What: Concert Review
Who: Widespread
Panic
Where: Landmark Theater
When: Thursday, November 14, 2013
Leo Pareti
Widespread Panic
Widespread Panic
Last
night, Georgia based jam band Widespread Panic jam packed the Landmark Theater
in Syracuse, NY for a near sold out show. Coming to the city for the first time
in 12 years, the band didn’t mess around. They performed a special performance
lasting at least 3 hours and proved they are a force not to be reckoned with.
Everything about the concert was spectacular, and WP are worth seeing by all
fans to those seeking dance friendly and long strung out jammed tunes.
The
Athens, Georgia based rock band have released a total of ten studio albums. Listening
to them live, one notices that the group has a true unique sound in the jam
band genre. While certainly not radio friendly, the group is known for
their live shows and have sold out concerts and venues for many years since
their formation in 1986. The band regularly headlines Bonnaroo Music Festival
every other year and after seeing them perform live, one can see how this
festival enjoys them so much. The concert in Syracuse was one of the better
ones that came to the area this year, and the crowd was completely into the
band, swaying and dancing to every one of their tunes. Surprisingly, the guys
in the crowd did most of the dancing carrying the girls and were great
entertainment just to watch. The crowd was a mixture of both older rock fans,
some in their fifties or older, and newer ones. Indeed, many people in the crowd mentioned this was
their first Widespread Panic experience. They were in for a treat!
The historical
Landmark Theatre itself is an absolute beautiful venue to see a concert at,
despite it can be too loud for such shows. However, despite this, the combination of the
venue and Widespread Panic being there Thursday night equaled to an amazing
concert and performance. The band played for nearly 3 in a half hours (with
around a 30 minute break in between sets). The sound was simply excellent. You
could hear each musician play their instruments perfectly as well as the lead vocals. The
light show was spectacular as well as lasers shot off into the crowd throughout
the night. In particular, the images the band provided on stage on their giant
circular wheel behind them were simply incredible. Down to earth images changed
as the band continued to play through the evening. It was truly a sight to see.
The
musicians themselves of Widespread Panic know how to rock and jam. The guitar
stand offs between lead singer John Bell and the group’s lead guitarist were a
stand out for the night. The two musicians played against each other for what looked like effortless
hour after hour. It was almost tiring to watch them as they continued to strum
their guitars until the concert’s end. Each member of the band had their own
moments to shine, yet lead keyboardist JoJo Herman was also a dominant force of
the night. The guy hammered away on the keyboards and provided his own solos
and jammed that rang in perfectly together with the rest of the music. Keyboard
is an essential musical instrument for any rock band, and Widespread Panic have utilized
it so has become perfectly in sync to the other members of the band while at
the same time able to stand out and provide uniqueness of its own. One of the
best moments of the night came when the two lead drummers began their own solos
which included a five minute bongo jam that lifted everyone up off their feet at the Landmark and more dancing. Even base player David Schools proved to the
crowd he’s an amazing base player who knows the instrument well, rocking and
jamming together with the other members of the band throughout the night.
The only
downsides of the concert being it extremely loud, of course this can’t be
helped since it was held in an old theater where the music greatly bounces off
of the walls and back into the crowd. Another thing is while 3 in a half hours
long is exceptional, sometimes that can be a little too long. It did help their
was a 30 minute break in between sets,
but by the end of the show, one can tell some members of the audience
were getting worn out as they began to sit down. Other than these minor
setbacks, the concert was a great one.
The
concert at the Landmark theater was spectacular last night. All members of
Widespred Panic gave it their all. It was a unique experience and many first
timers in the crowd loved the show while listening to their comments
afterwards. “Hopefully it won’t be another 12 years before were back,” lead
singer John Bell proclaimed to the crowd before jamming one or two more songs
during the encore. Hopefully the band will come back soon as they by far gained many new fans last
night in Syracuse, NY that will be seeing them again sometime in the near
future.
Grade:
A- or 4 out of 4 stars ****
A- or 4 out of 4 stars ****
Set list:
(Coming Soon)
Photos:
Photos:
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