Panic and friends at the The Wharf

Widespread Panic with special guests Keller Williams (April 17), Pretty Lights (April 17-18), North Mississippi All-Stars (April 18), The Avett Brothers (April 19) and DJ J-Boogie (April 19)

Date: April 17-19 with gates at 7 p.m.

Venue: The Amphitheatre at The Wharf, 23101 Canal Rd. in Orange Beach, www.thewharfal.com

Tickets: $42.50 available through Ticketmaster

Once again, legions of Spreadheads will descend upon the pristine sands of Orange Beach for what has become an annual rite of spring for fans of jam.

In June 2008, the band began releasing bootlegs of their early performances. Their latest such offering, “Valdosta 1989” features the original Panic line-up of John Bell, Michael Houser, Dave Schools and Todd Nance performing at The Armory in Valdosta, Ga. in 1989.

With this yearly jamapalooza, Panic has made a habit of bringing a slough of excellent openers. Keller Williams will kick off the weekend with live-loopers Pretty Lights pumping out the beats for two nights. For those who missed their recent Soul Kitchen show, the North Mississippi All-Stars will slap the Redneck Riviera with their Hill Country jams. The Avett Brothers will open up the show on the final night with their eclectic, unique pickin’ and grinnin’ with DJ J-Boogie spinning and scratching into the night.

A damned ol’ opry at the Mule

Band: Willie Heath Neal & His Damned Ol’ Opry

Date: Thursday, April 9 at 9 p.m.

Venue: The Blind Mule, 57 N Claiborne St., 694-6853

Tickets: $5 at the door

While country music delves deeper into pop, artists such as Willie Heath Neal are keeping the outlaw sound alive. With an arm like a locomotive and a voice steeped in liquor and hard living, Neal’s music has the tendency to attract a variety of music lovers. His audiences are usually a colorful menagerie of country music lovers and punk rockers. He and his rowdy bunch are making their way back from SXSW promoting his latest release on Chicken Ranch Records “Out of Highway.”

“Out of Highway” provides the perfect example of artistic evolution. “Cryin’ All the Time” opens this album with the furious guitar strums that are characteristic of Neal. However, songs such as “Something’s Wrong with the Radio” is laden with a tinkling piano and tends to be a flashback to late ’70s country and the music of Paul Williams. “Even Alive” is country ballad perfection with slow, melancholy bounce. Neal maintains his outlaw status throughout this album, which also includes his take on The Misfits’ classic “Attitude.”

B-ham band hits the DIP

Band: Worx (American Cancer Benefit)

Date: Sunday, April 19 at 12 p.m.

Venue: The Zebra Lounge, 2343 Dauphin Island Pkwy., 473-2997

Tickets: TBA

Worx originally formed in Birmingham in the early ’80s and created talk in the local music scene with their classic rock sound - a sound that caught the ear of the late Bernard Dittman (owner of WAPI in Birmingham as well as WABB in Mobile). Dittman was so impressed he recruited them to play WAPI’s third anniversary at Blue Water Park in Pelham. After this performance, Worx had earned the street credibility needed to make them a smash hit in the region.

Years and members have come and gone, and Worx has relocated to the Port City. However, they still maintain quite a bit of original material and covers from the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s. They have also maintained their classic rock sound with distorted riffs complimented by Billy Leys’ unwavering alto voice. One could consider him the lovechild of Geddy Lee (Rush) and Steve Perry (Journey).