Widespread Panic Review - Atlanta, Ga. (1/29/2012)

Photo by Andy Tennille

Since their inception in the late 1980s in Athens, Ga., psychedelic Southern-rock band Widespread Panic have established themselves as road warriors through their improv-heavy, ever-changing shows, evident in their status as the record holders for the most sold-out performances at both Colorado’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre and Atlanta’s Philips Arena.

Despite living in Athens for five years, all the while aware of Panic’s stature, I’d never experienced them live until Sunday night at the renowned Tabernacle in Atlanta on January 29, 2012. I’ve listened to dozens of the band’s live soundboards and seen plenty of video footage over the years that demonstrated their onstage power, driven by a thunderous rhythm section and Jimmy Herring’s wailing lead guitar. But I knew that Sunday’s show would contain none of that: Like the other 14 shows in this brief run they’ve dubbed the Wood Tour, the entire performance was acoustic.

It’s strange that my first real taste of Widespread Panic was such a subdued affair, and I was unsure how their electric-guitar-heavy catalog would come across. I wound up being pleasantly surprised. The sextet showed impeccable restraint in reinterpreting their material acoustically. More than anything, the performance showed how well the members mesh with one another musically. They scaled back the volume without scaling back the energy—a tremendous feat for any acoustic show, no less one from a typically electric rock band.

The group interplay was consistently balanced. Singer/rhythm guitarist John “JB” Bell wrung an abundance of emotion from even the sparsest arrangements and effortlessly graced the high-register notes he usually belts. Herring’s guitar technique was agile and swift, yet his melodies carried an elegance that contrasted with their usual turbo-charged bombast. Pianist John “JoJo” Hermann shone, his vigorous solos often building to frenzied peaks that stirred the audience. Meanwhile, bassist Dave Schools, drummer Todd Nance and percussionist Domingo “Sunny” Ortiz kept a low profile, creating a comfortable texture beneath the arrangements, while keeping their flourishes subtle and understated.

The audience was a crucial element of the show, a testament to fans’ fierce devotion to the band. Their enthusiasm was palpable—despite the low-key acoustic music, they were attentive and involved as though it were an electric show. Everybody cheered wildly, sang along and danced, particularly when the group broke out a cover of The Beatles’ “The Ballad of John and Yoko,” and participated in the long-standing tradition of showering the crowd with water during “Chilly Water.”

There was also a major emotional context to the show that even a newcomer like me could sense. Once the Wood Tour wraps up in Aspen, Colo., on Feb. 19, Widespread Panic will go on indefinite hiatus. With the band recently passing the 25-year mark and its members roughly 50-years old, fans are speculating this mini-tour could be their last. As the final night of a three-date run at the Tabernacle, Sunday’s concert could prove to be their last Georgia show. If the rumors wind up being true, the band made the night a memorable one. Longtime Panic crew member Garrie Vereen passed away last February; in a touching moment, his son Colin joined the band on guitar and lead vocals for “Trouble,” while longtime producer John Keane, who also worked with fellow Athens superstars R.E.M. and the Indigo Girls, sat in on keyboards for three songs in the second set, including a rendition of Warren Zevon’s “Carmelita.”

At times I found myself wishing my first Panic show had been a standard electric one so I could experience firsthand what had established them as such a potent live force. But hosting an all-acoustic tour is an unquestionably bold move, and I was floored at how well Panic translated their music into an all-acoustic setting. It’s not something your average rock ‘n’ roll band can even attempt, but Widespread Panic pulled it off with passion and finesse.