LUIZ WOODSTOCK: WIDESPREAD PANIC - Jam band, blues-rock, southern rock, jazz fusion - Years active 1986–2003

quinta-feira, 15 de janeiro de 2009

WIDESPREAD PANIC - Jam band, blues-rock, southern rock, jazz fusion - Years active 1986–2003 - 2005–present

Widespread Panic, esta e uma banda pouco conhecida por aqui, mais já estão a mais 20 anos na estrada, para quem gosta de um som estradeiro e uma otima opção. estou levantando a historia deles e segue ai abaixo:

Widespread Panic
(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Origin: Athens, Georgia, USA
Genre(s) Jam band, blues-rock, southern rock, jazz fusion
Years active 1986–2003 - 2005–present
Label(s) Widespread Records

Widespread Panic is an American band from Athens, Georgia. The current lineup includes guitarist/singer John Bell, bassist Dave Schools, drummer Todd Nance, percussionist Domingo "Sunny" Ortiz, keyboardist John "JoJo" Hermann, and guitarist Jimmy Herring. Michael Houser and George McConnell have also played lead guitar for the band.
Since their inception in Athens, Ga in 1986, Widespread Panic has risen to elite status among American jambands. Following in the steps of other southern rock jambands such as The Allman Brothers, they are self described as "an honest tune with a lingering lead" and have influences from the southern rock, blues-rock, progessive rock, and heavy metal genres. While commonly compared to jamband legend The Grateful Dead, closer comparisons are to Led Zepplin. Widely renown for their live performances, as of 2008, they hold the record number of sold out performances at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, CO at 32 and Philips Arena in Atlanta, Ga at 17. Dedicated fans are referred to as "Spreadheads" or "Spreadnecks" if from the south.

Formation of band: 1986-1991:
On February 9, 1986, Houser, Schools and Bell, with Joel Morris on drums and Kelly Jo Davis on backing vocals, recorded Monkey Image (Sleepy Monkey) and Coconut Image (Coconut) at Panoramic Recording Studio in Arnoldsville GA, to be released as their first single. The 45rpm vinyl was released (in a pressing of only 500) shortly thereafter on the band's Space Baby label.[1]
During the rest of 1986, Widespread Panic played mainly in Athens, although they did branch out to venues in Macon, GA and South Carolina. Early on, they began playing Monday nights at the Uptown Lounge in Athens, a tradition that would last well into 1988, alternating shows with Atlanta jam band The Grapes.[citation needed] Along the way, they developed original songs (in addition to the four originals that they played in 1985), including Stop-Go, C. Brown, Tie Your Shoes, Porch Song, Driving Song, Conrad, Vacation, Postcard, the instrumental Machine, and another instrumental jam that Bell later added lyrics to, titled Cardboard Box.
On October 6, 1986, Texan percussionist Domingo S. Ortiz ("Sunny"), sat in with the band at the Uptown Lounge for the first time.[2] Ortiz continued to perform with the band on numerous occasions in Athens, Macon, and Atlanta, and eventually (late 1988 or early 1989) accepted the band's request for him to join as a full-time member.[1]
During 1987, WSP continued to play primarily in Georgia, while steadily spreading out to South Carolina, North Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee, and as far north as Richmond, Virginia (Dave Schools' hometown). They developed a few more original songs along the way, including Barstools & Dreamers, Contentment Blues, I'm Not Alone, and instrumentals L.a. (aka "Liza's Apartment"), and The Take Out. Bell added lyrics to Cardboard Box, and to another instrumental titled "Puppet Song", subsequently renamed Pigeons. Cardboard Box was only played a handful of times before being dropped from the repertoire.
Later that year, the band signed with Landslide Records and recorded their first album, Space Wrangler, at John Keane's Studio in Athens. Guests on the album included Ortiz on percussion, David Blackmon on fiddle, Tim White on keyboards, and Alberto Salazarte (of Athens band White Buffalo) on percussion. Phish keyboardist, Page McConnell, also played on the studio version of Holden Oversoul.[1] Space Wrangler was subsequently reissued by Capricorn Records in 1991 with an expanded track list that included Robert Johnson's Me & the Devil Blues and the Talking Head's Heaven. The songs were recorded as one track in a "try-out" session for Capricorn Records.
Their September 1988 debut LP, Space Wrangler, established a small fan base and inaugurated several years of constant touring. Late in 1988, the band ventured outside the south for the first time; spending two weeks in the northeast. In August of 1989, they played their first show in New York City at the Wetlands Preserve but remained centered on southern college towns such as Clemson, SC and Chapel Hill, NC. Halloween 1989 was held at the newly reopened Georgia Theater in Athens, Ga which went on to become the band's "home" venue until 1994 hosting a total of 41 shows including Halloween '90 & '92, New Years '91, '92 & '93. In September 1991, "Live at the Georgia Theater" was shot there and directed by future movie star Billy Bob Thornton.
1990 marked a turning point in the progression of the band. Touring expanded to included additional northeastern dates, but also expanded into the Texas, Colorado, the west coast and their first international show held in Vancouver in August. An eleven show run through Colorado in March was qucikly followed up by a twenty show run throughout August that touched every state on the west coast and expanded their Rocky Mountain reach into Utah and Wyoming. October 1990 also marked the first time the band performed at an amphitheater when they headlined at Oak Mountain Amphitheater in Pelham, AL (Greater Birmingham). They concluded 1990 with a four night run at Atlanta's Cotton Club - a rare occurence even into the latter years of the band.

Rise to national prominence: 1991-1995:
Early in 1991, the band continued to expand their boundaries by supporting up and coming jamband Blues Traveler throughout the northeast US. That spring, the band signed to Capricorn Records and released their major label debut, Widespread Panic (aka Mom's Kitchen). The band continued to support Blues Traveler throughout the fall with dates in the northeast as well as the western US. As touring became more of a staple of the band, John Hermann ("JoJo") joined the band as a keyboardist in March of 1992 replacing Dixie Dregs keyboardist T. Lavitz who joined the band a year earlier. The band continued to tour throughout the entire US in 1992 joining the famous HORDE tour with Blues Traveler, Phish, and the Aquarium Rescue Unit, among others. Capricorn Records also reissued the Space Wrangler LP with an expanded track list that included Holden Oversoul, Contentment Blues, and Me & the Devil Blues > Heaven.
Throughout much of 1993 - 1995, the band's popularity grew as their touring peaked performing close to 200 shows annually. They released Everyday in 1993 which was quickly followed up the following year by Ain't Life Grand which debuted at #85 on the Billboard charts. They also recorded with

The Golden Years: 1996-2001:
On April 18 1998, to celebrate the release of their first live album, Light Fuse, Get Away, Widespread Panic offered a free "CD release party" concert in Athens Georgia. An estimated 80,000-100,000 fans descended on the town, transforming it into one of the largest CD release parties in history.
In 2002, the band received gold certification for their concert DVD Live at Oak Mountain. It also headlined two nights of the first annual Bonnaroo Music Festival which drew a crowd upwards of 70,000 people.
Panic’s 7th annual New Year’s shows on December 30th and 31st, 2007 marked their 15th and 16th sellout performance at Philips Arena.[3]

Death of Houser:
In early 2002, guitarist Michael Houser was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Houser continued to perform with the band into the middle of that year, but following a performance on July 2, 2002 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa he left the tour due to his declining health. Guitarist George McConnell, a former bandmate of JoJo Hermann's in Beanland, took over as lead guitarist for the remainder of the band's scheduled dates. Michael Houser died on August 10, 2002.[4]

McConnell era
In 2003, the band released Ball, the first studio album with McConnell as the guitarist. The album was unique among the band's offerings in that none of the songs included had been performed live by the band prior to the recording. All of the material included was written specifically for the album with the exception of "Time Waits," a song which John Bell had performed in solo appearances, and "Don't Wanna Lose You," a song John Hermann had performed with his side-project Smiling Assassins. Late in 2003, the band announced that they would be taking a hiatus from both recording and performing in 2004. However, 2004 did see the release of three live albums: Night of Joy and Über Cobra--both of which were recorded during a November 2003 three-night run of shows at the House of Blues in Myrtle Beach, SC--as well as Jackassolantern, a compilation of cover songs performed during the band's Halloween shows. A third live album taken from the Myrtle Beach shows, Live at Myrtle Beach was released in early 2005.
In January 2006, the band recorded their 9th studio album, Earth to America,in Nassau, Bahamas at Compass Point Studios, with Terry Manning producing. It was released June 13, 2006. Their May 9th show at Atlanta's Fox Theatre was simulcast in LIVE HD, via satellite, in select movie theatres nationwide.[5] Over 60,000 fans across the country watched it live in the theatres. This show was also released in DVD format on November 14th, 2006, entitled 'Earth To Atlanta'.[6]
On August 2, 2006, the band announced that George McConnell had left the band.[7] Producer John Keane and former Houser guitar technician Sam Holt filled in on guitar for the rest of the tour.

2006-Present
In late 2006, Fayetteville, NC native Jimmy Herring took over the reins of the lead guitarist in the band kicking off their fall tour with three nights at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York.[8]
The band released their 10th album, Free Somehow, on February 12th, 2008. It, too, was recorded with legendary producer Terry Manning at Compass Point Studios.
On September 20, 2008, Widespread Panic was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame.

Live shows
Known for never playing the same show twice, the band has a show-to-show ritual of choosing the night's setlist. At the beginning of each tour Garrie Vereen, a member of the band's road crew, makes a master list of all the songs the band performs and laminates it. Each night before the show he marks the last 3 nights' set lists in different colors. The band can see what has been played recently and then decide what songs to play during the first set. They return back to the list during setbreak to pick songs for the second set, and likewise, return after the second set for any additional sets if playing more than two, or the encore. This process is explained by Vereen in the DVD The Earth Will Swallow You.