Widespread Panic performed at Durham Performing Arts Center (DPAC) March 29-31. Our team was on hand on 3/31 to capture some photos and vibes to share with you. The shows had quickly sold out and anticipation was high for the three night stand. With 2000+ fans on hand for an entire weekend, we decided some partying was in order!
Home Grown Music Network teamed up with 95.7 That Station to host some fun free pre and post parties just around the corner from DPAC. It was a great place to meet up with friends, enjoy some beverages and groove to some great bands. Friday was a double dose of the genre hopping ensemble known as Dr. Bacon - they never disappoint! Saturday kicked out with Greenville's Psylo Joe, now rocking a streamlined psychedelic power-trio arrangement fronted by the talented singer/guitarist, Bryan Quintard. Saturday night featured another band that started off in Greenville, the infamous Purple Schoolbus. Many listeners commented to me on how great they sounded. I responded that "they had originally formed in 1992 and I even saw them play with Widespread Panic in 1993!" When a band has been together for 27 years - they're going to be on another level! Sunday featured another area band that has been around 20+ years - Barefoot Manner! Local legends from Raleigh who only perform rarely these days but had no problem entertaining the packed crowd with their brand of high energy bluegrass & Americana. Look for a recording soon from our friends at JamLive.org.
NEVER MISS A SUNDAY SHOW!
Widespread Panic came out rocking with a run of Conrad>Big Wooly Mammoth>Up All Night. After "Cotton Was King" came one of the biggest highlights of the weekend as they dusted off the Buka White classic "Fixin' To Die" for the first time since Col. Bruce Hampton's fateful 70th Birthday Celebration two years ago. Hampton had regularly performed this and also played it with WSP anytime the opportunity permitted. We miss you Bruce! Vic Chestnutt's "Aunt Avis" followed which asks for strength to continue with the lines, "Help me remember how to be good / How to continue when I feel I really shouldn't." Then, for only the 13th time ever, they covered Bob Dylan's classic "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall." Rounding out the first set, guitarist Jimmy Herring ripped some impressive solos on the hard-hitting "Impossible". Keyboardist JoJo Herman ended the first set with a raucous "Blackout Blues".
The second set opener of Bayou Lena surprised fans as it had only been played once since 2008! Next, WSP treated fans to just the second version of Blind Faith's "Do What You Like" since 2014. The rarities kept coming with a Hendrix style version of Bob Dylan's "All Along The Watchtower," one of the few tunes that bassist Dave Schools takes the lead vocals. Old school favorite, Bloodkin's "Henry Parsons Died" flowed out of "Watchtower". Followed by a jamming "Second Skin", "Ribs & Whiskey" and a cover of "Honkey Red" And then "Papa's Home" became the big jam of the set! Another powerful moment came next as the six-piece delivered their powerful cover of The Rolling Stones' "You Can't Always Get What You Want" and teased a "Blue Sky" on to the end. The Stones cover was bittersweet for me as I had just learned that my Rolling Stones tickets were now null & void due to the cancellation of the US tour. "Ain't Life Grand" prompted a 2000 person sing-a-long to give a proper closing to the 2nd set. A tradition of long Sunday encores continued with the classic "Driving Song" containing Blind Faith's "Can't Find My Way Home" within into a "Porch Song" finale.
To celebrate the band's return Durham, NC for three nights at the Durham Performing Arts Center, the band is hosting a virtual food drive for the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina. Every $1 donated equals $10 worth of food to those in need in the Central and Eastern NC area. Please give a few bucks to help feed those who need it most.
SETLIST
Set 1
01 Intro/Tuning
02 Conrad >
03 Big Wooly Mammoth >
04 Up All Night
05 Cotton Was King
06 Fixin' To Die
07 Aunt Avis
08 A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall
09 Impossible
10 Blackout Blues
Set 2
11 Intro/Tuning
12 Bayou Lena
13 Do What You Like
14 All Along The Watchtower >
15 Henry Parsons Died
16 Second Skin
17 Ribs & Whiskey
18 Honky Red
19 Papa's Home >
20 Drums >
21 Papa's Home
22 You Can't Always Get What You Want
23 Ain't Life Grand
Encore
24 Driving Song >
25 Can't Find My Way Home >
26 Driving Song
27 Porch Song
Notes
'Fixin' To Die' LTP 10/28/16 Broomfield (85 shows) [1st since Col. Bruce passed]
'Bayou Lena' 6/27/14 Red Rocks (263 shows)
'You Can't Always Get What You Want' LTP 10/28/17 Las Vegas aka 'Ladies Night' (54 shows) - w/ 'Blue Sky' (ABB) jam after
- Lee Crumpton
- photos by Jerry Friend
