Pelham

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mikey01a-sm

 

Widespread Panic
04/26/02
Oak Mountain Amphitheater
Pelham, AL

Set 1:
1.) A of D -> (03:49.36)
2.) Cream Puff War -> (03:09.61)
3.) Fishwater (11:03.67)
4.) Walk On (07:48.45)
5.) Gradle (04:46.00)
6.) Travelin’ Light (07:07.47)
7.) Junior* -> (10:26.07)
8.) C. Brown** (10:02.13)
9.) The Take Out* -> (02:22.01)
10.) Porch Song* (03:37.26)

Set 2:
1.) Bowlegged Woman (08:57.46)
2.) Climb To Safety -> (05:48.29)
3.) Little Lilly -> (07:00.49)
4.) Werewolves of London -> (06:03.06)
5.) Imitation Leather Shoes (05:25.58)
6.) Space Wrangler -> (08:20.59)
7.) Vacation -> (12:56.10)
8.) Drums*** -> (17:25.40)
1.) Jam**** -> (06:22.38)
2.) I Walk On Guilded Splinters**** -> (10:28.29)
3.) Me And The Devil Blues***** (09:36.58)
4.) Give* (05:59.73)

Encore:
5.) Can’t Find My Way Home (05:04.47)
6.) Sometimes (04:37.11)

* with John Keane on guitar
** with John Keane on pedal steel
*** with Dr. Arvin Scott on percussion
**** with Dr. Arvin Scott on percussion, Robert Randolph on pedal steel
***** with Dr. Arvin Scott on percussion, John Keane on guitar, Robert Randolph on pedal steel
[‘Werewolves of London’ played during a full moon;
‘Night People’ rap during ‘Fishwater’;
‘You Better Run’ rap by JoJo during ‘Junior’;
‘Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)’ rap by JB during ‘Bowlegged Woman’;
Robert Randolph & the Family Band opened;
Last ‘Werewolves of London’ – 06/01/96, 591 shows]

—————————————————————–
AUDIO SOURCE:
—————————————————————–
{Neumann AK50+LC3+KM100 (XY) -> Oade M148} +
{Neumann AK30+LC3+KM100 (split 2′) -> Oade M148} ->
Soundcraft Spirit Notepad 4-Channel Mixer -> mod SBM1
Recorded By Mike Falcon & Ben Morrison
Digitally Remastered and Transfered to CD BY Doug Oade

2002-04-26_27_28Photo by Kenji Sone

Thirteen years later I still listen and remember and Im still amazed at what went down at Oak Mountain Amphitheater in 2002. That spring tour was a quick, close to home, 10 day, 8 show tour that was obviously manufactured as a farewell for their friend and our favorite guitarist. it was a chance for him to rip it up with his friends eight more times and vice versa. And as a fan, a chance for us to say thank you for everything.

All the stars aligned for the last three shows to take place in Pelham, Alabama too, a band/fan favorite venue. That stage was rocking as much as that bridge connecting the two lots outside. The fuzz was thick in the lots but when you made it to the right side of those turnstiles what took place is nothing short of pure Panic magic and now Panic lore.

I personally am mentally incapable of living through a late April without jamming these shows and emotionally reflecting on these three nights. Maybe it was the song choice in sync with the moon phase on Saturday night. Maybe it was those Saturday night encores where they sincerely seemed to ask for help as we were all looking for a brand new day and a brand new way to help. And JB in his lowest voice adding some Amazing Grace lyrics at the end. I mean swing low sweet chariots low voice. The next song you could hardly hear the band over the crowd as he somehow got the words out about meeting a friend, playing guitar, dreaming of being stars and playing all night in DBD.

Sunday…wow. By all accounts our Last Dance with Panic as we knew them. Maybe it was the lighting show in the distance to accompany Cortez. One thing was evident, from the first song to the after show house music, it seemed that the mission of the band was clear- to get down to business, to stop playing games, to quit with the lame pretense and tackle that which shackled us all of the pressing business. The business of the band, the business of their friendship, the business of allowing the fans in on it, and the business of life and death and honoring a man with an incurable disease. They more than tackled it.They officially communicated to us what was going down that night the best way they knew how, through their music. The song choices, the way the lights hit Houser, switching up the lyrics in Postcard to reflect the unfortunate circumstance. It was a Houser showcase.

This show was our official press release finally confirming the rumors. It was the epitome of conflicted emotions, the best of times and the worst of times. How could we feel so blessed to have been a part of it and not want to be anywhere else on the planet that night yet hope like hell something like this would never ever happen again?

JB said later, ” “Hey, it’s not just a great night; this could be… you know… this could be… the last great night….and he was really on,” speaking of Houser. Then he didnt hear him for a minute in ALG, assuming Houser was choked up. I dont think sweat was the only wetness dripping from his face onto his Fender Tele that night, and during ALG too. How could he not choke up? How did all of them not choke up?
JB may as well have said before the love song, Genesis, “this ones for Mike.”Maybe it was JB fully turning his head and shoulders to sing these words directly to Houser, “and now I’m feeling you inside, our heart is rolling with the tide, I hope it feels like an open ride, so let me stay with you!” Thats when about 10,000 of us facing the stage choked up. They came out into day and our skys of blue had turned to gray. But I think we were very clear to say to the band that night that we never looked away and never will.

Music and emotion are synonyms, whether it’s who is playing the music or the emotions the music invokes in the listener. And nobody expresses emotion like Widespread Panic. Its the one show I can simply think about the lyrics, his solos, and our reactions to his solos and no matter what I’m doing I get full on chills and an all arm hair salute. Its the show where the crowd noise at those key moments is just as chilling as the music. Maybe it was his solo right before the “powdered sugar in her hair…touch of a halo” Diner rap. Maybe it was the Trouble, Down, Postcard encore where the love flowed through everyone there. I think it was every freakin solo he did that night that was so smokin and emphatic as he climbed the neck of that guitar higher and higher and bent those strings like nobody else can- sending us into a state of pulsating bliss and soul shakin life each time.

A couple of months later a show ended in Iowa and he went home after probably giving his bashful wave and head nod to the crowd again. Only five short weeks after that he went on to live the Moon Times. That timeline shows me what his friends on stage, what they accomplished each show, and what we all meant to Michael Houser.

People pose the question, was your first show life changing? My second show changed it in a way where I knew that I’d be chasing shows in my free time for as long as they tour and making free time to chase shows. But it was 3 shows in late April 2002, sometime after my centennial mark, that TRULY changed my life. It was what they did and how they did it and how they let us be part of it. This was the run that shattered my perceptions of what a band/fan relationship is. It showed me what is possible through art. It gave me the consciousness that whatever life throws you, including the death of loved ones, that you can persevere. It showed me how you can face adversity with courage, composure and dignity. It was so much bigger than the music and the scene.

Im not sure why I feel the need to remind. If you were there you need no reminder. I think its that after all these years and as hard as I shook my bones and yelled and clapped it just never seems like it was enough compared to what he brought us. So I try to honor him in some way every January 6, August 10, and of course April 26-28. I feel like I owe that and so much more.

These shows were where the word family took on new meaning for me with the fanbase and it became familial with WP as well because of the way they let it play out for us.

Whether your first show was 25 years ago or last year, if you want to get lost in a run of kickass music with more emotion than you can stand, think of the circumstances and listen again to April 2002 at Oak Mountain. Get chills once more on this anniversary.

We miss you and thank you Mikey:)

Drew Davis
Widespread Panic Fan

2002-04-26aScan by Frederick Scott Phillips

2001-oakmountain

Widespread Panic
2001-07-29
Oak Mountain Amphitheatre
Pelham, AL.

Set 1:

01. Bowlegged Woman
02. Space Wrangler >
03. Walkin’ (For Your Love) >
04. Little Lilly >
05. I’m Not Alone
06. Sleeping Man
07. Don’t Tell The Band >
08. Visiting Day >
09. Henry Parsons Died

Set 2:

01. Travelin’ Light
02. Thought Sausage
03. Sharon >
04. North >
05. Stop Breakin’ Down Blues >
06. Pilgrims >
07. Diner >
08. Pilgrims >
09. Drums * >
01. Stir It Up * >
02. Give

Encore:

03. The Wind Cries Mary *
04. Climb To Safety * >
05. Porch Song

* with Dr. Arvin Scott on percussion

[‘Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)’ rap by JB during ‘Bowlegged Woman’; ‘Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll’ tease by Dave before ‘Travelin’ Light’; ‘Riders On The Storm’ tease by JoJo during ‘Sharon’; ‘China Cat Sunflower’ jams before ‘Pilgrims’ and ‘Stir It Up’; ‘Third Stone From The Sun’ jam by Dave and ‘Dark Star’ jam after ‘Drums’; Last ‘Stir It Up’ – ??/??/86, 1835 shows]

Source: AKG 481

2001-07-29

Photo courtesy of Widespread Panic / Brown Cat

This show is available as an official WP Archives Multitrack release

8-3_cover

mikey03

Widespread Panic Compilation
04/26-28/02
Oak Mtn,
Pelham, AL

Genesis,
Trouble,
Down,
This Part of Town,
Gradle,
Cant Find My Way Home>
Vacation,
Driving Song>
Breathing Slow>
No Sugar,
Don’t Be Denied

Bohannon’s Oak Mtn Comp Taken from Oak Mtn April 26-28, 2002

BONUS (from Red Rocks 6-30-02):
Let’s Get the Show on the Road

Source:
Tascam DA-302

Widespread Panic
Oak Mountain Amphitheatre
Pelham, Alabama
4/16/2011

1st Set

01 Greeting/Tuning
02 Chilly Water >
03 Drum Solo >
04 Impossible >
05 Contentment Blues >
06 B Of D >
07 Chily Water
08 Down On The Farm
09 Under The Radar Jam >
10 Shut Up And Drive >
11 Protein Drink >
12 Sewing Machine

2nd Set

01 Tuning
02 All Time Low >
03 Jam >
04 Blue Indian
05 That Don’t Make It Junk
06 Good People >
07 Dark Bar >
08 Good People
09 Ain’t Life Grand >
10 Jam >
11 New Speedway Boogie
01 Jack
02 Red Hot Mama >
03 Tie Your Shoes >
04 Red Hot Mama >
05 Henry Parsons Died

Encore:

06 JB Bantor
07 Pilgrims >
08 Conrad The Caterpillar

Source: Schoeps CCM4V’S(din)>Lunatec V2>Benchmark AD2K>Sound Devices 722 (24/48)
Recorded By: Z-Man

 

Artwork by JT Lucchesi

Widespread Panic
July 23, 1998
Oak Mountain Ampitheatre
Pelham, AL

Set 1
01) Take Out >
02) Hope In A Hopeless World >
03) Send Your Mind >
04) Drivin’ >
05) Knockin’ Around The Zoo >
06) Drivin’ >
07) Weight Of The World
08) Christmas Katie >
09) Radio Child

Set 2
01) Love Tractor >
02) Dyin’ Man
03) Low rider >
04) Pilgrims >
05) Makes Sense To Me
06) Pickin’ Up The Pieces >
07) Ride Me High >
08) Drums
01) Drums and Bass >
02) Pigeons

Encore
03) C Brown

Source: AKG 483 (ORTF) > Oade M248 > SBM-1
Recorded by Max Hester
Transfer by Max Hester