Customer Reviews

Widespread Panic - Live at Oak Mountain

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I have no qualms giving it a full 5 out of 5.

This show rocks. The sound and picture quality are phenomenal. This is a benchmark DVD for live music. The format of DVD with all the extras is one thing - but to not deal with VHS hiss, that's a whole other world.

If you know Panic, you know Mikey just sits and plays. You get lots of great close-up shots of the soloing. If you're a guitarist, you can get a sense of his style from the video. This is exactly why Jerry Garcia did not want videos with close ups of his playing.

The setlist for the show is phenomenal - I'm Not Alone, and Papa's Coming Home - will entrance you. Pop it in at 3 AM.

Oak Mountain is one of the best venues to see Panic, and this DVD lets you see footage that you can't really see at the show. Both sets rock, and watching Mike, JB, and Schools' hair blowing in the wind lets you see that they're having a good time. Watching this show on a nice set with surround sounds speakers is a mellow way to watch a rockin' show! Any fan should enjoy it - not just diehard fans, but anyone who enjoys the music, even if they don't like the scene. I recommend it late at night, in the easy chair with my boots on.

I'm a new WP fan and just got this DVD. Basically, it's incredible. The sound is awesome, the camera work is very good (they actually show the band, not the audience), and the playing is great. If it's possible to wear out a DVD I may just find that out.

It's amazing to read all of the reviews, aside from ppl who simply don't like the band and see that it's rating is not a 5. Fact of the matter is, everyone who truly appreciates the dvd is a true panic fan, which means they actually have the ability to critique a band they love(fans of John Mayer take note). This DVD is simplly incredible, and while it is not the best show I've seen or heard via bootlegs, it is a pleasure to watch. This would be a welcome addition into anyone's music collection who appreciates the ability to rock out and groove, while sitting back and sippin on a "Tallboy."

I live 10 min. away from the venue so as you can guess i was there for all three days of the show. it was incredable! i found it extremely hard to believe that a DVD could do the show justice when i saw it live but it did. there were so many people arrested at that show that it wasnt even funny, somthing like 300 viles of lsd were confiscated. they had the drug taskforce out in-force with undercovers. the sound quality is so great that if i turn it up loud and close my eyes it feels like being there all over again minus the beer and sid. i recomend this to everyone. even if you arent a wsp fan buy this and EXPERIENCE the gift of gutar with one of the very best jam-bands ever, this is a must have! this DVD is the closest thing to actually being there that you will ever find. and i have the ticketstubs to go with it, this is great.

This contains two discs from one concert. The disc 1 contains the first set, plus "special features". Disc 2 is the second set plus the encore. The concert is just over two and a half hours long. You have a choice of audio in stereo or 5.1. The video and sound quality are excellent. It is filmed in a standard aspect ratio and not widescreen.

The special features are 15 minutes of interviews with the band and a photo gallery. The photo gallery is pictures of the fans and audience. I am guessing that they are mostly of fans attending this show, but some of them look like they may have been taken elsewhere. It is not very interesting, mainly because there isn't a single picture of me (maybe because I didn't attend this show).

This is the first product, since Space Wrangler, that really does justice to the band. On past albums, the group's sound gets muffled. Here, the sound is bright and clear. Having the video go along with the music allows you to really get into the band.

Even JoJo's keyboard playing makes a significant contribution. In the past, his playing has sounded out of place at times and has detracted from the songs. Some of his solos weren't very good. Here he sounds like a different man.

The song selection relies heavily on the recently released Don't Tell the Band. It starts out with Imitation Leather Shoes, which is one of the wierdest and worst songs the band has ever done. It is a strange cross between a sixties pop tune and a hard edged modern day protest song. But after that, all the song choices are excellent. And, unlike the Dave Matthews band, the song selection is completely different than what already exists on other live albums. (Dave Matthews has put out 4 live albums, and there are songs that appear on all 4). For the encore, they do Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here.

The DVD format is perfect for a group like Widespread Panic. At last there is an opportunity to enjoy the band at what is does best.

Okay, first things first. I was not at the show. I am a Deadhead of over 20 years. I only came to Widespread Panic after seeing them on "Austin City Limits" when I was in Austin (recorded Halloween 2000, played a couple months later), and I was intrigued. A friend loaned me "Light Fuse, Get Away" (live performances from 1997) and I was hooked. My first show was Bonnaroo 2003 (unreal, with Warren Haynes, Robert Randolph AND Stanton Moore joining in), so I never got to see Michael Houser live before he succumbed to cancer in August 2002. I really enjoy Phish too.

The great thing about the DVD is it gives us the whole show, start to finish, and usually with decent camera work. Less of the slow-mo or grainy photography of "Panic in the Streets" (which may or may not be a better introductory DVD). The setlist may not look inspired, but sometimes you just have to go along with the show to realize that a song that seems strange on the list really works in well. I'm especially partial to "I'm Not Alone" and "Climb to Safety" in the first set, as well as the set ending sequence mentioned by patrick l driscoll (12/14/02 review), and the "Big Wooly Mammoth" and "Chilly Water" to start set 2, "Papa's Home" > "Surprise Valley" > "Papa's Home" near the end, and the super-mellow "Wish You Were Here" encore. Sure, maybe JoJo Herman didn't always deliver what you hoped for--his vocals are more limited and less distinct than JB/John Bell's--but it sure is fun to see them both duck in "Big Wooly Mammoth" when he calls "Somebody throw me a fire!" and they get pelted with lighters. (JoJo can be a da*ned good pianist when the time comes, though.) Overall, this gives you a good feeling about a band in fine form, even if it's not equivalent to Phish at Big Cypress or Grateful Dead in late 1973.

As for what I wish they'd included: a little more Sonny Ortiz--he's always fun to watch--and maybe an explanation in the interviews why Mikey sits to play guitar. In 2002 that may have seemed obvious (he played till he couldn't any more), but he chose to sit much sooner (at least by 1998). All in all though, a lot of fun to watch and listen to.

I've been waiting for some clean, crisp wsp to come out for some time. Finally, it's here. I was fortunate enough to be at this show, so needless to say, I was really excited to see it again. Awesome 5.1 Sound, you can't beat it when you jack up the volume and enjoy. Be Careful, Schools will rip your sub-woofer a new one. PHAT BASS BOMBS. Mikey smokin' on the guitar, JB INCREDIBLE as always, JOJO, Todd and Sonny, always on top of their game. Solid show all around. "Climb to Safety", "RHM", "Papa>Suprise>Papa" are all amazing. All around I'm very happy to have this show in my collection, and I think the Hanson's and WSP did a great job.
Unfortunately, as the case with widespread, I still want mo'! You can never get enough dirty panic! :)

just like being there time flies. this is a fabulous dvd, great setlist, great sound, great footage. end of set 1 sequence with makes sense, airplane, pusherman, henry parsons is unreal. this must've been intoxicating for the people who were there. you can skip to any song immediately or watch interviews with the band. if you're into panic,this is worth owning, as is tewsy and panic in the streets, all 3 are very well done in all aspects. the only thing missing from oak mountain dvd is a pullout poster or something on the inside.order this anyway and you'll be havin a good time.

As an oldtme fan of panic I was overwhelmed to see a full concert with one of the best live bands I've seen!This dvd captured the band almost as good as being there.With the addition of some more classic panic songs I could give it a 5.Still a great time!Sit back and groove!!!!