Tom Papa reads an excerpt on grandparents from his book Your Dad Stole My Rake during our December 7, 2019 show. (originally from our December 7, 2019 episode)

Find more about Tom’s Netflix special and his new book, You’re Doing Great!, at tompapa.com.

Please support Live from Here with Chris Thile to help us stay strong during these tough times: livefromhere.org/give

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Listen to our May 23 rebroadcast with Pixies, Black Pumas, Crooked Still, Freestyle Love Supreme, Aoife O’Donovan, and Tom Papa

This week: our Out In America correspondent Tom Papa heads to San Diego, where he visits an oceanfront bar, ponders ways to live a stress-free life, and chats with a business traveler from Queens named Gladys. (originally from our December 7, 2019 show)

Find more about Tom’s Netflix special and his new book, You’re Doing Great!, at tompapa.com.

Please support Live from Here with Chris Thile to help us stay strong during these tough times: livefromhere.org/give

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Listen to our May 23 rebroadcast with Pixies, Black Pumas, Crooked Still, Freestyle Love Supreme, Aoife O’Donovan, and Tom Papa

Tom Papa visits Milwaukee for Oktoberfest, samples some spicy breakfast chili, chats with a waitress named Denise, and serves as a wingman in a bratwurst eating contest (originally from October 12, 2019). Find info about Tom’s books, his Netflix special, and his new YouTube baking show at tompapa.com.

Chris Thile's Song of the Week, "Merry Christmas from Laramie," from our December 22, 2018 show. The band: Mike Elizondo, Jeff Babko, Chris Eldridge, Alex Hargreaves, and Ted Poor.

Our traveling correspondent, comedian Tom Papa experiences the music, beer, barbeque, colorful characters, and festive weirdness of Austin, Texas.

Chris Thile's Song of the Week, "The Salt (In the Wounds) of the Earth, Part 3," from our December 15, 2018 show.

Tom Papa spends some time in Chicago’s depressingly festive O’Hare airport, talks with a pair of Green Bay Packers fans, and commiserates with a gate agent who’s beset by frustrated travelers.

Chris Thile's Song of the Week, "The Salt (In the Wounds) of the Earth, Part 2," from our December 8, 2018 show.

Tom Papa visits his native New Jersey in search of a hat, pauses to yearn for the bygone days of hat etiquette, and grabs a bite at Rutt’s Hut in Clifton, NJ, where he chats with a jovial plumber named Tony.

Chris Thile's Song of the Week, "The Salt (In the Wounds) of the Earth, Part 1," from our December 1, 2018 show.

Tom Papa heads to New York City for some glorious fall weather, visits a Manhattan dog park, meets some colorful NYC characters, and gets a taste of Halloween in the Big Apple.

Chris Thile's Song of the Week, "There’s More to Death," from our October 27, 2018 show. The band: Madison Cunningham, Mike Elizondo, Chris Eldridge, Alex Hargreaves, Dave Palmer, and Abe Rounds.

Our traveling correspondent, comedian Tom Papa, visits Buffalo, New York to experience the city’s famous wings and talks bowling with an imposing but amiable bartender.

Download Chris Thile’s Song of the Week for March 28, 2020, “CQ” (originally from October 12, 2019). The band: Chris Thile, Sarah Jarosz, Mike Elizondo, Kush Abadey, Chris Eldridge, Brittany Haas, Brett Williams.

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Lyrics:

[BALLADEERS]

He believes (belies (belabors))

Himself into the wee hours of the morning

‘Til even he finds it boring

So he leaves it to long (and then look) for

Someone else with some midnight oil that wants burning

And seeing as he’s made up so much of this story

(We will too)

Behold dear listener some 50 years early

(The first CQ):

[MORSE]

Mark what goes on under the sun

Bonds are broken feuds are begun

Behind veils of pride that no pastor’s son

Can peek through

Peek through

But these treacherous partners with their envy and lies

Have drifted off and left me to my

Own beloved darkness where I

Seek you

Seek you

CQ

[BALLADEERS]

And who should hear our hero

But a sleepless God of Wire in Waiting

Who jumps up from the cot where he ought to be sleeping

Having implored (empowered (imperiled))

The free world into the wee hours of the morning

And because that world keeps adding more to his story

(So will we)

Behold the rail-splitter of Illinois

(At the straight key:)

[LINCOLN]

Mark what goes on under the sun

Bonds are broken wars are begun

Behind veils of pride that no farmer’s son

Can peek through

Peek through

But these treacherous generals asking “how, sir, and why?”

Have drifted off and left me to my

Own beloved darkness where I

Seek you

Seek you

Seek you

[MORSE AND LINCOLN]

Mark what goes on under the sun

The dream is over the nightmare’s begun

Behind veils of pride no daughter or son

Can peek through

Peek through

Let these embattled children with children and wives

Drift off to sleep and leave me to my

Own beloved darkness where I

Seek you

Seek you

Seek you

CQ

CQ

CQ...

Chris Thile's Song of the Week, "Laysong," from our October 20, 2018 show. The band: Aoife O'Donovan, Mike Elizondo, Chris Eldridge, Brittany Haas, Trevor Lawrence Jr., and Dave Palmer.

This week: Tom Papa heads to Denver, where he chats with a New Jersey expat who’s having dating troubles, attends a “Punkin Chunkin” festival, samples some local baked goods, and gets lost in a corn maze.

Chris Thile's Song of the Week, "The First Degree," from our October 13, 2018 show. The band: Madison Cunningham, Mike Elizondo, Matt Chamberlain, Chris Eldridge, Brittany Haas, and Dave Palmer.

Tom Papa takes a road trip from Portland, Maine to the Long Island Sound, talks with a couple who met at a Kiss tribute band concert, meets a cab driver who’s not prepared for winter, and stumbles upon a bar full of karaoke ringers.

We’re back with new shows! Check out our season schedule at livefromhere.org/tour.

Chris Thile's Song of the Week, "I Believe You," from our October 6, 2018 season premiere, with Mike Elizondo, Chris Eldridge, Alex Hargreaves, Dave Palmer, and Ted Poor.

We’re back with new shows! Check out our season schedule at livefromhere.org/tour.

Tom Papa flies to Orlando to escape winter, mingles with tourists and employees at Walt Disney World, and takes a relaxing and confidence-boosting detour to Siesta Key. Originally from March 3, 2018.

This week: in a report originally from February 24, 2018, Tom Papa travels to Chicago during a rough stretch of winter, meets a hardy Cubs fan who’s enjoying some cold-weather Lake Michigan fishing, and chats with the staff at a Lakeshore Avenue diner.

Our traveling correspondent, comedian Tom Papa, heads to Raleigh, North Carolina; samples some enticing coffee and waffles; talks with a Duke student and a 70-year-old yoga enthusiast; and makes an unfortunate snack error at a bookstore.

Originally from January 27, 2018.

In a look back to our January 20, 2018 broadcast, Tom Papa visits New Orleans, gets a little life advice over a bowl of casino jambalaya, and tours the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas.

Tom Papa spends four days in Washington D.C., where he visits Ford’s Theatre, gets caught in the rain near the Washington Monument, peruses an exhibit featuring art from the Burning Man festival, runs up the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, and gets a little inspiration from Americans visiting the capital.

Chris Thile’s Song of the Week for March 21, 2020, “Vail Monograph, Version 2” (originally from October 19, 2019).

The band: Chris Thile, Aoife O’Donovan, Mike Elizondo, Jeff Babko, Matt Chamberlain, Chris Eldridge, Alex Hargreaves, Noam Pikelny.

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Lyrics:

“Canst thou send lightnings

So that they may go

And say unto thee here we are?”

A rhetorical question

From our Father In Heaven

To Job in his suffering

Here below

To Job in his suffering—

As we sent the first lightnings

All those years ago

I quoted that question by heart

Then delivered the answer

Full of magnets and wire

On behalf of a dreamer

Here below

On behalf of a dreamer—

“Sounds like you did this”

I did but—

It was the least that I could do

—than I would do to serve his genius

To serve his—

`“Sounds like it’s time to set the record straight

Nothing’s wrong with calling a good man great, but a bad man...”

No, he’s not a bad man

Though it’s true before we met

The God of Wire was struggling to connect

What he had with what he dreamt

Then I applied a method to the madness

And the thing began to click

We were like a couple little kids

‘Cause it was clear this was it

I’d take him by the hand and lead him to whatever future he had seen

And pan whatever gold was in his stream

Of consciousness that flowed between his heart and anything like love for the doer of his dreams

“Sounds like he used you”

He did but—

Oh how I burned to be of use

—to be of use and not be slave to

A mind as—

As cold and dry and barren as this one is

At least when in comparison to one like his

“You have a great mind”

No, his is the great mind

And it will never be at rest

Will ever trade this moment for the next

And what it has for what it’s dreamt

So even if the present is exactly what he wanted it to be

He’ll miss his un-manifested destiny

And find a better man than me

To take him by the hand and lead him to whatever future he’s been seeing

And pan whatever gold’s still in his stream

Of consciousness that flows between his heart and anything like love for me

I send him a lightning

Every now and then

Saying unto him “here we are

I don’t expect you to answer

But I miss you dear dreamer

And what we did together

Here below

O what we did together here”

Chris Thile's Song of the Week, "See You at the Wedding," from our June 30, 2018 broadcast, with Aoife O'Donovan, Rich Dworsky, Alan Hampton, Alex Hargreaves, Julian Lage, and Ted Poor.

Our comedian correspondent Tom Papa visits Portland, Oregon, where he encounters some yogurt-granola issues, meets a talkative gnome named Gus, gets a haircut at an old-fashioned barber shop, and experiences a little Pacific Northwest magic.

The June 23, 2018 Song of the Week from Chris Thile and his fellow Punch Brothers, live from the Telluride Bluegrass Festival: "And Just Like That."

This week: Tom Papa returns to Cleveland during a heatwave, learns a new word from his chihuahua-owning driver Julia, and sips rosé after getting lost near the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Be sure to check out Tom’s new book, ‘Your Dad Stole My Rake: And Other Family Dilemmas!'

Chris Thile's Song of the Week, "A Little Skinny But in Good Shape," from our June 16, 2018 broadcast, with Rich Dworsky, Alan Hampton, Alex Hargreaves, Julian Lage, and Ted Poor.

Tom Papa discusses the finicky eating habits of children and proposes some new restaurants sure to please both kids and parents on our June 9, 2018 show. Find this excerpt and more in his new book, 'Your Dad Stole My Rake!"

Tom Papa reads an excerpt from his new book, 'Your Dad Stole My Rake,' about sharing a hotel room with your parents, the joys of hotel amenities, and the miseries of traveling with children on our June 9, 2018 show.

Chris Thile's Song of the Week, "Best Life," from our June 9, 2018 broadcast, with Gaby Moreno, Rich Dworsky, Brittany Haas, Matt Johnson, Paul Kowert, and Julian Lage.

In a look back to our January 13, 2018 broadcast, Tom Papa attempts to visit San Diego but winds up in chilly Boston, where he chats with an Irish bartender and warms up in a bowling alley with a couple of helpful Patriots fans.

This week: Tom Papa visits San Francisco, stays at a dog-friendly hotel, and samples the Irish coffee at the Buena Vista Cafe.

Our Out In America correspondent Tom Papa spends a rare day off at home in Los Angeles stretching out his morning rituals as far as they’ll go, pondering the dawn of a new decade, and rejecting diet advice from his friends and family. (originally from our January 25, 2020 episode)

Find Tom’s tour dates and more information about his forthcoming Netflix special You’re Doing Great! at tompapa.com.

Chris Thile's Song of the Week, "Power Off and Carry On," from our May 26, 2018 broadcast, with Sarah Jarosz, Rich Dworsky, Josh Dion, Chris Eldridge, Brittany Haas, and Alan Hampton.

Our traveling correspondent, comedian Tom Papa, heads to Detroit, Michigan, where he makes friends at a Greek restaurant, visits the Motown Museum, and experiences the city’s newfound optimism.

Chris Thile's Song of the Week, "The New Delta Blues," from our May 19, 2018 broadcast, with Madison Cunningham, Rich Dworsky, Chris Eldridge, Brittany Haas, Alan Hampton, and James McAlister.

In a look back to our January 6, 2018 broadcast, Tom Papa makes a realistic New Year’s resolution, stops in Modesto on his way to San Francisco, and visits an iconic California restaurant known for its pea soup.

Tom Papa travels to Springfield, Massachusetts, starts his day with a disappointing breakfast but enjoys a redeeming lunch at a German restaurant, and ponders life lessons from author Jim Harrison.

Chris Thile's Song of the Week, "Tic Tac," from our May 5, 2018 broadcast, with Madison Cunningham, Rich Dworsky, Chris Eldridge, Brittany Haas, Paul Kowert, and Ted Poor.

Chris Thile's Song of the Week, "Madison Square Park," from our April 28, 2018 broadcast, with Sarah Jarosz, Rich Dworsky, Chris Eldridge, Mike Elizondo, Brittany Haas, and Ted Poor.

This week: our traveling correspondent Tom Papa heads to Colorado where he keeps an eye out for paranormal incidents at the spooky Stanley Hotel, treats himself for altitude sickness, and does a little hiking.

This week: Tom Papa visits Atlantic City, meets a delightfully surly pizzamaker, succumbs to Twinkie-related emotion, and chats with a cheerful couple from Bayonne, New Jersey.

Chris Thile's Song of the Week, "Au Revoir, Rue St. Denis!," from our April 21, 2018 broadcast, with Gaby Moreno, Rich Dworsky, Billy Contreras, Josh Dion, Chris Eldridge, and Mike Elizondo.

Tom Papa reads an essay from his book Your Dad Stole My Rake on the beginnings of relationships, and why it’s important to eat meals with someone as you get to know them. Find more information about the book and Tom’s tour dates at tompapa.com. (originally from our September 28, 2019 episode)

This week: Tom Papa finds spring weather in New York and meets a cast of colorful characters on the way to his first Yankees game of the season.

Chris Thile's Song of the Week, "St. Mike," from our April 14, 2018 broadcast, with Gaby Moreno, Rich Dworsky, Chris Eldridge, Alan Hampton, Alex Hargreaves, and Ted Poor.

This week: Tom Papa travels to Phoenix where he overestimates his tolerance for spicy tacos, meets a taxi driver with an enviably sunny outlook, and chats with an aspiring screenwriter.