Rock bands often live and die by their live shows, especially early on. It’s typically the first calling card they have before they’re able to write great songs or record them. But there are some bands whose live show isn’t a calling card. It’s the whole package.
Widespread Panic, which will perform at Credit One Stadium in Charleston on May 16, is one of those bands.
Since forming in 1986, the Athens, Ga., sextet has released 12 studio albums, many on their own label, Widespread Records. While there are great songs on all those records, the place to hear the band is onstage, where the musicians can pull apart a tune like taffy and explore every bit through experimental jams…