Even though the finger may have still been injured, the vocals and energy were in great shape, and the band would be quick to ramp back up.  

Hotel Yorba, I Think I Smell a Rat, Screwdriver, Love Sick, I Fought Piranhas, Astro, Jack the Ripper, I’m Finding It Harder To Be A Gentleman, St James Infirmary, Lord Send Me An Angel, and Hello Operator would all return to the set for the next performance on 9/15 in Vancouver. 

Little Bird, Let’s Build a Home, Goin’ Back to Memphis, Fell In Love With a Girl, Lafayette Blues, and Sugar Never Tasted So Good would be added at Seattle 9/16.  

Wasting My Time, Look Me Over Closely, Take A Whiff On Me and Small Faces would signal the “return to normal” at Portland 9/17, along with Motherless Children at Denver 9/19, setting up the Las Vegas and Los Angeles shows.  

The return of Jolene and Same Boy You’ve Always Known at San Diego on 9/25 would complete the recovery, and with a closeout show in Mesa on 9/26, they’d be off to New Zealand and Australia, where the setlists would be taken a few steps further.


Stream this new show, and all other exclusive archive releases from Third Man Records with a 7-day free trial. Explore The White Stripes catalog and start your free trial here.

All New Web Player, App Queue, and Other Recent Enhancements

We are excited to announce a completely rebuilt nugs.net web player, along with other recent iOS and Android app enhancements including personalized queue functionality, picture-in-picture, and more!

All New Web Player

Our new desktop web player is here! An all new design with new feature sets and product enhancements, this is a major upgrade! See below for some highlights:

Follow Your Favorites
The new player allows you to select your favorite artists so you can customize your app experience and stay up to date on the recent shows you care about the most.


Leave Show Reviews
Hear an epic jam? See a show that moved you? In the new web player you can now leave show reviews to help other fans know what’s hot and shouldn’t be missed


Save Shows & Albums
Keep your favorite shows saved for future reference. Click the heart button on the shows that you love and come back to them anytime online or in the app.

New Browsing Options
You can now browse the nugs.net catalog in a number of ways: by artist name, by the year of the show and by song title.


Live Audio Streams

An all-new way to listen to music on nugs.net – you can now stream live audio from select concerts. Listen in to the show live as it happens on the nugs.net apps, or website. This feature is available to all nugs.net users – both free and paid subscribers.


App Queue Functionality

Mix your music for the mood you’re in. The new queue functionality let’s you personalize your playback queue, with options to organize and sort as you please. This feature also unlocks the ‘History’ of recently played tracks.


Picture-in-Picture Playback

Never miss a moment with Picture-in-Picture. Now you keep can keep watching the show, even while using other apps. This works on livestreams and our subscriber videos on-demand.

Enjoy these enhancements, our full streaming catalog, exclusive listereams, and more with a 7-day free trial. Sign up today!

Widespread Panic Archive Release: Boone 1999

LISTEN: Widespread Panic live at the Varsity Gymnasium at Appalachian State University in Boone, NC, April 22, 1999

We’re stoked to announce the 13th-official Widespread Panic Archive multi-track release, Boone 1999! Recorded on 4/22/1999 at the Varsity Gym at ASU in Boone, NC, this hometown show for Michael Houser has been a longtime fan favorite from their red-hot 1999 Spring Tour, with early takes of “All Time Low” and “Red Hot Mama,” and a “Low Spark > Drums > Low Spark” for the ages.

Professionally mixed by Panic’s longtime producer, John Keane, this multi-track recording will see it’s official release on Friday for streaming and order, exclusively on nugs.net. Before the street date, join us Thursday, August 17th at 8 pm ET for the worldwide debut and listening party, free for everyone! A must listen, and you just need a free nugs account to join the live audio stream.

Start a 7-day free trial to listen to even more of the Widespread Panic archives, and check out some press clippings from the show below:

Lossless Streaming Guide: Is Streaming Lossless Audio Worth It?

Lossless Audio

So you’re a fan of live music – which means you’re probably looking for the most authentic listening e­xperiences you can find. Luckily, nugs.ne­t and lossless streaming has you covered. In this comprehensive guide­, we’ll dive into the­ world of lossless audio and help you weigh the pros and possible cons to investing in high-quality lossless audio to satisfy your live music cravings.

What is Lossless Audio?

Simply put, lossless audio is­ one of the best music formats available. It provides an audio experience that truly immerses you in your favorite­ live performances, fe­eling as though you’re right there­ in the moment. Every instrume­nt, voice, and subtle inflection is capture­d with utmost precision. This remarkable achie­vement is made possible­ by compressing music without sacrificing any of its original sound data.

Standard formats, like MP3, are­ commonly referred to as “lossy” due­ to their ability to reduce file­ sizes by discarding certain data. Unfortunately, this compre­ssion technique doesn’t always provide the highest level of audio quality for real audiophiles. On the other hand, there­ are lossless formats such as FLAC (Free­ Lossless Audio Codec), ALAC (Apple Lossle­ss Audio Codec), and MQA (Master Quality Authenticated audio) that prioritize prese­rving the integrity of the audio. Opting for the­se formats allows you to experie­nce music in its intended form, capturing the­ essence e­nvisioned by the artists.

How to Stream Lossless Music

Streaming lossle­ss music involves playing audio files in a format that prese­rves all the data from the original re­cording. This ensures bette­r fidelity and sound quality compared to lossy formats like MP3. To enhance your listening experience, choose Hi-Fi streaming for a superior sound quality compared to compressed formats. This can provide superior sound quality compared to more compre­ssed formats. 

To ensure the­ perfect fit for your prefe­rences and nee­ds, you’ll want to assess factors like the size and range of the audio service­’s library, the level of audio fide­lity, device compatibility, available pricing options, and any additional feature­s it provides. Picking the right platform can be the first step in finding the quality audio you’re looking for. 

To optimize your stre­aming experience­, it’s also important to understand and adjust the quality settings for playback accordingly. After subscribing to an audio se­rvice, make sure that you se­lect the “lossless” option in the­ app or service configurations. Look for terms like­ “Hi-Fi,” “High-Resolution,” or anything similar as these are commonly used terms to get the best audio quality possible.

When it comes to streaming lossless audio files, a stable inte­rnet connection is another crucial element. Unlike­ their smaller and compresse­d counterparts, lossless files re­quire a more robust connection because the file tends to be larger than their lower-quality counterparts. To e­nsure uninterrupted playback and avoid frustrating buffe­ring (does anybody really like buffering?), make sure you have a fast and stable­ internet connection at your disposal.

If you’re a true audiophile, you may want to consider using an e­xternal Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC) with your playback de­vice to get the most out of your listening experience (this is especially true for formats like MQA, or Master Quality Authenticated audio). This optional addition ofte­n provides even be­tter sound quality compared to the built-in DACs commonly found in consume­r devices. It may be another investment, but it’s one that can boost your audio quality for a long time. 

Once you’ve covered all of these steps, all that’s left is to search for and play your favorite tunes. With everything set up, you can start streaming high-quality music without any loss in sound fidelity and hear everything as if you were at the show yourself. And that’s what we’re here for! 

Consider the Pros and Cons of Lossless Streaming

The Obvious Pros

Impeccable­ Audio Quality: Lossless streaming offers an e­xceptional advantage to other formats – unmatched audio quality. The term ‘lossle­ss’ can be a little confusing, but it really just means that the compresse­d audio retains its original high quality. This creates a liste­ning experience­ that’s remarkably rich and detailed. Picture­ yourself immersed in the­ vibrant energy of a live audie­nce, surrounded by echoe­s of instruments and the textural beauty of voices. It’s almost as if you’re atte­nding the concert itself.

Audiophiles Re­joice: Lossless audio is a true de­light for those who appreciate­ intricate details, nuanced laye­rs, crystal-clear high notes, and dee­p bass. In essence, lossless audio offers unfiltered richne­ss without compromise. The vibrancy and clarity e­levate it as the ultimate­ choice for music fans with discerning ears who ye­arn for unparalleled acoustic perfe­ction.

Prese­rving Artist Intent: By opting for lossless streaming, you can imme­rse yourself in music in its purest and most authe­ntic form. This is especially important for those se­eking a profound connection with the music the­y listen to. Artists pour their heart and soul into the­ir performances, and lossless audio guarante­es that every nuance­ and emotion are faithfully prese­rved (audio formats designed especially for headphone-users, like 360 Reality Audio, are a good example of this dedication). That means for you as the listener, you’ll enjoy an incredibly immersive­ and emotionally enriching expe­rience. 

Some Possible Cons

Higher Subscription Fe­es: Naturally, high-quality services come­ with a price. Lossless streaming platforms can sometimes require highe­r subscription fees compared to the­ir standard counterparts – but as in all things musical, you tend to get what you pay for. Higher quality audio generally improves your overall experience, and you’ll often notice subtle elements of the audio that other formats can lead you to miss out on. Be sure to conside­r whether the e­nhanced audio quality justifies the additional cost base­d on your listening prefere­nces.

Increase­d Data Usage: Keep in mind that lossless audio files re­tain all the details of the original re­cording, which usually makes them larger in size­. As a result, streaming lossless audio can consume more data. This aspect is particularly important to consider if you have­ limited data plans or if you enjoy listening to music while­ on the go (but it’s not an issue when you’re on a solid wi-fi connection). 

Dependence on Equipment: To truly appreciate­ the marvels of lossless audio, you’re going to want to have high-quality audio equipme­nt. Sadly, with all the options on the market today, ordinary headphones might not do justice to the­ high-resolution audio you’re investing in. It’s often nece­ssary to invest in a good pair of headphones or a decent sound syste­m in order to make the most of the­ lossless experie­nce.

Verdict: Is lossless audio worth it?

Deciding whether lossless audio is worth it is a big thing to consider, in the same way listeners have their individual music prefe­rences. For audiophiles with a disce­rning ear who appreciate unrave­ling the intricate layers in a track, lossle­ss audio is about as good as it gets. The­ pure and high-fidelity sound can be a transformative expe­rience, espe­cially for those willing to invest in a HiFi subscription and higher-end audio e­quipment. It’s the next best thing to being at a show in person. 

For those­ seeking an affordable option without compromising on audio quality, nugs.ne­t’s Hi-Fi streaming tier is worth conside­ring. As you explore our vast catalog of professionally-mixed concert recordings, you’ll find artists from Bruce Springsteen to Pearl Jam, Dead & Company, Metallica and more with a wide range of format offerings from MP3 to FLAC, ALAC, MQA, and even DSD and 360 Reality Audio. Learn more and sign up today

Forever Grateful: Jerry Garcia Ballads

Jerry Garcia was one of the greatest musical talents the world has ever seen, though one of the most unconventional suspects in the conversation of “best in history.” His notes were imperfect, his voice you could say raspy, and he wasn’t looking to overly flaunt his chops. What made Jerry special was his ability to bring you into the music, and make you FEEL every note. He could make your eyes light up in excitement, but could turn the mood around in an instant with the most subtle of chord progressions. He could captivate an audience in a way that few have ever done, having us all hanging to his words and lost in the music. Jerry’s playing was heartfelt, vulnerable, and exuded emotion.

Often times that emotion kept us on the edge of tears, and at times send us deep into the abyss of our own personal stories we conjure from the music. As we celebrate the life and times of Jerry Garcia during the ‘Days Between,’ we’ve chosen eight songs with the Grateful Dead that exemplify Garcia’s ability to pluck on your heartstrings. Explore a few of these beloved ballads below, and listen to the playlist here in the nugs mobile app, streaming with a free trial.


  1. Morning Dew
    Grateful Dead
    5/2/70 Binghamton, NY

    This Bonnie Dobson original is one of the oldest songs in the Grateful Dead repertoire, a standout track on the Dead’s first studio album and a consistent staple throughout the lifespan of the band. With lyrics that were written in hopes for peace in a time when nuclear annihilation was an international threat, Jerry Garcia used this song as a launch pad into the hearts of his followers. It’s a haunting song, and this 13 minute version encapsulates the essence of humanity with deep improv and a uniquely punchy ending.

  2. Days Between (12/11/1994 Oakland, CA)
    Grateful Dead
    Ready Or Not

    While it didn’t make it to the stage until 1993, and was only played 41 times, “Days Between” has made a name for itself as one of the most sentimental ballads in the catalog and will live eternally in the songbook of the Grateful Dead. It’s a shining example of Robert Hunter’s lyrical style, and this version in particular is devastatingly hypnotic with a powerful and explorative outro-jam.

  3. Standing on the Moon
    Grateful Dead
    7/7/89 Philadelphia, PA

    An integral Hunter-penned song that joined the repertoire months before this show, “Standing On The Moon” was one of the strongest vocal features of latter-day Jerry. By the time the song was in rotation the band was setting up in stadiums and performing for 30,000+ people, but even the massive crowds of the 90’s would plummet into silence to hear Jerry sing “I’d rather be with you.” This take from the final performance at JFK Stadium shines, an exemplary rendition of this Grateful Dead classic.

  4. Ripple
    Grateful Dead
    Reckoning

    “Ripple” is one of the most well-known songs that the Grateful Dead ever wrote and for very good reason. Garcia and Robert Hunter found a way to touch people even outside of the Dead world with powerful lyrics and the universal message of finding peace in everyday life. This particular track stands as one of the all-time greatest versions, taken from the iconic live-album Reckoning, recorded on 9/26/1980 at the Warfield Theatre.

  5. Stella Blue
    Grateful Dead
    10/21/78 Winterland 1978 – San Francisco, CA

    After making its debut at the Hollywood Bowl on Pigpen’s last show in 1972, “Stella Blue” stayed in the rotation all the way through 1995, appearing 328 times on the Grateful Dead’s setlist. Like many Hunter/Garcia masterpieces, the song tells the story of someone down and out on their luck, but the mood brightens triumphantly when Jerry belts out “dust off those dusty strings just one more time, gonna make ‘em shine.” We want to avoid saying any song here is the best of the best, but this version sees all sides of Jerry at his best, and in epic proportions.

  6. Wharf Rat
    Grateful Dead
    5/22/77 Pembroke Pines, FL

    While on the subject of down and out characters in Grateful Dead songs, “Wharf Rat” has to come to mind. A sad but inspirational story, the old man down by the docks will never be forgotten, and Jerry’s rendition here won’t either. This tear jerker has a tremendous Jerry rift in the jam and an eternally beautiful quality to it, with Donna’s backup vocals adding the perfect balance to Jerry’s dire conveyance of the lyrics.

  7. Brokedown Palace
    Grateful Dead
    6/20/91 Clarkston, MI

    Robert Hunter was in a sentimental mood on his 1970 trip to London, as this is the second song on this list to be written in the same afternoon from his stay, accompanied by “Ripple,” as well as “To Lay Me Down” – which also belongs on this list of ballads. The song was often used to bid the fans goodnight, closing out many shows with the lyrics “Fare you well” ringing throughout the audience. 20+ years after it’s first play, this later take from Pine Knob holds a different weight then earlier versions, and you can hear it in Jerry’s voice and playing.

  8. China Doll
    Grateful Dead
    Pacific Northwest ’73-’74: Believe it If You Need It

    It’s chilling, haunting, and an emotional story that was initially coined “The Suicide Song” by Robert Hunter. There’s a can’t miss acoustic version from the Reckoning album, but with this version from the University of Washington in Seattle on 5/21/74, Jerry’s heart is in it and every note sung and played hits your emotions hard, but leaves you with that sparkling glimmer of hope at the end.


Enjoy this playlist in the mobile app, and you can save it to your Library for desktop playback. You can explore the full collection of Grateful Dead and Jerry Garcia Band recordings here, and if you’re new to nugs.net, start a free 7-day trial and listen to every show and more concert audio and video from your favorite artists.

A Thank You Note To John Mayer

By Jon “Stugotz” Weiner

The Grateful Dead is the only band I’ve ever loved. I was introduced to the Dead by my older brother Eric in the mid 80’s, went to my first show in the late 80’s and as was the case for so many others, it was love at first show. People ask me all the time do you listen to any other bands? My response is always the same, “listening to other bands would mean less time spent listening to the Grateful Dead.” When Jerry passed away and the band stopped touring, it left a huge void in my life, one that I never imagined I’d come close to filling again.

Life goes on and eventually I had twin girls with my beautiful wife Abby. Throughout their childhood and into their teens, I would play the Grateful Dead nonstop throughout our house and would always get some variation of, “Dad, what is this garbage?” It made me both happy and incredibly sad at the same time. Sad, because naturally you want your children to enjoy the things you enjoyed growing up but that’s not always possible, especially with music. This music is so special though, you think to yourself, if they just sat down and gave it a try they would love it. Wasn’t happening. Happy, because they are teenage girls, of course they are going to say that and they listen to whatever teenage girls listen to these days, including a guy named John Mayer. I of course knew who John was, listened to some of his music through my daughters but never, in a million years did I think if the Dead ever tried to put something back together that it would include him. Not for any particular reason by the way, just never crossed my mind.

So naturally, when Dead and Company was announced and John Mayer was announced as being the one tasked with filling Jerry’s role, what was once something that was uncool in large part because their dad listened to it, suddenly became the coolest thing on the planet and just like that John Mayer, you closed the loop. I say this with all due respect to Oteil and Jeff because they have been equally as amazing but Dead and Company had me at Bob. They got my daughters with John.

LISTEN: The final show of the 2023 tour, Dead & Company live at Oracle Park, San Francisco, CA, 7/16/23

I remember going to my first Dead and Company show and like most, I was skeptical. Can Bob, Mickey and Bill still do this? How will they sound? Will they sing what we want to hear? And most importantly, can John Mayer possibly fill the shoes of one of the great musicians and guitar players of all time? Can he hit the jam on Terrapin, Loser and after each verse of Althea? Sure, I had my questions, but I didn’t care, I was with my daughters and my wife and they were going to a Dead Show with me and that’s all that mattered. A funny thing happened along the way, the answers to all those questions turned out to be a resounding yes, the band got better and better, faster and faster, one show became ten shows, ten shows became multiple trips to Cancun and eventually my daughters started listening to the both the Grateful Dead and Dead and Company throughout the house.

So, thank you John Mayer, I know enough to know that learning that catalog of music was no easy task, that it took a lot of hard work and for that I am Grateful. Thank you for handling his role and the music with the care, the attention to detail and the precision that it deserves. Thank you for singing the lyrics the way he sang the lyrics, the way we sing the lyrics, they make you feel the way they make us feel, the way they made him feel and for that, I am Grateful. Most importantly, thank you, John, for bridging a musical gap in my family, for transporting me back to a better time, for providing us with some of the greatest trips and memories of our lives and for helping me share the music I love most with the people I love most.

Jon “Stugotz” Weiner is the co-host of The Dan LeBatard Show with Stugotz (check out their instagram and twitter). You can see more on his twitter and instagram.


Listen to nearly every Dead & Company show since 2016 with a free 7-day trial. Explore the Dead & Company catalog and start your free trial here.

The White Stripes: Chicago and St. Paul, July 2003

Two exclusive archives from The White Stripes are now available for streaming in the nugs.net app, featuring performances from Chicago, IL and St. Paul, MN. From long time White Stripes fan Mike on this month’s ‘Third Man Thursday’ releases:


In The Bigger Rooms…


Coming off of the June run, the trio of shows in Chicago and St Paul were a true test. Big shows in big rooms. July was all about exhibition, closing out the tour by pushing into the next level up.

As the last shows on this leg of the tour, these performances represent a kind of final exams. Two nights in the 4500 seat Aragon, and the tour-closer in the 5000 seat Roy Wilkins. While they had played the big room at Masonic back in April, the Aragon and Wilkins would be played without any home field advantage. While it may seem silly to be so focused on the capacity of a venue as a metric, the reality was that these were among the biggest venues that the band played on the tour. Three bears style, clubs like the Ritz and Stubbs were now too small, arenas like Sun Dome too big, and a venue like Memorial Hall just right. In order to graduate, the band needed to demonstrate that they could go bigger.

LISTEN: The White Stripes at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago, IL

Like it or not, the band’s ability to dazzle at a large scale was the albatross that some critics desperately wanted to put around their necks. While the band would prove the doubters wrong, it didn’t change the fact that it was the narrative being forced on them. Jack himself was aware of the numbers at play at these shows, as you can hear him on the recording from 7/2 note the “4500 people” in the audience. And while the press around the St Paul show marveled at the band’s ability to jump from the tiny 400 capacity First Avenue the year before to the 5000 seat Roy Wilkins, the Chicago shows came with a narrative in the other direction. It seems that the issue that some reviewers had was not that the cavernous Aragon Ballroom was too big, but that it wasn’t small enough, wishing that the band would not “stray from the garage”. With comparisons to the performances the band had given at the Empty Bottle and the Metro in years past, the Aragon shows had been set up to be a Kobayashi Maru, an unwinnable game. And yet, what was missed in those concerns was that the Aragon shows were a natural step in the trajectory that the band had already long been on. In 2000 they played the Empty Bottle three times. In 2001, they did it again, including a two night stand at the tiny bar. In 2002, they went bigger, with two nights at the larger Metro. If any city was right for the band to expand and push their limit, Chicago was it. And true to the path they were on, both nights at the Aragon had completely sold out. Like the resistance to Dylan going electric, the critics had wanted the band to be something that they no longer were – unknowns playing to small crowds. With all the focus on the venue, the critics were asking the wrong question. Instead of asking about the room, they should’ve been asking about the crowd – and whether they would be willing to make the jump. As these shows would prove, the band had no problem bringing the fans with them. You never have to leave the garage if you can turn a ballroom into one. The bigger room meant that there was a home for everybody at the shows now: old fans, new fans, and the critics – whether they liked the size of the room or not.

As for the performances, for many the only exposure to the Elephant-era live show is the legendary performance from July 2. What may be surprising is just how much of an outlier that show is. No other show on the tour is quite like it, or goes that far down that particular kind of rabbit hole. One of the only shows on the tour not to feature “Black Math”, the performance forgoes many of the familiar numbers in favor of songs like “Aluminum”, “Black Jack Davey”, “Candy Cane Children”, the debut of “The Air Near My Fingers”, and the impromptu jam that would become “Little Cream Soda.” While there is still plenty of the familiar catalog present, the overall vibe of the show is one of experimentation and even a good bit of confrontation, starting and ending with ominous wails of feedback. You’ve heard the gig. Equal parts mania, exhaustion, and inspiration. A masterstroke that this gig was released as the primary reference for the tour. While it may be one of the most rewarding and unique performances the band ever gave, it can also be one of the most challenging for a newcomer to live Stripes.

When placing the shows from 7/1 and 7/3 alongside it, the run becomes a wonderful Neapolitan trio. Unlike the run in Scandinavia, where the shows build one after the other, the shows here are each a very different flavor. Like discovering an unknown prequel and sequel to your favorite movie. While the second night in Chicago is a stream-of-conscious show played without regard for any “normal” type of setlist, night 1 is the full display of the band’s live show. If 7/2 is the band completely off-script, 7/1 is the faithful readthrough, confidently nailing every line. You get virtually every one of the “standard” songs that had been in rotation on the tour – with the lone exceptions of “I Want to Be the Boy” and “Ball and Biscuit.” Otherwise it’s all in there, from the “Black Math” opener, the “Take Whiff On Me” quote in “I Think I Smell a Rat”, “Jolene”, “Motherless Children” in “Death Letter”, the honesty of “Same Boy” and “We’re Going to Be Friends”, the “You’re Pretty Good Looking”/”Hello Operator” duo, “Screwdriver” to close the main set, and “Boll Weevil” to close the encores.

The show also rises to the setting, delivering moments of pure vaudeville. In addition to “Mr Cellophane” they also throw in a one-time addition of “We Both Reached For The Gun” from Chicago as a quick quote inside of “Screwdriver.” “Wasting My Time” also gets a unique variation, in a way that sets up the performance of “Black Jack Davey” the following night. These moments balance against the bombast on display. Listen to “The Hardest Button To Button” here, or that yell that pivots “Death Letter” into “Motherless Children”, as if bringing a stampede to a standstill. This show is a proper opening night blitz. The encore at night 1 also features a rare performance of “Hand Springs”, a deep cut shout out to those fans who no doubt had been with them at the Bottle. Even though the critics may have wished that these Chicago performances had instead taken place at a smaller venue, the first night in Chicago proves why that was never an option, delivering what is probably the most refined show of the entire tour up until this point, enthusiastic and complete.



If Chicago Night 1 was the Dr Jekyll to Night 2’s Mr Hyde, Night 3 in St Paul is the combination of the two, a set that goes back and forth between both personalities, delivering both the familiar and the one-of-a-kind moments. The Roy Wilkins Auditorium was even larger than the Aragon, and the band makes good on the narrative of being the small band that goes big, opening appropriately with “Little Room”. The surprises are there from the get-go, as “Dead Leaves” is quickly abandoned due to an out of tune guitar and Jack performs the song entirely on the keyboards for the first time since the early performance at the Magic Bag on July 30 1999. Prior to that recording circulating, no one really knew that he could do the song like that, as if revealing a super-power he hadn’t yet flexed onstage before. He goes to the organ again to open “The Union Forever”, even adding in a quote from “Razzle Dazzle.” The quiet numbers here also hit exactly as they should. Where the song “Do” had been a challenge to perform at 7/2, here it’s the right song for the room – getting almost as much applause as “Seven Nation Army” before it. The show also features the first known cover of the Beatles’ “Boys” as an impromptu outro to “Let’s Shake Hands” and a masterful medley of “Fell In Love With A Girl”, “Cannon”, and “Hypnotize”, all built around a cover of “Dirt” by the Stooges – a not-so-subtle acknowledgement of how they were likely feeling by this point in the tour. Where Chicago night 1 closed with “Boll Weevil” and night 2 closed with “Let’s Build A Home” and “Goin’ Back to Memphis”, the encores at St Paul close with both – finishing as the longest set the band performed on this leg of the tour. A fantastic exhibition in the big room to close out this leg of the tour.

LISTEN: The White Stripes at the Roy Wilkins Auditorium in St. Paul, MN, 7/3/2003

As a wonderful form of conclusion for the tour, the ticket stub for the St Paul show came with the words “NO MOSHING OR BODYSURFING” printed on it. Like OSHA standards for a concert, as if to say be careful, there will be a lot of people at this one – with big rooms come big responsibilities. Again a validation of exactly where the band were. Like the foreshadowing use of the strobe light in the club in Raleigh at the start of this leg of the tour, the St Paul ticket stub acts a bit like a diploma at the end of it. They had officially graduated from the clubs, and had the paperwork to prove it. Welcome to the bigger rooms.


Stream these two new shows, and all other exclusive archive releases from Third Man Records with a 7-day free trial. Explore The White Stripes catalog and start your free trial here.

Gratefully Covered: June 2023 Playlist

We’re back with another edition of the ‘Gratefully Covered’ playlist, featuring live tracks from the gamut of bands streaming on nugs, covering the Grateful Dead catalog. This month we’re focused just on covers from concerts in June 2023, as we’ve heard new takes on Grateful Dead classics from  Gov’t Mule to Orebolo, Goose, moe., The String Cheese Incident, Dogs In A Pile and more.

Subscribers can stream this month’s playlist now, or start your free trial to listen. The playlist is only accessible in mobile app, but you can save it to your Library for desktop playback. Explore the songs and the artists included below, and know that the music never stops.

  1. West L.A. Fadeaway
    moe.
    6/22/23 Missoula, MT
  2. Eyes of the World
    The String Cheese Incident
    6/9/23 Laytonville, CA
  3. Big River
    The String Cheese Incident
    6/9/23 Laytonville, CA
  4. Tennessee Jed
    Orebolo
    6/10/23 Boulder, CO
  5. Turn On Your Love Light
    Goose
    6/30/23 Garrettsville, OH
  6. Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo
    Goose
    6/21/23 Chicago, IL
  7. Fire On The Mountain
    Gov’t Mule
    6/11/23 Valley Center, CA
  8. St. Stephen Jam
    Gov’t Mule
    6/23/23 Mankato, MN
  9. Sugaree
    Gov’t Mule
    6/10/23 Saratoga, CA
  10. Help On The Way
    Dogs In A Pile
    6/13/23 Cave Junction, OR
  11. Slipknot!
    Dogs In A Pile
    6/13/23 Cave Junction, OR
  12. Jack Straw
    Dogs In A Pile
    6/30/23 Scranton, PA
  13. Jack A Roe
    Daniel Donato
    6/14/23 Cleveland, OH
  14. Let It Grow
    Greensky Bluegrass
    6/5/23 Reykjavik, IS
  15. China Cat Sunflower
    Greensky Bluegrass
    6/30/23 Huber Heights, OH
  16. Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo
    Yonder Mountain String Band
    6/9/23 Bellvue, CO
  17. Deal
    Kitchen Dwellers
    6/3/23 Livingston, MT
  18. New Speedway Boogie
    Kitchen Dwellers
    6/1/23 Livingston, MT
  19. Not Fade Away
    The Infamous Stringdusters
    6/18/23 Telluride, CO
  20. Casey Jones
    The Infamous Stringdusters
    6/17/23 Telluride, CO
  21. Morning Dew
    Leftover Salmon
    6/11/23 Laytonville, CA
  22. U.S. Blues
    Leftover Salmon
    6/11/23 Laytonville, CA

Wilco Through The Years: Live vs Studio

By Tyler Asay

On stage or in the studio, Wilco’s brilliance shines through. With the recent addition of a number of studio and compilation albums from Wilco’s vast catalog, this week we’re taking a deep dive and comparing their produced cuts to live tracks from our exclusive Front Of House Series, and the Roadcase Series. After digging in below, stream all the shows and albums in our app to hear how the band transforms each song into a unique live experience.


A.M. (1995) x Liberty Lunch, Austin TX (Nov 5, 1996)

The very beginning. From the ashes of Uncle Tupelo comes the band’s first record, A.M., released on March 28, 1995. Many long standing country-rock standards from the album have remained in the band’s set for their entire career like “Box Full Of Letters” and “Casino Queen.” To best understand where the band the band was at during this critical phase, we’ve paired this album with the earliest Wilco show on our platform at Liberty Lunch in Austin, Texas on November 5th 1996. This show included a number of songs from A.M., some Uncle Tupelo classics like “The Long Cut” and “New Madrid”, and a taste of what’s to come next with songs from Being There, including “I Got You (At The End Of The Century)” and “The Lonely 1”.


Being There (1996) x Promenade Park, Toledo OH (Sep 6, 1998)

Wilco’s second album, Being There, was a big swing for a sophomore record. Not only was it a double album sold as a single (which began the band’s disputes with Reprise Records), it was also the beginning of Jeff Tweedy and Co’s tearing apart from the genre of alt-country and adding in more experimental influences. Their show at Promenade Park in Toledo, Ohio on September 6th, 1998 includes several Being There tracks, highlighted by a massive “Kingpin,” alongside songs from their Woody Guthrie project with Billy Bragg, Mermaid Avenue. Main set ends with a cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song.” Hell yeah.


Summerteeth (1999) x Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London UK (Mar 27, 1999)

Before embarking on a proper tour in support of the release of Summerteeth (a tour that would last for most of 1999), Wilco played a few “showcase” shows, including this one at Shepherd’s Bush Empire in London on March 27, 1999. With Jay Bennett spending more time behind the keyboards, and the continued use of Leroy Bach as an additional sideman, the band was able to reproduce the lush sounds heard on the album, which was released three weeks prior. This show is peppered with several songs from Mermaid Avenue too, including “Christ For President” and “Hesitating Beauty,” as well as Uncle Tupelo’s “New Madrid”. The original studio album and the Super Deluxe version of Summerteeth are available to stream, the later of which which includes multiple demos and alternate versions including “Summer Teeth (Slow Rhodes Version)” and “Pieholden Suite (Alternate),” and outtakes from the Summerteeth sessions, as well as lost tracks like “No Hurry” and “Viking Dan”. It also includes a previously unreleased live show that took place November 1st, 1999 at the Boulder Theatre in Colorado. The audio was sourced from an uncirculated soundboard recording.


Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2002) x Orpheum Theater, Madison WI (Jul 31, 2002)

A turning point for the band, with both Jay Bennet leaving the band and a bobbled release from Reprise to Nonesuch. However, that didn’t stop Wilco from releasing their defining achievement and one of the greatest American-rock records of all time: Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Their show from the Orpheum Theater in Madison, Wisconsin on July 31st, 2002 takes place only three months after the physical release of the album. Hearing live versions of the heavily orchestrated cuts from Yankee such as “I Am Trying To Break Your Heart” and “Reservations” are both beautiful and insightful, and hearing the band reinterpret their older material in this new style is illuminating. We have to shout out “Laminated Cat” as well, one of our favorite jammy Wilco songs (Well, Loose Fur technically).


A Ghost Is Born (2004) x Madison Square Garden, New York NY (Dec 31, 2004)

Wilco rang in 2004 with New Year’s Eve at Madison Square Garden in New York City, a year that saw the release of their fifth album, A Ghost Is Born. Whatever personal struggles Tweedy had been going through at this time that are illustrated on Ghost, they can barely be heard during this show: the band is in high spirits and covers of “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” by Blue Oyster Cult, “Living After Midnight” by Judas Priest and “I Shall Be Released” by Bob Dylan are fired up. Maybe that had something to do with the recent addition of guitarist Nels Cline. When the clock strikes midnight, the band leads the Garden in a rendition of “Auld Lang Syne” into wishing drummer Glenn Kotche a happy birthday.


Kicking Television: Live In Chicago (May 4-7, 2005)

Kicking Television was Wilco’s first and only official live album to this date, recorded over the course of four nights at Chicago’s Vic Theater. We’re not going to compare live vs live on this one, but being a new addition to nugs it’s worthy to call out as this release had come at a time where Wilco’s live line-up had solidified to what it still is today: Jeff Tweedy, John Stirratt, Glenn Kotche, Nels Cline, Pat Sansone, and Mikael Jorgensen. The tracklisting runs the gamut of their whole career to that point, with Mermaid Avenue songs to fan-favorites and setlist standards like “Jesus, Etc.” and “Handshake Drugs.” The show closed with “Monday,” featuring a full horn section to end it with a bang.


Sky Blue Sky (2007) x Count Basie Theatre, Red Bank NJ (Jun 22, 2007)

2007 begins Wilco phase two with the release of Sky Blue Sky, a soaring musical adventure that showed the band leaning into its live chops and guitar pyrotechnics (See “Impossible Germany”). Their show at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, New Jersey on June 22nd, 2007 opens with the gorgeous “Side With The Seeds” and includes some fun extended cuts like “Hate It Here” and “War On War.” “Walken” is a highlight as well, with its mutating strut and buoyant rhythms. The main set ends with a version of Uncle Tupelo’s “Acuff-Rose”.


Wilco (The Album) (2009) x Royal Oak Theatre, Royal Oak MI (Jul 21, 2009)

Wilco love you, baby. On their 2009 album, Wilco (The Album), the band gets self-referential and settles into their position of one of the great American bands. But settling doesn’t mean you forget how to cook. This show from the Royal Oak Theatre on July 21st, 2009 in Royal Oak, MI, the band is in full force, ripping through Wilco songs like “Sonny Feeling” and “One Wing.” Delightful songwriting is the main driver here, proving how underrated Wilco (The Album) is. This show also includes rare performances of “A Magazine Called Sunset” and “Summer Teeth”.


What’s Your 20? Essential Tracks 1994 – 2014 (2014) x Kaserne Basel, Basel, SWI (Nov 7, 2011)

In 2014, Wilco released their first ever greatest hits album, What’s Your 20? Essential Tracks 1994 – 2014, which included songs from the beginning of their career up to their most recently released album, 2011’s The Whole Love. Whole Love includes some of Wilco’s catchiest tunes like “Dawned on Me” and “I Might,” which kick off this show at Kaserne Basel in Switzerland on November 7th, 2011. Several other “greatest hits” are performed at this show, including a blazing “I’m The Man Who Loves You” and a lovely “Via Chicago. The “Born Alone” from this show is massive.


Alpha Mike Foxtrot: Rare Tracks 1994 – 2014 (2014) x Largo at the Coronet, Los Angeles CA (Dec 16, 2013)

We’re mixing it up here. In 2014 Wilco released a huge collection of rarities in the form of Alpha Mike Foxtrot: Rare Tracks 1994 – 2014. The show picked here in comparison is a solo Jeff Tweedy performance from Largo at the Coronet in Los Angeles on December 16th, 2013. Tweedy performs several deep cuts including “Cars Can’t Escape” and “One True Vine.” Uncle Tupelo songs including “Black Eye” and “The Long Cut” make an appearance, so this set truly spans Tweedy’s catalog.


Ode to Joy (2019) x Chicago Theater, Chicago IL (Dec 19, 2019)

Ode to Joy is the eleventh studio album by Wilco, released in October of 2019. This show from the Chicago Theater on December 19th, 2019 takes place during a multi-night run and features several songs from Ode To Joy such as “One And A Half Stars” and “Love Is Everywhere (Beware)” as well as “Random Name Generator” from 2015’s Star Wars. The encore is an amazing triple punch: “California Stars” (featuring James Elkington) into “Spiders (Kidsmoke)” into a cover of John Lennon’s “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” featuring Sharon Van Etten.


Exclusive to nugs.net, the Front of House Series explores Wilco’s live catalog past and present. Start a 7-day free streaming trial to listen to these exclusive concert releases, the Roadcase Series, and their studio counterparts. Explore Wilco’s live and studio catalog on nugs.net.

King Gizzard: Remlinger Farms Premieres

Blog courtesy of acclaimed music journalist and Gizz-superfan, Jonathan Cohen.

The three-show Remlinger Farms run premieres start on Monday July 3, these are the final livestreams from the 13-show livestream marathon. Read more about the entire U.S. run in Cohen’s full Summer Tour write-up.


The final three shows of King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard’s summer U.S. residency took place at Remlinger Farms 30 miles outside of Seattle, and the gray, rainy, “we’re all in this together” vibe made for some unforgettable moments even when attendees were getting very soggy. The June 16 opener hits a high point within the first 15 minutes as the band tears through the first four songs from the 2014 album “I’m in Your Mind Fuzz.” “Shanghai” is once again a brain-twisting synth-fueled jam, The second half of the jam in “Sense” is Gizzard in full, big grin Grateful Dead mode, “Hot Water” sees its lyrics replaced by a “Joey Walker” chant, and four relentless songs in a row from the album “Murder of the Universe” wind the show down in fist-pumping fashion.


On June 17, “Static Electricity” appears for the first time on this U.S. tour and as an opener for the first time ever, with a subsequent run of “Gila Monster,” “Witchcraft,” “Self-Immolate,” and “Crumbling Castle” -> “The Fourth Colour” revealing Gizzard at its absolute finest and heaviest. Following shots of “some of George Clooney’s finest,” Walker’s solo on “Work This Time” will drop your jaw, much like the 30-minute “The Dripping Tap” to close the performance. It’s the longest version of the song ever played, and each of the distinct jam sections and other song teases (“Crumbling Castle,” “Cellophane,” “Head On/Pill”) push it to greater heights.

The Remlinger Farms finale gets moving quickly with the tour debuts of “All Is Known” and “Anoxia” and reaches fever pitch with the absolutely punishing stoner metal extravaganza “K.G.L.W.” by the fifth song. “Her and I (Slow Jam 2)” is a revelation — almost 18 minutes of pure jam incorporating riffs from “Iron Lung” and a sublime blues section led by Ambrose Kenny-Smith near the end. The closing trio of “Wah Wah,” “The River,” and “Float Along – Fill Your Lungs” offers one delight after another, and suddenly, 13 songs have flown by in two hours. This is a show you’ll want to relive.


Jonathan Cohen is a music journalist, editor and author of the New York Times-bestselling authorized biography of Pearl Jam, 2011’s “Pearl Jam 20.” He previously served as the music booker for the first six years of Jimmy Fallon’s NBC late night show, where he oversaw the debut U.S. TV appearances of Tame Impala, Kendrick Lamar, Tyler, the Creator, Frank Ocean, Lorde, Kacey Musgraves, and Ed Sheeran. He also plays keyboards in the band Chamberlain.


King Gizzard: The Salt Shed Premieres

Blog courtesy of acclaimed music journalist, and Gizz-superfan, Jonathan Cohen

Watch our Youtube playlist featuring clips from their 13-show marathon, and listen to the full show audio from their 6/11 Salt Shed Show. Read more about the entire marathon of shows in Cohen’s full Summer Tour write-up.


The Salt Shed – Chicago, IL

The first night of a three-show run in the Windy City on June 11 says a lot about live Gizzard circa 2023: 14 songs from 12 different albums, dabbling in everything from weird microtonal rock (the opening combo of “O.N.E.” and “Pleura”), top-shelf thrash (“Motor Spirit” and “Gaia,” the latter dedicated to none other than John Mayer) and Grateful Dead-worthy sonic explorations (“The River”). The sludgy “The Great Chain of Being” appears for the first time on the residency tour, while an extended “Boogieman Sam” (with teases of five different other songs) wraps the evening with hip-shaking, harmonica-flavored vibes.

Tour debuts abound on June 12, from the simmering, microtonal “Honey” and the chugga-wugga blast “Road Train” to the herky-jerky “Invisible Face” (its first complete performance ever) and finale “Am I in Heaven?” “Hate Dancin’” and “Astroturf” are back to get the bodies moving, “Shanghai” is a super atmospheric jam, and three songs from 2017’s “Polygondwanaland” (“Inner Cell,” “Loyalty,” “Horology”) demonstrate Gizzard’s uncanny ability to morph one similar-sounding riff into 10 minutes of beautiful, creeping dread.

Day-long rain can’t deter the Gizzard faithful at the Chicago finale on June 13, and they’re rewarded with the live debut of the rhythmically obtuse “Change” from “Changes” (“fuck, are we really doing this?,” the band asks aloud). A 10-minute-plus “Hot Water” wanders all over the place before unexpectedly segueing into the always satisfying Krautrock epic “Hypertension,” and the fan favorite, Cook “Cookie” Craig-sung “The Garden Goblin” affords Gizzard the chance to reminisce about Australian hardware store chain Bunnings and the animated kids show “Bluey.” “The Dripping Tap” sends the soggy crowd home humming “drip drip from the tap / don’t slip on the drip” after 19 minutes of blissed-out, major key rock’n’roll.


Jonathan Cohen is a music journalist, editor and author of the New York Times-bestselling authorized biography of Pearl Jam, 2011’s “Pearl Jam 20.” He previously served as the music booker for the first six years of Jimmy Fallon’s NBC late night show, where he oversaw the debut U.S. TV appearances of Tame Impala, Kendrick Lamar, Tyler, the Creator, Frank Ocean, Lorde, Kacey Musgraves, and Ed Sheeran. He also plays keyboards in the band Chamberlain.

King Gizzard: Red Rocks Premieres

Blog courtesy of acclaimed music journalist, and Gizz-superfan, Jonathan Cohen

Watch the worldwide premieres from the 13-show marathon. The three-show Red Rocks’ premieres start Tuesday June 27. Read more about the entire marathon of shows in Cohen’s full Summer Tour write-up.


Red Rocks Amphitheatre – Morrison, CO

Back in the friendly confines of Red Rocks on June 7, Gizzard dusts off “Sense,” which had been on the acoustic Caverns show set list but was cut for time, and debuts the genial “Hate Dancin’” from last year’s Changes album (hint: they don’t really hate it). A two-fer from 2017’s Murder of the Universe is an excellent precursor for three continuous tracks from “Nonagon Infinity,” with “Robot Stop” working in teases of “Hot Water,” “The Dripping Tap” and “Shanghai.”

In another “hey, why not?” move, Gizzard plays two separate shows at the gorgeous mountain venue the next day, with the afternoon matinee marked by the first performance of the gauzy “Satan Speeds Up” since 2014 and numerous devil-horn rockers such as “Self-Immolate” and “Evil Death Roll.” Walker gets the vocal spotlight on “This Thing” and “Most of What I Like,” and “Shanghai” has an impromptu chant about getting high, because … well, Colorado.

At the evening show, the twisting and turning “Rattlesnake” is an ideal opener to reset the collective energy, and Kenny-Smith again steals the spotlight with his vocals and stage presence on “Straws in the Wind” and “Presumptuous.” The last portion of the night shifts from the infrequently aired “Slow Jam I” into four straight rippers: “Hell,” “Mars for the Rich,” “Super Cell” and “Gila Monster,” the latter two “Petro” tracks reminding the audience of Gizzard’s inherent mastery of dynamics and virtuosity.


Watch the worldwide premieres from the 13-show marathon, the Red Rocks’ shows start Tuesday June 27th, with The Salt Shed and Remlinger Farms still to come. Save 25% when ordering all 13, available as an upgrade from any single-night’s show.


Jonathan Cohen is a music journalist, editor and author of the New York Times-bestselling authorized biography of Pearl Jam, 2011’s “Pearl Jam 20.” He previously served as the music booker for the first six years of Jimmy Fallon’s NBC late night show, where he oversaw the debut U.S. TV appearances of Tame Impala, Kendrick Lamar, Tyler, the Creator, Frank Ocean, Lorde, Kacey Musgraves, and Ed Sheeran. He also plays keyboards in the band Chamberlain.

New York Got the Ways and Means: Dead and Company Live at Citi Field (6/22/23)

By Matt Brookman

WATCH: Dead & Company live at Citi Field in New York, NY, 6/22/23

New York – Got the Ways and Means

June 22 – Night 2 Citi Field to close out an epic NY stand on the final tour. There was a special energy in the air this evening. The forecast was calling for rain, but the weather knew it couldn’t stop the band from playing one final show in New York. It was a beautiful night and the band was greeted to a packed and electric stadium. 

The band hit the stage with John wearing a Mets Lindor jersey (John later posted on his Instagram that his father was a huge Mets fan). The boys were all smiles and you could tell that tonight was going to be special. “Feels Like a Stranger” to open the show, which was last played on May, 23 in Phoenix.   It was a funked out version and it definitely felt like it was going to be a long, long crazy, crazy night. 

To follow was “Franklin’s Tower”, giving us some 1980’s energy. The coupling was first done in 1980 and became a standard from 1987 to the summer of 1989. Listen to the great version on nugs.net from the album “Dead Set”. It was time for a Cowboy Tune and we got the always welcome Merl Haggard cover “Mama Tried”.  The playing continued on a very high level with Bobby in fine form on the vocals.

“Alabama Getaway” followed, the “Go To Heaven” Garcia/Hunter song, which was first played in 1979 has become John Mayer’s . The pace was high and the Citi Field crowd was moving and grooving. Next to follow was the Traffic cover “Dear Mr Fantasy” which led into the Beatles “Hey Jude Reprise”. The 80’s energy continued with John giving both songs the full workout. In this writer’s opinion this was the best version of this combination that Dead & Company has done since reviving it last summer. The Citi Field crowd all singing in unison the “Na na na nananana, nannana, hey Jude…” They kept the foot on the gas treating the NY faithful to a NYC favorite “Truckin’” and they roared as Bobby delivered “New York – Got The Ways And Means”.  Closing out this perfect first set was “Deal”, which was an absolute show stopper. The jams built and built seeing John deliver three powerful windmills and raising his fist in the air ala the famous Jerry Garcia image. This is a definite must listen and has to be in the running for best first sets of the tour.

The second set started off with a hot “Scarlet Begonias>Fire on The Mountain” finally reconnecting the coupling, which had been separated of late in previous shows. All felt right in the world and the high energy playing from the firs set continued into the second. The NY crowd was then treated to another traditionally played combination with “Estimated Prophet>Eyes Of The World”. Stellar versions of both with the band finding their way into a tease of The Wailers “Get Up Stand Up” during “Estimated”. The versions of “Eyes of The World” have gone from strength to strength since Cornell and this was another high energy version seeing the various band members shining in their solos while taking the song to jazzy places it hasn’t been before. “Eyes” would lead perfectly into “Drums” which once again was a standout portion of the show.

“Space” would see Jeff, John, Bobby and Oteil return to the stage with some incredible improvisational jamming.  The drummers returned and the band worked its way into rare cover Miles Davis’s “All Blues”. This was the first version of the song on the Final Tour, which was played only once before last year in Chicago. This would lead into another fiery version of “Cumberland Blues”. A heavily jammed “All Along the Watchtower” lead into the show stopping “Morning Dew”. The perfect closer for a show this special.

The band returned for a beautiful rendition of “Brokedown Palace” and bid their adieu to the NY crowd. This show will definitely be in conversation as one of the best of the tour, but this band never seemed to let the NY fans down.

Rare song of the night: “All Blues.” The Miles Davis cover played for the second time by Dead & Company after being broken out at Wrigley Field in 2022. 

Other must listen to moments: “Alabama Getaway”, “Dear Mr. Fantasy>Hey Jude Reprise”, “Deal”, “Scarlet Begonias>Fire on the Mountain”, “Cumberland Blues” and “Morning Dew”


Listen to this show, along with every night of this year’s Dead & Company tour, with a free 7-day trial. Explore the Dead & Company catalog and start your free trial here.

King Gizzard: The Caverns Premieres

Blog courtesy of acclaimed music journalist, and Gizz-superfan, Jonathan Cohen

Watch the worldwide premieres from the 13-show marathon. The four-night Caverns run will premiere starting Friday June 23. Read more about these special events in Cohen’s full Summer Tour write-up.


The Caverns – Pelham, TN

What could be more King Gizzard than a show inside a literal ancient cave in a rural Tennessee town with a population of about 400? On June 1 at the first of four gigs in this unique venue (two in the cave, two in the above-ground amphitheater up the hill), the energy is off the charts from the opening notes of “The Dripping Tap” to five straight songs from 2016’s “Nonagon Infinity” played without a pause. Two of the best and most sprawling selections from Gizzard’s five distinct 2022 studio albums, “Ice V” and “Hypertension,” also make a wonderfully symbiotic pair, while the “PetroDragonic” standout “Super Cell” is given its live debut.

Back in the cave the next night, Gizzard again seems possessed by hard-rocking spirits with the opening suite of “I’m in Your Mind” -> “I’m Not in Your Mind” -> “Cellophane,” a trio immediately trumped by the head-banging thrash of “Planet B,” “Predator X” and another new tune, “Converge.” An attempt to incorporate some electronic gadgets goes comically awry after the flute-kissed hip-hop of “The Grim Reaper,” with multi-instrumentalist Joey Walker at first commanding frontman Stu Mackenzie to “engage the granulator” before giving up and chuckling, “our stuff is broken really well.” The long-awaited live debut of the funk jam “Astroturf” follows, and by the “K.G.L.W.” closer, it almost feels like Gizzard is just getting warmed up after almost two hours on stage.

The June 3 outdoor set had already been designated beforehand as a Pride Night celebration, but Gizzard goes above and beyond by performing fully in drag after purchasing dresses and other goodies that afternoon from a Goodwill by the Bonnaroo site in nearby Manchester. The night before, a federal judge had struck down Tennessee’s widely criticized anti-drag law, and fans of all ages and orientations can’t help but feel the love coming from the stage. Highlights include the one-two heavy metal punch of “Gaia” and the yet-to-be-released “Petro” face-melter “Witchcraft,” the Ambrose Kenny-Smith showcase “Boogieman Sam” (with snippets of Canned Heat’s “Going Up the Country” and Muddy Waters’ “Got My Mojo Working”) and the expansive combo of “Magma” and “Lava” from last year’s “Ice, Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushrooms, and Lava.”

At the final Caverns show, fans get to experience Gizzard at its most beguiling. Despite the heaviest album of its career due for release in less than two weeks, the band opts to play a fully acoustic set for what’s believed to be only the fourth time in its 14-year existence, and this ultra-rare assemblage of songs includes just two that have been released since 2017. It’s a reminder of how earlier Gizzard songs such as “Lonely Steel Sheet Flyer,” “Sleepwalker,” “The River” and “Let Me Mend the Past” bring out a more nuanced, roots-y and jam band-adjacent sound, and why they work so well in this stripped-down setting. “Thanks for indulging our dad-rock tunes,” Walker says at one point. Closer “Her and I (Slow Jam 2)” embodies all sides of Gizzard at once, as it works its way into a loud, two-chord jam before quieting back down to hushed tones. All in all one of the most unusual performances in recent Gizzard history, this one is not to be missed.


Watch the worldwide premieres from the 13-show marathon, starting Friday June 23rd. Save 25% when ordering all 13, available as an upgrade from any single-night’s show.


Jonathan Cohen is a music journalist, editor and author of the New York Times-bestselling authorized biography of Pearl Jam, 2011’s “Pearl Jam 20.” He previously served as the music booker for the first six years of Jimmy Fallon’s NBC late night show, where he oversaw the debut U.S. TV appearances of Tame Impala, Kendrick Lamar, Tyler, the Creator, Frank Ocean, Lorde, Kacey Musgraves, and Ed Sheeran. He also plays keyboards in the band Chamberlain.

They Were Dancing In New York City: Dead and Company Live at Citi Field (6/21/23)

By Matt Brookman

WATCH: Dead & Company live at Citi Field in New York, NY, 6/21/23

They Were Dancin’ In New York City

June 21st – Next stop on the Final Tour was New York and Citi Field. NY shows have always had a special electric energy. NY has always felt like a second home for the Grateful Dead and the various incarnations of the band have always shined in the New York area playing some of the bands most legendary shows. Citi Field has been the site of some classic Dead & Company shows and tonight would set the tone for a two night right in the home of the New York Mets. For those who were away, It was also a very special night as it was the Summer Solstice. Summer time was now officially here although the weather felt like spring.

The forecast was calling for possible rain and the wind was howling through the stadium. The band took to the stage and came out of the gate with an appropriate NY opener “Shakedown Street”. Some legendary “Shakedown’s” have been played in NY over the years, see 9/18/87 MSG. Another well jammed “Shakedown” set the tone for a high energy and well played first set. The band went right into a powerful “Bertha” which was the first of the weather themed first set songs. Thankfully we didn’t run into a rain storm, but we felt the thunder of Mickey and Jay’s driving drums. John and Jay took the jams to huge highs and the NY crowd was along for the ride. Next to follow was “Ramble On Rose” which as usual saw a strong reaction from the NY crowd, “Just like New York city, just like Jericho”. 

“It Hurts Me Too” followed, the Tampa Red cover was a Pigpen staple from 1966 to 1972. John has truly made this song his own and tonight’s version was an absolute standout. A nod to the Summer Solstice would follow with the Martha and The Vandellas cover “Dancing In The Streets”. Summer was here and the time was right to be Dancing In The Streets. Another nod to the NY faithful as they were definitely dancing in New York city. A funked out “Dancing” would lead us into the thunderous “Althea”.  Similar to tonight’s “Bertha”, this “Althea” truly soared. The band closed the set with “Let It Grow”.  An ode to the Summer Solstice as the seasons were changing. This was a big set ender as the band took the jams to new places. A perfect ending to an incredibly played first set. 

Before the start of the second set John would take to social media notifying the fans that he threw his back out and might be sitting during the set. The second set started off with a hot “China Cat Sunflower>I Know You Rider” continuing the fine form of the first set. A seated John Mayer didn’t hinder him from playing scorching leads and driving the NY crowd into a frenzy. The NY crowd was then treated to an incredibly powerful and stretched out version of “St. Stephen”. The jams built and built finally hinting towards “The Eleven”. “The Eleven” didn’t come but they instead segued into “Uncle John’s Band”. “Uncle John’s Band” took us into “Drums” where we were treated to a special guest drummer Joe Russo who added to the powerful segment joining Mickey and Jay. The drums have been a standout all tour and this one was no different. Kudos to the bands production as the visuals have truly complimented this segment each night of the tour.

The drummers left the stage after Mickey lead the crowd in a call and response for a thunderous finish. Jeff, John, Bobby and Oteil would return to the stage for “Space” teasing us with notes of “The Eleven”.  The drummers returned and we were finally treated to a massive version of “The Eleven”. After really heating the crowd up the band slowed things down with a very powerful “Stella Blue”. Bobby has really embraced this song and it was a perfect fit as the wind really starting to howl. The set finally closed with a very high energy version of “US Blues” with the crowd all singing along in unison. Summer was officially here!

As the curfew approached the band decided to cool down the NY crowd after a rocking “US Blues” with an incredibly soulful rendition of “Black Muddy River”. No official encore as the band left the stage. 

Rare song of the night: “Dancing In The Streets.” The Martha and The Vandellas cover played for the second time of this tour, but has always been a rare treat for this band. A standard for the band from the 1960’s through the 1970’s, becoming a rare treat in the 80’s. It was last played by the Grateful Dead in the NY Metropolitan area at Brendan Byrne Arena in East Rutherford, NJ on April 6, 1987. 

Other must listen to moments: “Bertha”, “It Hurts Me Too”, “Let It Grow” “St. Stephen” “The Eleven” “Stella Blue” and “US Blues”.

Back at it again tonight for night 2 at Citi Fields. It Feels like a Stranger 😉 


Listen to this show, along with every night of this year’s Dead & Company tour, with a free 7-day trial. Explore the Dead & Company catalog and start your free trial here.

READ: The review of Dead & Company Night 2 at Citi Field

Don’t Tell Philadelphia That It has No Heart: Dead and Company Live at Citizens Bank Park (6/15/2023)

By Matt Brookman

Don’t Tell Philadelphia That It has No Heart

WATCH: Dead & Company live at Citizen’s Bank Park in Philadelphia, PA, 6/15/23

June 15th – Next stop on the Farewell Tour was Philadelphia, which is a special city for the Grateful Dead where they had sold out 53 shows – the most by any musical act — at the legendary Spectrum. The Philly faithful have continued to come out and support various incarnations of the band and tonight was no different with Citizens Bank Park filled to the rafters.

The band took to the stage and came out of the gate hot with the tour debut of “Women Are Smarter”. A song that would have usually found itself in the second set, it sounded at home as an opener and got the Philly crowd on their feet and dancing. The band followed with a funked-out version of “Shakedown Street” with John and Jeff taking the song to places it never had been before. Out of “Shakedown” they went into a raw and driving “Cold Rain and Snow”. John has delivered some strong “Cold Rain’s” this tour and this was another stellar version.

“Jack Straw” followed, which slowly built to a thunderous peak with Jay and Mickey completely locked in. It has been fun watching this duo get in synch and bringing the energy each night. “Brown Eyed Women” was next as the set continued to carry the high energy. Although a ballad would have been a likely next song, we were greeted with a huge surprise of “Dark Star”. The band went through various improvisational jams before leading to Verse 1. The second tour debut would follow with the Marty Robbins classic “El Paso”. This combination has been resurrected with Dead & Company, with the most notable version played 8/27/72. Bobby was in fine form and had the Philly crowd fully engaged. “Don’t Ease Me In” would follow and closed out the first set with a bang.

The second set started off with a tasty “Fire on The Mountain” and “New Speedway Boogie.” The Philly crowd was treated to a classic duo of “Estimated Prophet” into “Eyes of The World.” John started playing “Eyes” and then realized that wasn’t the next song. A funny moment ensued as John took his guitar off and laid it on the stage while Bobby started playing the opening to “Estimated”. They had the stadium rocking taking the jams to huge highs with John playing whirling leads. Bobby once again was in fine form both vocally and with his incredible rhythm playing. “Eyes of the World” would then finally find its way and oh what an “Eyes of The World” it was. This song has really shined on the Farewell Tour and this version would be no different. Incredible soloing from John, Jeff and Oteil! “Eyes” lead into “Drums” with the drummers taking the crowd on a tribal journey.

The drummers left the stage after delivering a thunderous finale which had the stadium reverberating. Jeff, John, Bobby and Oteil would return to the stage for “Space” with some dark and out there jamming that lead into “Dark Star Verse 2.” A monster “Cumberland Blues” came soon after showcasing fiery playing from everyone in the band. A beautiful “Standing on The Moon” followed with Bobby passionately delivering the Garcia/Hunter ballad. What other way Closing out this special set, was a rousing “Not Fade Away”. You could feel the stadium moving as the crowd danced their way through the rollicking version. The Philly crowd showed their love chanting “You know our love will not fadeaway!” while clapping in unison as the band left the stage.

The encore was “Ripple” as an appropriate sendoff to the city that embraced this band from San Francisco and made it one of their second homes.

Rare song of the night: “El Paso.” The Marty Robbins song has always been a special treat going back the later Grateful Dead days and the combination with Dark Star made this an even special treat. A tour debut as well.

Other must listen to moments: “Shakedown Street”, “Dark Star Verse 1”, “Estimated” “Eyes of The World” and “Cumberland Blues”.

Next stop is Saratoga and the legendary Saratoga Performing Arts Center. It feels like things might get a little bit Stranger. Don’t forget you can watch the show live on nugs.net.


Listen to this show, along with every night of this year’s Dead & Company tour, with a free 7-day trial. Explore the Dead & Company catalog and start your free trial here.

READ: The review of Dead & Company’s 6/21 show at Citi Field in New York

Concert Review & Setlist: Dead & Company Gig in Cincinnati 2023

By Matt Brookman

Looks Like Rain in Cincinnati

WATCH: Dead & Company live at Riverbend Music Center in Cincinnati, OH 6/13/23

June 13th – The latest stop on Dead & Company’s Final Tour took us to Cincinnati’s Riverbend Music Center. Set alongside the Ohio River, Riverbend has been a frequent haunt of tour’s past, and was the location of a special Grateful Dead show in ’85 that featured a sought-after “Cryptical Envelopment,” a song which was broken out that year after a 13-year hiatus.

Tuesday’s show was one of the more intimate venues we’ll see this tour, and the rainy start helped set the vibe, and setlist, for the electrifying night to come. The band opened with “Music Never Stopped” taking note of their location “There’s mosquitoes on the river.” Music would then lead to the first breakout of the night “Next Time You See Me”.  The Junior Brown cover was brought back out by Dead & Company in 2016 and John always gives it a proper workout. This version would be no different and was one of the high points of the first set. 

“Me & My Uncle” and “Row Jimmy” followed, leading to “Dear Mr. Fantasy>Hey Jude” which would let John let loose as well as some powerful organ playing from Jeff Chimenti. The combo which was broken out by Dead & Company last summer has become a welcome return addition to the Dead & Company setlist.  Another ode to their location along the river would follow with Bobby leading the band through “Cassidy”.  “Iko Iko” would close the set on a high energy note leading to what was to come in the second set.

The band opened the second set with a beautiful and jammed out “Here Come Sunshine”. This would set the tone for a set filled with high energy jams. “Viola Lee Blues” would follow and delivered some of the biggest jams of the night. They took Viola Lee to a funky place including a smoking “Cissy Strut Jam” with Jeff driving the organ part and Jay and Oteil locking down the rhythm. After such a high energy start to the set it felt like an appropriate time for a ballad to cool off the Cincinnati faithful. 

We got our second tour debut of the evening with Bobby taking lead vocals for a powerful version of “Looks Like Rain”. In past Grateful Dead days “Looks Like Rain” would often find itself played after a “China>Rider”, but tonight it would go in reverse. “China Cat Sunflower” followed “Looks Like Rain” leading into a hot “I Know You Rider”. The drumming duo then lead the band into an ethereal segment before taking “Drums” to a driving place.


“Space” would follow, leading into a stellar “The Wheel” “Wharf Rat” couplet. Bobby has continued to make this Garcia/Hunter ballad his own with Mayer playing soaring leads. We were then treated to a roaring “Casey Jones” to close out the set. 

The encore was “Touch of Grey” as a final farewell to this Cincinnati crowd.  

Rare song of the night: “Next Time You See Me.” The Junior Parker song which was played around 70 times during the Pigpen era was resurrected by Dead & Company in 2016, This was the first performance on the Farewell Tour and hopefully not the last.

Other must listen to moments: “Here Comes Sunshine”, “Viola Lee Blues”, “Looks Like Rain” “China Cat Sunflower>I Know You Rider”

Next stop is Philadelphia where those Philly Filly’s sure know what to do.


Listen to this show, along with every night of this year’s Dead & Company tour, with a free 7-day trial. Explore the Dead & Company catalog and start your free trial here.

The White Stripes: June 2003 Raleigh to Kansas City

Two exclusive archives from The White Stripes are now available for streaming in the nugs.net app, featuring performances from Raleigh, NC and Kansas City, KS. From long time White Stripes fan Mike on this month’s ‘Third Man Thursday’ releases:


Starting in the last week of spring and finishing in the first week of summer, these two shows capture the beginning and end of a 13 day trek, from North Carolina to Kansas. Two sets of 6 performances in a row, with a day off in the middle on June 22, and 2 shows played on the same day at Stubbs in Austin on June 25. 13 shows in 13 days.

LISTEN: The White Stripes at The Ritz in Raleigh, NC, 6/16/2003

Kicking off in Raleigh on June 16, with a return to a club they had visited 4 years earlier as a then-unknown opening act for Pavement, and concluding in Kansas City on June 28 at the Memorial Hall – the closest they would get to actually “going to Wichita” on the Elephant tour – the performances here are a true before & after. Two snapshots in time: one looking back, reflecting on their early years on the road. The other looking forward…to the bigger venues and the many dates still to come on the tour.

In as much as April was about exposure and May was about exploration, you could say that June was all about endurance.

The venues on this leg ranged from clubs, to theaters, auditoriums, and even a sports arena. While the band had no problem delivering excellent performances at large events such as Glastonbury, Roskilde, or Coachella (in fact, they had started June with a festival date in Italy to close out the European leg, and then performed at back-to-back festival appearances in California before making their way to Raleigh), finding the appropriate place to play in each city would prove to be a challenge. Not every city had a good mid-size venue. In Tampa, for instance, they had no other option but to play in the 10,000 seat Sun Dome, which had to be curtained off in order to reduce the size of the arena, with the band performing to about the same size crowd as they would at the club shows.

While Raleigh had obvious sentimental significance for the band, just like the show in Houston where they gave a shout out to Blind Willie Johnson, or Oklahoma City “land of Woody Guthrie” – in Kansas City it would be the audience that provided the acknowledgment, roaring in approval during the “Wichita” line in “Seven Nation Army”, taking Jack by surprise. Like the triumphant return to Raleigh, the Wichita reaction at Kansas City is also a true “it could only have happened here” moment on the tour.

The recordings of these two performances perfectly capture not just the sound of the band, but also the venues that they were playing in. The Ritz being the smaller venue, with the crowd upfront and present, and Memorial Hall, with the band playing in a bigger room, and the crowd further in the background. Where you can hear the reverb on Jack’s amp so clearly on the recording at Raleigh, at Kansas City it’s the sound of the room that reverberates.

The Raleigh performance is a club show through and through, a relaxed and warm nod to the band’s history. The tour-closing shows in North Carolina from 2000 and 2001 in Asheville are among the best from those years. This time around, North Carolina got the tour opener, with the band coming back to conquer on familiar ground in Raleigh. While the name of the venue had recently changed from the Ritz to the Disco Rodeo, it was still very much the same place, with Jack playfully reminding the audience about how the last time they played there in 1999 “nobody gave a damn”, before joking “Now who’s laughing?” As if further embodying that feeling of a return to an earlier time, Jack’s Fender Twin has the reverb set high at this show – like he did in the early years (listen to the sound of the springs audibly slapping back during the pulsing intro to “The Hardest Button to Button”), giving an almost throwback feel to the sound of this performance. Like a 2003 version of a 1999 club show, back when it was just one amp on stage doing all the heavy lifting. The setlist here is also about as unpredictable as many of those early shows were – stretching out in any direction they felt like going, from the cheerful tribute to North Carolina in “Lord, Send Me An Angel” early in the set, to a flawless “I Fought Piranhas” packing as much tightly-wound energy as can fit into 3 minutes, or the disarming intimacy of Bob Dylan’s “Girl From The North Country”, the first known performance since the early years – featured as a brief quote at the end of “Five String Serenade.” Even the “Take a Whiff on Me” interlude gets inserted into “The Big Three Killed My Baby”, a colliding of a debut-era song with an Elephant-era adlib. And yet, even with all of this nostalgia – this show is one of the first to feature a strobe light effect for “Seven Nation Army”. A small acknowledgement of where the band were by this point, with the bigger stage productions and larger venues to come. While they would go on to play at a few more clubs on the tour, none would hold as much significance as this one.

LISTEN: The White Stripes at Memorial Hall in Kansas City, KS, 6/28/2003

13 days later, and the relaxed and open-ended feeling so present at Raleigh has been replaced with an almost brutal directness at Kansas City. They’ve just been through a long run of shows, and oh boy can you hear it. Like a boxer having worked their way through the circuit, with only a few matches left before the championship. Still hungry, aware of what it takes to last the necessary rounds, and more than capable of delivering the knockout. While they could focus on more personal storytelling at a comfortable pace in the smaller club setting in Raleigh, in Kansas City the bigger room required bigger gestures, with a focus on keeping the energy going from end-to-end. Look no further than the 7+ minute rendition of “I Think I Smell a Rat”, featuring a medley that leads off with a cover of Lead Belly’s “Pick a Bale of Cotton”, the vocals a jarring display delivered at the top of the lungs – as if demanding that the audience can hear him all the way in the back. If Raleigh had a lightness to it, Kansas City brings the heavy. The near-shredded vocals during the breakdown in “Black Math”, or the doomy intro to “Cannon”, played almost as if mimicking Black Sabbath’s “Electric Funeral.” There’s an edge to many of the songs here, and plenty of surprises, including the rare performance of “Candy Cane Children” – the only live rendition captured by the Stripes to feature that excellent dark outro riff, or the final performance of “Don’t Blame Me” which feels less like a ballad from a hopeless romantic and more like a cautionary tale. Or how about that extended ending added to “Hello Operator”, turning one of their most buoyant songs into glorious sludge. And of course that one-of-a-kind performance of “Seven Nation Army”, where the Kansas crowd go ballistic the moment the Wichita line finally arrives. With so much effortless riffing and raw power on display, it’s no surprise that there is very little time spent on the keyboards here. This ain’t that kind of show. By the time they get to “Boll Weevil”, having successfully delivered a near non-stop performance, it’s a straightforward “Alright folks, I suppose it’s that time of the night…”. A reminder that each show on the tour, just like a carnival, eventually has to pack up and head to the next town. A fitting close to the run.

After this 13 day journey, the band would have a day off and head to St. Louis, where that show would be marked by near constant equipment failures. After such a long haul with no issues, St. Louis ends up being a bit like returning from a cross-country drive, and then the car breaks down the very next time you take it down the street. And even with all of those challenges, just like running through so many back to back dates in so many different settings, they still managed to make that St. Louis show a memorable performance. Endurance.

As it would turn out, the trip from North Carolina to Kansas would include the final shows that the White Stripes would ever perform in those states – as well as Florida, Texas, and Oklahoma. Louisiana would get a final visit at the Voodoo Festival in New Orleans in November, and the band would return to Georgia one last time for the Midtown Music festival in Atlanta, early on in the Get Behind Me Satan tour. They would also return to Kansas City on that tour, but it would be on the Missouri side of town – at the much larger Starlight Theatre, of course.


Stream these three new shows, and all other exclusive archive releases from Third Man Records with a 7-day free trial. Explore The White Stripes catalog and start your free trial here.

King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard: Marathon Preview

Blog courtesy of acclaimed music journalist, and Gizz-superfan, Jonathan Cohen

Watch the worldwide premieres from the 13-show marathon.


When last we left King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard in the fall of 2022, the Australian sextet was laying waste to Red Rocks Amphitheatre with three, three-hour shows featuring no repeated songs drawn from throughout its then-23 album deep discography. As hard as it may be to imagine for a group with an already jaw-dropping work ethic, King Gizzard’s summer 2023 U.S. tour is taking this concept to the proverbial next level, and nugs.net will have all the action via delayed livestreams beginning June 23.

Rather than a traditional tour, the group has hunkered down for multiple-show residences at the Caverns in Pelham, Tn., the aforementioned Red Rocks outside Denver, the new Salt Shed in Chicago, and Remlinger Farms 20 miles east of Seattle. No songs are being repeated within each individual city, allowing Gizzard to touch on more than 80 different tracks so far on the run. Among them have been the live debuts of material from the upcoming trash metal/prog concept album “PetroDragonic Apocalypse,” which will be released Friday (June 16).

Below, check out some highlights from the shows already completed and look ahead to the Seattle concerts. Also be sure to peruse nugs.net’s King Gizzard catalog, which includes more than a dozen audio and video releases taped all over the world.

The Caverns – Pelham, TN

What could be more King Gizzard than a show inside a literal ancient cave in a rural Tennessee town with a population of about 400? On June 1 at the first of four gigs in this unique venue (two in the cave, two in the above-ground amphitheater up the hill), the energy is off the charts from the opening notes of “The Dripping Tap” to five straight songs from 2016’s “Nonagon Infinity” played without a pause. Two of the best and most sprawling selections from Gizzard’s five distinct 2022 studio albums, “Ice V” and “Hypertension,” also make a wonderfully symbiotic pair, while the “PetroDragonic” standout “Super Cell” is given its live debut.

Back in the cave the next night, Gizzard again seems possessed by hard-rocking spirits with the opening suite of “I’m in Your Mind” -> “I’m Not in Your Mind” -> “Cellophane,” a trio immediately trumped by the head-banging thrash of “Planet B,” “Predator X” and another new tune, “Converge.” An attempt to incorporate some electronic gadgets goes comically awry after the flute-kissed hip-hop of “The Grim Reaper,” with multi-instrumentalist Joey Walker at first commanding frontman Stu Mackenzie to “engage the granulator” before giving up and chuckling, “our stuff is broken really well.” The long-awaited live debut of the funk jam “Astroturf” follows, and by the “K.G.L.W.” closer, it almost feels like Gizzard is just getting warmed up after almost two hours on stage.

The June 3 outdoor set had already been designated beforehand as a Pride Night celebration, but Gizzard goes above and beyond by performing fully in drag after purchasing dresses and other goodies that afternoon from a Goodwill by the Bonnaroo site in nearby Manchester. The night before, a federal judge had struck down Tennessee’s widely criticized anti-drag law, and fans of all ages and orientations can’t help but feel the love coming from the stage. Highlights include the one-two heavy metal punch of “Gaia” and the yet-to-be-released “Petro” face-melter “Witchcraft,” the Ambrose Kenny-Smith showcase “Boogieman Sam” (with snippets of Canned Heat’s “Going Up the Country” and Muddy Waters’ “Got My Mojo Working”) and the expansive combo of “Magma” and “Lava” from last year’s “Ice, Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushrooms, and Lava.”

At the final Caverns show, fans get to experience Gizzard at its most beguiling. Despite the heaviest album of its career due for release in less than two weeks, the band opts to play a fully acoustic set for what’s believed to be only the fourth time in its 14-year existence, and this ultra-rare assemblage of songs includes just two that have been released since 2017. It’s a reminder of how earlier Gizzard songs such as “Lonely Steel Sheet Flyer,” “Sleepwalker,” “The River” and “Let Me Mend the Past” bring out a more nuanced, roots-y and jam band-adjacent sound, and why they work so well in this stripped-down setting. “Thanks for indulging our dad-rock tunes,” Walker says at one point. Closer “Her and I (Slow Jam 2)” embodies all sides of Gizzard at once, as it works its way into a loud, two-chord jam before quieting back down to hushed tones. All in all one of the most unusual performances in recent Gizzard history, this one is not to be missed.

Red Rocks – Morrison, CO

Back in the friendly confines of Red Rocks on June 7, Gizzard dusts off “Sense,” which had been on the acoustic Caverns show set list but was cut for time, and debuts the genial “Hate Dancin’” from last year’s “Changes” album (hint: they don’t really hate it). A two-fer from 2017’s “Murder of the Universe” is an excellent precursor for three continuous tracks from “Nonagon Infinity,” with “Robot Stop” working in teases of “Hot Water,” “The Dripping Tap” and “Shanghai.”

In another “hey, why not?” move, Gizzard plays two separate shows at the gorgeous mountain venue the next day, with the afternoon matinee marked by the first performance of the gauzy “Satan Speeds Up” since 2014 and numerous devil-horn rockers such as “Self-Immolate” and “Evil Death Roll.” Walker gets the vocal spotlight on “This Thing” and “Most of What I Like,” and “Shanghai” has an impromptu chant about getting high, because … well, Colorado.

At the evening show, the twisting and turning “Rattlesnake” is an ideal opener to reset the collective energy, and Kenny-Smith again steals the spotlight with his vocals and stage presence on “Straws in the Wind” and “Presumptuous.” The last portion of the night shifts from the infrequently aired “Slow Jam I” into four straight rippers: “Hell,” “Mars for the Rich,” “Super Cell” and “Gila Monster,” the latter two “Petro” tracks reminding the audience of Gizzard’s inherent mastery of dynamics and virtuosity.

The Salt Shed – Chicago, IL

The first night of a three-show run in the Windy City on June 11 says a lot about live Gizzard circa 2023: 14 songs from 12 different albums, dabbling in everything from weird microtonal rock (the opening combo of “O.N.E.” and “Pleura”), top-shelf thrash (“Motor Spirit” and “Gaia,” the latter dedicated to none other than John Mayer) and Grateful Dead-worthy sonic explorations (“The River”). The sludgy “The Great Chain of Being” appears for the first time on the residency tour, while an extended “Boogieman Sam” (with teases of five different other songs) wraps the evening with hip-shaking, harmonica-flavored vibes.

Tour debuts abound on June 12, from the simmering, microtonal “Honey” and the chugga-wugga blast “Road Train” to the herky-jerky “Invisible Face” (its first complete performance ever) and finale “Am I in Heaven?” “Hate Dancin’” and “Astroturf” are back to get the bodies moving, “Shanghai” is a super atmospheric jam, and three songs from 2017’s “Polygondwanaland” (“Inner Cell,” “Loyalty,” “Horology”) demonstrate Gizzard’s uncanny ability to morph one similar-sounding riff into 10 minutes of beautiful, creeping dread.

Day-long rain can’t deter the Gizzard faithful at the Chicago finale on June 13, and they’re rewarded with the live debut of the rhythmically obtuse “Change” from “Changes” (“fuck, are we really doing this?,” the band asks aloud). A 10-minute-plus “Hot Water” wanders all over the place before unexpectedly segueing into the always satisfying Krautrock epic “Hypertension,” and the fan favorite, Cook “Cookie” Craig-sung “The Garden Goblin” affords Gizzard the chance to reminisce about Australian hardware store chain Bunnings and the animated kids show “Bluey.” “The Dripping Tap” sends the soggy crowd home humming “drip drip from the tap / don’t slip on the drip” after 19 minutes of blissed-out, major key rock’n’roll.

Remlinger Farms – Carnation, WA

Looking ahead to the Seattle three-pack, there are still two “Petro” songs yet to be played live (“Dragon” and “Flamethrower” are both nine-minute slabs of vein-bulging, pedal-to-the-metal magnificence). Since the album will be officially released at 9 p.m. local time during the first show, it would stand to reason that one, if not both, of the tracks may finally see the light of day.

Other songs in general Gizzard rotation that have yet to be performed during the residencies include “Blame It on the Weather” (which might feel especially appropriate amid an unseasonably cold spell in the Seattle area), “Oddlife,” “Venusian 2,” “Static Electricity,” and the “Altered Beast” suite from “Murder of the Universe.” Maybe the group will feel particularly inspired by its grunge surroundings and work a Nirvana, Pearl Jam, or Soundgarden tease into a jam one night too. Hey, a Gizz fan can dream, right?


Watch the worldwide premieres from the 13-show marathon, starting Friday June 23rd. Save 25% when ordering all 13, available as an upgrade from any single-night’s show.

Jonathan Cohen is a music journalist, editor and author of the New York Times-bestselling authorized biography of Pearl Jam, 2011’s “Pearl Jam 20.” He previously served as the music booker for the first six years of Jimmy Fallon’s NBC late night show, where he oversaw the debut U.S. TV appearances of Tame Impala, Kendrick Lamar, Tyler, the Creator, Frank Ocean, Lorde, Kacey Musgraves, and Ed Sheeran. He also plays keyboards in the band Chamberlain.


We Had a High Time in Chicago: Dead and Company Live at Wrigley Field (6/10/23)

Wrigley Field Hosts Dead & Company for Two-Night Concert Event

By Matt Brookman

We Had a High Time in Chicago

LISTEN: Dead & Company live at Wrigley Field in Chicago, IL 6/10/23

June 10th, 2023 – Dead & Company closed out their two-night run at the legendary Wrigley Field as the Farewell Tour rolled through Chicago. The first set started off with a jazzy jam that flowed into a high energy “Truckin’.” This would set the tone for a first set that was filled with special moments and loaded with high paced energy. “Truckin’” segued into Howlin’ Wolf’s “Smokestack Lightning”, which was a tour debut (tonight was Howlin’ Wolf’s birthday (thanks to Dead Air’s Gary Lambert for tipping the band off about the special date and sharing that tidbit during tonight’s segment)). As “Smokestack” was about to end, the band dropped a “Truckin’” Tag. Strong versions of “Althea” and “Mississippi Half Step” followed, leading into one of the high points of the first set “High Time”. The Garcia ballad once again shined with Oteil on lead vocals. The band came out of “High Time” into a fiery version of Bob Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower”, which led to a monstrous set finish of “Bertha>Good Lovin’.” Bobby was in fine form and “Good Lovin” had the Wrigley crowd in a full frenzy.

After such a high energy first set what did the band have in store for their final set in Chicago? They came out of the gate strong with “Help on The Way>Slipknot>Franklin’s Tower.” This trio never disappoints and once again this band took it to special heights with “Franklin’s Tower” receiving a massive workout. “St. Stephen” was to follow, and Jay Lane drove the beat as the solos built. A “William Tell Bridge” tease from Jay finally saw the band members leaving the stage to start an energized “Drums” that engaged the crowd.

“Space” would follow and had teases of “Cumberland Blues,” which would come later in the set. The band came out of “Space” into “Uncle John’s Band,” which had some exceptional jamming and segued into a monstrous version of “Cumberland Blues.” This has become a song that this band has taken to new heights every time it’s played. Jay pushed the band into a raucous pace with John and Jeff playing smoking solos. The band didn’t let up, taking Cumberland into the “The Other One Verse 2” closing out the song as Verse 1 was played the first night. Would this be a sign for more to come? “The Other One” would lead us to an always special moment in any Grateful Dead set with “Morning Dew.” John showcased his guitar wizardry, as Oteil filled Wrigley with thundering bass bomb, and Bobby delivering the powerful outro: “I guess it doesn’t matter anyway”!

The encore started with a beautiful and appropriate version of “Brokedown Palace,” but that wasn’t enough. Carrying on a theme from earlier in the second set, the band returned to “Playing in The Band” delivering a rocking “Playing Reprise.” This wasn’t it, as it was Saturday night and the band obliged by firing into “One More Saturday Night” leaving the Chicago crowd overjoyed before having to say their final farewells to the band.

Catch this band while you can as they continue to go from strength to strength!

Rare song of the night: “Smokestack Lightning” played for Howlin’ Wolf’s birthday. This song has become a once a tour rarity and tonight’s version may have been the best from Dead & Company.

Other must listen to moments: “High Time”, “Bertha>Good Lovin”, “Franklin’s Tower” “St. Stephen”, “Cumberland Blues” and “Morning Dew.”

See you Tuesday, alongside the Ohio River at the Riverbend Music Center.


Listen to this show, along with every night of this year’s Dead & Company tour, with a free 7-day trial. Explore the Dead & Company catalog and start your free trial here.

Grateful Dead Meet-Up 2023

The Grateful Dead is back for the highly anticipated annual event “Meet-Up At The Movies,” screening in select theatres worldwide on June 22 and 24.

A year after Brent Mydland’s passing, the Grateful Dead returned to the summer stadium circuit, playing Chicago’s Soldier Field for the first time, with two keyboard players filling the seat Brent left vacant. Bruce Hornsby and Vince Welnick’s presence and musical contributions reinvigorated and revitalized the Grateful Dead, and the inspiration of the Dead’s playing was palpable. On a Saturday night in front of 60,000 fans, the Dead played what is often considered one of the greatest shows of the Bruce-Vince era, up there with the second Giants Stadium show from a few days earlier. The Soldier field show was filled with favorites, including “Shakedown Street,”“Brown-Eyed Women,” “Playing In The Band,” “Terrapin Station,” and “Dark Star.” From the original six-camera video feed that appeared on the stadium’s big screens and the pristine soundboard audio, Chicago 6/22/91 is an incredible performance start-to-finish.

Tickets for “2023 Meet-Up At The Movies” are now on sale, find your theatre and get your tickets here.

The White Stripes at the Palace in Melbourne, Australia 10/14/2003

LISTEN NOW: The White Stripes at the Palace in Melbourne, Australia 10/14/2003

Exclusive to nugs.net, this month’s Third Man Thursday release brings us The White Stripes’ October 14, 2003 performance from Melbourne. From long-time Stripes enthusiast and expert Mike:

Coming on the heels of last month’s premiere of Seven Nation Army at Wolverhampton, this show in Melbourne is the return to the city where the riff was first played, during that infamous soundcheck at the Corner Hotel. This time around, the band are upgraded from a Hotel to a Palace.

This show takes place during the underrated New Zealand-Australia leg of the Elephant tour. The natural point of comparison for this show in Melbourne is the Sydney performance at the Enmore Theatre a few days earlier on 10/10. Whereas that show captured the band out to wow the audience, the energy is at times frantic, with Jack going song to song almost recklessly. If Sydney is the getaway car barreling down the alleyway, crashing through the trashcans, Melbourne is the other side of that coin: the same car, the same driver, but why not take the long way home?

Like Sydney, this show in Melbourne is also a marathon set, clocking in at around 1hr 40min. But whereas Sydney hits most of the familiar numbers from the Elephant live repertoire, with no time to stretch out on any one song too long, this set at Melbourne is less about the inclusion of this song or that song, and more about how the songs themselves get performed just a little bit different. Throughout the set, there are many unique change-ups and extra doses of improvisation here, making for an excellent and relaxed performance

Many of the surprises here are subtle. Listen as Jack moves to the keyboards for the first verse of Dead Leaves, or how I Want To Be the Boy To Warm Your Mother’s Heart gets an extended outro in place of the final verse. Other surprises are more obvious, such as Death Letter getting stretched out to over 10 minutes, including a unique rapid-fire delivery of Motherless Children and adlibs at the end of the song proclaiming “Your mother was a mother now!”, before wrapping with a quote from Little Bird. Cannon gets a unique whispered vocal delivery for the opening verses, before switching out the John The Revelator section with improvised lines inviting the audience to “come into my home” for “something you ain’t never had before”. The fourth wall gets broken again during Look Me Over Closely, with the line “every girl in this room, I’m singing this one to you” before ending the song with a saturated burst on the guitar. The Hardest Button to Button also gets an extended intro and an adlib about a brain that “felt like Pea-nut butter!”. The same songs already played many times on the tour, done just a little different here.

And then there’s the truly unique moments, which includes the where-the-hell-did-that-come-from performance of Caravan by Duke Ellington. Broken Bricks also gets the first known performance since 2002, with yet more of those whispered vocals and a “slow version” treatment, before setting up an excellent Small Faces and yet another one-time-only cover, this time Love Me by Elvis Presley – complete with adlibbed Buddy Holly style vocals. So yeah, not your typical Elephant show. Other nuggets include Jack playing some lines from the Peter Gunn Theme during Jack the Ripper, the audience singing the verses during I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself, and the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it quote from Wichita Lineman during Seven Nation Army, before closing out with Boll Weevil to bring this one home.

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Setlist

  1. Black Math
  2. Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground
  3. I Think I Smell A Rat / Take A Whiff On Me
  4. Jolene
  5. Hotel Yorba
  6. In The Cold, Cold Night
  7. Wasting My Time
  8. St. James Infirmary
  9. I Want To Be The Boy To Warm Your Mother’s Heart
  10. Death Letter
  11. Cannon
  12. Look Me Over Closely
  13. The Hardest Button to Button
  14. Caravan
  15. Fell In Love With a Girl
  16. You’re Pretty Good Looking (For a Girl)
  17. Hello Operator
  18. Lord, Send Me An Angel
  19. Broken Bricks
  20. Small Faces
  21. Love Me
  22. We’re Going To Be Friends
  23. Apple Blossom
  24. Astro
  25. Jack the Ripper
  26. Ball And Biscuit

Encore

  1. Seven Nation Army
  2. I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself

The White Stripes at Civic Hall in Wolverhampton, UK 4/7/2003

LISTEN NOW: The White Stripes at Civic Hall in Wolverhampton, UK 4/7/2003

Exclusive to nugs.net, this month’s Third Man Thursday release brings us The White Stripes April 7, 2003 performance from Wolverhampton. From archivist Ben Blackwell:

Twenty years ago, give or take a couple of weeks, the White Stripes purchased a Random Access Digital Audio Recorder. RADAR for short. It cost $8000. When recently asked about the impetus behind the move, long-time Stripes manager Ian Montone said…

“Many artists I respected – musically and from a business standpoint – always recorded their shows. Frank Zappa specifically. We wanted to implement something similar given we already owned our studio master recordings. So it made sense to record and own everything the band (and Jack) did moving forward. Live shows included. Because every show was different. There was no setlist. Everything was special. We wanted to capture that for posterity’s sake – hence the RADAR.”

In terms of the archival footprint of the White Stripes, the importance of this decision cannot be overstated. Previously, sanctioned live recordings were largely limited to whenever I was there AND the club had a cassette deck wired to the soundboard. With the end result being a static two-channel board recording subject to the whims and preferences of a house sound engineer’s real-time mixing, it left a lot to be desired.

For example…my obligations as a mediocre Detroit college journalism student with a scholarship meant that for the entirety of 2002 (a year the Stripes played nearly 100 shows) I was present for a mere seven performances, two of which were purely coincidental as my band the Dirtbombs were slotted as the warm-up act.

Thus, the number of proprietary live recordings from 2002 in the archive? Shit, barely any. I count one, give or take one.

But come 2003 the White Stripes would have the raw masters of their on-stage inputs digitally preserved. This gave the band the ability, after-the-fact, to have whomever they desired to properly and precisely mix every live show they performed, regardless of whether or not I was there to slide the sound guy a tape that night. This was $8000 well-spent.

Thank god for RADAR.

The April 7th, 2003 gig in Wolverhampton was the first show the White Stripes recorded with this digital system. More importantly, this show is the kick-off to the Elephant world tour, approximately 14 months of whirlwind travel, Whirlwind Heat, sold out shows, not sold out ethics, finger breakings, Grammy takings, global gallivanting and “oh oh oh oh oh ohhhh oh” chanting.

The performance, shockingly, has not been heard in ANY form since the amps powered down that evening two decades ago. I guess no one in Wolverhampton was doing surreptitious audience recordings at the time. Photos of the gig? I found none. Concert poster? I’ve never seen one. Please, prove me wrong. I welcome it. Contemporaneous accounts of the evening? A dumb brief write-up from the NME, one slightly more informative from the Independent and that’s it.

As Jack humbly tells the crowd that Elephant hit number 1 on the charts this day…the gig…you’d think there’d be more proof that it really existed. Things here feel big. They seem important. A chance whiff of greatness. The weight of it all is palpable on the recording.

So the wait to hear this show is most definitely worth it. The first-ever public outing of a clutch of songs off Elephant is the definition of historic.

The fact that Meg switches to her snare hits late on the first verse of “Seven Nation Army”? I LOVE it. Perhaps the only time ever she didn’t 100% nail that song. Jack’s nerves evident on “In The Cold, Cold Night”? Endearing. The premature ending of “The Hardest Button To Button”? A combo of “wow” and “holy shit” said in wonderment.

These are by no means the best versions of ANY of these songs. But they are precious for what they presage…the eventual enshrinement of said tunes in the bombastic canon of a band well on its way to their peak form.

Beyond that…the first time ever covering Public Nuisance’s “Small Faces.” What a moment! And the extra special treat of what we’ve titled here “Talking Pillow By My Side Blues.” An improvised song done in the “talking blues” style pioneered by Chris Bouchillon, appropriated by Woody Guthrie and yet further popularized by Bob Dylan, “Pillow” is one of the more realized extemporaneous songs to emerge from a White Stripes live show of any era. Which is fortunate to have been captured here, as it never shows up again, anywhere, ever.

Thank god for RADAR.

Though I must stress, the method was not perfect. As The White Stripes front of house engineer Matthew Kettle would say “Despite being the best thing we could get at the time, the RADAR was occasionally unreliable, and as we weren’t carrying a sound desk everywhere at that point, not every show was recorded successfully.”

With that in mind, there’s a handful of songs that failed to be recorded in Wolverhampton. “Dead Leaves” and “Black Math” and “I Think I Smell A Rat” seem to be songs from the top of the set lost to the ether on this night. Which isn’t too bad in the grand scheme of things, considering there’s an entire WEEK where Kettle’s best efforts were thwarted by the finicky digital interface and thus, we’re left only with our imagination and collective recollection trying to discern what happened at half dozen shows in June of 2003.

Otherwise the RADAR material was immediately put to use…the accompanying audio to “Black Math” live vid from the Masonic Temple, the Berlin soundcheck b-side recording of “St. Ides of March” and the promo-only triple LP Live In Las Vegas are all proper public-facing mobilizations of these recordings. Third Man didn’t even attempt to crack these suckers open for another ten years until prepping the Nine Miles From The White City live LP included in Vault Package 16 from 2013.

At that point, upon handing mix engineer Vance Powell the necessary drives, he audibly winced.

“What?” I asked him, perplexed and, let’s face it, ignorant.

“These drives have moving parts. Good luck getting anything off of them,” Vance replied.

To which point I said “You gotta be fucking kidding me.”

“No, I’m not,” he said. “These things are ten years old.”

I learned a very crucial lesson at that moment…that any digital format is only reliable for a couple years before it’s usurped by something more streamlined and less cumbersome – OR – it just stops working. The need to constantly update and re-archive digital files is downright maddening. There is no long-term, futureproof, failsafe digital carrier. Ever. It would be another five years before all drives were properly transferred to a relatively stable LTO format. And even then, not without RADAR drive “G” requiring a $1761.60 “clean room” recovery to save seven shows that would have otherwise just disappeared.

It sounds comical now, but wearing my “businessman” hat I broke out the calculator to amortize the proposal…deciding with an almost embarrassingly “duh” quickness that $251 per show was a reasonable enough fee to reclaim those ephemeral moments. Because there’s spirit in all these recordings. The unforeseen nostalgia of memories yet to be uncovered. Instances where the power of an assemblage of strangers in a room together can divine a psychically shared experience. Time that mattered to someone. Moments could now last forever,

One of those moments, cast off with barely any consideration, a seconds-long thought formulated into action in a more simple manner, appeared when Jack White signed the venue guest book after the show.

“Thanks Civic, you made my day and I shan’t forget it.”

And because of a wise $8000 investment made nearly a generation ago, you won’t either.

Thank god for RADAR.

Start listening today with a free trial.

Setlist

  1. Jolene
  2. Seven Nation Army
  3. In The Cold, Cold Night
  4. You’re Pretty Good Looking (For a Girl)
  5. Hello Operator
  6. Good To Me
  7. The Hardest Button to Button
  8. Hotel Yorba
  9. Small Faces
  10. Talkin’ Pillow By My Side Blues
  11. We’re Going To Be Friends
  12. Apple Blossom
  13. Ball And Biscuit
  14. I Want To Be The Boy To Warm Your Mother’s Heart
  15. Death Letter / Motherless Children Have A Hard Time

Encore

  1. Let’s Build A Home
  2. Goin’ Back To Memphis
  3. The Union Forever
  4. Boll Weevil

Top Streamed Shows of 2022

This is it, the best of the best, the top shows streamed in 2022! Packed with musical moments, the thirty concerts here truly shine, but this list is just a small sampling of the amazing artists in our catalog, and the standout performances we were blessed to hear this year. Explore the fan favorites below, then dig in and find the show that speaks to you.

The official and professionally-mixed audio from all these concerts are available with a free nugs.net streaming trial. This is also our final 2022 Year In Review post, if you missed any of the others, explore them all including Top Guest Sit-Ins, App Enhancements, Top Cover Songs, and more.

(Statistical clarification for those wondering; the list is in order of most listens in 2022, including shows from 2022 and archival concerts, capped at 1 show per band.)

2022’s Top Streamed Shows:

#1. BILLY STRINGS: May 13, 2022

Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO

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#2. The String Cheese Incident: Jul 17, 2022

Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO

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#3. Goose: Jun 25, 2022

Radio City Music Hall, New York, NY

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#4. Dead & Company: Jun 18, 2022

Folsom Field, Boulder, CO

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#5. Pearl Jam: Sep 11, 2022

Madison Square Garden, New York, NY

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#6. Widespread Panic: Oct 29, 2022

Enmarket Arena, Savannah, GA

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#7. Bobby Weir & John Mayer: Aug 08, 2022

Pine Creek Lodge, Livingston, MT

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#8. Metallica: Nov 06, 2022

Hard Rock Live, Hollywood, FL

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#9. Billy & The Kids: Jul 13, 2021

Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO

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#10. GRATEFUL DEAD: MAR 9, 1981

Madison Square Garden – New York, NY

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#11. Orebolo: Sep 07, 2022

Levitt Pavilion, Westport, CT

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#12. My Morning Jacket: Mar 02, 2022

One Big Holiday, Riviera Cancun, MX

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#13. Bruce Springsteen: Dec 12, 1975

C.W. Post College – Greenvale, NY

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#14. Umphrey’s McGee: Nov 11, 2022

Riviera Theatre, Chicago, IL

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#15. The Disco Biscuits: Jul 01, 2022

High Sierra Music Festival, Quincy, CA

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#16. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard: Jun 17, 2022

Live at Bonnaroo ’22, Manchester, TN

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#17. Pigeons Playing Ping Pong: Dec 31, 2021

Exploreasheville.com Arena, Asheville, NC

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#18. Jack White: May 01, 2022

Ascend Amphitheater, Nashville, TN

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#19. Bobby Weir & Wolf Bros: Mar 09, 2022

Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, TN

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#20. Greensky Bluegrass: Aug 19, 2022

The Caverns, Pelham, TN

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#21. Joe Russo’s Almost Dead: Sep 30, 2022

The Wellmont Theater, Montclair, NJ

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#22. Jerry Garcia Band: Oct 31, 1992

Oakland Coliseum Arena, Oakland, CA

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#23. Lotus: May 20, 2022

Domefest, Thornville, OH

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#24. David Bowie: Oct 20, 1972

Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, Santa Monica, CA

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#25. Twiddle: Jun 10, 2022

Mishawaka Amphitheatre, Bellvue, CO

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#26. Gov’t Mule: Jan 16, 2022

Island Exodus 12, Runaway Bay, JM

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#27. Spafford: Apr 23, 2022

Sony Hall, New York, NY

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#28. Kitchen Dwellers:Sep 24, 2022

Wilma Theatre, Missoula, MT

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#29. moe.: May 29, 2022

Summer Camp Music Festival, Chilicothe, IL

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#30. The Infamous Stringdusters: Apr 09, 2022

Neptune Theatre, Seattle, WA

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Stream all these shows and more with a free 7-day trial to nugs.net.

Top Archive Additions of 2022

In addition to last night’s show, we’re constantly adding to our streaming service iconic concerts throughout time. In this week’s 2022 Year In Review we take a look back at these archives, highlighting our top streamed shows from year’s past, that were added to the nugs.net app in 2022. The professionally-mixed audio from all these concerts are available to stream with a 7-day free trial to nugs.net.

Top Streamed Archives – Added in 2022 (in alphabetical order):

THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND: JAN 17, 1971

Syria Mosque in Pittsburgh, PA

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BILLY & THE KIDS: JUL 12, 2021

Red Rocks Amphitheatre -Morrison, CO

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BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN: DEC 12, 1975

C.W. Post College – Greenvale, NY

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DARKSIDE: AUG 24, 2014

FYF Fest – Los Angeles, CA

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DAVID BOWIE: Oct 20, 1972

Santa Monica Civic Auditorium – Santa Monica, CA

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THE DISCO BISCUITS: JAN 30, 1997

Wetlands Preserve – New York, NY

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GRAM PARSONS: MAR 13, 1973

Ultra Sonic Recording Studios – Hempstead, NY

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GRATEFUL DEAD: MAR 9, 1981

Madison Square Garden – New York, NY

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HOLLY BOWLING: SEP 11, 2019

The Linda – Albany, NY

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IRON MAIDEN: NOV 27, 1988

National Exhibition Centre – Birmingham, GB

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JACK WHITE: JUL 26, 2014

Newport Folk Festival – Newport, RI

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JANIS JOPLIN: JUN 23, 1968

Carousel Ballroom – San Francisco, CA

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JERRY GARCIA & MERL SAUNDERS: NOV 2, 1974

Keystone Berkeley – Berkeley, CA

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JERRY GARCIA BAND: NOV 11, 1993

Providence Civic Center – Providence, RI

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JIMI HENDRIX: MAY 18, 1968

Miami Pop Festival in Hallandale, FL

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LED ZEPPELIN:JUN 25 & 27, 1972

How The West Was Won

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MY MORNING JACKET: NOV 24, 2015

Beacon Theatre – New York, NY

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NEIL YOUNG & CRAZY HORSE: NOV 13, 1990

The Catalyst – Santa Cruz, CA

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THE NTH POWER: APR 28, 2018

One Eyed Jacks – New Orleans, LA

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OREBOLO: MAY 30, 2020

The Solarium – ‘Somewhere’, CT

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PEARL JAM: JAN 17, 1992

Moore Theater – Seattle, WA

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PIXIES: DEC 11, 2004

Hammerstein Ballroom – New York, NY

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THE STRING CHEESE INCIDENT: OCT 31, 1996

Jack Straw’s – Charlotte, NC

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STS9: FEB 17, 2020

Belly Up – Aspen, CO

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THE WHITE STRIPES: JUN 19, 2007

The Fillmore at Irving Plaza – New York, NY

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WILCO: FEB 12, 2010

Royal Theatre – Victoria, BC

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YES: FEB 19, 1972

New York, NY

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Stream all these shows and more with a free 7-day trial to nugs.net.