Do people actually like Widespread Panic?

[Drew_Kingsley]

I always enjoy looking at setlists from various Halloween shows (NYE also) because bands tend to pull out all of the stops. I made the rookie mistake of downloading the Widespread Panic show from this year based upon a decent crop of covers. So, my question is, do people actually like this band? The covers (Welcome to My Nightmare, Johnny Appleseed, Enter Sandman, Slip Kid, Always Look On the Bright Side of Life, and Children of the Grave) were a series of trainwrecks, the vocals are absolutely miserable, and the playing was meh at best. I hate to revive a question that a number of bands have caused us to ask over the years, but how the fuck are these guys more famous than The Breakfast?

[Overexjoesure]

Panic had a booming college market to jump start them. This was before jambands became a cliche wrapped inside a pathetic inside joke.  Plus it\'s a southern thing, you\'re a Yank.  The Breakfast play to an area with NO live music market whatsoever and missed the jamband boat by a few years (I\'m convinced if they started in 97 they would be in theaters by now).

[leith]

Yes alot of people love WSP.
Comparing them to The Breakfast in the large scheme of the scene is ridiculous.
They are on a totally different level than The Breakfast.
WSP is more famous than The Breakfast for way to many reasons to list.
WSP covers are for fun. They have way to much material of their own to really try and "nail" a cover.

[jking]

see, the thing is, panic usually blows the big holidays. i can\'t tell you how many times i\'d buy tickets for the two days leading up to nye and then tickets to another show on nye itself, just because i knew that panic always kinda muffs the main holidays. everyone would always give me a hard time leading up to it, and afterwards i\'d\'ve always had the better time! it was after nye 2001>2002 when i finally got most of my panic-loving friends to skip nye to catch ancient harmony. i had an absolute blast at a four and a half hour throwdown while the rest of the crew had a ho-hum time at the phillips arena-mall and ended up going out for after-midnight sushi as the best part of their night. after they all missed out on big cypress, then i caught two killer nights of panic and a great night of ancient harmony while they sat around kinda bored for their nye, they all did the first couple nights>something else for nye. its just how panic is.  here\'s that AH show, if anyone\'s interested

so, long story short, you gotta look a day or two before or after for the true heat. in this instance, d/l the 11/2/2007 show. now that\'s how they\'re doin\' it these days. of course, if you still don\'t like that, then yeah, you\'re not gonna get it. but, as i mentioned to a buddy tonight, it took me several shows live before i finally got what it is that they do. daffodil-jill (a ct native) hates them, because she doesn\'t get the southern mythos of whiskey and grime. that\'s fine. not everyone should, because not everyone\'s from the same place. they do what they do really well, but if you don\'t like what they\'re doing, then you\'re probably not gonna like it either way. i\'ve seen them more than any other band, but again, its because they played around here a bunch and, like i said, all my friends from all around would be to be there. it was like going to a message board, but in person. and with live music.

crazy idea, huh?! :^p

now, all that being said, jimmy herring is in the band and he\'s doing some great things the more comfortable he becomes. check out the 11/2/2007 show and see what you think. if that doesn\'t perk your ears, then there\'s probably no reason to keep trying, but at least you gave it an honest effort!

[ds673488]

now, all that being said, jimmy herring is in the band and he\'s doing some great things the more comfortable he becomes. QUOTE]

is that the guy from aquarium rescue unit?  if so, that guy is insane on guitar, and that band was insane as well, one of my favorites from the early 90\'s.

[boombox]

Well, I like them!

Had tickets for both the cancelled UK tours when Mikey was ill, and they never rescheduled,  so I have yet to see them live. However, the few albums I have and the various shows I\'ve d/ed suggest they would be a good band live, as long as they stick to songs - never did like their early jams, which come nowhere near the Breakfast in terms of "taking you there". Haven\'t d/ed much of theirs for a while, but will take joe\'s recommendation and try it. If memeoryserves,Jimmy Herring has also done some good stuff with the Dead family, so I will give it a go.

And as for Ancient Harmony, they were one of the first bands I downloaded mp3s for. Good band. That show on archive though is a bit lacking in originals, but if I can free up some space, will get that one too.

[SlimPickens]

so, long story short, .

this phrase usually signals "wrapping things up", not a spring board into another huge paragraph  ;-)

They have way to much material of their own to really try and "nail" a cover.

As pretty talented professional musicians, you\'d think they would try to "nail" anything they performed live.

[jking]

is that the guy from aquarium rescue unit?

one and the same!  and you\'re right early too, mid-90\'s ARU is the best assemblage of musicians ever! the overwhelming amount of talent in that band was just amazing!!

Had tickets for both the cancelled UK tours when Mikey was ill, and they never rescheduled, so I have yet to see them live.

i had some friends who\'d gotten tickets, hotel reservations, flights, the whole nine yards. unfortunately they ended up having to eat most of the costs...

If memeoryserves,Jimmy Herring has also done some good stuff with the Dead family, so I will give it a go.

yep! he was in the dead and phil and friends for a long time. in fact, herring was mikey\'s first choice, but jimmy was still under contract with phil who wouldn\'t let him out of it. so, they got some help from gmac and once jimmy was available, they oh so unceremoniously let gmac go.

That show on archive though is a bit lacking in originals,

it is, but it was still a blast! and the recording is superb! for some of their best shows on the archive, check out 2/9/02. all orginals until the encore and a tremendous segue-fest! i actually helped put the setlist together and never thought they\'d actually try to pull off the ridiculousness i\'d written down... :lol: 7/27/02 is another great show with their then-new drummer, chad. it was a post-phil throwdown and they really went all out!

this phrase usually signals "wrapping things up", not a spring board into another huge paragraph ;-)

yeah, i get verbose when its late, i\'m drunk and talking about some of my favorite bands... ooops... :lol:

oh and as for some great panic shows, try streaming 4/27/99 - this is basically their 5/8/77 Cornell. everyone has it, everyone loves it, 4/3/96 - pouring emotion in the second set, just massive energy, and pretty much any oak mountain and/or myrtle beach show you can find...

[Lexington]

^^^^how the f did you do that j? actually i\'ll just look it up myself using the .info search. oh, and to not completely derail the thread, wsp is pretty cool. i didn\'t know that had jimmy herring, that make sit a whole new ball game. jimmy\'s the man

[jking]

how did i do what??

[leith]

Herring was actually under contract with The Other Ones/ The Dead at the time of Mikey\'s death. It was not just Phil that would not let him go.

I have always been a little ticked about this whole issue. The Dead did not need Jimmy as much as WSP needed him. Imagine how awesome it would have been to just skip the whole gmac years? I mean I actually like his playing but he just did not fit as Lead in that band.

[jocelyn]

Jimmy Herring is the fucking man. And I do love old ARU. Here is a funny picture of Col. Bruce of ARU fame and my exboyfriend. The guy is such a slob. :lol:





And another picture of him looking like a slob:




Anyhow back to Jimmy Herring. He also did the Jazz is Dead thing didn\'t he?

I\'m not huge into WSP, but I can appreciate what they do. I would definitely check them out with JH.

[bdfreetuna]

Panic is allright. They can get a quality studio album produced at least. They are one of few jam bands I\'d actually rather listen to the album though.

[Vassillios]

Anyhow back to Jimmy Herring. He also did the Jazz is Dead thing didn\'t he?

Jazz is Dead was really cool. I love what they did to dead songs... Jimmy Herring is an insane guitar player.

Jimmy/Timmy tour?

That shit would be off the hook

[jocelyn]

^^^ Not gonna happen. For a while at least.