Miss You Mikey: 5 Full Set Widespread Panic Videos From The Michael Houser Era

The sextet spent a bulk of 1995 on the road in support of their Ain’t Life Grand album, which was released the previous September. On March 26, 1995 Widespread Panic brought their spring tour to Millett Hall on the campus of Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.

WSP’s second set at Millett Hall contains such beloved instrumentals as “The Take Out” and “L.A.” as well as a bevy of staples including “Porch Song,” “Walkin’ (For Your Love)” and “Mercy.” Houser shines throughout the set, especially on “Pilgrims.” For the encore, Panic leads from “West Virginia” into “Ain’t Life Grand” and ends the evening with a rousing rendition of Neil Young’s “Mr. Soul.”

Widespread Panic celebrated the release of their Bombs & Butterflies album on December 28, 1996 at the Morton Theater in their hometown of Athens, Georgia. High-quality video of the entire one-set performance has been synched with soundboard audio.

The six-piece worked through all 10 tracks from the LP as part of the 70-minute set. Panic was joined by Bombs & Butterflies producer John Keane for “Aunt Avis” and “Hope In A Hopeless World” from the album as well as a cover of Talking Heads’ “City Of Dreams.” The set also featured takes on Professor Longhair’s “Red Beans” and Tom Waits’ “Goin’ Out West.” WSP would spend the next three nights closing out 1996 with a New Year’s Run at Atlanta’s Fox Theater.

Widespread Panic was nearly a month into a cross-country spring tour on April 6, 1997 when they performed at Hayden Square in Tempe, Arizona. The band kicked off their second set with “Glory” and “You Got Yours,” a pair of songs debuted less than two years prior before diving into classic material.

The jam out of “Space Wrangler” features Houser at his finest and he displays a different side of his musicality on the “I’m Not Alone” that follows. Mikey also stars on the encore, a cover of Traffic’s “Low Spark Of High-Heeled Boys.”

The High Sierra Music Festival hosted Widespread Panic four times dating back to 1994. On July 2, 1999 the band played the main stage at the long-running event’s former home in Bear Valley, California. Panic’s second set during their 1999 performance at High Sierra was a scorcher with Mikey often in the spotlight.

Widespread Panic presented the stellar sequence of “Surprise Valley” into “Space Wrangler” into “All Time Low” to kick off the second set at High Sierra ’99. A rowdy “Fishwater” gave way to a cover of Tom Waits’ “Goin’ Out West” featuring Aquarium Rescue Unit drummer Jeff Sipe on percussion. Sipe moved over to the kit for a “Drums” segment that saw Brad Rosen on percussion. “Contentment Blues” emerged out of “Drums” and was followed by a set-closing “Porch Song.” Old pal Jerry Joseph joined Panic for “Climb To Safety” for the encore.

Independence Day 2000 was a special one for Widespread Panic, who celebrated the Fourth Of July with the final night of a four-show run at The Warfield in San Francisco. Since the band tacked on a surprise third set, it’s fitting to include an extra set to end this list right. Both the first and second set from WSP’s July 4, 2000 concert are featured above.

John Keane was on hand in San Francisco to guest on “Old Joe,” “Pilgrims” and “Blue Indian” in the first set. Another collaboration came within the frame as the band welcomed midi-saxophonist Cecil Daniels for “Pickin’ Up The Pieces.” The second set began with “The Waker,” a song about Houser’s child. A run of “Blight” into “Arleen” into “Who Do You Belong Do?” is another highlight from the middle frame. A portion of the third set is available here and includes Jorma Kaukonen and Merl Saunders adding to “Bowlegged Woman” and “Genesis.”