Panic shows its dirty side

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

By Aaron Davis

Jackson Hole, Wyo.-For a band that has sold out Red Rocks Amphitheater a record 32 times, been inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame, and spent much of its 25-year career on the road, Widespread Panic may appear to have little left to conquer. Of course—the band has yet to rock the Spud Drive-In.

The local buzz surrounding this Fourth of July ruckus is already nailing it as the party of the summer. Even some non-Panic fans are juiced about seeing the band on Independence Day.

Since its outdoor shows at the base of Snow King in ’05 and ’06, the southern rockers have added lead guitarist Jimmy Herring (Allman Brothers Band, Aquarium Rescue Unit, Jazz Is Dead) to replace George McConnell. Herring injects sustained angular riffs, strikingly similar to 80s-era Jeff Beck and at times, super-compressed hair band guitar tone packed full of notes. His veteran experience has become a cornerstone of the band’s improvisational launch pad. Panic is no doubt inherent with the term “jam band,” a label that lead singer John Bell is “not too fond” of.

“It does tend to refer more to stumbling than actual improvisation,” Bell told Entertainment Weekly in March. “We hope it’s more musically soul-searching, with some focus. It’s easy as a player to just kind of stand around until you find something. A listener applying themselves to ‘jam band’ music might not be listening with focus, either.”

Panic just released its 11th studio album, Dirty Side Down (ATO) on May 25, a slower grooving, stratospheric album that the band considers its best ever. The instrumental interplay is strong, the production smooth but not slick, and the rhythmic changes thoughtful. At times Panic’s approach is surprisingly heavy—in a Van Halen kind of way—but there’s also a lighter touch that makes for welcoming diversity. 

These songs will be stretched in the live setting where the band is in its element—creating a wave of neo-hipsters bobbing and weaving in a cloud of smoke.
“The performance can rise up to much heavier levels than it would if you were just following a script,” Bell said of the band’s open-minded approach to interpreting songs at shows.

Capacity for the Spud is 4,000, and as of print time, tickets are still available. JHW

Co-presented by Poppa Presents and Silvertag Live, Widespread Panic plays at 7 p.m., Sunday at the Spud Drive-In in Driggs. Doors open at 6 p.m. All ages.

General admission tickets are $47 after taxes and fees via PoppaPresents.com, in person at Spud Drive-In and Big Hole Music in Driggs, Tobacco Row and Pink Garter in Jackson, and Knotty Pine in Victor. A two-day camping pass for Saturday and Sunday is $34. Concertgoers are encouraged to read venue rules posted at PoppaPresents.com. JHW

photo by JASON THRASHER
Widespread Panic returns for a much anticipated Fourth of July show.

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Panic shows its dirty side | Planet JH News Article: Music Box

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