[Phillips:] Well, if you've seen the devastating pictures from Tennessee, you know exactly what we're talking about. Flood victims that need your help. If you want to help, you can go to CNN's "Impact Your World" Web site at CNN.comimpact. On the "Impact Your World" Web site, you're going to find links to charities, also the favorite organizations of the band Widespread Panic. And they join us live. You just saw those amazing images right there. Photographer Angela
[Unidentified Male:] Hi.
[Phillips:] You already you have lit up this entire building, not just our studio but the building. Jojo, I want to start with you. You live in Tennessee. You guys were actually coming through Tennessee when the floods hit. Tell me the impact that it's had.
[Jojo Hermann, Keyboardist, Widespread Panic:] Well, just driving around the neighborhoods. You know, I live in Franklin and the devastation is just unreal. You know nobody really saw this coming. You know, everybody went to bed at night and woke up. And this flood just overwhelmed everybody.
[Phillips:] Now when you toured through, so to speak, it wasn't to play music. You were assessing the damage and you guys were trying to get all your equipment and everything, you know, through there. You're getting ready to hit a number of places for your concerts. You know, what were people saying to you? I know it hit you right in the heart. You were watching people struggle all across the area.
[Hermann:] Well, I went back to check on my family and everything was OK. But, you know, in the communities just surrounding us, it was just devastating. And, you know, the one thing the images have hit you over the head the most are just how the communities are coming together. What a tight-knit community
[Phillips:] Yes.
[Hermann:] Nashville is. And everybody is just coming together and rallying around. You know they I saw a SUV with a Tennessee volunteer license plate on it, you know, packed with provisions. And, you know, all of the sudden the word volunteer was not a football team but it really you know, the word volunteer has a new meaning in Tennessee right now.
[Phillips:] And JB, what is it about music that just rallies people to give? Because it seems like whether it is Haiti or it's the flood victims in Tennessee, musicians like you guys come together, you play, you know it raises money, and you put it directly into the hands of the people. What is it about your music, about music, that makes people want to give?
[John Bell, Guitarist, Widespread Panic:] Well, there you know, there are kinds of music, obviously. But but music in its essence is a that's a universal language. It's it's been around since before the beginning and it's you know, right now, it's one of the things that you can't really mess with it. It's immutable in times of disaster and stuff, too. Music is, you know it in itself is untouchable. You can destroy the instruments. You can, you know, share in the heartache and stuff. But you can also begin some healing with, you know, getting together and playing.
[Phillips:] And you know what, we've already seen that. I mean, Dave, whether it's you guys in Widespread Panic or other musicians that live in Nashville, cut records in Nashville, write in Nashville, I mean, it's a music hub. You know, tell me why you guys are being you are very focused on your charities. I mean you know exactly what you want to give to. You want that money to go right into certain communities. Why be so directed with that money and what you're doing right now?
[Dave Schools, Bassist, Widespread Panic:] Well, when we started becoming in a position to help people out, we wanted to put money into things that were local. So in the case of Athens, Georgia it was the food bank, local shelter. And as we grew more regionally, we took that to like the public schools with the Tunes for Tots program. And simply being from the south, we're very affected by Katrina. Our families were very affected by this recent devastation in Tennessee. It just it makes sense to us. We want to just get it as quickly as we can into the hands of the people who need it.
[Phillips:] You've always done that. All of you guys have given back to your southern roots. What do we say we fire up again and take it to break? Sound good? Widespread Panic, raising money, impacting your world today with us for two hours. Thanks, guys.