Happy Birthday Michael Houser: With Widespread Panic In Chattanooga In 2001

Today is bittersweet for Widespread Panic fans as it marks the birthday of late founding member Michael Houser. Mikey sadly died on August 10, 2002 at the young age of 40 following a battle with pancreatic cancer. The man dubbed “Panic” who partly inspired the name of the band brought a style and sound to WSP that helped define the early character of the Georgia-based rockers.

This Full Show Friday entry is devoted to Houser and a show he and Widespread Panic performed in his hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee. The band performed two sets at UTC-McKenzie Arena on November 21, 2001. Mikey was joined that night by now former-WSP drummer and fellow Chattanoogan Todd Nance, his University Of Georgia classmate, frontman John Bell, keyboardist John “JoJo” Hermann, bassist Dave Schools and percussionist Domingo “Sunny” Ortiz.

The show kicked off with Houser and the band working up “Greta” and a cover of Traffic’s “Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys.” The first set saw the third WSP performance of “Clinic Cynic” alongside classics such as “Space Wrangler,” “Henry Parsons Died” and “Conrad.”

One of Panic’s final performances of “Don’t Tell The Band” opened set two, followed by “Imitation Leather Shoes.” The second half also featured a rendition of “Chilly Water” that opened up to include “Mr. Soul” and a drums breakdown, as well as a closing sequence of “Dyin’ Man” followed by Curtis Mayfield’s “Pusherman” and Jerry Joseph’s “Climb To Safety.” Chattanooga was treated to “Pilgrims” and Tom Waits’ “Goin’ Out West” for the encore that night which along with the first and second sets can be viewed in the video posted by RaumWrangler below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9umpqQjPY0

Setlist (via Everyday Companion)

Set One: Greta > Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys > Rock, Clinic Cynic, Space Wrangler, Henry Parsons Died, Nobody’s Fault But Mine > Big Wooly Mammoth > Conrad

Set Two: Don’t Tell The Band > Imitation Leather Shoes, Mercy > Chilly Water > Mr. Soul > Drums > Chilly Water > Dyin’ Man > Pusherman > Climb To Safety

Encore: Pilgrims, Goin’ Out West

[‘Sympathy For The Devil’, ‘Third Stone From The Sun’, and ‘Another One Bites The Dust’ teases by Dave after ‘Drums’]