The band eventually scheduled a farewell concert to their fans, in order to get closure on the Dispatch portion of their lives. The free show was performed at the Hatch Shell in Boston on July 31, 2004. “The Last Dispatch,” as it was called, is said to be the largest concert in independent music history. The original prediction of the turnout was between 10,000 and 30,000. Fans flocked from Italy, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Mexico, New Zealand and Australia among others, making up an estimated total audience of 110,000.

I wish I was there.

What’s even more interesting than their bio, is their music. It’s in a genre of its very own. Now go grab a cocktail and have a listen.

The host, Dan Carlin, talks about all kinds of historical events and the impacts they had on the world, but he does so from unusual and thought provoking perspectives.

Unfortunately (and yet fortunately), the episodes are so in depth that only about one is produced a month. Believe me, they’re well worth the wait. Each episode runs about forty minutes (give or take ten minutes) and focus on topics ranging from Hitler to the Great Depression to the Bubonic plague. But again, these are not your typical history lessons. — I’ve listened to everyone.

Here is a list of the first fifteen episodes. I pulled these right from Dan Carlin’s site. I hope he doesn’t mind.

Show 15 – Desperate Times (.mp3 41:57, 30 Aug 2007)
The tough economic climate after the First World War fostered the growth of radicalism around the world. Did it also create tougher people? Dan looks at the connection between tough times and the “Greatest Generation”.

Show 14 – The Macedonian Soap Opera (.mp3 49:23, 18 Jul 2007)
When Alexander the Great bequeathed his empire “to the strongest” he set off a funeral contest that shook the world for decades. Murder, marriage, intrigue,and drama all feature prominently in the story.

Show 13 – Bubonic Nukes (.mp3 47:30, 13 Jun 2007)
What would happen if half the population died in a short period of time? Dan looks at the Black Death and other plagues that created almost apocalyptic conditions in the past…and maybe in the future.

Show 12 – Steppe Stories (.mp3 58:34, 8 May 2007)
Blood-sucking Scythian warriors, tattooed ice mummies, Amazons killing so they can mate, pot smoking head-hunters, scalp-taking, koumiss-drinking Mongols, Turks, Huns, and Aliens. What’s not to like?

Show 11 – Thoughts on Churchill (.mp3 53:45, 11 Apr 2007)
We almost called this show “Things about Churchill that have interested Dan”. Dan takes a look at various elements of the dramatic life and career of the great British leader.

Show 10 – The What-Ifs Of 1066 (.mp3 47:31, 13 Mar 2007)
How might history have been changed if the events of the momentous year 1066 had turned out differently? Dan examines Normans, Vikings, Saxons, Bastards, Conquerers, Confessors, Godwinsons and Hardratas.

Show 9 – Darkness Buries the Bronze Age (.mp3 33:43, 16 Feb 2007)
What was the cause of the collapse of the Bronze Age? War? Famine? Natural disaster? Sauron the Dark Lord? Dan looks at all the potential villains…except for Sauron.

Show 8 – Scars of the Great War (.mp3 40:34, 27 Jan 2007)
Dan looks at the shock and awe caused by the First World War and marvels at how connected we still are to the empire-shattering effects of the conflict contemporaries simply referred to as The Great War.

Show 7 – The X-History Files (.mp3 31:55, 27 Dec 2006)
Napoleon is supposed to have said that “History is a set of lies agreed upon”. With that in mind, Dan looks at some of the alternative and pseudo history ideas that many people embrace.

Show 6 – Shield of the West (.mp3 59:04, 08 Dec 2006)
Spartans, Athenians, Persians and references to Star Trek all make appearances in this look at the dramatic and extremely consequential Greek and Persian wars.

Show 5 – Meandering Through the Cold War (.mp3 48:29, 14 Nov 2006)
Dan meanders through a conversation about causes and effects of the Cold War without ever talking much about the actual events of the conflict.

Show 4 – Romancing The Tribes (.mp3 31:43, 24 Oct 2006)
Native American chief Tecumseh and Gallic king Vercingetorix both tried to unify their tribal peoples to face overwhelming foes. Dan examines the romance of their lost causes.

Show 3 – Organization of Peace (.mp3 42:09, 4 Oct 2006)
The early 20th century League of Nations stood for peace, cooperation, disarmament and international understanding. What happened?

Show 2 – Guns & Horses (.mp3 34:53, 12 Sep 2006)
The West is Mike Tyson and the East is Muhammad Ali in this episode as Dan mixes Art Bell, with Hans Delbruck in this look at a possible reason for the military decline of the near East.

Show 1 – Alexander versus Hitler (.mp3 16:45, 27 Jul 2006)
Dan compares the way the modern world sees Adolf Hitler with the way history views Alexander the Great and wonders if the two men weren’t more alike than different.

Sister can you hear me now
The ringing in your ears
I’m down on the ground
My luck’s been dry for years
I’m lost in the dark
And I feel like a dinosaur
Broken face and broken hands
I’m a broken man
I’ve hit the wall
I’m about to fall
But I’m closing in on it
I feel so weak
On a losing streak
Watch my taillights fade to black
I read a thing about this girl
She was a hermit in her world
Her story was much like mine
She could be my valentine
And although we’ve never met
I won’t forget her yet
She cut herself off from her past
Now she’s alone at last
I feel so sick
Lost love’s last licks
But I’m closing down on it
I feel so weak
On a losing streak
Watch my taillights fade to black
Lost my life in cheap wine
Now it’s quiet time
Cappy Dick nor Jesus Christ
Could not help my fate
But I’m underneath a gun
I’m singing about my past
Had myself a wonderful thing
But I could not make it last
I’ve hit the wall
I’m about to fall
But I’m closing in on it
I feel so small
Underneath it all
Watch my taillights fade to black

Yeah, I’ve been on a huge Buffalo Tom kick lately. It has to be the weather. We used to see them a lot this time of year all over Boston and Providence. Ahh, the good ol’ days. I’ll have to see if they’re playing again sometime soon.

The fire blazed away
The kitchen porch was all that remained
And I’m out here alone – beat up and pissed
Until this very day
That old hotel rang back in fuzzy time
And I was ravaged to the bone
Your voice got smaller ’til I realized
It was gone

I listened to Buffalo Tom this morning for the first time in like a year. I almost forgot how much I love this band, especially in autumn. I’m not sure why so much in autumn. I think it’s because I like everything better in autumn.

According to their website, they are working on their 7th studio album. I thought the band had broken up years ago. It’s good to be wrong from time to time.