re: Widespread Panic- February 9th & 10th at the Classic Center

Personally, I think Herring is great. He had a very stellar career before joining WSP (Col. Bruce Hampton and The Aquatic Rescue Unit, Phil Lesh and Friends, Allman Bros Band), and he definitely has his own style. The reason he fits so much better than McConnell did is that his background is jazz/blues guitar, which fits a lot better with what Widespread's roots in Southern Rock really stem from. No one, in my opinion, can ever fully fill Houser's shoes (his "Breathing Slow" riff is truly the work of a genius, if you ask me), but Herring does a very good job.

Can't really tell you much about the new drummer. I'm a guitar guy.

Yeah, I may have mentioned that a time or 40. He lives in Vermont now. Living the ski resort life.

Sam Holt is th guitarist who mimicks Mikey. He was actually his guitar tech, until he went out on his own and formed the now defunct band Outformation. After George got the boot, they announced Jimmy Herring is going to come aboard in the Fall.

The band had a small transition period in between, and Sam (and producer John Keane) filled in and played about 6 shows.


More on Waker Houser. Cool dude? Does he mention his dad? or if he has any interest in what Panic is doing these days?

Nice

I was at the Houser tribute show at the Theatre a few years ago and JB brought him up on stage.

Houser's wife was in attendance as well.

That was a great show

Once upon a time in the early to mid 90s, I used to hang out and smoke their weed with the guys on the regular when they were in town. That was not often as they were always on the road. I had a lot of connections in the Athens music scene from working at the Uptown Lounge(Where People Go!) and The Georgia Theatre which were co-owned by two locals. Todd Nances wife bartended with me at Uptown. Oddly, even though I liked their music a lot and got to know the guys, I never traveled around to watch them. A good friend of mine was very good friends with their sound guy at the time. I only knew him as Gomer then but later found his name was Bill Jordan. Apparently, one of his job duties was as procurer of various strains of kind bud because every time I went to his house with my friend he had a well cached collection of various strands of buds. After I graduated I spent 4 years in Athens fricking around and just rode the wave out embroiled in the music/marijuana scene until I one day said "okay, enough. Time to move on." I can remember sitting on that Gomer dudes couch high as shite listening to Pink Floyd with Schools and Nance on several occasions. Never saw the other band members except on one occasion when Houser came by when I was there. I knew they were a big deal but they didn't come across that way. They were just dudes whose excellent weed I was gratified to be smoking.

Man, times flys by. I met and partied with some great local musicians from Bloodkin guys, Dashboard Saviors, and some members of panic. Drank and jammed with Randall Bramblett and Davis Causey (no weed though.) Kevin Kinney who used to sit by himself at my bar on slow nights at the Theatre listening to some unknown band. One of my best experiences was getting to party with DMB the night they filmed Ants Marching live video at the Theatre in (94?). Backstage after the show getting high with Boyd Tinsley and Stefan Lesard on a couch. The other was meeting my New Orleans funk master idols The Funky Meters. As a huge fan of the NO music scene at the time, it was a big deal to meet Art Neville and George Porter Jr. I swear, Art Neville was the only musician whose 'cool' aura left me unable to speak to him other than to shake his hand and say 'big fan here.' I still remember him saying 'that's cool brotha.'

Sorry about the trip down memory lane. This thread just conjured up great memories for a 46 year old father of four whose wild days have been long gone.

Thanks for sharing. I really love hearing about the 90s music scene when so many big time bands were really coming into their own. I have heard those were glorious times and I've heard from other folks who were well connected back then that the guys from Panic and DMB were just regular guys who never acted like they were too cool to hang out and shake hands with regular folks back in the day.

EDIT: I had no idea DMB filmed that video at the Theater. That's pretty cool

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he High Hat Blues Club on E. Clayton.

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Probably the greatest original music venue in the SOuth at the time. Maybe even on the entire continent.

Some of the bigger athens bands at the time might play at the Theatre or the 40 Watt and it would sell out in minutes, but you could see these same bands and a whole lot more at the High Hat with a fraction of the crowd because they played there all the time. It just wasn't advertised. Or I guess was maybe spontaneous.

Super jealous of the stories you are telling

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Vic Chestnut and most of the WP guys

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They did two records together under the name "Brute" as Widespread Panic fans know. Before those came out though, you probably remembered they preformed around Athens and even the theatre as "Bar Tab". And were booed most times because they didn't play "Coconuts" or the others.

This one has always haunted me though.... LINK.........

I went a backassed way to Berkley
When I rode the Westport Ferry
I should've known it would change my life
When I rode that Westport Ferry

What did I do aboard the boat,
On the Westport Ferry
I wrapped warm bodies in plastic wrap
On that Westport Ferry

When the current is mighty and the channel is steep
On the Westport Ferry
Think of how many brilliant men were lost in that murky deep
Around the Westport Ferry

I will float again
When they're done dredging
That stubborn crowd won't disperse
'Til that barge becomes a hearse



Beautiful song. But, sounds like a suicide note. . .