Widespread Panic & the Dirty Dozen Brass Band

Ever since the turn of the century - 1900, that is, writers such as Dreiser and Fitzgerald have tried to explain the human fascination with big cities, yet even today, people are lured by the air of mysticism and sleek vibes flowing through the city streets. Like every good adventure, my latest excursion to the City was full of surprises.

It had been something like two years since I'd seen this band in action, and I had waited long enough. In '97 it felt like I was riding the crest of a growing wave. I was on top of the scene and felt like I was part of something special, now I was out of touch. Summer school or a botched transmission job may have taken the blame for my lack of participation, but perhaps I had grown out of the scene. An evening in San Francisco would surely hold a clue.

The show began promptly with The Dirty Dozen Brass Band busting the evening open with some down-right fiery funk. If you can dig on funky, big-band New Orleans-style jazz, the kind of shit that makes you want to shake a leg, then the Dirty Dozen is your band. The eight-piece supports its weight with drums, keys, a lot of horns, and the occasional James Brown-style lyrics. As the once-notable rap artist Young MC said, "Give 'em something to dance to."

As they took the stage, the members of Widespread Panic were welcomed with a feverish roar from the crowd. The adrenaline rushing through the crowd was a sure sign that something very special was about to take place. From the opening progression of the enigmatic "Contentment Blues" through the rocking "Blackout Blues," the crowd was kept on its feet. Bludgeoned with horrible acoustics and echoes, my girlfriend and I left our post at the center of the balcony, entered a drink line that was more congested than the, and I quote, "Sunol Grade" and then stationed ourselves to the side of the stage. From the looks of it, the Civic Auditorium was a fine place to take in a show - great location, good seats and nice bathrooms. But now at the rear corner of the balcony, the feeling of bass pounding the back of your head vanished, only it took with it half the volume. It seemed this venue was cursed with bad sound, yet nevertheless the band was spectacular. The first set closed with a powerful garnish, as the Dirty Dozen joined in for an ultra-funky cover of Curtis Mayfield's "Pusherman" and crowd favorite "Coconuts."

After a very, very long intermission, the kind where you could have stepped out and dined in one of the multitude of San Francisco's restaurants and returned before missing a note, the band returned and led off a lively second set with "Flat Foot Flewzy." Vocalist/guitarist JB led the band through a long and wandering version of the classic "Hatfield" before launching into a huge crowd-pleasing "Surprise Valley > Porch Song" segue followed by a multi-talent drum procession led by percussionist Sunny Ortiz, with Todd Nance playing the xylophone and Terrance Higgins of Dirty Dozen fame sitting in on drums. They then launched back into the second verse of "Surprise Valley" before closing out the second set with "Space Wrangler" and "Fishwater."

This was turning into the one of the longest shows I had ever seen. At a quarter to one, the band returned to the stage for an encore. As always, the band is up to something new and played two new songs "Down" and "Imitation Leather Shoes." As I said before, the City has the ability to make people a little wild, and wanting to give their fans a lethal dose, the band returned with a cover of the Talking Heads' "City of Dreams."

- John Gurnee

Bookmark: