Widespread Love and Panic in A.C.
Jersey Shore hosts band’s return on Valentine’s Day
Love was in the air. Hearts glowed. Widespread Panic took the stage at Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena to sustained applause and cheers of affection. It had been almost eight months since the band’s last show, on the last night of their three-night Red Rocks run. Thereafter, as WSP fans and many others know, lead guitarist Jimmy Herring was diagnosed with stage I tonsil cancer. They canceled their remaining 2024 dates because family and health come before everything else. Touring doesn’t matter at that point. Only love does.
But following news that a full recovery is expected, the first stand of the year was announced. Atlantic City. Not quite my backyard, but still my home state. Now, while the band has always been great with covers regardless of genre, there’s just something about a string of Panic originals and that’s what we got right out of the box. “Ain’t Life Grand” can be played anytime throughout a show, but it was an apropos choice for the weekend opener. Give me tracks off Everyday every day—from “Pleas” to “Hatfield” three songs later, the arrow hit the target. The proceedings further diversified until the dynamic “Saint Ex” concluded the set.
At break, I chatted with a couple who’d been dancing beside me. They live in the Boston area, and as that’s where I went to college and worked for a couple of years, we had overlap. What’s more, you have one guaranteed commonality in situations like these: the band.
Which allows for easy conversation. She gave some of the highlights from her long history with Widespread Panic, noting that she drifted away for several years due in part to the pretty heavy frat scene at WSP shows for a while. We chuckled…because it’s true. I attended the bulk of my Widespread Panic shows from 2000-2007, basically the range in question that also represents the impossible end of Mikey Houser’s life, George McConnell’s entire tenure, and Jimmy’s opening stint. It would be presumptuous of me to define this period with empty adjectives, but from a distance it would seem things weren’t at their most ideal.
This is when I fell in love with Widespread Panic. They persevered. I respected. They made me think beyond the music. And sometimes, the human interactions at set break can make you think a heck of a lot as well.
Valentine’s Day was the first time I saw Widespread Panic in a dozen years. That means it was the first time I saw them with Duane Trucks behind the kit. What a treat. He offers a sonic density that I didn’t feel was missing before per se, rather I now heard a freshness, a new layer even. With the headband on and the spirit of Southern rock flowing through him, he propelled WSP through the love-themed—song titles, lyrics, subject matter, otherwise—second set. I dig “Walkin’ (For Your Love)” for an opener. Mikey love, with a sweet “Travelin’ Man” > “The Waker” pairing. Love for collaborator John Keane and multi-instrumentalist Jason Crosby, both of whom guested on several cuts. The band felt the appreciation from the crowd, hungry after Panic-less months, and fed us more. “Bowlegged Woman” addresses another kind of love, while the crazy energy of “Red Hot Mama” served as show closer.
Hm. Widespread Panic. Like throwing on your favorite hoodie. I’ll see you again soon, and next time for all three nights.