2020/2/27 Widespread Panic @ Beacon Theatre
I’m newer to Panic than most around here. I’ve been seeing them (very) rarely for probably 20 years but never really jumped in with both feet. I really connected with their effort at the Cap last year and am excited to be a part of this run, albeit with only a rudimentary understanding of its historical significance. I don’t really know how to evaluate their setlists or any of that, so I’ll leave that to those who are more well-versed. I super appreciate Dave Schools so any time I get to see him play live, especially in NYC, it feels like a real treat.
Porch Song got the festivities started in high fashion and Rebirtha and some others kept it going. Folks were excited and we had beaucoup space in the orchestra – a good recipe for fun times. Little Lilly both excited me and made me laugh as I snickered at Julie capturing some video, presumably for her dog. Bust It Big busted it open and was my personal highlight of the set, with some Cuban style percussion and classic Schools bass bombs. Nothing to add that hasn’t been said ad infinitum for the duration of their awesome career, these guys are just such professionals, each and every one, a collective force to be reckoned with.
I found the second set to be somewhat more energetic, especially the back half. Fishwater is probably my favorite Panic song. I especially love Panic as a cover band, and if they want to go for the early 70s funk and soul of Curtis Mayfield’s Pusherman, I’m fucking game. Conrad was a monster closer. You Wreck Me to start the encore, so obviously Petty, yet it retained equally as much of WSP’s signature sound. They’re as good a cover band as any and I ate that shit up, just as I did Tall Boy. Super fun night, super deep crew that enhanced my night at every turn, from the preshow hang at Blondie’s to all the dances, hugs and smiles shared within. Psyched to do it again. 15,583 steps.
2020/2/29 Widespread Panic @ Beacon Theatre
I felt a little more settled in on Saturday night for whatever reason and feel like I am finally starting to get my sea legs with respect to WSMFP. I skipped Friday and returned Saturday for the middle pancake, three of five officially, but my second and last. Got to Blondies early enough for a good hang, put on some war paint (ok it was glitter and I wore it on my face like a badge of pride) and walked over to the Beacon for the Leap Day treat. I think enough people wanted to sit together that much of the orchestra became a free-for-all with seating as a good buddy and I who had separate orchestra seats but wanted to hang grabbed a couple center aisle seats in DD that turned out to be ours for the duration. Um, ok, thanks. It also felt like the ushers completely gave up on the aisles on day three. They seemed tired and unwilling to argue with the myriad people clogging their walkways.
I’ll leave the setlisting and historical context to others, but feel qualified enough to say that Space Wrangler was an energetic and awesome opener replete with white light jams right out of the gate. Up All Night had a whole lotta Jimmy, in a very good way I thought. Sundown Betty was a drum driven beast. Some more songs, some good, some meh, and then it happened. I was immediately taken by Dave Schools’ intro to Machine – slap bass funk with a real heavy tone – this genre defying instrumental was a beast that had me dancing like my pants were on fire. More funkiness from DS supercharged the musical segue to Barstools and Dreamers, another absolute rocker, until we were all “Singin Flewzy woozy boogie on a Saturday night.” I was completely knocked on my ass, breathless and sweaty, making the imminent set break all but a necessity.
Entering the back half of the run, five sets behind, five sets ahead, I couldn’t help but shake the imagery of not just running downhill but the sense of ease and comfort that comes from cresting a peak. The set started with some gorgeous tinkling from JoJo Hermann before settling in to Blackout Blues with some big bass bombs and guitar solos. I wondered during the Jam that followed if this is the type of improvisation that put the MF in WSP. Blissful and energetic before finding some exploratory space complete with the only tune I know how to play on any musical instrument, a little Jimmy Herring tease of Those Were the Days, perhaps better known as the theme song to All in the Family. Jimmy crushed the Airplane that followed before Holden Oversoul crushed us all with another sweat soaked rager. My notes give a pretty accurate, if not generic, context for this one, “..holy fuck…this dance party…wow…big time jam!” Henry Parsons followed before some (too?) clever Leap Day setlisting with time themed songs.
This next is what I had been waiting for as sexy, funky, dirty WSMFP emerged to close the set with a twofer at least as good as the threefer (imho) that closed the first. JoJo and Jimmy and Dave and JB and Butch and Sunny — oh Sunny, I loved the sounds coming from his bongos and timbales — an orchestra of funk, went big on JJ Cale’s Ride Me High. “Higher, higher, higher, how high can you go?” Try me, motherfuckers. This is where my running life intersects with my livemusic’n — my physical conditioning is always ready for this moment. I don’t actually train for concerts, but maybe I kind of do, so I was ready for this and danced my ass off as RMH transposed and Parliament / Funkadelic’s RHM emerged. Is this a regular Panic thing? Do they know how cool that transposition looks on a setlist..RMH > RHM. I ate that shit up. The dirtiest ending in the very best way. Encores of This Part of Town followed by Neil Young’s Mr. Soul and the middle pancake was in the books.
I’m pretty sure I’m not going to become a Panic enthusiast, yet I’m equally sure that I won’t miss too many local shows, either. Heck, I’d even be game for a little road trip with friends. As always, it’s you who make all these nights so special. Thanks for sharing ‘em with me. 16,695 steps.
