Widespread Panic Reissuing Michael Houser-Era ‘Live From Austin, TX’

Widespread Panic will revisit a memorable Halloween performance from the Michael Houser era with a new edition of Live From Austin, TX. The 11-track collection documenting the band’s October 31, 2000 appearance on Austin City Limits will be reissued on vinyl and, for the first time, CD, on October 30 via New West Records.

The classic Widespread Panic lineup of Houser, John Bell, Dave Schools, JoJo Hermann, Todd Nance and Domingo “Sunny” Ortiz recorded the performance at the Austin City Limits studio in Austin. Houser died of pancreatic cancer in August 2002 at age 40.

New West Records originally released Live From Austin, TX on DVD in 2008 before bringing the performance to vinyl for the first time in 2017. The new limited-edition features artwork by longtime Widespread Panic poster artist JT Lucchesi and will be available on Rainbow Color Splatter vinyl and Glow-in-the-Dark vinyl along with the first CD edition.

The reissue follows the recent arrival of Albany 2000, the 21st installment of Widespread Panic’s Archive multi-track series. That collection captures the same classic lineup performing at the Albany Civic Center in the band’s home state of Georgia on April 9, 2000, nearly seven months before the Austin City Limits taping.

“Space Wrangler” was released today as a preview of the Live From Austin, TX reissue. The performance previously surfaced on video in 2017 and can be viewed below:

Widespread Panic opened the Halloween 2000 set with brute.’s “Let’s Get Down To Business.” “Ain’t Life Grand,” “Climb To Safety,” “Blue Indian” and “Casa Del Grillo” followed “Space Wrangler” before the band embarked on a “Driving Song” > “Surprise Valley” > “Driving Song” sequence.

J.J. Cale’s “Travelin’ Light” closed the main set. Panic returned for an encore consisting of “Bear’s Gone Fishin’” > “Dyin’ Man” > “Porch Song.”

Stream “Space Wrangler” and the full Live From Austin, TX performance below. Pre-order the reissue here.

Widespread Panic returns to the road later this month for a two-night stand in Wilmington, North Carolina on September 18 and 19. The band’s fall schedule also includes two appearances at Mempho Music Festival, three nights at Milwaukee’s Riverside Theater and a two-night Halloween run in New Orleans on October 30 and 31. Panic En La Playa follows in Riviera Maya, Mexico in January 2027.

Live From Austin, TX Tracklist

1. Let’s Get Down To Business
2. Ain’t Life Grand
3. Space Wrangler
4. Climb To Safety
5. Blue Indian
6. Casa Del Grillo
7. Driving Song, Pt. 1 > Surprise Valley > Driving Song, Pt. 2
8. Travelin’ Light
9. Bear’s Gone Fishin’
10. Dyin’ Man
11. Porch Song