Widespread Panic - Night of Joy

“Peach-heads” and “Spread-heads” alike are experiencing a new vitality as their iconic road warriors continue to refine and re-calibrate their signature Southern sound. As I detailed in my two reviews of The Allman Brothers Band, Warren Haynes, Derek Trucks and a sober Gregg Allman are reliving the glory days of Fillmore East in ‘69. Widespread Panic (WP), on the other hand, is exploring life for the first time on planet funk. And to accentuate their new soulful flavor, Night of Joy pairs WP with The Big Easy’s very-own Dirty Dozen Brass Band (DDBB). (Side note for all you indie-rock junkies, DDBB contributed to Modest Mouse’s Good News for People Who like Bad News). Night of Joy was recorded at the House of Blues in South Carolina. Perhaps as a courtesy to the DDBB, only one song on this live recording is over ten and a half minutes long. The other eight tracks average seven and a half minutes, which is just enough time for a concise guitar solo, horn solo and the occasional keyboard noodling. “Rebirtha” which clocks in at 17 minutes and 12 seconds is a bit messy. The seven piece DDBB sounds lost as WP indulges themselves in an extended acid jam session their live shows are known for. Night of Joy opens with a great one-two punch. “Thought Sausage” is a gritty Southern rock anthem that showcases the ferocious guitar work of WP’s new lead guitarist, George McConnell. “Thin Air” is a rambunctious blend of passionate vocals, vintage rock n’ roll guitar, driving percussion and body-shaking Hammond organ riffs. It isn’t until a cover of Bill Withers’ classic “Use Me” that DDBB emerges from the shadows to provide visible song structure. On “Bayou Lena,” and “Old Neighborhood” and “Arleen” the jazz/funk/R&B grooves of DDBB are the most deeply felt. A cover of Stevie Wonder’s “I Wish” is thrown into the set list for punctuation. While Night of Joy spruces up what we have come to expect from a WP show, it still gets monotonous by the middle of the album. Perhaps WP is an acquired taste, but I did the whole frat thing at a southern school where “Widespread” was the band of choice. WP is a taste I have digested over and over again. I like them and I like this album, don’t get me wrong, but as an objective critic who spent many summers following the jam band scene, I wonder how much more this band can grow together? Phish realized that they will grow more as individuals than they will as a band. They don’t want to become what The Dead has already become, a “nostalgia” act. For that reason, disbandment is respectable. WP is the next oldest jam band on the scene. Perhaps the demise of Phish will catapult their popularity? Perhaps it will trigger a ripple effect? Perhaps I’m full of shit and just getting old. You make the call… [www.widespreadpanic.com]