WSP at Irving Plaza

Widespread Panic is playing (formerly) Irving Plaza this week for a Bill Graham Memorial Fund benefit. While they did an album release show there in 2006, I consider this to be their true return to a venue they totally blew the roof off of back in 1995. I made the trek down from Boston for my first Panic road trip outside of New England and it was well worth it. After basically being dared to relearn it on the Spreadnet, the band brought back Curtis Mayfield's Pusherman after a 3 year shelving the first night amongst other spring-95-esque goodies. This paved way for a monster 2nd night. The second set was a sandwich of sandwiches (like those cheeseburgers with 2 grilled cheese sandwiches as buns) -- the first being a killer Driving>Tie Your Shoes>Driving and the bottom being a set closing monstah Chilly>Jack>Chilly. This was the first time they'd ever done that one and the moment when I realized they were going back into Chilly out of a scintillating Jack has to go down as a top ten how-low-can-my-jaw-drop moment in my WSP-going career. Without further ado, here are the sets:

4/7/95
4/8/95 (part 1 part 2)

04/07/95 Irving Plaza, New York, NY

1: Stop-Go > Heroes, Little Kin, Machine > Sleeping Man > Better Off, Let's Get Down To Business, Pilgrims > Rock, Ain't Life Grand

2: Postcard > Proving Ground > Blackout Blues, Pusherman, Impossible, Diner > Papa's Home > Drums > Papa's Home, Love Tractor

E: Porch Song, Can't Find My Way Home > Mr. Soul

[Slow 'Porch Song'; Last 'Pusherman' - 05/29/92, 414 shows]

04/08/95 Irving Plaza, New York, NY

1: Disco > Walkin' (For Your Love), Makes Sense To Me > C. Brown, Airplane > Henry Parsons Died, It Ain't No Use > 1 x 1, Conrad

2: Junior > Driving Song > Tie Your Shoes > Driving Song > Can't Get High, Raise The Roof, Space Wrangler > Hatfield, Radio Child > Chilly Water > Jack > Chilly Water

E: West Virginia > Pickin' Up The Pieces > Red Beans