Ethnography of Widespread Panic concert ritual
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Attending the show: this ritual defines Widespread Panic fans. Without the show, there would be no culture to speak of. This ritual is foreign to most outsiders, since their only comparable experience is attending a concert. But a Panic show is quite different from most concert-going experiences, and this is one of the main reasons the band has such dedicated fanatics and followers. The Widespread Panic concert is certainly a child of the Grateful Dead concert, and is related (though distantly in some cases) to the Phish show, the Dave Matthews show, and the Allman Brothers show. But attending a Panic show is an all-time high for Panic fans, and most would argue that no other concert could compare.
Recently on Spreadnet (a listserv community for Panic fans), 'Netters have been posting their opinions about the hottest show during Fall Tour 2003. Although there is no consensus, many fans have chosen the show in Macon, Georgia to be their favorite. Perhaps, then, this is the best show to analyze, in terms of its representation of the show-going experience as a whole. Of course, no show can exactly epitomize the ritual (that's why the fans go back again and again)...