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Artwork for Curious Nashville

Curious Nashville

Nashville Public Radio
Nashville
Chicago Style Euros
Euro
Grand Ole Opry
Grecian Delight
Chicago-Style Gyros
Nashville, Tennessee
Kudzu
Curious Nashville
Culinary History
Joey Khan
Peter Parthenis
John Trotwood Moore
First American National Bank
Public Water Infrastructure
Nashville Electric Service
Archaeology
Electric Buses
IDEMIA
Driver's Licenses

In Curious Nashville from Nashville Public radio, we answer your questions about the city and region. Listeners decide which question we should investigate and answer next.

PublishesMonthlyEpisodes60Founded11 years ago
Number of ListenersCategory
Society & Culture

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for Curious Nashville

Latest Episodes

We had a listener ask: “What is the most haunted place in Nashville?” Instead of scoffing — it's a question that seems impossible to answer — we came up with a ranking system and looked into some of the city's infamously haunted places. Paranormal in... more

Typically, the Curious Nashville team assigns reporters to answer your questions. Today, we’re taking everything we’ve learned in the past decade and turning it into the Curious Nashville Quiz Show! And who better to stump than WPLN’s very own Blake ... more

For decades, celebrities signed autographs on marble slabs inside the Belle Meade Theatre. But the ornate theater has been vacant, so whatever happened to the "wall of fame?" Cynthia Abrams takes Curious Nashville in search of the celebrity slabs, an... more

Elm Hill Pike may be an industrial artery in Nashville now, but it was once a main thoroughfare with a rich history. But listener Chad Smith wonders:

“Elm Hill Pike is very hilly. Where is the actual elm hill?”

The investigation pushes WPLN’s Blake... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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Recent Guests

Richard Daniel
Question asker from Clarksville who prompted the episode's investigation
Episode: Tracking down the celebrity autographs from the historic Belle Meade Theater
Mark Stengel
Owner and member of the Sudicum/Stengel family connected to the Belle Meade Theater legacy
Stengel family / Sudicum real estate interests
Episode: Tracking down the celebrity autographs from the historic Belle Meade Theater
Josh Stiepen
Multimedia producer who researched and reported the Mercury backstory
WPLN News
Episode: What happened to the fallen Mercury bronze atop Union Station?
Lucy Shoemaker
Senior Vice President of Corporate Relations at Idemia
Idemia
Episode: Why is there a tiny typo on the Tennessee driver's license?
Jacqui Sieber
Public radio reporter and host
WUOT (Knoxville)
Episode: How did kudzu vines first get introduced to Tennessee?
Larry Woods
Davidson County resident providing the question and local context
(not specified)
Episode: Why is a Nashville middle school named after a racist segregationist?
Camellia Burris
Education reporter
Nashville Public Radio
Episode: Why is a Nashville middle school named after a racist segregationist?
Whit Hill
Local songwriter, musician, dance instructor, writer, former roommate of a famous person, and metal detectorist
Nashville (local community)
Episode: Why do buried treasures turn up in our backyards?
Ben Nance
Representative from the Tennessee Division of Archaeology
Tennessee Division of Archaeology
Episode: Why do buried treasures turn up in our backyards?

Hosts

Tony Gonzalez
Host and co-host with Nashville Public Radio; long-running producer focused on curious, on-the-ground reporting about Nashville.
Blake Farmer
Host focusing on local history, culture, and community stories; long-time fixture of the show.

Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars from 87 ratings
  • Great podcast

    Have always loved this podcast and I’m so excited that it’s coming back.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    greaternash
    United Statesa year ago
  • Love this podcast!

    As a young Nashville native, I can’t believe it took me so long to discover this podcast! Tony Gonzalez is such a delightful producer. I loved hearing him speak about how part of this show exists to “pull back the curtain, just a little bit, on the journalistic process” for curious listeners alike. How special to explore our city’s fun, weird history during a time when it is becoming redeveloped beyond recognization. I ❤️ NPR

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    annabutts
    United States3 years ago
  • Love the podcast

    Love

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    foxsongs
    United States4 years ago
  • Love the podcast

    Where did you go? I still hear about curious Nashville on NPR but there are no new episodes here. I hope you’re still making them. Love the podcast

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    foxsongs
    United States6 years ago
  • Love the podcast

    How about an episode about old Hickory village said why it looks so different than the rest of middle Tennessee period why does it look more like Cape Cod then Nashville? The Dupont company, the gun powder plant etc.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    foxsongs
    United States6 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Listener questions drive fresh, on-the-ground storytelling.
High-quality archival context makes Nashville history feel alive.
Some listeners crave more current updates between seasons.
Engaging, address interesting local curiosities with strong reporting.

Top Society & Culture Podcasts

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Stuff You Should KnowiHeartPodcasts
The Ezra Klein Show
The Ezra Klein ShowNew York Times Opinion
The Viall Files
The Viall FilesNick Viall
This American Life
This American LifeThis American Life
Behind the Bastards
Behind the BastardsCool Zone Media and iHeartPodcasts
I've Had It
I've Had ItJennifer Welch and Angie Sullivan
The Binge: Free Shelley Jensen
The Binge: Free Shelley JensenSony Music Entertainment

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Why is there a tiny typo on the Tennessee driver's license?
Q: Could you tell me what the vendor is?
The vendor is Idemia.
What happened to the ancient Mississippian town beneath the Brentwood Library?
Q: Why hasn't NAGPRA always been followed, despite its clear framework?
Institutions have sometimes demanded very concrete, beyond-doubt evidence or conducted extensive DNA testing to establish affiliations, while tribes argue for faster repatriation based on cultural and historical connections, leading to tensions and delays in the process.
What happened to the ancient Mississippian town beneath the Brentwood Library?
Q: What is NAGPRA intended to do?
NAGPRA is designed to protect human remains and related cultural items on federal property or those receiving federal funding, require inventories and notifications to tribes, and facilitate the repatriation of remains and culturally important items back to tribal communities.
Best of 10 years of Curious Nashville
Q: How do you decide which listener questions to pursue?
We start by reaching out to the question asker to understand their curiosity, then vet the premise and assess if there is a deeper story beyond the surface question, often leading to a longer investigative arc.
What would it take to bury the power lines in Nashville?
Q: Is it feasible to bury Nashville's power lines on a system-wide scale today?
Feasibility is limited by economics and logistics. The costs are extremely high—often in the millions per mile for main lines, with total system costs running into the billions. Maintenance and lifecycle issues also complicate profitability for utilities. While new construction may be feasible underground, retrofitting existing urban areas would require universal participation and substantial upfront funding from customers, making a rapid, city-wide transition unlikely.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Curious Nashville

What is Curious Nashville about and what kind of topics does it cover?

The show concentrates on Nashville's city and regional curiosities, blending history, urban development, and local culture with on-the-ground reporting. Episodes frequently feature archival research, expert commentary, and listener questions that spark in-depth explorations of landmarks, infrastructure, governance, and forgotten stories. A notable quality is the hands-on, question-driven approach that connects residents to their city through vivid, location-based storytelling and accessible context. Potential listeners who enjoy city history, investigative reporting, and human-interest narratives tied to place will likely find it engaging and unique for its neighborhood focus and actionable takeaways.

Where can I find podcast stats for Curious Nashville?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Curious Nashville. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Curious Nashville and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Curious Nashville get?

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What are the audience demographics for Curious Nashville?

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How many subscribers and views does Curious Nashville have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Curious Nashville has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Curious Nashville?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Curious Nashville:

1. This Is Nashville
2. Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
3. Radiolab
4. Stuff You Missed in History Class
5. This American Life

How many episodes of Curious Nashville are there?

Curious Nashville launched 11 years ago and published 60 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Curious Nashville?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Curious Nashville?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Curious Nashville from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

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Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Curious Nashville. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Curious Nashville?

Recent guests on Curious Nashville include:

1. Richard Daniel
2. Mark Stengel
3. Josh Stiepen
4. Lucy Shoemaker
5. Jacqui Sieber
6. Larry Woods
7. Camellia Burris
8. Whit Hill

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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