Originally scheduled in April of 2020, this run of Widespread Panic shows had been rescheduled twice and uniquely settled on some midweek shows in November at the Chicago Theatre. WSP’s second of a three-night run in Chicago was on Thursday night and they did not disappoint. The band took the stage 20 minutes after the 8 pm showtime, as ticketed, but early for Spreadheads.
Widespread Panic opened with Warren Zevon’s “Lawyers, Guns, and Money.” Never a song to feature deep improvisation, this rendition seemed short but it did pack a lot of punch. One of the highlights of the first set came in a “Good People” that had a nice “Dark Bar” sandwiched inside. Panic continued their recent incorporation of “Trashy” by Bloodkin. Originally the band honored Bloodkin and the passing of their friend and fellow Athens musician by doing an entire Bloodkin set at their Red Rocks run this past summer. “Trashy” is one of the songs that has stuck around, and Thursday’s version was stupendous. A rollicking “Conrad” closed the first set.
“Sharon” opened up the second set. It seemed very reminiscent of five years ago, when they opened the show with that tune here at the Chicago Theatre. A “Sharon” is always welcome to open any set for Spreadheads. A fan favorite, “Bear’s Gone Fishin,’” appeared, and it was a sprawling interpretation of the classic. They slowly segued it into the “Blight” and it certainly made for one of the best parts of the concert. “Diner” was able to raise the level of energy even more inside the ornate theater. The set closed with the pairing of “No Sugar Tonight/New Mother Nature” cover from The Guess Who that put an exclamation point on the set.
For the encore, John Bell stepped up to the microphone and soberly said, “This one is for the late, great Todd Nantz” and proceeded into one of the older songs in the entire repertoire, “Down.” Gone but never forgotten is the original drummer of Widespread Panic. The night ended with a cover of Neil Young’s “Mr. Soul.” Widespread Panic will finish the last show of the run on Friday 11/19 and will be off until they close out 2021 for their New Year's run in Atlanta.
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The end of 2021 brought something that music lovers feared- a widespread wave of concert cancellations. With the arrival of the Omicron variant, jam bands and groups of other musical genres alike began to postpone one of the most coveted and fun types of concert: the New Year’s concert. With no reported cases and all negative Covid tests, Goose decided the show must go on. Originally slated to be two nights at The Riviera Theatre in Chicago, Goose conducted the shows while following health and safety guidelines. Fans were thrilled with their decision!
The first night was very good. Despite starting later than expected, Goose delivered. In fact, the first set of December 30 ended up being the longest of the entire run. Rockdale opened. Fan favorites Time to Flee followed, with seemingly everyone in the building singing along “See you later… alligator!” at the request of the band. The set continued with other highlights like Jive II and Yeti before ending the ninety minute set with Tumbler. The second set contained a massive Echo of a Rose with plenty of tunes sandwiched inside, including a fun cover of Pat Benatar’s Love is a Battlefield. The semi-rare Fish in the Sea was found in the encore slot for night one.
As good as the first night was, the hype only grew for the 12/31 show. Just like the previous evening, the line to get into the show was indicative of the buzz surrounding the shows. People stretched out from the door, around the block, into the residential neighborhood just waiting to get in. A much quicker entry process allowed the show to get started promptly. They opened with Arrow and seamlessly segued into Rosewood Heart. The set seemed fairly pedestrian and was noticeably shorter than the previous night’s monster set one. However, it was with good reason. Much to the happiness of the crowd, the band announced they would be playing two more sets, and thus the conversations that many had been having before the show were answered- indeed it would be a 3 set show.
The second set opened with a cover of Vampire Weekend’s 2021 with the song being wholly appropriate for the occasion. Fan favorite Flodown followed, and then came the biggest surprise of the run. Despite it being Friday night, the band raged a rendition of the Grateful Dead’s One More Saturday Night. Keeping true to the original, it contained no improvisation and deviated in no way from the Weir number. Nonetheless, it was absolutely rocking and quite welcome coming out of left field. Arcadia ended the set around 11:30. With the New Year quickly approaching, it was a very brief set break; the band returned and opened with Wysteria Lane. Time continued to tick and the question became how they would ring in the New Year. They slowly transitioned the song to the next biggest surprise of the night, Circle of Life, the classic from the Disney movie Lion King. Again, it felt very appropriate for the moment. At this point, Goose brought out an unofficial band member, Coach, to help perform the song. He wielded a massive rainstick as is his custom when on stage. At the end of the song the countdown began. The band invited friends to come to the stage, each one holding a sign the size of a show poster with a number written on it. Starting with 10, they counted down to 1, and 2022 had arrived! Balloons and confetti filled the Riviera Theatre. Later we found out that the band was going to sell those posters with the “countdown” on the back and give the proceeds to groups supporting the victims of the Boulder fires. Immediately upon entering 2022 the band then went into Empress of Organos. The impressive third set ended with a Seekers on the Ridge that contained both part one and part two.
The two-night run ended with the funky So Ready. Goose fans were ecstatic with the fact that not only the shows raged, but that they even were held. As of the time of this writing, both Chicago shows can still be viewed on Goose’s YouTube channel in case you couldn’t catch them live. 2022 looks to be very bright for Goose, who only gained momentum during this entire Covid era. Cheers to the new year!
GOOSE December 30, 2021 Riviera Theatre Chicago, IL
Set 1: Rockdale, Time to Flee, Jive II, SOS, Bob Don, Yeti, Tumble
Set 2: Earthlings Or Aliens? > 726, Echo of a Rose {1} > Love Is A Battlefield {2}, Travelers > Echo of a Rose, Hot Tea {3}
Encore: Fish In The Sea {4}
Coach’s Notes:
{1} Backbeat version
{2} Pat Bennitar
{3} That’s All by Genesis teases
{4} Fat Freddy’s Drop
GOOSE December 31, 2021 Riviera Theatre Chicago, IL
Set 1: Arrow > Rosewood Heart, White Lights, The Old Man’s Boat, Sleepwalk {1}
Set 2: 2021 {2}, Flodown, One More Saturday Night {3} > Arcadia
Set 3: Wysteria Lane > Circle of Life {4} {5} > The Empress Of Organos {5} {6}, Creatures {7} > Your Ocean, Seekers On The Ridge pt 1 & pt 2
E: So Ready
Coach’s Notes:
{1} Santo & Johnny Farina
{2} Vampire Weekend
{3} The Grateful Dead
{4} LTP Goosemas 4, only 3rd time played. As the song ended, the countdown to 2022 began. At the end of the tune the band rang in the new year.
{5} JonL on a 10 foot rain stick
{6} JonL on fish & chimes on Jeffs kit
{7} Axel F Teases
Tuesday night Bob Weir and Wolf Brothers (featuring the Wolfpack) rolled in Madison, WI for a show at The Sylvee. Tuesday shows can sometimes be straightforward and nondescript. This show doesn’t fall under either of those categories. Even before the music began, there was a slight buzz amongst the crowd regarding the very cryptic and mysterious Dead and Company social media posting made earlier in the day. It seemed to be quite the topic as Deadheads hypothesized what it actually meant. Regardless, Bob Weir and Wolf Brothers (and the Wolf Pack) came ready to play.
Weir started up the night with a little introduction on guitar. It didn't sound promising. Thankfully it was not a sign of things to come, and when the rest of the band joined in for the Hell in a Bucket opener, the guitar blended in better. It ended up being quite the energetic opener. Mexicali Blues popped up third in the set, and with the horns in really was a great throwback to the original studio version recorded for Weir’s solo album Ace. The highlight of the set, perhaps even the entire show, came in Peggy-O. The Wolfpack, or the strings and horns, left the stage along with keyboardist Jeff Chimenti while Weir gave a very brief historical lesson on the origins of the traditional song. He also took the chance to swap out his electric guitar for an acoustic. Being stripped down to the original Wolf Brothers and pedal steel guitarist Barry Sless, the band began the delicate ballad.
Sless’ solos were absolutely gorgeous, with the twang of the pedal steel sounding brightly across the Sylvee. It was also in this song where Weir’s playing sounded pretty good. He seemed to be playing very delicately. Of course, his vocals were immaculate. Catfish John and Lazy River Road continued the set, culminating in a fun Good Morning Little School Girl sandwich with a Houndog inside. Short but fun first set.
After the set break the band opened up with Me and My Uncle. This version was the standard cowboy tune, and it wasn’t until after that the musicians really opened things. The crowd was immediately placed on a rocketship to another dimension courtesy of Weir, with a tasty and exploratory Dark Star serving as the vessel. The introduction was so long that some undoubtedly were questioning whether it was going to be an instrumental version. Perhaps on that train of thought, Weir howled “Dark Star crashing…” It only got jazzier with a Milestones contained within the Dark Star. Meandering out of Dark Star, the band settled on Estimated Prophet. Just getting from a regular 4/4 beat to the offbeat time signature of Estimated Prophet is noteworthy of its own merit. The band cruised through this song, and Weir definitely got the crowd riled up with Weir’s vocal outro that he always does at the end of the song. The most interesting segue of the night went to Estimated into Corrina. In fact, the second set could almost be seen as one big set. The Corrina had all the crowd had all the crowd dancing hard. Technically, then came the final lick of Slipknot, which alerted the crowd that Franklin’s Tower was imminent. Finally, the set finished out with a massive Terrapin Station suite. Of particular note was the piercing flute which populated the song
The show encored with the top ten hit Touch of Grey. Many people who heard it the opening notes began to head for the exits, leaving quite a bit more room for the rest of us that wanted to dance. Again, Weir was able to entertain the senses and ended the month of February on a very fun note. The tour continues tonight in Minneapolis with a few more dates in the Midwest, Texas, and California before the wolves go into hibernation.
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In the midst of their captivating In Between Thoughts… A New World tour, the acclaimed Mexican acoustic-rock duo Rodrigo y Gabriela found themselves serenading the verdant serenity of Longwood Gardens - an unexpected gem of a venue hidden in the over 1,000 acre botanical wonderland. Nestled amid this lush explosion of nature is the intimate Open Air Theatre, which, on a mid-week summer evening, became an extraordinary stage for a musical spectacle.
The privilege of exploring the garden's sprawling expanse was bundled with every ticket, presenting an enticing proposition that few could resist. Upon navigating the maze of blossoms and canopies, the verdant labyrinth offered up its secret: the quaint theatre, waiting to resonate with the music of our Mexican maestros. Rodrigo, evidently awestruck by the surroundings, couldn't help but comment, "it’s fucking incredible." He was as enthralled by Longwood Gardens as we've been by his music for the past 20 years.
As the soft, melancholic strums of J.S. Ondara, a Kenyan immigrant with an uncannily soulful voice, reverberated through the botanical paradise, the stage was set for Rodrigo y Gabriela. Ondara's self-described "depressing music" was far from a mood dampener. On the contrary, it served as the perfect prologue to the main act.
The pandemic-induced hiatus inspired an outpouring of creativity from the duo, resulting in the creation of their latest album, released just this April. It came as no surprise when they started weaving melodies from this new repertoire into the evening's tapestry. Their latest tunes, alongside a few surprise additions like "Monster," filled the garden's air. The somber and brooding "Monster," echoing through the dusk, seemed almost at odds with the cheerful chirping of the resident birds. Yet this beautiful incongruity only heightened the joy and uniqueness of the experience.
In "Simburgh," another new addition, Rodrigo unveiled his dexterity with the lap steel guitar. Gabriela, meanwhile, beguiled the audience with her extraordinary guitar skills and her distinctive percussive style. As if her fingers weren't spellbinding enough, the rhythms she coaxed from her guitar, using just about every part of it, left the audience in awe.
They drew the night to a close with the crowd-pleasing, high-energy "Tamacun." As Rodrigo y Gabriela's diehard fans can attest, their performances rarely falter in delivering a memorable musical journey. True to form, this one was no exception. With just two more dates in Canada and a final showdown in Texas – available for free streaming, and featuring the Austin Symphony Orchestra no less! - the duo is leaving no stone unturned to end their North American tour on a high note. They continue to set stages and hearts ablaze with their spirited performances and soul-stirring music. Don't miss out on the final act of this exhilarating tour. More details can be found here.
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