WSP | 09.27-9.29 | Oakland

By: Dennis Cook

Widespread Panic :: 09.27.07 :: Paramount Theatre :: Oakland, CA

John Bell – WSP :: 09.27 by J. Miller

Like some great clattering metal construct lurching to life – sturdy as iron bars but screwed together loose so it rattles when it picks up speed – Widespread Panic emerged not with their own words but those of Tom Waits and Kathleen Brennan. If ever there were a roughly divine, steel wool blues howl as suited to “Goin’ Out West” as Waits’ fractured pipes it’s John Bell. Singing about karate and voodoo and looking good without a shirt, well, it’s self-conscious braggadocio custom made for that rough tool living in J.B.’s throat. Out West is where this long lived, ever mighty conglomerate of stupidly talented gents found themselves, and a quick look around showed every single boy and girl up on their feet, glad to have them on the Golden Coast again.

Panic has always seemed to me a clubhouse I wasn’t invited to. Arriving too late for Michael Houser, save for a couple shows many moons ago, and never able to bring myself to study all the ins and outs of their voluminous catalog and knotted history, I kept them at arm’s length. Like a lot of beloved, very successful bands, I had great respect for them but couldn’t quite make the hurdle to meet them all the way. But, the addition of Jimmy Herring last year brought me a lot closer to springing the distance. Herring is a musician’s musician, a technical whiz capable of gut churning power chords and angular weirdness. The very first time I saw Aquarium Rescue Unit open the H.O.R.D.E. festival it was love. At the palatial Paramount I had the amazing good fortune to be front row, feet away from Herring and Bell. Face to face with their conjuring, watching music ooze from them like sweat or dreams or a fever you can see, well, I made that leap.

While I can’t identify the vast majority of their catalog, it’s pretty damn good based on what they offered on this no longer sleepy Thursday night in Oakland. They are considerably heavier than I think they get credit for, and it made me want to hip my Black Sabbath buddies to them. Even when they lighten up, there was always Dave Schools shaking something dark over the proceedings. Like a lover that takes you with sureness and strength, Schools’ bass worked the room hard, loosening chakras and causing us to dance ourselves damp. Yeah, the whole band is responsible for the sound but the catalyst, the enzyme that wets their whistles is Schools, and bless the man for doing it.

Hermann & Harrison (Talking Heads) :: 09.27 by J. Miller

It’s when it comes time to identify particular numbers, to compare and contrast them to past glories (or flubs for that matter) that I falter. I don’t know the secret handshakes or the intricacies of Everyday Companion. Instead of Skull & Bones it’s the hidden corridors of “Barstools and Dreamers” that worry me. Just based on the expressions of those around me, I could tell their faithful were enjoying themselves but this wasn’t epic Panic to them. For me, a neophyte with a fresh hard-on for their sweet stuff, it was delightful rock & roll heaven. I could pretend some distance, lie about how it made me shake what my mama gave me until I felt faint, but why? Instead, I’ll sing their praises for being a bit shambling, wallowing in dissonance and stray notes, sharp flash left on the edges of their metal body, torn away in the thrashing and streamlined tangents. It’s a wonder they hold it all together, always making room for so many hands and active minds, even embracing fellow travelers like Jerry Harrison (Talking Heads) who joined them late in the second set with a possessed smile that said, “I just gotta get a piece of this!” And it made me smile inside to see beautiful, octopus limbed Wally Ingram back in the saddle for a few minutes during the percussion spotlight.

Only after these guests had wallowed in the sonic muck did they receive an introduction. For the music always seems to come first, living in the forefront of all their thinking. Anytime you tuned into a single part you found someone pouring on steam or smartly laying back in the cut, doing his utmost to serve something larger than one man. And it is this dedication to music in the cosmic, archetypal sense that made me finally and totally fall hard for these Southern boys, singing along to the encore – one I recognized from numerous bootlegs passed my way over the years – in a voice cracked by good times, “In my mind I was a child and it felt good!” Ain’t life grand indeed.

09/27/07 Paramount Theatre, Oakland, CA
Set 1: Going Out West, Disco > Diner > No Sugar Tonight/New Mother Nature, I’m Not Alone > Who Do You Belong To?, Christmas Katie > Little Kin > Action Man
Set 2: Traveling Light > Barstools and Dreamers > Machine > Radio Child > Casa Del Grillo > Holden Oversoul > Life During Wartime* > Jam* > Drums* > Jack > Chainsaw City
E: Ain’t Life Grand
* with Wally Ingram on percussion and Jerry Harrison on Keys
[Jam after Life During Wartime without J.B.]

Continue reading for Andy Tennille’s coverage of Night Two in Oakland…

By: Andy Tennille

Widespread Panic :: 09.28.07 :: Paramount Theatre :: Oakland, CA

Three-night runs are tricky beasts.

WSP at Paramount Theater :: 09.28 by A. Tennille

With all the pent-up excitement and expectations, Night One always comes off like a first date. The mood is electric, brimming with the anticipation of the impending three nights’ festivities. Giddy concertgoers exchange whoops and high-fives on their way through the doors as anxious security guards eye them warily. Ushers meet fans and fans meet ushers. Liquor bars are located and bathrooms that present the most direct route from seat to stall are quickly identified. Levels are tweaked as the crew gets used to the room’s acoustics and the band gets comfortable with their surroundings. While Thursday night’s setlist looked solid on paper (especially with ex-Talking Head Jerry Harrison sitting in for “Life During Wartime”), the band was a bit rusty from the week off after the Fall Tour opener in Memphis and it showed.

Night Two is where the rubber should meet the road. Friday night at the Paramount started off on the right foot with a tight version of “Happy” that segued smoothly into “Wondering,” a tune Jimmy Herring has down pat after a little more than a year playing in the band. “Morning Dew” teases were afoot as Herring and Dave Schools traded riffs while the band slowed the tempo before winding into “C. Brown.” Led by some inspired interplay between Herring and Jojo Hermann, “Pickin’ Up the Pieces” > “Better Off” was the apex of the first set but “Down” proved to be the nadir, drummer Todd Nance‘s lifeless vocals sounding like someone karate-chopped him in the Adam’s Apple seconds before he stepped to the mic.

“I’ve seen your sister naked, ain’t nothing I’m trying to see,” Bell cooed as Nance’s bass drum kicked off the intro to “Ribs and Whiskey” to open the second set. Though not widely considered to be an extraordinarily skilled guitarist, Bell’s slide work on “Ribs and Whiskey” was sublime – his solo after the first verse was tasteful and complimented Herring’s sheets of guitar and Hermann’s organ swells perfectly.

WSP :: 09.28 by Andy Tennille

The second set was where Panic found their feet in Oakland. “Stop-Go” served as the springboard, Herring intertwining his leads between Schools’ monstrous bassline. In the midst of this controlled chaos, Nance flipped the beat, Hermann pounced on his keys and “Pleas” was upon us. Friday night’s treat came with “Vampire Blues,” J.B. growling the song’s unforgettable opening line, “I’m a vampire, babe. Sucking blood from the Earth.” The rare gem from Neil Young‘s 1974 classic On The Beach was given the full, filthy treatment, Herring and Hermann trading solos back and forth. The dirty Panic and vampire vibe continued with the set-closing “Protein Drink” > “Sewing Machine,” a Vic Chesnutt doubleheader that’s become a staple in Panic’s repertoire of late, and thankfully so – Herring absolutely shreds it.

The sold-out crowd at the Paramount was expecting a bit more on Friday after a single-song encore the night before, and they got it with “Tickle the Truth” > “Love Tractor.” The rust was gone. From the dark, menacing melody of “Tickle the Truth” to the exuberant joy of “Love Tractor,” Panic emphatically slammed the door on Night Two, firing on all cylinders, the pistons primed for Saturday night.

09/28/07 Paramount Theatre, Oakland, CA
Set 1: Happy > Wondering > C. Brown, Can’t Get High, Pickin’ Up the Pieces > Better Off, Down > One Arm Steve > Worry
Set 2: Ribs and Whiskey, Stop Go > Pleas > Bust It Big > Stop Go > Vampire Blues, Airplane > Protein Drink > Sewing Machine
E: Tickle The Truth > Love Tractor

Continue reading for Kayceman’s coverage of Night Three in Oakland…

Widespread Panic :: 09.29.07 :: Paramount Theatre :: Oakland, CA

By: Kayceman

Dave Schools :: 09.28 by A. Tennille

You’ve heard the expression “everything has led to this point.” For those who went to all three nights and read the whole story Widespread Panic laid out in Oakland, that was the message during the final set on the final night at Oakland’s Paramount Theatre run.

The previous two evenings were fine, some real nice moments mixed in with some lackluster ones, and the first set on Saturday was just okay as well – a little too clean and pertty, and it never really got going until the set closing “Papa’s Home” > “Drums” (yeah, “Drums” in the first set) > “Papa’s Home” > “Rock.” But, everything changed in the second set, specifically when Dave Schools signaled the start of “Bowlegged Woman.” The “Pigeons” and “All Time Low” that brought us to “Bowlegged” showed signs of greatness, guitar tones getting darker and meaner; but it was the unmistakable bassline to what would be a fifteen-minute “Bowlegged” that set the whole thing off. J.B.‘s vocals were slow and methodical, Schools was screaming (vocally and musically) deep in the pocket, and Jimmy Herring‘s guitar was lightning fast and always in the sweet spot, building on the sexual tension of the song. About half way through there was this little conversation between Jojo Hermann‘s keys and Herring. They were trading licks, finding little corners to hide in, letting notes dangle as J.B. came over the top with a disgusting guitar tone, growling like a beast in need… just looking for a place to get off. There was even a weird spaceship landing that transitioned out of “Bowlegged” into a fierce “Impossible.”

Herring’s guitar work in “Impossible” was both sharp and loose, showing deadly precision when needed, as well as bleeding with emotion. The fluid nature of Herring’s guitar has changed the way this band operates. Instead of Michael Houser’s ominous clouds floating around, swelling and pulsing like waves at sea, Herring’s notes are a raging river pouring over rocks at a speed far too fast to comprehend. It’s been said before, but it’s worth repeating, Herring has given Widespread Panic a new lease on life. You can see it in the way J.B. looks at him, or Schools smiles during a particularly heated moment.

Jimmy Herring :: 09.28 by Andy Tennille

Set two was enough. Even before the encore we were sweaty, satiated and flying high above our seats. Sending us off with “Lets Get the Show on the Road” into “Postcard” and the incredibly rare schizophrenic mind-fuck “Cream Puff War” was more than an exclamation mark, it was a hard smack on the ass after a filthy night.

When all six members of Panic align themselves it’s a powerful force. Like a snowball gathering mass as it rolls or an 18-wheeler going down a hill it never should have climbed, there’s no stopping it once it starts. It may have taken most of the weekend to climb that hill but when they came tearing down the other side on the final set it was like salvation for the faithful. Or perhaps more accurately, it was the climax we so desperately needed after five sets of foreplay.

It had been a while since I last saw Panic, about a year. Sure, that may not sound like much time in the “normal music world,” but there was a time when I planned vacations around the band and never went more than a tour without seeing a few shows. Those days have passed. I’m too old to drop it all and just run. I have a mortgage, JamBase needs an Editor and there’s just way too much music in the world for me to bury my head inside Panic (or any one band) anymore. But walking out of the Paramount on Saturday night I was pleasantly reminded of just what it was that drew me in so many years ago. Everyone was there, anything was possible, my blood was on fire and I felt alive! It was like visiting with an old friend, one you forgot was so special, and it served as a reminder of just how much you love that person, even if you don’t see them as much as you used to.

Widespread Panic :: 09.27 :: Oakland :: By Josh Miller

09/29/07 Paramount Theatre, Oakland, CA
Set 1: From the Cradle > Make Sense to Me > Walk On, Dying Man, Heroes, Heaven, Papa Johnny Road > Papa’s Home > Drums > Papa’s Home > Rock
Set 2: The Take Out > Pigeons > All Time Low > Bowlegged Woman > Impossible > Proving Ground, Pilgrims > Blackout Blues > Porch Song
E: Lets Get the Show on the Road, Postcard > Cream Puff War

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