The six-headed monster known as Widespread Panic reared its magnificent faces for the opening night of the first of three March weekend runs up and down the east coast. Kicking off the festivities, Widespread Panic retook Oxon Hill, Maryland—within spitting distance of the nation’s capital—to play the second annual St. Panics Day at the MGM National Harbor Casino. Just like in Las Vegas, the casino venue presented a multitude of opportunities for debauchery.
Stumbling back on stage like a pack of lost dogs that finally found their way home, Widespread Panic opened the run with the instrumental “A of D” before segueing into the crowd favorite “Tall Boy” led by JoJo Hermann and John Bell sharing tandem vocal duties. “Tall Boy” made a surprise appearance before its expected place on the St. Patrick’s Day setlist on Sunday.
A stoic tribute to the legendary fallen fan, Thomas” Bear” Guenther, followed with a bass-heavy “Bear’s Gone Fishin’”. Jimmy Herring—who already foreshadowed an extraordinary night ahead with his guitar work on “Tall Boy”—turned up the heat and started cooking. Returning to their Southern roots, the boys performed infamous bluesman Willie Dixon’s “Weak Brain, Narrow Mind”.
JoJo introduced “Greta” to the howling audience, but it wasn’t long before Jimmy Herring took the helm and blasted through the lengthy, explosive jam. When the dust settled, only “Better Off” remained. The music came to a conclusive stop before John Bell led the band through an ecstatic cover of Van Morrison’s “Send Your Mind”. Another rare pause ensued before a scenic stroll through the original favorite “Walkin’ (For Your Love)”, JoJo playing his piano with exquisite precision. To close the first set, JoJo remained behind the wheel throughout “One Armed Steve”—his humorous account of his first show with Widespread Panic.
The music stopped but the fun never stalled as those in attendance scrambled into the casino to gamble and refill their cups. Roulette wheels and slot machines spun round and round, dice were tumbled. Tables cheered when the dealer busted. Soon, the electricity in the atmosphere shifted as the local magnetic fields reversed—as has been known to happen when the boys are soon to return to the stage.
Scampering back into positions, the swam of yellow rabbits was in place by the time JoJo and Dave Schools opened the second set with an evolutionary “Big Wooly Mammoth”. The rest of the band joined in for a swinging take on the dance-inducing jaunt complete with flying lighters. Schools and JoJo dominated throughout but it was Jimmy Herring that used his unholy powers to guide the musical troupe beyond “BWM” and through Neil Young’s “Walk On”. JB was slick as a snake oil salesman when he crooned the ol’ Neil’s lyrics (“I can’t tell them how to feel / Some get stoned, some get strange / But sooner or later it all gets real”).
The fervent beat and honest lyrics of “All Time Low” tumbled like a barrel (“thrown from the top of a waterfall”) before a lively “Cotton Was King” featuring a phenomenal JoJo once again ramped up the pace. The badass riffs of “Honky Red” were reawakened by Herring and an emotionally wrought John Bell. A nasty, improvised jam segued into the first half of “Driving Song”, tugging on all the feels. “Tickle the Truth” from Free Somehow (2008) was devoured as an appetizer before a powerful “Papa’s Home” was perfected aloud. The resounding conclusion of “Papa’s” extended into an intergalactic jam which culminated in an uplifting version of Jerry Joseph’s “Climb to Safety.”
“Climb To Safety”
A smooth, bouncing bassline by Schools provided a foundation for the rest of the guys to build upon…and build they did. A glorious transitional jam emerged that eventually concluded the second half of “Driving Song”. An added “Breathing Slow” section completed this hearty sandwich. Closing the second set, John Bell shapeshifted into the eternal bluesman, Howlin’ Wolf, for a dirty-river-water rendition of “Taildragger.”
When the band returned, Widespread Panic played the encore in tribute to their late, great friend, Vic Chestnutt. First, a heartfelt “Expiration Day” was performed by vocal expert John Bell before Widespread Panic closed the night with another Chestnutt composition, “Protein Drink / Sewing Machine”. The tune’s many breakdowns and build-ups concluded the night with aggressive fury as Duane Trucks and Dave Schools hammered the show home.
“Expiration Day”
Widespread returns to the stage again tonight for the second round of wanton destruction in the shadows of D.C. See ya there, Goodpeople.
You can listen to a full audio recording of the performance via PanicStream. For a full list of Widespread Panic’s upcoming tour dates, head here.
Setlist: Widespread Panic | The Theater at MGM National Harbor | Oxon Hill, MD | 3/15/19
Set One: A of D, Tall Boy, Bear’s Gone Fishin’, Weak Brain Narrow Mind, Greta > Jam > Better Off, Send Your Mind, Walkin’ (For Your Love), One Arm Steve (58 mins)
Set Two: Big Wooly Mammoth, Walk On, All Time Low, Cotton Was King, Honky Red > Driving Song > Tickle the Truth > Papa’s Home > Climb To Safety > Jam > Driving Song > Breathing Slow, Tail Dragger (90 mins)
Encore: Expiration Day, Protein Drink / Sewing Machine (17 mins)
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