The swashbucklers of swamp rock in Widespread Panic and their galleon made landfall on the white sandy shoreline of St. Augustine, FL after a fortnight at sea. The determined crew disembarked and garrisoned at The St. Augustine Amphitheatre before exploring the surrounding area’s grog shops. Veterans of this run were mighty relieved when the dates were scheduled during cooler months instead of the godless and inescapable heat of August or September as in the past years. Friday also marked Panicstream.com’s 18th birthday so we honor our community’s cyber meeting ground as it braves the challenges of adulthood.
With a simple introduction from beloved frontman, John Bell, (“Hullo, St. Augustine”) Panic took flight into a psychedelic “Pigeons”. Jimmy Herring unhooked his safety line and spread his wings to soar through the valleys and tempo changes. The rowdy crowd bobbed their heads, resembling the titular animal, as JB did his best Waterboy impression by adding, “Mama said / Wake up, wake up / Mama said!”
After the final cymbal crashed, Sunny Ortiz’s hands became a blur as the band cooked up a short and sweet “Hatfield” with a succinct rap. JoJo Hermann moved from his scintillating piano to favor the haunted tones of the organ for “You Got Yours” before seamlessly meshing during a rendition of “Down”. (“Take along some of your favorite things / cause you’re gonna need ‘em”)
Without stopping, Duane Trucks charged into the steady rhythm of “Pleas” which featured a sneaky tease of “Worry”. Switching gears, JoJo and Jimmy Herring led the band through a trippy piano segue and landed into the typical rolling drums and steady bass of J.J. Cale’s “Travelin’ Light”. A raucous “Papa’s Home” closed out the first frame with a bang as the music built up and broke down capturing the frantic energy of a father desperately trying to make it home to his family in time for Christmas.
Emerging from the shadows to a roar of applause, Widespread kicked off the second set with a cover of Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth”, written by Stephen Stills. Instead of slowing down, the end of the song sped up into a lively cover of Talking Heads’ “Life During Wartime”. Though separated by genres and tempos, the songs both capture the uncertainty of modern living when violence is omnipresent.
The up-tempo song gave Jimmy Herring a chance to show off his warp-speed guitar riffs and only after he touched ground once more did Dave Schools begin hammering out the characteristic introduction to a classic cut of “Chilly Water”. The extended performance featured a behemoth breakdown to the percussive barebones as Duane Trucks and Sunny Ortiz built the song back up, brick by brick. Dave Schools joined in to catalyze the synergistic effects of the drumming duo, accelerating into the second half of the party anthem.
From a flickering spark, an extended transition jam ignited a bass-heavy “Second Skin” before slowing down the tempo for a serene “Pickin’ Up The Pieces”. This marked the first time that WSP played this tune since Derek Trucks sat in with Billy Strings to cover it at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.
Winding down the second set, a string of songs cascaded one after another as JB growled Willie Dixon’s “Spoonful” with such tenacious grit that even Howlin’ Wolf would have approved. WSP followed with Jerry Joseph and Glenn Esparza’s “Climb to Safety” before putting the finishing touches on the set with a rollercoaster ride, “Saint Ex.”
To finish off the first night of festivities, the members of Widespread Panic returned to their respective positions on stage and gifted the audience with a performance of “Vacation” that was brimming with passion and loving comradery (“As Panic grabbed my legs / you know it / pulled me in!”) Returning to the archives of one of its favorite influences, Panic ended the inaugural show with Neil Young’s “Mr. Soul”.
The euphoric afterglow of Friday’s show was marred by tragedy as a fatal accident occurred shortly after the show. Two pedestrians that were crossing Highway A1A were struck by a passing SUV, although it is still unconfirmed if the two people killed were leaving the show. Our thoughts are with the families. Please be safe on our journeys and look out for one another. With light and love in our hearts, we walk together. Godspeed, Goodpeople, until tomorrow.
Widespread Panic – “Down” – 3/24/23
[Video: Patricia Hatcher]
Widespread Panic – “Travelin’ Light” (J.J. Cale) – 3/24/23
[Video: Patricia Hatcher]
Widespread Panic – “Mr. Soul” (Neil Young) – 3/24/23
[Video: Patricia Hatcher]
Setlist: Widespread Panic | The St. Augustine Amphitheatre | St. Augustine, FL | 3/24/23
Set One: Pigeons > Hatfield, You Got Yours, Down, Pleas > Travelin’ Light (J.J. Cale) > Papa’s Home (64 mins)
Set Two: For What It’s Worth (Buffalo Springfield) > Life During Wartime (Talking Heads) > Chilly Water > Second Skin, Pickin’ Up The Pieces, Spoonful (Willie Dixon) > Climb To Safety (Jerry Joseph, Glenn Esparza) > Saint Ex (83 mins)
Encore: Vacation, Mr. Soul (Neil Young) (19 mins)
– “Spoonful” LTP 10/31/19 NOLA (99 shows)
– “Saint Ex” w/ inverted intro
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