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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.

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes55Founded10 years ago
Number of ListenersCategory
Society & Culture

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Artwork for Curious Nashville

Latest Episodes

Have you ever looked closely at your Tennessee driver’s license? There might be something surprising in the fine print. Curious Nashville listener Sam Barocas used his microscope to find it. And then he asked:

Why is there a microscopic typo on the ... more

Kudzu is a woody, hairy vine with distinct three-pronged leaves. During the blooming season in late summer, the plant produces grape-smelling purple flowers. And, always, it has a way of crowding out other plants.

"Kudzu is like a glamorous villain ... more

J.T. Moore Middle School in Nashville is named after John Trotwood Moore, an author and prominent landowner. He was also openly racist, a proponent of lynching, and an apologist for the "Old South". This sparked a question to Curious Nashville:

Plea... more

There’s a piece of infrastructure in downtown Nashville that is about to go away. When it does, there may not be any clues left from a fascinating — and brief — chapter in the city’s transportation history.

Do you remember when WeGo had a fleet of s... 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

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?
Matt Pilcher
Landscaper with Gardens of Babylon
Gardens of Babylon
Episode: Why do buried treasures turn up in our backyards?
Wade Sexton
Board member of the National Utility Contractors Association of Tennessee
National Utility Contractors Association of Tennessee
Episode: What would it take to bury the power lines in Nashville?
Mary Hudetz
Indigenous journalist with ProPublica who worked on The Repatriation Project
ProPublica
Episode: What happened to the ancient Mississippian town beneath the Brentwood Library?

Host

Tony Gonzalez
Host associated with Curious Nashville reporting and on-air narration; frequently leads investigative segments and questions from listeners.

Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars from 86 ratings
  • Great podcast

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

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    greaternash
    United States8 months 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 States3 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 States5 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.

Listeners praise the show's deep-dive local history and accessible storytelling.
Many appreciate the crowd-sourced question model and on-the-ground reporting.
Some listeners long for more frequent updates and current episodes.

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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?

Curious Nashville tends to explore Nashville and its surrounding region through curiosity-driven investigations that blend history, local infrastructure, culture, and human-interest storytelling. Episodes frequently feature on-the-ground reporting, expert input from archaeologists, engineers, and local historians, and listener participation that drives questions from the community. The show stands out for its place-based focus, accessibility, and a collaborative reporting style that often reveals hidden city details, overlooked histories, and practical perspectives on urban life. Listeners often appreciate the mix of civic topics with vivid local storytelling, and the willingness to pull back the curtain on how reporting unfolds, while epis... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Curious Nashville?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Curious Nashville:

1. 99% Invisible
2. Sidedoor
3. The Atlas Obscura Podcast
4. Throughline
5. Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!

How many episodes of Curious Nashville are there?

Curious Nashville launched 10 years ago and published 55 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?

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What guests have appeared on Curious Nashville?

Recent guests on Curious Nashville include:

1. Lucy Shoemaker
2. Jacqui Sieber
3. Larry Woods
4. Camellia Burris
5. Whit Hill
6. Ben Nance
7. Matt Pilcher
8. Wade Sexton

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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