PLAN9 MUSIC
Widespread Panic: 9x Concert Review
By J. Holdren
On this sweltering night, the Charlottesville downtown mall was packed with young and old alike (I met a middle aged man with a 7 year old son!) who had come to see Widespread Panic. There were license plates in the parking lot from at least 10 different states, which says a lot for a crowd of between two and three thousand. From the sound check, the Grateful Dead’s chestnut ‘Cream Puff War,’ through three hours of music, it was obvious Panic had come to jam. This was their first full stop on their Fall tour, after playing Farm Aid with special guest Dave Matthews two nights prior. And it was obvious the boys had something to prove.
On this sweltering night, the Charlottesville downtown mall was packed with young and old alike (I met a middle aged man with a 7 year old son!) who had come to see Widespread Panic. There were license plates in the parking lot from at least 10 different states, which says a lot for a crowd of between two and three thousand. From the sound check, the Grateful Dead’s chestnut ‘Cream Puff War,’ through three hours of music, it was obvious Panic had come to jam. This was their first full stop on their Fall tour, after playing Farm Aid with special guest Dave Matthews two nights prior. And it was obvious the boys had something to prove.
Their summer was highlighted by a headlining spot on Lollapalooza in Chicago (“the first band I thought of” said Perry Farrell, leader of Jane’s Addiction and the fest). This is really, what many consider their first tour with new guitarist George McConnell fully engaged. He is the replacement for the sadly deceased Mikey Houser, a founding member of the band in 1986. George is now fully prepared and ready to take on the Spreadheads, and with his head banging, grooving wah-drenched lead work, it seems he’s quite enjoying the job.
The night was sprinkled with songs old (Space Wrangler) and newer (Thin Air); however, the band’s intensity was almost always up to par. Sure, there were lulls, like there are at any jam band show, however, for the most part, this show was stellar. The first set made me feel like I was a UVA undergrad at Trax all over again!
The band now seems to be led by bassist, Dave Schools, a Richmond native, who has over the years added an aggressive edge to Panic that is not evident in most jam shows. Time spent in Government Mule, and other side projects seems to have manifested into a grittier performance with Panic.
I’m not complaining at all! Perhaps that is why they’ve not grown to the heights of say Phish or String Cheese Incident, but its great to see a band of this caliber in a smallish venue, and with that edge I mentioned. A great example was a jam on Jimi Hendrix’s ‘Machine Gun,’ particularly poignant given the current state of military turmoil in Iraq.
Two sets, plus a two-song encore on this dewy evening was all the band, or the crowd could take, and I think everyone went home with a full stomach. If you want to see a show in a cool venue, visit the C-ville amphitheater (it’s a pretty deep bowl, with good sight lines). And if you want to see a band that jams and rocks hard with a Southern edge firmly intact, go see Widespread Panic when they come back around this way.
09/20/05 Charlottesville Pavilion, Charlottesville, VA
1: Pleas > Henry Parsons Died > Ride Me High > Rock, Party At Your Mama's House, Space Wrangler > Surprise Valley > Climb To Safety > One Arm Steve
2: Doreatha > Pigeons > Visiting Day, Thin Air (Smells Like Mississippi) > Little Lilly > Red Hot Mama > Drums* > Monstrosity > Travelin' Light > Action Man
E: Old Joe, Ain't Life Grand
* with Bently Rhodes on percussion
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