Bluest Tape

This week, we find ourselves in the midst of a tour through America’s Heartland in the blazing hot summer of 1999. When the Bluest Tape got started a few months ago, a 1999-centric show was not on our radar, but looking back, summer 1999 was pretty strong, starting out at Red Rocks, followed by a couple great ones in Montana and Wyoming, and then onto the Midwest. This episode starts off with some of the heaviest Panic we have played to date, an abbreviated second set from the Ranch Bowl in Omaha, which segues nicely into the next night’s opener in Kansas City, featuring a soulful “Wish You Were Here.” From there, it’s off to Peoria, Illinois and into the seventh circle of Hell, aka, the Madison Theater. It was 100 outside, 90 inside and damned if there weren’t some clouds - real ones - forming in the lobby during the second set. The episode ends up in suburban Detroit on a Monday night, featuring one of Jeff and Harvey’s favorite selections to date, a stellar - and quite long - “Glory” followed by the Monday show staple, “Last Dance.” Wake up, wake up, the coffee’s hot, the orange juice is cold, and no need to say goodbye, as we will be back again next week!

Links below go to whole show streams from Panicstream.

13 July 1999 - Omaha, NE - Ranch Bowl
Bowlegged Woman > Henry Parsons Died, Holden Oversoul > Tie Your Shoes
Source: AKG 451EB + CK1 > Tascam DA-P1 (48KHz) by Mike Danby

14 July 1999 - Kansas City MO - City Market
Tie Your Shoes Jam > Wish You Were Here
Source: FOB AKG 482 (split 40') > Lunatech V2 > GP ADC-20 > DA-P1 (48kHz) by Jamie Syrek

16 July 1999 - Peoria, IL - Madison Theater
A of D > Diner
Source: AKG 482 (split 20’) > Lunatec V2 > GP ADC-20 > DA-P1 by Jamie Syrek

19 July 1999 - Pontiac, MI - Phoenix Plaza
Glory > Last Dance
Source: AKG 482 (split 20’) > Lunatec V2 > GP ADC-20 > DA-P1 by Jamie Syrek

BONUS MATERIAL:1 August 1995 - Omaha, NE - Ranch Bowl
Interview with Houser, Sunny, and Jojo plus the second set/encore

Ranch Bowl - A Party Every Night - Ranch Bowl book

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Well, Happy Birthday USA! You’ve been around for 241 years now and have had the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, but you just keep on keeping on. What better way to celebrate this year’s birthday than with Widespread Panic, whose history of shows on July 4th is substantial and, as you will hear this episode, pretty darn good. We start way back in 1990 with the “4th of July X-Plosion” in Columbia, South Carolina, followed up by another outdoor show two years later in Richmond, Virginia. The boys and Brown Cat got wise and started booking summer shows in the North and the West - in case you didn’t know it, summer in the South is, to say the least, fricking hot - and we follow the band up to Summerfest in Milwaukee, Wisconsin for the first of a two night stand in 1997, and then out west to San Francisco for a tasty segment from the epic four night run in 2000. We close it out at Harmony Park in Minnesota with a blazing hot “Four Cornered Room” with a little surprise in the middle and, yes, another story from Jeff about camping. We promise this is the last one. Enjoy!

Links below go to whole show streams from Panicstream.

4 July 1990 - Columbia, SC - Stadium Place
Love Tractor
Source: Audience analog master cassette > CD Sony D-5 > Tascam CDRW2000

4 July 1992 - Richmond, VA - Brown’s Island Park
Holden Oversoul > Rock
Source: Nakamichi cm300/cp4 > Teac DA-P20

4 July 1997 - Milwaukee, WI - Miller Oasis Stage at Summerfest
Dream Song > Blackout Blues
Source: Neumann KM-140 > Beyer MV-100 > SBM-1

4 July 2000 - San Francisco, CA - Warfield Theater
Christmas Katie > Radio Child
Source: Schoeps MK4V > KC5 > M222 > NT222 > Apogee AD1000 > HHb-PDR1000 by Jody Edmondson

4 July 2001 - Geneva, MN - Harmony Park Music Garden
American the Beautiful Jam > Four Cornered Room > Heathen > Four Cornered Room
Source: AKG 481 > PS-2 > mod SBM1 > D8 by John Callery

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In case you missed it last week, we decided that if FDR had decided “swamp draining” was a better idea than, say, rebuilding and improving an entire country, we probably wouldn’t have Red Rocks Amphitheatre. It’s an absolutely stunning place, and its clear that the boys turn it up to 11 each year they head up the mountain to Morrison. This week, we get to hear all about that time Jeff went camping with hard shell Samsonite suitcase, which is just the kind of added value you get here at the Bluest Tape. This week, we bring you the best of 1999-2002, including some classic collaborations with the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, a ripping Thought Sausage from 2000, and some memorable moments from 2001 and 2002.

Links below go to whole show streams from Panicstream.

26 June 1999 - Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Pickin’ Up the Pieces, Tallboy > Climb to Safety (w/ Roger Lewis on baritone sax)
Source: AKG 482 (Split 15') > Lunatec V2 > GP ADC-20 > DA-P1 by Jamie Syrek

27 June 1999 - Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Use Me (w/ Dirty Dozen Brass Band
Source: AKG 481 > Oade M248 > SBM-1 > D8 by Julian Eldridge

24 June 2000 - Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Thought Sausage > Love Tractor > Henry Parsons Died
Source: (SBD > Hanson Footage > DVD @ 16/48) + (AKG 481 > Lunatec V2 > Apogee AD1000 > Tascam DA-P1 @ 16/48) mixed by D.P. Swint

25 June 2000 - Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Sometimes, Postcard > Goin’ Out West
Source: AKG 481 > Sonosax SX-M2 > SBM-1 by Aaron Kahn

24 June 2001 - Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Trouble > Driving Song > Can’t Find My Way Home > Driving Song
Source: Schoeps MK4V > KC5 > M222 > NT222 > VMS5U > AD1000 > HHb (Set 1: NT Pre / Set 2: VMS Pre) by Charles Fox

28 June 2002 - Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Drums & Bass
Source: MBHO 603a/KA200 > V2 > mod SBM-1 > M1 by Eric Foelske

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So, here in this age of “swamp draining” and governmental “deconstruction,” we give you a case study on why sometimes our government isn’t all bad. The absolutely breathtaking Red Rocks was, in fact, a government project, constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps and Works Progress Administration during the New Deal. While Mother Nature did most of the heavy lifting in creating a natural amphitheatre, it took tons of concrete, thousands of man hours, and yes, the freaking United States government, to turn it into the finest concert venue in the United States, nay, the world. Since 1991, Widespread Panic has been tearing it up in the village (dare we say, “our kind of little village?”) of Morrison, Colorado, playing classic tunes for the first time, dropping rarities, and bringing some of their favorite musicians and best friends on stage. This episode starts off in July 1993, the second of two consecutive HORDE shows that summer and jumps to May 1996 for Panic’s first headlining gig at Red Rocks with the boys hitting their stride at the start of the second set. We jump ahead to 1997 for a fantastic four song run from the opening night, and the highly underrated Holden > Last Straw combo. We close out this episode with a couple of selections from June 1998, just a few days before the band headed back to Europe for a few festival gigs. Enjoy!

Links below go to whole show streams from Panicstream.

3 July 1993 - Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Pigeons
Source: Cassette SBD

31 May 1996 - Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Disco > Diner > I'm Not Alone
Source: B&K 4011 > Lunatec 316 by Marc Nutter

26 June 1997 - Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Walkin > Rock > Heroes > Impossible
Source: AKG 483 > Lunatec V2 > Apogee AD1000

27 June 1997 - Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Holden Oversoul > The Last Straw > Travelin’ Light
Source: Schoeps MK8 + MK21 > KCY > VMS021b > AD1K

12 June 1998 - Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Stop-Go > Big Woolly Mammoth > Stop-Go
Source: AKG 483 > V2 > GP-ADC20 @ 48kHz by Billy Mixon

13 June 1998 - Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Fishwater (w/ Galactic)
Source: AKG 460/CK8 > Stewart > DA-P20

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This week, we take a listen to selections from Widespread Panic’s several visits to zoos throughout the United States. The band has always enjoyed playing shows surrounded by natural beauty, but zoos provide an extra added bonus of exotic wildlife. If nothing else, it gave JB and Garrie something random to talk about from the stage. We start off with back-to-back visits to the Jackson Zoo in Mississippi, where Panic played in both 1994 and 1995 (a stellar show, by the way), followed by a trip the Cincinnati Zoo for an all-time favorite summer 96 concert. From there, we head Up North for two shows in the state of Minnesota. The first, 1994 show at the Minnesota Zoo, features a sublime “Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys” with Kofi Burbridge on flute, while our show closer, “Knockin’ Around the Zoo” comes from a visit to the Roy Wilkins Auditorium in fall 2001. Yep, a show about zoos closing with a song about a zoo (well, sort of - it’s about a mental institution) not played in a zoo. The irony was not lost on us - we hope it is not lost on you, either.

Links below go to whole show streams from Panicstream.

30 July 1994 - Jackson, MS - Jackson Zoo
Junior > Porch Song
Source: SBD

14 May 1995 - Jackson, MS - Jackson Zoo
Me & the Devil Blues > Papa’s Home > Me & the Devil Blues > Papa’s Home
Source: FOB Schoeps

18 June 1996 - Cincinnati, OH - Cincinnati Zoo
Radio Child, Sleepy Monkey > Airplane > Do What You Like
Source: AKG 461

15 July 1994 - Apple Valley, MN - Minnesota Zoo
Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys (w/ Kofi Burbridge on flute)
Source: SBD

01 November 2001 - St. Paul, MN - Roy Wilkins Auditorium
Knockin’ Around the Zoo (w/ the Dirty Dozen Brass Band)
Source: FOB Schoeps MK4>KC5>CMC6>V2>AD1K

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Harvey flies solo this week as Jeff remained without power in Memphis because of storm damage. We look back at a three night run in Fall 1992. The first two shows we cover haven't really circulated digitally. It's interesting to hear the band at an interesting stage in their development. Fresh off of the first HORDE tour and a lengthy tour out west, we pick things up as they come back south.

A Wednesday night on Beale Street in Memphis, a Thursday night on the campus of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, and a Friday night at Washington & Lee University in Lexington, Viriginia are our venues this week. Also of note are three different, solid openers: Junior Kimbrough, The Samples, and the Gibb Droll Band.

In the meantime, we all look forward to Jeff's return for episode 12 next week.

Links below go to whole show streams from Panicstream.

30 September 1992 - Memphis, TN - Omni New Daisy
Ain't No Use > Papa's Home > Makes Sense to Me
Mercy > Jam > Bowlegged Woman, Space Wrangler
Source: Unknown AUD > Sony D5

1 October 1992 - Nashville, TN - Memorial Hall, Vanderbilt Univ.
Fishwater, I'm Not Alone > Worry
Better Off > Love Tractor
Source: Unknown AUD > Sony D5

2 October 1992 - Lexington, VA - Washington & Lee University
Diner > Send Your Mind > Chilly Water
Source: Nakamichi cm300/cp4 > Teac DA-P20

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We continue with part 2 of the Playing with Intention theme. Col. Bruce Hampton's Zambi message of living and playing music with “intention,” stemming from his experience with the band at a show in 1988 with about 25 people in attendance. Basically, the band played for 25 like they were playing for 25,000, and any band that can pull that off - with “intention” - is a band worthy of attention and admiration.

We continue with the next night of the 1998 Australia tour, March 10, 1998 in Adelaide, Australia (according to Google Maps, 21 hours by car from the previous venue in Byron Bay. We look at a huge mid-set segment here, featuring "some guy" named John Yaku on didgeridoo during Drums. We also come back state side for a sparsely-attended Fall 1998 show in Buffalo - the last show the boys ever played the Nickel City (unless you count a show in 2000 that was cancelled due to lack of ticket sales!)

Links below go to whole show streams from Panicstream.

10 March 1998 - Adelaide, AUS - Gov. Hindmarsh
Tie Your Shoes > JB Rap > Pusherman > Drums (w/John Yaku) > Guilded Splinters
Source: Sony ECM-150 > Sony D6

16 November 1998 - Buffalo, NY - SUNY Buffalo
Proving Ground > Fixin to Die > One Arm Steve > Fishwater > Proving Ground
Source: Schoeps MK4 > VMS021B > DA-P1 (FOB/ORTF)

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When Col. Bruce Hampton spoke of Widespread Panic with admiration, he often used the word “intention,” stemming from his experience with the band at a show in 1988 with about 25 people in attendance. Basically, the band played for 25 like they were playing for 25,000, and any band that can pull that off - with “intention” - is a band worthy of attention and admiration. Even as Panic grew in prominence and began drawing crowds throughout the U.S., there were still occasional nights when the front gate was less than ideal. In this episode, we look at two shows where the crowds were notoriously thin, October 14, 1996 in Monroe, Louisiana and March 8, 1998 in Byron Bay, Australia - during their first trip abroad. Instead of mailing it in, the boys brought the heat to the couple hundred people (at most) in attendance each night with inspired, setlist rarities, and a bit of good humor about small gathering they were all a part of.

Links below go to whole show streams from Panicstream.

14 October 1996 - Monroe, LA - Civic Center
Holden Oversoul > Dirty Business > Impossible > Radio Child > Barstools and Dreamers
Source: Schoeps CCM41 > Oade M118

8 March 1998 - Byron Bay, AUS - Great Northern Hotel
Pigeons > It Ain't No Use > Love Tractor
Source: Sony ECM-150 > Sony D6

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Panic closed out spring 1997 with a bang, putting together 8 shows in 10 days, with 3 of the final 4 shows being absolute classics. Episode 7 showcases the best of the best from perhaps the best run of shows Panic has ever done, outside of Halloween, NYE, or Red Rocks. We start off with an all-timer from the Palace in Louisvlle, a magical 2nd set “Airplane.” Heading up Interstate 65 into Chicago, the boys celebrated WXRT’s 25th birthday with a crazy “Rebirtha > Low Spark > Red Beans” opener, before good friend David Blackmon took the stage with his fiddle. The next night, the boys headed across town to the Aragon Ballroom to complete their siege of Chicago, before heading north to St. Paul, Minnesota to close out the tour. The tour closer is an underrated show, with Blackmon playing better than ever and the boys finishing strong. Hell, JB had the hat on backwards and a baseball jersey on, which used to be good signs of what was to come. Put the baby to bed, tie down the cat, and play this one LOUD.

Links below go to whole show streams from Panicstream.

7 May 1997 - Louisville, KY - Palace Theater
Airplane > Party At Your Mama’s House > (I Walk On) Guilded Splinters
Source: DSBD Matrix

8 May 1997 - Chicago, IL - Vic Theatre
Rebirtha > Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys > Red Beans Cookin’
Source: DSBD Matrix

9 May 1997 - Chicago, IL - Aragon Ballroom
Raise the Roof, C. Brown (w/ David Blackmon on fiddle)
Source: SBD

10 May 1997 - St. Paul, MN - Roy Wilkins Auditorium
Genesis, B of D > Goin’ Out West (w/ David Blackmon in fiddle)
Source: SBD

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In the early morning hours of May 2, 2017, this world lost - but another world gained - the great Col. Bruce Hampton (ret.) after collapsing during the tribute concert for his 70th birthday at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta. From the Hampton Grease Band to the Aquarium Rescue Unit and all points beyond, Hampton’s influence on the jamband scene and Southern music in general is without parallel. Widespread Panic, Phish, Derek Trucks, and Jimmy Herring have all fallen under the Hampton’s tutelage at one time or another over the last 30 years. In this special episode, we highlight passages from five shows where Hampton sat in with Panic, beginning in December 1990 and wrapping up at Halloween 2001 in New Orleans. We are also joined by Geoff Hanson, Producer and Director of The Earth Will Swallow You and Widespread Panic: Live at Oak Mountain, to get his thoughts on Col. Bruce.

Our thoughts are with his family and friends, yet despite our sadness, we find it fitting that the good Colonel, on his own terms, went out playing music with his friends, concluding a remarkable 40-plus year career.

Links of shows go to streams from Panicstream.

29 December 1990 - Atlanta, GA - The Cotton Club
Turn On Your Lovelight
Source: Cassette SBD

9 August 1992 - Columbia, MD - Merriweather Post Pavilion
ARU/WSP Jam: Peace & Happiness > Space is the Place > Better Off
Source: (fob) Schoeps > Sony D10

30 December 1996 - Atlanta, GA - Fox Theatre
Fab Fox Fess Jam > Good Morning Little Schoolgirl
Source: (FOB) AKG 461 (DIN) > BPS-1s > FP-11s > DA-P20 by DATBRAD

13 August 2000 - Pelham, AL - Oak Mountain Amphitheater
Happy Child > Fixin’ to Die (w/ Rev. Jeff Mosier on banjo)
Source: (FOB/DFC) AKG 481 > Oade m248 > GP ADC20 > HHb by Julian Eldridge

27 October 2001 - New Orleans, LA - UNO Lakefront Arena
Time Is Free
Source: (TS/DFC) AKG 483 (DIN, 17cm) > Oade m248 > AD500e by Carl Beck

Col. Bruce Links:

Derek Trucks Interview with Marc Maron (starts about 29:00)

Reflections by Rev. Jeff Mosier (May 2, 2017)

Remembrance in Arts Atlanta (May 3, 2017)

Full Show Audio of the Hampton 70 Concert (May 1, 2017)

Geoff Hanson: Godspeed to the Colonel (May 4, 2017)

Youtube: The Music of Today is Horrifying (December 2015)

Basically Frightened Snippet: Zambi part 1 (July 2014)

Basically Frightened Snippet: Zambi part 2 (July 2014)

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