Never ones to mess around, Widespread Panic returned to Memphis, TN last night in a blaze of glory, like a phoenix reborn. Radians Amphitheater at Memphis Botanic Garden hosted the shindig and teed up Margo Price to open Friday’s festivities.
As the sunset approached, the slanted sunlight lingered and basked the venue in the ethereal afterglow of golden hour. The six members of Widespread rolled up their sleeves, laced their boots tight, and emerged from the shadows offstage, swinging into the first set with a reckless force and abandon.
JoJo Hermann layered his piano into a brutish cut of Vic Chesnutt’s “Lets Get Down to Business” to crack open a WSP show and weekend run for the first time since 2022’s Spring Break in Las Vegas. Without breaking stride, Bloodkin’s funeral procession, “Henry Parsons Died”, marched to the steady roll of Duane Trucks’ drums.
Dave Schools hunkered down the bottom end and Jimmy Herring cut a swathe through “Little Lilly” before the rhythm section changed gears in favor of “Hatfield”. WSP opened the floodgates and the torrential jams flowed like water until the storm surge receded into an inspiring John Bell improvised rap.
JB, wordsmith, poet, frontman extraordinaire, did what he does best, nourished the spiritually famished, and converted non-believers with his soulful gospel. “I remember Hatfield’s mama / beautiful, glowing lady / family came from Germany years ago / one day after school / playing cops and robbers / and it was hot, hot, hot, hot / this whole summertime / getting a lot hot now / one day we were done playing / leaning back against the fence / getting a little sumptin’ / the sounds run on top of the smell of the pot roast / Hatfield’s mama in the corner of the living room / playin’ on six and half bar blues / on her three string banjo.”
While the soil absorbed the remaining water, Schools remained at the helm as he dropped into “Rebirtha” alongside JoJo’s swirling organ reverberations. Following a percussive heavy breakdown, Panic moved into a high-voltage “Little By Little” before wading into the murky history of Mississippi Delta blues by digging up Howlin’ Wolf’s “Smokestack Lightning”. Channeling the spirit of the notorious bluesmen who was born about 150 miles southeast of Memphis (as the crow flies), JB embodied Wolf’s trademark growl with practiced ease.
JoJo sat at his piano like Arachne at her loom, his fingers dancing atop his ivory tower as he added a section that resembled something of a Ray Manzarek and The Doors’ “L.A. Woman” tease. JB’s howls faded softly with the remnants of JoJo’s tinkling piano notes before Panic galloped an unbridled “Space Wrangler” to close the first half. A spunky JB found the place that serves the coldest beer in town, indulging with a “little whiskey in there, too!”
After set break, WSP blazed forth with an opening, instrumental “The Take Out” before stacking a layered triple-decker sandwich that would encompass the majority of the second set. The band would continue without stopping for 75 consecutive minutes, connecting songs and playing a segue-heavy second set that characterized Panic to its core—grit, style, and nonstop bluesy rock and roll.
The first layer (we will call it the bread) was constructed by an expansive “Surprise Valley”, which soared into the fifth-ever performance of “Blue Carousel”. The piano-heavy original debuted during Wilmington’s back-to-school, alphabet lesson last autumn.
It wouldn’t be MDW without firing up the grill, and Panic knows that better than anyone. Without stopping, a saucy “Ribs and Whiskey” served to honor both the time and the place as Memphis BBQ is its own style of cooking and taste. The audience began to salivate from the smoky aroma and sizzlin’ heat of home cookin’ before throwing down the meat and cheese of the second set jam sandwich with the bombastic first halves of “Proving Ground” and “Fishwater”, respectively.
Halfway through building this sandwich and WSP kept piling it on. A short “Drums” culminated into the introduction of a percussive “Cease Fire”, and just as on 2015’s Street Dogs, a haunting “Jamais Vu (The World Has Changed)” followed in a natural progression.
Past the point of return and not turning back, Widespread proceeded to bookend the second halves of “Fishwater”, “Proving Ground”, and “Surprise Valley” in succession like a riverboat gambler dealing cards. Punctuating over an hour of nonstop music, Panic performed an impeccable “Porch Song” to pass the lunar day and close the second set with playful pizzazz.
Widespread Panic sauntered back onstage to riotous applause and allowed the rowdy crowd to settle in before debuting “Cosmic Confidante”. This tune marks the fifth single from the forthcoming album and was released earlier that same day, feeding the fire of excitement for Snake Oil King, due to hit the shelves on June 14th. Lyrics recycled from a version of Hatfield’s rap, “Dog faced clouds / all smiles and ears,” serene imagery of the lyrics, “Simple pleasures / simple smiles,” combined with wistful romance of nostalgia, will make the song a crowd favorite in no time.
Finishing off Friday night, the first Panic show concluded on more familiar terms with a frantic cover of Talking Heads‘ “Life During Wartime”. The festivities continue with a second day of Widespread Panic tonight, and Paul Cauthen slated to get the night underway.
Hope y’all like dancing, barbeque, and a damn good time, cause if so, you’re celebrating Memorial Day the right way. L-I-V-I-N. Look out for one another out there, and enjoy it twice for those that can’t be there with you.
Widespread Panic – “Little Lily” – 5/24/24
[Video: taperhead1]
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Setlist [via PanicStream]: Widespread Panic | Radians Amphitheater | Memphis, TN | 5/24/24
Set 1: Let’s Get Down To Business, Henry Parsons Died, Little Lilly > Hatfield, Rebirtha > Little By Little, Smokestack Lightning > Space Wrangler
Set 2: The Take Out > Surprise Valley > Blue Carousel > Ribs and Whiskey > Proving Ground > Fishwater > Drums > Cease Fire > Jamais Vu > Fishwater > Proving Ground > Surprise Valley > Porch Song
Encore: Cosmic Confidante, Life During Wartime
Notes:
– LTP ‘Let’s Get Down To Business’ 4/19/23 Austin (36 shows)
– FTP ‘Cosmic Confidante’ (new original)
The post Widespread Panic Kickstarts Memorial Day Weekend In Memphis With New Song Debut, Uninterrupted 2nd Set [Photos/Videos/Audio] appeared first on L4LM.
