The Weekender #26: Dad Rock Edition
Come inside for The Dad Rock Continuum Playlist and a bunch of live set goodness!
The Wax Museum is a vinyl-centric missive, but every now and then, we step out of the record stacks and into the wider world with The Weekender — a curated mix of must-listen tunes, must-watch gems, and must-read pieces to give your weekend a sensory upgrade.
Before we dive in, consider a $5 donation to The Wax Museum. You’ll unlock full archive access and get a $10 coupon to our Gift Shop, which might be just the sign you needed to grab one of these sweet Weekender bags. Thanks for supporting human curation. 😊
What to Listen to This Weekend
The Dad Rock Continuum Playlist
Stream: Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube Music
Happy Father’s Day weekend from sunny St. Augustine Beach, where I’m spending a few days with my wife, kids, and parents.
I’ve got my dad to thank (or blame) for my vinyl obsession. He handed down his record collection years ago, full of Steely Dan, Allman Brothers, and Boston, and I’ve been living in the dad rock lane ever since. Pro tip: get your kids hooked on vinyl and they won't have money for drugs.
Everyone has their own idea of what dad rock means, usually shaped by when they grew up. So I tried to map out the timeline with a playlist that moves through generations, from the analog gods, to the new century torchbearers, to the next wave of grill-side philosophers. I call it The Dad Rock Continuum.
Maybe dad rock is really about that moment when your music taste locks in, somewhere between reflection and righteous riffs. So hit play, crack something cold, and contemplate your legacy. Or at least your weekend plans.
Grateful Dead - Dick’s Picks 12 (First time on vinyl!)
Get Vinyl from Real Gone Music
Stream: Spotify | Apple Music
You could make an argument that The Grateful Dead were Dad Rock forefathers; no band has committed harder to the art of zoning out with purpose. So Father’s Day feels like the perfect excuse to get lost in their endless archive. I’ll be spinning Dick’s Picks Vol. 12, which got a fresh restock at Real Gone Music after quickly selling out.
This long-sought release compiles two second sets from June 1974, captured in peak Wall of Sound glory. Highlights include perhaps the best live version of “China Cat Sunflower,” a 15-minute “Spanish Jam,” and a 27-minute improvisation that sounds like the band collectively left their bodies and hit orbit. Pressed on six heavyweight LPs and mastered from the original reels, this is one of the best-sounding live sets in my collection.
If you’re just starting your Grateful Dead journey, check out this excellent 25-song primer of live cuts curated by Deadhead josh terry of .
Father John Misty - Live at Copenhagen Opera House, Copenhagen, DK April 5, 2025
Stream: Bandcamp
You can tell from the first note of opener “I Guess Time Just Makes Fools of Us All” that this Father John Misty set is going to rip. Recorded in Copenhagen, it’s the first live drop of 2025, part of his ongoing habit of casually uploading gold to his Bandcamp.
Mahashmashana was one of my favorite albums of last year, and hearing these songs brought to life with a full band is euphoric. The arrangements are rich, the vocals are locked in, and the crowd is along for the ride. I’ll be seeing this tour in Chicago next month, and if this set is any indication, it’ll be one for the books.
What to Watch This Weekend
Bonnaroo Festival Live Stream
Stream: Hulu
As a five-time Bonnaroo attendee, I get green with envy every June when I’m not sweating it out on the farm in Tennessee. But this year, the couch isn’t a bad place to be. Hulu is streaming the festival live all weekend, with two channels running simultaneously and a lineup that almost makes up for the lack of dust and $2 grilled cheeses.
Jam band King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard are playing all three nights, including a Saturday late-night “King GRiZzard” set with electro-soul artist GRiZ. I’m also excited for Sunday night’s double-header of Vampire Weekend rolling into Queens of the Stone Age. Scroll down for the full streaming schedule and plan accordingly.
Queens of the Stone Age: Alive in the Catacombs
Get Vinyl: Black (Sold Out)
Watch: QOTSA.com
Stream: Spotify | Apple Music
Queens of the Stone Age have always had a flair for the theatrical, but Alive in the Catacombs takes it to a whole new level. Filmed in July 2024, this set takes place deep inside the Paris Catacombs, performed in front of six million silent spectators. It’s eerie, intimate, and heavy in a way no arena could ever match.
The band reimagines tracks from across their catalog using whatever the space allows. Glockenspiels, chains, dripping water. Every sound feels summoned from the underground, like the band is collaborating with the space itself.
Even at just 30 minutes, this feels like one of the great live documents. The full set is streaming now, with a behind-the-scenes feature included. Rest easy Mark Lanegan, you would have loved this.
What to Read This Weekend
15 Essential Brian Wilson Deep Cuts by for Stereogum
What a brutal week. We lost Sly Stone and Brian Wilson, two artists who shaped the sound of modern music in ways that still ripple out today. Both gave us so much, suffered deeply, and spent long stretches of their lives retreating from the world, turning inward while their music became the blueprint for entire genres.
There are plenty of great tributes out there, but I want to highlight this one from Stephen Thomas Erlewine, who put together a list of Brian Wilson deep cuts that I fully co-sign. As he writes:
These 15 selections encompass songs that are slightly off the beaten path yet are crucial parts of the Brian Wilson songbook, illustrating his depth and range. This is by no means a complete list of deep cuts and curiosities. Rather, it’s the advanced course, the songs to assist in further exploration of the work of one of the true pop geniuses of the 20th Century.
There’s so much gold in his deep catalog. Share your favorite Brian Wilson song in the comments.
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Leave a comment card on your way out and I’ll catch you next week!