Photos and Review by Stephen Bloch

Fall in Wisconsin is a special time. There is a smell of pumpkin spice in the air.  The days are getting shorter, there is a coolness in the AM air, and people are out apple picking in prep for a long winter.  Downtown Milwaukee becomes more quiet once the festival season peters out, but Fall can also be like a phoenix rising, signaled by the smell of patchouli, cannabis, and various adult beverages.  What brought this year’s phoenix out is Athens, GA-based band Widespread Panic, who attracts followers from 49 of 50 states as well as from abroad to Milwaukee for their annual Halloween residency.

This Sunday was the culmination of yet another three-night run, which they have been doing in Milwookie since 2007.  The first two nights were absolute bangers, filled with all the tunes I wanted to hear. Rest assured, there was plenty in the tank for a Sunday show.  Their extensive catalog and abundance of covers could fill a five night run with no repeats.  Last night’s show featured covers from Jerry Joseph, Vic Chesnutt, Sonny Boy Williamson, and Neil Young as well as a “Thought Sausage”>>>”Radio Child” first set closing duo. “Porch Song”, “Barstools and Dreamers” were highlights of the second set, finishing with a blistering “Fishwater” closer.  They played two encore sets, capping off the evening with “There Is a Time”, a cover of The Dillards.

Milwaukee has really become a destination for the jam band scene. This fall has been jam packed with the sounds, sights, smells, and vibe of the best of the genre, culminating with one of the very best, Widespread Panic.