The swamp rockers, Widespread Panic, maintained the course for their 12th anniversary Panic en la Playa event at the Hard Rock in Riviera Maya, Mexico last night. Past the midway point of the festival, Playa Allstars kept the music going during the day on Heaven Beach. After the sun went down and the courtyard filled, WSP weaved a jam-heavy mix of originals, playing only four covers throughout the show.
John Bell came onstage wearing a Big Lebowski-inspired “Urban Achievers” shirt, rolled up his sleeves, and rallied the platoon of partygoers for the penultimate performance of PELP Doce.
A greasy “Contentment Blues” brought the heat for WSP to cook early before easing into an extended “Pleas”. While Jimmy Herring’s guitar and gear cooled off, JoJo Hermann jumped into the waist-deep waters of one of the many poolside bars to crack open a crispy, cold “Tall Boy”. It was believed to be a Modelo.
For only the 10th time since its debut at PELP 11, Panic fought to reel in “Tacklebox Hero” until the first cover of the show arrived in its wake. David Bromberg’s “Sharon” was a beast uncaged, and its rabid insanity spread through the crowd like wildfire. JB’s vocals danced casually between the booming tone of a carnival showman and the cautious whisper of a storyteller haunted by the vividness of his memories.
With Dave Schools’ impish encouragement, Jimmy Herring tried his damnedest to open Pandora’s Box right there in the courtyard, but the other bandmates steered the music into a different direction for a triplet of originals. “Bear’s Gone Fishin’” descended into the spiraling labyrinth of “Tie Your Shoes”. Panic resurfaced during an uplifting “I’m Not Alone” before closing out the set with “Wondering”—a song traditionally associated with the early portion of a set, having not closed out a set since 2022’s Beacon Theatre run.
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Getting right down to the nitty gritty, Panic conjured Warren Zevon’s “Lawyers Guns and Money” to open the back half with N3’s second cover. Zevon’s lyrics describe an escape from a foreign country after “shit has hit the fan.” The insatiable crowd guzzled it down with raucous appreciation.
The uncontained vibes spilled into “Ain’t Life Grand” until Jimmy Herring tested the Yucatan’s energy grid during a high-voltage “Worry”. Talking Heads’ “Heaven” provided the quintessential song for the third cover of the night, with its lyrics depicting a utopian setting that might seem too good to be true for anybody that’s never experienced Panic en la Playa. (“And there is a party / Everyone is there / Everybody gonna leave at exactly the same time / It’s hard to imagine that nothin’ at all / Could be so exciting, could be this much fun).
After JoJo led the troupe through the fifth-ever performance of “Blue Carousel”, classic original tunes flowed in sequence like salt, tequila, and lime shooters. A bouncing “Rebirtha” strolled into a celebratory “Space Wrangler”, which cantered a victory lap around the galaxy before giving way to a monumental “Bust It Big”. Featuring a dozen minutes for Duane Trucks and Sonny Ortiz to wallop their respective kits, the tune also united the ecstatic courtyard for their assistance during the chorus, “Gonna call my shots and ride my liquor down… TO MEXICO!!!”
Unfurling their wings, Widespread took flight into “Pigeons” as the audience bobbed their heads like the song’s titular critter. (“You better spread real wings if you wanna fly!”) To finish out the 90-minute second set, the Panics kicked their spurs into the fourth cover of the night, a rockin’ rendition of Neil Young’s “Mr. Soul”.
Staring down the barrel of a curfew, WSP performed a single-song encore, “Nobody’s Loss”, to conclude the third night of PELP. JoJo and JB shared vocal duties for the finale in a demonstration of crooning harmony, casual coolness, and chemistry.
Late-night shenanigans were provided by The Main Squeeze on the Stairway to Heaven Stage for the well-trained late-night crew. One last day of perfection ahead. Stay safe, wash your hands, watch your friends, test your chems, and dance to the very end. Godspeed, Goodpeople.
Stream full audio of Widespread Panic night three at Panic en la Playa Doce via the player below and access the band’s entire live catalog by subscribing to nugs.net.
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Widespread Panic – Panic En La Playa Doce – Hard Rock Hotel – Riviera Maya, Mexico – 4/16/24 [Full-Show Audio]
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Setlist: Widespread Panic | Panic En La Playa Doce | Hard Rock Hotel | Riviera Maya, Mexico | 4/16/24
Set 1: Contentment Blues > Pleas, Tall Boy, Tackle Box Hero, Sharon, Bear’s Gone Fishin’ > Tie Your Shoes > I’m Not Alone > Wondering (71 mins)
Set 2: Lawyers, Guns, and Money, Ain’t Life Grand, Worry, Heaven, Blue Carousel, Rebirtha, Space Wrangler, Bust It Big > Drums > Bust It Big, Pigeons > Mr Soul (90 mins)
Encore: Nobody’s Loss (8 mins)
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