Widespread Panic Atlanta 12/31/2005

Widespread Panic Atlanta 12/31/2005
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> Hey Y'All,
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> First of all Happy New Year to those of you I did not get to see last week. It was a fun filled week of 6 shows in 5 nights! I had a houseful of out of town friends in for the run. How can you pace yourself when it is all wide open? It all began at Smith's with the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, then on to the Variety for the NMAS and also Sam and Prosser's party late that night. Next was the Panic show at the Roxy and quickly over to Smith's for the Outformation show. Then two nights of Panic at the Philips Arena. It took some doing, but we were able to score floor tickets a few days before the shows.
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> We all congregated up in FOB land. Always great to hang with my wife Chris, Zee, Charles and Mindie, Dave and Karen, DP & Kelly, Geoff & Diana, Carrington, Kristen, Frank, Martin, Stacey, E.Scott, Brian and Leslie, Michael, Adam & Heather, Matt, Joe W., Chris C., and the rest of the gang! Some of you who were not there were missed, and you know who I mean. Stacey supplied the blow up mics as Nate & Kate were with us in spirit! Security was tight as they were cracking down on tapers up there. These shows were highly anticipated to be off the hook. It always seems like that feeling every year. The show on the thirtieth was solid with some nice nuggets to please everyone. I headed downtown with my wife and friends. We went over to the Omni Hotel for some pre-show festivities. We all mentioned what we might hear tonight. I mentioned an acoustic first set that was not met with a great deal of approval. I always like that format. I enjoy the acoustic sound that George can put out. It goes without saying that I was happy to see the acoustic set up on stage when we entered.
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> We were treated to the second version of Otis Reading's Dock of the Bay. I sure am glad the large crowd got to enjoy that one! It was nice at the Roxy and this would be the only repeat of the three nights, and deservidely so. It was written by Otis Redding and Steve Cropper and recorded on 12/7/67, 3 days before Otis's untimely death due to a plane crash. It was the number 1 song for 4 weeks in '68. The set progressed nicely with some of my favorites, C. Brown, and my newest favorite from Vic, Expiration Day. What a great song! I grooved on George's rendition of the Billy Joe Shaver tune Fast Train to Georgia. This set the theme for the evening "Georgia". Always great to see Can't Find My Way Home. Six of the eleven songs were covers. The set clocked in at about 1:06.
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> After the first set, we were treated to the drumming squirrel. on the video screens behind the stage. The character is from the cartoon that Panic wrote a song for on the Cartoon Network. The second set was short and sweet. It rocked open with Action Man. Things got thick with a nice Pleas>Mr. Soul. Then I got my favorite Panic song, Diner. Not the longest, about 15 minutes, but well done with some nice rapping. This lead into a Surprise with George nailing the intro. On to City of Dreams, but what happened to Germany and Europe? I thought the set ended a bit weak with a song I have seen more than enough of, Give.
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> Lots of anticipation for New Years. What were they going to bust out? After the countdown, exchanging hugs and kisses and champagne with our loved ones and friends so near, it was back to the Georgia theme. JB did a great rendition of Georgia on my Mind followed by the classic Midnight Train to Georgia! This was followed by more traditional Panic Ain't Life Grand>Greta>North>Ribs & Whiskey. I swear I heard Maggot Brain coming and said so to DP. It came out of a nice jam and then led into Big Woolly. The Conrad that followed had JB making reference to Michael Jackson in the song. It was Saturday night, so why not throw in a Flewzy?
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> We saw Sam Holt with with a guitar strapped on as the boys came back for the encore. Our little contingent up front was psyched! You have to understand, Sam is one of US! I met Sam taping back in 1996 and 1997 in the midwest when I patched out of him. It makes all of us Panic Freaks proud to see one of our own, with our favorite band! Those lucky enough to be at the Fillmore in November know what I am talking about! Sam ripped the opening notes to Impossible and the place exploded! I believe that the last one I saw was the classic 3 night Oak Mountain run of 2002. This segued into the second Gimme of the year, both with Sam at the helm. Fishwater was next and then they closed with another staple, Porch Song. I think it is safe to say that everyone walked, or stumbled out of the Philips, as happy campers. I thought Chris did a great job with the sound, and Candace was wonderful on the lights! When is the next Panic show???
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> Here is how it went down:
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> Widespread Panic
> Philips Arena
> Atlanta, Georgia
> 12/31/2005
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> 9:07
> Acoustic
> DOCK OF THE BAY 5:54
> FISHIN"> 7:37
> C. BROWN> 7:00
> HENRY PARSONS DIED> 7:30
> CASA DEL GRILLOS> 7:15
> TALL BOY 5:19
> EXPIRATION DAY 4:50
> FAST TRAIN TO GEORGIA 4:49
> CAN'T FIND MY WAY HOME> 4:14
> BLUE INDIAN> 5:27
> TRAVELIN' LIGHT 6:45
> 10:06
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> 10:31
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> ACTION MAN> 4:12
> PLEAS> 6:51
> MR. SOUL 5:18
> DINER> 14:56
> SURPRISE VALLEY> 8:37
> CITY OF DREAMS 6:34
> GIVE 5:13
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> 11:23
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> 11:55
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> COUNTDOWN, CONFETTI, AND KAOS
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> 12:03
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> GEORGIA ON MY MIND 4:21
> MIDNIGHT TRAIN TO GEORGIA 6:03
> AIN'T LIFE GRAND> 4:46
> GRETA> 7:31
> NORTH> 8:14
> RIBS & WHISKEY 8:43
> PILGRIMS> 7:29
> THIN AIR> 5:10
> MINI DRUMS> 3:14
> JAM> 3:06
> MAGGOT BRAIN> 4:26
> BIG WOOLLY MAMMOTH> 8:00
> CONRAD THE CATERPILLAR> 8:34
> FLAT FOOT FLEWZY 4:33
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> 1:27
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> 1:33
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> *IMPOSSIBLE> 5:55
> GIMME> 4:55
> FISH2O 11:23
> PORCH SONG 3:47
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> 1:58
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> *WITH SAM HOLT
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> To all my friends whether you were here, at Phil & Friends, Gov't Mule, Derek, The Truckers, Tea Leaf Green, moe., Hookah, Jerry Joseph, Yonder Mountain, or any of the other shows, I want to wish you a very happy and healthy new year. May it bring peace, love, and more great music!