Coming off multiple sold-out shows across Europe, Northeast power trio Super 400 will head west for a
string of dates with Stockholm
Syndrome, featuring Jerry
Joseph and Widespread Panic‘s Dave Schools. Kicking off February 18 &
19 at The Independent in San Francisco and concluding on February 26 at Boulder’s Fox Theatre, the two bands will
play eight shows in nine days. Super 400 is currently at work on its fifth studio album.
Click here to read Dennis Cook’s review of 2009′s critically acclaimed Sweet
Fist.
Super 400 Tour Dates with Stockholm Syndrome
02/18/11 San Francisco, CA The Independent
02/19/11 San Francisco, CA The Independent
02/20/11 Reno, NV Knitting Factory
02/21/11 Park City, UT Harry O’s
02/22/11 Telluride, CO Sheridan Opera House
02/23/11 Aspen, CO Belly Up Aspen
02/25/11 Denver, CO Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom
Stockholm Syndrome will release their sophomore album, Apollo, on February 15, followed by a series of shows in the West. The band – comprised of Widespread Panic bassist Dave Schools (who also produced the record), Jerry Joseph (vocals, guitar), Eric McFadden (guitar), Gov’t Mule keyboardist Danny Louis and drummer Wally Ingram – produce a sound unlike any of their other projects, a thick, intoxicating rock spell that’s definitely more than the sum of its parts, especially live.
Stockholm Syndrome Tour Dates
2.18-19 San Francisco, CA – The Independent
2.20 Reno, NV – Knitting Factory
2.21 Park City, UT – Harry O’s
2.22 Telluride, CO – Sheridan Opera House
2.23 Aspen, CO – Belly Up
2.25 Denver, CO – Cervante’s Masterpiece Ballroom
2.26 Boulder, CO – Fox Theatre
FIRST NEW STUDIO ALBUM SINCE 2004; BAND TO TOUR IN 2011
Stockholm Syndrome
Response Records has announced the upcoming release of Apollo, the hugely anticipated new
album from Stockholm
Syndrome. The album – which follows the band’s 2004 debut, Holy Happy Hour – arrives
everywhere on February 15, 2011.
Stockholm Syndrome is the collaborative brainchild of two gifted musicians, Widespread Panic bassist Dave
Schools and singer/songwriter Jerry Joseph. Initially conceived as a side project, the alliance soon
became a full-fledged band, with the able accompaniment of guitarist Eric McFadden, keyboardist Danny Louis, and drummer Wally Ingram.
Apollo sees Stockholm Syndrome building upon its initial outing by distilling a distinctive sound fueled by
freewheeling creativity and incendiary rock power. Songs like “Finding” and the epic title track showcase the band’s
virtuosic interplay and genre-blurring ingenuity, all centered by Jerry Joseph’s creative, cathartic lyricism.
Produced
by Dave Schools in a converted chicken coop at Cotatai, California’s Prairie Sun Recording, with additional recording
at the famed Compass Point Studios in Nassau, Bahamas – Apollo places Joseph’s soulful vocals and
songwriting gifts at the forefront, all the while confirming Stockholm Syndrome’s remarkable ability to bridge sonic
styles spanning pop, psychedelia, and full-on rock ‘n roll.
In January, Stockholm Syndrome will herald the release of Apollo by taking to the open sea on Jam
Cruise
9, the 2011 installment of the annual ocean-faring music festival – for full details, please click here. The band will will also tour in 2011 in support of Apollo.
Widespread Panic :: 10.31.10 :: UNO Lakefront Arena :: New Orleans, LA
WSP Fan Love by Ian Rawn
In a town where truth often out-freaks fiction, the serendipitous convergence of football, festivals and fun the last weekend of October in New Orleans – coupled with warm, gorgeous weather and clear skies – proved why this is the best American city to celebrate Halloween. Elegant yet decadent, gothic yet Catholic, the City of New Orleans thrives within its paradoxes, particularly during All Hallows’ Eve. Bustling with traffic and ringing with cash-register sales, NOLA on October 31st could not have provided a better backdrop for NBC’s primetime coverage of a game between the last two Super Bowl champs, the Saints and Steelers, with a circuses-not-bread feast that also featured countless celebrations, live music 24/7, the Voodoo Experience, and a Mardi Gras-scale parade.
Commenting on his city’s capacity – on merits of its haunted vibe, love of costumes and penchant for excess – to corner the Halloween market, parade organizer and float creator extraordinaire Blaine Kern told the Times-Picayune: “Everybody should want to come here for HalloweenÂ…Right now, Halloween is a $6 billion industry. In five to six years, I see it being $100 billion.”
Such unchecked optimism is only buoyed by Voodoo inking a deal to remain in a resurgent City Park through 2019, meaning dependable, significant revenue for a public green space doggedly recovering from Katrina (i.e. having planted 4,000 trees to replace the 2,000 lost in the storm). Peering back toward the genesis of all this spooky synergy, Voodoo founder Steve Rehage has acknowledged in interviews that Widespread Panic‘s annual NOLAweek run, and the profitable need to create 72 hours of entertainment to nourish the carnival surrounding its concerts, really started it all.
The Georgia-based band returned for a tradition that began 13 years ago, brewing its own perfect storm along the southern shores of Lake Pontchartrain with this trifecta of goodies in its gumbo: A tour-closer. In New Orleans. On Halloween.
Entering a stage of sublime, subdued decor evoking bayou hoodoo with graves, Spanish moss and palmetto shrubs, WSP bassist Dave Schools was greeted with a roaring response to his big pimpin’ white suit. “You know when you say, ‘Trick or treat,’ you know the answer is going to be trick,” Schools said.
Tricking, treating and tripping the light fantastic, Widespread Panic then commenced four face-melting hours of music and delivered an A+ performance worthy of placement on the pedestal with such NOLAween gems as 1998 and 2000.
Jimmy Herring by Ian Rawn
While a sinister, yet sensuous, reverb hung in the UNO Lakefront Arena rafters all night, the first set kicked off with a nod to Ozzy Osbourne, who was performing just a few miles south down Bayou St. John at Voodoo, with a cover of Black Sabbath’s “Fairies Wear Boots.” A rollicking “Big Wooly Mammoth” followed, this now-rare number showing John “JoJo” Hermann (dressed as Jason from the Friday the 13th movies) in fine form and the audience mercifully restrained in tossing just a few benign lighters as JoJo sang, “Somebody throw me a fire / So we can burn New Orleans down.” “BWM” segued into a musical space of spun cohesion, an abstract weirdness giving way to definite riff on Iron Butterfly’s “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida.” Jamming this into “Worry” and through “Machine >Barstools,” Panic kept the mood dark and intense, but then switched gears with “Visiting Day,” a long-standing staple that’s been reworked into a upbeat, catchy tune on the latest album, Dirty Side Down.
A scarecrow for the evening, guitarist Jimmy Herring tuned up to playfully strum the bluesy twang that opens Muddy Waters’ “You’re Gonna Miss Me.” Herring’s interplay with JoJo, combined with Bell’s enjoyment in singing the blues, made this cover shine. Many WSP fans perhaps overextend logic when trying to decipher hidden themes in the Halloween cover selections, but it’s impossible not to tie this to recent rumor and innuendo that the band, marking its 25th anniversary in 2011, will possibly be on hiatus after next year.
Oozing into a melt preceding JB’s rap in “Diner,” the light show, superb all weekend, transformed UNO into a Dali-esque landscape – waves of purple and red cresting above the crowd; kaleidoscopic rainbows covering the floor audience; green floral arrangements twirling behind the band. Evoking departed friend Vic Chestnutt, JB whispered lyrics from his “Sewing Machine”: “I wanna be a vampire on HalloweenÂ…Mama makes the cape on the sewing machineÂ…sewing machineÂ…sewing machineÂ…SEWIN’ MACHINE!”
John Bell by Ian Rawn
Split down the middle between his typical rock-star garb and flowing women’s clothing and a wig, Bell jumpstarted the second set by belting out the best sing-along about sexual ambiguity: The Kinks’ “Lola.” Another highlight came with the thick, percussive madness led by Schools and percussionist Domingo “Sunny” Ortiz that moved into “Rock.”
“Now it’s on,” Schools prophesized as longtime Panic friends and collaborators the Dirty Dozen Brass Band took the stage for covers of the Talking Heads’ “Swamp” (debuted on this stage by WSP and DDBB on 10.31.98) and Bill Withers’ sexy romp “Use Me.” Trumpeter Efrem “E.T.” Towns masterfully blew his horn to psychedelic heights, a cherry on top of seeing these two legendary bands share the same stage in New Orleans once again, reveling in their pure bond and joyous musical compatibility.
Opting not for the usual classic rock anthem and paying homage to a contemporary band younger in age, Panic’s next cover was The Black Keys’ “Strange Times,” a rocker perfect for WSP in tone and muscle, though dragged out too long here. The wistful, blissful “Jack” reeled the madness back in before the band pummeled the hard-rocking “All Time Low” to the point that Schools’ pants fell down around his ankles. Not missing a beat, the Notorious DAS kept rocking in his drawers, bounding about the amps behind his rig. To close the set, JB caressed the mic, nailing the harmonica intro to Led Zeppelin’s “Bring It On Home” before Herring teed off on its hallmark Jimmy Page riff, knocking that sum-a- bitch out of the park.
With an encore 32 minutes long, Panic pushed 1 a.m. with the DDBB joining them for “Christmas Katie” (which they performed on for the Til the Medicine Takes studio version), followed by a monster “Superstition,” which the two bands also first debuted on this stage together in 1998. A funktastic, though a bit meandering, as it clocked in over 11-minutes, take on Stevie could only by topped by Panic’s paean to all things New Orleans, “Fishwater.” Halfway during this closer, someone must have flipped Schools’ insanity switch, as a thump of the thumb turned this version into a jaw-dropping monster, while JB’s free-verse “God bless, New Orleans” wail dotted the show’s exclamation point.
While Widespread Panic’s annual NOLAween run is undoubtedly an engine of economic development in New Orleans’ drive to carve its slice of the pumpkin pie, who knows if this lucrative tradition will be counted in Caesar’s kingdom. Or is the truth found in the lyrics to “Jack”: “Where the fools go, the rich don’t mind.” Perhaps NOLAween is best destined to continue its drift outside of the quantified, existing in a realm of freaks, geeks, light shows and adults as Sesame Street characters that digs deeper than the wallet as it walks, erect and proud, on the march through consciousness evolution.
Setlist Set I: Fairies Wear Boots > Big Wooly Mammoth > Inagoddadavida Jam > Worry, Machine > Barstools And Dreamers, Visiting Day, You’re Gonna Miss Me, Disco > Diner > Porch Song Set II: Lola, Pilgrims > Tall Boy > Rock, *Swamp > *Use Me, Strange Times > Drums > **The Other One Jam > Jack, All Time Low, ***Bring It On Home E: *Christmas Katie, *Superstition > *Fishwater
Notes
* with Members Of The Dirty Dozen Brass Band
** with Terrence Higgins From The Dirty Dozen Brass Band On Percussion
*** with John Bell on harmonica
Continue reading for the full gallery of photos from Widespread NOLAween 2010…
Welcome back to JamBase’s baker’s dozen to the bright lights of the music world. Last time we heard from Steve Gorman of The Black Crowes.
After unleashing a debut crammed with dark-edged, psychedelia-licked hard rock, it comes as a happy surprise to find Dead Confederate exploring spare folk textures, soaring pop, and other experimental fluctuations on their fantabulous sophomore platter, Sugar (arriving August 24 on TAO/Old Flame). Signs of obvious growth are everywhere, from the finely wrought lyrics to singer-guitarist Hardy Morris‘ more forthright vocals to a dense, compelling sonic curiosity that keeps one’s ear glued to the speakers. Sugar is the affirmation of the faith artist like Widespread Panic’s Dave Schools and Dinosaur Jr. – whose J. Mascis guests on the new album- have shown this Athens, GA band. This is a bold, inquisitive rock band on the rise, building their own sound but clearly not ready to lay down any borders just yet. (Dennis Cook)
Here’s what Hardy had to say to our inquiries.
Hardy Morris by Daniel Peiken
Nickname: Hardello
Instrument of choice: guitar
1. Great music rarely happens withoutÂ…
Some form of inspiration. It doesn’t matter if you’re talking about kids in a basement or Paul McCartney onstage, they’ve got to be inspired and really into whatever they’re doing. People say that they are ‘inspired’ by other musicians, but I think real inspiration comes from the inside. You can be ‘influenced’ by other artists, but it takes your own inspiration and initiative to sit down and create.
2. The first album I bought wasÂ…
Neil Young’s Harvest. My mother had always played her vinyl version for me growing up, so I got my own copy when I got a stereo with a tape deckÂ…yep.
3. The last song or album to really flip my wig wasÂ…
I really, really liked Embryonic by The Flaming Lips, but that was a while ago. Um…I really like this song called “Hey, Cool Kid” by Cloud Nothings. Their album Turning On is really good. And the new Deer Tick album [The Black Dirt Sessions] is also awesome.
4. When I was a kid I wanted to grow up to beÂ…
I always wanted to play in a band, I think. I remember my cousin and I playing tennis rackets to G n’ R in my room LONG before I ever attempted to actually play the guitar. I also wanted to be President when I was really little. I remember I wrote a letter to Ronald Reagan and they sent me a picture of Reagan on a white horse. I’m not kidding.
5. My favorite sort of gig isÂ…
Small place, dark, loud, late night.
6. One thing I wish people knew about me isÂ…
I make killer chili.
7. I love the sound ofÂ…
A slow ride cymbalÂ…and rreevveerrbb.
8. One day I hope to make an album as fantastic asÂ…
I can’t compare. Just want to make each record better than the lastÂ…or at least different than the last.
9. The best meal I ever had on tour was atÂ…
Duffy’s in Anna Marie Island, Florida!!!
10. I always find the coolest audiences inÂ…
40 Watt Club in Athens, GA
11. The worst habit I’ve picked up being on the road all the time isÂ…
We draw and write short stories in our van incessantly. We have stacks of filled notebooks in our house. It looks like we travel with mental patients. Maybe we do.
12. The Beatles or the Stones? Por que?
The Beatles for me; I just like everything about them better.
13. The craziest thing I ever saw wasÂ…
Seeing my best friend’s older brother shoot the front windshield of a cop car with a potato gun AND THEN seeing my best friend accidentally shoot himself in the face with said potato gun. It was unbelievable. There are many other things, but you don’t want to know.
In anticipation of their upcoming studio album, tentatively titled Apollo, Stockholm Syndrome have
announced ten dates beginning in Athens, GA at the 40 Watt Club. Fan club tickets go on sale soon, including an
option to purchase a 10″ including 2 tracks from the forthcoming new studio album.
Stockholm Syndrome Tour Blog Part 10: SoCal, Arizona & Colorado
Another report from tour manager Danny Owen:
Stockholm Syndrome
After a short trip down from L.A. the band found themselves near San Diego and ready to
go for the last show in the state of California. SS had decided to change up their stage plot to feature Danny, Dave, Jerry and Eric going from stage right to stage left. I reckon the reason being is so they can hear each other a little bit better and give
each other the room they need.
At the Belly Up, the band got things started with a great version of “Easter” and continued a strong set that included an “Emma’s Pissed” > “That Which Is Coming” before ending the set with a rockin’ “American Fork.”
Set 2 started with a mean “Lick The Tears.” This reggae-rocker is proving to be a true crowd pleaser. “LTT” was followed by a great “Empire One,” “Apollo” and “Milk.” All upbeat tunes that had the entire audience dancing as hard as they could. A rockin’ “Jacobs Ladder” came later in the set and the band encored with “Wisconsin Death Trip.” The run through Cali was delightful and the band thanks everyone who made it out!
03.09.10 | Belly Up | Solana Beach, CA
Set I: Easter, Couldn’t Get It Right, Emma’s Pissed > That Which Is Coming,
Miranda, White Dirt, American Fork
Set II: Lick The Tears, Empire One, Apollo, Milk, Spy, Jacob’s Ladder, Tight
E: Wisconsin Death Trip
Stockholm Syndrome
The band began their journey back eastward stopping in Flagstaff, Arizona for
a Wednesday night romp. The night kicked-off with a tune not yet played called “Pumpkin Time.” The well received song was followed by “Counter Clock World” and a very inspired
version of “Tarantula Hawk.” Next up was a song that also hadn’t seen the dark
of night yet called “Muscle.” The band executed a perfect “Purple Hearts” >
“Shining Path” with Danny Louis leading the charge through the segue. Danny has proven to be the X Factor on all of the shows. Never quite certain how he will mix into the songs beyond the written out parts, he always seems to bring new life and sounds to every piece. Nothing is played the same way twice and as touring artists playing night after night, it truly does help to keep things interesting and fresh.
Set 2 started with a great version of “Flirted With You All My Life” and
continued to bowl the crowd over with “Conscious Contact,” “Friendly Fire” and
“Red Lightning.” The encore escapes me at this moment so we’ll have to rely on
the tapes… So far every show but L.A. has been captured by the tapers so be
on the look out on archive.net and LMA for these shows as you’ll definitely
want to hear this band live. Thanks to Chris and Matty Z for taking care of
the band and crew.
03.10.10 | Orpheum Theater | Flagstaff, AZ
Set I: Pumpkin Time, Counter Clock World, Tarantula Hawk, Muscle, Sing Bird
Sing, Purple Hearts > Shining Path
Set II: Flirted With You All My Life, Emma’s Pissed, Conscious Contact,
Wisconsin Death Trip, Friendly Fire, Red Lightning, Light is Like Water
E: ?
Stockholm Syndrome
SS took a nice day off in the mountain town of Mountain Village, CO. Band needed some rest, albeit at 9,000 feet, but it was still well deserved rest. Getting ready for their KOTO sponsored show at the Convention Center in Mountain Village, the band took in the town of Telluride and all it had to offer.
They had a great turnout for this one as the town and slopes were abuzz. Jerry penned a rockin’ first set that included a great “These Grey Days,” “Crime & Punishment” and “Milk.” They ended the set with a rousing version of “Empire One.”
Back to the dressing room to suck on the oxygen tank and catch their
collective breath, the band was feeling really good about what they just
threw down even if they were all breathing a little slower.
Set 2 was even more rocking as they introduced a Jerry Joseph classic known
as “Drive.” Probably one of my favorite tunes penned by Jerry, he let it all
hang out on this one. Taking off his guitar at one point and just preaching
to the audience about the good ol’ days of getting crunk and doing things maybe one
shouldn’t, it was a very deep cut. Following this awe inspiring tune was a great “Bouncing Very Well” which saw Danny Louis and Dave Schools lock up into some soloing that teased some Gov’t Mule and saw Dave drop a nice “Chilly Water” tease that of course pleased the crowd. “Emma’s Pissed” was next, still holding her spot as one of the best tunes these guys have crafted which then melted into a very well
played version of “White Dirt.” A rockin’ “Lick The Tears” had the crowd going
batty and then the guys came back with a “Wisconsin Death Trip” for an encore.
Thanks to KOTO, Janice and Norman and the folks at the Convention Center for taking good
care of everyone. On to Aspen, sure to be another barn burner… Just two more shows!
03.12.10 | Telluride Convention Center | Mountain Village, CO
Set I: Couldn’t Get It Right, These Grey Days, Crime & Punishment, Miranda, In
Your Cups, Milk, Apollo, Empire One
Set II: Flirted With You All My Life, Drive, Bouncing Very Well, Emma’s Pissed >
White Dirt, Lick The Tears
E: Wisconsin Death Trip
Check back soon for the final installment of the Stockholm Syndrome Tour Blog…
In 2004 JamBase’s Editor-in-Chief Aaron Kayce was invited to document the birth of Stockholm Syndrome as they performed their first shows across Europe. You can read about it here.
Continue reading for Part 9 of the Stockholm Syndrome Tour Blog from Los Angeles…
Stockholm Syndrome Tour Blog Part 9: Los Angeles with Woody & These United States Video
A full review of SS’s two-night stand in San Francisco is available here.
Stockholm Syndrome :: 03.08 :: The Roxy Theatre :: West Hollywood, CA
Tour Manager Danny Owen checks in:
After releasing their hold on the Bay Area, the Syndrome traveled by day down the coast of California, through the Grape Vine and into the City of Angels. Even though it was a Monday, the hard-cores were out and the band did not disappoint.
SS pulled off a solid set that included “Oil,” “In Your Cups,” “Emma’s Pissed”
and a set closing “Flirted With You All My Life.” At set break, Jerry’s good buddy Woody Harrelson came back stage to say hello and really gave the band kudos. Second set was off and running with “Apollo” and a great “Leaving Lopez” wit Mr.
Steve Lopez in the audience to hear it this time. We saw the second “Purple
Hearts” of the tour and a great “Bouncing Very Well” which saw very nice soloing from Dave
and Wally. Jerry called the last tune perfectly with “These Grey Days” and a “Wisconsin Death Trip” to say goodnight.
We hit the ground running and ran out of town to Solana Beach to soak in the
southern most point of our run down the West Coast.
On The Road Again with These United States Part II:
Stockholm Syndrome is on tour now. Check back soon for the next installment of the Stockholm Syndrome Tour Blog…
In 2004 JamBase’s Editor-in-Chief Aaron Kayce was invited to document the birth of Stockholm Syndrome as they performed their first shows across Europe. You can read about it here.
Continue reading for Part 8 of the Stockholm Syndrome Tour Blog from Eugene, OR…
Stockholm Syndrome Tour Blog Part 8: Eugene, OR
Stockholm Syndrome :: 03.04 :: Eugene by Brian Lupton
For the next installment we check back in with Tour Manager Danny Owen:
Stockholm Syndrome has begun their journey southward and landed in Eugene for a night. The Eugene show found the band loose and excited to play. The first set featured a great “Counter Clock World” which seems to be a go to song for the guys in the early part of the show. Fans were also treated to a first set “American Fork” which is proving to be a true all star song for this lineup.
Second set saw the first “Leaving Lopez.” A great song written for good friend
and longtime Widespread Panic/Stockholm Syndrome Tour Manager, Steve Lopez. And for an encore it was a Jerry gospel tune called “Supper’s Ready.”
All in all another great show.
Stockholm Syndrome is on tour now. Check back soon for the next installment of the Stockholm Syndrome Tour Blog…
In 2004 JamBase’s Editor-in-Chief Aaron Kayce was invited to document the birth of Stockholm Syndrome as they performed their first shows across Europe. You can read about it here.
Continue reading for Part 7 of the Stockholm Syndrome Tour Blog from Seattle…
Stockholm Syndrome Tour Blog Part 7: Seattle, WA
Stockholm Syndrome :: 03.03 :: Seattle by Owen
Back with more from Danny Owen:
The band rolled into a surprisingly sunny Seattle ready to capture another good one. Spirits are still high even as some band members battle colds and the rigors of the road. It’s not all fun and sunshine.
They decided to start the night with a Jerry tune he plays often called
“Easter,” getting their collective legs underneath them and doing it true justice
in a five-piece configuration. We saw another “Emma’s Pissed” > “That Which Is
Coming” which was perfect and another song that hadn’t been played yet called
“Purple Hearts.” The reggae-tinged “Purple Hearts” morphed into a great “Shining Path” to end the set.
Set break came and went. Some old familiar faces were in the crowd screaming all sorts of requests. The band stuck with what it had been crafting to near perfection with an “Apollo” opener and a very inspired version of “Tarantula Hawk.” A near silent crowd took in a great “Flirted With You All My Life” then exhaled as the band crushed with a set ending “Jacob’s Ladder.”
The encore saw the second rendition of Dylan’s “Where Are You Tonight” and it was flawless. Jerry nailed the four pages of lyrics and had some tambourine help from drummer Robby Cosenza of touring partners These United States.
Set I: Easter, Emma’s Pissed > That Which Is Coming, Red Lightning, Sing Bird
Sing, Purple Hearts > Shining Path
Set II: Apollo, Empire One, Tarantula Hawk, Flirted With You All My Life,
Wisconsin Death Trip, Jacob’s Ladder
E: Where Are You Tonight
Stockholm Syndrome is on tour now. Check back soon for the next installment of the Stockholm Syndrome Tour Blog…
In 2004 JamBase’s Editor-in-Chief Aaron Kayce was invited to document the birth of Stockholm Syndrome as they performed their first shows across Europe. You can read about it here.
Continue reading for Part 6 of the Stockholm Syndrome Tour Blog from Portland…
Stockholm Syndrome Tour Blog Part 6: Portland, OR
More thoughts from Tour Manager Danny Owen:
After catching some much needed rest in Boise, the band and crew set forth to the great Northwest. Rolling into Jerry’s old stomping grounds of Portland, OR and the sweet Crystal Ballroom felt good as friendly faces abound.
Before the show the band rehearsed some other tunes that we should see soon and I unearthed a great Jerry and Dave track from the duo romp through Europe. The song is called “Green Ice” and I had two copies form the shows there. Great tune that JJ and DAS penned together. Dave was excited I had it so hopefully this will translate into relearning and the rebirthing of the song with the five-piece configuration.
Jerry dialed in another winner for set one. A great “Couldn’t Get it Right” and very good “These Grey Days” kicked things off. The first set saw the first of what some Panic and jam fans like to call a segue or “>”. It was talked about and then executed almost to perfection as “Emma’s Pissed” slowed down and went into “That Which is Coming.” An enthusiastic “American Fork” ended a great set.
Set two was even better as the hard-cores were definitely in the building. Dancing hard to an upbeat “Apollo” opener and “Ray of Heaven,” the band soon brought it back down for Chesnutt’s “Flirted With You All My Life” before “Conscious Contact” ended the set. This song is simply magic in this configuration and really should be played on radio stations everywhere. If Nickelback was singing it, the Pope would probably be rocking out to it. Alas, we’re the lucky ones…
Stockholm Syndrome is on tour now. Check back soon for the next installment of the Stockholm Syndrome Tour Blog…
In 2004 JamBase’s Editor-in-Chief Aaron Kayce was invited to document the birth of Stockholm Syndrome as they performed their first shows across Europe. You can read about it here.
Continue reading for Part 5 of the Stockholm Syndrome Tour Blog from Utah…
Stockholm Syndrome Tour Blog Part 5: Utah & These United States Video
Fixing the flat :: Photo by Dave Schools
The fifth installment of our Stockholm Syndrome Tour Blog finds tour manager Danny Owen checking in from Utah as well as a special video from touring partners These United States.
Stockholm Syndrome had a real adventurous morning as Dave Schools and the band’s bus
driver had to change a blown trailer tire at a rest area in Wyoming. Most of
the band was asleep as the two fought with the tire to get it off; Dave Schools
using a crow bar to help John out. Finally they got it off and changed.
Playing Park City is always an interesting situation but the band had a great time and did their best to capture the attention of this hipster high society ski town. Set one featured the first “Shining Path” of the tour as well as a song called “Miranda.” They ended the set with a great version of Jerry’s “The Kind of Place.”
Set two started a little slower then normal with a run through of the new Vic tune “Flirted With You All My Life.” Second set also saw a great “Jacob’s Ladder,” the reggae-ish “Friendly Fire” and a set ending “Road To Damascus” that literally shook the
walls. No joke. The show ended with an “Apollo” encore in honor of the end of the Olympics.
Band and everyone are on their first day off, well deserved and more importantly, really needed. See you in the Northwest this week, trust me, you’ll want to be there. Trial week is over!
Stockholm Syndrome :: 02.28 :: Park City, UT
Stockholm Syndrome :: 02.28 :: Park City, UT
On tour with Stockholm Syndrome is These United States. We’ll be including tour blogs from them as well. Here’s our first offering:
Stockholm Syndrome is on tour now. Check back soon for the next installment of the Stockholm Syndrome Tour Blog…
In 2004 JamBase’s Editor-in-Chief Aaron Kayce was invited to document the birth of Stockholm Syndrome as they performed their first shows across Europe. You can read about it here.
Continue reading for Part 4 of the Stockholm Syndrome Tour Blog from Denver, CO…
Stockholm Syndrome Tour Blog Part 4: Denver, CO
Stockholm Syndrome :: 02.27 :: Denver, CO
Part 4 of our Stockholm Syndrome Tour Blog features a report from Denver by tour manager Danny Owen:
Denver really came out in force on Saturday night. The sold out crowd at the Bluebird Theater got to see another great show from these guys. Sound check was spent learning a tune by Bob Dylan called “Where Are You Tonight?” This song made its debut in the first set along with an opening of the first version of “Tight.” Not being a big Dylan fan, I was very surprised at how great this song felt to a non-believer and how these guys made it sound so good. Jerry did a great job with the vocals but I expect it to get way better.
There was a great second set opening “Tarantula Hawk” followed by crowd faves “Bouncing Very Well” and the song “Conscious Contact.” This was my first time hearing Stockholm Syndrome perform this Jerry staple and I thought it was fantastic. While the lineup is full of Alpha Dogs it’s been remarkable to watch how well the band gels and works together. They mix upbeat rockers with sadder, heavier songs as well as any band I’ve seen. Everyone should get out to see this band; I’m biased yes, but wrong, not likely.
Stockholm Syndrome :: 02.27 :: Denver, CO
Stockholm Syndrome :: 02.27 :: Denver, CO
Check back soon for the next installment of the Stockholm Syndrome Tour Blog…
In 2004 JamBase’s Editor-in-Chief Aaron Kayce was invited to document the birth of Stockholm Syndrome as they performed their first shows across Europe. You can read about it here.
Continue reading for Part 3 of the Stockholm Syndrome Tour Blog from Boulder, CO…
Stockholm Syndrome Tour Blog Part 3: Boulder, CO
Stockholm Syndrome :: 02.26 :: Boulder, CO by Owen
Part 3 of our Stockholm Syndrome Tour Blog features another report from tour manager Danny Owen:
This band is one of those bands you have to see to believe. Friday night I became a full on believer in what five musicians with their own bands, projects, and histories can all come together and do. The whole show got the stamp of full approval from everyone. Big thumbs up!
Jerry Joseph put together a great first set with a rare “Couldn’t Get It Right” to start the show that kept the energy up and the bodies moving for its entirety. Other highlights included the new Vic Chesnutt cover being played again and what I have been told was the first time SS had done the song “Milk.” A packed Fox Theatre was getting a heavy dose of this band and even though it was the group’s third time at the venue in almost 53 weeks they took it head on and pretty much leveled it, again.
It was all the same level of playing and energy in the second set. Starting off with two great new tunes, “Apollo” and “Emma’s Pissed,” they just continued where they had left off. The set also had one of the coolest versions of “American Folk” I’ve ever heard and a great “Crime & Punishment.” Both strong tunes that Jerry sometimes visits in his other configurations. Most impressive was just how tight the band was and how comfortable they all seemed with each other, albeit in just the third show of the tour. I reckon this means it is officially, game on!
Stockholm Syndrome :: 02.26.10 :: Fox Theatre :: Boulder, CO
Set I: Couldn’t Get It Right, Empire One, In Your Cups, Flirt, Sing Bird Sing, Milk
Set II: Apollo, Emma’s Pissed, American Folk, Spy, Crime & Punishment, Ray of Heaven
E: Wisconsin Death Trip
Check back soon for the next installment of the Stockholm Syndrome Tour Blog…
In 2004 JamBase’s Editor-in-Chief Aaron Kayce was invited to document the birth of Stockholm Syndrome as they performed their first shows across Europe. You can read about it here.
Continue reading for Part 2 of the Stockholm Syndrome Tour Blog from Steamboat Springs, CO…
Stockholm Syndrome Tour Blog Part 2: Steamboat Springs, CO
Stockholm Syndrome :: 02.25 :: Steamboat Springs, CO by Owen
Part 2 of our Stockholm Syndrome Tour Blog continues with another submission from tour manager Danny Owen:
On Thursday night Stockholm Syndrome captured Steamboat Springs, CO, playing the Sheraton Hotel Grand Ballroom. As grand as it may or may not have been, it was the first rock show in this room since 2000 and Stockholm was ready to give it a work out. Thursday was also the first time Dave Schools had been back since the infamous Winter 1996 Widespread Panic Sit N Ski tour, which was actually held in this same room.
Sound engineer Chris Rabold did an excellent job turning a room that is used for Bar Mitzvahs and weddings into a place that deserved what it was getting. Just like with any good touring band that consistently changes things up, these guys are finding their way with each other and the newer material.
This show also saw them play the Vic Chesnutt song they learned the other day, “Flirted With You All My Life.” A very touching song that the guys have added to and made something very special to them.
The band was back to two sets and will continue with that tonight in Boulder, CO. Hope to see you there.
Stockholm Syndrome :: 02.25.10 :: Sheraton Ballroom :: Steamboat Springs, CO
Set I: Counter Clock World, In Your Cups, Emma’s Pissed, That Which Is Coming, Flirted With You All My Life, Kind of Place, Red Lightning
Set II: Sing Bird Sing, These Grey Days, Apollo, Friendly Fire, Bouncing Very Well, Road To Damascus
E: White Dirt
Check back soon for the next installment of the Stockholm Syndrome Tour Blog…
In 2004 JamBase’s Editor-in-Chief Aaron Kayce was invited to document the birth of Stockholm Syndrome as they performed their first shows across Europe. You can read about it here.
Continue reading for Part 1 of the Stockholm Syndrome Tour Blog…
Stockholm Syndrome Tour Blog Part 1: Rehearsals & Vail, CO
Stockholm Syndrome :: 02.24 :: Vail, CO by Owen
Stockholm Syndrome is one of our favorite super groups. Featuring Widespread Panic‘s Dave Schools on bass, ringleader/guitarist/vocalist/JackmormonJerry Joseph, guitar hero Eric McFadden, drum genius Wally Ingram and Gov’t Mule‘s Danny Louis on keys, this is one “super” group that actually lives up to the billing. Trying to get the schedules of five very busy musicians to line up is no easy task and often makes it hard for this band to tour. But when they do, it’s worth keeping tabs on. That’s why we’ve teamed up with the band to bring you the Stockholm Syndrome Tour Blog. With words, photos, videos and more coming in from the band and crew, this Tour Blog offers a unique, behind-the-scenes look at the group.
For our first entry we hear from tour manager Danny Owen with a report from the first night in Vail, CO at the Bud Light Street Beat free concert series:
The 2010 Stockholm Syndrome Winter Tour started off with a bang! The band practiced a bunch of the new songs yesterday in rehearsal; they even learned a great Vic Chesnutt tune and we could see some Dylan at some point. The band kicked it off at a free outdoor show in Vail last night (02/24). Ripping through one set of mostly newer tunes the band was doing all they could to keep themselves and the crowd warm in the sub freezing temps. Took a few songs to get them warmed up but once they were going, the heat was flowing full steam ahead. Spirits are currently high as they march onward; don’t miss the band’s upcoming Colorado shows in Steamboat Springs (2/25), Boulder (2/26) and Saturday night in Denver (2/27). Hope to see you along the way…
Stockholm Syndrome :: 02.24.10 :: Bud Light Street Beat :: Vail, CO
Apollo, Empire One, Emma’s Pissed, Flirted With, In Your Cups, Sing Bird Sing, Red Lighting, Lick The Tears, Oil, Couldn’t Get It Right
E: Wisconsin Death Trip
Check back soon for the next installment of the Stockholm Syndrome Tour Blog. Tonight The band teams up with These United States for the rest of the tour and we’ll be hearing from them as well.
In 2004 JamBase’s Editor-in-Chief Aaron Kayce was invited to document the birth of Stockholm Syndrome as they performed their first shows across Europe. You can read about it here.
Stockholm Syndrome :: 03.05.10 :: The Independent :: San Francisco, CA
Stockholm Syndrome :: 03.05 :: San Francisco, CA
It’s amazing how little has changed in six years. In 2004, I was in Europe with Stockholm Syndrome (read about it here). I was documenting the band’s first tour, carrying amps and selling t-shirts. While it was a great time to be around the band, watching them learn the material and wrestle their way into a hierarchy of sorts, it was not a cool time to be an American overseas. When Obama took office it became a little easier to wear your American pride outside our borders, but inside the confines of our 50 states, it’s still a shit-storm. We may have voted for change, but not much has changed.
Rock & roll is comfort food in times like these, and this band dishes it out in plentiful portions. Whether magnifying our demons on songs like “American Fork” and “Empire One” or helping us forget the pain for a minute with “Bouncing Very Well” or an uber-funky, Clav-heavy “Couldn’t Get It Right” (that sounded like it might drop into “Superstition” at one point), the power of a great song or inspired jam can medicate.
Few of us have known leaner times than today and there are few artists alive who channel struggle, pain and frustration as well as Jerry Joseph. Regardless of what configuration we find him in (Jackmormons, solo, Denmark Veseys, etc.), Jerry always charts a path to open hearts. But, he is never more affective than with Stockholm. Backed by bassist Dave Schools (Widespread Panic), drummer Wally Ingram (David Lindley, Sheryl Crow, Jackson Browne), keyboardist Danny Louis (Gov’t Mule) and the inimitable Eric McFadden on guitar, there are not many bands that can match the intensity and sheer power of SS.
Jerry Joseph :: 03.05 :: San Francisco
Mixing songs from the band’s 2004 debut, Holy Happy Hour, with new tracks off the soon-to-be-released sophomore album and Jerry’s solo work, Stockholm Syndrome also decimated a few huge covers on their first night in San Francisco. Coming out of a sprawling “Kind Of Place,” a Jerry song with a huge sing-along hook that should have charted on the radio years ago, the band closed set one with the late Vic Chesnutt‘s “Flirted With You All My Life.” A song about death by a man who recently took his own life, there is no heavier subject matter, and they paid homage by taking it into very dark terrain. But what was so remarkable about this song was the transition from pitch black despair into something with a slight reggae influence and upbeat conclusion. Together it was a musical reminder that there is light at the end of the tunnel, even if we have to cross over to find it.
The other bust-out cover came mid-way through the second set with Dylan‘s “Where Are You Tonight?” Beefed up on testosterone and delivered in classic Jerry style, they latched onto the original’s gospel roots and turned it into a rock burner. Even folks familiar with the song were scratching their heads for the first few minutes. You could almost read their minds: “I know this song… but what is it?”
More than any specific song, what makes this band so fun is watching them lock horns. Each member is a true Alpha Dog and if they don’t take some space, they won’t get any. This is what makes Danny Louis such an asset. The original keyboard player, German star Danny Dziuk, was more passive, Louis is not and he knows when to really lean in. The same could be said for McFadden. A more talented guitarist you will not find, and though he is at times overshadowed by Jerry’s massive stage presence (not to mention his often overlooked guitar work), McFadden is a powder keg ready to explode. His solos are always over-the-top, but it’s when he and Jerry rub against each other, harmonizing their guitars and weaving notes, as they did on “Ray Of Heaven” and “Conscious Contact,” that the sparks really fly.
McFadden & Schools :: 03.05 :: San Francisco, CA
Alas, one would be remiss to not make prominent mention of Dave Schools. Playing a bit more of a traditional bass role than in Widespread Panic, Schools utilizes a four-string here to devastating effect. From heavily dubbed out sections that would set Jerry up for surprisingly strong white-boy reggae (not easy, and Jerry does it better than just about anyone) to expansive bass solos, mean power rock and spot-on vocal harmonies, Schools is the not-so-secret weapon of Stockholm Syndrome.
It can be a dicey situation with Jerry Joseph as the bandleader. He can’t do it any other way. He has to be the frontman, and the more confident and loose he is, the better the performance. But this is not the Jackmormons and every player needs room to shine or they’ll grow bored (or worse, they might get angry). Finding that balance is the key to Stockholm Syndrome’s success, and longevity.
During second set standout “Shinning Path,” I couldn’t help but wonder what would happen if this band was the full-time priority for all five members. An older Jerry song about the brutal Communist Party of Peru, the band gave Jerry as much rope as he wanted, and he tied a knot around The Independent, pulling us deep into his world. A slow building, explosive rocker, when Jerry screamed, “You said that you’d die for me,” while McFadden blazed a solo and Schools dumped heavy bass over the top, it was everything rock fans dream about.
Stockholm Syndrome :: 03.05.10 :: The Independent :: San Francisco, CA
Set I: Red Lightning, Couldn’t Get It Right, These Grey Days, Sing Bird, In Your Cups, Kind Of Place, Flirted With You All My Life
Set II: Ray Of Heaven, Purple Hearts, Shining Path, Where Are You Tonight?, Friendly Fire, Bouncing Very Well, Conscious Contact
E: Wisconsin Death Trip
Continue reading for Dennis Cook’s review of the second night…
Stockholm Syndrome/These United States :: 03.06.10 :: The Independent :: San Francisco, CA
Stockholm Syndrome :: 03.05 :: San Francisco, CA
The best rock shows tend to carry a sense of ritual about them. It’s all fine and well for a band to play appealing songs good and loud, but if the instigators have deeper intentions – even if they’re primarily subconscious – then a gig becomes an experience, perhaps first felt in a visceral manner but followed by psychic aftershocks that keep one pondering what occurred. More simply, if musicians build a metaphorical bonfire, bang a drum and wag their talking stick in our faces we respond to the shaman’s call.
While maybe not a full blown pagan revival meeting, Stockholm Syndrome with testifying openers These United States, flirted with this sort of ontological rising tide. For sure, both bands proffer some of the sturdiest, thickest rock out there right now, but both also actively engage in questions of spirit, humanity, politics and ethics. No teenybopper tripe here, and while some of the headier notions got caught in a snarl of guitars, volcanic bass and the sweat ‘n’ heat of the moment, there was no denying we collectively surfed the edge of a deep wave. Sometimes the music held us high, staring out over an ocean, and at others pulled us down into the salt and seaweed to gasp a little.
From their reaction inspiring name through their coiled group energy and increasingly tricked out catalog, These United States long to connect – for good or bad – with any audience they face. Largely unknown to the heavily Panic slanted crowd at The Independent, TUS nevertheless delivered a raggedly right performance that leapt with such joy and happy intensity that I stood dumbfounded at the mostly motionless people around me – dear lord, how can you NOT move to this!?! Watching lead singer/frontman Jesse Elliott leap into the yawning divide between the stage and hangers-back, there was no doubting their dedication to bridging such spaces. From their foundation up, TUS is about connections, all of them – love, hate, envy, history, etc. – just so long as truthful feeling is involved. And their strong playing and cool variety in interpreting their earlier tunes shows the density of shared intentions has grown very strong with this lineup. There’s more than a touch of mid-70s Dylan to them, and their interpretation of Bob’s “Meet Me In The Morning” this night would have put a smile on Dylan’s pancake white face during the Rolling Thunder days. As with every other time I’ve seen TUS, it seemed like they left everything they had in them on the stage. To withhold from one’s calling would be a sin and these boys aren’t sinners in any but the most playful ways.
Dave Schools :: 03.05 :: San Francisco
There are a lot of “what if’s” in rock history. What if Blind Faith hadn’t been undone by ego and friction and managed to make a second or a third album? What if Robbie Robertson hadn’t pirated The Band’s fortunes and instead shared the wealth and creative control with his comrades? There are too many such seemingly brilliant combinations of talents that imploded despite the best hopes of all involved. Which brings us to Stockholm Syndrome, a supergroup of sorts, at least within the cloistered jam community. Jerry Joseph (lead vocals, guitar), Dave Schools (bass, vocals), Wally Ingram (drums), Eric McFadden (guitar, mandolin, vocals) and Danny Louis (keyboards) all have their fingers in multiple pies, some high profile (Schools’ enduring role in Widespread Panic, Louis’ anchor role in Gov’t Mule), some cultily adored (Jerry J, McFadden), some relentlessly busy (Ingram’s in-demand studio talents and hired killer status for big name acts as well as collaborator with great lesser-knowns). But, every damn time they assemble as Stockholm Syndrome we I start wishing they’d quit their day jobs and really see what Stockholm can do. It’s usually a few songs into the first set that this feeling hits me, hard, and right on time it whacked my solar plexus as Joseph roared, “I’m a killer, baby, that’s what killers do!” with McFadden prodding his ass like the devil with a new pitchfork and a luxurious, furious undercurrent of Schools, Louis and Ingram creating a rumble you felt in the meat of you.
This is not small-ball rock ‘n’ roll. Stockholm not only aspires to but achieves the dense, intermingled thickness of ’70s progenitors like Zeppelin, Deep Purple and Thin Lizzy but with Jerry’s politically and psychologically intense lyrics (which provide the lion’s share of the words thrown out) transforming them into a totally different animal than these classic rock stepping stones. And here’s where that shamanic/cosmic thing comes in. Combined with music that’s not just reaching out but actively snatching one up and slapping them around a bit, the lyrics hold a deep, dark, truthful mirror up. It’s for society in the larger sense, but also for us, personally. Slamming down drinks and numbing the working week’s disappointments, I still couldn’t escape the feeling I’d been psychically depantsed by Joseph refrains like, “It’s good to be alone,” “We see what we want to see,” and other nitty gritty couplets that hit close to home for dreamers and lovers that struggle to do either in the world as it is today.
Stockholm Syndrome :: 03.05 :: San Francisco, CA
Some sections are strong and uplifting, but even that is hard won in Stockholm’s scheme of things. The work of life, the labor of being better than our past and emerging into the best we can be, floats in their themes and stories, which sometimes offer us “crayons from our childhood/ a 64-pack set” but more often hand us a gun or torch. Personally, I freakin’ love it and welcome any chance to dive deep in this shallow world. It’s clear they won’t be satisfied in the shallows based on the new material played at this show, all of which is promising and worthy of further inspection. It’s hard to get a distinct sense of Stockholm’s catalog or where it’s going because they play together so rarely, but for guys who only gather occasionally they sure exhibit a TON of chemistry that largely overcomes the rough edges. Dressed in jeans and t-shirts, this feels like their “working band,” a project that reconnects them to the roots of their inspirations AND is a total blast to play in. None of these guys is known for oodles of smiles in their other bands, yet they can’t seem to stop grinning in Stockholm Syndrome. That alone is a powerful sign that they should invest whatever time they can in this band. Plying one’s craft with genuine pleasure is the surest way to guarantee positive end results.
The steaming, churning engine inside them was firing on all cylinders by the end of the first set with a blistering takedown of “Crime & Punishment” and especially “American Fork.” Wasting little time with a break – who could deny them a smoke after a set that left one feeling pleasantly wrecked like after good sex – they attacked the second set with enormous vigor, with the highlights, perhaps predictably, being shattering, faith affirming versions of Joseph’s signature tunes “The Jacob Ladder” and “Road To Damascus.” Now, nothing surrounding these two was any slouch, and it’s intriguing how the songs are starting to mingle and morph with this quintet. If nothing else, the relatively intimate Independent allowed one the rare opportunity to perch mere feet over Dave Schools’ shoulder and just let his technically brilliant, he-man-as-hell bass work vibrate your balls and make you feel alive. The man oozes rock power and his presence as much as his playing informs this band in totally positive ways.
Stumbling out onto Divisadero Street, I once again entertained the question that’s followed me from every Stockholm show: What if these guys made this band their priority? My gut says the possibilities are pretty limitless and that they’ve only just scratched the surface. The collective confidence and sheer talent of these five men is staggering and incredibly exciting. I just hope we get to see it come to its full fruition one day.
Stockholm Syndrome :: 03.06.10 :: The Independent :: San Francisco, CA
Set I: Tight > Empire One > Easter, Tarantula Hawk, Miranda, Crime & Punishment, American Fork
Set II: Apollo > The Jacob Ladder > Emma’s Pissed, That Which Is Coming, Spy > Road to Damascus, Light Is Like Water E: Lick The Tears
Dirty Side Down, the 11th studio album from Widespread Panic is set for a May 25 release on ATO Records. Dirty Side Down is comprised of 12 songs that incorporate Panic’s unique blend of rock, jazz and blues inspired textures into songs flowing with melody, rhythm and emotion.
After 24 years, Widespread Panic remain one of America’s best live bands, and most successful touring acts. Aside from their legendary live shows, they continue to raise the bar in their genre through their songwriting, and Dirty Side Down is a prime example. Band members John Bell (vocals/guitar), John Herman (keyboards/vocals), Jimmy Herring (lead guitar), Todd Nance (drums/vocals), Domingo Ortiz (percussion) and Dave Schools (bass/vocals) combine their efforts by writing, or co-writing, 10 of the album’s 12 tracks.
Songs, such as the dark, multi-layered opener “Saint Ex,” the boogie blues of “Jaded Tourist” or the laid back Southern nature of “When You Comin’ Home” showcase Widespread Panic’s dynamic range as songwriters and musicians.
One of the highlights of Dirty Side Down is the hauntingly beautiful cover of “This Cruel Thing” written by the late Vic Chesnutt, whose songs the band has recorded and performed for years. Widespread Panic has previously collaborated with Chesnutt on two albums under the name Brute. “I guess Widespread Panic and Vic aren’t quite done with each other yet,” says Panic lead singer John Bell.
Dirty Side Down was produced John Keane along with Widespread Panic. Keane also engineered, mixed and mastered the album, as well as contributed pedal steel and acoustic guitar.
A new, full length studio album is also in the works, with details coming soon.
The band will also be on tour this February and March in the Western U.S., including stops in Denver, Seattle and two nights at San Francisco’s Independent.
Stockholm Syndrome Tour Dates
02/24/10 Wed Vail Village Vail, CO
02/25/10 Thu Sheraton Ballroom Steamboat Springs, CO
02/26/10 Fri Fox Theatre Boulder, CO
02/27/10 Sat Bluebird Theater Denver, CO
02/28/10 Sun Harry O’s Park City, UT
03/02/10 Tue The Crystal Ballroom Portland, OR
03/03/10 Wed Neumos Seattle, WA
03/04/10 Thu McDonald Theatre Eugene, OR
03/05/10 Fri The Independent San Francisco, CA
03/06/10 Sat The Independent San Francisco, CA
03/08/10 Mon The Roxy Theatre West Hollywood, CA
03/09/10 Tue Belly Up Tavern Solana Beach, CA
03/10/10 Wed Orpheum Theater Flagstaff, AZ
03/12/10 Fri Telluride Conference Center Telluride, CO
03/13/10 Sat Belly Up Aspen, CO
03/14/10 Sun Black Sheep Colorado Springs, CO
For more on Stockholm Syndrome see our behind the scenes feature: A Band Is Born.
In related news, Jerry Joseph is performing a free show tonight (01/07) at the House of Blues – Foundation Room in Boston, MA. There are no tickets on sale but fans must be put on the guest list to attend. In order to get a guest spot please email: bostonguestlist@jerryjoseph.com.
Stockholm Syndrome Tour Dates
02/24/10 Wed Vail Village Vail, CO
02/25/10 Thu Sheraton Ballroom Steamboat Springs, CO
02/26/10 Fri Fox Theatre Boulder, CO
02/27/10 Sat Bluebird Theater Denver, CO
02/28/10 Sun Harry O’s Park City, UT
03/02/10 Tue The Crystal Ballroom Portland, OR
03/03/10 Wed Neumos Seattle, WA
03/04/10 Thu McDonald Theatre Eugene, OR
03/05/10 Fri The Independent San Francisco, CA
03/06/10 Sat The Independent San Francisco, CA
03/08/10 Mon The Roxy Theatre West Hollywood, CA
03/10/10 Wed Orpheum Theater Flagstaff, AZ
03/12/10 Fri Telluride Conference Center Telluride, CO
03/13/10 Sat Belly Up Aspen, CO
For more on Stockholm Syndrome see our behind the scenes feature: A Band Is Born.
Death. Taxes. Widespread Panic on New Year’s Eve in Atlanta. Some things are certain in life. Maybe it’s because I’ve spent the greater part of my existence as a Georgia resident, but order felt restored in the universe when John Bell and company returned to Atlanta to kick off their eighth New Year’s Eve run of this decade at Philips Arena after spending last year’s NYE in Denver. In what has been quite the anomaly from past years, the Atlanta shows were Panic’s first two of the year in Georgia and the Home Team seemed to play with added gusto on this run. Both performances came off as well-rehearsed, inspired and a great deal of fun. When you live in the Southeast, it’s easy to take Panic for granted because one could usually stay local and still catch a half dozen shows a year or more. The fact that these were the first shows in Georgia all year only added to the intense anticipation.
In what has been a roller coaster decade that saw the death of lead guitarist Michael Houser in 2002, an explosion in popularity aided by the American festival industry (headlining events like Bonnaroo and Austin City Limits certainly helped) and the addition of the mega-talented Jimmy Herring, Panic has pushed onward and upward releasing four studio albums and gaining a whole new generation of fans along the way. Through it all, Panic has continued to blaze a trail nationwide, crafting unique concert experiences and original setlists while delivering their muscular brand of psychedelic Southern rock.
12/30/09
The first night was undersold (with a black curtain blocking off access to the seats in 300s level) but luckily it didn’t affect the band’s performance. Multi-instrumentalist Randall Bramblett and the wonderful horn section The MegaBlasters added extra muscle to choice covers like “Chest Fever” and the Traffic classic “Low Spark of High Heeled Boys.” This lineup of Panic often peaks when Dave Schools and Jimmy Herring play the game of musical one-upmanship as they did on “Stop-Go.” This dub heavy turn on the early period favorite featured Schools as a one man wrecking crew and is worthy of a second (or first) listen.
Mike Mills w/ WSP :: 12.31 :: Georgia
The chills-inducing first notes of “Aunt Avis” invoked the largest crowd response and was fitting as the first of several tributes to Vic Chesnutt during the two-night run. Chesnutt died from an apparent suicide on Christmas and there is no doubt the recent loss weighed heavily on the band during the shows. John Keane‘s pedal steel whined to the heavens as JB sang “Help me remember how to be good/ How to continue when I feel I really shouldn’t” as the crowd quickly grew quiet and the lighters went up. “Angels on High” and “Weight of the World” closed down the first of five sets and also featured the very professional MegaBlasters accompaniment. There’s just something about horns and New Year’s Eve that seems to class up the joint.
What came next was one of the strongest sets of music I’ve witnessed in eight years of seeing the band play. Of all the bust-out deep track random covers, perhaps there is none more bizarre than Warren Zevon‘s “Excitable Boy,” a song about a deranged usher biting murderer. With R.E.M.‘s Mike Mills on lead vocals and Randall Bramblett playing the sax parts from the original version, this track soared and kept fans on their toes. Staple songs like “Ain’t Life Grand” and “Blackout Blues” are generally hard to get overly excited about, having seen them countless times, but the added guest horns and quality of musicianship on display on this night made these extra special.
Bramblett’s sax solo on “Low Spark” was a full-on jaw dropper and his proficiency for the tune shouldn’t come as a surprise, as Bramblett was a touring member of Traffic at one point. Keyboardist John “Jojo” Hermann‘s soulful organ accented Bramblett beautifully making this one of the better tunes of the run. Yonrico Scott joined the action for “Fishwater” and piqued my interest in the usually bathroom break worthy “Drums” segment. An impressive bass-heavy jam out of “Drums” led back towards “Fishwater” before the Zevon cover and a great reading of R.E.M.’s “Don’t Go Back to Rockville” with Mills.
“Blue Indian” was oddly placed to open the encore but John Keane’s presence again catapulted this version above any I’d heard before. Finally, a take on The Band’s “Chest Fever” rounded out one of the more enjoyable Panic shows I’ve ever had the pleasure of attending.
12/30/09 Philips Arena, Atlanta, GA (Setlist courtesy of EverydayCompanion.com)
Set I: Solid Rock > Stop-Go > Radio Child, Aunt Avis*, Climb To Safety*, C. Brown*, Rebirtha > Angels on High**, Weight Of The World**
Set II: Ain’t Life Grand*, Time Zones*, This Part Of Town*, Blackout Blues***, Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys**** > Fishwater***** > Drums****** > Fishwater******, On Your Way Down******* > You Should Be Glad*******, Excitable Boy********, (Don’t Go Back To) Rockville********, Imitation Leather Shoes
E: Blue Indian*******, Chest Fever*******
* with John Keane on pedal steel
** with The MegaBlasters on horns
*** with John Keane on pedal steel, Randall Bramblett on saxophone
**** with Randall Bramblett on saxophone
***** with Randall Bramblett on saxophone, Yonrico Scott on percussion
****** with Yonrico Scott on percussion
******* with John Keane on pedal steel, The MegaBlasters on horns
******** with Mike Mills on vocals, Randall Bramblett on saxophone
[Only '(Don't Go Back To) Rockville', Only 'Excitable Boy'; Soundcheck: 'Expiration Day', 'Goin' Out West', 'Cream Puff War']
Continue reading for coverage of New Year’s Eve…
12/31/09 – New Year’s Eve
Widespread Panic :: 12.31 :: Georgia
A slow-moving line at the CNN Center entrance to the arena prevented hordes of fans from seeing much of the acoustic set and we didn’t make it down to the floor until the fourth song. I’ve always enjoyed Panic’s acoustic sounds as much as the hard rock bombshells because it gives John Bell the rare opportunity to show his talents on the six-string and take a few more leads than usual. The set was heavy with mediocre throwaways from the band’s last few albums until busting out “Vacation” for only the second time in 2009. As was the case the previous night, perhaps the largest crowd response came as the band played Brute‘s (which features Panic backing Vic Chesnutt) “Expiration Day,” a song Panic and Chesnutt recorded on their 2002 album Cobalt. Standing much closer, it was easy to watch the band’s reactions and Herring looked on the verge of tears while paying tribute to their fallen friend. An excellent and surprising acoustic rendition of “Holden Oversoul” and a ho-hum “Porch Song” rounded out the hour long acoustic offering.
Although the third set is hard to beat on paper, in this writer’s opinion, the second set was when the playing reached its apex. The “Space Wrangler” > “Impossible” > “Jack” > “Action Man” run was a remarkable display of a jam band doing what they do best, building on a musical idea and crafting something that hasn’t been created before, i.e.: jamming. It seems like jamming isn’t as fashionable as it was at the beginning of the decade, when the jam world arguably reached a generational peak, so it was great to see Panic still willing to challenge itself by wandering out of the comfort zone into wholly unfamiliar musical territories. As it was the night before in the second set, the band hit a clear stride and clicked on all cylinders midway through set number two. Dave Schools’ playing has elevated since Herring joined the band and their sounds complement each other in a very exquisite fashion. While Schools sounds like a metal guitarist playing bass in a jam band, Herring is a technically gifted shredder with a penchant for playing the laaarge power riffs. Combine the two and you’ve got yourself a nice product. Dave Schools took the bull by the horns and turned “Impossible” into a wickedly dark and heavy metal nightmare after Herring absolutely destroyed “Space Wrangler” while still wearing the starry-eyed look of a man genuinely grateful to be a part of the Widespread Panic family.
Widespread Panic :: 12.31 :: Georgia
JB invited The MegaBlasters back for “Her Dance Needs No Body,” a song from 2008′s Free Somehow. This is one of the stronger tracks on the record and came out of the smoker well with the added brass. It wouldn’t be New Year’s Eve without the appearance of the band’s instant classic “Up All Night” as the green and red lights flashed while Bell sang “The best thing about New Year’s is the Christmas lights….” As they did on night one, The MegaBlasters provided backing for a Band cover. This time it was for “Ophelia,” a crowd favorite and staple cover in the rotation. Schools again dominated “Pigeons” and took the six-string for a few quick sprints playing the bridge at blinding speeds with great precision. With twenty minutes left in the decade, the band exited the stage for another short break.
Mr. Schools came out alone and led the countdown towards a new decade and as the clock struck zero confetti blasted from cannons onstage and rained down from the rafters. He said something about socks and then immediately started playing a robust and familiar bass line as Sunny, Todd Nance, and JoJo joined in the fun walking back onstage. When Herring started his riff (one that would make several re-appearances throughout the marathon set) I started getting the “Could it be?” feeling that Panic was about to cover a Michael Jackson song to start the new year. And that’s exactly what they did.
JB’s year got off to a bit of a shaky start as a fan in a really interesting jacket stumbled onstage, grabbed JB’s microphone and put his arm around him before being run off by security. Momentarily rattled by the incident, Bell quickly re-grouped and 2010 was off and running in a big way as he summoned his inner MJ on the classic “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’.” Some of the best covers are when a band does a complete 180 genre wise and puts their own signature sound on it. The funny thing is the boys actually pulled it off and pulled it off quite well, and it’s worth a listen for those not in attendance.
Jojo Hermann :: 12.31 :: Georgia
The horns stayed on for “Tall Boy” and “Arleen” with an extended tease of Queen‘s “Another One Bites the Dust.” There was nary a dull moment during the monstrous third set. It was also the lengthiest New Year’s set I’ve ever witnessed, as the band plugged on past 2:00 a.m. Midway through the set I left the jam-packed floor to watch from further back and could appreciate the impressive light display (most notable during “Chilly Water”). Widespread Panic has never been known for their visual display, but the expanded rig for the Philip’s show provided some pretty fantastic eye candy.
The third set was pretty much a greatest hits Panic set with some very rare covers including Stevie Wonder‘s “I Wish” and a first-ever work out on Van Morrison‘s “Moondance.” Schools got weird on “Bust It Big” with some deliciously gooey bass pedaling and the cool, cool water flew as it always does during “Chilly Water.” Neither of these two songs were a surprise but there are certain tunes that the band just kind of has to play on New Year’s and “Chilly” is one of them. A debut performance of Patsy Cline’s “Walkin’ After Midnight” opened the encore and a final tribute to Chesnutt was paid as Panic closed out the festivities with the “Protein Drink/Sewing Machine” suite. I’ve always thought this combo was one of the best vehicles for Herring to make inspired guitar magic and it was no different on this occasion.
With another successful Philip’s run under the belt, these guys show zero signs of slowing down anytime soon and if the first set of 2010 is any indication of what’s to come, it’ll be another prosperous and prolific decade for Widespread Panic.
12/31/09 Philips Arena, Atlanta, GA (Setlist courtesy of EverydayCompanion.com)
Set I (acoustic): Let’s Get Down To Business > Wondering, Already Fried, Tortured Artist, Clinic Cynic, Crazy, Vacation, Expiration Day, Holden Oversoul, Porch Song
Set II: Little Kin, Space Wrangler, Impossible, Jack, Action Man, Her Dance Needs No Body*, Up All Night*, Ophelia*, Pigeons
Set III: Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’*, Tall Boy*, Arleen* > Surprise Valley > Drums > Surprise Valley > Driving Song > Disco > Driving Song > Rock, I Wish* > Moondance*, Bust It Big > Chilly Water > Jam > Chilly Water
E: Walking After Midnight, Protein Drink > Sewing Machine
* with The MegaBlasters on horns
[Only 'Walking After Midnight', Only 'Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'', Only 'Moondance'; 'Another One Bites The Dust' tease during 'Arleen'; Last 'I Wish' - 11/06/03, 412 shows]
Everything changed over the last decade. Never mind the political, social and economic upheaval, musically everything changed. Ten years ago we didn’t own iPods or Smart Phones; we rocked a Discman and in some cases an old yellow Walkman. We didn’t download tracks or stream shows; we bought albums and traded live Maxell tapes. Then technology set us free and the record industry collapsed. After peaking in 2000, CD sales have plummeted by more than 50-percent, dropping further into oblivion every year. Meanwhile, digital sales continue to rise and free music (both pirated and authorized) is everywhere, flooding hard drives like never before. Surely this trend will continue for the foreseeable future.
The old model is dead. It’s a new game and the rules are still being defined. One thing, however, is for sure, the music industry needed a colossal change and it’s getting it. The days of boy bands selling 2 million units in a week are gone. And for that, you can thank the digital download. Online music is on the way to making radio irrelevant and no one seems sure if MTV even plays music anymore. It’s not that people listen to or want less music. The way we get it has simply evolved. We no longer need anyone to spoon-feed us lowest common denominator crap. Now we’ve got a billion ways to get turned on to the latest thing, and with advancements in how music is made there’s more to choose from than at any other time in history.
But one thing didn’t change in the past ten years. We still go see live music. As album sales fell through the floor, live music revenue has grown by 150-percent. Here at JamBase, we’ve always known the live experience is where it’s at, and now that all bands (not just the ones this site was founded upon) are forced to survive on touring dollars, the rest of the music world is catching on. That’s one change we’re happy to embrace.
At the beginning of the decade, JamBase was just starting to really take form. Surviving the dot-com bubble burst, we were a small team working out of an even smaller house in Mill Valley, California. Soon we sprouted legs, and as our vision and team evolved, we moved into a real office South of Market in downtown San Francisco, where we’ve been since 2003. Now JamBase has the most complete tour date information anywhere in the world, providing concert listings for AOL, Billboard, Spin, Rhapsody and many more, and our content has evolved into a leading source for live music editorial. Part of our mission has always been to use technology to help you get to the show and we know today’s music fan is often on the move, that’s why we created our lauded iPhone App that puts all our concert info straight into your pocket.
Even a cursory look at the articles on this website over the past decade indicates great change. From the way we look to what we cover, change has perhaps been the only constant at JamBase. Clearly, we report on more than just jam bands now (we like to think we cover the live music scene as a whole, with no genre being off limits), but if we go back to our roots and look at the band that started it all for JamBase (which grew out of Andy Gadiel’s Phish Page), we’re reminded that change is an essential part of life. It’s often hard, but almost always exciting, and if you aren’t changing and evolving, you’re probably dying.
In the past decade Phish quit (2000), came back (2002), quit again (2004), and finally got it right and resurfaced with purpose in 2009. For the most part, this was a messy decade for Trey, Mike, Page and Fish. With personal struggles taking center stage and the music falling off, when the band finished their final set at Coventry in 2004, in many ways, things couldn’t have been worse. The muddy fields were a metaphor for the state of the band and the sloppy performances an indication of just how bad it had gotten. But they overcame their challenges, and that’s certainly part of why we love them. Who amongst us hasn’t made poor decisions and paid the price? And if there’s one thing Americans love it’s a comeback story. During the ’90s this band dominated. The pressures of fame brought stress unlike anything they’d experienced, and in the 2000s they fell hard. But as we close the book on this decade, Phish is back on top in a major way. No band’s comeback has made a bigger impact on our world this decade than Phish, and we couldn’t be happier to have chronicled every step of their triumphant return.
But there’s more to Phish than just sick jams and transcendent rock shows. The ups and downs experienced by the band in many ways mirrored America’s path this decade. Coming out of the ’90s, everything appeared peachy. Mainstream music desperately needed help, but economically and politically, America was mostly doing great. September 11, 2001 thrust change upon us in ways we may never fully understand. Our collective psyche shattered, we’ve been at war ever since. Our economy has collapsed, and we’re facing a rising environmental crisis. Like Phish, America had a rough decade, but hopefully we can grab the strands of hope we’re starting to see and rise to the occasion like our favorite bands seem to do.
While it’s not likely that Phish’s trajectory had any tangible affect on our nation, it definitely affected the music scene. Phish’s hiatus (especially the first one) opened the door for a plethora of talent to flourish. With no one band filling the void, a wide array of acts like The String Cheese Incident, Umphrey’s McGee, STS9, The Disco Biscuits, Keller Williams, and many others were able to rapidly gain new fans and separate themselves from the pack as the premier new crop of jam bands.
Michael Jackson
The changing scene and lack of a clear improvisational concert king also allowed a host of bands hovering on the borders of jam to emerge more prominently in the live music space. With the help of festivals like Bonnaroo, websites like JamBase and open-minded fans like you, artists such as My Morning Jacket, Jack White, Drive-By Truckers, The Hold Steady, Arcade Fire, and The Mars Volta all experienced incredible breakthroughs.
But, that didn’t mean the pillars of the jam scene crumbled in the 2000s. The granddaddy of ‘em all, The Grateful Dead found ways to reform, reinvent and move on after Jerry Garcia’s death in 1995. moe. proved to be one of the most consistent acts of the decade, Gov’t Mule survived the death of Allen Woody, and Widespread Panic managed to find new life with Jimmy Herring after Michael Houser passed away in 2002.
In fact, there were pages upon pages of possibilities pored over while creating this list. Trying to determine 10 shows that stood out in a decade packed with powerful performances proved daunting, and we’re sure we left off something critical, which is why we’d love to see you set the record straight by sharing your own list in the Comments Section. But this is our list. After serious internal debate, discussions with artists and industry insiders, and careful consideration of your comments and emails, these are JamBase’s Most Important Shows of The Decade, presented to you in chronological order. It all starts with a special night in Florida that many fans spent the next decade reminiscing about or wishing they’d attended. (Kayceman)
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Phish | 01/01/00
Big Cypress | Seminole Indian Reservation | Everglades, FL
The decade began with Phish performing for over seven straight hours from midnight until sunrise in the middle of the Florida Everglades. The band arrived on stage riding their trademark giant Hot Dog as it paraded through the audience to a recording of their song “Meatstick.” As they took to their instruments and finished the tune, the final moments of the ’90s came to a close and an audience over 85,000 strong was led in a Millennium Countdown before the band launched into their anthemic “Down With Disease.” About an hour later, “Heavy Things” (cheesecake!) would be telecast live on ABC Nightly News‘ special New Year’s Eve coverage from around the world to over 100 million people.
Significant for its timing, location and endurance, the show featured some of the most powerful and definitive versions of the band’s staple songs including “You Enjoy Myself,” “Slave to the Traffic Light,” “Reba,” “Sand,” and “David Bowie.” They also showcased several beloved covers including The Velvet Underground’s “Rock and Roll,” Talking Heads’ “Crosseyed and Painless,” The Who’s “Drowned,” and Ween’s “Roses Are Free.” The set was so powerful for the band that after leaving the stage at sunrise they opted not to return for an encore, instead leaving it to Mother Nature and a recording of The Beatles’ “Here Comes The Sun” to send the audience on their way. This ultimate “long gig” left those in attendance satiated, awe struck, and thankful that the world (Y2K) did not come to and end. (Andy Gadiel)
Setlist (courtesy of Phish.net)
Meatstick > Auld Lang Syne, Down with Disease > Llama, Bathtub Gin, Heavy Things, Twist > Prince Caspian > Rock and Roll, You Enjoy Myself, Crosseyed and Painless, The Inlaw Josie Wales, Sand > Quadrophonic Toppling, Slave to the Traffic Light, Albuquerque, Reba, Axilla, Uncle Pen, David Bowie, My Soul, Drowned > After Midnight Reprise, The Horse > Silent in the Morning, Bittersweet Motel, Piper > Free, Lawn Boy, Hold Your Head Up > Love You > Hold Your Head Up, Roses Are Free, Bug, Also Sprach Zarathustra > Wading in the Velvet Sea, Meatstick
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Phil & Friends | 12/31/00
Henry J. Kaiser Auditorium | Oakland, CA
Photo of Gordon, Herring, Lesh & Haynes on NYE 2000 in Oakland by Dave Vann
In no small way, this night was the relaunch of The Grateful Dead NYE tradition. Despite the fact that RatDog had been playing December 31st since 1998, after numerous lineups, Phil Lesh & Friends settled into a stunning aggregate in 2000 that happily reminded many diehards why this music endures. The Dead tribe had set their calendars for decades around where the band would land on key dates like NYE, Mardi Gras, etc. and the buzz leading up to this evening had the same run-away-to-the-circus, butterflies-in-the-tummy vibe that The Grateful Dead always engendered. “The Quintet,” as they came to be known, of Lesh (bass, vocals), Warren Haynes (guitar, vocals), Jimmy Herring (guitar), Rob Barraco (keys, vocals) and John Molo (drums) attacked this music like it was alive – rangy and unruly like days of old – and that in turn put the electrodes to this beloved catalog. For perhaps the first time since Jerry Garcia passed, it felt like there was a real tomorrow for this music. The heightened atmosphere was further elevated by the recent passing of Allen Woody, putting the future of Gov’t Mule in question and leaving Haynes and Matt Abts to open the night as an acoustic duo. Toss in several guest turns by Mike Gordon, which poignantly reminded one that Phish was not holding their annual NYE festivities, and you had a gathering that directly and indirectly grappled with death and rebirth in stirring ways. (Dennis Cook)
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The Concert for New York City | 10/21/01
Madison Square Garden | New York, NY
With the World Trade Center attacks of 9/11 still stingingly fresh in our collective memory, Paul McCartney gathered together The Who, Bon Jovi, Macy Gray, John Mellencamp, Backstreet Boys and more, plus film and political luminaries like Adam Sandler, Billy Crystal, Tom Daschle and Harrison Ford for a benefit concert that was a defiant affirmation of the United States’ ability to endure almost anything and thrive. Where most events of this sort truck in near-somber sincerity, The Concert for New York City welcomed in laughter and entertainment, both of which were in short supply for the many NYC firefighters and policemen and their families in attendance. Though studded with stellar turns like Eric Clapton and Buddy Guy doing “Hoochie Coochie Man” and Mick Jagger and Keith Richards getting gospel on “Salt of the Earth,” the pinnacle of the night might be Billy Joel‘s one-two punch of “Miami 2017 (Seen The Lights Go Out On Broadway)” and “New York State of Mind,” where MSG exploded as he punched lines like, “They turned our power down and drove us underground, but we went right on with the show,” with an emotion impossible to duplicate. An incredible example of where the worst in human beings can sometimes be a catalyst for the very best in us. (Dennis Cook)
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Widespread Panic | 04/28/02
Oak Mountain Amphitheatre | Pelham, AL
Photos of Widespread Panic at Oak Mountain on 04/28/02 by Jackie Jasper
As far as anyone knew, this was it. By all accounts, Sunday, April 28, 2002 at Pelham, Alabama’s Oak Mountain Amphitheatre appeared to be Widespread Panic lead guitarist and co-founder Michael Houser‘s last concert. It was the final night of a brief eight-show spring tour that felt like, and in many ways was, the “Goodbye Houser Tour.” Although not an official word had been uttered, most fans knew that Houser had contracted pancreatic cancer, and one could tell just by looking at him up close onstage that his time was drawing near. Although he would bravely perform seven more shows as he began the spring tour two months later, at this point, Sunday at Oak Mountain looked like the final one.
The venue, set in the heart of Panic Country, was packed with 10,000 serious fans and there was a tension and energy hanging in the humid Alabama air unlike anything I have personally ever experienced. The band rose to the occasion; from song selection (there wasn’t a dry eye during the “Trouble” encore) to execution to the Jerry Joseph guest appearance, it was nearly flawless and one of the best shows of the band’s legendary career. But it was more than just that. It was the way the weather coincided with the music, making it feel like bandleader John Bell had created rain during “Cortez The Killer.” It was the undeniable sense of community. It was the bittersweet, sad-yet-grateful feeling for the opportunity to say goodbye properly and rage it one more time. It was the weight of it all. Standing at Oak Mountain, bitter tears and warm rain washing over one’s face, wrapped in arms from friends both old and new, truly believing this was the final Houser jam, it felt like we were part of history on that day. (Kayceman)
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Bonnaroo Music Festival | 06/21/02 – 06/23/02
Manchester, TN
Photo of Phil Lesh and Friends with Bob Weir at Bonnaroo 2002 by Dave Vann
Selling out 70,000 tickets in advance to an untried mega-festival in the Tennessee hills with roots in the jam scene would have been accomplishment enough, but the inaugural Bonnaroo had ripples far beyond great sales. In no small way, Bonnaroo put this subculture on the larger cultural map, joining Coachella and Lollapalooza as one of few festivals covered by MTV and other mainstream outlets. However, from the start Bonnaroo has embraced tradition and heritage artists AND cutting edge talent in a way no other super-sized fest had, putting the likes of Blind Boys of Alabama and the Del McCoury Band right next to Ween and Les Claypool. In going big from the get-go, Bonnaroo established itself overnight as a destination for music lovers worldwide. Using the abundant energy and vast subterranean network of live music loving jam fans, the organizers launched something part intrinsically “jam” that was also something much, much larger in scope and vision. While subsequent years have found the likes of Tool, Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers headlining, for some ‘Roo vets there’s perhaps no more enduring, moving set than Widespread Panic performing one of their final shows with Michael Houser this first year, a pulsating, powerhouse display that included “Testify” with Dottie Peoples, where Dave Schools says he looked out over the crowd and they were “levitating.” In an age where small ideas and limited expectations prevail Bonnaroo actively reaches for grandeur and all those involved are encouraged to stretch beyond their normal limitations and ways of seeing. (Dennis Cook)
2002 Bonnaroo Artist Lineup: Widespread Panic
* Trey Anastasio
* Ben Harper
* The String Cheese Incident
* Phil Lesh and Friends (w/Bob Weir)
* Bela Fleck & Edgar Meyer
* Galactic with Trombone Shorty and Corey Henry
* Gov’t Mule
* Jack Johnson
* Norah Jones
* Jurassic 5
* Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe
* Les Claypool
* moe.
* Ween
* Keller Williams (WMD’s)
* Acoustic Syndicate
* The Big Wu
* Blind Boys of Alabama
* Blackalicious
* John Butler Trio
* Campbell Brothers
* Colonel Claypool’s Bucket of Bernie Brains
* Cut Chemist
* The Del McCoury band
* Dirty Dozen Brass Band
* The Disco Biscuits
* Gabe Dixon Band
* Donna The Buffalo
* Dottie Peoples
* Drums & Tuba
* Gran Torino
* Col. Bruce Hampton & The Code Talkers
* Corey Harris
* Lil’ Rascals Brass Band
* Llama
* DJ Logic
* Mofro
* North Mississippi Allstars
* Old Crow Medicine Show
* Particle
* RANA
* Soulive
* Amon Tobin
* Umphrey’s McGee
* Jim White
* Vinroc
* Z-Trip
* Mark Eddie
* Mike Birbiglia
* Vic Henley
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Gov’t Mule – The Deepest End | 05/03/03
Saenger Theatre | New Orleans, LA
Photo of Haynes, Abts, Newsted and Louis at Gov’t Mule’s “The Deepest End Concert” on 05/03/03 in New Orleans by Michael Weintrob
If one ever needed proof that Gov’t Mule was a band adored by their fellow musicians, then “The Deepest End Concert” in New Orleans should provide all the evidence one needs. The culmination of three years of recording and mourning the loss of founding bassist Allen Woody, this five-and-a-half-hour marathon performance found this contemporary classic rock unit joined by some of the finest bassists in the world – Jason Newsted (Metallica, Ozzy, Voivod), George Porter Jr. (The Meters), Dave Schools (Widespread Panic), Victor Wooten (Bela Fleck), Rob Wasserman, Paul Jackson Jr., Mike Gordon (Phish), Roger Glover (Deep Purple), Jack Casady (Hot Tune, Jefferson Airplane), Conrad Lazano (Los Lobos), Les Claypool (Primus), and then Mule regular Greg Rzab. If that weren’t enough, the night also had guest turns from Ivan Neville (Dumpstaphunk), Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Karl Denson and more. A largely unrehearsed affair, the show was rich in what Mule leader Warren Haynes calls “spontaneous composition.” The range of material was off the chain, including Sabbath covers with Jason Newsted, Purple’s “Maybe I’m A Leo” with Glover, and a blinding version of Herbie Hancock’s “Chameleon” with studio whiz Paul Jackson Jr. whipping the low end every which way. The art of focused, meaty improvisation has rarely had a finer showing than this gig, which also served to highlight what a ridiculously diverse bunch Gov’t Mule is – a big tent capable of holding just about anything if these cats (and their collaborators) put their backbone into it. (Dennis Cook)
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New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
04/28/06-04/30/06 & 05/05/06-05/07/06
Fair Grounds Race Course | New Orleans, LA
Photo of Bruce Springsteen at Jazz Fest 2006 in New Orleans by Michael Weintrob
Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. One of the worst natural disasters to ever hit the United States, around 2,000 people died with several hundred more declared “missing.” When the levees broke on August 29, 2005 water covered 80-percent of the Crescent City. With the pathetic, disorganized response from our government and the days of bedlam that followed, it appeared that America’s most unique, most culturally significant city (giving birth to jazz is often considered this country’s crowning artistic achievement, not to mention the food!) might be gone forever, submerged under six feet of water never to return. And that’s why eight months later when the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival celebrated its 37th year it was much more than just another Jazz Fest.
No one was sure if the organizers would even be able to make the event happen, and there were serious questions about if anyone would come. What transpired was an emotional celebration that marked a critical point in our nation’s history. It was a symbol of hope and a statement of purpose from the city, the musicians and the fans. 4,000 artists performed on ten stages over the two-weekend event, with headliners including Bruce Springsteen, Dr. John, Dave Matthews, Lionel Richie, Paul Simon, Elvis Costello and Allen Toussaint. It was a stake in the ground that said, “We won’t let New Orleans die.” The massive surge of tourist dollars clearly helped, but what New Orleans needed even more was the knowledge that we cared, that despite our government’s lack of commitment, the American people valued New Orleans and we would help bring her residents home. And while there is still so much more that needs to be done, we learned that no flood could drown New Orleans. Music is the blood of the city (and those who flock there), and Jazz Fest 2006 jumpstarted her heart and began the long, slow, still ongoing recovery of New Orleans. All you needed to do was step foot on the Fairgrounds that spring to know it was happening. The smell of crawfish Monica wafting in the air and the sound of The Boss singing, “We Shall Overcome” to hordes of weeping, dancing masses was enough to make us believe again. (Kayceman)
Daft Punk built a pyramid of lights and broke down walls. Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo were hardly the first act to blur genre lines, but what they did at Coachella in 2006, their first U.S. appearance since 1997, shattered the boundaries of electronica. Transformed into robots and perched inside a 40-foot shape-shifting LED covered pyramid, the French duo manipulated the crowd’s movements (serious dance party) and emotions (laughter and tears were both common) with brilliant super anthems like “Around The World,” “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger” and “One More Time.” It was pop music, but smart, funny and designed to make you think as well as move. It brought elements from the dance world into stadium rock and the over-the-top production felt like a Broadway play from the distant future. And the fact that two guys not playing any traditional instruments could be this completely captivating was revolutionary. When that pyramid touched down in Indio, all of a sudden music made by machines was for everyone. Rockers pumped their fists, hip hop enthusiasts bounced, teenage girls screamed, doubters instantly became believers and everyone was blown away by the most elaborate, intricate and arguably greatest light show ever put together. It was a life-affirming experience that brought every person to the table, and no one has come close to duplicating it since. (Kayceman)
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Radiohead | 06/17/06
Bonnaroo Music Festival | Manchester, TN
Photo of Radiohead’s Thom Yorke on 06/17/06 at Bonnaroo by Dave Vann
Few bands are more un-hippy than Radiohead, so their Saturday night headlining slot at Bonnaroo ’06 signaled a sharp turn towards modernity for the festival. It was hardly the first time these Glastonbury vets had played for mud flecked, long haired masses, but there’s something resolutely non-jammy about Radiohead and attendees were pretty evenly split between those thrilled to have arguably the greatest rock band in the world serenade them and those who genuinely thought they were a duck out of water at the ‘Roo. However, once they started playing their hyper-alive sound and permeating depth swiftly gathered up the packed crowd. A young, dreadlocked, peasant skirt wearing String Cheese fan told us before the show that she’d never heard a note by Radiohead but was curious based on their rep. A few songs in, having been splendidly tousled by “There There,” “2+2=5″ and a pre-In Rainbows “15 Step,” she bellowed from the back of the huge field, “I like your music!” It was a succinct, heartfelt exclamation and serves to illustrate how intensely moving Radiohead’s music can be. And the band appeared to be just as smitten with the Bonnaroo audience, with frontman Thom Yorke giving as good as he got in a glow stick war and shimmying like a jellyfish that’d just been hit with a car battery. The first encore was almost a second set with eight songs, including a blistering early “Bodysnatchers,” and the second encore delivered us to the celestial plateau of “Everything In Its Right Place.”
Afterwards, Yorke told BBC Radio, “We did this festival called Bonnaroo. We did 2.5 hours. And there’s 80,000 people, admittedly they’ve been smoking the sticky green all day – probably wouldn’t go anywhere anyway. It was just amazing. We played loads of new stuff. We did whole sections of quiet piano songs and it sounds like the most grotesque, self-indulgent nonsense, but it probably is my favourite gig for years and years and years.” (Dennis Cook)
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My Morning Jacket | 12/31/06
The Fillmore | San Francisco, CA
Photo of My Morning Jacket on 12/31/06 at The Fillmore by Dave Vann
There have been many epic My Morning Jacket shows over the past decade – their “coming-of-age” afternoon set in the rain of Bonnaroo 2004; their marathon late night set there four years later; the hometown party in Louisville at Waterfront Park in August 2008; and the huge NYE gig a few months later at Madison Square Garden. Any of these concerts could have made our list, but it was MMJ’s New Year’s Eve 2006 run at The Fillmore that takes the cake. The band was experiencing huge growth, both musically and in terms of ticket sales and would soon be dubbed “America’s best live band” by Rolling Stone, LA Weekly and many JamBase writers to name a few. This show put them on one of the most famous stages in the world on the biggest night of them all and they killed it.
The three-night extravaganza culminated in a sprawling NYE celebration that included an ambitious theatrical element inspired by the old video game The Oregon Trail. The mood was built upon a “Donner Party meets Little House On The Prairie” theme with the band dressed as settlers and native Americans, and the spirits came to life with a number of well executed skits that eventually found bassist Two-Tone Tommy coming back from the dead and killing his bandmates in retribution for eating him earlier in the show (food was scarce on the trail). And that was just the backdrop for a night of extremely well played classic Jacket tracks mixed with rare nuggets and a slew of covers including AC/DC’s “Highway to Hell,” Kool & The Gang’s “Celebration,” Lionel Richie’s “All Night Long,” Wham’s “Careless Whisper” and Prince’s “I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man.” The show was an instant classic. But like most of the bands that really stick with us, a Jacket concert is more than just a rock show. It’s big, heady stuff and has the ability to open us up and help us feel and connect. It’s an experience, and on NYE 2006 My Morning Jacket seized the moment and created something special. What The Fillmore run announced was a world class band with ambitions beyond just performing their songs well. (Kayceman)
By almost any metric, 2009 was a bumper crop for great new music. With bands increasingly bypassing the record industry entirely and releasing albums, singles, live sets, and more themselves via download, there was almost too much fascinating, worthwhile music on offer this year. Still, better an embarrassment of riches than a thin harvest, eh? While the mainstream continued its seemingly inexorable tide towards machine-like homogenization – notwithstanding a Lady Gaga or Lil’ Wayne adding somewhat unorthodox wrinkles – musicians got down to making a lot of very personal, very beautifully constructed, downright fabulous music. And while the general belief that most artists will earn the bulk of their monies in concert from here on out is probably true, that doesn’t diminish the rise in quality we’re hearing in recent studio work.
Advances and price cuts in software and hardware are bringing expensive studio technology into bedrooms, garages and tiny private studios in ways totally impossible to imagine only a few years ago. Nothing will ever replace the warm hum of analog tape for some folks, but the tools and, perhaps more importantly, the means of distribution are becoming increasingly democratized. Brian Wilson’s “teenage symphonies to God” are being composed and sent into the world outside the parameters and red tape of an increasingly confused industry. And these same artists are hitting the road to present their unique, non-commercial wares (as “commercial” is defined by modern tastemakers like MTV, Rolling Stone, et al.) to anyone who will listen, building fan bases through social networking, word of mouth and an engaged blogosphere anxious to discover honest, unfamiliar music. There’s a healthy sense of creative boil that happily recalls rock ‘n’ roll’s initial 1950s boom, where hit singles were forged in record shop recording booths and local sensations found national and even international acclaim on the wings of a single release.
It’s too early to say where music making is going in the near future, but it’s clear that there’s a massive shakeup underway. Musicians need to figure out how to make this new freedom pay, and audiences that genuinely care about the people making the music they love will need to stop stealing it and pony up enough to ensure the continued bloom of this musical renaissance. Now is the time to support local talent and independent neighborhood venues, and drop a few coins into your fave band’s PayPal account. As the massively successful tours of still-vital giants like Bruce Springsteen, U2 and AC/DC, or the smaller scale rises of original new voices like Fleet Foxes, The Low Anthem and Of Montreal, indicate, people are listening now more than ever, ready for music that will enlighten and delight them.
1. Bloodkin – Baby They Told Us We Would Rise Again
On the surface, no frills, meat and potatoes rock (and damn proud of it) but a closer listen reveals the finest songwriting all year as this 24-year-old band sings the horrifying tale of their trip back from the abyss and sees it through to a joyous life-affirming conclusion. It’s like that Leaving Las Vegas movie with a happy ending – unbelievable if weren’t true. Such well-treaded territory would suck if not for the magnificence of its execution. “Wild Rhododendrons” is the finest songwriting I’ve seen all year, and “The Viper” and “Heavy With Child” are just as good. Meanwhile “Easter Eggs” is the best song of man love I’ve ever heard (including “Bobby Jean” and “Angie”).
2. Bob Dylan – Together Through Life
3. Iron And Wine – Around The Well
4. PJ Harvey and John Parish – A Woman A Man Walked By
5. Girls – Album
6. M. Ward – Hold Time
7. Neko Case – Middle Cyclone
8. The Dexateens – Singlewide
9. Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion
10. The Low Anthem – Oh My God, Charlie Darwin
I just recently caught up with 9 and 10 and they could well move up in coming months. I’m sure there’s several albums lurking out there that I will love just as much that I haven’t found yet. I’m always looking and listening so I’m sure the list will change up until next year’s.
-Best Reissue(s): The Jesus Lizard Reissues
-Favorite Song: “Wild Rhododendrons” (Bloodkin)
-Favorite Tracks: “Black Hearted Love” (PJ Harvey and John Parish) / “Belated Promise Ring” (Iron and Wine)
-Favorite Live Performance: Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings / Iron and Wine at No Depression Festival in Seattle this summer
-Movies I’ve Loved: Fantastic Mr. Fox, Up, A Serious Man, Where The Wild Things Are, Let The Right One In, Inglourious Basterds
4. Bat For Lashes – Two Suns
5. The Beatles – White Album (remastered) – I know this is cheating, but the job they did on all the remasters is stunningly beautiful and breathes new air especially through this classic.
Shows
1. Neil Young at Hyde Park, London
2. Blur at Hyde Park, London
3. Bonnaroo – especially Wilco’s set… truly inspiring.
Anything Joker put out in 2009. He’s making really awesome dubstep. He had a lot of remixes in 2009, as well as official releases, so I guess he gets all of my top spots for the year.
Shows
I played 100 concerts. Starkey at Camp Bisco (the namesake festival we founded and curate) was really cool. When Phish did the dedication at Hampton to Fishman’s dad and Marc (Brownstein, Disco Biscuits bassist) was sitting next to him that was pretty funny. Charlie P & M80 Dubstation (my dubstep project) jamming samples together in ATL was sickness! Benga on the world beat tip in Philly was ragin’.
Electronic music has mostly in the past been about the party or setting the mood. As technology has improved there are many artists redefining the changing landscape of electronic genres.
There’s a new movement of young artists with equal parts musician, DJ, sound sculpture and producer that are re-shaping electronic music and how it is performed. I was blown away last week when I saw Alex B whack down the house for an official Disco Biscuits after party. This young lion has masterful control of his software that enable all of his original and banging tracks constant manipulation for live, almost improvised, computer performance.
Aron Magner
Also out of Colorado is the young Derek Smith (aka Pretty Lights). Derek took the changing climate of the music industry and used it to his direct advantage. In an new era where music fans feel more entitled to receive their music without paying for it, Derek said, ‘That’s cool, then here it is,” and released Filling Up The City Skies for free on his website, instantly catapulting his career to a new level and gaining multitudes of fans around the country almost overnight. The music speaks for itself. Deep electronic grooves with attention grabbing glitch and ear candy all with a type of soul not normally conveyed in dance music.
Eliot Lipp frequently runs in this same circle and performs with Alex B in the project Lipp Service. His 2009 release, Peace Love Weed 3D, almost feels retro-electro yet still pushed the boundaries of computer manipulation. His use of analog synth melodies lends a warm and engaging quality to his tunes. His songs evolve and have a story to tell from beginning to end.
Daedelus is more of an experimental musician frequently on bills with the artists above. He is unique as his main “instrument” is a rather insidious device know as a Monome. He is one of the pioneers of the Monome, which is nothing more than a matrix grid of unlabeled small buttons. They are all exclusively user programmable through very esoteric software enabling the end user to manipulate the parts of the tracks in a very unique way. He is the Clara Rockmore of this almost cryptic device.
And then there is Simon Posford, a revered producer and artist and pioneer in the electronic music world. He is also a very highly respected mentor of mine that I finally got to work with for the five tracks that he produced on our forthcoming album, Planet Anthem. Simon has a special ability to take an organic sound, be it a vocal or an acoustic guitar, and tweak it in such a loving way that it maintains the original feel that emanated from a human yet somehow still evolves into digital code. A delicate balance of real and surreal all masterfully placed over global beats with soundscapes that percolate your ears as if they were brain candy, all while providing for an incredible melodic and harmonic song structure. Check out one his projects, Shpongle‘s Tales of the Inexpressible and you’ll see what I mean.
Albums
1. Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest
2. Sparklehorse and Danger Mouse – Dark Night of the Soul
3. Wilco – Wilco The Album
4. Nathan Moore – Folk Singer
5. The Flaming Lips – Embryonic
Shows
1. Medeski, Martin & Wood | December 2009 | Lupo’s | Providence, RI (Dec)
Billy, Billy, Billy – what an amazing drum solo
2. Marco Benevento Trio | June 2009 | Carnegie Hall | New York, NY
3. The Slip | August 2009 | Bowery Ballroom | New York, NY
Albums
1. Jay Z – Blueprint 3
2. Gramatik – Street Bangers (Vol. 2)
3. Passion Pit – Manners
4. Blockhead – The Music Scene
5. Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
Albums
1. JFJO – Winterwood
My last record with Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey is also my favorite. Brian, Raymer and I did basic tracks in March 2008, and I finished the mixes in January 2009. It was put up as a free download on www.JFJO.com, but I’m still hoping to press physical copies with awesome artwork and stuff. We’ll see. A gorgeous album, 15 years in the making!
2. Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest
I definitely gave this one repeated listens. Amazing production. I like the song “Foreground.”
Mathis by Miller
3. Dorian Small – Newlyweds
Possibly my favorite musician out there.
4. Surprise Me Mr. Davis – ?????
Not sure if they even titled or released this, but it’s streaming on their website, and it’s absolutely crushing! Nathan Moore with the Slip – it truly just does not get any better. Thank the lord for Mr. Davis.
5. Medeski Martin & Wood – Radiolarian III
These guys played everything there was to be played, all before the year 2000, and they’ve been through the looking-glass ever since. The Radiolarian Series is their freakiest and most human stuff in a long time, much to my liking. They continue to sum up what I love about improvising.
Shows
1. Phish | 08.02.09 | Red Rocks Amphitheatre | Morrison, CO
My first Phish show, and my first Red Rocks show – quite an eye-opener. Watched the second set from side-stage, looking out at the sea of delighted humans. Kept thinking, “Hmmm…. not a bad band!”
2. Ornette Coleman | 11.08.09 | San Francisco Opera House | S.F., CA
My first Ornette show, one of my all-time heroes. Went with a very old friend. Ornette’s band was him, plus drums, and TWO basses. Yes, please!
3. Medeski Martin & Wood | 12.04.09 | Lupo’s | Providence, RI
My 20th MMW show. Watched from side-stage, then from the rigging up above the stage. I love getting music lessons! What benevolent musicians they are. Freaking cosmic virtuosos.
Albums
1. Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest
2. Andrew Bird – Noble Beast
3. Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros – Up From Below
4. Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
5. Slaraffenland – We’re On Your Side
Shows
1. Andrew Bird | Radio City Hall | New York, NY
2. Frightened Rabbit | Whitehaven, U.K.
3. Fink | Belfast, Northern Ireland
Albums
1. Kings of Leon – Only by the Night
2. Passion Pit – Manners
3. Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
4. Wilco – Wilco (The Album)
5. Pretty Lights – Passing by Behind Your Eyes
Shows
1. Taj Mahal and Bonnie Raitt | Ravinia | Chicago, IL
2. Andrew Bird | Schubas | Chicago, IL
3. Passion Pit | Treasure Island Festival | San Francisco, CA
Albums
1. Danny Barnes – Pizza Box
2. Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
3. Zach Deputy – Sunshine
4. Power up the Planet
Keller Williams
A compilation of cool music with the proceeds going to providing solar power for folks with nothing. Great cause and the mix of songs is bitchin’.
5. The Pimps of Joytime – Funk Fixes and Remixes
Shows
1.Umphrey’s McGee | Summer Camp – Felix Pastorius and Les Claypool sit-ins. Massive fire works customized to the music.
2. Girl Talk | Rothbury – Late night show mentality
3. String Cheese Incident | Rothbury – Epic production.
Albums
1. BlakRoc – BlakRoc
2. Dr. John – City That Care Forgot
3. Cyril Neville – Brand New Blues
4. Mos Def – The Ecstatic
5. Paramore – Brand New Eyes
Shows
1. Dumpstaphunk | Tipitina’s | Jazzfest | New Orleans, LA
2. The Neville Brothers | Mawazine Jazzfest | Rabat, Morocco
3. Funky METERS | Fuji Rock Festival
Albums
1. The Beatles – Remasters (Duh!)
2. Them Crooked Vultures – self-titled
3. Justin Townes Earle – Midnight at the Movies
4. The Ting Tings – We Started Nothing
5. MGMT – Oracular Spectacular
Shows
1. Wilco | Sloss Furnace | Birmingham, AL
2. Earl Greyhound | Turf Club | St. Paul, MN (with us)
3. The Mother Hips | The Doug Fir | Portland, OR (with us)
Albums
1. John Scofield – Piety Street
2. Water Seed – Early for The Future
3. Diane Birch – Bible Belt
4. Alec Ounsworth – Mo Beauty
5. Jack Brass Band – self-titled
Shows Played
1. The Meter Men | New Orleans Jazz Fest
2. The Funky Meters | Tokyo
3. Runnin’ Pardners | 08.08.09 | Red Rocks Amphitheatre
4. Porter Batiste Stoltz | 10.30.09 | Tipitina’s French Quarter | New Orleans, LA (the band’s last gig as a band)
I’ve been so busy this year I haven’t really gotten a chance to peep out anything outside of what I’ve been involved with. Here are my top picks for albums I appeared on in 2009.
1. Stanton Moore – Take It To The Streets (digital download)
2. Street Sweeper Social Club – self-titled
3. Diane Birch – Bible Belt
4. Alec Ounsworth – Mo Beauty
5. Garage A Trois – Power Patriot
Top Picks For Shows I Played in 2009
1. Galactic | The Fillmore | San Francisco, CA (with special guest Zigaboo Modeliste, drummer for The Meters)
2. Anders Osborne | Jazz Fest | New Orleans, LA
Introduced new band with myself, Robert Walter and Anders. We rehearsed all week at my house before the gig and are now finishing up a record with that new lineup.
3. Garage A Trois | DBA | New Orleans, LA Power Patriot record release and Skerik’s birthday.
1. Sunn O))) – Monoliths and Dimensions
2. Future of the Left – (most of) Travels with myself and another
3. Lightning Bolt – Earthly Delights
4. Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest
Honorable Mention: McTuff – Volume 1, Dead Kenny Gs – Bewildered Herd, Garage A Trois – Power Patriot
Shows
1. Wayne Shorter Quartet | Zellerbach Hall | Berkeley, CA
Incredible, life making, spiritual event
2. Sunn O))) | Neumo’s | Seattle, WA
Attila incantations: unparalleled.
3. Sunn O))) Duo | Vienna and Prague
Simply the heaviest thing on earth.
1. Them Crooked Vultures – Them Crooked Vultures
2. Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest
3. Aceyalone – The Lonely Ones
4. The Flaming Lips – Embryonic
5. Mulatu Astatke and the Heliocentrics – Inspiration Information 3
Shows
1. Wayne Shorter Quartet | October 2009 | Zellerbach Hall | Berkeley, CA
2. The Secret Chiefs 3 | They killed everyone the Oddity Faire Tour
3. Aloke Dutta (solo tabla) | July 2009 | Blue Nile | New Orleans, LA
My Best Shows
1. Mike Dillon’s Go-Go Jungle | May 2009 | Dragons Den (late night) – Jazz Fest | New Orleans
2. Garage a Trois | December 2009 | The Independent | San Francisco, CA
3. Dead Kenny Gs | Jazz Fest ’09 | Megalmaniacs Ball | New Orleans, LA
4. Illuminasti Trio with Brian Coogan | Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro | New Orleans, LA
5. Sam Baker – Cotton
6. Tom Waits – Glitter and Doom
7. PJ Harvey and John Parish – A Woman A Man Walked By
Shows
1. Paul McCartney, Mastodon, Leonard Cohen, The Cure, X, Public Enemy – Coachella – April 2009
I was really impressed and amazed at all of these performances. Rarely have I seen so many sets of such high caliber at one festival… and this wasn’t even the extent of it. I should really just list this as “Coachella 2009.”
2. The Melvins – Grand Regency – San Francisco
3. Nels Cline Singers – Cafe DuNord, San Francisco, CA – September 3, 2009
4. Them Crooked Vultures – Fox Theater – Oakland, CA – November 2009
How can you go wrong with this lineup? Well, I guess they could if they tried… but they didn’t. Rock is alive.
5. Gov’t Mule – Apollo Theater – Barcelona, Spain – November 15, 2009
Best Mule show I’ve seen in a while, possibly ever. I even got to join them for a couple numbers.
6. The Pogues – Regency Ballroom – San Francisco, CA
1. Rotary Downs | Halloween – October 31 | DBA, New Orleans, LA
Cmon, it was the best show of the year… glow in the dark, smoke machines n shit…cmon!
2. BROOKLYNOLA – Generationals, w/ the BKLNOLA All Stars | May 8 | Public Assembly, Brooklyn, NY
Simon Lott, Mike Gamble, Marc Friedman, Tony Barba, Bryce Wymer, Mitch Paone
3. Not So Super Super Hero Party 7 | February 21 | Hi Ho Lounge, New Orleans, LA Featuring Brian Coogan/Simon Lott/Mike Gamble/Anthony Cuccia/Justin Peak
1. Robert Earl Keen – Rose Hotel
2. Phish – Joy
3. Robyn Hitchcock – Good Night Oslo
4. Drivin’ n’ Cryin’ – Great American Bubble Factory
5. Tim Carrol – All Kinds of Pain
Shows (no particular order)
1. Les Claypool | All Good Festival
2. Robert Earl Keen | Bonnaroo Music Festival
3. Great American Taxi | Telluride Bluegrass Festival
Albums
1. Omar Souleyman – Highway to Hassake
2. White Denim – Fits
3. Master Musicians of Bukkake – Totem One
4. Extra Golden – Thank you very Quickly
5. Pissed Jeans – King of Jeans
Albums (no particular order)
1. Greg Giraldo – Midlife Vices
2. Paul F. Tompkins – Freak Wharf
3. Patton Oswalt – My Weakness Is Strong
4. Doug Stanhope – From Across The Street
5. Flight Of The Conchords – I Told You I Was Freaky
Shows
1. Jamie Cullum | 07.17.09 | Juan Les Pin | Antibes, France
2. Playing For Change with Special Guests Ziggy Marley & Toots Hibbert | 11.13.09 | Nokia Live | Los Angeles, CA
3. David Byrne | 06.12.09 | Bonnaroo Music Festival | Manchester, TN
Albums
1. Floating Action – self-titled
2. Dan Auerbach – Keep It Hid
McMicken by Grayson
3. Elvis Perkins In Dearland – self-titled
4. M. Ward – Hold Time
5. Pepi Ginsberg – East Is East
6. Alec Ounsworth – Mo’ Beauty
Shows
The Zombies | Azkena Festival | Spain
Man, as I start thinkin’ about it, I realize that the quality of any given show I see has so much to do with my willingness to experience the beauty of that particular moment. I’ve seen great shows I missed and I’ve missed great shows I’ve seen. My nephew jammed the toy room to tears!
1. El Perro Del Mar – Love Is Not Pop
2. Papercuts – You Can Have What You Want
3. Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion
4. Existensminimum – OK Boys
5. Pains Of Being Pure At Heart – self-titled
6. Girls – Album
7. Brothers Of End – The End
8. Anna Järvinen – Man Var Bland Molnen
9. Where The Action Is – LA Nuggets
10. Cass McCombs – Catacombs
Shows
1. Dinosaur Jr. | SXSW
2. Neil Young | Stockholm
3. El Perro Del Mar opening for us every night this fall tour
1. BLK JKS at SXSW – March 18 – The Paradise – Austin, TX
On par with South by Southwest chaos we lugged all our equipment from one block to another to make a show in haste and when we got there the BLK JKS were playing before us and it was absolutely captivating. It stopped us in our tracks and made us forget where we were – which is hard to do in those few fragmented days in March in Austin, TX.
2. Opening for Morrissey at Carnegie Hall in Pittsburg, PA – Saint Patrick’s Day 2009 The first Carnegie Hall ever built I believe and when we peeked inside it was like playing an old Opera Vaudeville place that was just majestic. Made us feel like we were teleported into another time. During soundcheck you see Morrissey on side stage watching us sing our songs of change and revolt, out of key and dissonant. Saint Patrick’s Day opening for Morrissey in that building was quite surreal.
3. Tallest Man on Earth – April 1 – Pabst Theater – Milwaukee, WI
I went through a rough time this year, a lot of personal and family sadness that eventually released the inner hibernating beast whilst simultaneously tricking the spirit inside the confines of my detuned heart. We did a lot of tour hopping in the spring all around the country – once we started traveling with Kristian (TMOE) I felt it serendipitous that I could watch him every night and vicariously live in each song. When he performs it is one of the most genuine things I’ve seen. I needed that right then and there.
1. Skeletonwitch – Breathe The Fire
2. Baroness – Blue Album
3. Kylesa – Static Tensions
4. Black Tusk/ASG split CD
5. Coliseum – “True Quiet/Last Wave” 7-inch
Shows
1. Southern Discomfort Tour with Black Tusk, Kylesa and Skeletonwitch
2. Bison when they toured with Tombes and Kylesa
3. Backstage at Mastodon in Detroit!
1. Isis – Wavering Radiant
2. The Life and Times – Tragic Boogie
3. Satyricon – The Age of Nero
4. Converge – Axe to Fall
5. Jawbox – For Your Own Special Sweetheart reissue
Shows
1. Nine Inch Nails | Henry Fonda | Los Angeles, CA
2. Jesus Lizard | Metro | Chicago, IL
3. Sunny Day Real Estate | House of Blues | Anaheim, CA
For me, 2009 was not so much about new music as it was about hearing some legends at a new peak of their career, with that in mind I submit to you my picks.
Albums
1. The Beatles – Abbey Road (remastered)
U-Melt
2. The Beatles – Revolver (remastered)
3. The Beatles – Rubber Soul (remastered)
4. The Beatles – White Album (remastered)
5. The Beatles – Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (remastered)
It’s hard to compete with the best. The remasters sound absolutely amazing, and I for one was very happy to have a little bit of Beatlemania in my life in 2009.
Shows
1. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band | 09.30.09 | Giants Stadium | East Rutherford, NJ
For night one of his five-night run to close the old stadium, Bruce opened with a brand new, never before played song appropriately titled “Wrecking Ball.” Over the course of the 3+ hour show they went through the Born To Run album in its entirety, which was one of the best things I’ve ever seen on a stage.
2. David Byrne | 06.08.09 | Prospect Park | Brooklyn, NY
David has a unique brand of genius, and when he teams up with Brian Eno, the results are unbeatable. The show focused on the many musical collaborations the two men have had over the years, and featured a lot of great old school Talking Heads songs. With the entire band (and three dancers) dressed all in white, Mr. Byrne’s artistic mind shone through in a wonderful way.
3. Steve Winwood | 01.16.09 | United Palace Theater | New York, NY
Every time I see Steve play he blows my mind. The amount of soul that he exudes when he sings, not to mention the fact that he doesn’t need a bass player as he is one of the greatest organists around. This night in January had Steve in top form.
Albums
1. Conor Oberst – Outer South
2. Mason Jennings – Blood Of Man
3. Wilco – Wilco (The Album)
4. Mastodon – Crack The Skye
5. Pearl Jam – Ten (remixed)
6. Them Crooked Vultures – self-titled
Continue reading for more Best of 2009 Artist List…
One day I was really craving some new music so asked one of my friends for an artist to type into Pandora. He said Phoenix. I loved the track that came up. Instead of listening to the Pandora station, I bought their new album and have been listening to it since. Fresh music found.
2. Bruce Springsteen – Working on a Dream
As Barack Obama said… “I may be the President, but this guy’s the Boss.” Sometimes the production can be thick, but these songs are genuine. The last song on the album entitled “The Wrestler” is one of my favorite songs of his whole career.
3. Brandi Carlile – Give Up the Ghost
One of my favorite new artists and in my opinion, one of the best female singers around today. Great songs, great tones, and a great band.
4. The Mother Hips – Pacific Dust
I’m thankful for every album these guys have released and this new album is no exception. These guys never cease to amaze me.
5. Band of Horses – Cease to Begin
I caught the last couple of songs of their set at the Outside Lands Festival in SF. The next day I got their CD and it’s great. I like to listen to it when I’m building things.
Shows (in no particular order)
1. Brandi Carlile – 10/21/09 – Fillmore, San Francisco
Brandi is a gifted artist and in a live setting you really notice it. They started the show with an a capella song and they sounded like angels. I was hooked from the first notes.
2. These United States – 7/5/09 – High Sierra Music Festival
I was on my way to meet a friend, and as I was walking by the Vaudeville tent I was drawn in by some great music. I loved it and ended up staying until the end of the set. I love surprises like this. Great energy.
3 ALO – 2/15/09 – The Mystic Theater, Petaluma, CA
To me, this show represents ALO at its finest. We were well warmed up and everything just seemed to flow in an effortless way. A great blend of songs and improvisations. After the show I remember thinking to myself… “This is why I play music!”
2. Wilco – Wilco (The Album)
3. The Mother Hips – Pacific Dust
4. Hiss Golden Messenger – Country Hai East Cotton
5. Chris Velan – Solidago
Shows Watched
1. Phish | 03.06.08 – 03.08.09 | Hampton Coliseum | Hampton, VA
2. Dr. Dog | 10.05.09 | Brookdale Lodge | Boulder Creek, CA
3. The Black Crowes | 12.06.09 | The Fillmore | San Francisco, CA
Shows Played
1. ALO | 02.15.09 | Mystic Theater | Petaluma, CA
2. Big Light, Skinny Singers | 02.28.09 | Gramble On Big Sur | Big Sur, CA
3. Dun Four, Newfangled Wasteland, Nicki Bluhm | 10.30.09-11.01.09 | Las Tortugas IV | Groveland, CA
Albums
1. Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest
The best music in the country is still coming out of Brooklyn.
2. Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion
This album proves that if a song has a strong melody you can do whatever you want underneath it.
3. Portugal The Man – Censored Colors
One of the best engineered and mixed albums I’ve heard in years.
Jeremy Korpas
4. The Antlers – Hospice
It’s a concept album about a man watching his lover die of cancer in the hospital. It’s heart wrenching to say the least.
5. U2 – No Line On The Horizon
I would expect no less from the biggest bad in the world.
Shows Attended
1. All six of the Dr. Dog shows that I’ve seen this year. From The Fillmore to the side of the stage at High Sierra, all the way out in Santa Cruz mountains, every show turned me into a clapper, a singer, a dancer, a fist-pumper, and all those things I wouldn’t normally do at a rock show.
2. The Mars Volta | Outside Lands Music Festival | San Francisco, CA
It was an all out musical assault. Cedric’s stage moves alone were enough to make the list. They proved they have the biggest dicks in the business
3. The Mother Hips | Las Tortugas IV | Groveland, CA
They just killed it that night! Plus they let me sing “Del Mar Station” onstage with them. First time I had stage fright in 10 years.
Shows Played
1. Big Light’s Late Night Camp Harry Set | High Sierra Music Festival
“I moved to California looking for something. I found it at Camp Harry.” Swordfish
2. Green Tag Sale | Phanphest Music Festival
We played a late night indoors set that was just off the hook. 120 degrees and a packed house is exactly what the TRON calls for. But on Sunday we played the tiny solar tent at 4 p.m. and played our best show to date!
3. Paperback Radio | The Saint | Asbury Park, NJ
It felt great to play my favorite songs with my favorite band again!
Albums
1. Riceboy Sleeps – Jonsi and Alex
2. Baaba Maal – Television
3. Bela Fleck – Throw Down Your Heart
4. Vieux Farka Toure – Fondo
5. Sufjan Stevens – The BQE
Shows
1. Rashied Ali | Zinc Bar | New York, NY
2. Panda Resistance | Soundpony | Tulsa, OK
3. Of Montreal | Williamsburg Theater | Brooklyn, NY
Albums
1. The Doldrums – Mirth & Songs
2. Dead Sea Choir – Thin One The Red One
3. Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion
4. Bullion – Pet Sounds in the Key of Dee
5. Panda Resistance – self-titled
Shows
1. NYC Winter Jazz Fest
2. Nola Jazz Fest/Skerik’s saucefest!
3. Tractor Tavern with Bill Frisell
Albums
1. Bibio – Ambivalence Avenue
2. Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion
3. The Flaming Lips – Embryonic
4. The Dirty Projectors – Bitte Orca
5. MF Doom – Born Into This
Shows
1. Of Montreal | Williamsburg Music Hall | Brooklyn, NY
2. Private party in New Orleans during Jazz Fest where JFJO played with Kirk Joseph, Zigaboo Modeliste, John Speice and several other NOLA badasses.
3. Moodswing Orchestra and JFJO at Le Poisson Rouge, and then late night with Steven Bernstein sitting in with Bonerama at Sullivan Hall, New York, NY
Albums
1. Sufjan Stevens – The BQE
2. Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion
3. Dirty Projectors – Bitte Orca
4. Andrew Bird – Noble Beast
5. The Flaming Lips – Christmas On Mars soundtrack
Shows
1. Punch Brothers | Fayetteville Performing Arts Center | Fayetteville, AR
2. Of Montreal | Music Hall of Williamsburg | Brooklyn, NY
3. Wilco/Tortoise | UIC Pavilion | Chicago, IL
Albums (no particular order)
1. Built To Spill – There Is No Enemy
2. Kurt Vile – Constant Hitmaker
3. Wooden Shjips – Dos
4. Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion
5. Wu-Tang Clan – Chamber Music
Shows (no particular order)
1. Black Dub | 10.15.09 | Troubadour | Los Angeles, CA
2. Monsters Of Folk | 10.18.09 | Greek Theatre | Los Angeles, CA
3. Neil Young w/ Everest | 04.21.09 | Kelowna, BC (had to do it)
Albums
1. Steve Earle – Townes
2. Bill Frisell – Disfarmer
3. Levon Helm – Electric Dirt
4. Smooth Kentucky – A Few More Miles
5. Danny Barnes – Pizza Box
Shows
1. Kelly Joe Phelps | Nightcat | Easton, MD
2. Anders Osborne | Rams Head Live | Baltimore, MD
3. The Dead | The Spectrum | Philadelphia, PA
Albums
1. Charlie Parr – Roustabout
2. Neko Case – Middle Cyclone
3. The Hobo Nephews of Uncle Frank – Traveling Show
4. Now, Now Every Children – Cars
5. Pert Near Sandstone – On a Spree
Shows
1. Homegrown Music Festival | Duluth, MN
2. Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion | Bristol, TN
3. 10,000 Lakes Festival
Albums
1. Thievery Corporation – Radio Retaliation
2. Matisyahu – Light
3. Breakestra – Dusk til Dawn
4. Sly and Robbie – Movin On
5. Karl Denson – Brother’s Keeper
Shows
1.Thievery Corp
2.Pretty Lights
3.Sly and Robbie
4.Pnuma Trio
Albums
1. Florence and the Machine – Lungs
2. Kasabian – West Pauper Lunatic Asylum
3. Muse – The Resistance
4. U2 – No Line On The Horizon
5. The Flaming Lips – Embryonic
Shows
1. Supporting U2 at Croke Park, Dublin in July
2. Kasabian | The SECC | Glasgow, Scotland
3. Florence and the Machine | Brixton Academy | London
Albums (no particular order)
1. MGMT – Oracular Spectacular
2. Jay-Z – Blueprint 3
3. Kid Cudi – Man on the Moon
4. Muse – The Resistance
5. Kings of Leon – Only by the Night
Shows (no particular order)
1. U2
2. Muse (opening for U2)
3. Nas and Damian Marley | Camp Bisco
Albums
1. Michael Jackson – Off The Wall
2. Ryan Montbleau Band – Stages Vol. 2
3. Bela Fleck – Throw Down Your Heart
4. The Motet – Dig Deep
5. The Derek Trucks Band – Already Free
Shows
1. Wormtown | Greenfield, MA
2. Bear Creek Festival | Live Oak, FL
3. Bonnaroo | Manchester, TN
Widespread Panic :: 11.13.09 :: Fox Theater :: Oakland, CA
Widespread Panic :: 11.13 :: Oakland
It had been over two years since perennial road warriors Widespread Panic played a non-festival show in the Bay Area. Shacking up at the gorgeous Fox Theater in Oakland, CA for a three-night run, it was the second show on Friday the 13th that stuck out as special. There was nothing wrong with Thursday or Saturday’s shows, other than being perhaps a bit flat, but Friday’s concert was a reminder of why this band has one of the most dedicated fan bases in all of music and it was a prime example of why these fans continue to drop it all and chase Panic around the country. During the band’s peak, somewhere between 1997 and 2002, shows like this popped up frequently, and for many seasoned touring vets, Friday’s show was one of the better since band co-founder Michael Houser passed away.
Clocking in at around an hour and a half, the lengthy first set featured Bob Dylan (“Solid Rock”), Tom Waits (“Goin’ Out West”), Neil Young (“Don’t Be Denied”), and Jerry Joseph (“Light Is Like Water”). The tone was set immediately with Jimmy Herring‘s ominous guitar bleeding the dark notes to first song “Junior” and before long it was Jojo Hermann‘s dirty Clavinet that pushed the song into surprisingly funky terrain. Hermann would prove to be the catalyst throughout the night, leaning on his keys, tempting a Friday the 13th “Superstition” (which never surfaced) and creating spacey interludes so that the momentum rarely slowed.
John Bell :: 11.13 :: Oakland
During old school instrumental “Happy,” Herring was channeling vintage Garcia as he pulled notes from the sky and showed incredible control of his warm tone. Frontman John Bell grabbed hold of the crowd during “Pigeons,” belting out some of the most poignant lyrics in rock: “We’ve all been waiting/ Wondering, will we ever know the truth/ What it’s like washing windows when you know there are pigeons on the roof.” The world is a harsh, unforgiving place and we all know it. We wake up and struggle to find a moment of peace, we wash the windows of our life only to turn around and find shit caked all over them once again. But we push on. We clean up and fight another day. It’s all we can do.
Another old gem, “Walkin’” was a revelation. Taking the loping tempo and twisting the notes until they were unrecognizable, Panic landed in one of the night’s longest and most impressive jams that may have been influenced by the recent tour with the Allman Brothers. With bassist Dave Schools working overtime to keep the wheels glued on, Herring and Hermann were free to fly loose and light, dancing around one another, dipping into fast-paced duels and spacious feather-weight cascades.
If the set ended there it would have been a great first set, but then emerged one of the most emotional songs in the band’s repertoire, Neil Young’s “Don’t Be Denied.” With strong parallels to Panic’s history, as JB sang, “Pretty soon I met a friend who played guitar,” the Fox erupted. One look at the capacity crowd and it was clear many were feeling it. Tears were forming, arms were wrapped around shoulders, and if you stared long enough, maybe you could still see Mikey Houser sitting up there on the stage.
Clearly this had to be the end of the set. “Don’t Be Denied” is generally a first, last or encore song. Wrong again. Out comes Jerry Joseph for a blistering “Light Is Like Water.” They’ve previously only played the song eight times and it had been over a year since it last showed up. A meaty middle section featured a three guitar attack with Herring, JB and Joseph winding around each other, and then Schools and JB doing back-up harmony for the Reverend Jerry Joseph in a raucous church revival moment as he screamed, “Whatever gets you through the night!” It was a big way to end a massive first set that left many out of breath with eyes glassed over.
Ortiz & Schools :: 11.13 :: Oakland
When they came back out with “Tie Your Shoes” > “Blight” > “All Time Low” > “Blight” it was clear that Panic was not letting up on this evening. Set two never stopped and never slowed down. Every song bled into the next and they turned the Fox into a sweaty soup of gyrating bodies and flailing limbs.
“Tie Your Shoes” was played at a frantic pace with notes folding over one another and everyone somehow staying off each other’s toes. “Blight” was slow and dark, allowing fans the rare chance to hear Schools sing lead. With a heavy delay on his vocals, Schools was improvising about “green shoots popping up everywhere,” and when JB sang back-up, Schools followed by blurting out “spooky” before they did some of the finest vocal harmonizing of the run. The fact that they went out of “Blight” and back into it for a brief moment after “All Time Low” sent the hardcore fans reeling.
Set two found Dave Schools out front, and when he dropped the bombs to signal The Meters‘ “Just Kissed My Baby” (which hadn’t been played since 2006) the dance party went into overdrive. Fully equipped with the JB “Night People” rap, Jimmy Herring’s fire-starter lead and percussionist Wally Ingram adding color, things opened wide during this section.
Herring & Hermann :: 11.13 :: Oakland
One could wax poetic about every song played: the strong “C. Brown;” the heavenly, delicate jam out of “Wonderin’;” the slow, methodical, long “Porch Song” that erupted at the end, reminding fans of the late ’90s; and the “Love Tractor” that closed the set. But it was “Arleen” > “Red Hot Mama” that turned a great show into the stuff of legend.
The dirty disco funk of “Arleen” came on hot and heavy and sent backs breaking and knees popping. Everyone – band and fans alike – were fully lubricated at this point and there was no looking back. It didn’t matter if this was your 150th Panic show or your first; everyone felt it and it appeared that all had given themselves over to the groove. Jojo was hammering the Clav, locked-in deep with Schools, and JB was loose, adlibbing about the neighbor girl (“her face look good but her body not ready”) and tossing in a brief moment of “Junior,” adding to the story he’s been crafting for decades. It all built to a mean crescendo with that little neighbor girl’s daddy coming out with his gun locked and loaded as the band fell in step, turning out the final jam before Schools teased Sugar Hill Gang‘s “Rappers Delight” with a bit of “Hotel motel Holiday Inn.”
At this point all bets were off, and when they blasted into Parliament/Funkadelic‘s “Red Hot Mama” it was a blur of funky keys, growling guitars, heavy bass, and grinding ass funk. For this writer, “Arleen” > “Red Hot Mama” (and the entire second set for that matter) was as good as anything he’s seen all year.
John Bell :: 11.13 :: Oakland
“We’re glad we came to work tonight,” declared JB before the encore. It was a big show felt just as much by the band as the fans, and when they closed with JB on mandolin for a tender “End Of The Show” it was the perfect way to send us off into the night, feeling just a bit lighter than when we walked in.
There’s transcendence in these songs. Dancing with eyes closed and screaming along with old friends you rarely see and new ones you’ve yet to make, there’s community here. There’s a shared experience that stretches far beyond the concert hall. Widespread Panic is a true blue workingman’s rock & roll band. They aren’t singing of fantastical places or imaginary moments, this is salt of the earth stuff and as Americans we need it more than ever. Life is hard right now and we’re carrying a lot weight. People are losing jobs, houses, and lives, and many aren’t sure how they’re gonna pull through. A rock concert might not save us from tomorrow, but it sure feels nice to let it all slide off our shoulders and roll down our backs, even if it’s just for three hours on a Friday night.
Widespread Panic :: 11.13 :: Fox Theatre :: Oakland, CA
Set I: Junior, Solid Rock, Happy > Goin’ Out West, Big Wooly Mammoth, Pigeons, Crazy, Walkin’ (For Your Love) > Don’t Be Denied, Light Is Like Water*
Set II: Tie Your Shoes > Blight > All Time Low > Blight > Just Kissed My Baby**, C. Brown** > Wondering > Porch Song > Arleen > Red Hot Mama > Love Tractor
E: End Of The Show
* with Jerry Joseph on guitar/vocals
** with Wally Ingram on percussion
You can stream and/or download this show for free now at panicstream.com.
Widespread Panic is on tour now; dates available here.
Continue reading for more pics of Widespread Panic at The Fox in Oakland…
Widespread Panic & The Allman Brothers Band Setlists
10.17.09 :: Sat :: Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion :: The Woodlands, TX
Widespread Panic:
Let’s Get Down To Business, Give > Disco > Tall Boy, Blue Indian > Junior > Party At Your Mamas House > Ribs and Whiskey, North, Pilgrims, Good People > Use Me* > Cortez the Killer* > Lawyers, Guns and Money, Henry Parsons Died
* with Warren Haynes on guitar
The Allman Brothers Band:
Revival, Done Somebody Wrong, Rocking Horse, One Way Out, Guilded Splinters*, The Sky is Crying, Franklins Tower**, Black Hearted Woman, Dreams***, In Memory of Elizabeth Reed****
E: Southbound^
* with John Bell on guitar/vocals, Sunny Ortiz on percussion
** with Sunny Ortiz on percussion, Jimmy Herring on guitar
*** with Dave Schools on bass, without Oteil Burbridge
10.16.09 :: Fri :: Superpages.com Center :: Dallas, TX
Widespread Panic:
Radio Child, Weight Of The World > Don’t Be Denied, Wondering, Greta > Under The Radar Jam > Three Candles > Space Wrangler, Gradle, From The Cradle, Second Skin* > Blackout Blues*, All Time Low, Makes Sense To Me
* with Derek Trucks on guitar
The Allman Brothers Band:
Statesboro Blues, Come And Go Blues, No One To Run With, Who’s Been Talking, Midnight Rider, Highway 61 Revisited*, Why Does Love Got To Be So Sad?, One Way Out, Into The Mystic, Jessica
10.14.09 :: Wed :: Municipal Auditorium :: Nashville, TN
Widespread Panic:
Let’s Get The Show On The Road > Happy > You Should Be Glad, Pickin’ Up The Pieces, Up All Night, Love Tractor, Big Wooly Mammoth* > Fishwater > Drums > Fishwater > Don’t Wanna Lose You** > It Ain’t No Use** > Jam** > Driving Song > You Got Yours > Driving Song > Chilly Water
E: Vacation > Life During Wartime
* Johnny Neel on keys
** Audley Freed on guitar
The Allman Brothers Band:
Don’t Want You no More > Not My Cross To Bear > Don’t Keep Me Wondering, Trouble No More, Good Morning Little Schoolgirl, Midnight Rider*, Done Somebody Wrong**, Black Hearted Woman* > Other One Jam, Woman Across The River*, Soulshine, It Takes A Lot To Laugh It Takes A Train To Cry***, In Memory of Elizabeth Reed**** > Drums & Bass > In Memory of Elizabeth Reed****
E: Melissa*****, You Don’t Love Me******
* Chris Jackson on keys
** Elizabeth Pearson on bass and Chris Jackson on piano
*** JB on guitar & vocals; Johnny Neel on piano
**** Jack Pearson on bass with Oteil; Chris Jackson on piano
***** Gregg Allman on acoustic; without Derek Trucks
****** Jimmy Hall on harmonica; Elizabeth Pearson on bass; without Oteil
Better Off, One-Arm Steve, Old Neighborhood > Action Man, Time Zones > Jam > Angels On High > Rebirtha > Watching The Sleeping Man, Papa’s Home > Stop/Go > Papa’s Home > Travelin’ Man > Ride Me High > Drum Solo > Jam* > Surprise Valley* > Drum Solo > Surprise Valley* > Climb To Safety*
* With Derek Trucks on guitar
The Allman Brothers Band:
Statesboro Blues, One Way Out, Sky Is Crying, Come and Go Blues, Any Day, 44 Blues, Leave My Blues at Home, Melissa, Rocking Horse > Little Martha > Rockin Horse, Dreams*, Mountain Jam*
10.11.09 :: Sun :: Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion at Walnut Creek :: Raleigh, NC
Widespread Panic:
Pigeons, 1 x 1, Proving Ground, Down > Holden Oversoul > Little Lilly > Tie Your Shoes, City of Dreams > B of D > Barstools & Dreamers, Ribs & Whiskey* > Stop Breakin’ Down Blues* > Ribs & Whiskey*, Tall Boy > Ain’t Life Grand
w/ * Warren Haynes
The Allman Brothers Band:
Don’t Want You No More, Not My Cross To Bear, Done Somebody Wrong, Don’t Keep Me Wondering, Only You Know and I Know*, Can’t Find My Way Home**, No One To Run With, Who’s Been Talking, You Don’t Love Me, The Same Thing, Melisa, In Memory of Elizabeth Reed***
E: Southbound****
w/ * James van de Bogert on drums
w/ ** JB and James van de Bogert
w/ *** Jimmy Herring
w/ **** J Herring, JoJo, D Schools
10.10.09 :: Sat :: BJCC Arena :: Birmingham, AL
The Allman Brothers Band:
Midnight Rider, Trouble No More, Can’t Lose What You Never Had, You Don’t Love Me, Soulshine, Stand Back, And It Stoned Me*, Revival, Statesboro Blues, Mountain Jam > Smokestack Lightnin’** > Mountain Jam
E: Black Hearted Woman
* w/ with John Bell, guitar & vox; James van de Bogert, drums
** w/ with Colonel Bruce Hampton, vocals
Widespread Panic:
The Take Out > Diner > Rock > Porch Song, Dyin’ Man*, Slippin’ Into Darkness**, Just Like A Woman***, Bust It Big**** > Drums > Airplane > Pilgrims > Goodpeople > Dark Bar > Goodpeople > Junior
E: Expiration Day > Goin’ Out West
* with DJ Logic on turntables
** with Marc Quinones on percussion, Warren Haynes on guitar
Hatfield > Walkin’ (For Your Love) > Wondering, Tickle the Truth > Chainsaw City > Machine > Arleen > Space Wrangler, Her Dance Needs No Body > Greta > Drums* > Maggot Brain** > Time Is Free*** > Give
* with DJ Logic on turntables
** with Derek Trucks on guitar
*** with Col. Bruce Hampton on vocals, Derek Trucks on guitar, Oteil Burbridge on bass
['Time Is Free' without Dave]
The Allman Brothers Band:
Done Somebody Wrong, Come and Go Blues, End Of The Line, The Weight*, Key To The Highway*, Rocking Horse, Dreams**, Highway 61 Revisited***, Into The Mystic****, Leave My Blues at Home, Melissa, Jessica
E: One Way Out*****
* with JoJo Hermann, piano
** with Dave Schools, bass
*** with John Bell, guitar & vocals; Dave Schools, bass; James van de Bogert, drums
**** with James van de Bogert, drums
***** with Jimmy Herring, guitar
10.07.09 :: Wed :: NTELOS Wireless Pavilion :: Portsmouth, VA
Widespread Panic:
From The Cradle > Can’t Get High > Love Tractor, I’m Not Alone, Imitation Leather Shoes > Jam > Jack > Impossible > Jam* > Nobody’s Fault But Mine > Blight > Driving Song > Disco > Drums > Solid Rock > All Time Low > Under The Radar Jam > Driving Song > Conrad
* with Danny Louis on keyboards
['Nobody's Fault But Mine' without JoJo]
The Allman Brothers Band:
Don’t Keep Me Wonderin’, Statesboro Blues, Hoochie Coochie Man, Come On In My Kitchen, No One To Run With, Stormy Monday, The Same Thing*, Franklin’s Tower**, Midnight Rider, In Memory of Elizabeth Reed***
E: You Don’t Love Me
* with James van de Bogert, drums
** with Oteil Burbridge, vocals; Jimmy Herring, guitar.; Sonny Ortiz, percussion; Dave Schools, bass; Todd Nance, drums; Danny Louis, B3, no Gregg
*** Danny Louis, B3, no Gregg
10.06.09 :: Tue :: Merriweather Post Pavilion :: Columbia, MD
Widespread Panic:
Travelin’ Light, Thought Sausage > Pleas > Who Do You Belong To?, C. Brown, Up All Night, Three Candles > Flicker > Contentment Blues > North > Second Skin* > Protein Drink > Sewing Machine* , Radio Child > Action Man > Chilly Water
* w/ Warren Haynes
The Allman Brothers Band:
Trouble No More, Leave My Blues At Home, One Way Out, Sky is Crying, Dreams, Guilded Splinters*, Woman Across The River, Don’t Think Twice**, South Bound***, Melissa, Stand Back****, Mountain Jam > Dazed & Confused > Mountain Jam
E: Whipping Post
Danny Louis on keyboard entire show
* w/ JB & Sunny Ortiz
** w/ Susan Tedeschi, Jaimoe Jr (without Jaimoe)
*** w/ Jimmy Herring, Ron Holloway on sax, Susan Tedeschi, Todd Nance (without Jaimoe)
**** w/ Ron Holloway on sax
Gregg Allman is recovering from the pinched nerve in his back but did sit out the set closer “Mountain Jam.” As noted above, Gov’t Mule‘s Danny Louis continues to perform on keyboards throughout the show.
Widespread Panic and The Allman Brothers Band began the second leg of their co-headlining tour over the weekend with a pair of shows at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Charlotte, NC. On Saturday evening guitarist Warren Haynes was unable to perform due to travel complications and Jimmy Herring subbed for the entire show. Haynes’ Gov’t Mule bandmate, Danny Louis also joined the Allmans on keys to help support Gregg Allman who was suffering from back pain. Allman performed the entire show on guitar and was still able to sing.
Special guests for Widespread Panic’s set included longtime producer John Keane, Bloodkin‘s Danny Hutchins as well as Danny Louis and Derek Trucks on loan from the Allman Bros. Warren Haynes would join Panic on Sunday night. Complete notes below.
10.04.09 :: Sun :: Verizon Wireless Amphitheater :: Charlotte, NC
Widespread Panic:
Papa Legba, Worry, Pigeons, Angels On High, Heroes, Ribs & Whiskey, Party At Your Mamas House > Tall Boy > Blue Indian, You Got Yours > Papas Home > Drums > Papas Home > Porch Song, Henry Parsons Died* > Mr. Soul*
* w/ Warren Haynes
The Allman Brothers Band:
Don’t Want You No More* > It’s Not My Cross To Bear*, Done Somebody Wrong*, Revival*, Good Morning Little School Girl*, No One To Run With*, Midnight Rider*, Rocking Horse**, Soulshine*, Little By Little***, Black Hearted Woman*, Melissa****, Les Brers In A Minor*****
E: You Don’t Love Me******
Gregg Allman on B3 throughout except where noted
* w/ Danny Louis on piano
** w/ Danny Louis on B3, no Gregg
*** w/ Susan Tedeschi on guitar & vocals; Danny Louis, piano; James van de Bogert, drums
**** w/ Gregg Allman on acoustic guitar
***** w/ Kofi Burbridge on B3
****** w/ with Gregg Allman on electric guitar, Danny Louis on B3
You can download Panic’s Sunday night North Carolina set at LiveDownloads.com.
10.03.09 :: Sat :: Verizon Wireless Amphitheater :: Charlotte, NC
Widespread Panic:
Little Kin > Holden Oversoul > Surprise Valley, Pilgrims > Blackout Blues, This Part of Town*, Ain’t Life Grand**, Diner > Drums > You Should Be Glad*** > Climb To Safety > Fishwater****
E: End of the Show*****
* w/ John Keane on pedal steel
** w/ JB on mandolin; John Keane on pedal steel
*** w/ Derek Trucks on guitar
**** w/ Danny Louis on keyboard
***** w/ John Keane on pedal steel and Danny Hutchens on vocals
The Allman Brothers Band:
Mountain Jam, Don’t Keep Me Wonderin’, Stormy Monday, Statesboro Blues, Anyday*, Trouble No More*, In Memory of Elizabeth Reed E: One Way Out
Gregg Allman was on guitar for the entire show
Danny Louis was on Keyboards and Hammond B3 for the entire show
Jimmy Herring played guitar for the entire show
Warren Haynes did not play
* with Paul Riddle (The Marshall Tucker Band) on drums
With these words, Widespread Panic frontman John Bell not only extended warm birthday wishes to the opening Allman Brothers on the occasion of their 40th anniversary, he also delivered, in vintage JB inflection, a succinct summation of a five-hour marathon of music that was nothing short of life-affirming.
Bell’s stage banter is a barometer of the band’s mood and energy, and on this Saturday night in Birmingham, it revealed a playfulness and joy that shined throughout a night that was more collaboration than co-bill, more celebration than concert. This tour partnering two Georgia-bred juggernauts, which disappointingly bypassed their home state, was long overdue; a dream-come-true for fans of blues-based improvisational rock, that even in consideration of the loftiest, dearly held expectations, met any and all promises. All the players in both bands seemed to share JB’s sentiment, with their playing inspired and fueled by an infectious energy that was amazingly levels beyond the quality Friday night show for a stellar two-set, two-encore show Saturday night.
The Allmans kicked the night off with a raucous start featuring Muddy Waters’ classic “Trouble No More.” It was readily apparent by the time Derek Trucks‘ searing licks introduced “Can’t Lose What You Never Had” that the band brought their A-game. An early highlight came in the song’s refrain – “Got drunk/ Burned it down/ Now people ain’t that sad” – that encapsulates a key theme of the band. As grizzly veteran frontman Gregg Allman belted out this cautionary tale, his tone became his essence in revealing, on the surface, a defense-mechanism flippancy buoyed by a deeply seeded seasoned wisdom key to Gregg and ABB’s survival and perseverance. Been there, done that? This legend certainly has, and on Saturday night, preaching to the choir, showed proof positive that he’s even managed to live to tell about it.
The Allman Brothers w/ JB | 10.10 | Alabama
“You Don’t Love Me” found the band really opening up for some intense improvisation as the double-edged attack of Warren Haynes and Trucks’ guitars sailed over Allman’s organ. The ubiquitous, but always-appreciated, “Soulshine” came next. With countless Gov’t Mule renditions setting its standard for this reviewer, it was a breath of fresh air to have Allman take the lead vocals and give it a toned-down, more traditional blues feel. The uptempo “Stand Back” put the band’s groovy shoes on as they danced about a relentless jam that rode on waves of expert drum rolls that propelled even more screeching guitar wails.
Haynes’ introduction of JB, something along the lines of, “You guys know JB?” was obviously, sarcastically, rhetorical, but the crowd, significantly larger on Saturday than Friday, roared its response of recognition. In contrast to many of the stops on this tour, younger Spreadheads dominated the audience, though there was mercifully enough gray hair and Daytona Bike Week t-shirts to counterbalance the dready factor and help keep the waves of patchouli wafting through the air at bay. Bell switched verses with Haynes on an excellent cover of Van Morrison’s “And It Stoned Me,” a poem penned by one of Bell’s idols that is ideal for his voice.
Rollicking versions of Allman Brothers staples “Revival” and “Statesboro Blues” were next and preceded the night’s highlight: “Mountain Jam.” This never-ending instrumental is dismissed by some, primarily those that find the Allmans a classic-rock FM radio act and not the Southern sojourners of truth they are in their best live moments. Sure, “Mountain Jam” can be an endless noodle long enough to go home, cut the grass, and come back without missing a thing, but Saturday night it was a beautiful melody from the start as a long, spacey intro eventually fell sway to a guitar crunch. Drummers Jaimoe and Butch Trucks worked their kits in amazing syncopation to unleash a powerful, primal rhythm. Col. Bruce Hampton – another Georgia legend that connects more than his fair share of the dots in the non-linear lineage the Brothers and Panic share – graced the stage to belt out a few verses of “Smokestack Lightning,” with “Spoonful” teases swirling about it, before an abrupt, but classically Colonel, departure as “Mountain Jam” took over again.
Oteil Burbridge – ABB | 10.10 | Alabama
Unlike most shows on this tour, the Allmans as opener were provided a well-deserved encore slot they filled with “Black Hearted Woman,” marked by pounding teases of the Grateful Dead’s “The Eleven.” The lush acoustics of “Little Martha” as set break PA music was icing on the (birthday) cake.
Panic opened their set with an instrumental of their own, “The Take Out,” an old school number with a few twists played remarkably well. “Diner” meandered into a brief rap by JB that carried the song out into a flawless “Rock.” A monstrous intro provided one of those jaw-dropping Panic moments, reminiscent of their days thriving as a six-headed beast, where all members’ individual music cedes to a crazed collective and begs the question, “How the fuck are they making that sound?”
“There’s nothing logical ’bout this” was Bell’s introduction to DJ Logic‘s appearance on the subsequent “Dying Man,” his effort giving an edgy dimension, a la the ‘Til the Medicine Takes version with Colin Butler as DJ.
The silky-smooth funk of War’s “Slipping into Darkness” followed and took a nasty, wonderfully dirty Panic turn. A chatty JB then looked about to introduce Gregg Allman. “Can’t see him,” Bell beamed as he finally made eye contact with Allman. They shared vocals on a cover of Bob Dylan’s “Just like a Woman,” though Bell’s voice was primarily the only audible one. In a gesture evident of the family vibe that has taken shape this tour, the always-humble, appropriately reverent Bell bowed to Allman as he exited stage left.
Dave Schools – WSP | 10.10
Bassist Dave Schools cooked up a sinister bass intro to “Bust It Big,” which was eventually taken over by the frenetic keys of John “JoJo” Hermann, who deftly moved from ragtime to funk in a fine display of his prowess on a night that found his playing both inspired and free-wheeling. DJ Logic reappeared during “Drums,” which segued into a rollicking jam between Schools and percussionists Domingo “Sunny” Ortiz and Todd Nance. A soaring “Airplane” came next, with an incredible, trademark “take-off jam.” JoJo again dominated in his intro to “Good People,” which he peppered with a minute-long “Dark Bar” rap. An excellent “Junior” closed the set.
The lights at Panic shows are seldom noteworthy (Charlotte 2008 being a MAJOR exception to this due to the insane “lightning storm” during “Drums”). Saturday night, and perhaps its been this way throughout the whole tour with the Allmans, the lights were simply incredible, always spot-on, highlighting individual members during solos and fading to black as jams began, and spinning wildly as they took form. The spotlight was on JB for “Expiration Day” in the encore, the singer awash in purple and red hues as he seemed to serenade the crowd with this paean to true love, a simple life well lived, and the peaceful contentment that exists only in those virtues.
One of Panic’s best qualities is their capacity to encompass the entire gamut of human emotion, to express and embrace both the yin & yang. This hallmark reared its head as the misty-eyed serenity of “Expiration Day” moved into a snarling, fierce take on Tom Waits’ “Going Out West” to close the show, slapping the crowd on the ass as they headed out the door into an Alabama Saturday night.
The Allman Brothers Band Setlist:
Midnight Rider, Trouble No More, Can’t Lose What You Never Had, You Don’t Love Me, Soulshine, Stand Back, And It Stoned Me*, Revival, Statesboro Blues, Mountain Jam > Smokestack Lightnin’** > Mountain Jam
E: Black Hearted Woman
* w/ with John Bell, guitar & vox; James van de Bogert, drums
** w/ with Colonel Bruce Hampton, vocals
Widespread Panic Setlist:
The Take Out > Diner > Rock > Porch Song, Dyin’ Man*, Slippin’ Into Darkness**, Just Like A Woman***, Bust It Big**** > Drums > Airplane > Pilgrims > Goodpeople > Dark Bar > Goodpeople > Junior
E: Expiration Day > Goin’ Out West
* with DJ Logic on turntables
** with Marc Quinones on percussion, Warren Haynes on guitar
*** with Gregg Allman on vocals
**** with Warren Haynes on guitar
Continue reading for more images of Panic and the Allmans in Alabama, including shots from the previous night…
10.09.09 :: Fri :: BJCC Arena :: Birmingham, AL
Widespread Panic:
Hatfield > Walkin’ (For Your Love) > Wondering, Tickle the Truth > Chainsaw City > Machine > Arleen > Space Wrangler, Her Dance Needs No Body > Greta > Drums* > Maggot Brain** > Time Is Free*** > Give
* with DJ Logic on turntables
** with Derek Trucks on guitar
*** with Col. Bruce Hampton on vocals, Derek Trucks on guitar, Oteil Burbridge on bass
['Time Is Free' without Dave]
JB & Col. Bruce
The Allman Brothers Band:
Done Somebody Wrong, Come and Go Blues, End Of The Line, The Weight*, Key To The Highway*, Rocking Horse, Dreams**, Highway 61 Revisited***, Into The Mystic****, Leave My Blues at Home, Melissa, Jessica
E: One Way Out*****
* with JoJo Hermann, piano
** with Dave Schools, bass
*** with John Bell, guitar & vocals; Dave Schools, bass; James van de Bogert, drums
**** with James van de Bogert, drums
***** with Jimmy Herring, guitar
Haynes, D. Trucks, Bell, B. Trucks, Schools
Herring & Trucks
Col. Bruce
Continue reading for more images of Panic and the Allmans in Alabama…
10.10.09 :: Sat :: BJCC Arena :: Birmingham, AL
The Allman Brothers Band:
Midnight Rider, Trouble No More, Can’t Lose What You Never Had, You Don’t Love Me, Soulshine, Stand Back, And It Stoned Me*, Revival, Statesboro Blues, Mountain Jam > Smokestack Lightnin’** > Mountain Jam
E: Black Hearted Woman
* w/ with John Bell, guitar & vox; James van de Bogert, drums
** w/ with Colonel Bruce Hampton, vocals
Widespread Panic:
The Take Out > Diner > Rock > Porch Song, Dyin’ Man*, Slippin’ Into Darkness**, Just Like A Woman***, Bust It Big**** > Drums > Airplane > Pilgrims > Goodpeople > Dark Bar > Goodpeople > Junior
E: Expiration Day > Goin’ Out West
* with DJ Logic on turntables
** with Marc Quinones on percussion, Warren Haynes on guitar
*** with Gregg Allman on vocals
**** with Warren Haynes on guitar
Widespread Panic and The Allman Brothers Band perform together again Tuesday night (10/13/09) at World’s Fair Park in Knoxville, TN. Complete tour dates available here.
Stockholm Syndrome :: 09.06.09 :: The Independent :: San Francisco, CA
Stockholm Syndrome :: 09.06 :: San Francisco
It’s interesting to see a band that rarely tours actually play live. Going into the show, concertgoers don’t know if what they are about to see will be a sloppy display due to infrequent interaction or a finely tuned act that simply lacks the ability to dedicate itself to the road due to band members’ conflicting schedules. In the case of Stockholm Syndrome, it’s undoubtedly the later.
Using the term super group to define the band almost seems cliche, but for lack of a better word that’s what the band is – a super group. What originally started as a collaboration between guitarist/vocalist Jerry Joseph (Jackmormons) and bassist Dave Schools (Widespread Panic), turned into a serious musical endeavor a few years back with the additions of lead guitar shredder Eric McFadden(EMT), drum wiz Wally Ingram and versatile keyboardist Danny Louis (Gov’t Mule). Even though the group rarely tours, a testament to how busy all the members’ respective main musical endeavors are, when Stockholm Syndrome does announce an off-hand set of dates, the shows are worth attending, if for nothing more than witnessing five musicians at the top of their game perform together. The musical backgrounds and styles of the five artists are quite different, although when playing together the collaborative rock monster that is created is truly remarkable, especially considering the band typically performs less than 10 dates a year. Stockholm Syndrome’s show at The Independent in San Francisco on Sunday night found the band in great form, performing as if the group lived on the road – which, in one way or another, they kinda do.
Dave Schools – Stockholm Syndrome :: 09.06
Opening up the show was local San Francisco blues inspired rock outfit The Stone Foxes. With two guitarists, a bass player and a drummer – all sharing vocal duties – the band displayed an impressive command of the stage. Oftentimes sounding like a classic rock throwback act, the quartet’s sound was consistently driven forward with the solid, occasionally spastic drumming of Shannon Koehler and the steady, rarely faltering bass lines of Avi Vinocur. Even though all the musicians often sang together, they did not seem to be achieving any sort of refined harmonies. Instead, their vocals acted as contrasts to one another, which added to the group’s unique sound.
As Stockholm Syndrome arrived onstage and greeted the slightly older crowd, the band tuned up and launched into a massive set that would persist for the better part of two hours. Schools, playing without his stalwart Modulus Quantum six-string, opting to play a Modulus Funk Unlimited four-string instead, imminently lit up a smoke, one of the countless number he sparked during the show, and looked eager to kick off the evening’s musical ventures. While Stockholm songs are a vast departure from the Panic songs that Schools normally plays, his dominating bass lines are still extremely similar in nature. He’s proven himself a bass player that can perform in several musical contexts, yet still hold onto a characteristic semblance that makes all of his playing unique and unmistakable.
Stockholm Syndrome :: 09.06 :: San Francisco
As the band got warmed up with its first few songs, attention shifted to Ingram’s diverse drumming. Attaching hand drums to his drum kit, Ingram occasionally tapped into a sound that deviated from the typically rock driven sound of the band. Apart from Ingram’s remarkable drumming, the songs proved that Stockholm really is the love child of Joseph and Schools. The other three musicians onstage played with as much dedication as Joseph and Schools did but occasionally it felt like they may not have invested as much heart into the songs as the noted guitarist and bass player have. The songs seemed to have been crafted by Joseph as singer-songwriter tunes, then as all the musicians in the band sear their brand onto the songs they morph into something completely different. But, the core of the songs is clearly Joseph’s lyrics, which prove above all else he is a talented storyteller.
At points during the show the two guitarists would harmonize their instruments during solos, which created an amazing sound that worked surprisingly well considering Joseph’s and McFadden’s vastly different approaches. Typically, when the band’s songs called for some sort of solo, McFadden would be the player to step up and deliver. His skill on the guitar was so impressive that it’s astonishing he doesn’t command more respect amongst serious six-string followers. His style is extremely flashy but McFadden displayed such dexterity while playing that his fellow musicians seemed to be in awe of him. His showboat style is no doubt bolstered because he looks like a bad ass when he plays, too. Sporting a sneer, thin dreadlocks and tattoo-covered forearms, McFadden just looks like a dude who plays a guitar really well.
Stockholm Syndrome :: 09.06 :: San Francisco
While many of the songs seemed to lack any sort of coherent “hook,” the extended jamming and improvisation more than made up for any sort of apparent lack of mainstream listening appeal. The band brought out several tunes that will appear on their forthcoming new album, which the band claims will drop soon. On some of these fresh songs, Joseph’s voice was extremely pronounced – a welcome change to some of the band’s songs that lacked a characteristic inflection. The song selection as the band neared the end of its set seemed to really capitalize off the musical diversity that Louis displayed behind his keyboards. Ranging from reggae to Texas rock, Louis’ knack for cross-genre competence really proved that he’s one of the more talented and severely underrated keyboardists on the circuit today.
After the unrelenting set concluded, the band bowed off the stage visibly stricken from the massive amount of musical movement all had taken part in. After the crowd cheered for a bit, they returned to the stage and launched into an extremely heavy two-song encore so intense that Ingram broke his snare.
Continue reading for Dave Vann’s pics from the previous night of Stockholm Syndrome in San Francisco…
Allman Brothers Band/Widespread Panic :: 09.01.09 & 09.02.09 :: Charter One Pavilion :: Chicago, IL
Widespread Panic :: 09.02 :: Chicago, IL
I remember the rush of excitement I felt when the Allman Brothers/Widespread Panic co-bill tour was first announced. It was last spring, and I was giddy like a schoolgirl with the latest gossip, calling all of my friends and sharing the news with anyone who would listen, and why not? Here were two of my favorite bands that between them boast three of the top five guitarists out there today, and they would be playing right here in Chicago – two nights – and I would be damned if anything could stop me from witnessing this historic tour.
Needless to say, it would be a long summer for me as I counted down the days until what I believed would be the best shows the city would see all year. Of course, there was plenty of good music to tide me over in the meantime – String Cheese at Rothbury was one of the most intense musical experiences I’ve ever had, and Phish at Alpine wasn’t too shabby either – but when it comes down to it, it’s true blue rock & roll that really stirs my blood. And when it comes to that, the Allmans and Panic are two of the best.
Tuesday, 09.01
Charter One Pavilion is my favorite venue in the city. It’s a temporary structure, taken down every fall and reassembled in the spring. One of the few outdoor venues in the city, it sits on a little peninsula, bordered to the west by Burnham Harbor and beyond that by Soldier Field. The Field Museum sits to the northwest, the Shedd Aquarium to the north, and to the east, the great stretch of water that is Lake Michigan, a vast expanse of rippling waves that glittered under the evening sun that day.
Chicago would be the final stop of the first leg of the tour, with Panic set to close the first night and the Allman Brothers the second. Each act was scheduled to play a full two-hour set with no set breaks (except for between bands), for a total of eight straight hours of music over the two-day period.
The Allmans hit the ground running, blasting out “Done Somebody Wrong” and “Don’t Keep Me Wonderin’” before getting real bluesy with a “Woman Across the River” that saw lead guitarists Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks playing off each other tastefully. After a deep solo by Gregg Allman on the keys, Trucks launched into one of his trademark screaming slide runs. Never one to sit back long, Haynes got mean and heavy with his response, and by the end of the song he and Trucks were firing off licks back and forth. It was downright filthy, real dirty, gritty stuff – and exactly what we’d come here for.
The Brothers were hot now, and it would only get better from there. After the pounding instrumental “Hot’Lanta,” featuring the percussive talents of Marc Quinones, and some more of Trucks’ aching slide on “Stand Back,” the band turned out a great rendition of the always uplifting “Revival” to lighten the mood a bit, and there were more than a few smiles in the crowd as the song took effect.
Ortiz & Schools :: 09.01 :: Chicago, IL
Traffic’s Dave Mason then took the stage, adding guitar and vocals to “Only You Know and I Know” and an extra funky “Feelin’ Alright.” After a jazzy, extended “Dreams” it was time for the second surprise guest of the night as Chicago’s very own Buddy Guy joined the Allmans for “The Sky Is Crying” and “You Don’t Love Me.” It was a bit surreal to watch this combination of jam and blues legends all on one stage, like witnessing a piece of history that one might’ve seen 40 years ago. And these guys clearly still have it, rocking out harder than most men half their age. This was definitely no nostalgia act.
After fan favorite “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed,” the Allmans closed out their set with a double encore featuring “Melissa” and “Trouble No More.” The “Melissa” was particularly sweet, and began with some poignant soloing by Haynes as the band filtered back onstage with Gregg on rhythm guitar, his gentle but rough, blues-hardened voice as soulful and true as ever.
Not to be outdone, Widespread Panic took full advantage of their first closing spot of the tour, taking the stage 15 minutes earlier than their scheduled set time and jumping right into “Disco” and “Henry Parsons Died.” After a heavy “Bears Gone Fishin’,” the band brought up Derek Trucks for a 15-plus minute, jammed out “Ride Me High.” “Angels On High” was followed by the band’s first-ever rendition of Bob Dylan’s “Just Like A Woman” that found Gregg Allman on his Hammond B3, trading lyrics with Panic’s John Bell.
Allman stayed onstage as Haynes came on to add some six-string work to a highly charged version of the Grateful Dead’s “Turn On Your Lovelight,” a great and welcome surprise to the lucky audience who had already been enjoying a night of great music and guest appearances. But the sit-ins were far from over as Trucks came back out to the stage, where he would remain for the rest of the set.
Widespread Panic :: 09.01 :: Chicago, IL
One of the highlights of the night was a “Papa’s Home” sandwich that featured some terrific interplay between Trucks and Panic’s very own guitar wizard Jimmy Herring. After a nice drums session by skins man Todd Nance and percussionist “Sunny” Ortiz came an extra elevated “Climb to Safety,” followed by a “North” that brought out Haynes, who stayed for the encore – a down home and dirty “Bowlegged Woman” that saw the band play for 15 minutes past their allotted set time. Combined with their early start, that’s a total of 30 minutes of extra music.
With the first night officially a success, there was actually some apprehension expressed by a few fans. “How can you top that?” they asked. “That shit was incredible.” Silly hippies, I thought. This ain’t their first rodeo and these super-pros always know how to up the ante.
The Allman Brothers Band:
Jam > Done Somebody Wrong, Don’t Keep Me Wonderin’, Woman Across The River, Hot ‘Lanta, Stand Back, Revival, Only You Know and I Know*, Feelin’ Alright**, Dreams, The Sky Is Crying***, You Don’t Love Me***, In Memory of Elizabeth Reed
E: Melissa, Trouble No More
* w/ Dave Mason
** w/ Dave Mason & JoJo Herman
*** w/ Buddy Guy
Widespread Panic:
Disco > Henry Parsons Died, Bear’s Gone Fishin’ > Ride Me High* > Diner > Angels on High, Just Like A Woman** > Turn On Your Love Light***, Papa’s Home* > Drums > Climb To Safety* > Papa’s Home* > North****
E: Bowlegged Woman****
* w/ Derek Trucks on guitar
** w/ Gregg Allman on organ
*** w/ Gregg Allman on organ, Warren Haynes on guitar
**** w/ Derek Trucks on guitar, Warren Haynes on guitar
[Only "Just Like A Woman." Last "Turn On Your Love Light" - 09/24/97, 971 shows]
Continue reading for Wednesday’s coverage of The Allman Brothers Band and Widespread Panic…
Wednesday, 09.02
Herring, Hermann, Bell – WSP :: 09.02 :: Chicago, IL
Wednesday’s weather was just as beautiful as Tuesday, albeit with an added electricity in the air. Both bands’ performances had been stellar the night before, and now it was time for round two.
Panic opened their set with a trifecta off their 1991 self-titled album, “Send Your Mind,” “Walkin’ (For Your Love)” and “Makes Sense to Me.” Then came the classic “Pigeons,” which showcased more of Herring’s always plentiful, incendiary guitar work. Honestly, the guy’s a god on his instrument. One of the most technically proficient guitarists out there, Herring can shred an entire song and not play the same lick twice. And he does it with feeling, too, one of the few musicians who can make my head feel like it might explode when he plays.
Panic brought Derek Trucks back out once again, unleashing him on “Mercy” and “Rock.” “Love Tractor” brought the dance party back and featured some more intense soloing by Herring. A fat, funky bass line by Dave Schools – who’s got one of the best tones of any bassist I’ve ever heard – laid down the groundwork for a lead-in to “Barstools and Dreamers,” with Schools plucking away as Herring tore it up and “JoJo” Hermann worked the keys.
Haynes stepped onstage to join Panic for the last two songs of their set, “Me and the Devil Blues” and a downright nasty cover of Neil Young’s “Last Dance” that consisted mostly of Herring and Haynes showing a wide-eyed Charter One crowd exactly what the electric guitar was made for. By the end of their set, Panic played every song off 1991′s self-titled sophomore effort, most of them in order. With the additions of “Last Dance” and “Me and the Devil,” this was truly a remarkable show.
Gregg Allman – Allman Brothers :: 09.02 :: Chicago, IL
With what I’d seen up to this point, it raised the question: how do you top two straight nights of A-grade performances? Easy, just deliver an A+ performance. The Allman Brothers were up for the challenge, and with their final set of the two-night Chicago run they showed the Windy City why they are still one of the greatest rock bands on the planet.
They exploded as soon they hit the stage with the hard-driving “Statesboro Blues,” an opener often reserved for special nights full of heated jams and powerful song selection. “One Way Out” pushed the crowd into a dancing fit, and “Ain’t Wastin’ Time No More” slowed the tempo a bit before the band brought it down even more with some low, loose jamming that eventually melted into a full-blown “Rocking Horse.” This is where the show really took off. Haynes started out with some smooth soloing and built it up to where his guitar was just screaming, a visceral collage of meaty tones and piercing notes blasting from the stage. “Midnight Rider” is always good to hear, and “Leave My Blues At Home” featured some nice guitar work from Trucks and Haynes, but it was the cover of Van Morrison’s “And It Stoned Me,” featuring Panic’s John Bell, that really hit home. Bell stayed onstage as fellow bandmate JoJo Hermann came up for a sit-in on Bob Dylan’s “It Takes A Lot to Laugh, It Takes A Train to Cry,” one of the best versions I’d ever heard.
What happened next I can’t really put into words. That was when – after it appeared we couldn’t get any higher – the Allmans took it to the proverbial next level. After achieving liftoff with an outrageously rockin’ “Black Hearted Woman,” the band brought JoJo, Schools and Herring out for an absolutely ridiculous “Southbound” that completely blew away the version I’d seen them play last year with the North Mississippi Allstars’ Luther Dickinson. The guitar work on this one was fierce and charged with an energy that only the most talented of musicians can dream of channeling.
The Allman Brothers Band :: 09.02 :: Chicago, IL
Herring stuck around and played the blues on “Stormy Monday” before the Allmans, who have never shied away from pushing their own limits, began with the rolling drum work of Jaimoe Johanson and Butch Trucks that would soon evolve into “Mountain Jam.” This is the song I’d come hoping to hear. An epic instrumental tour de force, I recognized it immediately. I felt that giddy schoolgirl anticipation building up again, a burst of exhilaration that shot through me as soon as I heard the signature riff. Once again, hearing this song was an experience that I can’t quite put into words, and I’m not sure how the Allmans do it, but “Mountain Jam” is one of those rare melodies that puts many people, including this writer, in a state of pure euphoria every time they play it.
How do you top that? How can you possibly go any higher? Well after the melodic, spiritually uplifting performance I’d just witnessed, there was only one direction to go. We needed something heavy, something solid to ground us. We needed “Whipping Post,” and though I was still floored by the “Mountain Jam,” I think deep down I knew this was the only option for a closer, the only thing that would tie it all together and bring proper closure to the night. And the version we got was vicious; it tore at my heart and soul. Interspersed in the song were a few minutes of beauty that resonated in the very depths of my being, then the return to wickedness, a fierce explosion of screaming guitar that shook me and pierced me and rattled my bones.
I am still confounded by the memory of what I experienced that night, and when I think back and try to make sense of it all, I can’t. I shake my head and say nothing; a slight chill runs through my body. That is not an exaggeration – it was that good. No show can touch a night with both the Allman Brothers and Widespread Panic. And if you don’t believe me, go see for yourself. Me, on the other hand, I just might head down to Charlotte next month for another taste of the most powerful double bill I have ever experienced.
Widespread Panic:
Send Your Mind, Walkin’ (For Your Love) > Makes Sense To Me, Pigeons, Mercy* > Rock*, C. Brown > Love Tractor, Weight Of The World, I’m Not Alone > Barstools and Dreamers, Proving Ground > The Last Straw, Me And The Devil Blues**, Last Dance**
* w/ Derek Trucks on guitar
** w/ Warren Haynes on guitar
The Allman Brothers Band:
Statesboro > One Way Out, Ain’t Wastin’ Time No More, Rockin’ Horse > Midnight Rider, Leave My Blues At Home, And It Stoned Me*, It Takes A Lot To Laugh It Takes A Train To Cry** > Other One Jam > Black Hearted Woman, Southbound***, Stormy Monday****, Mountain Jam > Drums & Bass > 3rd Stone From The Sun Jam > Mountain Jam
E: Whipping Post
* w/ John Bell
** w/ John Bell and JoJo Herman
*** w/ Dave Schools, JoJo Herman, Jimmy Herring
**** w/ Jimmy Herring
Continue reading for videos and more photos of The Allman Brothers and Widespread Panic in Chicago…
Tuesday, 09.01
The Allman Brothers Band
Widespread Panic
Widespread Panic with Derek Trucks
Continue reading for even more photos of The Allman Brothers and Widespread Panic in Chicago…
Wednesday, 09.02
Widespread Panic
Widespread Panic with Warren Haynes
The Allman Brothers Band
Continue reading for videos of The Allman Brothers and Widespread Panic in Chicago…
The Allman Brothers Band at Charter One – 09.01.09 – “Feelin’ Alright” (ft. Dave Mason)
The Allman Brothers Band at Charter One – 09.01.09 – “The Sky Is Crying” (ft. Buddy Guy)
Widespread Panic at Charter One – 09.01.09 – “Ride Me High” (ft. Derek Trucks)
Widespread Panic at Charter One – 09.01.09 – “Bowlegged Woman” (ft. Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks)
Widespread Panic at Charter One – 09.02.09 – “Pigeons”
Widespread Panic at Charter One – 09.02.09 – “Last Dance” (ft. Warren Haynes)
Allman Brothers Band at Charter One – 09.02.09 – “Southbound” (ft. Dave Schools, Jimmy Herring, and JoJo Hermann)
Allman Brothers Band at Charter One – 09.02.09 – “Whipping Post”
The Allman Brothers Band and Widespread Panic return to the road on October 3 in Charlotte, NC. Complete dates available here.
09/02/09 :: Wednesday :: Charter One Pavilion :: Chicago, IL
Widespread Panic:
Send Your Mind, Walkin’ (For Your Love) > Makes Sense To Me, Pigeons, Mercy* > Rock*, C. Brown > Love Tractor, Weight Of The World, I’m Not Alone > Barstools and Dreamers, Proving Ground > The Last Straw, Me And The Devil Blues**, Last Dance**
* w/ Derek Trucks on guitar
** w/ Warren Haynes on guitar
[Set contained all songs from the self-titled album aka "Mom's Kitchen" in order]
The Allman Brothers Band:
Statesboro > One Way Out, Ain’t Wastin’ Time No More, Rockin’ Horse > Midnight Rider, Leave My Blues At Home, And It Stoned Me*, It Takes A Lot To Laugh It Takes A Train To Cry** > Other One Jam > Black Hearted Woman, Southbound***, Stormy Monday****, Mountain Jam > Drums & Bass > 3rd Stone From The Sun Jam > Mountain Jam
09/01/09 :: Tuesday :: Charter One Pavilion :: Chicago, IL
The Allman Brothers Band:
Jam > Done Somebody Wrong, Don’t Keep Me Wonderin’, Woman Across The River, Hot ‘Lanta, Stand Back, Revival, Only You Know and I Know*, Feelin’ Alright**, Dreams, The Sky Is Crying***, You Don’t Love Me***, In Memory of Elizabeth Reed
E: Melissa, Trouble No More
* w/ Dave Mason
** w/ Dave Mason & Jojo Herman
*** w/ Buddy Guy
Widespread Panic:
Disco > Henry Parsons Died, Bear’s Gone Fishin’ > Ride Me High* > Diner > Angels on High, Just Like A Woman** > Turn On Your Love Light***, Papa’s Home* > Drums > Climb To Safety* > Papa’s Home* > North****
E: Bowlegged Woman****
* w/ Derek Trucks on guitar
** w/ Gregg Allman on organ
*** w/ Gregg Allman on organ, Warren Haynes on guitar
**** w/ Derek Trucks on guitar, Warren Haynes on guitar
[Only "Just Like A Woman." Last "Turn On Your Love Light" - 09/24/97, 971 shows]
Happy > Wondering > Rebirtha, Action Man, Airplane > Under The Radar Jam > Tie Your Shoes > Fixin’ To Die*, Surprise Valley** > Goin’ Out West**
* w/ Oteil Burbridge on bass
** w/ Derek Trucks on guitar, Warren Haynes on guitar
The Allman Brothers Band:
Trouble No More, Can’t Lose What You Never Had, No One Left To Run With, Les Brers in A Minor*, Leave My Blues At Home, Soulshine, You Don’t Love Me**, Into The Mystic, Desdemona, Jessica > JaBuMa > Jessica
E: Melissa, Statesboro Blues
* w/ Jimmy Herring on guitar
** w/ Scott Murawski on Guitar, Sunny Ortiz on percussion and JoJo Herman on piano
08/29/09 :: Saturday :: Comcast Center (Great Woods) Mansfield, MA
Widespread Panic:
C. Brown, Space Wrangler, Porch Song > Stop Breakin’ Down Blues, Time Zones, Conrad, Thought Sausage, It Ain’t No Use* > Blight*, Smokestack Lightning** > Chilly Water**
* w/ Derek Trucks on guitar
** w/ Warren Haynes on guitar
The Allman Brothers Band:
Don’t Want You No More > It’s Not My Cross To Bear, One Way Out, Midnight Rider, Good Morning Little School Girl, Stand Back, Dreams*, Can’t Find My Way Home**, Statesboro Blues***, Why Does Love Got To Be So Sad?***, Black Hearted Woman, Mountain Jam > Dazed And Confused > Bass duo (Oteil Burbridge & Dave Schools) > Mountain Jam****
E: Whipping Post
* w/ Dave Schools on bass
** w/ John Bell on guitar & vocals
*** w/ James van de Bogert on drums
**** w/ Jimmy Herring on guitar; Eddy Cascrillo on percussion
08/27/09 :: Thursday :: Nikon at Jones Beach Theater :: Wantagh, NY
Widespread Panic:
Three Candles, Worry, From The Cradle, Tall Boy > Blue Indian > Hatfield > Impossible > Thin Air* > Blackout Blues* > Fishwater > Drums & Bass** > Fishwater** >Protein Drink ***> Sewing Machine***, Ain’t Life Grand#
* w/ Derek Trucks
** w/ Oteil Burbridge
*** w/ Warren Haynes
# mandolin
The Allman Brothers Band:
Done Somebody Wrong, Ain’t Wastin’ Time No More, Woman Across The River, Midnight Rider, Rocking Horse, Statesboro Blues, Revival, Stormy Monday*, In Memory of Elizabeth Reed* E: Southbound**
Last night, August 26, 2009, was the ninth anniversary of former Allman Brothers and Gov’t Mule bassist Allen Woody‘s death. Warren Haynes dedicated the ABB’s set to Woody.
08/26/09 :: Wednesday :: Bethel Woods Center for the Arts :: Bethel, NY
Widespread Panic:
Let’s Get The Show On The Road, Love Tractor, Pickin’ Up The Pieces, Machine > Barstools And Dreamers, Party At Your Mama’s House, Ribs And Whiskey, Greta, Papa’s Home > Drums > Papa’s Home*, Red Hot Mama^, Chainsaw City^, Imitation Leather Shoes
* w/Danny Louis on keyboard
^ w/ Danny Louis on keyboard, Warren Haynes on guitar
The Allman Brothers Band:
Don’t Keep Me Wonderin’, No One To Run With, End of the Line, Fourty-Four Blues#, Highway 61 Revisited%, Dreams, Soulshine, The Same Thing@, Franklin’s Tower**, Leave My Blues at Home > JaBuMa > Leave My Blues at Home, Jessica E: Melissa, You Don’t Love Me
# w/ with Bruce Katz on keyboard
% w/ JoJo Herman on keyboard, John Bell on guitar, and Tony Coleman on drums
@ w/ Danny Louis on keyboard, Jay Collins on saxophone, and Tony Coleman on drums
** w/ with Danny Louis on keyboard, Jimmy Herring on guitar
Widespread Panic and The Allman Brothers Band perform again tonight (8/27/09) at Nikon at Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh, NY. Complete tour dates available here.
Check back for more updates on this historic tour.
Better Off, Heroes, Angels on High, Holden Oversoul, Give, Little Lilly, Driving Song > You Got Yours > Drums > Disco > Driving Song, Airplane > Jam > Second Skin, All Time Low, Henry Parson’s Died
The Allman Brothers Band:
Don’t Want You No More > Not My Cross to Bear, Trouble No More, Midnight Rider, Hoochie Coochie Man, No One Left To Run With, Gambler’s Roll, Every Hungry Woman, Who’s Been Talking*, Come and Go Blues, Statesboro Blues, The Night They Drove Ol’ Dixie Down, Mountain Jam > Smokestack Lightning** > Drums > Bass > Mountain Jam
08/22/09 :: Saturday :: Constellation Brands Performing Arts Center :: CMAC Canandaigua, NY
Widespread Panic:
Good People > Flicker, Papa Johnny Road, I’m Not Alone > Pigeons, Her Dance Needs Nobody > Jack, Bust It Big* > Jam* > Gimme* > Pleas, Surprise Valley^ > Pilgrims, Chilly Water#
* with Derek Trucks on guitar
^ with Warren Haynes on guitar, Marc Quinones on percussion
# with Derek Trucks on guitar, Warren Haynes on guitar
The Allman Brothers Band:
Hot ‘Lanta, Done Somebody Wrong, Midnight Rider > Rocking Horse, Desdemona, Ain’t Wastin’ Time No More, It Takes A Lot To Laugh It Takes A Train To Cry^, You Don’t Love Me$, Melissa, Black Hearted Woman, And It Stoned Me#, In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed& > JaBuMa
E: Southbound%
^ with John ‘JoJo’ Herman on keyboard, Chuck Campbell on pedal steel
$ with John ‘JoJo Herman on keyboard, Dave Schools on bass, Chuck Campbell on pedal steel
# with John Bell on guitar
& with Jimmy Herring on guitar
% with John ‘JoJo’ Herman on keyboards, Todd Nance on drums, Jimmy Herring on guitar, Chuck Campbell on pedal steel
You can stream Panic’s Canandaigua, NY set at panicstream.com.
Here’s what went down on opening night.
08/21/09 :: Friday :: Susquehanna Bank Center :: Camden, NJ
Widespread Panic:
Little Kin > Radio Child, Up All Night, Can’t Get High > Fishwater > Christmas Katie > Travelin’ Light > Diner > Space Wrangler > Blackout Blues, Junior, You Should Be Glad, Tall Boy, Climb To Safety
The Allman Brothers Band:
Statesboro Blues > Les Brers In A Minor, Come And Go Blues, The Sky is Cryin’, Don’t Keep Me Wondering, I Walk On Guilded Splinters*, Trouble No More*, Good Morning Little School Girl*, Revival*, The Weight, Dreams^, One Way Out$
E: Whipping Post
* with John Bell on guitar, Domingo Ortiz on percussion
^ with John Bell on guitar, Jimmy Herring on guitar, Domingo Ortiz on percussion
WSP Fan Love by Ian Rawn
Jimmy Herring by Ian Rawn
John Bell by Ian Rawn
Hardy Morris by Daniel Peiken
Stockholm Syndrome
Stockholm Syndrome
Stockholm Syndrome
Stockholm Syndrome :: 03.08 :: The Roxy Theatre :: West Hollywood, CA
Stockholm Syndrome :: 03.04 :: Eugene by Brian Lupton
Stockholm Syndrome :: 03.03 :: Seattle by Owen
Fixing the flat :: Photo by Dave Schools
Stockholm Syndrome :: 02.28 :: Park City, UT
Stockholm Syndrome :: 02.28 :: Park City, UT
Stockholm Syndrome :: 02.27 :: Denver, CO
Stockholm Syndrome :: 02.27 :: Denver, CO
Stockholm Syndrome :: 02.27 :: Denver, CO
Stockholm Syndrome :: 02.26 :: Boulder, CO by Owen
Stockholm Syndrome :: 02.25 :: Steamboat Springs, CO by Owen
Stockholm Syndrome :: 02.24 :: Vail, CO by Owen
Stockholm Syndrome :: 03.05 :: San Francisco, CA
Jerry Joseph :: 03.05 :: San Francisco
McFadden & Schools :: 03.05 :: San Francisco, CA
Stockholm Syndrome :: 03.05 :: San Francisco, CA
Dave Schools :: 03.05 :: San Francisco
Stockholm Syndrome :: 03.05 :: San Francisco, CA
Stockholm Syndrome
Stockholm Syndrome
Stockholm Syndrome
Stockholm Syndrome
Stockholm Syndrome
Stockholm Syndrome
Stockholm Syndrome
Stockholm Syndrome
Stockholm Syndrome
Stockholm Syndrome
Stockholm Syndrome
Stockholm Syndrome
Stockholm Syndrome
Stockholm Syndrome
Stockholm Syndrome
Stockholm Syndrome
Stockholm Syndrome
Stockholm Syndrome
Stockholm Syndrome
Widespread Panic
Stockholm Syndrome
Widespread Panic :: 12.31 :: Georgia
Mike Mills w/ WSP :: 12.31 :: Georgia
Widespread Panic :: 12.31 :: Georgia
Widespread Panic :: 12.31 :: Georgia
Jojo Hermann :: 12.31 :: Georgia
Michael Jackson
Photo of Phish at Big Cypress by 
Photo of Gordon, Herring, Lesh & Haynes on NYE 2000 in Oakland by 
Photo of Phil Lesh and Friends with Bob Weir at Bonnaroo 2002 by 
Photo of Haynes, Abts, Newsted and Louis at Gov’t Mule’s “The Deepest End Concert” on 05/03/03 in New Orleans by 
Photo of Bruce Springsteen at Jazz Fest 2006 in New Orleans by 
Photo of Daft Punk at Coachella 2006 by 
Photo of My Morning Jacket on 12/31/06 at The Fillmore by 
Patterson Hood
Dave Schools
David Murphy
Kyle Hollingsworth
Petter Ericson Stakee
Jon Gutwillig
Aron Magner
Marco Benevento
Derek Vincent Smith/PL
Deerhunter
Mathis by Miller
Gomez
Jake Cinninger
Ryan Stasik by Vann
Brendan Bayliss
Cummins by Gordon
Farag by Gordon
Keller Williams
Art Neville by Smith
Jason Isbell
Jerry Joseph
Andrew Barr
George Porter Jr.
Joe Russo
Stanton Moore
Skerik
Mike Dillon
Eric McFadden Trio
Zack Smith
Cody Dickinson
Todd Snider
Ethan Miller
Steve Molitz
Gorman by Weiand
McMicken by Grayson
Peter Bjorn and John
Harley Prechtel-Cortez by Law
Lucero
Pelican
Metric
Jeff Miller
U-Melt
Ben Kweller
Dan Lebowitz
Steve Adams
Fred Torphy
Jeremy Korpas
Bifulco by Smith
Brian Haas
Josh Raymer
Chris Combs
Matt Hayes
Pollard by Krolick
The Bridge
Trampled By Turtles
Pete Shand by Martinez
The New Mastersounds
Glasvegas
Chairlift
Telepath
Zach Deputy
Widespread Panic :: 11.13 :: Oakland
John Bell :: 11.13 :: Oakland
Ortiz & Schools :: 11.13 :: Oakland
Herring & Hermann :: 11.13 :: Oakland
John Bell :: 11.13 :: Oakland
John Bell | 10.10 | Alabama
The Allman Brothers w/ JB | 10.10 | Alabama
Oteil Burbridge – ABB | 10.10 | Alabama
Dave Schools – WSP | 10.10
JB & Col. Bruce
Haynes, D. Trucks, Bell, B. Trucks, Schools
Herring & Trucks
Col. Bruce
Stockholm Syndrome :: 09.06 :: San Francisco
Dave Schools – Stockholm Syndrome :: 09.06
Stockholm Syndrome :: 09.06 :: San Francisco
Stockholm Syndrome :: 09.06 :: San Francisco
Widespread Panic :: 09.02 :: Chicago, IL
Haynes & Trucks – Allman Brothers :: 09.01 :: Chicago, IL
Ortiz & Schools :: 09.01 :: Chicago, IL
Widespread Panic :: 09.01 :: Chicago, IL
Herring, Hermann, Bell – WSP :: 09.02 :: Chicago, IL
Gregg Allman – Allman Brothers :: 09.02 :: Chicago, IL
The Allman Brothers Band :: 09.02 :: Chicago, IL
Widespread Panic with Derek Trucks
Widespread Panic with Warren Haynes
