Widespread Panic welcomed a handful of the fellow performers on this year’s Panic En La Playa lineup including Ivan Neville and Nicki Bluhm to join them for the second set closer during their fourth and final concert of the event on Monday night. Panic En La Playa Nueve took place at the Hard Rock Hotel in Riviera Maya, Mexico.
The band’s 74-minute first set began with “Pigeons” before a cover of Tom Waits’ “Goin’ Out West” led into “Ribs & Whiskey.” Next up were “Up All Night” and “Little Lilly” and then Panic delivered the anticipated “Driving Song” sandwich, which on this occasion featured “Disco” within. “Saint Ex” followed the end of “Driving Song” and gave way to a set-closing “Ain’t Life Grand.”
WSP kicked off the closing stanza by pairing “Party At Your Mama’s House” and “Stop Breakin’ Down Blues.” The sextet then took it down a notch with “Pilgrims” before revving the crowd back up with “Big Wooly Mammoth” and “Love Tractor.” Next, “Papa’s Home” served as the bread of a “Rock” sandwich. From there, Panic performed the classic “Space Wrangler” and invited Ivan Neville out for “Weak Brain, Narrow Mind” by Willie Dixon. The band then loaded the stage for their first cover of The Rolling Stones’ “Sympathy For The Devil” since July 15, 2011 – a total of 463 shows. Ivan and John Bell shared lead vocals, while Nicki Bluhm helped on harmonies and Terence Higgins, Andee Avila, Ben Vinograd and Steve Lopez sat-in on percussion.
Panic ended the destination event with a four-song, 23-minute encore. Up first was “Postcard” and “End Of The Show.” Then, WSP worked “Last Dance” into “Porch Song” to close out their final performance of Panic En La Playa Nueve. Widespread Panic returns to the stage on February 27 with the first of five shows at The Beacon Theatre in New York City.
Watch fan-shot video captured by Mr. TopDogger of last night’s “Sympathy For The Devil” below:
Setlist (via PanicStream)
Set One: Pigeons, Goin’ Out West > Ribs & Whiskey, Up All Night, Little Lilly, Driving Song > Disco > Driving Song > Saint Ex, Ain’t Life Grand (74 mins)
Set Two: Party At Your Mama’s House > Stop Breakin’ Down Blues, Pilgrims, Big Wooly Mammoth > Love Tractor, Papa’s Home > Rock > Papa’s Home, Space Wrangler, Weak Brain, Narrow Mind*, Sympathy for the Devil** (97 mins)
Encore: Postcard, End of the Show, Last Dance > Porch Song (23 mins)
Notes:
- * w/ Ivan Neville on keys
- ** w/ Ivan Neville on percussion, keys, and vocals; Nicki Bluhm on vocals; Terence Higgins, Andee Avila, Ben Vinograd, and Steve Lopez on percussion
- – ‘Sympathy for the Devil’ LTP 7/15/11 Las Vegas (463 shows)
- – False start before ‘End of the Show’
