The second half of this review's title makes reference to the most recent studio album put out by Georgia jam band giants, Widespread Panic. Road toughened warriors of the jam rock circuit for 25 or so years, who played the Orpheum Theater in Minneapolis on Sunday night.
I was anticipating this show to be an epic. A real humdinger. An experimentation fit for a musical science lab as it were. Well, unfortunately, it seemed that the one mad scientist, has a lab staff of 100 level greenhorns coming into the class without any inclination of how to formulate high levels of musical chemistry to achieve these improvisational fireworks, and instead, he must do so, as a solitary figurehead, even though he is purely considered a humble sideman in the group, dressed casually, standing in one place, eyes squarely focused upon the neck of his guitar.
The "mad scientist" in question is Widespread Panic's guitar wizard, Jimmy Herring. During Sunday night's show at the Orpheum, Herring stood a mountain above his fellow band mates, as Widespread Panic seemed to veer through unrecognizable jams that left yours truly asking, "What just hit me?" on more than one occasion. Herring, was the master, wrenching passionate howling cries from his guitar that were as intricate as they were melodious and left this rock and roller grinning like a stuck possum for the whole of the concert. He was the compass, but it seemed his band mates, were not as nearly up to the task of following the course he'd pointed them in.
Keyboardist Jojo Herman tried to stick with the plan, adding some spirited sprinkles and spritzes of Clavinet to songs, on occasion. His other keyboard of choice, the mighty Hammond B3 organ, seemed to be MIA, however. Bassist Dave Schools, seemed to not be up to his usual prowess in the show, like he is on many of their studio records, where he contributes some credible and listenable slap bass fills. The same could go for the percussion section. Todd Nance on drums, and Sonny Ortiz on percussion, try to emulate the thunderous drumming powerhouse of their fellow Georgia blues rock uber jam brethren, the Allman Brothers. But, Nance and Ortiz do not seem to wield such strength, sticking to basic rock 4/4 patterns as opposed to the jazzy, shifting time signatures employed by the Allmans, or any well known '70s fusion group.
Widespread Panic is very strong when it comes to their studio records. But, sadly, though they've got years on the road behind them, musically, their live show leaves a possible fan, wanting much more than what they might receive when getting their ticket stub scanned, walking into the venue.
Looking back on this review, at the time, as a critic, I was a little too harsh on Widespread Panic. Having acquired a live concert CD of this show and listening to it after the fact, I know I was missing a lot of things in this review, and the show was far better than I ever gave the band credit for. Just goes to show that first impressions are not always right.
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