Widespread Panic – Live From Austin TX
(New West Records – 2009)

A band who I have heard of but not actually heard until now and I gotta say I am impressed – they come across like a jammed out version of The Band meets The Grateful Dead and have influences of both the West and East Coast, parts of the South and all parts of American Rock.

This was shot on the Halloween Night of 2000 and there’s some damn fine playing and vocal performances to be taken in. These guys are so good that you simply can’t tell if its all worked out beforehand or happens on the spot.

The whole audience and band are having a ball – the crowd dancing away like there’s no tomorrow who are semi-circled around the band in all their positive glory. 79 minutes of articulate masterful musical treatments that include ‘Let’s Get Down To Busisiness’; ‘Space Wrangler’; ‘Dyin’ Man’; ‘Driving Song’ and the closing encore number ‘Porch Song’.

Americana at a fine level.

8/10

By Glenn Milligan