I Do Stuff…

three shows only!

This year MMW decided to role through town a little early, they didn’t contact me when putting the tour together which was unfortunate. Usually their yearly winter trek to Washington is in November.  I convinced Rob to join Jeremy and I for the show this year.

Rob meet me at the shop and we headed into the city early to get some food and have a few drinks before the show. We had hope to eat at a Greek restaurant but the one we found, despite its great reviews, was carry out only. We continued to walk and I saw a sign for $2 drafts at the Tap and Parlour. We needed to wait for Jeremy and his date to arrive so we headed in for a quick drink. Unfortunately for us it was the bartenders first day on the job and it showed.  It took forever for Rob and I to get our first drink and she gave the wrong change to another guy. When I got my second beer it had a huge head and was the wrong type. With all the trouble we had just getting our checks and my second beer, we were just happy to get out of there..

By now Jeremy and Sam arrived and we decided to stay for dinner and some more drinks. Thankfully the food was pretty good and the waitress was able to keep up with our simple requests for drinks. I got the crab cake sandwich and it was pretty good, Sam got some jerk chicken pasta that was really good.  We stayed here pretty late before heading to the venue.

Opening for MMW was the Antibalas, which I later found out was an afrobeat band. Michael Ruetten’s podcast has introduced me to many afrobeat bands and I dig the rhythmic jazz sound they have.  In particular, I encourage everyone to check out Fela Kuti and his music if you want to get a taste of what afrobeat has to offer.  I would have loved to catch the entire set, the few songs we heard were great.

MMW came out a little late but played a solid set. All year they have been slowly releasing songs from their newest album 20, in celebration of their 20th anniversary. The first set included a few tracks from it and a few older ones as well. At the conclusion of the set we found out it was an all request set which is something they never do.  If I had know I would have submitted my own playlist, in fact I have a well put together playlist they can use anytime.  I have a feeling that it was a Facebook thing, something I am proud to say I am not on. They also announced that they would be returning shortly with the Antibalas for a joint set. Are you kidding me!

a horrible picture, but you get the idea

I used the set break to get a double shot of coffee for Rob who looked like he was about to pass out. He had been working twelve hour days leading to the show so for him to come out and stay so late was a bit of a stretch. I advised him to stay for the first set but he persevered and was staying into the second. The whole time the stage crew is setting up the stage for the Antibalas.  You should have seen the stage setup with twelve members of the Antibalas and three from MMW with their large presence on stage.

Usually when a band is about to take the stage it is somewhat of a surprise, tonight there was little. I saw the band members congregate on both sides of the stage and then it was on, took the light guy by surprise. Billy quickly addresses the crowd and announced the winner of the pumpkin carving contest, there was only one entrant.  He made a short speech about working with the Antibalas in the past and that they would collaberate in the future on more songs, onto the music.  The entire second set with both bands together kicked total ass.  The guys played a mix of both bands songs.  When they would play an Antibalas song the groove was tight, when it was an MMW song the horn section in particular added a nice rhythm to the mix.

The two bands played for a solid hour before the house lights came on just before midnight.  I couldn’t believe my luck, seeing the two bands play together like that totally made the trip worth it.  On my way home that night I was energized for some afrobeat and played Fela Kuti. It was after 1am before I finally crawled into bed and Friday I was hurting most of the day.  My old bones can’t take many late night concerts in DC and then working the next day. I hope the next tour they stick to their traditional Friday or Saturday night gig in middle November.

tour poster for The National

So all year I have heard the rumor that Widespread Panic was not going to tour after this year, but instead take a much needed hiatus after touring almost continuously for 25 years.  This has motivated me to get out and see the band before they do take an indefinite break.  Over the last couple of years I have gotten more into the band and my first show was great.  I have attempt to make it out to their shows at the Warner Theatre early this year but the best laid plans of man get changed sometimes.

Their fall 2011 tour is probably the last opportunity for me to see them, so I was excited they scheduled three consecutive nights at The National in Richmond.  Because of my school schedule I could only make the Monday show, seeing as it was the only night I didn’t have class.  Well my schedule changed and I ended up having class on Monday’s.  I already purchased my ticket, couldn’t sell it (show not sold out) and buying a ticket for Tuesday would have set me back another $54, so I decided to skip class and go.

Richmond is relatively close to work, traffic is always the unknown in traveling there so I got an early start and headed south about 4:30.  Traffic this early was heavy but fortunately accidents did no hindered my travels.  I made a quick stop in Fredericksburg to pickup my wedding band and from there on traffic was moving at speed.  I left early to catch dinner someplace in the capital, say Havana 59 just down the street from the venue, but ended up with fast food from Ashland because of time.

The entrance was smashed at 7:30 when I walked up for the “official” start time of the show.  Hundreds of last minute fans packed the cattle coral, waiting to be searched by security.  Taking everything out of my pockets, I made it pretty quickly through security and into the venue.  It has been almost three years to the day since my last visit so I familiarized myself again with the venue.

The venue is a classic theatre style, from the early 20th century.  Ornate wall coverings, drapes and carved wood every where you look.  The balcony has a good number of seats with a few box seats on each side.  Right in the forey there is a bar with a sky light to the second floor.  There is another bar on the second floor with a lounge.  I didn’t get a chance to explore the lounge, but it looked like a good place to relax and enjoy a drink if you don’t want to get down and dirty on the floor.  Finally there are two smaller bars on the ground floor, off to each side of the main hall.  This allows for the maximum amount of people on the floor while still giving easy access to drinks, something everyone greatly appreciated.

I should have immediately gone to the balcony when I arrived and tried to secure a seat there, but decided to stake my territory on the floor.  I was excited to see the band so close and took the opportunity to get down and dirty.  Panic fans love to dance so I knew the situation could get a little hairy as the night progressed.  I spent the next 20 minutes or so before the show chatting with people around me, but mostly just marveling at the crowd of people on a Monday night.  I love Phish, but the two crowds are completely different.

copyright Craig (Giarc80HC)

At 8pm the band steps on stage and the crowd goes wild, the cheering is defining.  I don’t know many songs from Panic but I was able to pick out Dyin’ Man, Space Wrangler and part of the encore, Pilgrims.  Pilgrims led into She Caught the Katy which I know from Phish, but I couldn’t make out the words and didn’t realize what it was till I saw the set list on paper.  All night the band would start a song and the crowd would cheer and clap.  I didn’t get the songs so this was over my head, just a funny observation of the crowd.  The entire nights performance was filled with energy, from the band and reciprocated by the audience.  Jimmy Herring would whale on his guitar during soles and on some songs so would Dave.  Down on the floor the speakers would kick and my whole body would vibrate.  During the set break I took the opportunity to get some air and do some more people watching from the second floor whole.

When the second set started I was down on the floor again but decided to head back to the sound board area for a little more space.  Here most of the tapers setup.  With a somewhat obstructed view there were less people which was fine by me.  Unlike the first set, the second flowed from song to song for most of the night with no interruption in music.  After a killer second set the house lights came up and it was time to go home.  Making it outside I was greeted by the cool fresh air that night and a group of people mingling about.  Many were strung out or drunk, other light up a cigarette.  Of to my right I could hear a drum circle banging away to some random rhythm.  I needed to find a bank for cash to get my car out of hook, come to find out the parking booth at VCU was unmanned that late so I could have saved almost an hour on my commute and $3 service fee.  I finally rolled into bed at 1:15 and promptly went to sleep.  With a slight ringing in my ears, soar legs and a smile on my face, I dreamed of the show.

I am not sure what the future holds for Panic.  They have announced dates up to and including New Years and Jam Cruise, after that I expect a year or two off before they hit the road.  Maybe they will work on a new album during the hiatus and I certainly expect some of the band members to do solo projects.  When String Cheese and Phish took their extended hiatus, members of both bands kept busy.  I wish the band the best of luck on the rest of the tour and hope to see them again soon.

Set 1
Wondering >
C. Brown
Radio Child
Dyin’ Man
True To My Nature
Space Wrangler
Crazy
Airplane >
Second Skin >
Goin’ Out West

Set 2
Last Dance >
Stop-Go >
Cream Puff War >
Stop-Go >
Ride Me High >
jam >
I’m Not Alone
You Got Yours
Give

encore:
Pilgrims >
She Caught the Katy

Photo Gallery

For Christmas I got Nancy tickets to a comedy show at the DC Improv, but the show got canceled.  Not to be disappointed she finds out 311 is playing locally and wants to see them instead.  She has wanted to see them for a while, last year we missed the show at Jiffy Lube because we were in San Francisco for the weekend.  In hind sight the trip to California was worth missing 311.  This turned out to be the perfect gift for Nancy.  Later we found out Saundra is a big fan and her birthday was on the same day as the show, so we invited her up for the weekend and bought her ticket as a gift.

We got an early start to the venue as Sublime with Rome was opening and Nancy wanted to see them.  We already know that tailgating was not an option after hearing Jiffy Lube killed the idea for Buffett.  Even with plenty of time before the show, getting past security was a trip.  We read online we could bring water, snakes, blankets, and chairs into the venue.  Halfway to the gate we found out no blankets or chairs allowed in, there went our comfortable seat on the lawn.  When we finally made it to the entrance there were 6-7 lines, each stretching 200 feet.  Security was methodical in patting everyone down and searching all bags making getting in extremely slow going.  Give me a break.

By the time we got through security with a beer in hand Sublime with Rome was already on stage.  We found ourselves a spot on the lawn and enjoyed the rest of their set.  Little did we know it would be hotter than last Friday’s Sweeney Todd show if that was even possible.  7:30 and it was well over 90 degrees and humidity around 60%.  The beer was cold so it made it a little bearable.  The weather would have been more bearable if Sublime with Rome was better.  I remember listening to Sublime in the ’90′s before Bradley Nowell over dosed on heroin and they rocked.  The new incarnation of the band lacks the spark that made the original lineup so great.  The playing seemed force with no creativity.  I also felt their take on the songs just sucked, much to slow and melodic.  I was hoping for more energy which the band just didn’t delivery.

Fortunately after Sublime with Rome left the stage security personnel were handing out tickets.  Upon further investigation they were giving out pavilion seats to people on the lawn.  The 300 section, especially the far wings, where undersold for the show.  To make the pavilion look full they upgraded people from the lawn.  After a quick discussion we decided to pack up our gear and head in for a closer perspective and actual seats sense we couldn’t bring out own in.  The only down side was the tin roof trapped the heat and humidity, raising the temperature by several degrees under the pavilion.  Even after the sun went down and well into the 311 set it was hot.

By show time the pavilion finally started to fill in.  The pit and the lower sections were full, however even with free upgrades the 300 sections remained rather empty.  The lawn was pretty full, but only in the center.  In all it was over half full but I am sure much fewer tickets were sold than anticipated.

Nancy and Saundra loved the show and I was impressed.  I have heard a few of their songs over the years and recognized them when played.  I am not much of a rock fan but it was still a good show.  They would change the tempo often from fast to slow and back again keeping the audience engaged.  A couple of things struck me during the show, one was the drum solo Chad had.  Everyone left the stage and he kicked the shit out of the drums.  Slowly the roadies started wheeling out covered drums that the rest of the band played with Chad, forming a giant drum circle.  Really cool.  Later P-Nut had his own solo, sitting on the stage lip whaling on his bass.  Again, I was very impressed with his performance.  I know I don’t have much detail, it was a good show and I enjoyed it.  Most of my enjoyment came from watching Nancy and Saundra who are true 311 fans.

After the show ended we headed to the car and got out of the venue rather quickly which was unusual for the place.  On the way home I got pulled over for the usual sobriety check point, stupid and un-necessary.  For Buffett they even check you on the way into the show.  This past year this venue has gone down hill and I personally don’t want to see a show there again.  All forms of tailgating are banned, security is a bitch, they hassle you all the time, and getting into and out of the venue still sucks after 16 years.  Every show I have seen at Jiffy Lube, previously Nissan Pavilion, has been great.  Over the last few years the venue has killed the experience.  Way to go Live Nation.

Start time 8:58pm
01. Hive
02. All Mixed Up
03. You Wouldn’t Believe
04. Sunset In July
05. Jackpot
06. Champagne
07. Wild Nights
08. Beautiful Disaster
09. Don’t Let Me Down*
10. Applied Science
11. Weightless
12. Do You Right
13. Freak Out
14. Amber
BASS SOLO
15. Nutsymtom
16. Come Original
17. Beyond The Gray Sky
18. Time Bomb
19. What Was I Thinking
20. Creatures (For a While)
Set ends 10:26pm

encore:
starts 10:29pm
21. Omaha Stylee
22. Down
house lights 10:38

* Last played 3/11/2008

Updated: January 17th 2012 – I have stopped trying to write a post about this and the rest of the tour.  I am just going to post a quick thought and the set list so it will be on my site.

Final show of the tour and I was psyched for this one. After hiking The Great Dismal Swamp, I was a little tired and just wanted to sit on the lawn and enjoy some good music. The trip to the venue was quick and I made it with plenty of time to spare.

I wish I had more time to get a bit to eat but I didn’t want to be late like I was for Charlotte. One thing I noticed was just like last year, there were cops all around the venue and parking lots. But also like last year they were not inside the venue, just had to get past them. House security was slow and extensive with city cops making sure things ran smoothly. All that security and people still manage to bring all sorts of stuff into the venue.

This being another Fathers Day show, the bands fathers where on stage and did some singing.  They also brought all their children on stage during Brother.  It was a great way to start a kick ass show from the band.  Being Fathers Day I did call my dad after leaving the Dismal Swamp on my way to the venue.  Unfortunately I am out traveling about half the time on Fathers Day, it is not unusually for me to be at a Phish show or some musical festival.  I do manage to call my dad and often set something up for another day when I am back in town.

After the show I headed home for a short nights rest and went back to work on Monday.  I was dog ass tired that day but I fell good after the tour.  As soon as one tour ends, I start dreaming of the next.  They never come soon enough.

Set 1:
01. Harpua (1)
02. Brother (2)
03. Down with Disease
04. Back on the Train
05. Funky Bitch
06. Timber
07. The Wedge
08. The Moma Dance
09. Thunder Road (3)
10. Tube
11. Alaska
12. David Bowie

Set 2:
01. Crosseyed and Painless
02. Walls of the Cave >
03. Slave to the Traffic Light
04. Fluffhead
05. Sand
06. Sneakin’ Sally Thru the Alley >
07. Light >
08. Backwards Down the Number Line
09. Suzy Greenberg

encore:
10. Julius

Notes:
(1) Harpua featured all of the fathers of the band members
(2) For the third year in a row, Brother featured all of the children of the band
(3) First time played

Updated: January 17th 2012 – I have stopped trying to write a post about this and the rest of the tour.  I am just going to post a quick thought and the set list so it will be on my site.

I made it most of the way from Charlotte to Raleigh the previous night looking for a place to sleep.  My intention was to hike in the Uwharrie National Forest but I couldn’t find the entrance to the place I wanted to hike.  I spent all morning driving around with no luck.  Eventually I just gave up and headed to the hotel room to check in.  After that I went to The Pit for some BBQ but got so discouraged from the huge crowd I went to The Oxford for some Irish food and beer.  I did walk back to The Pit for dessert and a beer.  I would have to wait till Nancy and I made a trip to Raleigh before I actually got to eat their BBQ.

This time around I made it to the show with plenty of time to get a good spot on the lawn and catch the opening of the show.  I have been here before, all to see Phish play.  Back in 2000 it was called Walnut Creek, then again in 2003 under the name Alltel Pavilion and finally this year as the Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion, that’s a mouth full!

I don’t remember much detail from the show, like all of them, it kicked ass.  I do remember having one hell of a time getting back to the hotel room.  I must have spent close to two hours driving around because I thought I knew where it was.  This was before I got my new car with GPS or had a smart phone with the same capabilities.  How did we ever get along without them?

Set 1:
01. Cars Trucks Buses
02. Peaches en Regalia
03. AC/DC Bag
04. Guyute
05. Possum
06. Halley’s Comet >
07. 46 Days
08. Divided Sky
09. The Ballad of Curtis Loew
10. Run Like an Antelope

Set 2:
01. Twist
02. Rift
03. Prince Caspian >
04. Esther
05. Been Caught Stealing
06. Piper >
07. My Friend My Friend
08. Kill Devil Falls
09. Split Open and Melt
10. Golgi Apparatus
11. First Tube

encore:
12. Good Times Bad Times