Booking Widespread Panic

Widespread Panic Biography

The American rock and jam band Widespread Panic was established in the mid 1980’s in Athens, Georgia, by founding members Michael Houser and John Bell. The two musicians met while students at the University of Georgia and developed a friendship around their mutual love of music. Bell had already been playing guitar and had aspirations to pursue a career as a solo artist, but after meeting Houser, the two men decided to begin performing as a duo.

After bringing bassist David Schools and drummer Todd Nance into the fold, the four men performed their first show as “Widespread Panic.” After signing with Capricorn Records in 1991, Widespread Panic entered the studio to prepare for their major label debut, with the resulting self-titled album setting the stage for a career which has lasted now for over thirty years.

Widespread Panic is today known as one of the era’s longest lasting and best-known “road warrior” jam bands, alongside the notable and legendary Grateful Dead and Phish. The band continues to perform and record with the current lineup of John Bell, Dave Schools, Domingo S. Ortiz, John Hermann, Jimmy Herring, and Duane Trucks, who just joined the band in 2016. As of 2015, Widespread Panic holds the record for sold-out shows at two venues – the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia; and at the Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, Colorado.