The Same Rowdy Crowd That Was Here Last Night Is Back Again
Sharon 7/23/08 Myrtle Beach
The third night at the Myrtle Beach House of Blues
found a restless crowd and a chatty band ready to go. The show started with AIN'T LIFE
GRAND > WALK ON THE FLOOD, REBIRTHA > BIG CHIEF JAM (the first in
exactly nine years) > RIBS AND WHISKEY. And while the music wasn't as dark as the beginning of the previous night's show, it was equally as strong, particulary REBIRTHA through RIBS AND WHISKEY. Gradually,
the music grew darker as Panic finished the set with CASA DEL GRILLO,
LOW RIDER > PAPA'S HOME > DRUMS > HATFIELD > PAPA'S HOME.
"This
song is by a very good friend, Mr. Vic Chesnutt," said JB before the
band played LET'S GET DOWN TO BUSINESS to start the second set. And then JB introduced SEND YOUR MIND by saying, "This one's by a very, very, very good friend we have never met, Mr. Van Morrison." The elongated SECOND SKIN that followed really got the crowd swaying and moving, which didn't slow as Panic then launched into DISCO > IMITATION LEATHER SHOES > RADIO CHILD.
Next up was THREE CANDLES. And then Jerry Joseph, who covered Guns N' Roses' PARADISE CITY later in the night at the HOB restaurant, was called to the stage. While they all tuned their instruments, Schools tried to get someone in the crowd to throw his Syd Barrett T-shirt to Todd to no avail. ("Look, he wants the Syd Barrett shirt, and he'll pay for it, all right?") While I was hoping for something dark and brooding, like last October's collaboration on ROAD TO DAMASCUS in Portland, I was no less pleased with LIGHT IS LIKE WATER. JB must've been pleased, too, because at the song's conclusion, he
said, "Jerry motherfucking Joseph, everybody. He was with us since
before the beginning."
Once Jerry left the stage, Panic went right into DRIVING SONG and then into the triumphant return of BREATHING SLOW. You've got to give Jimmy credit: For someone so talented, he has no problem reading sheet music on stage. (I suspect lots of guitarists wouldn't do that.) The second set ended with a strong rendition of FLICKER.
It was only fitting that the first song of the encore was David Bromberg's SHARON. As far as "the same rowdy crowd that was here last night is back
again," this was probably the rowdiest crowd I'd been a part of
since last year at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. The song started out as boisterous as ever, but it ended slowly and quietly with JB in full-on crooner mode. A quick GIVE, with guitars blaring, followed. And then it was over. As the lights came on, a Hank Williams Jr. song everyone—except me—seemed to know blared over the PA, and I thought about another of my favorite bands, the
Band. And to paraphrase them: "Look out Charlotte, there's a storm
coming through."