Widespread Panic returns to the Fox Theatre subsequent week, for 4 make-up live shows that take the place of the band’s New Yr’s Eve reveals, which had been postponed final yr as a consequence of Covid precautions.
Since then, the enduring jam band has launched Miss Kitty’s Lounge, an album that consists of demo recordings made in 1990 with the unique Widespread Panic lineup. Miss Kitty’s Lounge is rather more than a hodgepodge of discarded songs or a historic doc; it’s a full-throated Widespread Panic album that was recorded, however not launched, simply because the band’s star was starting to rise.
Widespread Panic’s John “J.B.” Bell just lately chatted with ArtsATL concerning the new album and the way it got here collectively. “It blows me away,” he mentioned. “We had been simply children, simply goin’ at it.” He additionally mentioned his songwriting course of, his three favourite non-Panic albums and the non-public impression of Covid when the band needed to shut down its heavy touring schedule.
The Athens-based jam band (with two members, Jimmy Herring and Duane Vans, who’ve deep Atlanta roots) will carry out reveals Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, August 10-13, on the Fox Theatre.
ArtsATL: When Covid broke out, how did Panic pivot from its years of heavy touring to staying residence below lockdown?
John Bell: At first, it was surreal. And the novelty that got here with it was participating and, in a manner, releasing — to simply be residence and do the isolation factor. However as time went on, we began pondering, “That is our new state of affairs. Possibly it’s non permanent or, perhaps, will probably be ongoing.” So, then, we needed to begin occupied with our actuality and making some changes.
ArtsATL: What had been these early changes?
Bell: We had to take a look at altering some reveals and we had to take a look at caring for everyone who’s on the payroll. And we additionally needed to take into account all the oldsters who’re subcontractors — folks we now have labored with for over 20 years, and are a part of the household. So we wrote a number of songs and began specializing in something we may that had a constructive vibe to it.
ArtsATL: The brand new Widespread Panic album is Miss Kitty’s Lounge, and its songs are demos the group recorded in 1990 with the unique lineup. Did the pandemic play a task within the determination to launch these songs?
Bell: We at all times knew these tapes existed. However Covid definitely gave {that a} nudge. We mentioned, “Okay, we’re not taking part in. We don’t have a brand new album out. Let’s do some single recordings to place one thing out; to do one thing contemporary.” Then we mentioned, “What if we put these recordings out?”
ArtsATL: What was happening for Panic on the time you recorded these songs?
Bell: A few these songs had been ones we had been able to launch. On the similar time, we had been being courted by a few the report labels so it ended up being a really costly demo session. These had been the unique variations of the songs, and half of them ultimately made it out for launch. And the opposite half, we by no means actually performed after that.
ArtsATL: Do you credit score the Miss Kitty’s Lounge demo with getting you signed with Capricorn Data?
Bell: Nicely, not fully. We had been getting some airplay on our unbiased report, Area Wrangler. So we had been barely profitable and doing effectively on an unbiased stage. We had been already pals with Phil Jr. (Phil Walden Jr.) and when he persuaded his father, Phil Walden Sr. — the president of Capricorn Data — to signal us to his label, it was a landmark second for us. We understood the distinction between road-trippin’ ourselves and out of the blue having a seven-record take care of greenback indicators behind it, and an organization devoted to selling us and the steadiness that got here with all of it. We knew it was a giant deal.
ArtsATL: How was the expertise of bringing Miss Kitty’s Lounge again to life?
Bell: It was enjoyable. However it was somewhat nip and tuck there for some time. The tapes had type of degraded a bit and also you hear the tales that you’ve got one likelihood with outdated tapes. You may wash them and go them by means of the machine as soon as earlier than they actually lose their high quality. Fortunately, we ran them onto digital instantly — and labored with it from there.
However again to Covid’s position. As a result of our world was turned the other way up, every thing was attention-grabbing to take care of. Even after we acquired by means of that preliminary course of, we came upon that a few of the report vegetation had closed down as a result of there was a scarcity of plastic or vinyl — so all that grew to become a part of the equation. We had first considered doing the report in June or July of 2020. So it was that lengthy earlier than we may really make one thing occur.
ArtsATL: Do you assume there’s something serendipitous concerning the timing of Miss Kitty’s Lounge being launched with the 20-year anniversary of the dying of unique guitarist Michael (“Mikey”) Houser and the two-year anniversary of the dying of unique drummer Todd Nance?
Bell: Possibly cosmically. We are likely to rejoice our time collectively and our birthdays extra so than our ultimate days. However yeah, the universe has a hand in additional than we understand. I imply, simply attempt to do any of this alone — with out different folks’s assist — or cosmic forces. Plus, it’s simply extra enjoyable to consider within the magic, isn’t it?
ArtsATL: If you take heed to Miss Kitty’s Lounge immediately, what types of issues do you hear in your voice?
Bell: I used to be working away from any cliché melody line. I used to be type of singing extra the best way Mikey performed guitar — the place it was a stream of consciousness on the place your voice would go subsequent. I nonetheless try this, however I additionally am somewhat extra acutely aware of the melody line and management of notes. So there’s somewhat little bit of a cringe issue for me listening to it. However once I take heed to the band and the way we had been taking part in collectively, it blows me away. We had been simply children, simply goin’ at it.
ArtsATL: What phrases of recommendation may 60-year-old J.B. have for 30-year-old J.B.?
Bell: I assume one of many primary issues I might have instructed my youthful self is to be good to and be good to your bandmates. Though you’re going to have some clashes creatively and personality-wise, simply trip that out and pay attention to one another. And make sure you not let any good tune concepts slip by. Even when it’s just a bit whiff. All of us have telephones now and you may get it down as a result of when you don’t, that stuff goes away.
I’ve at all times had somewhat pocket pocket book I jot issues down in as a result of, when you don’t, it’s like a dream. You say, “I’ll keep in mind that” after which it’s gone. And, you realize, I’ve enjoyable trying again into that pocket pocket book in any respect these items of concepts, lengthy forgotten, and a few are silly and a few I can’t even learn.
ArtsATL: Do you at all times carry that little pocket pocket book?
Bell: In some type. I used somewhat cassette recorder when “Coconuts” popped into my thoughts. I rapidly hit report and acquired the melody line and a few of the phrases and there it was. However I consider within the significance of getting one thing down that you would be able to return to later. And I feel these little notes are extra like what’s popping out of the unconscious, versus attempting to take a seat down and inform your self to jot down a love tune or one thing.
ArtsATL: Has the rebirth of Miss Kitty’s reminded you of something you’ll have forgotten?
Bell: Yeah, that we additionally take pleasure in recording within the studio. In fact, we like to play dwell, however we had been reminded that we’re musicians and pals and we now have two equally enjoyable playgrounds to enter. And with Miss Kitty’s, it was cool as a result of we had such familiarity with the songs — having are available from taking part in them on the street closely. So with one take, we acquired it prefer it was a dwell efficiency.
ArtsATL: Aside from Panic albums, title three you like.
Bell: I may give you three actual good ones, two of which I grooved on and have become impressed by as a child. One that might assist me perceive the way to put a tune collectively and change into a songwriter can be Todd Rundgren’s One thing/Something? That was mainly the soundtrack to my Friday nights all by means of highschool. And Van Morrison’s No Guru, No Technique, No Instructor. He has so many nice ones however I really like that one for certain. And bringing it into the current, I’ve gotta embody Fiona Apple’s Fetch the Bolt Cutters. She wrote it throughout Covid. It’s heavy on a girl’s perspective, nice motion on the songs and he or she shocks you into being attentive to the songs. I actually went on somewhat journey with each a kind of songs and actually dug it. Love the lyrics “Kick me below the desk all that you really want, I gained’t shut up. I gained’t shut up.” I actually felt like I ought to apologize to my spouse, Laura, not for something particularly, however only for not getting it.
ArtsATL: How so?
Bell: Nicely, we’re type of the identical species, however once you have a look at it, women and men are nearly two completely different species. I used to be born in ’62 so I bear in mind issues like “Why can’t a girl be extra like a person?” from My Truthful Woman. So the Fiona report made me bear in mind to not see issues two-dimensionally — sure songs simply attain out and have that one thing further to them. And, it might be the efficiency had a sincerity to it that made you are feeling it went manner deeper than simply “someone right here needs to be a rock star.”
ArtsATL: Full the sentence,“What makes me most proud about being Widespread Panic’s frontman is . . . ”
Bell: That I’m not a frontman. I’m standing within the center. When you’re in a band, you got here collectively together with your abilities and respect for each other. That may go a great distance in the direction of staying collectively and taking part in good music collectively and having enjoyable doing it. And the payoff is you get way more satisfaction taking part in a tune collectively and have it tackle a brand new form. You already know one thing larger is at play than simply checking a field that your solo was so many measures.
ArtsATL: Panic’s annual New Yr’s Eve reveals are an enormous take care of your followers. How tough was it to make the choice to reschedule these 4 nights on the Fox Theatre?
Bell: It grew to become a choice for everybody to resolve what was the fitting factor to do. There have been so many pressures and folks and entities concerned within the determination. This got here again to soul-searching of conserving the followers as protected as potential and in addition worrying about all of the livelihoods which are being affected by your determination. However it’s like a giant recreation of rooster — with the venues, the promoters and all of the completely different states and the way they had been dealing with protocols. Our selections had at all times lined up with the promoters and what the protocol was, however that was gone. Now it was completely different. And we thought we had been within the clear; then there was the large outbreak of the Delta variant, so we needed to make the very robust determination to reschedule.
ArtsATL: Have you ever realized something particularly about your self coming by means of Covid?
Bell: As a result of Covid was heavy and there was no lightheartedness round it, I needed to personally depend on my instincts extra as a instrument and never simply my rational thoughts. And that wasn’t snug. As a result of it’s your instincts which is able to tug in the back of your mind and sometimes let you know to essentially select one other route.
ArtsATL: Can Atlanta anticipate a correct celebration of 2022 developing on the Fox?
Bell: Yeah, little delay there. I don’t know precisely how we’re going to method it. It’s not going to be a full-on manufacturing of what New Yr’s would seem like. However it’ll be what 4 days of us on the Fox appears to be like like. And there could be some balloons. I feel they had been nonetheless budgeted (chuckles).
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Brenda Stepp is an Atlanta freelance author who has written extensively concerning the jam-band scene.
