7/29/06 John Bell...The Legend

I logged on to Phantasytour.com (where dancing is the sport of choice) to see what was going on over there.
I found this thread entitled John Bell...The Legend. I thought it was pretty funny and worthy of a save. I decided to copy the entire thread up to that point.

A lot of the posts in this thread were funny but when I came to one particular post I had to laugh out loud. It was posted by mofo313 and contains a link so when you get to that post follow the link.

Topic: John Bell...The Legend
Posts 1-21 of 21 Pages: [1]
Cutlet
Posted: 07/26/06 12:46PM ET
Longevity...consistency...as bruce hampton would say, correct intention.
Good god man...he's been coming out on a nightly basis for 20 fucking years. Lunch pail in hand, and just plain
gets the job done.
He's so good that DAS refers to himself as "JB's bassist".
enough said hippies...go back to twirling in circles.

hpdwnonthefarm
Posted: 07/26/06 12:48PM ET
He needs to wear a shirt that reads...On the front "PIMPING AIN'T EASY"...on the back "STILL AIN'T EASY"...

thejahpaul
Posted: 07/26/06 12:48PM ET
he punches the clock w/the best of 'em

Cutlet
Posted: 07/26/06 12:51PM ET
jahpaul > no, he does not "punch the clock" like the rest of them.
Sure ...it's a job. But he puts more into it after 20 years than, say, a bob weir put into it.
fag.

discodancin
Posted: 07/26/06 12:51PM ET
The Man is a Legend...what else is there to say?

Send_Your_Mind
Posted: 07/26/06 12:53PM ET
Best in the buisness

thejahpaul
Posted: 07/26/06 12:54PM ET
hahaha sure thing
sorry you missed my point
:)

hpdwnonthefarm
Posted: 07/26/06 12:55PM ET
I got it JP...

thejahpaul
Posted: 07/26/06 12:57PM ET
wait I thought Chris Robinson was the best

wspanicgirl21
Posted: 07/26/06 2:32PM ET
John Bell... when I hear that name.. i get Chills...

mofo313
Posted: 07/26/06 2:45PM ET
This is how his statue should look when they retire his jersey someday
John you are the freakin man

louisheadstrong
Posted: 07/26/06 6:32PM ET
How old is mr. grey chin these days anyways?

TallBoy67
Posted: 07/26/06 6:44PM ET
he turned 44 on April 14th, according to msnbc.com

D_O_T_F
Posted: 07/26/06 6:46PM ET
Comparing Bob Weir to JB is easily the funniest thing Ill read all week.

mofo313
Posted: 07/26/06 7:09PM ET
thankfully JB's never donned an "off-the shoulder" shirt or jean short with pockets hanging down...
::shutters at the thought::

redhotmamanc
Posted: 07/26/06 7:15PM ET
I just love that my boyfriend says it's ok to have a crush on JB because he does too.

TallBoy67
Posted: 07/26/06 7:18PM ET
So both you and spreadhed would want to see JB in Bobby shorts with pockets hanging down?

hisprk
Posted: 07/26/06 7:50PM ET
redhotmamanc I tell my wife the same thing except its "I would have his babys."nice.

redhotmamanc
Posted: 07/26/06 8:02PM ET
"I would have his babys."
haha. that's great.

scodyniner
Posted: 07/26/06 9:25PM ET
Does anyone know if he has any kids? I've heard he has a hipstar for a wife.

discodancin
Posted: 07/27/06 9:10AM ET
I've met his wife. She's a very nice lady, I guess pretty much a woman you'd expect JB to be married to. She's a
gem of a person, but not much to look at (which when it comes to marriage, this can often be the case).

Thread Here
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07/28/06 Mid-South Coliseum, Memphis, TN

pic by Truckin776

07/28/06 Mid-South Coliseum, Memphis, TN

Truckin776 uploaded his video capture of 'You Got Yours'.
Check it out!
1: Love Tractor, Goodpeople > Going Out West*, C. Brown**, Better Off**, Walk On*, Don't Wanna Lose You*, Sleeping Man*, All Time Low*, Cream Puff War
2:+You Got Yours, Chilly Water > Makes Sense To Me > Chilly Water, Surprise Valley > Driving Song > You Should Be Glad > Drums > Surprise Valley* > Driving Song*, Climb To Safety*
E: Vampire Blues*, Junior*

+ video
* with John Keane on Guitar
** with John Keane on Pedal Steel
[Soundcheck 'You Got Yours' 3x; 'You Got Yours' Last Time Played 6/29/02]

07/29/06 Mid-South Coliseum, Memphis, TN

1: Space Wrangler > Rock, Mr. Soul, Old Neighborhood*, Crazy*, Holden Oversoul** > Sharon, Dyin Man, From the Cradle, Give*
2: Second Skin > Protein Drink/Sewing Machine, Pigeons, Ribs and Whiskey*, Ride Me High > Drums > City of Dreams, Impossible***, Visiting Day***, Last Dance***
E: Expiration Day*, This Part of Town*

* with John Keane on Guitar
** with John Keane on Pedal Steel
*** with Sam Holt on Guitar


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7/28/06 Image of the Day Jojo & JB - Solocup Brigade

7/28/06

IMAGE OF THE DAY

Leave a comment and

Caption This!

View previous Images Of The Day


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7/27/06 - Nokia Theatre, TX show review

Widespread Panic knows how to make a good jam
By PUNCH SHAW

GRAND PRAIRIE - Well-traveled (and well-loved) jam band Widespread Panic reunited with its Texas fan base Wednesday night at Nokia Theatre, and it became a mutual admiration society meeting with amps.

It is hard to imagine a performance, on the tour's only stop in the Lone Star State, where the loving bond between players and patrons could be more palpable.

Loping in over Dave Schools' thumping bass lines on Thought Sausage, the Athens, Ga., eight-piece band powered its way seamlessly through a four-hour show that never even paused to catch a breath.

Led by guitarist-vocalist John Bell, the band offered more than 20 cuts from its vast catalog, including Bust It Big, Stop-Go, Blackout Blues and Thin Air (Smells Like Mississippi). There was not much emphasis on the band's latest CD, Earth to America, although Time Zones, When the Clowns Come Home and, in an encore, May Your Glass Be Filled got some attention.

But whether old or new, nearly all the numbers featured rambling, whining guitar leads that recalled another day (remember wah-wah pedals?), ran on for 10 minutes or more and, as often as not, bled into the next song without a break.

Performing for an audience of 3,000 that was dominated by what might be described as a joint alliance between hippies of every age and (in greater numbers) young male party animals, the group made good on its reputation as practitioners of free-form, loosely formatted but always driving rock that reflects a rainbow of sources. Isn't that an Allman Brothers guitar lick? Isn't that a Santana rhythm? And doesn't this whole thing feel like a Grateful Dead show?

But while everything Widespread does has a slightly familiar ring to it, the band somehow manages to stir this pot of influences in such a way that the resulting stew has a unique flavor.

And it was a joy to see a show that was all about the music. There were no projections, no fancy sets and no explosions, and the band never said a word to the audience. Ordinarily, that would come across as snobbish aloofness. But this band and its fans are like a couple who are so much in love that words are superfluous. Widespread Panic let its guitars do all the talking -- and they were never at a loss for words.

GRADE: A+



07/26/06 Nokia Theatre, Grand Prairie, TX
1: Thought Sausage, Time Zones, Thin Air > Bust it Big > Who Do You Belong To?, Casa Del Grillo, Stop-Go > Diner > Blackout Blues
2: Pilgrims > Coconut, Down, When the Clowns Come Home > 1 x 1 > Christmas Katie > Drums > Machine* > Barstools*, The Take Out* > Porch Song*
E: May Your Glass Be Filled, One Armed Steve

entire show with John Keane on Guitar and Pedal Steel
* with Sam Holt on Guitar

setlist from Everydaycompanion.com

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7/27/06 Interview w/ George McConnell

DRIVINGIN2MEMPHIS.COM

an interview with george mcconnell
by Jonathan Kiersky

An Interview With George McConnell Normally, either Michael Saba or I would do an interview of one of the members of Widespread Panic in the present. Instead, though, this time I’m going to reprint an interview I did with George McConnell three summers ago right before Panic played Red Rocks along with some of the pictures that came from the weekend. I did the interview for a magazine I wrote for in Denver with George because of both of our obvious Memphis ties and because McConnell had been one of my personal favorite guitar players before he had been added as Panic’s guitarist. Of course, with the recent news that George McConnell will be stepping down after the summer tour is finished due to a chronic wrist problem, this will be one of the last shows to see George with Widespread, an unfortunate situation after all of the good times put in by him as both a fan and as Michael Houser's replacement. As a fan myself, it will hurt even more.

Before his gig with Widespread, George was an integral part of both Beanland, The Kudzu Kings and the local Memphis music scene. The other reason I wanted to do the interview with George was due in large part to former Widespread Panic co-founder Michael Houser’s unfortunate and far too soon passing. Part of me wanted to explain George McConnell to all of the Panic fans in Denver and those that would be in town for the shows, the other part of me wanted to depict what George (and JoJo Hermann) meant to a high school kid back in those days.

Beanland was, as many of you know, a big part of this city’s music culture for a period of time and The Kudzu Kings were a subsequent huge part of the Memphis scene. Many of us can remember the days when either one of those bands were on the stage at some bar and the great music that came out of those nights. George McConnell was also the first guy that I saw live (post going to concerts with my parents) that I went home, looked at my guitar in the corner of my bedroom and said ‘I might want to leave this to the professionals’. So, when I looked back at this interview, I saw a lot of what had been and still is on my mind about George McConnell, Widespread Panic and Michael Houser. In this form, and with the pictures that were taken at Red Rocks that weekend, here’s George McConnell in his own words.

JK: When did you know that you had officially been named the new guitarist for Widespread Panic?
GM: You know, I’m not really sure when they officially released it. When I was first going out on tour, it was more just to help out. That was pretty much how it was put at the time. Then, when they first went into the studio for a couple of weeks by themselves, you know, just to kind of hash things out, talk things out and really talk about everything. When they invited me to the studio it was before I was officially invited to join; to record with them on Ball.

JK: Describe the feeling of going from the Kudzu Kings (a bar band) to Widespread Panic. Quite a contrast, I would imagine.
GM: Yeah…it’s (laughing)… it’s an amazing and incredible road thing that they have put together. I’ve been playing with bar bands my whole life and to see this- the thing that really impresses me is it’s something they’ve done on their own, it’s something they’ve invented on their own and organically it’s grown on it’s own. The word ‘family’ keeps coming up over and over again with everybody. It’s such a family organization with the crew and everything to JB and those guys on the stage and they really feel strongly about that. Everybody feels really involved, like you’re really contributing to it so it’s a real family atmosphere- it’s a real support group. In a way, it makes it kind of easy to get in front of a big audience. I’ve been an audience member at Panic shows so many times, to be honest, I just feel like I’m one of the fans that is happening to play guitar. I still have to remind myself, ‘Man, you’re not a fan with a really good seat. You’re supposed to be playing guitar. Quit yelling at JB, quit yelling at Dave. Quit with the, hey JoJo that’s great!’ It’s been a really funky change, to be blunt about it. It’s been a big jump, in that regard. The way the guys and crew have been, it makes it really easy to just feel like I’m playing for those guys and, in a sense, I feel like I’m an audience member. In being an audience member, I know how connected the audience is to each other and they know more information than I do, to be honest with you. So, they all knew what was going on and what was happening even before Mikey had passed and I think everyone understood. Because of this, I didn’t feel tremendous pressure when I was first playing and then later on I did. But, I felt like with the Panic audience- they all know so well what’s going on with the inner workings of the band because there aren’t any big secrets with the band.

JK: How long has it taken you to learn the seemingly endless number of Panic songs and are you finished?
GM: I have not come remotely close. I’m about, as numbers go, the setlist is 350, 400 songs and I probably got 200 that we’ve been playing- maybe more than that. There’s a top ten list that the band has me learning and then I have a top ten list that friends and audience members are asking me to get down. All I want to tell the fans is we are going to pull out the older songs, just be patient (laughing).

JK: Who were some of your influences?
GM: Probably one of my first really early influences was the Allman Brothers. That made a huge impact on me. It was really before I knew that much about music. The twin guitar thing that Duane (Allman) and Dickey (Betts) did- I just love that. What really tore my head off was his slide guitar playing. That was my first real exposure to it. At that time, the Allman Brothers were all over major radio, which was kind of cool to have a southern band kind of get out and do music that I knew and grew up on. Growing up in the south, you grow up listening to the Blues music the same way other kids grow up listening to lullaby’s. At the same time, I was a huge Rolling Stones fan, a huge Led Zeppelin fan. I remember being 6 years old and hearing ‘Hey Jude’ when it first came out on the radio- that was just awesome. The same thing with Led Zeppelin with ‘Stairway to Heaven’ the first time it was on the radio and ‘When the Levee Breaks’ and how heavy that was. I can’t equate it to anything- it’s maybe like when kids first heard Eddie Van Halen finger tap or, for modern kids, the first time they heard Nirvana. That’s kinda what the stuff was back in that time. And all of Rush’s early stuff- there was a grip of incredible music at that time. My more recent hero’s are Warren Haynes, but he’s not really a recent one- I’ve been fond of Warren’s music forever. I think one of the big, more recent freak-outs has been The North Mississippi AllStars. Luther Dickinson just blows me away. Those guys are just phenomenal to me. So is Derek Trucks. He blows me away.

JK: What do you bring to Panic musically?
GM: I’m more of a Rhythm and Blues type player. But, I had other influences. I had a phase in ’78 when the Sex Pistols came through and I just about threw away all of my other records. I was just like ‘F%#(!’- I was in love with Punk rock. The Clash and Black Flag were huge influences. There was no way I could get away from the R&B side with James Brown, Al Green, Ray Charles around, as well as all of the blues players. I had that big Punk rock period and from that I still have to tell myself- ‘hold on George, calm it down’.

JK: What was the mood during the recording of Ball ?
GM: There was not one facet of their lives that was not affected by Mikey’s, first of all getting sick, then his eventual passing. Nobody in the band thought that Mikey wouldn’t finish that tour (Summer 2002) and if you listened to Mikey- he was going to finish the tour, no two ways about it. You know, there’s a lot of dark material, very introspective material on that record. But, the feeling in the studio was not exactly that. There were a lot of stories told, I’ll put it that way. There were a lot of great stories told. I’d be sitting there and all of the sudden some of the guys would start laughing about something and someone would ask ‘what are laughing at?’ “I’m thinking about this time Mikey did this….’ or ‘the time this happened to Mikey.’ A lot of clinking of glasses. The attitude (in the studio) was more of a good drunken wake.

JK: Why, with Ball, did you guys choose not to play your songs live before recording them, as Panic normally does?
GM: You know, I can’t answer that. I had assumed we would be recording some of the wealth of old material that hadn’t been recorded- Bayou Lena, Old Neighborhood, and whatever else cause those are really strong songs. But, they made that decision on their own before I was involved. They called me up and said ‘why don’t you come down and play some guitar on this record.’ It wasn’t anything major at all. That’s how the situation was at the time. When I showed up, it was kind of like ‘well, teach me the songs’ and they said, ‘well, teach us the songs.’ I said ‘What?!’ They said, ‘Come on in, we’ll show you.’ After thirty minutes, they’d say-‘ Okay, that’s a good part right there or this other part works.’ Meanwhile, I’m thinking ‘Holy S&%#! That’s what we are doing!’ That was my first day in the studio, going- I’ve talked about this, dreamed about it and half scared about the whole situation.

JK: Not too many people in Colorado know about Beanland, JoJo and your band from back then.
GM: We started Beanland as a four piece- a drummer, a bassist, and two guitarists. JoJo was moving down south and on his way to New Orleans, he stopped in Oxford, Mississippi to see some friends. But, I think he stopped because his money had run out. He was playing the piano for tips in this place called Hako. We were playing on Thursday nights at this Oxford bar and all of our friends kept saying ‘there’s this incredible piano player that’s playing at the Hoka late night and his name is JoJo.’ So, we go down there and, man, he was playing Professor Longhair and all of this incredible piano stuff. Basically, we said ‘hey man, we got this rock band, we like what you’re doing and we’d like you to come jam with us sometime.’ I think we had one practice with him and after the first two songs, we all kind of looked at each other like it was just like getting drunk and falling off of a bike- it was that simple.

JK: What is your feeling about the fans?
GM: It’s such an incredible feeling because the Panic audience- it’s the best in the world, no two ways about it.

JK: Last year’s Red Rocks show was a poignant one for many reasons. You seemed to take the situation very well, all things considered. The thing that I was most intruged by was the way you seemed to play right off of Mikey?
GM: I learned all new definitions of courage and strength from Mikey. I was blown away by his generosity and his courage was just amazing, particularly about the whole Red Rocks thing. That was one of the neatest things to me about the band was Mikey’s sound. It was so original and so unique. If you heard Mikey play on any record, you immediately knew it was him. It was like hearing Neil Young, you immediately knew it was Neil Young. Mikey just had his own completely original thing, which every guitarist strives for- that original sound. Man, I got to tell you- those guys are so welcoming about it. It’s such a relaxed thing, they make you feel real comfortable about playing with them. Over the years, I’ve sat in with them a bunch of times, like at Red Rocks, and they’ve always been encouraging like ‘hey man, go for it. Don’t worry about it, you can’t mess it up any more than we’re going to mess it up.’

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7/25/06 Honest Tunes: Summer Webcast

The good folks over at Honest Tunes radio show aired an awesome show on Tuesday evening featuring Widespread Panic from 11/19/1988 at the Little Five Points Pub in Atlanta.

I was fortunate to catch the broadcast and I gave it a two-thumbs up.
The 1988 show was pre-keyboards and featured Dave Schools playing a 4-string bass guitar plus you get to hear JB doing a little a cappella on Boys In The Barroom.

You can stream or download the show, at the source - Honest Tunes Radio

Enjoy!


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7/25/06 Warren Haynes & Dave Schools @ Red Rocks

Warren Haynes & Dave Schools @ Red Rocks

I don't remember who sent me this video but kudos for whoever caught it on tape.
This is a two song performance, It Stoned Me, Soulshine,
literally out of the back of a van in the lot at Red Rocks.

appx. 11 minutes

Click here to view


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7/25/06 JB and DAVE Guitar String Bracelets

Today I was in a shopping mood so I hit the web to check out anything new and cool. I remembered that I received the WP newsletter earlier this month which mentioned some Dave Schools and John Bell jewelry so I thought I'd check it out.
THE RELIX BAND GUITAR STRING BRACELETS
Relix Merchandise : The Relix Band Guitar String Bracelets

John Bell of Widspread Panic Guitar String Bracelet
	Widespread Panic's John Bell Guitar String Bracelet!

YIKES! I didn't know guitar strings were so expensive these days.
$125.00 for this bracelet.
I know that the proceeds go to a good charity.
Well, I'm gonna have to think about it!
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7/23/06 Winter Park

The crowd disperses
after Sunday's
Winter Park
Performance











There were more surprizes during Sunday's Winter Park show when Jerry Joesph came out during the second set to join in on Road to Damascus. Jojo changed instruments when he grabbed a guitar to play on Chainsaw City with JJ. Brad Rosen, also from The Jackmormons, sat in on Drums.
It certainly has been a Pack of Panic guitarists this tour.

Set I: Conrad, Solid Rock, Can't Get High, Tortured Artist, Heroes, Bayou Lena, Jack, Counting Train Cars, Ain't No Use, Walkin'

Set II: Papa Legba, Papa Johnny Road>Party At Your Mamma's House, Second Skin > Nebulous > Contentment > Immitation Leather Shoes > Drums* > Me and the Devil > None of Us Are Free > Road to Damascus** > Chainsaw City**%

Encore: Don't Be Denied, Travling Light

*with Brad Rosen on percussion
** with JJ
% with Jojo on guitar

from Panicstream.com

Jerry Joesph joins WP @Winter Park

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Mikey Houser, Allen Woody & Jojo Video Interview

Mikey Houser, Allen Woody & Jojo Video Interview
from May 6, 2000

In this 20 minute Widespread Panic interview, Allen Woody plays the part of Dave Schools.
(Adobe Flash must be installed to view.)

Enjoy!





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Early Mikey Interviews

Over the past few days I've been trying to get this blog setup. I'm not too thrilled with the HTML editor but I've found that if I use IE and not Mozilla I have lots less trouble.
If anyone finds any blarring errors leave a comment and I'll put it on my to-do list.
I've been scouring the web for old interviews to compile into one website for your enjoyment.

In the meantime, enjoy a nice Mikey read.


Check out 2 early interviews with Mike Houser!

one from 6/7/96
and
one from 11/12/99

Enjoy!










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7/22 Sirius Radio Interview w/ JB, Dave and Jojo

More Panic on Jam_ON! - Saturday July 22 @ 2:00 pm ET
After bassist Dave Schools spent a full day playing DJ this past Wednesday, he decided to bring just a little bit more Panic to Jam_ON! Tune in this Saturday as Dave returns with the band to hang out with their buddy Stef Scamardo. Maybe she can convince them to play a few tunes from their new record, Earth to America!

Sirius radio personalities held an interview with JB, Jojo and Dave.
I personally didn't happen to catch the interviews however a few members over at Panicfreaks.org did and here's what they had to say:


Member - jbower wrote:

Jojo is cracking me up!
[Jojo] on nelly: "I sang it a wedding and everybody got naked....i got to thinking, 'hey this might work'. "

Dave: "the only article of clothing i saw [on Halloween] taken off was a gym sock that got thrown at me"

Jojo: "just please don't throw lighters"

On where they are going from here:
Jojo: we are trying to get our bus driver to switch over to [?] for gas....nevermind....you guys still want me to do this interview?"

Dave: " Jojo, it's time the rest of the world knows what have known for years...."

Member - nineahalfbarblue wrote:

On where they are going from here:
JB: Like the thing we just did, its a gas.

Jojo: we are trying to get our bus driver to switch over to [Bio-Diesel] for gas....nevermind....you guys still want me to do this interview?"

Dave: " Jojo, it's time the rest of the world knows what have known for years...."

7/21/06 Widespread Panic sells big-time in Colorado

ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS

By Mark Brown, Rocky Mountain News
July 21, 2006

Who's at the top of concert-ticket sales for Colorado?
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young didn't quite sell out their three Red Rocks dates this week. Dave Matthews Band hasn't quite sold out its two dates at the Pepsi Center. It took the Rolling Stones weeks to sell out their one show there last year.

No, the biggest-selling band in the state at the moment is five guys from Athens, Ga., who have been jamming in Colorado for more than a decade: Widespread Panic.

When they play Red Rocks, "they usually sell out in about 12 minutes," promoter Bill Bass says.

"The Colorado area is like our second base outside of Georgia. We've always had a good following in Colorado. Not all the states are like that. It's a tough thing to do, especially for a band like us. You can pretty much bet we'll come through Colorado at least once a year," says Panic's percussionist Domingo "Sunny" Ortiz.

Since last year Widespread Panic has sold out six nights at Red Rocks, four shows at the Fillmore Auditorium, the Janus Jazz festival last year and an estimated 20,000 tickets (so far) for this weekend's Winter Park dates. That's approaching 100,000 tickets sold in a year's time.

"If you add that up, that's stadium business," Bass says.

"We noticed since the beginning they had a lot of people coming from other markets," Bass says. "We pulled Ticketmaster reports and have shows where there were tickets sold from every state in the union."

The band worries at times that its Colorado popularity could work against it.

"We look at ourselves and say 'Are we shooting ourselves in the foot by coming back to the Denver and Boulder area?' " Ortiz says.

"Red Rocks is such a prestigious place. When we first started playing there with (the) HORDE (tour) and Blues Traveler we were the opening act, never dreaming we could do three or four nights on our own," Ortiz says.

In this age of dumping long-term supporters to take the big bucks, Widespread Panic has stayed loyal to Bass, who first started working with the band when it was opening for Little Women in small clubs back in the mid-'80s.

"For a promoter it's tough. You've got all these big corporations that try to swallow the little guy," Ortiz says. "We've seen a lot of promoters come and go. We feel fortunate to know Bill as a friend, as someone who understands us, a lot more than just by being a promoter. Bill Bass kind of exemplifies this type of fan of ours that has always come to us and said 'Man, I can get you a gig here.' He's more of a fan than a promoter."

Plus, Ortiz adds, "he's a music guy."

"I appreciate what they're doing," Bass says. "I really like the rhythm section - the rhythm section is awesome. The songs are good.

"I love those guys. I hear the name and I smile. It has been a really good relationship. I hope I've returned the same to them."

Widespread Panic is touring behind Earth to America, the group's first album in three years. The disc represents a new sound and commitment to the music after the band took more than a year off for the first time in Widespread Panic's career.

The break was something the band just felt it needed to do, especially after the 2002 death of Panic co-founder Mike Houser. The band needed to regroup and make sure it had its priorities straight.

"Management just didn't figure out why we would want to take a year off. Originally we'd asked for two years. Management was going 'We just don't think that's a very good idea.' So we settled on one year. We would have taken two had the cards been in our favor," Ortiz says.

"We really didn't see each other for about 13 months. We finally had to break down and do some rehearsing," Ortiz says.

They'd come up with a bunch of songs on their own and with other songwriters. Jerry Joseph - formerly of Little Women, the band Widespread opened for so long ago - contributed the lead-off track, Second Skin, an 11-minute experimental groove that is unlike anything the band has done before.

That song and others use orchestration and horns, a first on a Widespread record. The band resisted at first, but gave in.

"We ended up using real violins and real horns for a couple of the songs," Ortiz says. "We knew we could never re-create it (onstage). That was the hardest pill for us to swallow - putting something on the album we couldn't re-create."

7/21/06 REVIEW: Widespread preaching to the converted on 'Earth to America'

THE ASPEN TIMES WEEKLY
By Stewart Oksenhorn
July 21, 2006

Widespread Panic, "Earth to America"
produced by Terry Manning
and Widespread Panic (Sanctuary)



John, The Aspen Times' Spreadhead-in-residence, isn't particularly with "Earth to America," the latest studio album by his favorite band. Nor is he particularly concerned with the so-so effort; Panic is made for the live stage, not the studio.

"Earth to America" seems to play to these expectations. As far as studio recordings go, the band is on cruise control, turning out decent but hardly earth-shaking variations on their Southern rock. The fact that "Earth to America" opens with the slow, monotonous, 11-minute "Second Skin" is solid evidence that Widespread is playing to the converted. Only on "Ribs and Whiskey," an acoustic, boogie blues, does the band get even a little outside its realm; no surprise, it's the song that makes the biggest mark. Even bringing in guest players on several tracks (the Compass Point Horns, the Phuket Chamber Orchestra) has only a there-and-gone impact.

This would be less distressing were it not for the fact that Widespread has proved it can go into a studio and emerge with magic. In 1999, the Georgia sextet blessed its audience - and beyond - with "'Til the Medicine Takes," an ambitious example of jambandia that experimented with turntables and styles. As for "Earth to America," it is the kind of thing Widespread could do in its sleep at this point, forever and on.

Widespread Panic plays Saturday and Sunday, July 22-23, in Winter Park.

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7/21/06 KBCO -Studio C Radio Appearance

KBCO 97.3 FM radio in Boulder, Colorado hosted a performance by the boys live in their studio. The KBCO-2 Studio C Channel performance could be heard via Studio C live streaming. As an added bonus listeners could also watch the performance and interview live with the Studio C live webcam.

After some warming up, John Keane, Dave, George, Sunny, JB, Todd and JoJo all packed into the small studio and began the approximately 40 minute show.


SONGS PERFORMED:
Second Skin, Time Zones, Expiration DAY, None of Us Are Free


The interviewer asked about Dave's comment on being "Baked" while down in the Bahamas while recording Earth 2 America. Dave had no recollection of saying that as he laughed.
He also asked JB about his experience using a Robert Johnson guitar during the recording in which JB replied "It was pretty tripped out."

The appearance was to promote their Earth 2 America record as well as the upcoming weekend shows at Winter Park.



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7/21/06 The Space Wrangler Song Book

Space Wrangler Song Book!
Introducing the newest item to Widespread Merchandise.

A note-by-note guitar transcription book of Panic's classic first release "Space Wrangler."





Songs transcribed include:

Chilly Water
Travelin' Light
Space Wrangler
Coconut
The Take Out
Porch Song
Stop-Go
Driving Song
Holden Oversoul
Contentment Blues

Along with the notation, the book contains some rare and unearthed photographs of the band in its earliest days.


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7/21/06 Image of the Day - Dave Matthews Joins Panic on stage

7/21/06

IMAGE OF THE DAY

Dave Matthews joins Panic during

Farm Aid 2005 to perform

'None Of Us Are Free'.

Dave came prepared with lyrics in hand!

View previous Images Of The Day



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7/19/06 Snow King Amphitheater - Jackson Hole, WY

Panic performed at Snow King Amphitheater on Wednesday 7/19/06.

Many fans called the Snow King show "refreshing, old-school Panic".

SETLIST:

SET 1.) Little Kin, Picking Up the Pieces, Greta, Red Hot Mama, Let's Get Down to Business, Papa's Home, Better Off, Rock, Give

SET 2.) Disco, Holden, Life During Wartime, Big Wooly Mammoth, Blight, Ribs and Whiskey, Hatfield* > Drums > Arlene* > No Sugar Tonight* > Space Wrangler*

ENCORE -Dorethea > Pigeons, City of Dreams

entire show with John Keane * with Sam Holt on Guitar [Soundcheck 'Solid Rock', 'Heaven']

from Everyday Companion

Local News Review
Jackson Hole Daily News
By Martin Reed

July 21, 2006

One vendor’s alleged wares at Wednesday night’s Widespread Panic concert resulted in one of the 15 arrests police attributed to the show.

“There was a sort of vendor who was there who offered with the purchase something believed to be a controlled substance as a token gift,” Jackson Police Detective Sgt. Todd Smith said.

Undercover investigators learned people could buy clothing or food from the vendor and allegedly get a small amount of marijuana as a bonus, Smith said Thursday.

More than 3,000 people attended the Snow King Amphitheater concert to hear close to four hours of music by the popular Southern jam rockers. Some of the band’s high points came from a strong version of “Hatfield,” “Pigeons” during one of the encores and renditions of Talking Heads’ “Life During Wartime” and The Guess Who’s “No Sugar Tonight,” one of the band’s oldest covers.

Not all of the action during the show originated onstage. Some people watched a woman twirling balls of fire brush one against her, briefly igniting her leg and hand. A small patch of dry grass also ignited but people poured beer onto the fire just before police arrived and escorted the woman away.

Police arrested three people on drug charges, 10 for public intoxication and two after the show for driving under the influence, according to Teton County jail records. Police at last year’s show issued drug- and alcohol-related charges to at least 10 people.

While last year’s show at the same venue netted charges on a cornucopia of drugs, this week’s concert provided police with alleged transactions involving psilocybin mushrooms and marijuana.

The night’s other arrest for delivery of a controlled substance came from what Smith called a “reverse deal.”

“The other was a reverse deal we did when somebody came up to one of our plainclothes [officers] and wanted to buy drugs, so we obliged him,” Smith said.

One undercover officer fetched his colleague acting as a dealer who allegedly provided an ounce of psychedelic mushrooms and a quarter-ounce of marijuana to the customer, Smith said. The alleged buyer then sold some mushrooms to the first undercover officer.

Police arrested another person for possession of a controlled substance, according to records.

Members of the police department and Teton County Sheriff’s Office contributed to the 16 or so officers patrolling the concert. About half were undercover investigators.

Many of the public intoxication arrests resulted from complaints about people being loud, Smith said.

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7/19/06 DJ Dave Schools on Sirius Radio

Widespread Wednesday! - Wed 7/19 7am ET - Thur 7/20 1 am
As if going on a massive summer tour and releasing a killer new album wasn't enough, Widespread Panic is taking over SIRIUS' satellites! Tune in this Wednesday as Dave Schools of Panic plays DJ for the entire day. He'll spin old favorites, new music you’ve likely never heard before, and songs from Panic's new album Earth to America. The fun begins at 7 am this Wednesday and continues on 'til 1 am. Exclusively on SIRIUS 17, Jam_On!
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For many folks who didn't have a chance to attend the Jackson Hole, WY show Wednesday evening did have the opportunity to sit in front of their computers and watch the sun go down on the back of the Snow King Ampitheather via Jackson Hole Webcam. While taking in the views of the ski hills they were listening to Dave Schools do an all-day "Widespread Wednesday" broadcast on Sirius Satellite Radio Jam-On 17.

A Panicfreaks.org member, stopbreakindown81, decided to write down all the songs that Dave played during the broadcast. His earnest effort only made it a few hours into the broadcast and this is what he got:

1. Moe – Crab Eyes
2. The Clash – Magnificent Seven
3. Wolfmother – Woman
4. Widespread Panic – Porch Song > Disco
5. Bob Dylan – Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again
6. Whiskeytown – Don’t Be Sad
7. Grateful Dead – Easy Wind
8. Miles Davis - Pinocchio
9. Phish – Free > Ha Ha Ha > Free
10. The Band – I Shall Be Released
11. John Coltrane – Summertime
12. Michael Houser – Can’t Change The Past
13. Blue Oyster Cult – Godzilla
14. Grateful Dead – I’m A King Bee > Caution
15. Los Lobos – Mas Y Mas
16. Widespread Panic – Solid Rock
17. Simon and Garfunkel – America
18. Yes – America
19. Gov’t Mule – Blind Man In The Dark
20. Buffalo Springfield – Broken Arrow
21. My Morning Jacket – Off The Record
22. Grateful Dead – Feel Like A Stranger
23. Ten Years After – I Can’t Keep From Crying Sometimes
24. Nick Drake – Cello Song
25. Phish – Fast Enough For You > Scent Of A Mule
26. Tishamingo – Wastin Time
27. Black Sabbath – War Pigs
28. Allman Brothers – In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed
29. Dungen – Festival
30. Blues Traveler – But Anyway
31. Col. Bruce and the Codetalkers – Saturn
32. Grateful Dead – China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider
33. Jack Johnson – Rodeo Clowns
34. Particle - Windjammer
35. Pharoah Sanders – Thembi
36. Widespread Panic – Ribs N Whiskey
37. North Mississippi Allstars – Po Back Maddie > Skinny Woman > Po Black Maddie
38. Elvis Costello – What’s So Funny Bout Peace, Love, and Understanding
39. Jerry Joseph – Climb To Safety
40. Allman Brothers – Hot ‘Lanta
41. John Lee Hooker w/ Santana – The Healer
42. Michael Franti and Spearhead – Yell Fire
43. Widespread Panic – You Should Be Glad
44. Derrek and the Dominoes – Layla
45. Phish - Drowned
46. Rich Robinson – When You Will
47. ZZ Top – Precious and Grace
48. Jerry Joseph – Electric Glide In Blue
49. Govt Mule – Beautiful Broken
50. Neil Young – Let’s Impeach The President
51. Sly and the Family Stone – Sing A Simple Song
52. Grateful Dead – Shakedown Street
53. Dire Straits – Telegraph Rode
54. Frank Zappa – Hot Plate Heaven at the Green Hotel
55. Jimi Hendrix – Machine Gun
56. Bob Marley and the Wailers – Kaya
57. Widespread Panic – Worry
58. Bela Fleck and the Flecktones – Shocktime
59. The Beatles – Magical Mystery Tour
60. Tea Leaf Green – Morning Sun
61. The Clash – Train In Vain (Stand By Me)
62. The Grateful Dead – Might As Well
63. Radiohead- The Bends
64. Yes – Yours Is No Disgrace
65. Phish – Loving Cup
66. Paul and Linda McCartney – Too Many People
67. George Harrison – I’d Have You Anytime
68. Blues Traveler – No Woman No Cry
69. Donovan – There Is A Mountain
70. Allman Brothers – Mountain Jam
71. My Morning Jacket – Dancefloors
72. Widespread Panic – Space Wrangler


Later in the day, Sirius replayed the original broadcast of Widespread Panic's show live from Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Denver, CO. from June 24, 2006.

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7/18/06 Negative Creeps.org?

The folks over at Panicfreaks.org went up-in-arms Tuesday July 18 when Dave Schools made a comment in his latest Tour Blog 9: Seattle. The comment "don't sweat those negative creeps on that "other" forum..." was a reply Dave was making to "Ain't Life Grand" cheerleader" who had posted on the Widespread Panic MySpace website.

Mods from Panicfreaks.org changed the title of their website to read NegativeCreeps.org and many fans raged with posts attacking Dave's comment.


Apparently it all started with a group of girls who dressed up as Widespread Panic Cheerleaders during the Marymoor perfomance in Redmond, WA.
Someone, somewhere, somehow out there poked fun at the girls and one of the girls commented about it on the Panic Myspace website.

Posted by candise Jul 17, 2006 2:38 PM
Thanks for the great shows in Seattle. We had some serious fun.
Um...is it just me? Or are your so called fans over on PanicFreaks.org hardcore cruel and moranic judges all the time?

After Dave posted his blog the proverbial shit-hit-the-fan and chaos on a variety of Panic-fan sites ensued.























Ok, I'll admit that even I got caught up in the pandemonium as, just for fun of course, I created my own little image and posted it on freaks.



I had no idea that it would end up on Panic's MySpace site with the comment
"from all of us creeps at negativecreeps.org"


I appologize if anyone in the Panic organization found this insulting but please know that I only posted it on Panicfreaks and nowhere else. I do want to mention that the photo was originally a Micheal Sheenan photograph.

As of Friday July 21st the title NegativeCreeps.org was still up on Panicfreaks.org.

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7/18/06 REVIEW: Panic, it’s the police

JACKSON HOLE DAILY NEWS- Panic, it's the police

By Martin Reed

July 18, 2006

Expect more than just thousands of concertgoers roaming the Snow King Amphitheater when popular jam-rock band Widespread Panic performs Wednesday.

At least a dozen uniformed and undercover officers will patrol the concert. The police presence resembles that of last year’s show by the band that generated numerous drug arrests.

“We’d be foolish not to take note of that and respond accordingly,” Chief of Police Dan Zivkovich said Monday. “So with the past pattern of drug arrests that are there, we certainly are going to have an extra contingent of officers on hand.”

At last year’s Jackson show, police issued drug- and alcohol-related charges to at least 10 people. Police arrested six people and ticketed four people on various charges including three drug felonies.

Among the arrests were a 26-year-old Mississippi man who allegedly had about 27 ounces of psilocybin mushrooms in 45 individually wrapped packages. Police arrested two others for possession of mushrooms, marijuana and Ecstasy.

“Ideally we would not make any arrests. I would rather be criticized for having a few extra officers there without having anything to do” than the opposite, Zivkovich said.

Officers will focus on “stopping any drug transactions and drug use that are going on up there and we’ll have extra officers on hand to do that,” the chief said. “At the same time, we’re hoping the dozen arrests that were made last year will send the message to the folks that this isn’t the place to come and do that.”

Jackson police had 10 officers and the sheriff’s office had two deputies working last year’s show, along with six members of the Citizens Mounted Patrol. Last year’s attendance was about 3,500 people.

This year’s concert has a capacity of 4,200 people and the show must end by 11 p.m. In addition to the officers, members of the horseback patrol will monitor the venue’s boundary.

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7/18/06 Birthday Wishes for JoJo

On July 18th John "JoJo" Hermann celebrated his 44th birthday.
Panic also played at Brundage Mountain Amphitheater, McCall, ID

SET 1 -Junior* > All Time Low* > Pilgrims* > Song For Sitara > Sleeping Man*, The Earth Will Swallow You** > Impossible** > Visiting Day** > Postcard**

SET 2- This Part Of Town > Chilly Water > Goodpeople > Chilly Water, Time Waits, Surprise Valley > Drums > Surprise Valley, Climb To Safety, You Should Be Glad, Riders On The Storm, Love Tractor

ENCORE - Crazy, Bust It Big, Old Joe< * with John Keane on guitar ** with Sam Holt on guitar [Last 'The Earth Will Swallow You' - 12/30/01


Other celebrities that share the same birthday include:
President Nelson Mandela is 88.
Former Sen. John Glenn, D-Ohio, is 85.
Skating champion and commentator Dick Button is 77.
Movie director Paul Verhoeven is 68.
Singer Brian Auger is 67.
Singer Dion DiMucci is 67.
Actor James Brolin is 66.
Singer Martha Reeves is 65.
Blues guitarist Lonnie Mack is 65.
Singer Ricky Skaggs is 52.
Actress Anne-Marie Johnson is 46.
Actress Elizabeth McGovern is 45.
Rock musician Jack Irons (Pearl Jam) is 44.
Actor Vin Diesel is 39.
Rock musician Daron Malakian (System of a Down) is 31.
Actor Jason Weaver is 27.
Actress Kristen Bell is 26.
Rock singer Ryan Cabrera is 24.

Happy Birthday JoJo and many, many more!

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7/17/06 - IMAGE OF THE DAY - JB plays

7/17/06

IMAGE OF THE DAY

What better place to test your mad, crazy skillz
than in the middle of a hotel lobby!

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7/14/06 & 7/15/06 SEATTLE

07/14/06 MARYMOOR PARK AMPHITHEATER, Redmond, WA

SET 1- From The Cradle* > Pleas** > One Arm Steve, Papa Johnny Road, Rebirtha, Heaven*, Casa Del Grillo**, Chainsaw City, Fishwater

SET 2 - Conrad > Nebulous > Jack*, Travelin' Man** > Second Skin** > Low Rider** > Drums > Walkin' (For Your Love), Let It Bleed, When The Clowns Come Home** > Henry Parsons Died*

ENCORE - Expiration Day > Solid Rock

* with John Keane on pedal steel
** with John Keane on guitar
Setlist by EverydayCompanion.com

THE SEATTLE TIMES -MARYMOOR REVIEW
Widespread Panic lasts 20 years by taking it one day at a time
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
By Ari Bandersky

Many factors can make or break a band — ego, infighting, tour lag — so it's no surprise that Widespread Panic's 20-year career can be chalked up to one simple rule: take things day-by-day.

For lead singer John Bell, that mantra is a way of life. While he tries to envision the future of Widespread Panic, he really only wants to look as far as what's right in front of him. He's done that for the band's entire existence.

"If you get too far ahead of yourself, it's an opportunity to sabotage things," Bell said. "If you're looking toward the future, you're not looking at the here and now."

Over the past two decades, the Athens, Ga.-based sextet has barely stopped to catch its collective breath, save a 15-month hiatus following the 2002 death of founding member Michael "Panic" Houser, for whom the band is named.

Houser's death could've easily derailed the band, but that would have countered its ideals and philosophies, which include taking things as they come and seeing what can happen, Bell said. Instead, the band enlisted old friend and guitarist George McConnell to not necessarily take Houser's place, but make the space his own.

Another big change for Panic, which has built a loyal fan base of Grateful Dead-like proportions, was handing over the reins to legendary producer Terry Manning, who has worked with everyone from Led Zeppelin to Elton John to Shakira. It may not have been an easy choice to leave longtime collaborator John Keane and head to Manning's studio in the Bahamas, but it was a necessary one.

"There was no intention of getting away from John [Keane]; we just wanted to go to another place to go away from some of the other stuff."

The result was, "Earth to America," a bright light that led Panic out of the dark period of the past few years. The album returns the band to its rootsy blues-rock beginnings, with songs like "Solid Rock" and "When the Clown Comes Home" seeing Panic in its most raw Southern Rock persona.
The collection also features "Second Skin" and "You Should Be Glad," two epic 10-minute-plus jams reflective of the band's impromptu live sets. And like true Southern gentlemen, Panic pays homage to its fallen friend with the sweet and melancholy album closer, "May Your Glass Be Filled." Bell said the band will dust off some songs on this tour that it hasn't played in almost four years, but which he can't say. Panic generally doesn't choose a set list until just before hitting the stage. And besides, that would go against the mantra of living each day for its own.

"If we were sitting here worried about what the audiences wanted, all we'd be doing is second guessing ourselves," he said. "We're making ourselves happy and giving it our all with enthusiasm and that's what people will come to see. At least that's my theory."

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7/13/06 TowerPod Interview w/ Dave Schools

TOWERPOD.COM
During a break in Berkeley, CA, Dave sat down with Tower Records and reminisced about recording 'Earth To America' in the Bahamas as well as gave some insight into what went in to some of the songs including "Goodpeople" and "Ribs and Whiskey."

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN




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