Guitarist Jimmy Herring’s influence is finally being completely felt in Panic’s spiraling song expansions, as evidenced during the ferocious closing jam of Pigeons. There’s a new heft in the average guitar solo and a pronounced aggressiveness to jams that often meandered in the past. Herring has added spark and vigor to a band that was in desperate need of new blood, and this newfound vitality manifests in instrumental passages that inspire the rest of the band. The fairly rickety first verses of 1X1 gave way to a brief flurry of notes from Herring that jolted the band, making for a rousing finish.
The drowsy groove of Proving Ground saw the band hit its stride with an avalanche of a jam that turned transcendent at the hands of Herring and bassist Dave Schools. WSP hit their stride and never looked back, subsequently offering the subdued Down before the meaty Holden Oversoul, a song that embodies everything good about Widespread Panic. Funk, rock, country, southern rock, blues, and improvisation combine in an inimitable fashion, bound by JoJo Hermann’s churchy organ and funky clavinet, Todd Nance’s understated, rolling drums, and Schools’ urgent bass. Herring took the opportunity to reach for the sky during the climax of Holden Oversoul, lacing the boiling groove with spine-tingling guitar runs.
Without stopping, the band easily slipped into Little Lilly, a song that rarely inspires excitement among fans but that the band can play with their eyes closed. Again, Herring provided the snazz to make the song special and steered the band into a positively inspired exploration that featured a cunning Norweigan Wood tease. The band then moved seamlessly into the rollicking Tie Your Shoes, which served as an ecstatic peak before a typically luxurious version of Talking Heads’ City of Dreams offered a breather for everyone involved.
There would be no further respite, as WSP lined up a finale that featured a pair of thrifty crowd pleasers, a thorough dissection of a signature tune, and a satisfying, if expected, guest appearance. The instrumental B of D quickly re-ignited the set’s spark, and a mammoth Barstools and Dreamers nudged the show into hallowed territory. Barstools began deliberately but the band soon prodded their way into a mesmerizing, throbbing jam segment that allowed Herring and John Bell’s guitars to intertwine in a deliciously deviant way. “I like Sundays!” proclaimed Bell during the song’s swampy, lyrically malleable closing.
The show’s first significant pause occurred in order for Warren Haynes to come to the stage. WSP chose to turn Haynes loose on the down-and-dirty combo of their own Ribs and Whiskey along with the blues masterpiece Stop Breakin’ Down. Anything but perfection from Haynes is nearly unheard of, and his contributions here were no different. Haynes and Herring joked around within a musical conversation that found the guitarists unleashing a maelstrom of notes within a deeply funky framework.
The highly accessible duo of Tall Boy and Ain’t Life Grand comprised a throwaway semi-encore that constituted a missed opportunity to put the set over the top. The band gave their finest effort for 90 minutes and spent the last 10 in wrap-up mode, but the ending proved to be a crowd-pleaser nonetheless.
Of all the astonishing lineups in the Allman Brothers Band’s history, the current one might be the most technically impressive. Oteil Burbridge (bass) and Derek Trucks (guitar) provide unmatched musicianship, while the equally skilled Haynes teams with the soulful old guard of the band – Gregg Allman (keys, vocals), Butch Trucks (drums), Marc Quinones (percussion) and Jaimoe (drums) – to guide the ensemble through shows that double as musical history lessons.
The ABB machine likes to warm up with bluesy comfort songs, and the Raleigh set had a pronounced momentum that started in that realm. It got rolling with the instrumental Don’t Want You No More, followed by a pair of Allman’s finest blues numbers – Don’t Keep Me Wonderin’ and It’s Not My Cross to Bear – along with their staple cover of Elmore James’ Done Somebody Wrong. Don’t Keep Me Wonderin’ showcased a walloping dual-guitar attack from Haynes and Trucks, while the classic Dave Mason tune Only You Know and I Know provided a pulsating jam over which Haynes layered his brazen solos.
Only You Know and I Know, which debuted at the band’s Beacon Theatre stand earlier this year, has seen some notable setlist time in 2009 and the band has performed it with both Mason and longtime ABB collaborator Bonnie Bramlett (of Delaney and Bonnie fame). This version featured guest drummer James van de Bogert, who stuck around to lend percussion to Can’t Find My Way Home, which also featured WSP’s John Bell on guitar and vocals.
The decidedly bluesy flavor of the show continued with more trips through the intersections of blues and psychedelic rock, as the band’s ever-present video backdrop was revealed during No One To Run With. Black curtains parted, and images of Allmans past and present intertwined over an indulgent display of eye-popping visuals, and the spectacle of mushroom-shaped lighting fixtures in concert with the video board was overwhelming.
A trio of masterfully lit and performed blues standards was next – Howlin’ Wolf’s Who’s Been Talking, Willie Cobbs’ You Don’t Love Me, and Willie Dixon’s The Same Thing. The show to this point was mostly a mix of reverently re-interpreted blues and Gregg Allman classics, but the songs of former ABB member Dickey Betts overtly informed the climax. After Allman provided a breather with an acoustic guitar version of Melissa, two Betts classics closed out they show. They teemed with guests and featured playing that stands as some of the band’s best of the year.
Guitar-mongers and music fanatics got the ultimate fix when Jimmy Herring joined Trucks and Haynes to form a three-headed monster of immeasurable guitar talent. Their In Memory of Elizabeth Reed received a half-hour exploration that wound it’s way through an exceedingly satisfying series of solos, an adventurous drums and bass segment, and a bawdy, frenetic ending. Southbound, a modern blues classic, sent the dwindling crowd into the brisk fall night with more rambunctious guitar from Herring, JoJo Hermann’s rowdy keyboard work, and the rumbling bass of Dave Schools.
As a whole, the evening was full of inspired playing, familiar tunes, and revealing musical exploration. While the pairing of these two southern stalwarts didn’t necessarily bring a fresh audience to either band, it brought two dedicated, appreciative and deserving fan bases together for an unforgettable night of music on a grand scale. The tour has imparted the atmosphere of a festival in each city that it has visited, and the continuous collaboration between the bands was a unique shot in the arm for everyone involved. The transcendent collision of lights, sound, and humanity that night in Raleigh proved that even the best musicians could benefit from a little competition and collaboration.
10/12/09 Walnut Creek Amphitheatre, Raleigh, NC
The Allman Brothers Band with Widespread PanicO: Pigeons, 1 x 1, Proving Ground, Down > Holden Oversoul > Little Lilly > Tie Your Shoes, City of Dreams > B of D > Barstools & Dreamers, Ribs & Whiskey* > Stop Breakin’ Down Blues* > Ribs & Whiskey*, Tall Boy > Ain’t Life Grand
O: Don’t Want You No More > It’s Not My Cross To Bear, Done Somebody Wrong, Don’t Keep Me Wondering, Only You Know And I Know, Can’t Find My Way Home**, No One To Run With, Who’s Been Talking, You Don’t Love Me, The Same Thing, Melissa, In Memory of Elizabeth Reed*** > Drums > In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed***
E: Southbound****
* with Warren Haynes on guitar
** with John Bell on guitar/vocals
*** with Jimmy Herring on guitar
**** with Jimmy Herring on guitar, John ‘Jojo’ Herman on keyboard [via Burnthday]
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