Walls of Sound
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Podcast Overview
<p>Walls of Sound is an insider’s look at the hidden world of music venues—their history, inner workings, personalities, and cultural weight.<br /><br />Hosted by musician, writer, and entrepreneur Brian Teasley, who has played and recorded with Man or Astro-man?, The Polyphonic Spree, and St. Vincent—and who founded Birmingham’s Bottletree and now runs Saturn—and Ryan Murphy, who helped transform the St. Augustine Amphitheatre and now leads The Orion Amphitheater with venue group tvg, the podcast pulls from decades of firsthand experience.<br /><br />Together, they’ve built, booked, and played just about every kind of venue out there. Walls of Sound peels back the layers on how these places come to be, what keeps them alive, and why they matter more than most people realize.<br /><br />If you’ve ever stood in a room and felt the history in the floorboards, this show is for you.</p>
Language
🇺🇲
Publishing Since
9/5/2025
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Recent Episodes
March 22, 2026
Walls of Sound Case Study: The Grateful Dead’s Wall of Sound
On this episode we take a look at the Grateful Dead’s Wall of Sound, a short lived but wildly ambitious attempt to rethink how live music could sound. Starting with the band’s early gigs and the Acid Tests, we get into how Owsley Stanley and a small group of engineers helped build a massive, three story PA system designed for clarity as much as volume. We talk about how it actually worked, what made it so difficult to tour, and why it disappeared almost as quickly as it arrived. Along the way, we get into taping culture, touring logistics, and the lasting impact it had on live sound.
February 15, 2026
Dylan Plays Electric (Newport Folk Festival 1965)
In this case study, we dig into the moment Bob Dylan went electric at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965, and why it still feels like a cultural fault line. We talk myth vs reality, the folk scene’s “moral ecosystem,” the clash between authenticity and evolution, and how one short set helped turn rock into a serious art form. Along the way we hit Greenwich Village, Joan Baez, Pete Seeger, the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Mike Bloomfield, and the very real practical problem of trying to blast an electric band through a primitive festival PA.
February 1, 2026
Brendan Canty (Fugazi, Rites of Spring, The Messthetics, etc.) on Why Playing Public Spaces for Diverse Audiences Matters More Than Ever
On this episode of Walls of Sound, we sit down with Brendan Canty, drummer, producer, composer, and a central figure in the D.C. music community through Deadline, Rites of Spring, Fugazi, and The Messthetics. We recorded this conversation a good while ago (as you can probably tell from the Kennedy Center discussion), back when we were still finding our footing with the podcast. Brendan reflects on formative spaces like Fort Reno, DC Space, and the 9:30 Club, along with free shows, all ages rooms, and the strange, fragile ecosystems that let scenes actually take root. It’s a wide ranging conversation about touring, venues, and why the places still matter as much as the music.
9 total episodes available
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Frequently asked questions
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- What is Walls of Sound?
<p>Walls of Sound is an insider’s look at the hidden world of music venues—their history, inner workings, personalities, and cultural weight.<br /><br />Hosted by musician, writer, and entrepreneur Brian Teasley, who has played and recorded with Man or Astro-man?, The Polyphonic Spree, and St. Vincent—and who founded Birmingham’s Bottletree and now runs Saturn—and Ryan Murphy, who helped transform the St. Augustine Amphitheatre and now leads The Orion Amphitheater with venue group tvg, the podcast pulls from decades of firsthand experience.<br /><br />Together, they’ve built, booked, and played just about every kind of venue out there. Walls of Sound peels back the layers on how these places come to be, what keeps them alive, and why they matter more than most people realize.<br /><br />If you’ve ever stood in a room and felt the history in the floorboards, this show is for you.</p> - How often does this podcast release new episodes?
This podcast updates daily.
- Where can I listen to this podcast?
This podcast is available on 4 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
- Does this podcast accept guests?
Yes, this podcast regularly features guests.
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