NOLAWEEN III -Taming the Inner Beast

by Chip Schramm

Digging Down To the Roots

It is exactly 100 miles from Magnolia, Mississippi to New Orleans. It is easy to think of the rural parts of Mississippi and Louisiana as different limbs of the same animal given the rather monotonously stark contrast in countryside. At least from the relative comfort of a car traveling down the highway, you can't tell the difference at first. I usually don't even take I-55 all the way down due to the difficult driving conditions that exist south of Jackson. I usually sneak down Highway 49 before catching Interstate 59 in Hattiesburg. After traveling the length of I-55 coming back from Chicago the weekend previous, I figured I would let the road run its course and follow it the whole way. As you get closer to the Louisiana border, the names start to change. Native American tradition begins to mingle with French and Spanish influence to varying degrees. The names of small towns like Indianola and Hazlehurst give way to Beauregard and Bogue Chitto as the path progresses further south. I became fully aware of how far I had traveled when the road itself separated from the solid earth and rose above what had become a vast swamp below. Thinking back to visions of a harvest moon rising along the horizon of Illinois cornfields no more than a week before, I couldn't help but feel like I was crossing a portal into another realm.

Halloween itself is an undeniably pagan holiday. Much like Mardi Gras is to lent, All Hallows Eve is the last chance for all restless spirits to gather and shake their collective bones before All Saints Day recognizes the positive contributions of patrons of the Christian Church. Again, there is no other place where these contrasting themes are so dramatically displayed than New Orleans, Louisiana. NOLAWEEN III became the nickname of this weekend celebration, so chosen by Widespread Panic fans, as it was the third year in a row that the Athens, GA sextet would celebrate their favorite holiday at UNO-Lakefront arena. Each year they have added an extra show, this year playing on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights. As was the case with Jazzfest back in the spring, the Panic shows themselves were supplemented by all kinds of club gigs and festive events throughout the city. Between gigs uptown at Tipitina's, the shows at UNO, and taking the time out to walk the French Quarter in search of some ubiquitous Cajun food and drink, the only thing there was a shortage of was time to sleep.

Funky Treetop Dreams

I arrived in New Orleans around 11p.m. on Friday night. I had to forgo the first Panic show of the three, but would get a fine consolation prize at the Dream Palace on Frenchman Street at the edge of the French Quarter. Longtime Panic fan and New Orleans native John Wilbanks had arranged an all-you-can drink affair complete with a band and T-shirts. It was a great way for people to get together and do some catching up before the weekend shifted into high gear. I had the good fortune of meeting folks from as far away as Boston and California. The atmosphere was electric and it seemed as if the first night of the weekend would be quite a kick off for the festival to come. The party was officially dubbed "Treetops '99" by the host. It was only appropriate on this night that Widespread Panic would play the song "Waker" beforehand, since that's where the idea came from. There was a full bar both downstairs in the band room and upstairs by the porch overlooking Café Brazil across the street. A young funk outfit named Juice provided ample entertainment and almost immediately the floor was packed by grooving bodies in a sea of motion. They played long into the night and were joined by DJ Davis formerly of All That, and Chris Speis, a keyboard player from Mobile, AL who has participated in the Zambiland Orchestra on occasion. Davis provided some of his trademark rapping vocals and Speis added some fine lines from the organ as well. By the end of the night, a few patrons had to be reminded that it wasn't time to take their clothes off just yet. Oh well, only in New Orleans..

A Change in the Weather

Saturday was sultry. Rain dripped from the clouds and trees like a shower nozzle that just refused to cut off. Fog rolled in and out of the delta to create a fine layer of sticky mist for which the gulf coast is famous. In retrospect, the weather served as a bit of foreshadowing for the "Riders on the Storm" cover Panic would play that night. The rain was never bad enough to drive anyone off the streets, though. As I walked through the length of the Quarter in search of a suitable meal and drink, the kids tap-dancing and performing in mime blended into the background like a soundtrack in perpetual motion. Folks down in New Orleans for the weekend were definitely in it for the long haul. Men, women, and children of all ages donned their costumes as early as Friday and didn't take them off until Monday morning.

The parking lot at UNO arena was something to behold in and of itself. The security, or lack thereof, pretty much turned it into a festival campground. Vendors hawking food, drink and treats made it almost unnecessary to leave the lot at all. Despite some reports of conflict at a Phish show several weeks previous, there were no noted problems in the parking lot all weekend. The only real recklessness revolved around the greedy opportunists who sold nitrous to all takers. It's always sad to see young kids learn the hard way that gravity is not always your friend. I was also surprised by the relative lack of garbage left behind on Monday morning. It seems that Panic fans have learned from mistakes of others that a cooperative attitude in the lot will ensure an invitation back and warm treatment from venue staff.

A few folks got together to enjoy the typical Saturday afternoon ritual of watching some football and joking around in mixed company. I found myself in the midst of a gaggle of UGA fans at Cooter Brown's that afternoon. I enjoyed myself thoroughly if for no other reason than I got to meet a few of my fellow contributors to Jambands completely by accident. The weekend was definitely a gathering of tribes and it wouldn't stop there. As we stumbled back out into the street to head to the show, the sun made one more valiant attempt to break through the clouds and succeeded. As I peered over the train tracks where St. Charles intersects Carrollton, I caught one last glimmer of sunshine before my night was to begin. When we arrived back at the lot, the freakshow was in full swing. A large Winnebago with three Jack O'Lanterns carved to spell W-S-P in swirling letters marked the center of activity. There wasn't really any specific "shakedown" as folks roamed here and there in such large numbers that it was easy to get lost in the shuffle, regardless. There is much to be said for reuniting with old friends at shows. Before my first show of the weekend had even started I had bumped into enough old friends to give me a truly positive vibe from head to toe.

Uptown Baby, Uptown! Groovin' with Karl Denson's Tiny Universe

Music fans who have never had the privilege of spending a night (or morning for that matter) at the original Tipitina's are only cheating themselves. Pete Couhig did a fine venue of the month review last month, so I'll defer to him and say simply: somewhere in the nightclub book of commandments is the phrase "thou shalt have a large wrap-around balcony overlooking the stage." Being on the floor is all well and good, but nothing compares to being on TOP of the musicians in my opinion. The atmosphere is just so wonderful at Tips. I myself have never seen anyone having a bad time there. No one really moved around much. The fans upstairs just sat along the wall and enjoyed each other's company. The only event that merits even a slight complaint would be the ATM running out of money on the morning of the 1st. Tips is old school enough to take cash only and still be cool, so that can be forgiven.

Karl Denson is the perfect musician to play a late night gig uptown. His side project turned main project, Tiny Universe, brings a lot to the table. Stylistically Karl doesn't shy away from the deep grooves and funky sax lines that originally gained him notoriety in the early nineties. What makes this lineup a little different from the Greyboy All-Stars is the contributions of his fellow players. Karl has been fortunate to share the stage with so many different musicians in the last year, blending his own unique style of funky jazz with an evolving project like this one seems to be no sweat. Even recently Tiny Universe has toured with funk master Fred Wesley and turntable spinster DJ Logic. Craig Dawson, the drummer for Tiny Universe, has both a mountain of experience in the jazz world and a creative drive to go with it. His contributions go much further than just ripping away at the skins as he provided solid vocals as well throughout the weekend. Given the amount of physical exertion and mental focus a jazz drummer must have, he probably had the hardest role of any of the musicians that weekend. Both Saturday and Sunday shows went well into the morning. I pride myself on my ability to hang with the big dogs, but I left early both occasions. That serves as a testament to the group's dedication to play until they can absolutely play no more.

Brian Jordan is a newer member of the Tiny Universe. His chops on guitar supplement the other musicians very well. He showed a vast array of skills all weekend, both on Tiny Universe originals and the various jazz and funk standards the band covered as well. In some spots he explored free-form jams out into open space, only to clamp back onto the main groove with the rest of the players coming down the back stretch. His association with the group was partially a result of playing with Robert Walter from the original Greyboy lineup as a member of his Twentieth Congress side project. Chris Stillwell supplied his own brand of funky bass as well, bouncing and slapping notes off of the walls of Tips with abandon. The lone holdover from the Greyboy blueprint, Stillwell's tightness with Karl really shines through.

Having a setlist from the show would be convenient, but my main thoughts revolve around the never-ending groove the band laid down both nights. The length of the gigs themselves led to the band working on a lot of material both on and off of their own album. I recognized several songs from Karl's solo work as well as some covers of funky New Orleans style tunes. The album itself is a good representation of what the band is capable of and I would recommend picking it up. The best word to describe a band that nearly defies description is diversity. The players in Tiny Universe all share influences but combine different approaches to create a truly upbeat and unique sound. If their music doesn't make you want to shake your body, nothing will. You can find out more info about Karl Denson's Tiny Universe at his website, http://www.karldenson.com.

Shattered Splinters of a Gilded Rainbow

Halloween day was pretty uneventful other than taking an extra long sleep to prepare for the evening ahead. All the necessary supplies were available at the local Delchamps: candy, ice, bourbon, ice, bourbon, did we forget anything????? BUBBLES!! You just can't have Halloween without bubbles, but we had to settle for lots of glitter and gummy worms instead because Delchamps and Wal-Mart were sold out. Motivating in and out of the stores seemed like it took forever, and by the time we were back outside, the sky was covered by the darkest, most sinister cloud I had ever seen. "Oh well, so much for nice weather tonight," I thought. As we pulled back onto I-10 headed west towards UNO one last time something spectacular happened. Dr. John's greatest hits was in the changer and immediately cut to the original version of "Guilded Splinters," complete with a chorus moaning in the background. As the highway rose above the Vieux Carre the horizon cracked open before us evenly dividing the pouring rain and sunshine right down the middle. A mere instant later, my companions gasped in awe at the full rainbow that stretched behind the car. I could see a glimpse of it in my rear view mirror and almost swerved off the road. Like a moment frozen in time, emotion flooded my body and I was filled with the overwhelming feeling that we would all BE HAPPY FROM THEN ON. And we were.

Round 2
10/30/99 - UNO Lakefront Arena, New Orleans, LA.

By John Lapelle

The first night of power at the comfortable arena at UNO somehow seemed to run right into the next night. This might have been due to the fact that most folks spent their day down some street watching the Ga/Fla game like me. So I made it down to the arena with high spirits for what was going to be an awesome evening with the boys.

The opener of "Surprise Valley" got everyone bouncing on their feet as the second night of the '99 Halloween run got started. After a tight jam with some JB vocals reaching high levels, the jam quickened and dropped into a smoking "Red Hot Mama" which got everyone who seemed unaffected by the opener moving. After scorching the walls with some funky Mikey solos as well as strong super-grooves from Jojo and Dave, that kept it moving along at a brisk pace. I have been fortunate to catch the 3 "Red Hot Mama's" played in this state in the last year and am so glad this song made the cut after last years' Halloween bust-outs. How could it not have? After a quick "Dying Man", JB set a mellow groove with a nice, blue "I'm not Alone" that led into a rather large "Radio Child". From the Radio Child we ventured into the second big jam of the night before winding down into what we came to see, MIKEY sing!

The "Sandbox" delivered was truly excellent with some good, soft, Houser vocals that somehow cure any ailing soul. His lyrics have truly turned into precious gems that he carefully places at the right time, like New Orleans. And speaking of this fine little town, what better way to celebrate it than with a rocking "FishH20". This place was going fucking crazy and JB was just spitting out the lyrics with such pride and confidence as if he was just admiring the fascination he has created with his fans, himself, the band, and this town. I thought they were going to turn down his vocals at one point because they seemed to be the 7th instrument of the band. But we were eating it up. Then Jojo was nicely joined by the keyboardist from NRBQ for a rousing Saturday night rendition of "Flat Foot". IT was indeed a good time.

Intermission seemed like seconds and the boys were back and in rowdy form as they got the crowd involved early with a "Big Wooly" to open the second set. Personally, it was the most lighters I have ever seen thrown at the stage. Even when he wasn't even saying the lighter line, you could almost feel the anticipation of everyone waiting for the lighter line as I kept mine in my pocket for future use. "Big Wooly" led into a nice jam that spelled "Bears" very early in it as we waited for the drumbeat to kick in and watch JB spit out some vocals. And "Bears" it was much to the crowd's pleasure and this also led into a nice jam and featured more Jojo vocals than I am used to. Very good "Bears Gone Fishing" in my opinion, in and out of a jam, where it belongs. "City of Dreams" came out of nowhere in the pre-drumz spot just like 4 years ago to the day at the Classic Center. I sure wish Blackman and Keane had been there this time. The "southern USA" line was very loud and fun before this daydream went into "ALG" before jamming into drummer land.

Schools was the man out of drumz with some super feel good booms that echoed throughout the arena before leading into a spacey intro to "driving". We were all hoping for something big in the sandwich due to the pre-drumz quickness (or what seemed like it:-) and we got it with the first "Riders on the Storm" since 6-10-98 in Ketchum, Idaho. Jojo nailed the intro and we were on our way into 15 minutes of travel before "Driving" again. The "Riders" was and always will be truly epic due to the emotion laid down by the man himself. He was spilling his guts: beautiful vocals with deep meaning.

The encore caught everyone by surprise as a "Rebirtha > Hopeless World" would be probably my last bet for an encore combo, but nonetheless it suited and left us all ready for more.

"maybe it was last night, I really, really don't know"

Widespread Panic: New Orleans, Louisiana
October 31, 1999

by Chip Schramm

I: Invocation, Papa Legba, Space Wrangler > Blue Indian, Impossible > Pigeons, You'll Be Fine, Greta > Dear Mr. Fantasy > Conrad

II: Misty Mountain Hop* > Chilly Water > Pleas > Chilly, Happy Child > Pilgrims > jam > Drumz**> Guilded Splinters, Travelin' Light, Won't Get Fooled Again

E) Wind Cries Mary, Climb to Safety
E2) Dream Song > Porch Song

The months and weeks leading up to Widespread Panic's Halloween show were filled with giddy anticipation. Fans of the band speculated and openly suggested which tunes the boys might break out on the most unpredictable of all nights. Just about every rock and roll song in existence was mentioned at one point or another both online in public forums and in ongoing discussions among friends. For their part, the band managed to surprise the masses by soundchecking and teasing some rare gems weeks in advance only to then pull out three first time covers that virtually no one could have guessed. There is little doubt that the entire run was a well-planned event by everyone who is involved with the band. The songs each night seemed to fit the mood and timing of the moment. "Hope in a Hopeless World" seemed like a dubious choice for a Saturday night encore, however after Sunday night's opener it all made sense. The band consistently picked a mixture of originals and covers to leave everyone satisfied by the end of the run. On a strictly musical level, the band's sound is evolving at an exponential rate. Perhaps it was the carnival atmosphere with several thousand freaks in costume, or the undeniable aura of New Orleans, but the show that resulted was unlike anything I've ever seen.

The band was dressed up in elaborate costumes, of course, and they played their characters to a T. John Bell had a hat with large pointy ears to make him look like a carriage horse from the French Quarter. His powerfully grainy vocals would pull the Panic's wagon as it has for so many thousands of nights previous. The backdrop of the stage itself was reminiscent of the older neighborhoods in New Orleans with large cutouts of elaborate houses. Dave Schools was his usual ominous self, dressed in a dark black bodysuit with a cape. Sunny Ortiz had a neat costume complete with face paint and a mask and looked like a villain from the Batman movies. Jojo Hermann was dressed as a cross between a big game hunter and Elton John playing a lounge act. He had sequins all over his suit and round-rimmed hat. Mike Houser was dress as a chef (so was I) but didn't play either of the songs associated with the kitchen, Jack and Postcard. Todd Nance was dressed exactly as Pops Staples was in the movie "True Stories" with a solid white robe and skullcap.

The connection between the previous night's encore, Nance's costume, and the opening song on Halloween soon became apparent. Nance recited the same incantation that Staples did to invoke the gatekeeper of the spirit world, Papa Legba. Staples wrote "Hope in a Hopeless World," and all of a sudden the "Legba" opener seemed like a deviously crafted plan. The "Space Wrangler" that followed gave a nod to the original works of the band and ended in a furious jam that has become that song's trademark on hot nights. The jam segued nicely into "Blue Indian," the band's flagship song at the present time. Thinking back to how deeply moved I was by the version at Halloween in 1998, it was nice to see it return again. Impossible followed next with a wild if not lengthy jaunt along the psychedelic groove highway that would end up breaking down into "Pigeons." "Impossible" seems like it was written about crazy nights like Halloween. It seemed to be the turning point in the set and dropped down into "Pigeons" as the jam subsided. I always anticipate the funk jam at the end of "Pigeons" as the highlight of the song and on this night the boys didn't disappoint. The jam between Hermann and Schools that followed the lyrics laid down the cornerstone for many of the other jams throughout the rest of the show. The jam was flavored with familiar sounds and textures, but the notes were frantic and the groove was chiseled.

The next treat on this evening would come from behind the drum kit as Todd Nance stepped up to belt out a moving "You'll Be Fine." It was the first one I had heard since the release of the album, and was much better than the few I had heard in the past. The "Greta" that followed was fun and playful, as it should be. A whole swarm of Spreadnecks on the floor of the arena had dressed up as yellow jackets and JB threw a big smile in their directions as Jojo sang the lines that had inspired their costumes. Every time I hear the song, I think the jam at the end just can't get any better. The next time I hear it, I am always proven wrong. The band members shared equal time in the spotlight and gave way to a massive bombing attack from Dave Schools as they segued into a monstrous "Dear Mr. Fantasy." I'm not the biggest fan of "Fantasy," but this version seemed to fit the mood perfectly. Anyone that wasn't in fantasyland at that point was definitely in the wrong building. The set ended with a fiery "Conrad," shaking the building from the hinges. As JB sang "I need a little room to fly" I stood still for a few seconds to feel the rest of the balcony bouncing beneath my feet. It's a good thing I like to dance or else I would have gotten motion sickness just sitting there.

Without any completely new covers in the first set, the second set figured to be a smoker. The overall performance to this point put me in the mood to hear them play just about anything. One of my friends less familiar with the band's repertoire asked what I thought they might play as the lights dimmed and they walked back onto the stage. "Oh, I dunno, maybe a Led Zeppelin cover?" BAM -- Jojo ground out the familiar chord intro to "Misty Mountain Hop," the first Widespread Panic had ever played. The instrumentation was right on, proving how hard each member worked to learn the song. Most amazing to me was how much JB's voice sounded like the one I heard on Led Zeppelin albums of my youth. His timing was perfect on the tricky verses to open the song, and he didn't take even a second to gasp for breath. As the set rocked merrily along, the jam would segue into the familiar paring of "Chilly Water" split in the middle by "Pleas." The "Chilly" was as furious as ever and this version of "Pleas" was definitive.

The boys did take a second to catch their breath and take a gulp of water before continuing from there. Mike Houser played a brief and delicate "Happy Child" instrumental that probably should be expanded into a longer song, not to mention played more often. This segued into another appropriate song, "Pilgrims." With superstition left on the roadside and black cats scampering here and there, the jam that lead up to drums was one of the sickest passages I have ever heard. Not only did it qualify as one of the tightest moments in the band's career, it also served as another road marker in the evolution of their sound. Much has been made of Jojo Hermann's new synthesizer and all the spacey sounds he was adding to sets throughout Fall tour. As luck would have it, the synth broke and he didn't even have it for the Halloween run. Despite this, it was his playing style itself and not his instrument that defined the moment. The wickedly sharp interplay between Hermann and the rest of the band during this jam came closer to electronica and techno music than any other purely live performance I have ever heard. This kind of influence has been creeping into Panic jams as far back as Spring of '97 and given the band's willingness to experiment with Big Ass Truck's Colin Butler and other track looping effects on the album, this seems to be a new direction for the group.

The New Orleans super-tribe Wild Magnolias came out to play drums with Ortiz and Nance, creating a rhythmic rumble throughout the building. This would climax as Schools came back out to lend some bass jamming and eventually pick the pre-drums jam back up where it left off - right into "Guilded Splinters." From there, words can't do the show any justice. Every beat was right on and every verse JB sang sounded as if he were casting some mythic spell. A standard "Travelin' Light" gave way to another stunning cover, "Won't Get Fooled Again," by The Who. Again, Hermann's keyboard work stole the show, and JB's vocals sounded so much like Pete Townshend that I had to check myself a few times to see who was actually singing the song. The band broke quickly after the end of "Won't Get Fooled," so quickly in fact that I wasn't sure if they were coming back out for an encore or to just to play another set. It didn't really matter in the end. The first set of encores would include another classic cover, "The Wind Cries Mary," in what seemed to be a tribute to the band's longtime friend and office manager. This was followed by "Climb to Safety," one of the highlights of last year's Halloween show revisited in a powerful rendition. The band left the stage again and came out for the second encores, "Dream Song" and a fast "Porch Song."

Overall, the show on Halloween was one of the finest musical performances in the history of the band. It was not just the cleverly chosen and well-guarded secret covers, but the way that all the songs were played that made the difference. By the end of the weekend, it seemed clear that everyone involved with the band had put a great deal of time and effort into making everything go off without a hitch. As fans stumbled back out into the parking lot in a daze, there would be one more surprise in store. N.O.P.D. had rolled into the lot and demand that everyone leave. Those who had been camped out in the lot were completely unprepared for this and in some cases in no shape to drive. Considering how much leeway the venue's security had given everyone over the course of the weekend, it was really only fair. Halloween was over. It was now November 1st, All Saints Day. In a city that names it's streets and schools and football team after Saints, there was no doubting that the party was over at UNO. Like all good things, NOLAWEEN III had come to an end. But somewhere deep in my heart I know we'll all be back. Whenever the rowdy crowd descends back upon the crescent city, I know they will be expecting us.

Actually just out of curiousity as to if anyone reads this section, I'll do a blank(s) and postage deal for the first three people that email me with the subject "jamband newbie". My list of stuff is at http://www.geocities.com/lovetoy2_99/bootlist.html