WIDESPREAD PANIC - 11.16.01 - INDEPENDENCE ARENA - CHARLOTTE, NC
Reviewed by Larry James (December, 2001)

Set 1: Sometimes, Space Wrangler, Dyin' Man, This Part Of Town, Greta > Blight > Henry Parsons Died, Let It Rock, Thought Sausage
Set 2: 2: Arleen > Bear's Gone Fishin', Conrad, Don't Tell The Band, E on a G, Flat Foot Flewzy > Drums* > I Walk On Guilded Splinters* > Hatfield > Imitation Leather Shoes

Encore: E: Chainsaw City**, Chilly Water**

* with Brad Rosen on percussion
** with Brad Rosen on percussion, Jerry Joseph on guitar/vocals
[Soundcheck: 'Visiting Day', 'She Caught The Katy'; Jerry Joseph & the Jackmormons opened]

A beautiful Fall afternoon accompanied us into one of the South's largest cities for a weekend night of truly extraordinary music. Not many Southerns can argue that the best part of the Fall (besides Football) is Panic tour. This year, with the break-up of Phish and the usual extra few new faces, we expected to be hoarded into a larger venue, but to our pleasing ears we would be returning to the old forgotten venue of the past, Charlotte's Independence Arena.

Almost ready to be on display at the local museum next to Dinosaurs and wax figures of Confederate soldiers, this venues takes you back to the days of the Brandy Bunch and the wonderful groovy architecture of the 1960s. Someone noted that they heard a few older fans saying, "man, I saw Jimi Hendrix here!" Enough said. The parking lot was small and cozy, offering the Panic fans lots of vending room and parking for the early crowd. Security was at a low and the vibe was all smiles and good times. Except for the outrageous long line to enter the venue, once inside we noticed the domed top was surrounded by multi-colored banners; very groovy. After getting situated on the floor, we set our space and were ready to kick off a great night of music.

A nice and quick 'Sometimes' opener led into a huge 'Wrangler' which was welcomed by the thousands packed inside the old coliseum. 'Dyin Man' and 'This Part Of Town' were next, letting different band members take the mic. As each song came and went, the floor became increasingly more crowded as fans packed it in. 'Greta' was next, jamming really hard, leaving no-one sitting down. Though not as amazing as this Summer's version, the jam out of Greta threw everyone off by the 'Blight' which opening notes noodled their way into the mix. Blight's nice mellow groove rerouted the crowd back to the hard chords of the classic 'Henry Parson's Died.' By this time, the crowd was getting rowdy, and the band must have felt it as they launched into the rare 'Let It Rock.' This had the floor shakin as everyone was getting down. The crowd became a bit too much as the excitement grew and we headed out as a standard 'Thought Sausage' closed the first set.

The band came out for the second set and just took off with a huge 'Arleen,' just like a missile being launched into space. It seemed to catch everybody off guard, as most were trying to get back to their seats after waiting in the long bathroom line. The floor of the arena became a large disco as the crowd kept erupting as the fast groove made its way to every set of shoes. The jam mellowed a bit into 'Bear Gone Fishin,' but as the band launched into 'Conrad,' the crowd cheered back with more energy. A fast version and well appreciated song, everyone has all smiles as the band took us through all the different changes. A quick DTTB let the boys promote the new album as well as the new instrumental which was well received by the crowd. Next up was School's time to excite the crowd with the crazy tune, 'Flat Foot Flewzy.' Being a Friday night, no-one was expecting it but again, the boys kept us on our toes, as we danced into the drums which featured Brad Rosen.

The groove out of drums became apparent when JB approached the mic and belted out the opening scream from Dr John's classic 'I Walk on Guilded Splinters.' A huge applaud came from hot smoky crowd, as the band keep grooving through the dark jam which featuring Rosen on percussion. The jam slowed down to the opening notes of 'Hatfield.' Next to Arleen, it was the highlight of the night. Adding a few vicarious lyrics and an always appreciated rap, this version was well worth the price of admission. 'Imitation Leather Shoes' closed the show, leaving everyone begging for more.

For the encore, everyone knew Jerry Joseph would take the stage as the band launched into 'Chainsaw City,' which was a first for me. The crowd wasn't two excited but the more the band got into it and the more Jerry jumped around, the crowd cheered on. A huge 'Chilly Water 'followed as most were expecting only one encore. On of the best I've seen, this chilly was not a quick one as Jerry took a few solos as well as Houser. Everyone's ears were ringing as we exited the venue, laughing and welcoming the cool November air.