Band history Widespread Panic

1 band history

1.1 1981–1995: years , rise national attention
1.2 1996–2002: peak touring years , houser s death
1.3 2003–2006: george mcconnell joins
1.4 2006–2014: jimmy herring joins
1.5 2014–present: todd nance departure , reduced touring

band history
1981–1995: years , rise national attention

john bell , michael houser met in 1981 in dorm @ university of georgia. bell had been playing guitar solo act, , invited new friend houser, guitarist, join him. began living , collaborating on music in year, writing still-popular songs such driving song , chilly water together. bassist dave schools met bell , houser in 1984 , first played them on february 24, 1985, @ a-frame house on weymanda court in athens. on february 6, 1986, houser called childhood friend , drummer todd nance sit in houser, bell, , schools charity event in athens; first show widespread panic. band named houser s once-frequent panic attacks. texan percussionist domingo s. ortiz ( sunny ) began sitting in band regularly later year.

the band played in fraternities , bars regularly before panic signed contract landslide records in 1987. in february 1987 band played now-legendary series of 1 dollar monday night shows @ uptown lounge in athens , crucial local press began take notice—flagpole & athens observer art columnist shan clark emphasized widespread panic s musical virtuosity, songwriting , professionalism. in september of same year, recorded first album, space wrangler, @ john keane s studio in athens. col. bruce hampton rumored have delivered first pressing band. songs on album included chilly water, travelin light, space wrangler, coconut, take out, porch song, stop-go , driving song. after space wrangler, touring expanded include additional northeastern dates, along texas, colorado, west coast, , internationally vancouver, canada. around time (late 1988 or 1989) domingo ortiz joined band full-time. played first show in colorado in march 1990, opening jerry joseph s band little women.

widespread panic signed capricorn records in january 1991. later year, released major label debut, widespread panic (a.k.a. mom s kitchen). same year billy bob thornton directed movie widespread panic: live georgia theatre recorded on 2 nights in athens, georgia.

as band began tour more, john hermann ( jojo ) joined band keyboardist in march 1992 replacing dixie dregs keyboardist t. lavitz joined band year earlier. band continued tour throughout entire in 1992 joining famous horde tour blues traveler, phish, , aquarium rescue unit, among others. released everyday in march 1993 , ain t life grand in september 1994. panic marked rise playing on network television first time in november 1994.

1996–2002: peak touring years , houser s death

aerial view of crowd @ light fuse, away cd release party

on april 18, 1998, celebrate release of first live album, light fuse, away, widespread panic offered free cd release party concert in athens georgia. estimated 80,000–100,000 fans descended on town, transforming 1 of largest cd release parties in history.

in 2002, band received gold certification concert dvd live @ oak mountain. headlined 2 nights of first annual bonnaroo music festival drew crowd upwards of 70,000 people.

in 2002, guitarist michael houser diagnosed pancreatic cancer. houser continued perform band middle of year, following performance on july 2, 2002 in cedar rapids, iowa left tour because of declining health. guitarist george mcconnell, former bandmate of jojo hermann s in beanland, took on lead guitarist remainder of band s scheduled dates. michael houser died on august 10, 2002.

2003–2006: george mcconnell joins

in 2003, band released ball, first studio album mcconnell guitarist. album unique among band s offerings in none of songs included had been performed live band prior recording. of material included written album exception of time waits, song john bell had performed in solo appearances, , don t wanna lose you, song john hermann had performed side-project smiling assassins. late in 2003, band announced taking hiatus both recording , performing in 2004. however, 2004 did see release of 3 live albums, engineered billy field: night of joy , Über cobra—both of recorded during november 2003 three-night run of shows @ house of blues in myrtle beach, sc—as jackassolantern, compilation of cover songs performed during band s halloween shows on years. third release myrtle beach shows, live @ myrtle beach released in 2005.

in january 2006, band recorded 9th studio album, earth america, in nassau, bahamas @ compass point studios, terry manning producing. released june 13, 2006. may 9 show @ atlanta s fox theatre simulcast in live hd, via satellite, in select movie theatres nationwide. on 60,000 fans across country watched live in theatres. show released in dvd format on november 14, 2006, entitled earth atlanta .

on august 2, 2006, nearing end of summer tour, band announced george mcconnell had left band, making july 30, 2006 @ fox theater in st. louis, mo last show. producer john keane , former guitar technician sam holt filled in on guitar remaining 2 weeks of tour.

2006–2014: jimmy herring joins

widespread panic performs 32nd consecutive sold out show @ red rocks amphitheater



members of allman brothers join widespread panic on stage in canandaigua, ny. august 22, 2009

in late 2006, fayetteville, nc native jimmy herring took on reins of lead guitarist in band, kicking off fall tour 3 nights @ radio city music hall in new york city.

panic s 7th annual new year s shows on december 30 , 31, 2007, marked 15th , 16th sellout performance @ philips arena.

the band released 10th album, free somehow, on february 12, 2008. it, too, recorded producer terry manning @ compass point studios.

following release of new studio album, widespread panic began release vintage concert performances widespread panic archives. carbondale 2000 released on june 10, 2008, followed valdosta 1989 released on february 24, 2009, , huntsville 1996 released on june 23, 2009. band continue dig show archives, encompasses past 25 years, , release these shows multi-track recordings.

june 27, 2008, marked band s 32nd sold-out show @ red rocks amphitheater. more other band in venue s history. mayor john hickenlooper proclaimed friday, june 27 widespread panic day in city , county of denver. same year, widespread panic inducted georgia music hall of fame on september 20.

the band continued tour throughout rest of 2008 , spring of 2009. in summer of 2009, widespread panic teamed fellow southern rockers, allman brothers summer , fall co-headlining tour.

in march 2010, announced widespread panic releasing new album entitled dirty side down on may 25, 2010. 2010 see release of live in classic city ii, containing music 2000 shows.

on september 29, 2010, widespread keyboardist jojo herman announced band going on hiatus in 2012. in interview vanderbilt hustler, herman explained, next year our 25th anniversary. after that, re going call (quits) awhile. re looking forward next year , going out on high note.

the band went on tour steadily throughout 2011, ending year first show @ time warner cable arena in charlotte, nc. in 2012, band played limited number of shows. january february band embarked on first ever tour billed acoustic. dubbed wood tour, started in january @ fillmore in silver spring, md , ended @ belly in aspen, co. 2 recordings wood tour released in 2012, special record store day-only vinyl record entitled live wood in april , later wood, on october 16.

the rest of 2012 saw band on hiatus band members active other projects. dave schools toured mickey hart band, jimmy herring recorded new album , toured own band, , jojo hermann played shows missing cats, opening , sitting in north mississippi allstars. on august 17, band announced first scheduled shows after hiatus, including 2 nights in charlotte, nc , 4 night run in dominican republic.

between 2 short legs made 2012 wood tour, band played 4 night run in mexico, marking first shows in country, , beginning become annual tradition called panic en la playa. first panic en la playa held on beach @ sapphire resort in puerto morelos, mexico in 2012. 2013 , 2014, concert held @ hard rock hotel in punta cana, dominican republic, 2014 shows pushed until march 17–20.

the band returned regular touring in spring of 2013 run of mid-west , southern shows beginning in april. during these shows, band introduced new innovations in audio broadcast of live performance. previously, panic had allowed tapers use audience recording devices simulcast live shows fans via internet. first live taper stream @ dodge theater in phoenix, az on 11/04/2009 coloartist , continued wp tapers through spring 2013 tour when band took on streaming duties , started broadcasting live soundboard recordings of show via mixlr.com , mixlr smartphone app. on december 31, 2013 band returned philips arena in atlanta.

2014 saw return of wood tour, band playing 6 acoustic theater shows, special wood performance held 333 feet underground in volcano room @ cumberland caverns in mcminville, tn taping of episode of pbs bluegrass underground. band played extensive 2014 tour, three-night stands @ red rocks, joint @ hard rock hotel , casino in las vegas, nv, riverside theater in milwaukee, wisconsin, , 1stbank center in broomfield, co.

the band closed out 2014 2 shows in charlotte, nc: annual tunes tots benefit performance @ fillmore in charlotte, nc on 12/30, followed annual new year s eve show, held particular year @ twc arena in charlotte, nc.

2014–present: todd nance departure , reduced touring

on october 2, 2014, band announced duane trucks join band 2014 fall tour. trucks temporarily filled in todd nance, taking time attend personal matters. nance reunited band 4 shows in mexico in february 2016. however, on february 9, 2016, band announced todd nance leaving band , that, duane [trucks] drummer widespread panic moving forward. trucks current drummer hard working americans.

on september 25, 2015, street dogs, 13th studio album, released through vanguard records. street dogs recorded john keane @ echo mountain recording studio in asheville, nc. album composed of 7 originals , 3 covers: alan price s sell sell , murray mclauchlan s honky red , tail dragger , willie dixon tune popularized howlin wolf.

in april 2016, keyboardist john hermann announced band stop touring extensively @ end of year. however, said band not breaking , continue make festival appearances , perform shows @ select venues such red rocks.