The first Widespread Panic (WP) album that I had was “Live in the Classic City”; purchased after catching a performance of “Imitation Leather Shoes” on television. I had heard about them from some friends long before but was going through a very long death metal phase (still enjoy and listen to a lot of metal…but jam bands/ southern rock/ blues are what I call home) and didn’t give them much of a chance. After I saw that performance I went out the next day and purchased “Live in the Classic City” which was recorded in 2000 in Athens, Georgia over the course of a 3 night show.
Disc 1 starts out with and high energy instrumental version of “Action Man” which sets a great pace for the rest of the disc. A “Chilly Water >> Pleas >> Chilly Water” jam follows and really showcases what WP is about and about to do. The rest of the disc 1 is just as amazing.
Disc 2 is loaded with some longer songs and some heavier jams. The disc opens with “All Time Low” which is another upbeat opener, but the best is yet to come on this disc. Starting with a 16:21 “Ride Me High” that flows right into a 16:35 “Drums” and as this winds down Dave Schools comes in on bass and leads them straight into a version of “Time is Free” with special guest, Col. Bruce Hampton (Ret) on lead vocal. As is this wasn’t jam euphoria, this all builds up and jams right into one of the best versions of “Climb to Safety” I have ever heard. It doesn’t hurt that Derek Trucks joins them on stage and light up the guitar with them for this song either.
Where do you go from here?..Disc 3 of course. What I love about disc 3 is that it really lets Michael Houser (January 6, 1962 - August 10, 2002) shine. Some of the songs he is best know for “Waker” and “Dyin’ Man” along with some just fantastic guitar work on “Tall Boy”, “Red Hot Momma”, and “Stop and Go”. The song that I enjoy the most on disc 3, however, is “Hatfield”. This tune is a little slower, no ballad by any means, but just has such a feel good vibe that is hard to find in most songs.
When it is all said and done, this is still one of the best albums that I have.
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