By Zach Jarvis

Widespread Panic at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado on June 24, 2010. Photo credit: Mike Hardaker via Wikimedia Commons.

Versatility, combined with passionate fans, creates a close-knit community, all through the power of music. This is the only way to describe Widespread Panic, a rock and jam band originally from Athens, Georgia. Formed in 1986, they have grown in popularity to millions of fans all across the country, spanning generations. Panic’s peculiar sound includes songs such as “Up All Night,” “Climb to Safety,” “Pickin’ Up The Pieces,” and “Driving Song,” one of the first songs created by the group at the University of Georgia. Their popularity comes from their devoted fan base and their shows that have people going multiple nights in a row. Collegiate alumnus Dave Schools (‘83) is the bass player for Widespread Panic and also one of the founders, along with John Bell and Michael Houser. The name Widespread Panic came from the lead guitarist Houser, as he had a small panic disorder, where he would get extremely nervous and believe he was having a heart attack.

The Athens, Georgia CD Release Party show on April 18, 1998. Photo credits: Wikimedia Commons user Mattd523.

In 1998 they had their famous free “CD release party,” concert where 85,000-100,000 fans flooded the streets of Athens. This event led to the next album’s name Panic In The Streets, which quickly became popular, pollinating the South. Sadly, Houser died of cancer in 2002, a tragedy for the group and fans. Jimmy Herring joined the band as lead guitarist in 2006, and in 2008 Panic was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame. In July 2024, Herring was diagnosed with tonsil cancer. Panic paused all upcoming shows because of Herring’s diagnosis. On Valentine’s Day this year, Herring made his return in Atlantic City, NJ. 

On February 14, 15, and 16, Panic had their highly anticipated return concerts at Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Fans flocked across state lines to get to the first show following Herring’s cancer treatment. These shows were a moment of triumph, as Herring was back and playing. They performed an array of different songs from their catalogue, and after the concerts I interviewed some St. Christopher’s School students about their experience at the concert.

Jack Lynch described the concert as “surreal. It’s honestly an experience I have never had before, as it was my first concert [where] I got to experience Panic’s culture that is talked about. I can say it lives up to the stories.” Brooks Wright described the concert as “Electric. When you first arrive at the concert, you can hear the people singing, and you can see many people dancing. Everyone was so free, and they all were letting loose. It’s hard to describe truly how it felt to be there, it was unique.” Both Jack and Brooks noticed the impressive atmosphere of the concert, an atmosphere built up of dedicated fans and jamming music making it seem unimaginable and dreamlike. 

Collegiate’s Development Associate Alex Neilson (’14) started his Widespread journey while an Upper School student. Neilson’s taste for Widespread Panic was influenced by former Upper School counselor and coach Alex Peavey. Walker Redd (’06) and Mikey Thompson (’06), mentors to Neilson, listened to Panic and also made an impression on his music tastes. Neilson saw Panic play for the first time at Wolf Trap in Fairfax, Virginia. Neilson was with a few friends from Upper School who were able to acquire backstage passes to this concert from one of his friends’ uncles, Scott Sutton (‘83). This concert left a permanent mark in his life, as Neilson and his friends met Schools backstage, creating lifelong fans. He’s seen the band many times since, and he recently attended two of the Panic shows in Atlantic City, describing the shows as “amazing” and “awesome.”

Neilson described Panic’s pre-show atmosphere as “a buzz in the air,” as many people were on pins and needles waiting for the show to get started. Neilson said it meant a great deal to him to go to the “fantastic” shows, as they were Herring’s first shows back after cancer. He enjoyed the set lists for both nights and explained P5, or “Pick 5,” where concertgoers for the show each night predict five songs they think Panic will play. The reason Neilson and other Panic fans attend multiple nights in a row is because the set list changes each night, so the attendees will not know what songs they are going to get the next day.

Dave Schools. Photo credit: Craig ONeal via Wikimedia Commons.

In 2004, Schools was awarded Collegiate’s Distinguished Alumni Award for his instrumental talents. While he was a student at Collegiate, he also wrote for The Match. Upon arriving at UGA after Collegiate, he joined a rock band called BAR-B-Q Killers. Through his involvement with BAR-B-Q Killers, Schools met Bell and Houser. In college, Schools played 200 shows a year while still finding time to attend class. Now, one of Schools’ bass guitars hangs in Flippen Hall at Collegiate School as a way to honor one of the most talented musicians to attend the school. 

Personally, listening to Widespread Panic has expanded my idea of music. Through their different style of music, as compared to the electronic-based music and hip-hop that’s popular today, Panic allowed me to experience what jam band music sounded and felt like. Older music is something I seem to be drawn to, and over the past year, Widespread Panic has paved the way for my rock band listening journey. Jam bands like Phish and Dave Matthews Band have recently become favorites, helping me leave my comfort zone, finding a different side of music.

Featured image courtesy of Widespread Panic.