Widespread Panic has announced a new addition to the southern rock band’s multi-track archival series, with the release of Syracuse 2001.
The show, held at the Landmark Theater in Syracuse on November 6, 2001, was only the band’s second show in the Salt City, having performed in 1992 on a H.O.R.D.E. Tour stop at the State Fairgrounds.
A show at the midpoint of a coast to coast 2001 Fall Tour, Syracuse was the only New York show of the tour, and featured the band’s original six-piece lineup – John Bell (vocals, guitar), John ‘JoJo’ Hermann (keyboards, vocals), Michael Houser (guitar, vocals), Todd Nance (drums), Domingo Ortiz (percussion) and Dave Schools (bass, vocals).
Although unknown to fans at the time, this would be Michael Houser‘s last performance in Syracuse. The founding guitarist and band namesake (Houser was nicknamed ‘Panic’ on account of frequent panic attacks), would play his last show with the band in July 2002, before succumbing to pancreatic cancer.
Overall, the show is a choice performance from the band, who gave fans a variety of their sound with just enough jam on some tunes to find a dedicated northern fanbase. “Little Lilly” off the just released Don’t Tell the Band opened the show, followed by early Panic tunes “Walkin” and Bloodkin’s “Henry Parsons Died” before the depth of the band’s catalog was revealed in Blind Faith’s “Do What You Like.” A highlight of the set comes late with J.J. Cale’s “Ride Me High” -> “C. Brown.” Set two opens with Cale’s “Travelin Light,” features Nance on vocals for “Clinic Cynic” and the crowd favorite “Porch Song.”
The remainder of the show is one giant jam and while the whole show is worth listening to, this last section packs a punch. Instrumental “Party at Your Mama’s House” starts things out softly before shifting gears into a 12+ minute take on The Rolling Stones’ “Stop Breaking Down”, shifting into 20 minutes of “Drums/Drums+Bass” which had a brief “Voodoo Chile” jam before seguing into “Stop-Go” which took the cake for jam of the evening, and included a “Three Little Birds” rap from John Bell.
Van Morrison’s “And It Stoned Me” would follow, a sing along for the crowd, ahead of the energetic set closer “Conrad.” For an encore, the band returned with a mellow “Me and the Devil Blues” by Robert Johnson, then a pure rocker to close things out – Neil Young’s “Mr. Soul.” The reaction in the audience that night was as loud as it was welcoming – Panic made their presence known to this sold out crowd in Syracuse, and the release captures the band in their prime, just before tragedy would strike and shift the band’s trajectory for the next few years.
The show was digitally transferred from the original tapes, recorded by Chris Rabold, and mixed and mastered by the band’s longtime producer, John Keane. Digital transfer was completed by Brown Media Archives, University of Georgia.
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Widespread Panic – November 6, 2001 – Landmark Theater, Syracuse
Set 1: Little Lilly > Walkin’ (For Your Love) > Henry Parsons Died, Do What You Like, The Last Straw > Sleeping Man > Ride Me High > C. Brown, Imitation Leather Shoes
Set 2: Travelin’ Light, Old Neighborhood, Clinic Cynic, Porch Song, Party at Your Mama’s House > Stop Breakin’ Down Blues > Drums > Drums and Bass > Stop-Go, And it Stoned Me, Conrad
Encore: Me and the Devil Blues, Mr. Soul
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