Widespread Panic

Where: Stephens Auditorium

When: 7 p.m. Oct. 17

Hear them: www.widespreadpanic.com

Members:

Guitar/vocals: John “JB” Bell

Keyboard/vocals: John Hermann

Guitars: Jimmy Herring

Drums/vocals: Todd Nance

Percussion/vocals: Domingo S. Ortiz

Bass/vocals: Dave Schools

Their story:

Widespread Panic kicked off its fall tour Sept. 21 and 22 with two nights at the Fed Ex Arena in Memphis, Tenn. The tour is continuing throughout the country and will end in Birmingham, Ala. The Halloween show, taking place in Asheville, N.C., is one of their most anticipated shows of the year. Known for its outrageous costumes and on-stage productions, the band is sure to draw a crowd.

The band first came together in 1986 at the University of Georgia with the band’s original guitarist, Michael Houser, vocalist/guitarist John Bell, drummer Todd Nance, and eventually percussionist Domingo Ortiz and keyboardist John Hermann. Since then, their popularity has steadily grown and Widespread Panic is one of the biggest ticket-selling bands on the road today, with more than 3 million albums sold and the release of 15 CDs and five DVDs.

Influences:

“We’ve been playing for 20 some years and variety is the spice of life” said frontman John “JB” Bell. “We’ve got a lot of songs to explore.”

“We approach music the way it delights us – to have the most honest presentation in the way we play,” Bell said. “In the end, that’s what people dig.”

What’s your craziest memory from the road?

“When we first started playing, we would jump into whatever vehicle we could secure. We played a couple shows in a new territory where there was just a bartender and maybe a table or two.You really realize if you’re doing it for the music or for other reasons, such as fame or success,” Bell said.

For other crazy stories, he said, “Wait till the police reports.”

– Kelly Howard,

Daily Staff Writer