Widespread Panic Returns to The Cap in Port Chester
Story and photos by Jeff Fernandez
Show audio links courtesy of PanicStream
Widespread Panic returns to The Capitol Theatre, Port Chester, New York, for the first time in almost 27 years (they opened for The Radiators 07/18/92), PanicStream turns 14, and the Capitol Theatre disco ball returns with an extended encore, sending all in attendance into Panic Frenzy.
After melting faces last weekend in Washington DC, WSP took the music north to the historic Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, well known as the Grateful Dead’s East Coast home.
FRIDAY, MARCH 22
Opening up with “Let It Rock,” WSP put the pedal to the floor and got the musical mastery started and would not look back the rest of the weekend. All of the songs day one were pre-1998 era except for five, indicating that the trend from last weekend’s extravaganza of “back to where it all began” would continue. “Radio Child,” “C. Brown,” “Dyin’ Man,” “Pleas,” and “Henry Parson Died” fired up the crowd first set and had all screaming for More, More, More.
The second set opened with Panic original “You Got Yours” right in to a smoking and favorite “Up All Night,” definite foreshadowing the weekend ahead. This rolled right into Jojo Hermann crushing “Black Out Blues.” Dave Schools delivered blistering bass during “Fishwater,” leading into Sunny Ortiz and Duane Trucks absolutely killing on drums before Schools returned, adding to the percussion; then the rest of the band came back to finish the “Fishwater.” After a spectacular rendition of War’s “Slippin’ into Darkness,” WSP ended the second set with “Travelin’ Light.”
Encore: “Pilgrims” into Funkadelic’s “Red Hot Mama,” with Paul Hoffman and the lighting crew projecting Rosie on the walls of the theatre. Night one was in the books, and one could only guess what was to come…
[03/22/19 1: Let It Rock > Radio Child, C. Brown, Dyin’ Man, Shut Up And Drive, Pleas > Henry Parsons Died, Sundown Betty, B of D, Conrad; 2: You Got Yours > Up All Night, Blackout Blues, Party At Your Mama’s House > Ribs And Whiskey, Steven’s Cat, Fishwater > Drums > Fishwater, Slippin’ Into Darkness*, Travelin’ Light; E: Pilgrims, Red Hot Mama]
[* with Steve Lopez on percussion; entire show with Edie Jackson, sign language interpreter]
SATURDAY, MARCH 23
Night two at the Capitol Theatre. WSP brought out the heat to the delight of all the lucky ticket holders. This was the hardest ticket to get this year: many fans outside with their fingers in the air, begging for the lucky entry.
Saturday night’s show opened with “Wondering” into a dark and dirty “Mr. Soul,” getting the crowd on their feet early, ready for more. They then paid tribute with a Grateful Dead favorite, “Good Morning Little School Girl,” into JB favorite “Who Do you Belong To?” And WSP shut down set one with an very unusual “Bowlegged Woman > Action Man > Bowlegged Woman” sandwich.
Set two opened with a bluesy “St. Ex” and Jimmy Herring’s slow long jams throughout the song into “Hatfield.” JoJo killed “Ride Me High” as always, the crowd on their feet begging for more.
Highlights were Tom Waits’ “Going Out West” and a very wet “Chilly Water > Drums > Chilly Water” to finish the set.
WSP finished off night two with the newly added “Puppy Sleeps,” Dave Schools on heavy duty bass throughout, and finally a blistering “Flat Foot Flewzy” to end the evening.
[03/23/19 1: Wondering, Mr. Soul, Hope In A Hopeless World, 1 x 1, Christmas Katie > Good Morning Little Schoolgirl, Who Do You Belong To?, Thought Sausage, Bowlegged Woman > Action Man > Bowlegged Woman; 2: Saint Ex, Hatfield > Ride Me High > Jam > Stop Breakin’ Down Blues, Machine > Barstools and Dreamers, You Should Be Glad, Goin’ Out West, Contentment Blues, Chilly Water; E: Puppy Sleeps, Flat Foot Flewzy]
[Entire show with Edie Jackson, sign language interpreter; ‘Give Me Back My Wig’ rap by JB during ‘Stop Breakin’ Down Blues’; ‘Hot In Herre’ rap by JB during ‘Flat Foot Flewzy’]
SUNDAY, MARCH 24
Sunday was Panicstream’s 14-year anniversary, founded by Curtis George, who humbling admits to all that he is just a fan, but we all know that we cannot live without Panicstream before, during and after the show. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY PANIC STREAM! In a symbolic salute, WSP opened with “Holden Oversoul,” which was the first song of the first show ever broadcast on Panicstream.com in 2005. Also, Relix Magazine had a video broadcast of the entire show Sunday night for a donation of any kind.
Fist set highlights: “Makes Sense To Me,” “Lets Get Down To Business,” and crowd favorite “Airplane” taking the crowd to the stratosphere and beyond, into a “Take Off”-like jam that lead to rarely played “Jaded Tourist.” First set ended with a powerful Talking Heads cover of “Life During Wartime.”
Second set opened with a Dave Schools favorite, Warron Zevon’s “Lawyers, Guns, and Money,” getting everyone pumped up for what lay ahead: “Little Kin” into a smokin’ hot “Love Tractor” with a huge “HEE HAW” from Schools and the crowd together. Grateful Dead nods “One Kind Favor” and “The Other One” jam out of “Mercy” (can we please get this complete?) into Col Bruce’s version of “I’m So Glad” with 1800 fans screaming, dancing, and loving life! Finally, “Postcard” into “Ain’t Life Grand” ended the set.
And, to close out the return to Port Chester, a massive 28-minute, five-song encore — “This Part Of Town, Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys > Disco > Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys, No Sugar Tonight/New Mother Nature” — sent everyone home happy and looking forward to the next stop Durham NC March 29-30-31!
[03/24/19 1: Holden Oversoul > Makes Sense To Me, Let’s Get Down To Business, Little Lilly > Airplane > Jaded Tourist, Blue Indian, The Last Straw > Life During Wartime; 2: Lawyers, Guns, And Money, Little Kin > Love Tractor, I’m Not Alone, North, One Kind Favor, Bust It Big, Mercy, I’m So Glad, Postcard, Ain’t Life Grand; E: This Part Of Town, Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys > Disco > Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys, No Sugar Tonight/New Mother Nature]
[‘The Other One’ jam after ‘Mercy’]
