Play That One Song: The Story Behind the Anthem
Every band has that one song that makes the crowd go wild. For The Residents Tahoe, that song is Play That One Song — and the story behind it is just as good as the music itself.
It Started With a Crowd
You know how it goes. Every band that’s ever played a live show has heard it — someone from the back of the room cups their hands and shouts “Free Bird!” It doesn’t matter what you’re playing or how good the set is. Free Bird. Every. Single. Time.
Well, in South Lake Tahoe, a group of friends had a different tradition. Instead of Free Bird, they’d show up to local shows and shout their own version — “Play That One Song!” — at every band they came across. It became their thing. Their running joke. Their battle cry.
Nobody Took the Hint
Here’s the thing about a great idea — sometimes you have to do it yourself. The friends had been telling musicians for years that someone ought to write a song called Play That One Song. Talented musicians heard the pitch. They nodded, they laughed, and they moved on.
Nobody wrote it.
So Resident Ted Kennedy said forget it — and wrote it himself.
The Song
What came out of that moment of frustrated inspiration is one of the most feel-good live anthems in the Residents’ setlist. Play That One Song captures the pure joy of live music — the anticipation, the excitement, that electric moment when a band launches into the song you’ve been waiting all night to hear.
It’s the song that makes you grab the person next to you. The one that fills the dance floor. The one that makes you forget about everything else for four minutes and just feel it.
Hear It Live & Stream It Now
Play That One Song is a staple of every Residents Tahoe live show in South Lake Tahoe and Stateline, NV — and now you can stream it anytime on Spotify and Apple Music.
Because sometimes the best songs write themselves. They just need the right person to pick up the pen.
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• Stream: Spotify | Apple Music