On Monday night, jam-rock titans, Widespread Panic returned to the stage at the Hard Rock Hotel in Riviera Maya, Mexico for the third night of Panic En La Playa Diez.
The weather remained optimal for day-drinking and sunny shenanigans as the thirsty crowd ambled back out into the courtyard for the third straight night. Panic also remained in peak form, performing a slew of classic originals as well as tributes to departed idols like Butch Trucks (Allman Brothers Band), and Daniel Hutchens (Bloodkin) among covers from the usual suspects like Robert Johnson, Jerry Joseph, Vic Chesnutt, and Neil Young.
Related: Widespread Panic Busts Out “Sometimes” On Night 2 In Mexico [Videos/Photos]
Getting down to the nitty-gritty, Widespread Panic retook the stage with a rockin’ “Porch Song” before transitioning into Robert Johnson’s “Stop Breaking Down”. John Bell infused the legendary bluesman’s song with his own style, affixing it with an improvised “Gimme Back My Wig” rap and some slide guitar chops.
Setting sail on a stretch of originals, Dave Schools captained the deep-sea trip into “Bear’s Gone Fishin’” (“It’s sunny at the edge of the sea”) before a monster jam swallowed the courtyard like the biblical Leviathan. When the concussed crowd regained consciousness, Schools and Jimmy Herring were standing on mountain of rubble, ready to follow it up with an almighty “Tie Your Shoes.”Widespread teased a few measures of Little Feat’s “Spanish Moon” before giving JoJo Hermann lead vocals on his bawdy ballad, “Blackout Blues”. JB echoed “Love your girl” after the first verse—still dazed amongst the dusty wreckage caused by “TYS”—and mixed more slide guitar with JoJo’s piano.
After a brief pause, JoJo passed the baton back to Schools for the bass-heavy introduction of “Stop-Go”. The diabolical bassist proceeded to bombard the courtyard like an arsonist promoted to foreman of a demolition squad. After the band teased a few measures of Grateful Dead’s “Fire on the Mountain”, JB improvised and adapted new lyrics “This… is my favorite time / playing in the backyard with my imaginary friends / laughing, make up all the games you want / just whisper from your cosmic confidante / there’s a dog-faced cloud / all smiles and ears / come here, stay / let your magic wand / whisper to your cosmic confidante.”
Widespread Panic – “Stop-Go” (w/ JB rap) – 1/24/22
The second and final cover of the first set returned to the earliest forms of the blues with another Robert Johnson tune, “Me and the Devil Blues”. Shadows in the courtyard danced along to JoJo’s roadhouse piano and JB’s haunting vocals. Winding down the incredible first set, WSP transitioned into the instrumental “B of D” and an intoxicating “Tall Boy” before clearing the stage. After a refreshing set break gave the audience a chance to guzzle some tacos and/or tequila, Widespread Panic came out swinging with a bass-heavy interpretation of Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis by way of “Imitation Leather Shoes”.
The pace mellowed into a classic take of “The Last Straw” before Panic unveiled the biggest surprise of the night. To honor the life of Butch Trucks who passed tragically five years prior, Panic busted out Allman Brothers Band opus “Mountain Jam” for only the 10th time ever and just the 6th time since 1989. Keeping the treats coming, Grateful Dead’s “Cream Puff War” followed to the ecstatic delight of the audience. Jimmy Herring, who enjoyed a brief stint with Allman Brothers in the summer of 2000 as well as several engagements with various post-Garcia Dead offshoots, displayed his years of experience and guitar wizardry.
Panic then dished out a funky “Good People” sandwich, with JoJo serving up a rare “Dark Bar” slab in the middle. Honoring fallen Athens rocker Daniel Hutchens, Widespread continued “Trashy” off Bloodkin’s latest 2021 release, Black Market Tango the song’s 7th performance by WSP since its debut at Red Rocks Amphitheatre last year (“We’re the lucky ones / We’re trashy but we’re true!”).
Next, Jimmy Herring piloted the band through the wild ride that is “Saint Ex” the song’s build-up and break down of tempo and intensity mirroring its subject matter: a German pilot shooting down his favorite author, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry– of The Little Prince notoriety–in World War II. Continuing to soar through the set, “Surprise Valley” gave the percussive duo of Duane Trucks and Sunny Ortiz time to have a duel of drummers. They layered rhythms until reconstructing into an unexpected cover of Warren Zevon’s “Lawyers Guns & Money” en route back to the second half of “Surprise Valley.” Widespread Panic next paid tribute to fallen brother Todd Nance with a timeless take on “Blue Indian” before punctuating the frame with their co-opted version of Glenn Esparza and Jerry Joseph’s “Climb to Safety.”
Before the encore, JB took the mic to commend the audience—”We all still have a little life in us. Y’all feel very good, thank you very much!”—before diving into Chesnutt’s “Blight”. Schools’ bass and vocals led the six-piece through composition, adding flavor in his usual spot with, “Why don’t we all just get together / and love one another / that might work.”
Widespread Panic – “Blight” (Vic Chesnutt) – 1/24/22
[Video: MrTopdogger]
To put the metaphorical cherry on this masterpiece of a show, Panic covered Neil Young for the second consecutive night with a euphoric “Last Dance”. JB once again improvised lyrically, wondering, “Tell me why… / I don’t like Mondays / Down the stairs / Hope my car starts / Pass the bottle / out the door / time to go!”
Once again, the late-night entertainment was provided by The Playa Allstars with their stacked lineup of Eric Krasno, George Porter Jr., Ivan Neville, Jennifer Hartswick, Chali 2na, Terence Higgins, and Cochemea Gastelum. Check out a stream of the late-night below via beloved taper Z-Man.
Playa Allstars – 1/24/22 Late-Night – Full Show – Panic En La Playa Diez
This is it, folks. The final show of Panic en la Playa Diez lies ahead on the horizon. Eat that dinner with your tribe and spread your loving energies. Look after another. Leave it all on the dancefloor.
Setlist [via PanicStream]: Widespread Panic | Panic En La Playa Diez | Hard Rock Hotel | Riviera Maya, MX | 1/24/22
Set Three: Porch Song > Stop Breakin’ Down Blues, Bear’s Gone Fishin’ > Jam > Tie Your Shoes > Jam > Blackout Blues, Stop/Go* > Me and the Devil Blues > B of D, Tall Boy (77 mins)
Set Two: Imitation Leather Shoes, The Last Straw > Mountain Jam, Cream Puff War, Good People > Dark Bar > Good People, Trashy, Saint Ex, Surprise Valley > Drums > Lawyers Guns & Money > Surprise Valley, Blue Indian, Climb To Safety (96 mins)
Encore: Blight, Last Dance (20 mins)
Notes * w/ ‘Fire On The Mountain’ tease during ‘Stop/Go’
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