In 1971, mathematician Ben Eldridge opened his Bethesda, Maryland basement to a group of friends with demanding day jobs: instrument repairman and mandolinist John Duffey, physician and lead singer John Starling, graphic artist and dobro player Mike Auldridge, and National Geographic cartographer Tom Gray on bass. When Charlie Waller of the Country Gentlemen joked that the public would seldom see a band that refused to tour, they took the insult as their name. This episode follows how the Seldom Scene turned a strict no-touring pact into one of the most consequential careers in bluegrass.

The hosts explore the psychology of low stakes, the Red Fox Inn residency from 1972 to 1977, album covers that hid the members' faces, and an output of seven albums in five years. They then trace the lineup changes, John Starling's 1977 departure and Phil  ...