Skip to Content, Navigation, or Footer.
Support the IDS in College Media Madness! Donate here March 24 - April 8.
Friday, March 29
The Indiana Daily Student

arts

Panic to hit Auditorium

The Grateful Dead. \nPhish. \nThe Allman Brothers.\nSuch bands have gained cult followings by following their improvisational muses, taking their tunes wherever their fingers might lead.\nStraight from Athens, Ga., Widespread Panic is no exception.\nThe country-flavored jam band will perform at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 28 at the IU Auditorium, a show sponsored by SFX and Union Board. Student tickets are $22, and they go on sale at all Ticketmaster outlets at 2 p.m. today.\n"Since they came here in 1997, we've wanted to bring them back," said senior Jeff Zuckerman, Union Board concerts director. "For those who haven't seen them before, they're a jam band influenced a lot by Southern rock. If you liked String Cheese Incident, you'd find them right up your alley."\nWhile more rooted in country than folk, Widespread Panic draws a good many comparisons to Phish and String Cheese Incident. Union Board public relations director Vaughn Allen, a junior, said booking the popular underground act adds to the diversity of the fall concert lineup. \n"This is the latest in a series of Union Board concerts whose genres are decidedly all over the map," he said. "Between Bonnie Raitt, Wyclef, String Cheese and Widespread, we've been trying to hit the campus on all fronts."\nFormed on the University of Georgia campus, Widespread Panic honed their sound for six years before releasing their debut album, Space Wrangler, in 1988. Shortly after, they signed with Capricorn Records and picked up a slot on the inaugural H.O.R.D.E. Festival tour in 1992.\nPlaying with Phish and Blues Traveler gave their rich musical gumbo more of a stage, and they've been on the road ever since. Dedicated to their craft, they've released a new album every single year, which is almost unheard of in the music industry. \nBut Widespread Panic hasn't made a name for itself by being conventional.\nIt's shied away from making music videos or packaging an image.\nWithout support from MTV or the radio, it has built up a large and loyal fan base by just staying out on the road.\n"They've played across the Midwest," said Andy Wilson, a spokesperson for Sunshine Promotions. "They've certainly picked up steam in the past two years. I don't want to say they have a cult following because a lot of bands do, but they're certainly in the same realm as the Grateful Dead." \nReserved tickets will be available for $25, and a student price of $22 with the presentation of a valid IU student ID. Tickets can be purchased today at the Student Activities Desk, the IU Auditorium Box Office, online at www.sfx.com, all Ticketmaster outlet, or Charge-By-Phone at 333-9955 or in Indianapolis at (317) 239-5151.

Get stories like this in your inbox
Subscribe