SoTD: Widespread Panic “Diner”
I’ll never stop missing Mikey Houser. The rest of Widespread Panic is alive and well and continuing to tour and make music. For me, the band died on the same day Mikey succumbed to pancreatic cancer. August 10, 2002 was the day I stopped following Panic. I still listen to every studio and live recording produced up to that point, but I didn’t feel like Mikey could ever be replaced and I didn’t want to hear any attempts to do so. Panic as I know it is John Bell’s freaky vocals and Mikey’s serpentine, wailing guitar. I don’t want to know the band any other way. Any dude who replaced him would either have his own style or just be some guy trying to be Mikey. Neither option appealed to me. I can’t even tell you if Panic have released any albums in the last 12 years or when was the last time they passed through the area. In my world, they simply ceased to be on that horrible day.
