Jay Peak Resort in northern Vermont’s Green Mountains is only 5 miles from the Canadian border, but seemingly had no trouble attracting thousands of music lovers looking for Panic. The new Stateside Amphitheater opened last year, and has doubled in capacity for 2015 – now ready to fill the picturesque mountainside with 3,000 concert-goers. The rumors started to “spread” while snow was still on the ground: Legendary southern jam-rockers Widespread Panic would be making their long-awaited return to Vermont on June 19th, 2015 as part of the Jay Peak Music Series. Even sweeter, promoters were able to strengthen the draw with special guests Umphrey’s McGee. The versatile wizards last performed in Vermont less than a year ago at Burlington’s Waterfront as part of the Lake Champlain Maritime Festival.
As a brilliant day in the Northeast Kingdom gave way to a cool sunny evening, eager fans would begin filling the venue shortly before Brendan Bayliss led his bandmates on stage just after 7:00PM. Umphrey’s kicked off the show with a seamless”Nipple Trix > The Floor > The Linear > The Floor”, and fans were finally dancing as the sun started to sink behind the 3800’ peak. “Educated Guess” brought the thick prog-riffs that UM has perfected over the years as driving rhythms fell into the crowd. The band found some nice energy in the first extended improv of the evening when they placed a fun” Can’t You Hear Me Knocking” jam in the fan-favorite “Higgins.”
The band would play back-to-back songs that can be found on their latest release “The London Session (2015),”with a thrashing “Cut the Cable”(a possible nod to Jay Peak’s Tram visible over the tree line), and the oxymoronic title, “Friday.” UM put their 90-minute set to a close with a song as old as the band itself, with guitarist Jake Cinninger delivering the goods on a scorching “Hajimemashite.”
While throngs of fans rushed to replenish their fists with a favorite micro-brew, it was apparent that Widespread Panic would be able to fit one long set into the available time-frame. Fans hoping for a 2-set show would make the most of this intermission by taking advantage of stellar amenities the brand-new Stateside Lodge has to offer. The venue provided plenty of space for all, perfectly lit paths, and a pavilion covering the general admission crowd. As the temperature dropped, the anxiety jumped until “JB,” “Sunny,” and the rest of the Athens, Georgia-based rockers eventually took the stage to loud cheers from its Vermont fans.
“Chilly Water” brought smiles and high-fives once John Bell’s distinctive voice began to sway into the chilly air. Guitarist Jimmy Herring, a fixture in the band since 2006, began developing the signature southern rock guitar licks and warming up for what would be a stellar performance. Sliding right into the BloodKin cover of “Who Do You Belong To?”, Panic picked up the pace and got everyone’s feet moving. “Blackout Blue”s helped everyone notice Duane Trucks on drums. The 26-year-old showed why he was the right choice to fill in for Todd Nance beginning last year. “Up All Nigh”t was a familiar tune for the casual Panic fan, as it received the most radio-play from the band’s 2008 studio album Free Somehow. Herring’s licks piled up over the omnipresent bass lines from Dave Schools here and became the lengthiest contribution to the set. With “One Kind Favor,” Panic had some fun matching beats to a familiar riff and offered a few lyrics of the Grateful Dead favorite, “New Speedway Boogie.”
Other highlights from the event billed as “Panic at the Peak” included an always welcome “Party At Your Mama’s House > Ribs and Whiskey,” a brief “Drums” interlude, and a rousing set closer celebrating with” Ain’t Life Grand.” Not to be denied, the faithful cheers from a practically shivering crowd coaxed the band back for a trio of favorites for their encore. Covering the Talking Heads “City of Dreams” let everyone enjoy a beautiful moment while “JB” led the singalong before declaring that they should “step on the gas one more time.” With that, the adopted “Protein Drink > Sewing Machine” left the audience spellbound by a heavy rhythm that was accompanied by an absolutely dazzling lighting array.
Panic at the Peak lived up to its wonderful expectations and then some. With nearly four hours of music in Vermont’s beautiful northeast kingdom, Widespread Panic and Umphrey’s McGee showcased why they are two of the most popular bands out there today. Jay Peak successfully absorbed the sold-out crowd and demonstrated how they could be a very important asset for a region that will always take advantage of an outdoor live music venue.
