The Chicago Tribune attempts to tackle the origins of shouting “Freebird” at shows, and gives a shout out to Glorious Noise for our pioneering research on the subject.

In 2005, the Wall Street Journal hunted for the original shouter — and settled (somewhat) on [Chicago via Grand Rapids, Michigan disc jockey Kevin] Matthews. A year earlier, Glorious Noise, a Chicago-based music blog, stalked similar prey.

• GLONO: That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore (January 2004)

• GLONO: One More From the Road (March 2004)

• WSJ: Rock’s Oldest Joke: Yelling ‘Freebird!’ In a Crowded Theater (March 2005)

MP3: Charles Wood – “Banjo Freebird” (courtesy of the Open Source Audio)