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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Weekly Live Stash Vol. LXXXVIII, December 15, 2023

Every Friday at 5 pm ET, nugs.net founder Brad Serling hosts “The Weekly Live Stash” on nugs.net radio, nugs.net radio – SiriusXM channel 716. Tune in to hear his selections of the best new live music, and check out this week’s playlist below featuring professionally mixed recordings from Bruce Springsteen, Goose, Greensky Bluegrass with Lindsay Lou and more. Paid nugs subscribers may be eligible for 4-months of SiriusXM All Access (App Only), see your account page to take advantage of this offer. Offer Details apply. Subscribers can stream this week’s tracks from the #WeeklyLiveStash, only in the mobile app.

  1. 99 Red Balloons
    Goose
    12/9/23 Hampton, VA
  2. Pancakes
    Goose
    12/9/23 Hampton, VA
  3. She Knows What I’m Thinkin’
    Bobby Weir & Wolf Bros
    12/12/23 Port Chester, NY
  4. Thundercrack
    Bruce Springsteen
    10/14/09 Philadelphia, PA
  5. Lucky Man
    Spafford
    12/9/23 Ardmore, PA
  6. Grow Together
    Greensky Bluegrass (w/ Lindsay Lou)
    12/6/23 Puerto Morelos, MX
  7. Midnight Blues
    The Infamous Stringdusters (w/ Drew Emmitt)
    12/8/23 Puerto Morales, MX
  8. Sex On Fire
    Goose
    12/8/23 Hampton, VA
  9. Recreational Chemistry
    moe. (w/ Lyle Brewer – Neighbor)
    12/8/23 Port Chester, NY

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.


Stream this show, along with hundreds more archival Bruce Springsteen shows with a 7-day free trial. Explore the Bruce Springsteen catalog and start your free trial here.

Weekly Live Stash Vol. LXXXVII, December 8, 2023

Every Friday at 5 pm ET, nugs.net founder Brad Serling hosts “The Weekly Live Stash” on nugs.net radio, nugs.net radio – SiriusXM channel 716. Tune in to hear his selections of the best new live music, and check out this week’s playlist below featuring professionally mixed recordings from Umphrey’s McGee, Goose, Daniel Donato and more. Paid nugs subscribers may be eligible for 4-months of SiriusXM Streaming, see your account page to take advantage of this offer. Offer Details apply. Subscribers can stream this week’s tracks from the #WeeklyLiveStash, only in the mobile app.

  1. Pleas
    Umphrey’s McGee
    12/2/23 Athens, GA
  2. Bridgeless
    Umphrey’s McGee
    12/2/23 Athens, GA
  3. Get Back > South Woodridge > Black Mountain Rag
    The Mountain Grass Unit
    11/11/23 Denver, CO
  4. Sweaters For Strawmen
    Eggy
    11/30/23 Macon, GA
  5. Got My Mojo Workin’
    Daniel Donato
    12/5/23 Gainesville, FL
  6. Wayside / Back In Time
    Kitchen Dwellers
    12/2/23 Des Moines, IA
  7. America
    Spafford
    11/30/23 Charlotte, NC
  8. Look Johnny
    Dogs In A Pile
    12/1/23 Columbus, OH
  9. Tumble
    Goose
    10/3/20 Swanzey, NH

Weekly Live Stash Vol. LXXXVI, December 1, 2023

Every Friday at 5 pm ET, nugs.net founder Brad Serling hosts “The Weekly Live Stash” on nugs.net radio, nugs.net radio – SiriusXM channel 716. Tune in to hear his selections of the best new live music, and check out this week’s playlist below featuring professionally mixed recordings from Billy and The Kids, Eggy, Goose and more. Paid nugs subscribers may be eligible for 4-months of SiriusXM Streaming, see your account page to take advantage of this offer. Offer Details apply. Subscribers can stream this week’s tracks from the #WeeklyLiveStash, only in the mobile app. The Phish track is only available in the LivePhish app.

  1. Twist
    Phish
    11/14/97 West Valley City, UT
  2. Spanish Moon
    Billy and The Kids
    10/31/23 Saratoga, CA
  3. Drifter’s Escape
    Billy Strings
    11/19/23 Birmingham, GB
  4. Time Escaping
    Eggy
    11/18/23 Brooklyn, NY
  5. Madhuvan
    Goose
    11/20/23 London, UK

Weekly Live Stash Vol. LXXXV, November 24, 2023

Every Friday at 5 pm ET, nugs.net founder Brad Serling hosts “The Weekly Live Stash” on nugs.net radio, nugs.net radio – SiriusXM channel 716. Tune in to hear his selections of the best new live music, and check out this week’s playlist below featuring professionally mixed recordings from Greensky Bluegrass, Goose, My Morning Jacket and more. Paid nugs subscribers may be eligible for 4-months of SiriusXM Streaming, see your account page to take advantage of this offer. Offer Details apply. Subscribers can stream this week’s tracks from the #WeeklyLiveStash, only in the mobile app.

  1. Gumboots
    Greensky Bluegrass
    11/16/23 Memphis, TN
  2. Ten Feet Of Rope
    Daniel Donato
    11/11/23 Charleston, SC
  3. Way to Be
    Dogs In A Pile
    11/19/23 Tempe, AZ
  4. I’m A Ram
    Gov’t Mule
    11/15/23 Neu-Isenburg, DE
  5. Minds Unchained
    Spafford
    11/15/23 Charleston, SC
  6. All I Need
    Goose
    11/18/23 Bristol, UK
  7. I Would Die 4 U
    Goose
    11/16/23 Manchester, UK
  8. State Of The Art (A.E.I.O.U.)
    My Morning Jacket
    11/9/23 Chicago, IL

Weekly Live Stash Vol. LXXXIV, November 17, 2023

Every Friday at 5 pm ET, nugs.net founder Brad Serling hosts “The Weekly Live Stash” on nugs.net radio, nugs.net radio – SiriusXM channel 716. Tune in to hear his selections of the best new live music, and check out this week’s playlist below featuring professionally mixed recordings from Goose, The White Stripes, Billy Strings and more. Paid nugs subscribers may be eligible for 4-months of SiriusXM Streaming, see your account page to take advantage of this offer. Offer Details apply. Subscribers can stream this week’s tracks from the #WeeklyLiveStash, only in the mobile app.

  1. Thatch
    Goose
    11/7/23 Amsterdam, NLD
  2. Love Sick
    The White Stripes
    10/27/03 Osaka, Japan
  3. Pickin’ Up The Pieces
    Billy Strings
    11/6/23 Amsterdam, NLD
  4. Missin’ Me
    The String Cheese Incident
    11/4/23 Austin, TX
  5. All In
    Spafford
    11/14/23 Mills River, NC
  6. Like a Buddha
    Railroad Earth
    10/8/23 Eureka Springs, AR

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.

  • 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.

Weekly Live Stash Vol. LXXXIII, November 3, 2023

Every Friday at 5 pm ET, nugs.net founder Brad Serling hosts “The Weekly Live Stash” on nugs.net radio, nugs.net radio – SiriusXM channel 716. Tune in to hear his selections of the best new live music, and check out this week’s playlist below featuring professionally mixed recordings from Widespread Panic, The String Cheese Incident featuring Goose, Kitchen Dwellers and more. Paid nugs subscribers may be eligible for 4-months of SiriusXM Streaming, see your account page to take advantage of this offer. Offer Details apply. Subscribers can stream this week’s tracks from the #WeeklyLiveStash, only in the mobile app.

  1. The Golden Road (To Unlimited Devotion)
    Widespread Panic
    10/28/23 Savannah, GA
  2. Crazy Train
    Widespread Panic
    10/28/23 Savannah, GA
  3. Animal
    The String Cheese Incident (w/ Goose)
    10/27/23 Live Oak, FL
  4. SOS
    Goose
    10/27/23 Live Oak, FL
  5. Compound Fracture
    My Morning Jacket
    10/30/23 Birmingham, AL
  6. Rewind
    ALO
    10/20/23 Grass Valley, CA
  7. No More To Leave Behind
    Kitchen Dwellers
    10/29/23 Charlotte, NC
  8. Be Strange
    Spafford
    10/24/23 Spokane, WA
  9. Three Pigs Have A Cigar
    Pigeons Playing Ping Pong
    10/28/23 Live Oak, FL

Weekly Live Stash Vol. LXXXII, October 27, 2023

Every Friday at 5 pm ET, nugs.net founder Brad Serling hosts “The Weekly Live Stash” on nugs.net radio, nugs.net radio – SiriusXM channel 716. Tune in to hear his selections of the best new live music, and check out this week’s playlist below featuring professionally mixed recordings from Widespread Panic, My Morning Jacket, The Disco Biscuits and more. Paid nugs subscribers may be eligible for 4-months of SiriusXM Streaming, see your account page to take advantage of this offer. Offer Details apply. Subscribers can stream this week’s tracks from the #WeeklyLiveStash, only in the mobile app.

  1. Shakedown Street
    Twiddle
    9/15/23 Philadelphia, PA
  2. Barstools and Dreamers
    Widespread Panic
    10/22/23 Milwaukee, WI
  3. I’m Amazed
    My Morning Jacket
    10/20/23 New York, NY
  4. Evil Urges
    My Morning Jacket
    10/24/23 Boston, MA
  5. Todd’s Tots
    Spafford
    10/21/23 Bozeman, MT
  6. Kentucky Mandolin
    Kitchen Dwellers
    10/22/23 High Point, NC
  7. Captain America
    moe.
    10/21/23 Denver, CO
  8. The Great Abyss
    The Disco Biscuits
    10/24/23 South Burlington, VT

Weekly Live Stash Vol. LXXXI, October 20, 2023

Every Friday at 5 pm ET, nugs.net founder Brad Serling hosts “The Weekly Live Stash” on nugs.net radio, nugs.net radio – SiriusXM channel 716. Tune in to hear his selections of the best new live music, and check out this week’s playlist below featuring professionally mixed recordings from Billy Strings, Gov’t Mule, Pearl Jam and more. Paid nugs subscribers may be eligible for 4-months of SiriusXM Streaming, see your account page to take advantage of this offer. Offer Details apply. Subscribers can stream this week’s tracks from the #WeeklyLiveStash, only in the mobile app. The Phish track is only available in the LivePhish app.

  1. Us and Them
    Gov’t Mule
    10/14/23 St. Augustine, FL
  2. Seek and Destroy
    Metallica
    10/8/23 Indio, CA
  3. Meet Me at the Creek
    Billy Strings
    10/14/23 Independence, MO
  4. Jamflowman
    Twiddle
    10/7/23 Burlington, VT
  5. Porch
    Pearl Jam
    9/18/23 Austin, TX
  6. All Wheels Turnin’
    Eggy
    9/30/23 Denver, CO
  7. Sand
    Phish
    10/13/23 Chicago, IL

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.

Weekly Live Stash Vol. LXXX, October 13, 2023

Every Friday at 5 pm ET, nugs.net founder Brad Serling hosts “The Weekly Live Stash” on nugs.net radio, nugs.net radio – SiriusXM channel 716. Tune in to hear his selections of the best new live music, and check out this week’s playlist below featuring professionally mixed recordings from My Morning Jacket, Goose, Billy Strings and more. Paid nugs subscribers may be eligible for 4-months of SiriusXM Streaming, see your account page to take advantage of this offer. Offer Details apply. Subscribers can stream this week’s tracks from the #WeeklyLiveStash, only in the mobile app. The Phish track is only available in the LivePhish app.

  1. Touch Me I’m Going To Scream Pt. 2
    My Morning Jacket
    8/19/23 Berkeley, CA
  2. Everything Must Go
    Goose
    10/6/23 Morrison, CO
  3. Haze
    moe.
    10/1/23 Des Moines, IA
  4. Stress Dreams
    Greensky Bluegrass
    10/8/23 Charleston, SC
  5. Island Afterlife
    Eggy
    9/29/23 Fort Collins, CO
  6. Hide And Seek
    Billy Strings
    10/8/23 Stateline, NV
  7. Ruby Waves
    Phish
    10/11/23 Dayton, OH

Weekly Live Stash Vol. LXXIX, October 6, 2023

Every Friday at 5 pm ET, nugs.net founder Brad Serling hosts “The Weekly Live Stash” on nugs.net radio, nugs.net radio – SiriusXM channel 716. Tune in to hear his selections of the best new live music, and check out this week’s playlist below featuring professionally mixed recordings from Billy & The Kids, Pearl Jam, Billy Strings, Goose, Gov’t Mule, Bobby Weir & Wolf Bros and more. Subscribers can stream this week’s tracks from the #WeeklyLiveStash, only in the mobile app.

  1. Foolish Heart
    Billy and The Kids
    8/16/23 Baltimore, MD
  2. Corrina
    Bobby Weir & Wolf Bros
    9/27/23 Philadelphia, PA
  3. I Asked For Water (She Gave Me Gasoline)
    Gov’t Mule
    10/1/23 North Charleston, SC
  4. Solid Ground
    Eggy
    9/23/23 Redmond, OR
  5. The Faker
    moe.
    9/23/23 Louisville, KY
  6. Wargasm
    Billy Strings
    10/1/23 Seattle, WA
  7. Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town
    Pearl Jam
    9/13/23 Fort Worth, TX
  8. Mr. Action
    Goose
    9/29/23 Santa Barbara, CA
  9. Ain’t That Wrong
    Spafford
    9/22/23 Athens, GA

Weekly Live Stash Vol. LXXVIII, September 29, 2023

Every Friday at 5 pm ET, nugs.net founder Brad Serling hosts “The Weekly Live Stash” on nugs.net radio, nugs.net radio – SiriusXM channel 716. Tune in to hear his selections of the best new live music, and check out this week’s playlist below featuring professionally mixed recordings from Pearl Jam, Goose, Widespread Panic, Bobby Weir & Wolf Bros, Khruangbin and more. Subscribers can stream this week’s tracks from the #WeeklyLiveStash, only in the mobile app.

  1. Faithfull
    Pearl Jam
    9/5/23 Chicago, IL
  2. I’m So Glad
    Widespread Panic
    9/16/23 Wilmington, NC
  3. Catfish John
    Bobby Weir & Wolf Bros
    9/20/23 Bridgeport, CT
  4. Salamander Song
    Spafford
    9/15/23 Milwaukee, WI
  5. Dance In The Desert
    Daniel Donato
    9/17/23 Asbury Park, NJ
  6. Codeine
    Trampled By Turtles
    8/7/23 Grand Rapids, MI
  7. Time Escaping
    Eggy
    9/17/23 Navarro, CA
  8. August Twelve
    Khruangbin
    5/7/22 Miami Beach, FL
  9. Dripfield
    Goose
    9/26/23 Oakland, CA

Weekly Live Stash Vol. LXXVII, September 22, 2023

Every Friday at 5 pm ET, nugs.net founder Brad Serling hosts “The Weekly Live Stash” on nugs.net radio, nugs.net radio – SiriusXM channel 716. Tune in to hear his selections of the best new live music, and check out this week’s playlist below featuring professionally mixed recordings from Pearl Jam, Eric Clapton, Goose, moe., Bobby Weir & Wolf Bros and more. Subscribers can stream this week’s tracks from the #WeeklyLiveStash, only in the mobile app.

  1. Have You Ever Loved A Woman
    Eric Clapton
    The Definitive 24 Nights
  2. Freeway Jam
    Gov’t Mule
    9/13/23 Toronto, ON
  3. Rebubula
    moe.
    9/17/23 East Aurora, NY
  4. Four
    moe.
    9/17/23 East Aurora, NY
  5. Rebubula
    moe.
    9/17/23 East Aurora, NY
  6. Playing in the Band
    Bobby Weir & Wolf Bros
    9/16/23 Mansfield, MA
  7. Rollover
    The String Cheese Incident
    9/16/23 Mansfield, MA
  8. Indifference
    Pearl Jam
    8/31/23 St. Paul, MN
  9. Have You Ever Loved A Woman
    Goose
    9/15/23 East Aurora, NY

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.

Weekly Live Stash Vol. LXXVI, September 15, 2023

Every Friday at 5 pm ET, nugs.net founder Brad Serling hosts “The Weekly Live Stash” on nugs.net radio, nugs.net radio – SiriusXM channel 716. Tune in to hear his selections of the best new live music, and check out this week’s playlist below featuring professionally mixed recordings from Goose, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Umphrey’s McGee and more. Subscribers can stream this week’s tracks from the #WeeklyLiveStash, only in the mobile app. The Trey Anastasio track is only available in the LivePhish app.

  1. Jive II
    Goose
    9/13/23 Boston, MA
  2. Salt Lake City
    Bobby Weir & Wolf Bros
    9/8/23 Park City, UT
  3. The River
    King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard
    6/11/23 Chicago, IL
  4. Stop That Train
    The String Cheese Incident (w/ Lukas Nelson)
    9/9/23 Charlotte, NC
  5. Not Fade Away
    Bobby Weir & Wolf Bros (w/ Lukas Nelson)
    9/10/23 Franklin, TN
  6. The Ocean>No Quarter
    Umphrey’s McGee
    9/10/23 Indianapolis, IN
  7. First Tube
    Trey Anastasio & Classic TAB
    9/10/23 Indianapolis, IN

Weekly Live Stash Vol. LXXV, September 8, 2023

Every Friday at 5 pm ET, nugs.net founder Brad Serling hosts “The Weekly Live Stash” on nugs.net radio, nugs.net radio – SiriusXM channel 716. Tune in to hear his selections of the best new live music, and check out this week’s playlist below featuring professionally mixed recordings from Jimmy Buffet, moe., Greensky Bluegrass, Billy Strings and more. Subscribers can stream this week’s tracks from the #WeeklyLiveStash, only in the mobile app. The Phish track is only available in the LivePhish app.

  1. A Pirate Looks At Forty
    Jimmy Buffett
    6/26/92 Noblesville, IN
  2. Silver Sun
    moe.
    9/3/23 Lake George, NY
  3. The Curse of Julia Brown
    Big Something
    8/12/23 Wilmington, NC
  4. Can You Get To That
    Kitchen Dwellers
    9/2/23 Manteno, IL
  5. Can’t Stop Now
    Greensky Bluegrass
    9/2/23 Mill Spring, NC
  6. Heartbeat Of America
    Billy Strings
    8/26/23 Huntsville, AL
  7. Salamander Song
    Spafford
    8/30/23 Avon, CO
  8. Piper
    Phish
    9/3/23 Denver, CO

Weekly Live Stash Vol. LXXIV, September 1, 2023

Every Friday at 5 pm ET, nugs.net founder Brad Serling hosts “The Weekly Live Stash” on nugs.net radio, nugs.net radio – SiriusXM channel 716. Tune in to hear his selections of the best new live music, and check out this week’s playlist below featuring professionally mixed recordings from Leftover Salmon featuring Railroad Earth & Yonder Mountain String Band, Daniel Donato, Widespread Panic and more. Subscribers can stream this week’s tracks from the #WeeklyLiveStash, only in the mobile app. The Phish track is only available in the LivePhish app.

  1. Golden Age
    Phish (w/ Derek Trucks)
    826/23 Saratoga Springs,NY
  2. I Shall Be Released
    Leftover Salmon (w/ Railroad Earth & Yonder Mountain String Band)
    8/9/23 Kalamazoo, MI
  3. Big Iron
    Daniel Donato
    8/26/23 Montgomery, AL
  4. Giants in the Light
    Spafford
    8/19/23 Bridgeport, CT
  5. Echoes (Part 2)
    Gov’t Mule
    8/20/23 Vienna, VA
  6. Protein Drink
    Widespread Panic
    8/27/23 Napa, CA
  7. Sewing Machine
    Widespread Panic
    8/27/23 Napa, CA
  8. August
    Umphrey’s McGee (w/ Ben Atkind – Goose)
    8/27/23 Chattanooga, TN

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!

Weekly Live Stash Vol. LXXIII, August 25, 2023

Every Friday at 5 pm ET, nugs.net founder Brad Serling hosts “The Weekly Live Stash” on nugs.net radio, nugs.net radio – SiriusXM channel 716. Tune in to hear his selections of the best new live music, and check out this week’s playlist below featuring professionally mixed recordings from Grateful Dead, Gov’t Mule, Greensky Bluegrass and more. Subscribers can stream this week’s tracks from the #WeeklyLiveStash, only in the mobile app.

  1. Eyes Of The World (Take 6)
    Grateful Dead
    Wake Of The Flood: The Angel’s Share
  2. Us and Them
    Gov’t Mule
    8/19/23 Holmdel, NJ
  3. Bridgeless
    Umphrey’s McGee
    8/20/23 Pembroke, MA
  4. White Light
    Twiddle
    8/12/23 East Durham, NY
  5. Driven To Tears
    Eggy
    8/17/23 Raleigh, NC
  6. Tarpology
    Greensky Bluegrass
    8/19/23 Jacksonville, OR
  7. Boys Of Summer
    Greensky Bluegrass
    8/19/23 Jacksonville, OR
  8. Tarpology
    Greensky Bluegrass
    8/19/23 Jacksonville, OR
  9. Pigeons
    Widespread Panic
    4/22/99 Boone, NC

Weekly Live Stash Vol. LXXII, August 18, 2023

Every Friday at 5 pm ET, nugs.net founder Brad Serling hosts “The Weekly Live Stash” on nugs.net radio, nugs.net radio – SiriusXM channel 716. Tune in to hear his selections of the best new live music, and check out this week’s playlist below featuring professionally mixed recordings from Billy & The Kids, Bruce Springsteen, Greensky Bluegrass with Holly Bowling & Sam Bush and more. Subscribers can stream this week’s tracks from the #WeeklyLiveStash, only in the mobile app.

  1. Scarlet Begonias
    Billy & The Kids
    8/16/23 Baltimore,MD
  2. Darlington County
    Bruce Springsteen
    8/9/23 Chicago, IL
  3. Trunk Rum
    Dogs In A Pile
    8/11/23 East Durham, NY
  4. The Shape I’m In
    Eggy
    8/11/23 Virgina Beach, VA
  5. Baby, Don’t You Do It
    Kitchen Dwellers
    8/11/23 Alta, WY
  6. Deep Elem Blues
    The Infamous Stringdusters (w/ Rob & Ronnie McCoury)
    8/11/23 Alta, WY
  7. Don’t Lie
    Greensky Bluegrass (w/ Holly Bowling & Sam Bush)
    8/13/23 Alta, WY
  8. Comfortably Numb
    Gov’t Mule (w/ Jackie Greene)
    8/11/23 Charlotte, NC

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:

Weekly Live Stash Vol. LXXI, August 11, 2023

Every Friday at 5 pm ET, nugs.net founder Brad Serling hosts “The Weekly Live Stash” on nugs.net radio, nugs.net radio – SiriusXM channel 716. Tune in to hear his selections of the best new live music, and check out this week’s playlist below featuring professionally mixed recordings from Gov’t Mule (covering Pink Floyd), The String Cheese Incident, Leftover Salmon and more. Subscribers can stream this week’s tracks from the #WeeklyLiveStash, only in the mobile app. The Phish track is only available in the LivePhish app.

  1. The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down
    Jerry Garcia and Merl Saunders
    5/21/71 San Francisco, CA
  2. Mike’s Song
    Phish
    8/4/23 New York,NY
  3. Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts I-V)
    Gov’t Mule
    8/7/23 Morrison, CO
  4. Colorado Bluebird Sky
    The String Cheese Incident
    8/1/23 Nampa, ID
  5. Eyes Jam
    The String Cheese Incident
    8/1/23 Nampa, ID
  6. Franklin’s Tower
    The String Cheese Incident
    8/1/23 Nampa, ID
  7. Midnight Moonlight
    The String Cheese Incident
    8/1/23 Nampa, ID
  8. Colorado Bluebird Sky
    The String Cheese Incident
    8/1/23 Nampa, ID
  9. Todd’s Tots
    Spafford
    7/10/23 Morristown, NJ
  10. Better
    Leftover Salmon
    7/19/23 Omaha, NE
  11. Happy Hour Hero
    moe.
    8/4/23 Atlantic City, NJ

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

Weekly Live Stash Vol. LXX, August 4, 2023

Every Friday at 5 pm ET, nugs.net founder Brad Serling hosts “The Weekly Live Stash” on nugs.net radio, nugs.net radio – SiriusXM channel 716. Tune in to hear his selections of the best new live music, and check out this week’s playlist below featuring professionally mixed recordings from Daniel Donato featuring Billy Strings, Dead and Company, Goose and more. Subscribers can stream this week’s tracks from the #WeeklyLiveStash, only in the mobile app. The Phish track is only available in the LivePhish app.

  1. Ain’t Living Long Like This
    Daniel Donato (w/ Billy Strings)
    7/23/23 Essex Junction, VT
  2. Cumberland Blues
    Dead and Company
    7/16/23 San Francisco, CA
  3. It Is What It Is
    The String Cheese Incident
    7/27/23 Bend, OR
  4. Diner
    Widespread Panic
    7/29/23 Huntsville, AL
  5. Silver Rising
    Goose
    7/29/23 Newport, RI
  6. Wolfman’s Brother
    Phish
    8/1/23 New York,NY

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.

Weekly Live Stash Vol. LXIX, July 14, 2023

Every Friday at 5 pm ET, nugs.net founder Brad Serling hosts “The Weekly Live Stash” on nugs.net radio, nugs.net radio – SiriusXM channel 716. Tune in to hear his selections of the best new live music, and check out this week’s playlist below featuring professionally mixed recordings from Dead and Company, Phish and more.

  1. St. Stephen
    Dead and Company
    7/8/23 George, WA
  2. The Eleven
    Dead and Company
    7/8/23 George, WA
  3. Sugar Shack
    Daniel Donato
    6/30/23 Scranton, PA
  4. Times Square
    The Disco Biscuits
    7/8/23 Livingston, MT
  5. Factory Fiction
    Goose
    7/7/23 Saratoga Springs, NY
  6. Fuego
    Phish
    7/12/23 Huntsville,AL
  7. Ether Edge
    Phish
    7/12/23 Huntsville,AL

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.

Weekly Live Stash Vol. LXVIII, July 7, 2023

Every Friday at 5 pm ET, nugs.net founder Brad Serling hosts “The Weekly Live Stash” on nugs.net radio, nugs.net radio – SiriusXM channel 716. Tune in to hear his selections of the best new live music, and check out this week’s playlist below featuring professionally mixed recordings from Dead and Company featuring Dave Matthews, Goose, Umphrey’s McGee and more. Subscribers can stream this week’s tracks from the #WeeklyLiveStash, only in the mobile app.

  1. All Along The Watchtower
    Dead and Company (w/ Dave Matthews)
    7/3/23 Boulder, CO
  2. The Empress of Organos
    Goose (w/ Jake Cinninger & Joel Cummins – Umphrey’s McGee)
    7/1/23 Garrettsville, OH
  3. Seat of My Pants
    moe.
    6/30/23 Quincy, CA
  4. Higgins
    Umphrey’s McGee
    6/30/23 Scranton, PA
  5. Howard
    The String Cheese Incident
    6/23/23 Rothbury, MI
  6. Morning Dew
    Dead and Company
    7/2/23 Boulder, CO

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.

Weekly Live Stash Vol. LXVII, June 30, 2023

Every Friday at 5 pm ET, nugs.net founder Brad Serling hosts “The Weekly Live Stash” on nugs.net radio, nugs.net radio – SiriusXM channel 716. Tune in to hear his selections of the best new live music, and check out this week’s playlist below featuring professionally mixed recordings from Dead and Company’s 2023 tour. Subscribers can stream this week’s tracks from the #WeeklyLiveStash, only in the mobile app.

  1. Sugaree
    Dead and Company
    6/27/23 Noblesville, IN
  2. Dark Star On The Big River Jam>
    Dead and Company
    6/24/23 Boston, MA
  3. The Other One Jam
    Dead and Company
    6/24/23 Boston, MA
  4. Black Peter
    Dead and Company
    6/24/23 Boston, MA
  5. Wharf Rat
    Dead and Company
    6/27/23 Noblesville, IN
  6. They Love Each Other
    Dead and Company
    6/25/23 Boston, MA
  7. Big River>
    Dead and Company
    6/27/23 Noblesville, IN
  8. Dark Star
    Dead and Company
    6/27/23 Noblesville, IN
  9. All Blues>
    Dead and Company
    6/22/23 New York, NY
  10. Cumberland Blues
    Dead and Company
    6/22/23 New York, NY