The lights start flashing, the roar of the crowd hits stage’s center, and then out of nowhere, a smooth sound echoes. And that sound was filled with its own brand of panic?namely, Widespread Panic.
The Widespread Panic lineup came to the Murphy Center at Middle Tennessee State University on April 16, where the Southern jam rock players, and opening act Galactic, put on a show that not only met, but traveled well beyond expectations.
Labeled as a “jam band,” the performers met in Athens, Ga., and have been playing together since 1986. Year after year, Widespread Panic plays up to 250 shows annually, ranking them among the top 50 grossing tour acts eight years in a row.
The last time the group performed at Murphy Center, however, was nearly seven years ago. So, for Widespread Panic to once more visit Murfreesboro and MTSU was a much-welcomed shock for many of the university’s students.
On the day of the concert, the Murphy Center parking lot started to fill as people from all over America came to see Widespread Panic. Many had never seen the band before but, of course, there also was no shortage of Panic Heads, those who follow the band around the country seeing show after show. The experience was the same for first-timers and avid attendees alike?memorable and music filled.
Michael Johnson, a sophomore at MTSU, was among those who had never attended a Panic show. His reaction, however, affirmed the band’s longstanding reputation as a must-see act.
“It was a phenomenal performance that exceeded my expectations,” Johnson exclaimed, “and it won’t be the last time that I see this band.”
For this reviewer, a first-time Panic concertgoer, the experience was just as one might have imagined. The music continued to play and would transition into another song without many even knowing the initial song had ended. When that new riff from the guitar would play, the crowd realized what just happened and a roar from the stadium would hit the stage.
The recent Murphy Center show was refreshing for not only new Panic fans but for Panic Heads, too, including Jake Dean, who said he’s seen about 45 Panic shows. The April 16 performance, however, featured among its song list a tune called “Chainsaw City.” It’s a number, Dean said, that he’s heard just three times, so for him, the MTSU show offered a rare chance to hear the song live, he said.
Garrett Willis, a senior at MTSU, said, “This was the best concert MTSU has ever held since I have been at MTSU, I can only hope that this trend continues.”
