Apr 28, 2015
Chicago's North Coast Music Festival has in past years been a bit of a jam purist's puzzle. There has always been a smattering of jam-friendly acts in its lineups, but EDM and flavor-of-the-minute bands tended to cast a long shadow for those looking for improv in Chicago over Labor Day Weekend.The scales seemed to...
Mar 27, 2015
Update 3/30: Added fifth tour debut... "Steven's Cat"A personal favorite reward of being a jamband fan: when a band is working on material in the studio and they head out on the road... the new material starts trickling into setlists.That's exactly what Widespread Panic has been doing on this spring tour. First, they dropped...
Jan 27, 2015
It's hard to fathom exactly how incredible Panic en La Playa must be to WSP fans who are able to make the trip. Four nights. Stage right on the beach. Staying on site at an all-inclusive resort.After a blowout show on first night of the fourth edition of this destination festival, the band had...
Jan 16, 2015
In years past, I've done my yearly round ups as a mixture of best "things" -- shows, albums, concepts -- that made in impact that year.In 2014, I had such a diversity of show experience that I would consider in the top echelon, that I decided to go shows only. It also gives me a...
Nov 20, 2014
A parade of stars, including many Barn favorites, took the stage with Mavis Staples last night in Chicago in tribute to the living legend for her 75th birthday. The trusty Wyatt Brake was on hand with his camera and grabbed a handful of shots.Video of Widespread Panic's two song slot courtesy of YouTuber Adam...
Oct 25, 2014
The crew at Brown Cat have been dropping posters for each night of the run exactly two days ahead of each show.When the first of the AJ Masthay prints was revealed on Thursday, and it was just for Friday's show, I had a sneaking suspicion that we were going to get a full and...
Oct 25, 2014
Night one comes out of the gates screaming...Ain't No Use >RockC BrownHolden >Stop Go >Up All NightWalkinWeight Of The WorldGiveRadio Child >Gimme >Nobody's Fault But Mine >Imitation Leather ShoesRebirtha >Porch SongRed Hot Mama >Bass & Drums >Drums >End Of The ShowYou Got YoursClimb to...
Oct 23, 2014
The first time I ventured north to Milwaukee to see a Widespread Panic show was over the Fourth of July, 1997. The band was playing a rare two night stand at a smaller stage of the city's famed Summerfest. The pair of one-setters were at the Miller Oasis Stage, which featured metal bleacher-style seats. Oddly, rather...
Oct 8, 2014
You can point to the first Bonnaroo as a potential Ground Zero for the music festival explosion that has gripped America in the dozen or so years since its inception. While many festivals that have emerged in its wake -- both big and small -- have chosen to replicate its key elements, very few, not...
Sep 15, 2014
Saw an absurd amount of good music today capped by this Widespread Panic set.One SetHenry Parsons Died, Chilly Water, Can't Get High, Let It Rock > Radio Child, Shut Up & Drive, Ride Me High > Hatfield > Space Wrangler > Walkin, Holden Oversoul > Do What You Like > Me & The Devil,...