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March 27, 2007

Panic Attack

Band’s history and strong music make for an excellent concert

Story by: Adam Russell

The Shorthorn staff

The Shorthorn: Laura Sliva

Lead vocalist John Bell of Widespread Panic performs Saturday at Nokia Theatre at Grand Prairie. The band plays a blend of rock, blues and jazz.

They sang, they danced, and from beginning to end they enjoyed the evening in the Widespread Panic way. But enough about the crowd. The music and the band are why the people came.

Mentioning the band’s performance, songs and stage presence would only tell half the story. The fans make Widespread Panic what it is — an eclectic group, part Woodstock, part Wall Street and everything in between. More than just the band’s die-hard fans, or Spreadheads, enjoyed the band’s musicianship and vast repertoire of songs, but those who sang along looked like they had the most fun.

Widespread Panic has played its flavor of Southern jam-rock in clubs and arenas for millions of fans since its first official show Feb. 6, 1986, at Mad Hatter Ballroom in Panic’s hometown, Athens, Ga. The band built its fan base with live shows and little to no radio support. Panic holds the record for most consecutive sellouts of the famed Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Denver with 23, and near its peak popularity in 2002, it sold out two shows at Madison Square Garden in New York.

	The Shorthorn: Laura Sliva
Widespread Panic, a southern rock band performs Saturday at Nokia Theatre in Grand Prairie.Widespread Panic is a six piece southern rock band from Athens, Georgia.

The band didn’t sell out Nokia Theatre in Grand Prairie on Saturday night, but those in attendance got what they came for — a good time and great music. Some came from as far as Chicago, Oklahoma City and Austin. Many of them attended the band’s Friday concert in Houston and followed it to Tulsa for the Sunday show.

The Shorthorn: Laura Sliva

Fans cheer at the Widespread Panic concert on Saturday at Nokia Theatre in Grand Prairie.

Fans unleashed pent-up energy that had been building in the parking lots as Panic settled into position. The members looked like they could have been part of the crowd or in an over-the-hill garage jam-band.

But the band’s sound is anything but over-the-hill.

It ignited the crowd with “Pigeons” to begin the first set. Guitarist/vocalist John Bell’s gruff-but-soulful voice filled the theater as Panic poured its textured sound on the audience. These musicians have played together for a long time, and it shows.

Each member contributed without dominating the stage, but the solos were the highlight of the night — and there were plenty.

Lead guitarist Jimmy Herring whipped the crowd into a frenzy each time his near-five-minute solos reached fever pitch. Drummer Todd Nance and percussionist Sunny Ortiz’s rhythms complimented each other and subdued the audience, especially when Ortiz soloed on the bongos.

The Shorthorn: Laura Sliva

Bassist Dave Schools and percussionist Domingo S. Ortiz of the band Widespread Panic perform their songs Saturday at Nokia Theatre in Grand Prairie.

Panic eased into its second set after a break but brought the crowd back to life when “Henry Parsons Died” erupted from the speakers. The musicians left the stage after the second set amid screams for more.

The crowd members raised their arms, stretching toward the sky as if their prayers were answered when Panic emerged for a three-song encore, ending the night with “Porch Song.”

It’s a safe bet that Panic will never be on MTV’s “Total Request Live.” It probably won’t leapfrog Justin Timberlake on any of Billboard’s charts. But the band plays music full of real, honest emotion at a level that all bands should aspire to. Widespread Panic doesn’t have an overpowering stage presence. There are no pyrotechnics or elaborate stage props. The band doesn’t need gimmicks — it overpowers the audience with the music.