Explore every episode of the podcast The Mac and Mike Show

Season five of The Mac & Mike Show kicks off with the annual summer concert recap. Mike goes to Red Rocks, Mac hits a jazz club, and Ham sits at home waiting for an invite. The boys kick off an exciting new season with their thoughts on Mike Campbell & The Dirty Knobs, Galactic, cover bands, and the lure of the opening act.

From humble beginnings in an 8 Mile trailer park, Eminem rose to great heights and changed the rap game. For their first rap podcast, Mac & Mike are joined by Mike’s sons Harrison and Mason, who add some much needed youth to the episode. Along the way, the quartet answer all of your pressing questions. Can rappers grow old gracefully? Where is Eminem’s place on the Mount Rushmore of rappers? What is an Eminem show like on his current tour? All this and Brian Ham, on another action-packed episode of The Mac & Mike Show!

Piano rock, part II. How do you follow up an Elton John episode? With Billy Joel of course. Mac & Mike look back at the Piano Man’s long career, from his early days in a heavy metal band to his pinnacle as a ‘70s and ‘80s hitmaker. And don’t forget Christie Brinkley. Mike’s sister Debbie joins to reminisce about a 1994 Maple Leaf Gardens show.

With over 300 million albums sold, Elton John reached incredible highs in a career that spanned 6 decades. For episode 44, Mac & Mike explore all sides of Elton….the good (7 straight number one U.S. albums), the bad (drug and alcohol addictions), and the ugly (that Donald Duck costume). And that time you should have just gone to the show by yourself.

For the second annual Oscar Night At the Movies, Mac & Mike take a deep dive into the 2000 classic film Almost Famous. Writer and director Cameron Crowe’s semi-autobiographical love letter to rock and roll garnered two Oscar nominations for best supporting actress (Kate Hudson and Frances McDormand), and an Academy Award win for Crowe (Best Original Screenplay). And that soundtrack…

Singer. Influencer. Billionaire. Taylor Swift has firmly planted herself at the top of the pop world. In this episode Mac & Mike take a look through her long (20 years !) career, and contemplate the secret to her success.

Kati and Harrison Rawn join to talk about their experiences at a couple of Wembley Stadium shows for The Eras Tour.

What is Athens, Georgia known for besides REM?  Ever heard of Widespread Panic? Join Mac & Mike for a walk down memory lane to a simpler time of carefree road trips, Halloween costumes, and long hair as they try to decide if they even like this band and how Angelina Jolie got onto one of their album covers.

What happens when one of the greatest guitarists of his generation plays a concert in Bahrain? Nobody comes. Well, at least Mac & Mike showed up. In the latest episode they discuss the career of multiple Grammy winner Gary Clark Jr., his unique style, and the coolest venue to see a Middle East show.

Clapton is God. While that mid-60s graffiti symbolized the beginnings of Clapton as a guitar legend, he has been many other things during his six decades in the music industry. In this episode Mac & Mike try to come to terms with the good side of Clapton — unparalleled success in many bands, a triumphant final act that has him still recording albums at age 79 — to the bad — alcoholic, drug addict, racist rants. A complicated life and legacy for sure. As always, thanks for listening.

Sixty years and still going. The Who have influenced countless acts, and deserve a spot near the top of the British Invasion bands. Just where do they rank on that list? Well, Mac & Mike disagree about that, and a few other things. No matter, there is lots to discuss, including the Pete Townsend windmill, The Kids Are Alright farewell tour, and that famous WKRP episode.

Welcome back for season 4 of The Mac & Mike Show. For their annual summer concert recap, Mac & Mike discuss the Stones at 80, the appeal of The Roots, and a disappointing James Taylor show. Plus Burning Spear, Groundation, The Silver Crickets, classic venues, near misses and more. As always, thanks for listening.

In honour of her milestone birthday, frequent guest Nicki Rawn joins Mac & Mike to discuss her favourite band, Barenaked Ladies. From babysitting and backyard barbecues to a mayor’s disapproval, the trio discuss the legacy of the Scarborough band that just may have the worst name in music history. Special thanks to Doug Harrison and JP Wasson for their contributions to this episode.

It took a while, but Mike finally gets a country music episode. Musician, actor, philanthropist and weed smoking legend, Willie Nelson has done it all — and is still doing it at age 91. Mike’s mom joins the boys to discuss all things Willie, including a Massey Hall concert. And where the hell did we park that car anyway?

Phish. The once next Grateful Dead. What happened? Mac and Mike tackle the legacy of the greatest thing Vermont has produced since Ben and Jerry’s.

For the inaugural Oscar Night At the Movies episode, Mac & Mike examine the recently released Bob Marley: One Love. The boys (okay, mainly Mac) take an in-depth look at the life and legacy of the reggae legend.

Twenty-three years together. Over 135 million albums sold. One Bahrain concert. Mac & Mike reluctantly attended the recent Maroon 5 concert at Al Dana Amphitheater. Were they entertained? Astounded? Disgusted? And what would middle school Mac think about his older self going to see these pop rock stars? The answers to these questions and more await you on this latest episode of the Mac & Mike Show.

For this latest episode Mac & Mike welcome back Kent Arimura, and the trio take a trip down memory lane for a lively discussion about Pink Floyd. Classic albums, a disappointing concert, basement evenings watching The Wall. All this, plus how to hate someone for 40 years, all ahead on The Mac & Mike Show.

Mac, Mike, and the best producer in Eastern Province hit the road to take in Metallica's first show in Saudi. #1 fan Scooter joins the fray as Mac and Mike reminisce about Middle School, avoiding the tough kids in Metallica T’s, and trying to be cool. Didn’t get enough Metallica in the Heavy Metal episode? Well you probably won’t in this one either.

Since bursting onto the scene with her debut album in 1983, Madonna has been a music and fashion icon. Having missed seeing Madge in her prime, Mac & Mike board a plane and head to Amsterdam to check out The Celebration Tour.

Despite long lines, a late start, and a questionable setlist, the Queen of Pop didn’t disappoint. How could she to a couple of guys that went to middle school in the’80s? Special guest Nicki Rawn returns to share her memories of going to the Blonde Ambition Tour as a 16-year-old.

Paul Simon…not just your parent’s music. Or is it? Mac & Mike ponder this question as well a few others, like who has the worst toupee in rock n roll? And what does it mean to be Garfunkeled? The answers to these questions and more lie ahead, as the boys discuss the career of one of the great wordsmiths (There Goes Rhymin’ Simon!) in music history.

Mac & Mike take a trip down memory lane and find themselves back in middle school, that magical time when the future was bright and heavy metal was cool. But is it still cool? Or was it ever? And how do you even define the genre? Turn it up loud and find out the answer to these and other crucial questions.

Do the clothes make the man? How about a beard? Mac & Mike examine these deep philosophical questions as they debate the greatness of Motor City rocker Bob Seger. Along the way, Mike offends the locals at a hometown Seger show, and Mac professes his love for all things Tom Cruise.

From Ocean Beach, San Diego, Slightly Stoopid is the focus for the latest podcast. Never heard of them? Neither had Mike until very recently, so we brought Jerry Nathan on for his cloudy recollections. Mac remembers sneaking into a show - and then abruptly leaving. Slightly curious? Have a listen and find out.

For the historic 25th episode, Mac & Mike take a look at one of the most talented - and cantankerous - musicians, Van Morrison. Along the way Mike mispronounces Tupelo, and the boys discuss going to concerts solo and buying a bad concert T. Van the Man! Enjoy.

Summer may be over, but at least we have some concerts to reminisce about. Mac & Mike and guests share their experiences with Dead & Company and Drake. Along the way they also ponder the hygiene habits of Deadheads, and the (so far) elusive search for Taylor Swift tickets.

For the season two finale, the boys finally get around to the king of rock ‘n roll. From his early days as rock’s first superstar, to a string of bad movies and pill addiction, Mac & Mike examine the legacy of Elvis Presley. Mike’s Mom joins and shares her memories of a 1977 Elvis concert.

Thanks for listening. We’ll be back in September.

Another Guns N’ Roses episode…why? Well, Mac & Mike travelled to Abu Dhabi to check out the 2023 version of GN’R. Producer Brian Ham even came along for the hijinks. The boys were impressed with this vintage version, and hope you feel the same about this episode.

Andy Warhol, Edgar Allan Poe, changing lyrics after the fact…it’s another high brow episode of The Mac & Mike Show. Whaddya say, feel like walking on the wild side?

From the Sweet Sixteen to the championship round, March Music Madness ends here. Kent Arimura joins Mac & Mike as they rant and (mainly) argue their way to crowning the greatest album of all-time.

March Music Madness continues with the round of 32. Regrets? We have a few. But the show must go on, so Mac & Mike - with a little help from guest tiebreaker Nicki Rawn - chop the field down to 16 in the search for the greatest album of all-time. Like our picks? Hate them? Let us know at mikeandjohnpodcast@gmail.com

Cutting edge as always, The Mac & Mike Show are taking March Madness from the hardwood to the music studio. Using the top 64 from Rolling Stone Magazine’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all-time, Mac & Mike - with the help of special guest tiebreakers - will determine the best album ever over the course of 3 episodes. How did we do in round one? Drop us a line at mikeandjohnpodcast@gmail.com and let us know.

What do two fifty-year-olds know about Kentucky rapper Jack Harlow? Nothing. So they brought in Harrison Rawn to lend some youth and credibility to the episode. And if you stick around until the end, you may even hear him spit some bars…

927 days. From the release of Nevermind to Kurt Cobain’s suicide, Nirvana was the biggest band in the world. Mac & Mike - with a lot of help from Washington native Kent Arimura - look back on the grunge scene and Nirvana’s rise to the top.

It took a year and a half, but Mike finally got some Canadian content on the show! From Buffalo Springfield to CSNY to his long solo career, Mac & Mike discuss the life and legacy of Neil Young.

School (was) out, and Mac & Mike hit the road and take in some shows. Ticket upgrades at The Black Crowes, breakfast with Galactic…and what would summer be without a Dead & Company show? Sorry for the delay Riley. Enjoy.

Summer’s creeping in, and Mac & Mike are taking a short hiatus. They wanted to go out in style with an episode on everybody’s favorite (okay, Mike’s favorite) band…Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. See you in September. Thanks for listening.

Who's buying? Who's selling? We've got tickets...and ticket stories. Mac & Mike travel to Italy, have difficulty buying tickets to a football match, and reminisce about their various ticket experiences.

Where does the time go? For the historic 10th episode, the boys share their long (Mac - 15-20 shows) and much shorter (Mike- 1 show) strange trip with the Grateful Dead.

It’s only rock and roll, but they like it. From the floor at Wembley to the cheap seats at RFK, Mac & Mike recall their adventures with the Rolling Stones.

It’s spring break, and Mac & Mike take a shallow dive into the world of Trop Rock....so grab a cheeseburger & a margarita, sit back and enjoy!

There are things known and things unknown, and in between are Mac & Mike trying to understand the allure of Jim Morrison.

Who’s the Boss? Marathon concerts and tucked in T’s, Mac and Mike can’t agree on the appeal of Springsteen.

On Domino’s and Dave Matthews: Aging frat boy John takes a trip down memory lane, recounting some early Dave Matthews shows and trying to help Mike make sense of the DMB phenomenon.

Do they know it’s January? It’s a case of better late than never (maybe), as Mac and Mike discuss their favorite Christmas songs.

John and Mike travel to Dubai to watch the World Rugby 7’s, which has them reminiscing about their introduction to the National Football League. In this episode the boys prove that they are as unqualified to talk about football as music.