5/4/2013 - Nashville, Tennessee
31 Photos
5/4/2013
The Woods at Fontanel
Nashville, Tennessee
Photos by Andy Tennille
Foul weather has followed Widespread Panic’s 2013 spring tour, whether it was the tornadoes in St. Louis, the snow in Chicago and Minneapolis, the thunderstorms at Wanee in Florida or the rain-induced mud pit down in New Orleans at JazzFest.
We’ve seen a little bit of everything over the last month, so it came as no surprise when meteorologists were calling for near-continuous rain for the two tour-closing shows at The Woods Amphitheater at Fontanel outside Nashville. The transition from “Greta >Weak Brain, Narrow Mind” was tremendous, and the subsequent “Pigeons” felt like the band was shouting at the storm. “Visiting Day” was certainly expected, but the segue into the almighty “Love Tractor” was a nice little surprise. “Surprise Valley > Rock” was a nice contrast, with the band soaring through the psychedelic heights of the former before plummeting to the funky depths of the latter. “Mercy > Ride Me High > Tie Your Shoes > Papa’s Home” was arguably the highlight of the show, one long, continuous segue of rock ‘n roll that featured “Other One” and “Spanish Moon” teases thrown in for good measure. Jimmy’s playing on “No Sugar Tonight/New Mother Nature” is spot on, transitioning smoothly from the beautiful musical filigree of “No Sugar Tonight” into the grittier, anthemic riff of “New Mother Nature.” While “End Of The Show” is always a welcomed fan favorite, it felt a little anti-climatic as the second encore tonight, creating a short pause at the end of the song as fans expected a third - and possibly more raucous - encore.
“Sharon” welcomed back the crowd after an explosive “Give” opener, but it was “Can’t Get High” that seemed to be the fire-starter for night two. “Cotton Was King” continues its run as a set list staple of this tour, but it was the “Last Straw > Tallboy > Sewing Machine” – without the “Protein Drink” prequel – where the band caught fire. Set two was pure old-school Panic. The return of “Pusherman” was the gem, but nearly everything this set was fantastic, including the “Breathing Slow” jam out of “Drivin’.” Jimmy nailed all the subtleties and nuances and then cranked the knobs to 11 for an ear-ringing “Chilly Water” that left no doubt. Summer tour is gonna be fire. You’ve been warned.
I:
Give
Sharon
Bear’s Gone Fishin’ >
C. Brown
Coach
Can’t Get High
Cotton Was King
Last Straw >
Tallboy >
Sewing Machine
II:
Machine
Barstools & Dreamers
Airplane >
Pusherman >
Drivin’ >
Low Spark >
Drivin’ >
Breathing Slow
Big Wooly Mammoth >
Chilly Water
Encore:
Dream Song
Help Me Somebody >
Henry Parsons Died
