PaniCast 71 - "Well, 'no' is a very... that's a big word."

Jimmy Herring circa 1994

In the spring of 1994 the Grateful Dead were still touring, I got married and began my graduate studies at DePaul University. Working full-time in the printing and publications department of my alma mater and going to school full time left me with little time for live music or much of a social life.

But in the summer of 1994, all I had to do was work full time... and take some of my precious earned vacation time to see some music.

After 25 years of actively seeking out live musical experiences, the summer of 1994 stands out as a highlight. In particular, the ten day period of July 14 - 24, 1994 stands out as one of the most ambitious musical experiences of my life.

Thursday 7/14/94 - work 9 - 5, Widespread Panic, The Vic (Aquarium Rescue Unit opened)
Friday 7/15/94 - work 9 - 5
Saturday 7/16/94 drive 5.5 hours to Ames, IA -  Widespread Panic, People's Bar and Grill
Sunday 7/17/94 - drive back to Chicago
Monday 7/18/94 - work 9 - 5, 3 hour drive to the Riverbend Campground outside of Noblesville, IN.
Tuesday 7/19/94 - Grateful Dead, Deer Creek Ampitheatre
Wednesday 7/20/94 - Grateful Dead, Deer Creek Ampitheatre
Thursday 7/21/94 - Grateful Dead, Deer Creek Ampitheatre
Friday 7/22/94 - drive back to Chicago, celebrate birthday at Martyrs'
Saturday 7/23/94 - Grateful Dead, Soldier Field, Chicago
Sunday 7/24/94 - Grateful Dead, Soldier Field, Chicago

5 Dead shows, 2 Panic shows and 3 full days of work in 11 days.
But you are here to hear about Widespread Panic.

That July 14th show at the Vic was originally scheduled for a larger venue, the newly opened Skyline Stage on Navy pier. But Peter Frampton used his own PA a couple of weeks earlier which led to the venue not allowing Widespread to use their PA....  I'll add that this change in venue happened after the band and crew had arrived in the early morning of July 14 to set the stage.

Several dozen people were turned away at the door of the Vic because of overcrowding and the air conditioning failed before the band even hit the stage.

The Aquarium Rescue Unit (without Col. Bruce but with Kofi Burbridge on keys and flute and Paul Henson on vocals) opened for Panic. I wonder if Jimmy Herring ever had a sense of deja vu when sharing the stage with  Widespread Panic? Or perhaps being in the Aquarium Rescue Unit was like LIVING in deja vu!

I featured the final two songs and the encore of Panic's one set show back in PaniCast #4....
PaniCast #4 - Sweating to July 14, 1994 The Vic Theatre, Chicago.

This week I bring you the opening of the first set up through the drum break in Papa's Home.
I've also added a couple of great radio studio performances from 1993 and some silly interviews...

July 14, 1994

The Vic Theatre

Chicago, IL

(set one opener)

Heroes >

Weight of the World,
Pilgrims
Porch Song

May 3, 1993
KTCZ 97.1 Studios
Minneapolis, MN
Interview
Wondering

July 14, 1994 continues
Little Kin,
It Ain't No Use >
Travelin' Light

May 10, 1993
WDET 101.9 FM
Detroit, MI
Interview
Henry Parsons Died

July 14, 1994 continues
Junior,
Stop-Go >
Papa's Home

July 14, 1994 

Aquarium Rescue Unit (opening for Widespread Panic)

Vic Theatre

Chicago, IL

Fixin' to Die

(calling out to 'Garrie' during the song... same Garrie?)

Jimmy Herring on guitar
Oteil Burbridge on bass/vocals
Apartment Q258 on drums
Kofi Burbridge on keys/flute
Paul Henson on vocals

LISTENER'S GUIDE:

7/14/94

Listen how Weight of the World starts with Dave melodically driving the song forward until Mikey takes control and leads into the third verse. This allows DAS to switch to a percussive slap bass technique, nearly teasing 'We Want the Funk....' at one point.

The Pilgrims intro is so mellow, almost like they backing into the song. Feeling confident and conversational in the way they are playing....  - and so we listen, and if it's real good, and we shake.

And then Houser takes a solo and the heat is on!

Check out the jam that begins about 5 and a half minutes into Ain't No Use.... soaring, triumphant, lovely.

And again around the 5 and a half minute mark in Papa's Home a graceful and confident jam. Houser's leads are reminiscent of a yet-to-be-written Surprise Valley.

5/3/93 and 5/10/93

Being asked by radio DJs about being from Athens and REM must've gotten old and you can't blame JB Jack the Jester for trying to have a little fun with them in the process. 

I just love JB talking about Sunny in the 5/10 interview; 'Sometimes he rubs them. Sometimes he shakes them.'

7/14/94 ARU

The band calls out for "Gary" during Fixin' to Die.... leaving me wondering if they were somehow calling out to Garrie Vereen....

SOURCE INFO:

7/14/94

Source: SBD > DAT @ 48.0khz > Analog(master)

Transfer: Analog(master) > Tascam DA-45HR @ 44.1khz > Audiophile 24/96 USB > Cool Edit 2000 > CDwave > FLAC(level 6)

Converted and edited by D.P. Swint

Seeded by Patrick Wood

5/3/93

Source: FM > Cass (?) > CD

Transfer: Pioneer CD-070 > HHB 800 > EAC (secure) > CDWave > MKWAct SHN v.3 flac 

5/10/93

Source: FM > Cass (?) > CD

Transfer: Pioneer CD-070 > HHB 800 > EAC (secure) > CDWave > MKWAct SHN v.3 > flac

7/14/94 

Aquarium Rescue Unit 

Source: SBD > DA-P20 @ 48.0khz

Transfer: Tascam DA-45HR > Audiophile 24/96 USB > WaveLab 5.01a > CDwave > FLAC(level 6)

Converted and edited by D.P. Swint

Photo: screen shot from YouTube video of ARU in Jacksonville circa 1994

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7-dxV4_D-E

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Everyday Companion Podcast 71

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PaniCast 67 - Chasing your own Tail

Take a listen to how easily the band slides into Party at Your Mama's House after Rebirtha this week. The band had obviously worked on PAYMH over the course of the previous 6 months and this is a fine example of how the song had matured at his point in their career. JB then proceeds to completely blow the lyrics to Can't Find My Way Home, but I still enjoy the power the band is able to bring - JB follows this up with a solo acoustic version of Gradle, which we come back to at the end of the cast.

A backwards Porch > Take Out pairing helps us dive headlong into a Driving sandwich featuring an epic Hope in a Hopeless World. Yes, epic.

The Breathing Slow features JoJo (I think) saying "See you later" and Dave laughing maniacally before they hit the stride of that jam - I remember listening to this show once in the middle of the night and having that section of music give me the chills. I edited out the Mercy > Nobody's Fault and I urge you to seek this show out and listen to it as well as the first set... well worth the effort.

Walk On > Chilly - does it get any more quintessential than that??

And we finish the aforementioned Gradle - JB solo acoustic, pouring his emotions into the rendition.

Make sure to check out the Flash player for streaming the 'cast - you have to let the entire 'cast preload before playing, but it should be worth the wait. Any how, let me know what you think...
Many thanks to Steve Bullock for his help with that player.

November 9, 1997
Ann Arbor, MI
Rebirtha >
Party at Your Mama's House >
Help Me Somebody

Encore #1: Can't Find My Way Home

April 21, 1996
Boalsburg, PA

Porch Song >
The Take Out >
Tall Boy >
Driving Song >
Hope in a Hopeless World >
Driving Song >
Breathing Slow

Walk On >
Chilly Water

November 9, 1997
Ann Arbor, MI
Encore #2:
John Bell solo acoustic
Gradle


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Everyday Companion Podcast #67

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PaniCast 66 ... and we're back

Is it really November?
Well I certainly did not intend to be away for so long...

What have I been up to?
Let's just say I've been busy.

Let's hop back in by playing the rest of the second set from that 1996 Oak Mountain show we featured way back in March. And then we'll feature a few tracks from the November 2000 run through the Pacific Northwest. There are some sick jamming during that One Kind Favor and I ma not sure who keeps making the kissey noises, but all in all a very spirited version of that song. The Bowlegged features the obligatory JB rap, but this one includes a line about the events transpiring in Washington at the time (of course the recount and legal battle of election 2000 were in full swing at this point).

We'll do our best to bring more music every week - sorry we were away for so long!

June 28, 1996
Oak Mountain
with David Blackmon on fiddle

The Take Out >
Blackout,
Proving Ground >
Arlene >
Hatfield >
Porch Song

(Pusherman tease by Schools before Hatfield)

November 10, 2000
Bozeman, MT
Astronomy Domine Jam >
One Kind Favor,
Blue Indian

(Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun tease by Schools before Astronomie)

November 11, 2000
And It Stoned Me >
Bowlegged Woman

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(right click to save to hard drive):
Everyday Companion Podcast #66

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PaniCast 60 ... but I'm so glad you made it

The shuttered Paramount Theatre, Asbury Park, NJ

Feels good to be back in business.
No santa claus surprises this year, but the ever benevolent Ground Hog seems have delivered.

Tell your friends - we're back!



April 22, 1997
Asbury Park, NJ
Porch Song >
Stop-Go >
Who Do You Belong To? >
Vacation >
Rebirtha

May 6, 1995
Atlanta, GA
Smoke and Burn (aka Burned Faceless) >
Diner

July 9, 1995
St. Louis, MO
Pilgrims

May 30, 1998
Santa Barbara, CA
Makes Sense to me

DOWNLOAD the cast here (right click to save to hard drive):
Everyday Companion Podcast #60

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PaniCast 57 Guests and covers

PanicStream user Col. Braddock asked for a request that I will not be playing, at least not this week. It occurred to me that his suggestion would make much better fodder for a future themed cast.... but there were some songs from the same show featuring the same guest that would be worth a listen. As I revisited the famous Jorma performance from 2000 I also ran across a relatively recent download of Vic Chesnutt and became inspired. Guests and covers of songs by friends.


So away I went, finding a killer FM broadcast that I was not acquainted with featuring some priceless interview tom-foolery by the band. Delving into shows from 1994 I was reminded of one of my favorite Chilly Water performances featuring a 15 year old Derek Trucks on guitar.

A very pleasant surprise awaited me when the Everyday Companion pointed me to a benefit show featuring Jimmy Dale Gilmore, Randall Bramblett and Artimus Pyle of Lynyrd Synyrd. The interplay between Houser and Bramblett during Porch Song is nothing short of brilliant.

Anyhow, I am rambling - ENJOY - this is one of those 'casts that features something for everybody so turn it up loud.
And remember; "I'm John Herman, and I play keyboards."

Vic Chesnutt
February 16, 1997
Muffathalle, Munich, Germany
Blight
(authored by David Schools/Michael Houser/Todd Nance/Vic Chesnutt in a little band named brute.)

April 8, 1995
102.7 WNEW New York, NY
Interview ("I'm John Herman")
Can't Get High (Bloodkin cover)
Ain't Life Grand
Let's Get Down to Business (Vic Chesnutt cover)

July 4, 2000
Warfield
San Francisco, CA
with Jorma Koukonen
Bowlegged Woman
Genesis

October 11, 1998
Nashville Arena
Nashville, TN
Porch Song > (with Jimmy Dale Gilmore, Randall Bramblett)
Drums
(with Artimus Pyle from Lynyrd Synyrd and Jeff Reilly from Randall Bramblett Band)

July 21, 1994
Stop Go >
Entering a Blackhole Backwards >
Chilly Water*
* 15 year old Derek Trucks on Guitar
(with 'Thank You Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin' jam)


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Everyday Companion Podcast #57

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PaniCast 51 The Five Headed Monster

Podcast #51 is the first of our second year doing this - and when I say 'our' I mean 'my.'

This week features selections from the February 27, 1992 show at the Masquerade in Atlanta. This show has no keyboardist and is an interesting view of the band in transition; a year earlier T. Lavitz had just joined and in a matter of days JoJo would join the band. I've heard some refer to this period as the 'five headed monster.'

This show is also notable because it features some new tunes including Diner (2nd time played, featuring JB's original lyrics about building a rocket to the moon), Better Off (2nd time played), Hatfield (3rd time played), and Wondering (2nd time played). It also features the return of L.a. and Walk On to the repertoire.
Check out this link for a torrent of Feb 27, 1992:
The Masquerade Show

I may end up missing a week or two in June / July so take that opportunity to check out the following links from last year's Red Rock's special broadcasts:
May 31, 1996
September 14, 1991
June 25, 2000 part 1
June 25, 2000 part 2
June 24, 2001
June 26, 1997


Here's how it goes down this week!

Intro music
Walkin' Jam, Red Rocks, May 31, 1996

February 27, 1992
Atlanta, GA
L.a.
Diner
Fishwater
The Take Out >
Porch Song
Better Off >
Stop Go

November 21, 2000
Louisville, KY
Send Your Mind
Red Beans Cooking
Last Dance

We would love to hear from you, so please click 'Comment' below and let us know what you think or if there is something you' like to hear.

DOWNLOAD the cast here (right click to save to hard drive):
Everyday Companion Podcast #51

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PaniCast 49 End of Spring Tour Highlights Round DEUX

Last week we featured tracks from the end of spring tour 1997, this week we'll bring it back to present day Widespread Panic. By many accounts the band played some amazing stuff on Spring tour and seemed to gain confidence as the tour developed. This week we're bringing you some highlights from a few of the final shows of this spring tour.

I especially like the Protein Drink > Sewing Machine with Vic Chesnutt and John Keane. These brute. tunes are performed with gusto. Mr. Michael Houser would be proud.

Enjoy!

April 23, 2007
Athens, GA
The Take Out
I'm Not Alone >
Tie Your Shoes

April 27, 2007
Orange Beach, AL
Thank You Jam (Intro to second set by DJ Logic)
Let it Rock

April 25, 2007
Athens, GA
Protein Drink >
Sewing Machine
(with Vic Chesnutt and John Keane)

April 27, 2007
Orange Beach, AL
Trouble
Wish You Were Here

April 25, 2007
Athens, GA
Can't Find My Way Home
Postcard >
Porch Song

We would love to hear from you, so please click 'Comment' below and let us know what you think or if there is something you' like to hear.

DOWNLOAD the cast here (right click to save to hard drive):
Everyday Companion Podcast #49

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PaniCast 42 Pleas Let's Get Down to Business

March 27, 1997
Reno Hilton, Reno, NV
Pleas,
Let's Get Down to Business,
Machine >
Barstools and Dreamers

February 6, 1996
Snow King Center, Jackson, WY
Down on the Farm

June 13, 1996
Backyard, Bee Cave, TX
Porch Song > Rebirtha > Papa Legba

We've featured portions of the second set of the '97 Reno show in the past - this week we start the show with the first set opener.

Then an epic 11 minute Down on the Farm from Sit and Ski tour. Returning to the playlist for the first time since the infamous Carrol Farms Pasture Party
in 1989, the song's 1,000 show absense is one of the longest lapses in the band's history. 'Bout time they let Jimmy have at it with this song, don't you think?

Make sure to click COMMENT below to let us know what you think -

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Everyday Companion Podcast #42

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PaniCast 34 Serendipity

No real theme this week - I just pulled together some kick ass jams from early '97.
I recently exchanged emails with Ned Stein, which reminded me of the Rochester 97 show.
Which reminded me of the Indy show for some reason....
So I then decided to stay in spring 97 mode and
listened to Michael Wilker's remaster of the April 8, 1997 Las Cruces show.

And then I heard from Fred Adams via email this week -
and I remembered that Houser's birthday was the 6th.

Happy birthday Mikey!

May 2, 1997 Indianapolis
Stop -Go >
Better Off >
Stop-Go
Holden Oversoul >
Love Tractor

April 8, 1997 Las Cuces, NM
Dear Mr. Fantasy
City of Dreams >
Hope in a Hopeless World

April 29, 1997 Rochester, NY
Jam >
Pilgrims >
No Sugar Tonight/New Mother Nature
The Take Out >
Porch Song

Make sure to click COMMENT below to let us know what you think -

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Everyday Companion Podcast #34
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PRESS PLAY TO LISTEN NOW!

PaniCast #33 New Year's 1996 Part 2

Ted and Lisa (and Daniel Gold)

in Ben, Ned and Sasha's room
12/31/96
(photo by Dave Bredal)

Ned Stein has just posted a great review of these shows on his blog - as always his review is well informed and entertaining to read. He also has a review of 12/30/06 up there for all of you missing the festivities in good ole A T L.

Just behind the Orchestra Pit 12/31/96

(photo by Thomas G. Smith)

I hope you have enjoyed this YEAR'S offering of the Everyday Companion PaniCasts. I've had alot of fun bringing them to you - and am looking forward to bringing you MORE MORE MORE in 2007. May your family share laughter and your glasses be filled!

Houser and Nance 12/31/96
(photo by Thomas G. Smith)

Make sure to click COMMENT below to let us know what you think -

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Everyday Companion Podcast #33

Vic Chesnutt and John Keane with

Widespread Panic 12/31/96
(photo by Thomas G. Smith)

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PaniCast 18 September Fun

'Where's Wayne?'
-unidentified crew or band member, Studio recording 9/92

John Keane Studios
September 1992
Love Tractor

JB and Friends
September 18, 1994
Impossible >
Werewolves of London

February 12, 1994
Little John Coliseum, Clemson, SC
C. Brown
The Take Out >
Porch Song
(with David Blackmon)

Just sorting through some new found old recordings -
Each of these I've listened to before, but only on an old analog tape.

The JB and Friends show from Sept 94 is a MUST HAVE - seek it out.

Get the cast here:
Everyday Companion Podcast #18


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