On Sunday night, powerhouse six-piece Widespread Panic once again brought its gritty style of rock and roll to the stage at the Hard Rock Hotel in Riviera Maya, Mexico for the second night of Panic En La Playa Diez.
As the violent sun fell and a cool breeze drifted in off the Carribean, the lucky, carefree audience shuffled between taco bars, poolside bars, a lagoon, and the beachside stage for a relaxing day in paradise. As showtime approached, sun-baked smiles were omnipresent throughout an audience dressed in accordance with the evening’s theme, “A Thousand Costumes.”
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Widespread Panic emerged from the shadows of the stage to open the second night of Panic En La Playa Diez with “Space Wrangler”. The Mikey Houser tune sparkled like diamonds under the Mexican moonlight as Jimmy Herring tried everything in his power to shatter the space-time continuum with his cosmic guitar riffs.
Keyboardist JoJo Hermann took the wheel for “One Armed Steve”, a bawdy report of his first show with the band. To follow, Panic performed the evening’s first cover of the evening with Talking Heads’ “Papa Legba”. The song, named for an immortal spiritual conduit in Hatian voodoo teachings, got getting funkier than Frenchmen Street in the courtyard before Dave Schools stepped in to lead the vocal charge into a bass-heavy cut of Vic Chesnutt’s “Sleeping Man.”
Next, “Sundown Betty”, which debuted at PELP 7 in 2018 and is nearing its 4th birthday in WSP’s rotation, got the call for its sixteenth performance. John Bell’s powerful vocals shook the surrounding palm trees, fronds swaying as he cawed, “We’re dancing for the happy / We’re dancing for the sad / Dancing since we got here/ To scare away the bad!”
JoJo’s piano blazed the way through a heartfelt performance of “Nobody’s Loss” before Schools switched up the vibe by strumming the rolling introduction of Neil Young’s “Walk On” featuring a “Turn On Your Love Light” tease.
A quick transition led the audience down the wet, cobblestone back alleys of an extended “Up All Night” before Widespread Panic closed the first set with a thumping cover of J.J. Cale’s “Travelin’ Light.”Those who flew down with only a backpack full of bathing suits and party gear beamed in agreement as JB belted out Cale’s lyrics: “Get on down / to paradise … / Travelin’ light / is the only way to fly!”
A long set break gave the rowdy crowd time to refuel and reenergize before Panic kicked off the second set with a cover of Link Wray & His Ray Men’s “Rumble”. The tune got its Widespread Panic debut at the band’s “Ladies’ Night” Las Vegas Halloween show in 2017 and has been performed only six other times since then.
Then, for the first time in almost a decade, Widespread Panic dusted off “Sometimes” to the audible amazement of the audience. The long-lost tune was part of the band’s regular rotation from its 1999 debut until 4/4/14 in L.A., but had not been played since.
Widespread Panic – “Sometimes” – 1/23/22
[Video: MrTopdogger]
JoJo’s organ faded off as a galloping “Action Man” burst out of the gates, Jimmy Herring in the saddle. After a quick stop at the trough to catch their breath, Schools strolled into Sonny Boy Williamson’s “Good Morning Little Schoolgirl”.
Another seamless transition quickened the tempo for an electrifying “Radio Child” with high-voltage JB vocals and Herring guitar licks, prompting a round of amused jokes between fans that the band pays Jimmy by the note. Schools then led the troupe through a succinct bass bombardment of “Machine” before moving on to an intoxicating round of “Barstools & Dreamers.”
Aligned with the theme of the night, “A Thousand Costumes,” Widespread Panic honored all the unique outfits with a lengthy “Second Skin” jam that eventually crash-landed into a trio of Vic Chesnutt tunes to close out the final frame. To honor the incredible songwriter, a soul-stirring selection of “Aunt Avis” bled into a traditional pairing of “Protein Drink / Sewing Machine”, bringing the total number of Chesnutt chestnuts on the evening to four.
Widespread Panic – “Aunt Avis” (Vic Chesnutt) – 1/23/22
[Video: MrTopdogger]
Upon returning for encore, Widespread Panic performed new tune “Halloween Face” for only the third time ever, the breakdown and fiery jam at the tail end of the song smoking with Panic’s unique brand of badass rock. To close out the second night, the band carried momentous excitement into a heavy “Bust It Big” highlighted by the crowd’s unabashed participation as the audience joined in with JoJo and JB on its rambunctious refrain: “Call my shots and ride my liquor down…. TO MEXICO!”
Still drooling from the packed setlist, the audience stared blankly at the empty stage until the lights brought them back to their senses. They hastily ran back to reload on complimentary food and drinks before the late-night set by Circles Around the Sun.
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A quick aside before we depart: While the first night honored the lead guitarist Jimmy Herring’s 60th trip around the sun, last night’s marked the birthday of Curtis George, friend to many, online content guru, and founder of the fan site/live recording archive, PanicStream. Thank you, Curtis, for all that you do for this community.
Halfway through, past the point of no-return. Godspeed, Goodpeople abroad. Let’s do it all again tonight.
Setlist [via PanicStream]: Widespread Panic | Panic En La Playa Diez | Hard Rock Hotel | Riviera Maya, MX | 1/22/22
Set One: Space Wrangler, One Arm Steve, Papa Legba > Sleeping Man, Sundown Betty, Nobody’s Loss, Walk On > Up All Night, Travelin’ Light (69 mins)
Set Two: Rumble, Sometimes, Action Man, Good Morning Little School Girl > Radio Child, Machine > Barstools & Dreamers, Second Skin > Aunt Avis, Protein Drink / Sewing Machine (81 mins)
Encore: Halloween Face > Bust It Big (16 mins)
Notes – ‘Sometimes’ LTP 4/04/2014 Los Angeles (344 shows)
After: Circles Around the Sun
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