Widespread Panic welcomed acclaimed keyboardist Chuck Leavell for a lengthy sit-in during the band’s set Saturday at the MEMPHO Music Festival in Memphis. The four-song sit-in included The Allmans Brothers Band and The Rolling Stones covers.
Saturday’s WSP performance capped day two of the three-day event taking place at Radians Amphitheater. The band will play another headlining set again this evening. Friday’s action at Mempho saw Leavell join Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit on a cover of The Allman Brothers Band’s “In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed.”
Leavell, who was a member of The Allman Brothers Band in the early-1970s and became a touring member of The Rolling Stones in the early-1980s, joined keyboardist JoJo Hermann after Panic transitioned from “Tall Boy” into “Surprise Valley.” Next came a bust out of the Allmans’ “Jessica.” Leavell was prominently featured on the recording of the classic instrumental that appeared on the band’s 1973 studio album, Brothers And Sisters. Widespread Panic had covered “Jessica” once before, on December 29, 2015, with Leavell also sitting in.
The guest keyboardist then augmented a take on the rarely played Stones classic “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.” The collaboration and the set came to a conclusion via Jerry Joseph’s WSP staple “Climb To Safety.”
Watch audience-recorded video footage of Leavell joining Panic at MEMPHO below:
Setlist (via PanicStream)
Set: All Time Low > Rock, C Brown, You Should Be Glad, Junior > Love Tractor, Wondering, Walkin’ (For Your Love), One Arm Steve, Holden Oversoul, Tall Boy > Surprise Valley* > Jessica*, You Can’t Always Get What You Want**, Climb To Safety*
Notes:
- * w/ Chuck Leavell on keys
- ** w/ Chuck Leavell on keys and vocals
- Jessica LTP 12/29/2015 Atlanta (264 shows); 2nd time played
- Entire show with Edie Jackson (ASL interpreter)
