Widespread Panic Concert
Red Rocks 2011

Panic is my favorite band and I’ve been chasing them for 8 years. (I traveled all the way across the country to see a Widespread Panic concert on the Alabama Gulf Coast). I'm still just as excited to see them as I was at my first Widespread Panic concert. Their Red Rocks shows are something I, as well as countless other fans, look forward to each year. There’s no place like it. The views are like no other and the sound is spectacular. Anyone who has ever been to this place is aware of the magic that happens.

My weekend was jump started on Wednesday when I traveled to Taos, New Mexico to see a Widespread Panic concert. The venue was at Kit Carson Park. This show celebrated the solstice, and for some reason or another it substituted for the Solar Music Festival. The festival’s website said that the music format had changed in order to present “An Evening with Widespread Panic”. (Lucky me!)

After arriving at the venue, I couldn’t believe that Panic was going to be playing there. The parking lot was surprisingly close to the stage and had a great view. I even considered watching the show from the car and not even buying a ticket because we were so close.

The surrounding area was downtown Taos, which was basically a single street sprinkled with Southwestern style shops and a few restaurants. I especially liked seeing all the adobe buildings— they were a persistent reminder that I was not in Colorado.

The crowd at this show was different from the typical Widespread Panic concert that I attend. There seemed to be a lot of locals that weren’t necessarily big fans. The attendance was around 3,000, surprisingly smaller that any of the Panic concerts that I've been to. It was a nice change of pace to see them in such a small venue, especially when just a few days later I would see them play at Red Rocks for more than three times the number of people of people as at Taos.

Once Friday rolled in I was more than ready to go to Red Rocks. I made it to the amphitheatre at about 5 o’clock, so I had plenty of time to hangout before the show. Summer can be very hot at Red Rocks during the day. I wanted to take more pictures, but the heat kept pushing me towards shade.

There’s a lot to see at Red Rocks even before you get inside the amphitheatre. I even saw a deer wander into the parking lot. Friday’s show was supposed to start at 7 p.m., but it wasn’t until almost 8 before the band came on stage. I spent the evening further back from the stage than what I would have liked, but was still pleased with the view. As always, the show was wonderful.

It was a little rough to get going the next morning but the thought of another night of Widespread Panic gave me a boost. On this day, a group of friends had made plans to snag some spots up close. One friend had even been waiting in line since 7 a.m. I had never been one of the “tarp people” or “tarp Nazis” before. Tarp people, as I call them, are the ones that rush into the venue when the gates open, throw a tarp down, and save room for their friends.

Some think that it shouldn’t be allowed because these shows are general admission and it’s not fair for one person to hold spots for 15 people. Those who use the tarps argue that it’s a way to ensure that a large group can enjoy the show together without being stuck up top. I can see both sides, but I now feel that those who go to those lengths to save spots totally deserve them. In our case, we had a couple guys run in and the rest of us joined after a few minutes. Even if I had to enter the venue three hours before showtime, I would say that it was completely worth every minute of it.

It wasn’t until this day that I noticed the sign language interpreter on stage, Edie Jackson. I thought it was a nice addition to the show and it was fun to see my favorite songs translated. It was another great night of music.

A Red Rocks Widespread Panic concert on Sunday is always an early one, with the scheduled time at 4. This usually results in a somewhat slower moving and sweaty crowd. One of my favorite things about Panic shows is the interaction between the band and the crowd and even the interaction within the crowd.

One example of that interaction occurs during the song “Big Wooly Mammoth” when the line “somebody throw me a fire” sparks a the crowd to hurl lighters onto the stage. On this occasion, I saw a guy with a bleeding head exit the crowd. Unfortunately for him, his head came in contact with one of those lighters! I can’t imagine what it’s like to be on stage for that chaos.

Sunday is typically the day that more families come out and that proved true again this year. I'm sure not everyone likes to be around small children at these events but I get a kick out of seeing the kids enjoying themselves. Most of them look like they're having a blast-- some really get into it.

The last day completely blew everyone away with Panic playing a second set composed of all covers. It was a great show and a great way to end the weekend. So looking back, I can’t even put into words how I feel about the weekend-- by far the best Red Rocks concerts I've seen. Great shows like these keep me anticipating the next Widespread Panic concert.

New! Comments