Widespread Panic launched Panic En La Playa Diez at the Hard Rock Hotel in Riviera Maya, Mexico on Saturday. The first concert of WSP’s four-night destination event took place on guitarist Jimmy Herring’s 60th birthday.
To start the show, WSP tour manager Steve Lopez welcomed the audience and introduced Annabel Lukins of Panic En La Playa presenter Cloud 9 Adventures who spoke about some of the challenges of getting the show to Mexico during the pandemic but also the joy of being there. One of the joys included Annabel leading a Happy Birthday toast to Jimmy Herring.
The sextet then got down to business with a few minutes of swirling improv as the intro to the evening’s “Disco” opener. WSP kept up the classics with “Holden Oversoul,” which encompassed Jorma Kaukonen’s “Genesis.” “Weight Of The World” followed ahead of “From The Cradle” and Bloodkin’s “Who Do You Belong To?” Next came “Old Joe” and a little foreshadowing with “You Should Be Glad.” Panic closed out the first frame with the Neil Young-penned Buffalo Springfield number, “Mr. Soul.”
WSP started the second set with “All Time Low” before jamming their way into JJ Cale’s “Ride Me High.” Panic then offered Van Morrison’s “And It Stoned Me,” last time played at the previous Panic En La Playa on January 25, 2020. From there “Proving Ground” flowed into “Contentment Blues” which saw Jimmy offering some shred before frontman John Bell led the band through the tune. Panic then found their way back into “Proving Ground” to cap off the seamless segment.
Classic “Fishwater” would launch another continuous section that contained Tom Petty’s “Honey Bee,” which the band debuted in October 2017 just a few days after Petty’s death, followed by Jerry Joseph’s “North” and a return to “Fishwater” to end the set. Widespread Panic returned with the oft-encored “Expiration Day” ahead of staple “Henry Parsons Died.” Herring then tore into the Cream-covered, Skip James-recorded “I’m So Glad” — while the song has reappeared of late, the PELP 22 outing marked just the 14th version of the number since 2003 — to put an exclamation point on the evening.
Watch fan-shot video footage from last night’s show below:
Setlist (via Everyday Companion)
Set One: Disco, Holden Oversoul > Genesis > Holden Oversoul, Weight Of The World, From The Cradle, Who Do You Belong To?, Old Joe, You Should Be Glad, Mr. Soul
Set Two: All Time Low > Jam > Ride Me High, And It Stoned Me, Proving Ground > Contentment Blues > Jam > Proving Ground, Fishwater > Honey Bee > North > Fishwater
Encore: Expiration Day, Henry Parsons Died, I’m So Glad
