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Founded in 1986 by four students out of the University of Georgia and joined by percussionist Sunny Ortiz and key man JoJo Hermann, Widespread Panic is named after its original lead guitarist Michael Houser. In his days, Mikey was prone to panic attacks and suffered from severe stage fright, performing his entire career sitting down while his singular, effect pedal-free solos sent everyone else soaring out of their seats.
Houser passed away from pancreatic cancer on August 10, 2002. Starting in September 2006, Jimmy Herring joined the band.
Herring's fresh presence seems to have jolted the band back into prime form. Not that they ever struggled on stage, but the death of a founding member will shake any band to its foundations. On the interim tours between Mike's passing and Jimmy's joining, old friend George McConnell and former guitar tech Sam Holt admirably shared the guitar load under heavily undeserved scrutiny from grieving, lifelong fans. But fans wanted more.
Now that Jimmy has settled into what appears to be a permanent position, Panic has been performing beyond their expected awesomeness. From what Panic fans have seen and heard of their recent shows, the unpredictable Panic is back. They have debuted three original tunes already on this spring tour, while continuing to re-invent the classic tracks that have led them this far.
Granted, Widespread Panic has been playing the same essential group of songs somewhat the same way for more than two decades. If you've been to two-dozen shows, you've probably heard them play the same "Porch Song" a few times. But the question is, are you ever disappointed when they do? There is a timeless nature to this music, something that won't get old no matter how many times you listen to the same version of the same set of songs. (If you want proof, listen to Disc 2 of Live in the Classic City.)
