It's the big one — twenty episodes in, and Greg and Wayne finally take on Bay Area music, a topic so sprawling and so foundational to the region's identity that they were dreading it long before they hit record. The shadow this place casts on music is enormous, and this episode tries to walk through as much of it as two guys can manage in one sitting without getting dehydrated. What comes out the other side: New Jack Swing, a night at the club, a romantic gesture that may or may not earn marriage points, and a strict Metallica non-aggression pact (the band, they agree, doesn't need the exposure).

Greg gets chased after a concert and, separately, mugged — a rough stretch for a guy just trying to talk about music. Wayne name-checks the radio personalities he wants to hug and goes hunting for alternatives to MTV; Greg mourns his childhood radio reception. The Grateful Dead go politely ignored by a young Wayne — good instincts, Wayne. Professional tennis shows up uninvited. There's a tour through record stores, a heartfelt tribute to East Bay suburban dirt bags as unsung cultural tastemakers, a stern word for Slayer's eyeliner era, a swerve into mutual friends more talented than themselves, and love for the Pointer Sisters, the Uptones, and the United States of America (the band), plus a genuine, nerdy detour into the legacy of Mills College and the Buchla 100 series of portable synthesizers. Wayne edited this one down from a monster to a manageable hour-plus — a heroic act of restraint.