Widespread Panic

From the modern master of noir comes a novel based on the real-life Hollywood fixer Freddy Otash, the malevolent monarch of the 1950s L.A. underground, and his Tinseltown tabloid Confidential magazine. Freddy Otash was the man in the know and the man to know in ‘50s L.A. He was a rogue cop, a sleazoid private eye, a shakedown artist, a pimp—and, most notably, the head strong-arm goon for Confidential magazine. Confidential presaged the idiot internet—and delivered the dirt, the dish, the insidious ink, and the scurrilous skank. It mauled misanthropic movie stars, sex-soiled socialites, and putzo politicians. Mattress Jack Kennedy, James Dean, Montgomery Clift, Burt Lancaster, Liz Taylor, Rock Hudson—Frantic Freddy outed them all. He was the Tattle Tyrant who held Hollywood hostage, and now he’s here to CONFESS. “I’m consumed with candor and wracked with recollection. I’m revitalized and resurgent. My meshugenah march down memory lane begins NOW.” In Freddy’s viciously entertaining voice, Widespread Panic torches 1950s Hollywood to the ground. It’s a blazing revelation of coruscating corruption, pervasive paranoia, and of sin and redemption with nothing in between. Here is James Ellroy in savage quintessence. Freddy Otash confesses—and you are here to read and succumb.

In April 1998, legendary southern jam band Widespread Panic held a free open-air record release show in downtown Athens, Georgia, its homebase. No one involved could have known that the predicted crowd of twenty thousand would prove to be nearly five times that size. The ultimately successful show, now known as “Panic in the Streets,” went on to become a cult favorite of Panic fans and a decisive moment in Athens music history. This event still holds the record for the world’s largest record release party, but the full story of how the event came to be has not been told until now. Widespread Panic in the Streets of Athens, Georgia places readers at the historic event, using in-depth investigation and interviews with the band, city officials, and “Spread Heads” who were there. Told as much as possible in real time, music journalist Gordon Lamb’s narrative takes the reader from conception to aftermath and uncovers the local controversies and efforts that nearly stopped the show from happening altogether. This deeply researched and richly sourced book follows every stage of the concert’s development from the spark of an idea to approximately one hundred thousand people from all over the world packing the streets of a legendary music town. Taking us back to 1990s Athens through vibrant, on-the-scene writing, Lamb gives us the story of a band on the verge of greatness and a town reckoning with its significant place in music history.

Widespread Panic has spent 25 years earning a reputation for amazing live shows. The band's commitment to the live experience is not limited to the stage, but to visual artists across the country. For years, the band has been dedicated to commissioning artists to create limited edition posters for their shows and they have archived all of these posters in their vault. Every Widespread Panic fan would love the chance to dig through the bands poster archive, and with this book, they get the chance. Over 400 posters spanning their entire career are included in this 300 page hardcover book, including notes from the band and the artists. Every poster has been photographed in full color and is presented chronologically in this must have for any Panic fan. Hardcover 9x12 - 300 pages - full color

This is the story of a very confused young man who grew up in a volatile home, was guided by music, witnessed the downfall of Detroit and set out to find his muse. Along the way, he made some discoveries about the world and himself, barely survived many situations and lived to tell the tale. The book covers my life from birth to age twenty and sets the stage for books two through five. Nobody Cares Who You Areis a journey of the mind, body and soul. -Larry Acquaviva

In celebration of the 45th anniversary of The Dark Side of the Moon, Bill Kopp explores the ingenuity with which Pink Floyd rebranded itself following the 1968 departure of Syd Barrett. Not only did the band survive Barrett’s departure, but it went on to release landmark albums that continue to influence generations of musicians and fans. Reinventing Pink Floyd follows the path taken by the remaining band members to establish a musical identity, develop a songwriting style, and create a new template for the manner in which albums are made and even enjoyed by listeners. As veteran music journalist Bill Kopp illustrates, that path was filled with failed experiments, creative blind alleys, one-off musical excursions, abortive collaborations, general restlessness, and—most importantly—a dedicated search for a distinctive musical personality. This exciting guide to the works of 1968 through 1973 highlights key innovations and musical breakthroughs of lasting influence. Kopp places Pink Floyd in its historical, cultural, and musical contexts while celebrating the test of fire that took the band from the brink of demise to enduring superstardom.

The smoke was thick, the music was loud, and the beer was flowing. In the fast-and-loose 1980s, Jackson Station Rhythm & Blues Club in Hodges, South Carolina, was a festive late-night roadhouse filled with people from all walks of life who gathered to listen to the live music of high-energy performers. Housed in a Reconstruction-era railway station, the blues club embraced local Southern culture and brought a cosmopolitan vibe to the South Carolina backcountry. Over the years, Jackson Station became known as one of the most iconic blues bars in the South. It offered an exciting venue for local and traveling musical artists, including Widespread Panic, the Swimming Pool Qs, Bob Margolin, Tinsley Ellis, and R&B legend Nappy Brown, who loved to keep playing long after sunrise. The good times ground to a terrifying halt in the early morning hours of April 7, 1990. A brutal attack—an apparent hate crime—on the owner Gerald Jackson forever altered the lives of all involved. In this fast-paced narrative, Jackson Station emerges as a cultural kaleidoscope that served as an oasis of tolerance and diversity in a time and place that often suffered from undercurrents of bigotry and violence—an uneasy coexistence of incongruent forces that have long permeated southern life and culture.

These dreams we all have, they can be relentless, hounding us daily to acknowledge them and put them into motion. Sometimes, they never leave us alone--pestering, determined, and tenacious--until we finally answer their call and fulfill our destinies. And that is exactly what happened to me in October of 1992--despite the fact that Widespread Panic was riding as high as they ever had. I knew that the boys were now set; I knew that they were true rock and rollers living the dream. I loved them, I respected them, I admired them and was proud of them, but in the end, it was still THEIR dream, and theirs alone. And now, in the fall of 1992, it was time to find my own dream, utilizing the boys of Widespread Panic as a launchpad to propel me into the Great Beyond and all of her infinite secrets, the only place I was meant to be.

Color x Color: The Sperry Poster Archive illustrates the 40 year career arc of renowned rock poster artist and master screen printer, Chuck Sperry. The 750+ page tome features over 800 color reproductions of Sperry's work, from his early years creating posters for Bill Graham's legendary Fillmore Auditorium, to his eye-arresting work for The Who, Eric Clapton, Pearl Jam, and the Black Keys. Sperry Introduces each chapter of Color x Color with fresh and insightful autobiographical detail, shedding light on his colorful art, life and career. As the artist prefaces his book: To show you everything, well, that's exactly what I set out to do two years ago. This book brings together every poster I have created. The impetus to create this exhaustively complete book originates with the creation of an extensive special permanent collection of Sperry's art to enter the archives of the Fort Wayne Museum of Art.

What political panics—from the Salem Witch Trials to the Tea Party—can tell us about our modern society