David Nelson Band and Peter Rowan in Houston
Last Concert Cafe Houston, TX - June 7th, 2000

by Chris Gardner

Tapir Productions, the fledgling promotions company highlighted in the May section staged their first happening at the Last Concert Cafe, Houston's kindest restaurant/bar/venue/hippie haven in early June, and a happening it was. Houstoneyans packed and sand-floored downtown venue to catch Peter Rowan and his Texas Trio opening for the David Nelson Band. This being Houston, most folks chatted casually and socially, often missing the finest moments on stage, but the turnout bodes well for future happenings.

Rowan staged another in a string of now seemingly commonplace, brilliant show. Rowan's Texas Trio features Billy Bright and Bryn Davies of the Two High String Band on mandolin and bass respectively and an excellent percussionist. Their shows of late have taken on a reggae feel that started with their cover of No Woman, No Cry and carried over to two new originals, Pullin' the Devil By the Tail and Fetch Wood and Carry Water, that will be with us for years to come. Their set featured all of the above as well as the Old and In the Way favorites like Hobo Song, Land of the Navajo, and Midnight, Moonlight and Rowan standards like Dust Bowl Children.

While there was deafening silence at the ends of solos, where the performers are accustomed to applause, and chitter chatter when they expected silences, there were also the bug-eyed faces of folks who clearly had no idea what they were in for. More than a few Texans were prompted to spout, "Man I'll tell you what that there is the best damn thing going right now." They may be right. Not only does the music have a life and beauty right now that captures the, "I have never heard this but it seems I have heard it forever," feeling, but you get a chance to see the only man in America who can pull off the double Hawaiian shirt ensemble, one tucked in and one open.

The David Nelson Band followed on this sticky night. Nelson, a co-founder of the New Riders of the Purple Sage with Jerry Garcia, maintains an impressive back catalogue which includes appearances on Workingman's Dead and American Beauty. The music is part country, part psychedelia, part Americana, part bluegrass, and all David Nelson. Paradoxically, Barry Sless' lap steel adds both a down home and cosmic feel to the tone. Their year's of experience, and especially the last six road heavy year's as a unit, have honed their listening skills to a point that every jam seems organic.

The first set highlights included a guest appearance by Peter Rowan during Lonesome L.A. Cowboy, Diamond Joe and Panama Red, which Nelson has been known to play and sing backwards. The set closer, Cumberland Blues, got the crowd jumpin' and hollerin'.

It was the second set that really got things cooking though. The opener, All You Need Is Love>Put a Little Love In Your Heart>All You Need Is Love was not what it might seem. It was not one song sandwiched within another. It was two songs smashed into one, and it showcased the band's uncanny ability to play loose. The song intentionally hovered on the edge of falling apart, like a tight rope walker faking a clumsy routine before bounding up and dancing the length of the highwire. It was expert and crafty, and it was a helluva wiggler too.

The other second set highlights included Long Gone Sam>Road to Armageddon off of last year's Visions Under the Moon album. These two songs meld perfectly the disparate influences of the band and present them in their best light. There are times when the music takes on too much of one characteristic, be it country or psychedelia, and comes off flat, as though any number of bands could do the same tune the same way. However, Long Gone Sam represents the convergence of the band's many influences and hence their signature sound, the sound that cannot be mimicked or imitated. When they capture that, which they do often, the band bubbles and bounces with energy.

The Dead Flowers closer, which came at nearly three a.m., capped an excellent concert, an grand opening for Tapir Productions, and (with any luck) a harbinger of shows to come.

To see piles of pictures from the show, visit Larry Fox's Picture Page

David Nelson Band and Peter Rowan in Austin
The Mercury
June 8, 2000
by Larry Fox

We had a great time in Austin. The show there was much smaller, much shorter, but also it was musically much better. The venue was decent, and the crowd (150) fit well in the smaller indoor venue. The crowd was extremely chatty, virtually ignoring Rowan's set, and they didn't stick around that long into Nelson's set. The show was much shorter (by about an hour), but where the Austin show lacked the crowd vibe that Houston had, it more than made up for it musically. While the Houston show was a CULTURAL phenomenon, the Austin show was a true MUSICAL happening. Barry Sless, the pedal steel player for DNB sat in with Rowan's band for most of their set, and Rowan delivered the best set of music I've ever heard him play. His band really benefited by the addition of the pedal steel, and Rowan stretched out some of his songs like Midnight Moonlight & Land of the Navajo into long, jamband-style spacey tunes - something I've never heard him do before. We were in shock at how well Rowan's set came off, blowing the doors off of the night before. Peter even asked Gary Hartman & Alan Friedman of Tapir Productions if they knew where he could find a pedal steel player that lives in Texas to join his band. He was amazed at how much the pedal steel added to his sound as well! Luckily, the soundboard recording completely eliminates the noisy crowd, and it's even easier to enjoy that set on the tape than it was in the venue.

The Nelson set was equally up to the task, and he had Rowan sit in with him as well (also Billy Bright, the mandolin player). Just spectacular. The 3 CDs of the Austin show could easily be released as a live album, that's how great it is.

To see piles of pictures from the show, visit my picture page.

The Motet
The Anodyne - June 19, 2000
Albuquerque, New Mexico

by Don McIver

Dave Watts is a generous guy. Dropping his name from what used to be the Dave Watts' Motet and becoming just the Motet has not altered how incredibly gifted this band is and why it's star is rising in Albuquerque. Consisting of Dave Watts (Tony Furtado band and more), Scott Messersmith, Jans Ingber, Michael Tiernan, Kurt Reiber, and Steve Vidaic, the Motet were, simply put, amazing, grabbing the crowd from the beginning and holding them out on the dance floor for the entire set. The Anodyne is not the El Rey, and the space, having a hard wood floor, wood paneling and glass behind the stage, is not the friendliest venue for the sound guy. Still, the Motet put on an amazing show.

A little less than half of the bar is devoted to the performance space, and, as the sound guy tweaked the sound and the Energy Theory Experience started getting into the spirit with minimal lighting, the crowd, the Albuquerque scene, started flocking to the dance floor. Women were everywhere shaking, and confounded downtowners watched from the sidelines as the guys boogied too. This was not about picking up chicks or talking. This was about dancing. Nothing short of shaking and gyrating to Samba, Curtom, Nervio, Bobo, Negra, Drums>>Do what you want, Postizos, Chicken>>Ginger>>Belly, Zigue, and Lolo was going to be satisfying. And as the band played and the keyboardist and guitarist cleared room for the rest of the band to make its exit, carrying hand drums and drumming out on the Central Avenue (Route 66 for you out-of-towners), the crowd followed. The Motet played out on Central, and the crowd danced in the street as other patrons from lamer downtown bars walked sadly back to their cars. On this Saturday, the Anodyne was the hot spot, and if you missed this show, I'm sorry. I suggest not missing it the next time.

Bob Dylan with Phil Lesh and Friends
Mesa Del Sol Amphitheater, Albuquerque, New Mexico - July 3, 2000

by Don McIver

It's about time. It's about time Albuquerque had a venue that could draw bigger names instead of making us loyal fans drive to Las Cruces, Denver, or Phoenix to catch the bands we want. Starting right on time a Bob Dylan opened with an acoustic Oh Babe, It Ain't No Lie and the crowd knew it was no lie. Albuquerque had a premium outdoor venue in which to see some of the bigger draws that for years have been passing us by. Set up on the mesa southeast of Albuquerque, Mesa Del Sol Amphitheater is a beautiful venue. The seating is comfortable. The lawn offers an unobstructed view of the stage and the beautiful New Mexico sunset and there was plenty of room. After . . . It Ain't No Lie , Bob's set consisted of Stone Walls and Steel Bar, Masters of War, Love Minus Zero/No Limit, Tangled up in Blue, Don't Think Twice, It's All Right, Country Pie, If not for You, Down in the Flood, She Belongs to Me, Drifter's Escape, Leopard Skin-Pill Box Hat, then an encore with: Most Likely you Go your Way (and I'll go Mine), Like a Rolling Stone, Mr. Tambourine Man, Highway 61 Revisited, and Blowin' in the Wind. Bob didn't mess around and played his set, occasionally he waded through the applause with his guitar by his side, then launched into another song.

As the sun set, Phil Lesh & Friends took the stage with a beautiful impromptu jam that transformed into Dark Star, joined Warren Haynes (Government Mule). Phil Lesh, John Molo on drums, Robben Ford on guitar, Paul Barrere (Little Feat) on guitar, and Bill Payne (Little Feat) on keyboards moved effortlessly from one song to the next. After Dark Star, Phil lead the band into the New Speedway Boogie>>Dark Star Jam>>Mountains of the Moon>>Low Spark of High Heeled Boys (Warren Haynes on vocals)>>Dark Star>>Eyes of the World>>In the Midnight Hour (Paul Barrere on vocals)." Then for an encore Phil came out and pitched becoming an organ donor (in case you didn't know it, Phil had a liver transplant 18 months ago) before launching into Bertha (Paul Barrere on vocals)>>Just a Little Light (Warren Haynes on vocals). The joint was jumping and people were happy to see Phil steering a talented group of musicians through some classic dead tunes (Eyes of the World was particularly amazing) and Warren's strong vocal presence made Low Spark of High Heeled Boys touching and soulful. And finally with the christening of Mesa Del Sol Amphitheater, Albuquerque can look forward to seeing more acts of Bob Dylan/Phil Lesh's caliber.

String Cheese Incident at Paolo Soleri
July 4th, 2000 - Paolo Soleri Amphitheater, Santa Fe, New Mexico

by Don McIver

Set in the heart of Santa Fe on the New Mexico Indian School campus, Paolo (pronounced "Paulo") is a wonderful venue. I remember back in '93 (?) reveling as Phish rocked the theater seating. I was no less impressed with the finesse and pizzazz String Cheese Incident continue to demonstrate as they make Albuquerque one of their frequent stops. Simply put, the String Cheese Incident is moving up in the world of jambands and are enticing a larger and larger following. The parking lot coming into the show was reminiscent of a Dead show and a good portion of the crowd had obviously traveled to catch this show. They hawked their burritos, T-shirts, beer, etc. as I made my way into the venue, turning around at one point and getting my hula hoop from the car when I realized the security was going to let me in with it.

Having developed a healthy phobia of crowds, I only ventured into the actual theater for a couple of tunes, opting instead to spend my time dancing and hooping out on the rocks surrounding the theater. The sound was no less impressive and since I am moving to the music, I didn't need to see the band (besides I know what they look like and am not much of a visual person). Michael Kang, Bill Nershi, Keith Moseley, Kyle Hollingsworth, and Michael Travis blasted through a danceable first set of Search, Got What He Wanted>>Nershi jam>>Indian Creek, Cotton Mouth, Water, I've Just Seen a Face, Pirates>>Smile. Before taking a well deserved break as the crowd funneled out for water (no legal alcohol sales on New Mexico Indian School grounds)and people hooped and talked.

As the band begin the second set with the theme from Close Encounters of the Third Kind>>Born on the Wrong Planet, the roadies set up another microphone as Dave Finnell from the All Mighty Senators on trumpet joined them for Impressions. After Impressions, the band jammed then went into Tom Thumb's Blues, Work>>Want, Climb>>Johnny Cash>>Heartbreak Hotel>>Johnny Cash, and finally encored with a blazing rendition of Peter Gabriel's Shaking the Tree.

All in all, String Cheese delivered what I should get used to expecting, a killer show and made me want to pack up my bags and follow them around too.

But if I'd done that, you wouldn't be reading this now.

Spread on the Rocks
June 23-24, 2000 - Red Rocks Amphitheater, Morrison, Colorado

by Chip Schramm Saturday

Set I: Let's Get Down To Business, Holden Oversoul, Weak Brain Narrow Mind, Machine> Barstools and Dreamers, Wonderin', Pickin' up the Pieces, Thought Sausage> Love Tractor> Henry Parsons Died

Set II: Give, Pigeons, Blue Indian, Happy Child> Dyin Man*, Arlene*, Drums, Ain't Life Grand, Pilgrims, Tallboy *w/DJ Colin Butler on turntables E: End Of The Show, Disco> One Arm Steve

On the weekend of June 23rd, Widespread Panic played a three night run at the legendary Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado, nestled in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. The weekend served as the opening slot on the band's Summer tour and also marked the longest run they have ever played at Red Rocks, a venue famous for stellar performances by such bands as the Grateful Dead, Blues Traveler, and Phish. The amphitheater itself is carved into the smooth, crimson stone formations overlooking Denver to the east, and serves as a visual delight for first time visitors and locals alike. Though there had never been any serious problems at previous Panic shows, there was some concern this year that Widespread's following had gotten too big for the venue, as precedents set by the Dead and Phish had indicated in the past. Luckily, things went off without a hitch each night as fans packed the venue to capacity without the plague of ticketless nomads who sometimes follow touring bands across the country.

I arrived late on Friday evening myself, just in time to catch 2 of the 3 shows. By all accounts, the boys played a solid show on Friday, so they were good and warmed up when they took the stage on Saturday night before a screaming throng of eager witnesses. Rumors that they were not fooling around were quickly confirmed by a Let's Get Down to Business opener. Always an indication of a strong set to come, the boys played a strong and accentuated LGDTB, with John Bell singing the soulful ballad (written by Vic Chesnutt) like it was his own. The band moved along quickly into the more instrumentally focused Holden Oversoul. Mike Houser picked up the pace a bit, jamming through the end of that rocker, setting up the next song to come quite nicely.

Weak Brain, Narrow Mind had been out of the band's song rotation for a little while, but it is still a song enjoyed and appreciated by the fans very much. Here again, Bell's surly vocals set the tone while Todd Nance and the rest of the rhythm section carried the beat beneath them. From there the band would drop down a couple of notches and slide into the funky, instrumental Machine jam. David Schools was more than a little energetic and enthusiastic all weekend, and this song was a great example. He laid some powerful bass licks on this tune and set up the introduction to Barstools and Dreamers nicely. Even though these two songs are paired together the vast majority of the time, there's still some sense of anticipation as one leads into the other. The Barstools was slow and deep, inspired no doubt by the endless supply of tasty handcrafted beer in the pubs and breweries of Colorado.

The highlight of the first set was surely the three-song segment that closed it. Thousage or Thought Sausage as it is sometimes called, is one of the newer songs debuted near the end of Spring tour. Though the vocal rap sung by Bell can be found in bits a pieces of shows as far back as 1996, the complete lyrics and arrangement represent the newer sound of Widespread Panic. Bell growls the vocals like a man possessed and the band grinds beneath him with dirty, nasty groove. Fans have compared the song to a Guns N' Roses tune or maybe even ZZ Top, but with other songs Imitation Leather Shoes in the new rotation with a similar feel, there's no doubt that this is a signature Widespread Panic song. The band played the best version to date and then segued it into a rocking rendition of Love Tractor with Dave Schools again inciting the crowd before closing the set with Henry Parsons Died. The jams at the ends of both of these songs showed the band hitting their stride, with the latter containing frequent references to Grateful Dead tunes such as The Other One.

It is more than noteworthy that fans claimed to hear Grateful Dead teases all weekend long at all 3 shows. At one point Schools played the unmistakable bass lines from the Cryptical Envelopment introduction, and the Stop-Go on Sunday had such a heavy reggae groove that it could've almost passed for Fire on the Mountain, save for the lyrics. It seems pretty ironic that a band descended from the Grateful Dead tradition only plays one original Dead cover. The respect that the 6 musicians of Widespread Panic hold for the Dead tradition is the reason they don't cover more of their covers songs, so they say. It seems to me that throwing in so many undeniable Dead references in their own songs is enough to warrant putting a few more back in the rotation as well. I wouldn't expect Panic to break out Blues for Allah anytime soon (though they have teased it as recently as last fall,) but if they are going to tease the fans so much, they might as well break out the genuine articles sometime.

Meanwhile, back at the amphitheater, the boys came out for set 2 like a band on a mission. If encouraging the fans to "party down" was their goal, they accomplished that in short order. The opened second set with smoking >Give, a song that has become a fan favorite in less than one full tour. The song is fast and driven with a dirty backbeat, much like Imitation and Thought Sausage. The vocals are still evolving and each version of the song has developed a little more than the one before. This version was hot and no sooner had the heat subsided than they broke into Pigeons and kept the crowd swaying back and forth up on the huge stone steps overlooking the stage. Pigeons started out in the usual fashion, but the funk jam that accompanied it was a long and complex as any I'd ever heard. Many Panic fans from out west were wondering if maybe they had slipped the new instrumental Action Man in there somewhere simply because the jam went on for so long it sounded like its own song.

The energy level reached its plateau as DJ Colin Butler from Big Ass Truck was escorted onto the stage with his turntable and stack of vinyl for Dyin' Man and Arleen. Both were excellent live translations of the album versions of these songs, especially the latter which had been remixed by John Keene for "Another Joyous Occasion," released back in May. Big Ass Truck played their best opening set of the 4 they have played with Panic on this day and Colin's confidence showed during his moments on stage all night long. Considering how difficult it must be to incorporate a totally new sound into the mix without much opportunity for rehearsal, the band did a great job overall. The crowd was very receptive to it, and when Bell opened Arlene with the verse "Six-pack of FAT TIRE, stick of sensi, the fans went nuts.

Butler left the stage when Bell, Houser, Hermann, and Schools did for drums, to the surprise of a few who remembered the extended scratching he did back at the Memphis show a few tours back. Drums went on as usual with Nance and Sunny Ortiz trading rhythmic jabs for upwards 15 minutes. The second set concluded with three standards, Ain't Life Grand, Pilgrims, and Tallboy, another beer song, sung by Jojo Hermann. End of the Show is one of the most beautiful songs the band sings, so it was a very appropriate encore, despite the fact that Bell botched one of the verses. Hermann must have gotten the call for the second and third (!) songs of the encore as they played spirited versions of Disco and One Arm Steve, two of his favorites.

Sunday

I: Weight of the World> Pleas, Bear's Gone Fishin'> Ride Me High> Hatfield> Who Do You Belong To?, Driving Song> Stop-Go> Drivin', Travelin' Light

II: Waker, C Brown, Impossible> Conrad, Dear Mr. Fantasy*> Drums> Diner, Papa's Home> Cream Puff War> Papa's *w/George McConnell E: Sometimes, Postcard, Going Out West

The last day of Panic's run at Red Rocks started out rainy and humid, with gray clouds hanging low in the air, scattering showers throughout the front range of the Rockies. The weather reports had warned fans in advance, so most people headed back up to the amphitheater with some sort of jacket or umbrella to cover themselves. The Kudzu Kings from Mississippi opened the show and got the crowd in a good mood early. They played mostly songs off of their newest album, "Y2Kow," like Hangover Heart and Bound for Zion, but mixed in a few older classics as well. The bluegrass and folk sounds they created in their short set were enough to impress quite a few in attendance, especially the West Coast fans who had not heard them in person before. Tate Moore sang his heart out, and George McConnell had a grin on his face that would not leave the entire afternoon. They brought a positive energy to the show that could and should be seen opening at a Panic show again soon.

The musicians took a long break between band sets, partially giving the weather time to blow over, but also because they were having such a fun time just enjoying Colorado's scenic beauty themselves. Panic finally came out, despite the fact that the gray clouds refused to lift, and opened their first set with Weight of the World. They linked that by jamming directly into Pleas and used both songs to get warmed up, feeling out their instruments for what was to be the biggest show of Summer tour so far. The jam at the end of Pleas has developed quite nicely in the past few years. It serves to make the song more than just a standard opening number as it has been for many years. When the jam finally subsided, the boys took a second to catch their breath as Jojo tinkered around on his organ for a second, building up the intro and launching into a mammoth version of Bear's Gone Fishin'. Houser's guitar work was fast yet fluid, and even though Bell mistimed his vocals on the second verse (leading to some polite laughter from the crowd,) the song served as a springboard for the rest of the set.

Jojo Hermann would provide his only lead vocals of the day when Bear's segued into a hot, chunky version of Ride Me High. With the exception of the latter part of the Saturday show, Hermann seemed to be in a more reserved role, at least vocally. Maybe his recent transition to the married life has relaxed him a little, but you certainly couldn't tell during Ride Me High. He delivered the verses in a saucy, seductive tone and whipped the crowd into a frenzy as the jam built to a climax. Right when it seemed like the sun would break through the clouds, Sunny Ortiz started the familiar congo rhythm of Hatfield, the legendary California rainmaker, and it started to sprinkle all over again. I ran down to grab a drink so I could reenact the part about Hatfield's mother brewing beer for her son's friends in the hot, hot summertime. JB had begun to rap something along those lines as I returned, and the rain continued to fall while the band picked up the pace a little and went into Who Do You Belong To?.

Without a doubt the visual highlight of the weekend came in the next few songs. The band had saved a few gems for this Sunday afternoon, and one of them was a big, fat Driving sandwich. Always an eagerly awaited number, this version would not disappoint. By the time they reached the middle passage and prepared to unveil the Stop-Go portion of the combination, the rain had stopped and the clouds had lifted just enough to reveal a full rainbow across the back of the stage. The band couldn't see it, but they could see US seeing it and pointing to the sky, so it was no surprise that they fed off of the crowd's energy. Dave Schools in particular stepped out into the first few rays of sunlight that hit the front of the stage and delivered his bass chords on Stop-Go with feeling. He looked like a musician in total bliss throughout the weekend, and this was a great example. He had looked a little burned-out after a long spring tour, so it was good to see him fully recharged at the start of the summer. The jam on Stop-Go took a distinctly reggae turn and some claimed to hear a Fire on the Mountain reference in there somewhere, but I attribute that more to personal interpretation than anything else.

The boys were still determined to fend off the remaining rain clouds in the second set, so they opened up with Waker. This seemed pretty appropriate as Mike Houser tried to bring us the evening sun to warm up our soaked bodies. I always love the Waker and my only regret is that I haven't heard him play it with a banjo yet, as he did on the album. Bryan Ledford of Kudzu Kings plays banjo, so I was hoping he might get the call, but alas it was not to be. The rain did persist, and later in the set, the pairing of Impossible with Conrad again seemed like it was following the script perfectly. The open, improvisational nature of both songs gives the whole band plenty of room to develop a groove, and the lyrics to Conrad, "I spent all of my days just trying to keep dry" were pretty apropos. As most of the fans in attendance hoped, George McConnell came out to play a song with the boys, as he likes to do whenever he gets the chance. Dear Mr. Fantasy was well played with McConnell grabbing the reins for a lengthy guitar solo right in the middle, even if it was a bit predictable since that's the same cover they have played the past 3 times George has been their guest.

Drums and the songs that followed are what defined the day, if not the entire run. Drums on Sunday was long and thematic, with Nance sliding over to the steel drum kit and playing some on that, as well as the marimbas. He and Sunny (did I even see Jojo sneaking around behind the drum kits at one point?) built upon a Caribbean-flavored sound and mixed things up a bit before the rest of the band came back onstage. Usually after drums the band knows how much energy and time they have left to play, so they can gage how many songs they want to end the show. They must have been holding something back up to that point, because getting a Diner out of drums is a treat unto itself, but the Papa's Home sandwiched around Cream Puff War was a classic. All 3 songs are bona-fide rockers, and the one direct Dead reference Panic plays finally surfaced after so many teases all weekend long.

The Sunday encore would have been enough to make any regular show memorable, but on this weekend, it was the proverbial icing on the cake. The fIREHOSE tune Sometimes seems like it will remain in the band's song rotation, much to the delight of their fans and Mike Watt's alike. It is one of those songs that grows on you the more often you hear it, so it's nice to see them playing it at venues all across the country and not just in a few places. The encore continued from there with the band's own biographical tale of the Colorado experience, paraphrased through their friend Bear in Postcard. As if that wasn't enough to satisfy the more die-hard fans in attendance, there was one more ace up Panic's collective sleeve and they weren't going to leave the table until they played it. Since Red Rocks was the departure point for their western summer tour, it was quite a climax to end the weekend with Going Out West.

By the end of Going Out West the band had quit playing their instruments and was just singing together while the crowded clapped their hands, partially in rhythm, partially in thanks. The weekend was a tremendous success overall, from the music to the weather (we wouldn't have gotten the rainbow without the rain) to the genuinely clean state of the parking lots afterward. With so many thousands of people all looking to have a good time, there was plenty of consumption, but almost everyone cleaned up after themselves and the venue had no problems with unruly fans. Three nights at Red Rocks was a great way to fire up the bus for summer tour, and it is no doubt a gathering place where the band and its fans will commune many times again.

Celebrity Panic
June 27, 2000 - Celebrity Theatre, Phoenix, AZ

by Todd Butler

I have been an intense Widespread fan since 1990 and have seen my share of shows. My attraction to the band came through a very unorthodox method. Instead of hearing the consistent groove for the first time, I was introduced to the band through a man named Dick Lurie. This man to most of you will go by as unfamiliar, but to me and to Mr. Bell he is a very familiar legend. This man gave me my first guitar lesson back in 1990 and informed me of one of his previous students who is in a band down in athens named John Bell. I went out to purchase the first Widespread Panic album and was impressed, it was not until 1992 when I first saw Widespread in Columbus, OH at the Newport that I was hooked.

>From that first show to the last show that I have seen there has been a wide gap where this band has done nothing but persevered. My attendance at The Celebrity Theatre proved my previous statement to be true.

The Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix AZ carries a very intimate setting as the seating wraps around the stage in a full circle. I have seen one other show there (String Cheese Incident) where the energy levels reached a basic summit. Not to put that previous show down, but upon comparison Widespread Panic reached a towering pinnacle with a groove that lasted from the beginning of Space Wrangler through the silence of the set break and on until the end of the second enchore.

I have been away from the tour scene for a while and after seeing this show I find myself asking the question why?

Widespread kicked off the groove with Space Wrangler in the first set and continued to escalate immensely through a strong Climb to Safety and a beautiful Rebirtha. There was no signs of plateauing through Little Lilly, Down, and a strong finish with Blackout Blues. As I mentioned before the groove found a way to keep on keeping on through the set break because there were people literally dancing to no music. The second set blew the entire venue up. This small and intimate scene did not escape the massive explosion when Taj Mahal made an appearance to open the second set with Crosscut Say and She Caught The Katy. The energy levels soared like an eagle in the sky with strength, power, and reciprocity. As the set continued with Action Man, Widespread took us on a journey with Surprise Valley and Contentment Blues only to leave us breath-taken with a stellar display of drums. I would have been happy with what I saw up to that point but they came out even stronger with an excellent Low Rider and a beautiful closer with Walkin'.

This venue could not take any more with its fragile foundation, but Widespread had other plans in mind. They came out for a surprising enchore with a Walkin reprise into a legendary "Widespreadish" version of Curtis Mayfield's Pusherman.

This show was an incredible experience for the avid fan as well as the first timer. It was good to see that a well deserving band like Widespread has such an allegiance from their dedicated fan base. For those of you who were like me in the past and haven't been to a show for a while, What are you waiting for. GET THERE ASAP!!!

Although Dick Lurie is no longer with us, he left his mark on this world through teaching some of the greats. May he rest in peace knowing what he helped to create.

Panic in Texas
July 7, 2000 - Starplex Amphitheater, Dallas, TX

by Chris Gardner

I: Disco, Heroes, Greta, Aunt Avis, Bear's Gone Fishin', C. Brown, Give, Holden Oversoul, All Time Low II: Impossible, Pigeons, Jack, Imitation Leather Shoes, Henry Parsons Died, Drums, Porch Song, E on a G, Fishwater

E: Nobody's Loss, Climb To Safety

The Starplex is like any other shed. A large covered seating area patrolled by yellow shirted toughs precedes the obligatory lawn. The venue refused to sell lawn seats until all of the higher priced reserved seats were filled, which made for a hefty $32.50 tag. As though we had not been raked enough, they then elected to cut a few corners and leave the lawn speakers off, which meant poor to middling sound in all but a few patches of the grassy expanse. We found one of those and settled in.

Friday's show was predictably solid. The rhythm section rumbles to explosive crests when the lights flash bright on the crowd and a sea of Spreadnecks throw their fists in the air on cue. It is quite a sight really, a few thousand hands slapping the air on cue with the crashing cymbals and the blinding flash of crowd light.

The first set really started to cook with Bear's. The segue into C.Brown showcased Panic's uncanny ability to slip into the blob and emerge anew. The Holden was tight as always, and the All Time Low closer set the fists a flyin' in anthemic ecstacy. The Henry Parsons in the second set rumbled authoritatively, but the slow Porch out of drums was the catch. I am still just a sucker for Porch Song. The Fishwater left everyone wanting moremoremoremoremore, and Climb to Safety gave it to them.

Todd Nance is the glue. He is the straightest straight man in Straight Town. He scowls at flashy fills with disdain and bangs away mechanically on the trap set. It is his steady and workman-like beat that frees Mingo to add the color and texture with all of his toys. (Where does his get all those fantastic toys?) It is Nance that allows Schools to slap away with the assurance that the beat will be there when he gets back. A flashier drummer could turn the six man melting pot into a sticky morass of jumbled nonsense, but the straight man holds down the fort.

07/08/00 Cynthia Woods Pavilion, The Woodlands, TX 1: The Take Out > Tall Boy > Little Lilly > Hope In A Hopeless World > Airplane > Rock, Walkin' (For Your Love), Sometimes, One Arm Steve

2: Action Man > Thought Sausage > Pusherman > Stop-Go, Drums > Mercy > Surprise Valley > Love Tractor

E: Heaven, Flat Foot Flewzy

Saturday's show was unpredictably fantastic. Airplane and Walkin' had folks jumpin' in the first set, but it was the fIREHOSE relic, Sometimes, that shook me into motion. One Arm Steve was explosive and closed a first set that topped either from the previous night, but it was only the prelude.

Curtis Mayfield's Pusherman put the crowd on full nod, and the segue into Stop-Go pulsed and undulated cryptically before Schools' trademark lick emerged. The jam took took a rhythmic hard left and adopted an island complexity before returning to a nearly unrecognizable closing verse of Stop-Go. The drums was staggeringly impressive and just a little long. Nance's steel drum and marimba work adds an interesting new depth and texture here as Mingo complements with the talking box. Mercy was a perfect and vital bathroom break for the thunderous Surprise Valley>Tractor closer. The "Spirit moves in all things", break in Surprise Valley never fails to grab me, and there is nothing like a series of "Woo-hoo!"s to close out a summer concert. The Heaven encore sapped the energy from the crowd, but Flat Foot Flewzy brought it back combustively.

Despite its flaws, Saturday's Houston second set was the kind of set you cannot escape. You can run to the restroom, hide out at the top of the hill, curl around the stage and look at merchandise, turn your back to the stage and chatter incessantly, but you cannot get away. It was (pardon me while I create words) unignorable. It swallowed you whole. It is the kind of engulfing experience that you hope for.

The most impressive part of the weekend was not the "wicked drum solos" or the "sick segues" we have come to expect from Panic. It was the straight rock and roll. The virtually jam free versions of All Time Low and Climb to Safety bristled with propulsive energy. There are bands in any state now that can floor you with a "super sick fatty jam", and there are bands that can give you goose bumps when they play the right song straight. How many can do both? Now, how many can do both for thousands and thousands of people?