Sunday, August 27, 2006

WSP reviews





09/20/06 Verizon Wireless Arena, Manchester, NH
1: Thin Air*, Big Wooly Mammoth*, Give*, Blackout Blues*, Holden Oversoul*, Clowns Come Home* > Sometimes* > Ain't Life Grand**

2: Are You Ready for the Country?** > Diner** > Bear's Gone Fishin'** > Pleas**, Low Spark of High Heeled Boys > Climb to Safety > Low Spark of High Heeled Boys > Drums (Sunny solo) > Jimmy/DAS Jam > Love Tractor* > Solid Rock*, Imitation Leather Shoes

E: The Take Out* > Porch Song*
* with John Keane on Guitar
** with John Keane on Pedal Steel


Well folks, another stellar show for the new improved WSP. The setlist was OK, but the quality of every song played was off the charts. The first set was pretty standard with Jojo changing the timing and lyrics of BWM. The Sometimes was really well done and jammed pretty extensively. JB on the mandolin for ALG was pretty fun to see! What Jimmy and the Guys did to Diner was an absolute and complete mind f*ck!

The best part of this show was this: Diner > Bear's Gone Fishing > Pleas, Low Spark of High Heeled Boys, Climb To Safety > Low Spark> Drums > Love Tractor, Solid Rock, Imitation Leather Shoes Encore: The Take Out > Porch Song or, as some people say, the entire second set!!!

The Low Spark hit places that I'm not sure PLF versions even reached, and then it melted away into the Climb To Safety. The CTS was about he sickest one I've seen, and they brought it to placess I've never experienced with that tune. Just when I thought it was going to finish, and then went back into the Low Spark.. Afterduring the end of Drums, Schools came out alone and did about a 10 minutes Drums/Bass solos. Just as he was getting to the peak of the jam, Jimmy walks out and slams into the groove rigth on top of the bass line. The place went nuts, and Jimmy and Dave dueled it out for another 10 minutes or so, absolutely shredding and driving this drums/bass jam into crazy new universes.

After that, the Love Tractor was so good I may have broke my index finger by slapping the railing so hard in time with the beat!!! I even really enjoyed the Solid Rock! and the encores were PERFECT in the context of the show. Nice old school stuff.

as JB said at the very end of the night 'Congratulations NH!!"

Give Me More WSP Right NOW!!!!!!


9/19/06 Burlington Vt. Second set review


- Good People, Heroes, Casa Del Grillo, Weight of the World > Mercy > Drums > Hatfield > Going Out West > Chainsaw City Encore: Travelin' Light

This was a sick second set. Jimmy and the guys just absolutely destroyed Mercy and Weight of The World. He nailed every note and expanded exponentially on the solos' and the rest of the band kept right up. The one really cool thing was that near the end of Travellin' Light, Jimmy was slowing down and finishing a solo, but JB kept signaling with his expressions and hand gestures for Jimmy to "Keep It Coming Man!" and as Jimmy picked it up and JB wanted Schools to back down and let Jimmy explore some more, so JB looking like he was directing traffic. Stop sign to schools with the right hand, beckoning Jimmy to "bring it!"with the left.

JB directing music traffic from the stage!!!

To kick it all, near the end of TL, things got so crazy, JB dropped his guitar to around his waist, turned around and faced the band away from the crowd, and raised his hands up in the air gesturing towards the ceiling, and yelled at the band: "Come on you MOtherF*ckers!!!!!!" Prompting them to play louder and urgng them to keep up with Jimmy!!!! I was insane. JB was off the charts last night. I hope everyone is ready for...TONIGHT!!!

Friday, August 18, 2006

HRS Setlists from past tour

Sunday, August 13, 2006

HRS 8/9/06 Wilkes-Barre, PA

This show, from the very beginning, promised to be an incredible experience. Great people, small crowd, killer band and a very kind house in which to play

The venue was the River Street Jazz Cafe in Wilkes-Barre PA. The venue is located in strip mall just off of the highway and you would never think such a nice place would be in such a strange location. Very big, very open venue with perfect lighting during the show.

The fact that there were only about 50 people there did not diminish the energy the guys put into the music this night. From the "get-go" the music was tight and full of direction. Much less loose than the previous show. The funniest part was that a setlist was on the stage. Not one song on it was played the way it was written! Typical BLR at his finest!


The first set lasted a little over an hour, and the guys took about a 20 minute setbreak.
Second set started a little after midnight, and the guys were all smiles:


They just totally ripped the roof off the cafe. BLR has started to call Neil Fountin, "Fontain" and the song "Lighthouse" became a tribute to "Fontain" this night with BLR interjecting "Fontain" into several of the verses. He also made up a song, which I'm calling "Fontain". BLR is just a masrter lyrisist and it is stunning how well he can make up songs "on the fly".

Here is some video of "Fontain":
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5878426839367426467

Jimmy was in fine form as usual. Just tearing into the music with the Fender, and really feeling the groove. Check out this video of one of his solo's:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFXykoaMprY

Jeff Sipe was really into in on this fine night. He really is like a tasmainian devil on the drum kit. I have no idea how he is able to maintain such a rock solid rhythm, and then kick over into jazzy pace in a matter of half a second. He is, as is every person in the band, so obviously a guy who is in touch with his musical soul.

Neil "Fontain" Fountain was completely and totally playing wide open. His solo's are the bass equivilent of Jimmy's giutar solos. He is such a great player, and so far ahead of the time and he is playing in that this band is perfect for him. More Fontain Please!!

More HRS for that matter please!! After this night I hope the guys can see to playing together at least a few shows a year and keep this magic alive!! When this band is on, they put on a better show that almost any other band I go to see, and it gets better with each show.

Wednesday, August 09, 2006

Herring/Rodgers/Sipe reviews



photo by Jay Kurinskas

Great show last night. Very different energy at the show as there were about 50 kids there (out of the 100 or so that were there), who looked 18 but were probably 21, absolutely WASTED and having a great old time. People were screaming and hollering and in general "raising the roof" mang.

The Red Square is not a great venue. The lighting was supplied by a total of three out of 20 lights that actually worked. So bad even my fairly sensitive camera could not get much of anything. The sound was pretty bad in the beginning, but improved as they were able to work with the limitations provided by the club. It was MAYBE 20 x 20 and I'm being generous. The AC was broken, so it only worked occasioanlly. The upside of that was a very intimate setting to see these guys just blow away the crowd. Everyone at the show was really impressed, and the guys seemed to be doing a lot of experimentation with the space now left by the departure of Mark Van Allen. The absence of the steel was noticable, but easily filled by Jimmy.

They played a lot of different tunes than last tour. All written by Bobby Lee Rodgers, and they are all pretty ripping..and few I did not even know. One tune I knew was the Codetalkers standard Swordcrosser that opened the second set. That was nice to hear!

Some of the other tunes were:
Miles Ahead
Fresh
Blow My Brains (encore)
Adore/Ignore
Broken Home

and about 20 more. Set 1 started around 9:15pm and ended around 10:30. The second set started around 11:15pm and ended around 12:15pm. Great show, and I look forward to tonight!

Monday, August 07, 2006

Widespread Panic Fall Tour dates

Dates so far from the WSP site:


FALL 2006 Sep 2006 - Sep 2006 (7 dates)

Sep. 14, 2006 to Sep. 16, 2006
New York City, NYRadio City Music Hall
Widespread Online Ticketing Pre-sale is CLOSED $50.00 RSVD On sale 8/4 @ 10am Ticketmaster.com Doors: TBA Showtime: TBA
Sep. 19, 2006
Burlington, VTMemorial Auditorium
Widespread Online Ticketing Pre-sale begins 8/8 @ 10am EST and ends 8/10 @ 5pm EST $35.00 On sale 8/11 @ 10am EST FlynnTix.org 802.863.5966 Doors: 6pm Showtime: 6:30pm
Sep. 20, 2006
Manchester, NHVerizon Wireless Arena
Widespread Online Ticketing Pre-sale begins 8/8 @ 10am EST and ends 8/10 @ 5pm EST $29.50 GA Pit & RSVD On sale 8/11 @ 10am EST Ticketmaster.com Doors: TBA Showtime: TBA
Sep. 22, 2006
Boston, MAAgganis Arena
Widespread Online Ticketing Pre-sale begins 8/8 @ 10am EST and ends 8/10 @ 5pm EST $35.00 RSVD On sale 8/11 @ 10am EST Ticketmaster.com Doors: TBA Showtime: TBA
Sep. 23, 2006
Wallingford, CTChevrolet Theater
Widespread Online Ticketing Pre-sale begins 8/15 @ 10am EST and ends 8/17 @ 5pm EST $33.00 RSVD On sale 8/18 @ 10am Ticketmaster.com Doors: TBA Showtime: TBA
Sep. 24, 2006
Upper Darby, PATower Theatre
Widespread Online Ticketing Pre-sale begins 8/8 @ 10am EST and ends 8/10 @ 5pm EST $39.50 RSVD On sale 8/11 @ 10am EST Ticketmaster.com 215.336.2000 Doors: 7pm Showtime: 8pm
Sep. 26, 2006 to Sep. 27, 2006
Charlottesville, VACharlottesvilles Pavilion
Widespread Online Ticketing Pre-sale begins 8/15 @ 10am EST and ends 8/17 @ 5pm EST $35.00 GA On sale 8/18 @ 10am Charlottesville Pavilion or call 877.CPAV.TIXX Doors: TBA Showtime: TBA

Thursday, August 03, 2006

Jimmy joins Widespread Panic

August 03, 06 -- Widespread Panic is happy to announce that Jimmy Herring will be joining the band as lead guitarist.Jimmy, who in the past, has toured with The Dead and Aquarium Rescue Unit, said he is extremely excited to join his old friends on stage this fall. The tour will start September 14th with a three day run in New York City at the legendary Radio City Music Hall