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Widespread Panic, Philips Arena

Atlanta, GA December 30-31, 2000

The "real millennium," as Dave Schools liked to point out, didn’t start until 2001. Perhaps then it was only appropriate that Widespread Panic would play their second New Year’s run at Philips Arena to a sold out crowd, signaling the end of one era and beginning of another. The change in sound and light technicians in-between Summer and Fall Tours marked not only a shift in the levels coming through the stacks in front of the stage, it changed the way in which the fans appreciate and respond to the music. The advent of the new crew should not be overstated, however. Without a doubt the most important thing for Widespread Panic in 2000 was the fact that the band continued to improve as they have steadily over their 15-year history. The boys in the band were healthier, happier, and functioned as a unit, this year like never before.

The band’s fan base has continued to grow as well. Contrary to popular myth, this has been much less the function of other bands’ decline as it has Panic’s own consistent performance and ability to raise the bar. Old fans that saw the band maybe 2-3 times a year were seeing them much more than that by the time Fall Tour rolled around. What more, while the so-called sellout of 1999 New Year’s was caused by the hoarding of tickets by ticket brokers who later dumped their stacks, the 2000 shows were a tough ticket from the beginning and became even more so as the year drew to a close. There were some genuine Panic fans that waited outside Philips arena in the cold hoping for a veritable miracle – not just a free ticket, any ticket. For those who did get inside, they were treated to clear, creative and downright overpowering music. Yes, the sound of Widespread Panic is still evolving, and that is a good thing.

The set-up at Philips Arena deserves mixed-reviews.

For the décor, the band had a big drapery across the top of the stage with the comic and tragic masks from Greek theater giving a classic look to the venue. For the first time in memory, they actually had a curtain across the stage that was pulled only when the band was ready to walk out and play. For what it was worth, the vendors inside seemed unusually friendly and happy to see the masses of young music fans, especially considering that they had to work on a holiday.

Ultimately the one really inexcusable problem at Philips Arena this weekend was the fact that they were not able to get the fans inside the building in time before the concert began. At some concerts, this problem arises because the fans hang out in the parking lot too long and all try to enter the building 15 minutes before show time. However, in 20 degree Atlanta weather with intermittent snow flurries, this was definitely not the case. On the 30th, the band walked out onto the stage to face a room that was 2/3 full. Some fans waiting outside the venue before the doors even opened on the 31st did not make it in before the show started. Blame it on understaffing, blame it on the fact that 18,000 cheerful, perpetually non-violent people had to be individually scanned by a metal detector, or blame it on the fact that between the insufferable Falcons and Hawks, the staff at Philips Arena probably forgot how big a sold out crowd really was. The inability of Philips staff to properly seat patrons who paid more then $100 each for 2 concert tickets is completely unprofessional and was hopefully addressed so that it will never happen again. Now with that bitching out of the way, on to the music!

As has become the custom with any big run of shows in 2000, the Panic Fans For Food drive played a vital role. This year’s drive, much like the one the year before, was held in conjunction with a gathering of friends and Panic family at Smith’s Olde Bar on Piedmont Rd. in midtown Atlanta. Co-sponsored by An Honest Tune, this year’s Panic Fans For Food effort was record setting. Not only did the amount of food generated for the cause throughout the year surpass all expectation, the amount of food collected on this one afternoon in one place was astounding. When the grand total was tallied, PFFF had $900 cash and 1,574 pounds of canned goods. That’s enough to feed 20,000 hungry people in the Atlanta area. That’s not a misprint. Even in a city as overpopulated as Atlanta has become, that’s a huge contribution. The band itself also donated some special prizes for the big donors. They gave away two backstage passes good for both nights of the show, while fan favorite photographer Michael Sheehan donated some really nice live photographs of his own. Overall, Panic Fans For Food gave a tremendous boost to the communities that hosted Widespread Panic concerts. The effort brought fans closer together and serves as an excellent example of the potential for great things generated when so many people get behind a charitable cause. The band has every reason to be proud about that.

The anticipation building up to New Year’s was not as intense as might have been expected. With the conga line of special guests at New Year’s 1999 and the three night blowout at Halloween in 2000, most folks were trying not to set their expectations too high. It was safe to assume going in that this would not be a special guest filled, "bustout" laden affair. Instead, the band delivered what many of the older fans had demanded for years: no opener, very few special guests, almost entirely original (or long standing cover) songs. The band also didn’t seem to put too much pressure on themselves. Aside from the first set, which was semi-acoustic, they went about New Year Eve in a very business-like manner, as they would most any other show. Of course there were three sets, but after the Warfield on 4th of July, even that was somewhat taken for granted going in.

The first set was a delectable appetizer. John Bell was seated and Dave Schools was standing there in his favorite trench-coat playing upright bass. The band opened with the Michael Stanley tune Let’s Get The Show On The Road, in what might be called a New Year’s tradition. The band played it last year as well after a fan-based lobbying campaign. This one was much better than the version the year before, and was a very sweet way to start off the show. She Caught The Katy and Cat Stephens’ Trouble that followed were about as wild as the cover songs would get this night. Katy is a good-time dance song that all music fans can appreciate, while Trouble absolutely made some hearts and knees melt in New Orleans over Halloween weekend, earning it an infrequent spot in the rotation. Bell gave out a little accidental foreshadowing when he sang "Old Joe – Trouble Set Me Free," as he got ahead of himself for just a second.

Before Bell would get that far, Jojo Hermann dished out the highlight of the first set, singing the elusive Visiting Day. Though he tightened it up a little at the Murray, KY show on 11/30, this version was long anticipated by the fans that took a liking to the song when it was unveiled back in April. It was a little rough in spots then, and still has some room to grow vocally, but the piano chords and lyrics are a pretty catchy combo otherwise. The first set didn’t have any concrete segues to it, but the band moved quickly into Waker, so Mike Houser could get in on the fun. It never seems like Houser enjoys the acoustic sets as much as the rest of the band, but this was his chance to get warmed up early on and he didn’t waste it. Only then did JB find the right moment to sing Old Joe, a song that fit in really well with the mood of the set. Even the Ain’t Life Grand that closed the set was really well placed, if for no other reason than it meant they wouldn’t play it in the third set again like they did the previous 2 years.

One of the first things noticeable when the curtain was pulled for the band to come out on the 31st was several enormous spinning balls over the stage. They were so big, I thought maybe the boys in the crew stole them from Soul Train. By the start of the second set, most folks were pretty wide eyed, waiting for the band to get down to serious business, and as soon as the balls started to drop it became pretty clear that we better be able to dance the Disco. It seemed so obvious in hindsight, but it was an awesome call, for sure. After going the entire Memphis run without hearing Todd Nance sing even once, Down was also a welcome song in this set. Tight and well rehearsed, this rendition held its own as one of the best yet. John Keene on pedal steel would’ve made it perfect, but he played with the band the night before, so that was not in the cards again.

Blight could definitely be considered Dave Schools’ theme song in the year 2000. Taken at either literal or metaphorical value, the undeniable fact is that this song rocks. Schools was holding court and getting his Modulus (or was it his stealth fighter?) warmed up for a whole series of bomb-dropping that was to ensue. Indeed, the bass tones coming out of the sound system didn’t drown out Houser’s guitar like they had been prone to in the past. Rather they were clear and well placed within the mix, standing out at some points and receding at others. The sound at this point was so perfect that you couldn’t hear Hermann setting up the segue to Bear’s Gone Fishin. The song choice was not a total surprise, and the transition was smooth and tight, as it should be. The Bear’s Gone Fishin jam peaked and found its crescendo before washing back upon the shore of a welcome Vacation.

Vacation is one of those songs that I don’t think you can ever really get tired of. There’s not a whole lot to it, really. It’s just one of those songs that Widespread Panic sings that binds each and every one of their fans together in blissful serendipity. The three part vocal harmonies have become so polished that hearing the chorus sends chills up and down my spine, no matter how many times I’ve heard the song on tape. For some folks the song has cosmic significance. The line "Panic grabbed my leg, you know, it pulled me in" pretty much sums it all up. Hooked for life. Yup. If there were any requests honored on New Year’s Eve, this might have been the one. Widespread Panic sang that song for every single fan in the room. Every single one of us, as well as a boy named Josh.

Since the band was making no bones about standing fast next to the songs that got them to the in the first place, a Love Tractor was definitely in order. At this point it seemed like Mike Houser’s guitar levels were really starting to snowball. Comments made in various interviews throughout the year indicated that the band was making a conscious effort to focus on guitar-oriented rock, and in no case was it truer than on New Year’s Eve. Without being a taper or anything close to a technical guru, I can say with some degree of confidence that Mike Houser’s guitar levels have been pushed out in the treble and mid-range like never before. Or at least they are pushed out farther in proportion to where the other instruments are sitting. He is the man, now and again. The Imitation Leather Shoes for a second set closer was right on time. JB losing track of the verses took a little of the luster away from an otherwise great call, but I don’t think anyone in the building that night was going to let that spoil their party.

Interestingly enough, there wasn’t a really big deal made about the ringing in of the New Year as there was in 1999. I guess that seemed to be the case in most celebrations nation-wide, but the band members didn’t even come out on stage to MC the event as they had the year before. It makes sense that they were probably sharing a private moment with their own loved ones backstage, and they deserved it. There were no fireworks inside Philips as there were in ’99, but the lack of visual delights was partially remedied by a ton of confetti and use of the Thrashers’ hockey horn. Remembering back to 1999, most folks polled before the 2 night run expected Surprise Valley to be the first song of the millennium. Well, it turned out they were right. Maybe year early, but Surprise Valley was every bit the song the band wanted and needed to play to usher in the New Year. The segue into Pusherman threw me for a second, but by the time they hit the extended part of that jam, everything was in groove.

As the jamming continued in the third set, I found myself lost within the nooks and crannies of the Widespread Panic machine. I felt myself wondering, "now what song was this?" at least twice. Trying to describe the various moments of each individual jam as I often attempt would not do any of them justice. Suffice to say, the All Time Low was anything but. It seemed for a while that the band had become complacent with the arrangement shortly after the release of the album. The version on this night was back where it should be: loud and irreverent. I refuse to believe that a song like this one wouldn’t be an instant top-40 hit if given the proper exposure. Once again, Houser’s guitar work was thrust to center stage. Not that any version of Diner could be considered "weak," but this one was long and strong.

Casa also looked like it had turned the corner. Since its introduction up at Harmony Park during the summer, JB’s Spanish lullaby had evolved from a wistful troubadour ballad into a complex improvisational beast. There was but one brief hiccup near the end that stopped this one from being absolutely perfect. Needless to say, I think the fans that doubted its place in the rotation have now been won over for good. Drums and the song that followed were the only parts of the show featuring a guest. Danny Piedrahita, a student of Count M’butu, joined Sunny for the percussion solo and stayed on to add some spice to an already Red Hot Mama. That song is always an easy winner, so it found a welcome place on the New Year’s Eve setlist. Pilgrims was like the calm after the storm, giving the freaks a chance to relax and take a deep breath, while Houser wove his fretboard magic throughout the arena.

The Porch Song that closed the set was the only way the show should have ended in regulation. With the tone set by the band throughout the night, it was only appropriate that they would end with their theme song. That said, the encore was truly puzzling. Some fans even had less flattering things to say than that. Dream Song was fine. Dreamy, soft and delicate, it was surely going to lead into something special to tide the 18,000 live music fans over to the next Panic attack many months into the future, right? RIGHT??? Don’t get me wrong, I love Jojo. I love to hear him play. I like to hear him sing. But the Blackout Blues choice for a New Year’s Eve encore in 2000-2001 just didn’t cut it. Out of all the sentimental, special, psychologically meaningful songs in the band’s repertoire, they chose for their last song to be one about getting drunk and passing out. It truly pains me to paint such a negative picture, but that’s the simple truth. In fairness to all concerned, I think only the "frequent fliers," Panic fans that attended 10 or more shows for the year, were the ones who were really upset. For a song that was a common encore as far back as 1996-97, at this point it just seemed stale.

Overall, the New Year’s Eve run was a strong showing for a band that could easily be printing up some 15th anniversary shirts as you read this. They probably won’t print them, though. For them, music is the life and music is their job. No pretentious airs or infighting will rock their boat, regardless of what the peanut-gallery might say or think. The fact that fewer than 1% of all touring bands keep it together that long hasn't made the members of Widespread Panic blink yet. The winter and spring months seem destined to include some side projects from the various members, as well as serious studio time to nail down a new album. Their new partnership with Sanctuary Records over in Europe seems to hint a return to the old country, with a continental tour most likely in the works. Until then, the growing hoard of rabidly loyal fans will have to wean themselves off their Panic addiction with live tapes, photographs, and memories. Along with the friendships forged strong over the years, that’s really all you have to hold onto in the end.

John Bell and Friends
House of Blues, Orlando, Florida
Saturday January 6th, 2001

By Chip Schramm

John Bell and very special guests played the second annual benefit show for Spinal Muscular Atrophy at the House of Blues in Orlando Florida on the first weekend of 2001. The whole weekend was a planned event organized to benefit Hannah’s Buddies, a local chapter of the Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) support group, Andrew’s Buddies. SMA is the number one inherited killer of children under two years old. Hannah’s buddies is one of nine chapters of the "buddy system" across the USA. This system allows parents of children afflicted with the disease to share resources and push for more research to cure the debilitating condition. The young girl in this case is Hannah Elliott, the daughter of Duncan and Laurie Elliott of Tampa, Florida. Much like the first benefit at the same time last year, this year’s SMA benefit consisted of an organized golf tournament during the day and a concert at night. Other activities associated with the event were a dinner for the golfers and a silent auction of rock and roll memorabilia as well. All of the people who were in charge of organizing and running the event were volunteers, from the musicians, to the folks directing traffic on the golf course. The House of Blues organization itself has made sizable donations to the cause and deserves a tip of the hat as well.

Orlando is not a bad place to be in January. The weather cooperated fully, with sunny skies and temperatures in the upper 60’s and 70’s. The golfing was light-hearted, and even those who did not play golf had plenty of things to amuse themselves with in the magical kingdom. The silent auction was a marked success, raising thousands of dollars with bids on everything from a pedal steel guitar autographed by all the members of Widespread Panic to a DVD autographed by Britney Spears. Although the evening’s concert was not advertised as "sold out," the small venue was packed to capacity with many tickets sold that went unripped. After 2 sold-out nights at the 18,000 seat Philips Arena, Widespread Panic fans bought up tons of tickets for the benefit show, then found that the demand for extras did not match the surplus. Erring on the side of caution was a good idea, because the show played that night was not to be missed.

The lineup for the evening consisted of John Bell as the host, joined by Kevn Kinney (formerly of Drivin’ and Cryin’) and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band. Kinney himself shares roots with Bell in the North Georgia clay, while the Dirty Dozen has shared many memorable moments onstage with Widespread Panic in the past 2+ years. All musicians in question gave selflessly of themselves both for the sake of music, and also for the noble cause presented by the SMA organization. While the previous year’s JB and Friends featured three extremely short sets by "friends" Bloodkin and Barbara Cue as well as Bell, this year’s addition was another animal entirely. Many of the music fans in 2000 were slightly disappointed in the short set by Bell, as it lasted less than 45 minutes. This year Bell would play his master of ceremonies role perfectly, not only narrating the evening, but also singing and jamming with his friends all night long.

The stage was stripped down to its bare essentials. The only stationary instrument was a trap drum set, placed at the back of the stage. Bell started out the evening by himself, sitting down and playing acoustic guitar. He opened the show with a song that he "stole off a tape from my older brother," Let’s Get This Show On The Road. Oddly enough, Widespread Panic opened their New Year’s Eve show with the exact same song in similar acoustic fashion. After getting warmed up with his first song, Bell tuned his guitar a bit and then launched into a beautiful and moving Gradle. Rarer and rarer in the Widespread setlists these days, Gradle is a song that really belongs to Bell by himself. To drive the point home, he extended the rap in the middle to give it his own unique treatment.

After the second song, Bell called on Kevn Kinney to come out onstage and play a few duets with him. Kinney obliged to the cheers from the packed house. Once both musicians were settled, Bell launched into the reggae tune Sleepy Monkey while Kinney strummed a few select chords and rapped a line, trying to keep up. After finishing a brief version of Monkey, Kevn Kinney took the reins and sang a song of his own, I’ve Got a Feelin’, a cover originally sung by the Beatles. The opening chords sounded very similar to both No Sugar and Tangled Up In Blue (at least for a second,) so a few folks in the crowd started screaming at the top of their lungs. As it turned out, the cover was almost as good as both of the other alternatives and sounds great on the tapes,too.

From there came what was (arguably) the highlight of the show. Kinney played one of his most famous solo songs, Indian Song, a narrative tune about the myths of the American Indian and the political would-be "chiefs" who are on Mt. Rushmore. Not to be outdone, Bell, then played an emotive and amazing version of Blue Indian. Kinney didn’t really even try to play along on this one. He just sat there and stared, much the same as the fans in the audience, as Bell whistled the same parts to the song that are covered by pedal steel guitar on the album. The "Indian-Indian" combo was a real showstopper. But the show did go on. Kinney and Bell swapped vocal duties again with Kinney singing a rhythmic and trance-like version of the Drivin’ and Cryin’ song Mountaintop with Julius McKee from the Dirty Dozen sitting in on the old school relative of the tuba, a Sousaphone.

Kinney stepped offstage to take a breather and Bell played two of the rarer songs from his arsenal, Pass On and Body and Soul. Both were new to many in the audience, but are well worth checking out on tape, and (hopefully) reviving in future live settings. The lyrics were smooth and painted a typically wry picture of twisted reality that only John Bell can narrate. Then Bell and Kinney swapped positions and sang one of my favorite Drivin’ and Cryin’ songs Let’s Go Dancing. Indeed, the choice of Kevn Kinney as one of the guests for this show was most appropriate, as many of the older fans in the audience were fans of Kinney and Drivin’ and Cryin’ before Widespread Panic. Their album "Mystery Road" was actually the first CD I ever owned. I purchased it at the same time as Eric Clapton’s "Slowhand," which I’ll count as the second.

At this point, Bell came back onstage and called on another, very special, friend to play with them. Widespread Panic’s manager/agent and longtime acquaintance, Buck Williams, came out and played harmonica on two very soulful versions of Hoochie-Coochie Man and Me and the Devil Blues. Kinney sang the former, while Bell took vocal duties on the latter. Kinney did a good job, but truthfully, Bell should have sung both. His voice seems like it was tuned to sing the blues like no other white boy in the house that night. Despite this, the perpetually modest Bell dubbed Kinney "my new mentor" after the set. The duo would encore with the Van Morrison gem When Will I Ever Learn To Live In God before Bell came back on to finish the set in grand fashion with Space Wrangler. That one included a brief "Long May You Live" rap near the end.

At this point, the Dirty Dozen had a hard act to follow. That’s not the usual position for them to be in, as they so often were the opening band for Widespread Panic and forced the 6 members of the band to try and top them! To few people’s surprise, the DDBB was up to the task. To plenty of people’s surprise, both Bell and Kinney made repeat appearances to add some vocals to the fine horn playing of the big easy brigade. There weren’t too many surprises for the song choices in the DDBB set. They didn’t stray far from their usual rotation of Africa, Feet Don’t Fail Me Now, and even When The Saints Go Marching In dedicated to New Orleans’ NFL franchise, which won its division and a playoff game for the first time ever this year.

The whole house was still basking in the after-glow from the pretty, peaceful vibes of the Bell/Kinney acoustic set, so they were more than ready to tie up their dancin’ shoes and boogie down to some funky jazz. Bell would provide vocals for most of the same songs the Dirty Dozen made famous while backing Widespread Panic. All Over Now, Guilded Splinters, and also Superstition were all highlights of the DDBB set. Kinney even worked in a rough and dirty verse for the last of the three songs. Overall the SMA benefit was a rousing success. From the fun in the sun on the golf course, to the fund-raising of the auction, and of course the wonderful musical moments shared between all the musicians at the House of Blues, the John Bell and friends concert is something that should be held more than once a year.