The comparisons of Widespread Panic to the Grateful Dead and Allman Brothers were inevitable, given that most rock bands that follow an improvisational muse generally fall victim to such lazy categorization. And when Panic drew a record 63,000 people to their New Orleans Jazz & Heritage show in April, the comparisons only got stronger.

But for fifteen years, the Athens, Ga. sextet has carved out their own niche in the world of jam bands. Whereas the Allmans took their cue from the blues and the Dead from folk, Panic is in a perpetual state of discovery and stylistic inclusion. The band's sixth studio album, Til the Medicine Takes, finds them further expanding the tastes in their rich musical gumbo. The result is the band's finest album to date; one that complements their rep as road warriors, rather than underscoring it.

"I think that's just where the collective mindset was going," says Panic vocalist and guitarist John Bell about the new album. "We just did the last album as a double live, so we pretty much did as much as we needed to do for jam credibility; between that one and the five before it."

The sound of Til the Medicine Takes reflects a broader palate from the band. Other members have finally stepped up to the mic; guitarist Michael Houser on the banjo-driven "The Waker" and drummer Todd Nance on "You'll Be Fine," a country-tinged ballad. The Dirty Dozen Brass Band and gospel great Dottie Peoples drop in to add some flavor to the mix, as well as Big Ass Truck's Colin Butler, who scratches the turntables on "Dyin' Man."

"That's the reason we've been keeping it as Widespread Panic," Bell says of Panic's practice of crediting all songs to the band rather than a particular member. "So nobody would feel reluctant to follow their inspiration. I lay no claims to being the only guy that gets to sing the songs. It makes sure everybody is doing their part. We'll take inspiration from wherever it comes. Good songs aren't always easy to come by. The songs just come out of you, and it's nice not to have to force them."

It may seem strange to hear Bell speak in such detail of songcraft, as the band is best defined by three-hour live sets sparked by inspired bouts of improvisation. He even jokes that the formula for a live performance "was a way to create more space with minimal chord knowledge." Despite the self-contained dazzle of Medicine, the road is still the logical home for the band and has been from its start in 1987. "We had done some recording from the beginning," Bell recalls. "But the only way we were going to be a band without having to go out and get day jobs was to be out there touring. And we had a sense of adventure. We liked piling into a car and going to another city. In those situations, the songs grew out of learning how to play together night after night."

What transpired is a perfect example of the rolling thunder of grass roots appeal. Without support from radio and MTV, Panic has used the road and the Internet to expand its fan base. Offering bootlegged show recordings and online interaction with fans through its Web site, the band has effectively eliminated the distance between musician and fan. No Panic album has ever exceeded 220,000 units sold; the majority have topped off at around 170,000. But the band's live following is vast and dedicated. In fact, Widespread Panic has developed into one of the premier touring units in the country. Their 120 shows last year yielded higher earnings than such platinum names as Sheryl Crow and Smashing Pumpkins. "It keeps getting bigger every tour we go around," Bell says of their audience. "You might play a venue two or three times before you've outgrown it."

The band hasn't entirely avoided the constructs of a Nineties band. They've shot videos, but on their own terms. "That's never been our schtick," Bell says of the trappings of MTV. "Our last video, it's an hour and a half long from the record release party we had last year. And it's natural. That's us on stage. Those are the actual tracks that went down. No screwing around, no lip-synching. The rest, it's getting away from what we thought music was about. It gets into posturing and imaging. In the record industry it's part of selling records, but with Widespread Panic, it's not really."

And so, true to form, the band is back on the road. Two nights in New York this week will be followed by two in Aspen before Panic heads to Europe. "It's kind of like camp," Bell says. "You get together, you bring your luggage, you've got your daily activities. Catering is at a certain time. You go pick out your bunk...we just happen to be in our thirties."

ANDREW DANSBY
(July 27, 1999)