Widespread Panic maps spring road trip

Feb 02, 2010

Jam-rockers Widespread Panic [ tickets ] offered their fans hints about forthcoming new material last month before unveiling the group's tour plans for spring. The group will kick things off March 25-27 in Myrtle Beach, SC, before appearing at the April 16-17 Wanee Festival in Live Oak, FL. Other stops on the outing include two nights apiece in Washington (4/20, 21); Raleigh, NC (4/23, 24); Richmond, VA (4/26, 27); and Orange Beach, AL (5/7, 8), as well as single nights in a handful of additional towns. Dates are at right. WP continues to support 2008's "Free Somehow," its 10th studio album and the follow-up to 2006's "Earth to America." The latest disc, which surfaced last year, was recorded in Nassau, Bahamas, and re-teamed the band with legendary producer Terry Manning (ZZ Top, Jimmy Buffett). "Free Somehow" is Widespread Panic's first release with new guitarist Jimmy Herring, who replaced George McConnell in 2007. McConnell had joined Panic following the 2002 cancer death of founding member Michael Houser. In October, the band released "Montreal 1997," the latest in a series of live, full-show "Widespread Panic Archives" sets the band has issued over the last two years. The first release in the string, "Carbondale 2000," surfaced in 2008, followed by "Valdosta 1989" and "Huntsville 1996." Late last month, the band announced on its website that it was "hard at work ... working on songs for a new release later on in the year." The group is working on the new material at John Keane Studios in Athens, GA. Read more Myrtle Beach entertainment news at Live Daily.