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| Boarding the Private Jet :: 05.25.04 :: Paris, FRA |
I had never been on a private jet before, so please excuse my mouth open amazement in regards to how insane an experience it was. We are talking some next-level shit here. No check-in, no waiting in line, no security bullshit. A little shuttle (or limo) takes you onto the runway and you just walk right onto the plane. And what a plane! Apparently a G5 is the shit, and that's what we used. It didn't take long to get comfy in my leather lazy boy, and I sure didn't mind the endless supply of drinks and very high quality food. We enjoyed seafood salad, lobster claws, Beef Wellington, cheesecake, and more. And I thought Jet Blue with their little TV was a good time.
Joseph and Schools on Jet :: 05.25.04 |
During our flight I ended up sitting down with Schools and getting deep into some conversation. There were things I wanted to ask but hadn't felt comfortable enough to express until this point. Eventually we began to talk about Mikey (Michael Houser, Widespread Panic's departed lead guitarist). I mentioned how both the 4.28.02 Oak Mountain and 6.22.02 Bonnaroo shows (the last two times I ever saw Mikey) were incredibly moving and to this day two of the greatest musical/spiritual experiences I have had. When I mentioned Bonnaroo Dave looked right in my eyes. He seemed to agree with me on some level. He told me that he rarely, if ever, gets overwhelmed on stage. But when Dottie Peoples and the Peoples Choice Choir took the stage for the set closer at Bonnaroo he was floored. He said he was looking out over the crowd and the first 15 rows were "levitating." Being in those first few rows I can attest to the same feeling from the other side. Mikey was clearly showing signs of his illness, yet was absolutely at the top of his game musically. Dottie was "testifying" and as far as I could tell, opening the path for Mikey to walk warmly into whatever is next. The crowd was feeling it and to this day--even right now!--I get goose bumps thinking about it. To know that Dave Schools felt the same thing made me feel more at home than my bed. We continued talking about Mikey and Widespread Panic in general. Y'all will just have to wait for all the details, but one thing was clear: Panic will be back, and they won't be resting on their laurels. I told Dave that I thought a book should be written about Widespread Panic, and that he should really let me do it. He told me, "I wouldn't want you to have to re-write chapters. The story isn't over yet." He said he wasn't even sure what he meant by it but that, "There was still something major to happen for the band." Amen.
Landing in New Jersey and walking from the plane to the limo was a nice way to slide back into home base. And I'll tell you, while traveling is always amazing; coming home always feels good too. Sure I wasn't home yet, but like it or not, America is home, and it felt good to be around friends and family.
McFadden and his new Axe
05.26.04 :: New York City |
We ended up getting to New York a day early due to the London show getting bagged, and it was a good thing too because Eric needed a new guitar. The Les Paul he was using in Europe was our friend/promoter Ulf's, and upon leaving Europe Eric had to relinquish the guitar. A few hours after arrival Eric and I went up towards midtown to check out some guitars. We hit Manny's and a few others stores, but didn't find The One.
We set out the next day and regardless of whether it spoke to Eric or not, a new guitar had to be bought for the gig the following day. We were walking by a store and Eric stopped dead in his tracks. There was a 1977 custom Les Paul casting a spell on our devilish clown friend. Not wanting to rush into things, we went in and Eric played several guitars and various models. But in the end we walked out with the Les Paul that was sitting in the window. The guy behind the counter said that it had just come in and he knew it wasn't going to be around long. The guitar had clearly been loved, played and cared for incredibly well. And it was now in the hands of a true master.
McFadden at Sirius Radio Show
05.27.04 :: New York City |
May 27 began with a Sirius Radio show and the first notes for the band on American soil. Mixing a few interview questions into a small set including "Tight," "Empire One," "White Dirt," and "The Jacob Ladder," the radio show went well. The band was clearly excited and a bit nervous to be in the States, and it wasn't long until their first live show ever in America.
While we were still setting up at The Knitting Factory Mike Gordon of Phish fame came in to talk bass (I guess) with Dave Schools. It was certainly a nice sight to see two of my favorite bass players of all time shooting the shit. The differences between Europe and the States were instantly noticeable in many ways, but perhaps most obvious was the respect, anticipation, and scene this group of musicians are capable of stirring up back at the homeland. Sure there were people interested in these guys across the pond, but there were no mobs of people, no famous musicians and actors coming to say hi, no "scene." Well, the circus was in town and there was definitely a scene.
Jerry Joseph and Dave Schools |
The band's U.S. debut was a strong one. The Knit was packed. I'm talking wall-to-wall slammed with sweaty screaming fans, industry types, and tons of friendly faces. From the first notes of "Tight" it was obvious the band was determined to show America what they're capable of, and it was clear what a difference a day makes. For starters the band had finally welcomed some of the Widespread Panic crew to help out, including sound man Chris Rabold. Schools had been eagerly anticipating the arrival of Chris, and his familiarity with Dave and loud-ass rock in general was clearly going to help the sound. Perhaps even more important than even having the right guy behind the mixing board is having the right crowd. This was the first time the band had played in front of a real crowd. This was the first time there were people who knew the words. This was the first time there were fists pumping and sweat dripping. This was the first time shit really got crazy. And that was only the set-closing "Shining Path" into "Bouncing Very Well."
During set break I could tell the band was leaving a good impression. I heard people grasping for words to describe McFadden, and I heard more than one person comment on how nice it was to see Jerry and Dave in this setting. People were throwing all kinds of superlatives around, and the second set would dwarf the first, leaving the crowd with a serious case of the Syndrome.
Jerry Joseph and Dave Schools |
Blasting out of the gates was "The Jacob Ladder" and a nasty "Light Is Like Water" > "Gloryland" > "Light Is Like Water." I had almost forgotten what it was like to have an entire club sing with you. In Europe it was only the people on the tour bus who knew the words. The set-ending "American Fork" and "Road to Damascus" was enough to sell any skeptic in The Knit. It was impossible to deny--the first show was clearly a huge success. It seemed that our theory about the crowd being the only missing ingredient held true. I had discussed this with each band member at one time or another, and clearly remember getting into it with Wally and Eric. And we all seemed to think that it was at least possible (I was pretty damn sure) that once you put this rock show in front of an eager, intelligent, sweaty, engrossed crowd things would blow up. It's almost impossible to push things to the next level if you don't have the audience fueling the band, and when the band finally received that missing ingredient they reached the next level.
Waking McFadden up the next day was a nightmare. Another part of being home is all the friends, and sleep was just not an option. While we each went our own way we all celebrated well into the following day. And when I went to Eric's door at 8:00 a.m. he was not pleased. But it's part of the job and we had a show that night in South Carolina. I helped him with his bags and like Mick Jagger and the Stones we rolled out of The Tribeca Grand right into three stretch limos. We cruised out to the air strip and boarded the private jet. 50 minutes later we landed in the Dirty South.
Jerry Joseph and Eric McFadden |
If America was the homecoming party, the South was the family get together. Dave Schools is a celebrity down south, and Jerry... They either love him or they hate him. Come to think of it that goes for everyone who knows Jerry, but it's amplified in the South.
Both shows at The Music Farm in Charleston were hot! Noticeably better than the New York show, the band continued to get better each time out. Considering how young this band is and how busy its members are it should come as no surprise that there were a few repeats over the two night stand, but this particular genre of fans has come to expect quite a bit from their music. Regardless of a few doubles the shows came off incredibly well. The first night was great but the "Ray Of Heaven" > "Drives Me Crazy" > "Ray Of Heaven" and "North" throw down put night two a notch above. And when Schools mounted the amp during the "Princess Cruise" encore it was clear that we had once again set a new benchmark.
There is nothing like southern hospitality. And my good friends down there made damn sure to be hospitable to Wally, Eric, and I well into the next day. With a pair of white hot shows behind us, it was fun to kick back, stay up late, and shoot the shit with Wally, Eric, and a few friends. Truth be told, I had to slip out a wee bit early as I was driving half the band to North Carolina in the morning, and I really didn't feel like ending up on some VH1 special where I wrap the Cadillac around a tree and kill us all.
Jerry Joseph |
North Carolina was the scene of our final show and by the time we got to the venue the crowd was hopping at Hammerjax. They packed the fans in and the band took it over the top once again. The most impressive musical moment of the entire tour (at least in contention with the Offenberg meltdown) came during "Couldn't Get It Right." The song opened up and turned into a 20-minute funk bomb. It truly exemplified how far the band had come. It had everything: Jerry and Eric trading guitar licks, a HUGE Schools bass solo, Wally dropping jaws and Danny going bonkers on the keys. It was truly astonishing as I thought back to those first shows only a few weeks earlier. They were pulling the levers and slowing down the tempo. The sound was dialed and they toyed with volume control, exercising their dexterity, and the crowd was eating it up. It was so damn good it brought a wee little tear to my eye... I guess you could say I was proud of them.
McFadden & Dziuk :: Backstage in N.C. :: 05.30.04 |
There was another moment at this monstrous tour closer that seemed to exemplify the birth of the Stockholm Syndrome. At the very end of the show Jerry said a few words, and things turned slightly political. Schools came to the edge of the stage and began putting his finger to his temple and saying, "Think! Think! Think!" The message was clear; this is an election year and you can't just buy the hype, you have to "think." Just as the band's songs generally have a political undercurrent, so did Dave's message. While he doesn't want to come right out and tell you what he thinks, Schools wants you to think. And just as the Stockholm Syndrome doesn't want to shove its political views up your ass, they want you to give it some thought.
One month, six countries, and 17 shows later the Stockholm Syndrome's tour had come to an end. In my last moments with the band I found myself sitting next to Schools, sharing Chinese food in our fearless leader's suite. I broke into my fortune cookie and laughed out loud as I read my fortune: "YOU WILL TRAVEL FAR AND WIDE, BOTH FOR PLEASURE AND BUSINESS." As visions of the past month unraveled in my head Schools (who was in perhaps the best mood I've ever seen) smiled and said, "That's the ending to your story right there."
Read Part I of this epic tale: STOCKHOLM SYNDROME :: A BAND IS BORN
All Words & Images by: The Kayceman
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