When a band can joyfully experience first-time approaches to their craft even after 30 years and 11 albums together, it is no surprise that the result will be something sweet.

For southeastern jam band legends and pioneers Widespread Panic, coming together for a live, full band studio recording was something they had never done, until now.

The rain started early Saturday morning, just after the Umphrey‘s McGee set closed up shop. That dope encore was legit. The intermittent downpours left over 5 inches of rain in their wake on the fields of Oakridge. Personally, my tent was soaked. The air mattress was now officially a floatation device in the wonderfully glassy sea that previously was the tent floor.

As everyone is winding down from Lockn’, I’d like to take a moment to reflect on Labor Day Weekend in one of my favorite towns in the Midwest, Nashville. I had the opportunity to photograph Widespread Panic for my very first time at the beautiful Ascend Amphitheater for the second night of their two night run over Labor Day weekend. I have to say, that it is true, you should never miss a Sunday show. What a beautiful night to see some music!

There is a place filled with nothing but greatness, where virtuous vibes fly like the swallows of Capistrano, and magical music frees the spirit to glide up her own personal stairway to heaven. There is a place where heady humans come to swim together in a sea of awesomeness with kindness in their hearts and love in their souls.

This year's Forecastle Festival was a success despite extreme weather. Due to heavy rains leading up to the festival, the rising Ohio River threatened the structure of stages close to the water. A windstorm on Friday shut down headliner Sam Smith's performance early and caused a two-hour delay on Saturday. Throughout the weekend, however, the extreme heat was the talk of most festivalgoers. Thankfully, the crew hosting the event was phenomenal.

Not many music ensembles stand the test of time. Most can’t even handle the road… 29 years now, Widespread Panic has been king of the road.  Located in a considerably small municipality, the Arkansas Music Pavilion played host to a smorgasbord of colorful ‘spreadnecks’, some who have been on tour with the band all spring and summer and were more than proud to tell tale of a moment at a previous show.

Quickly becoming one of the most anticipated music festivals in the nation, The Forecastle Festival is back for another big year with headlining acts Sam Smith, My Morning Jacket, and Widespread Panic down on the waterfront in Louisville, Kentucky on July 17-19. Other promising performances include Modest Mouse, Cage the Elephant, The War On Drugs, Tweedy, Houndmouth, and Portugal. The Man. The festival will also feature several late night shows including Talib Kweli and The Floozies.

Seminal band Widespread Panic has announced the September 25th release of Street Dogs, their long-awaited twelfth studio album on Vanguard Records. Panic recorded Street Dogs as a band, live in the studio, for the first time. The result is the most fun the veteran sextet has had making an album, which is apparent upon first listen.

Sights, sounds and sit-ins -- This year's Summer Camp Music Festival was nothing short of spectacular.

New Orleans Suspects & Friends featuring JoJo Hermann (Widespread Panic) will perform at Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom & The Other Side on Friday, June 26th & Saturday, June 27th after the Widespread Panic Red Rocks shows.