Widespread Panic Debuts Eight Covers In New Orleans

Jam titans Widespread Panic played their first Halloween show since 2011 last night at the UNO Arena in New Orleans, LA. As has been tradition for the band, the Georgia-based rockers debuted a number of covers over the course of the lengthy performance.

Panic opened Thursday’s show with The Yardbirds’ “Drinking Muddy Water” and ended the first set with a two-song tribute to the late JJ Cale in first-ever versions of the Oklahoman’s “Devil In Disguise” and “Cocaine.” For the beginning of the second set Panic was joined by members of their crew for a romp through Eric Burdon and War’s 1970 classic “Spill The Wine.” The band honored a pair of blues greats with debuts of Muddy Waters’ “I Got My Mojo Working” and “Help Me” by Sonny Boy Williamson II later in the closing stanza. The covers kept coming with premieres of The Strangeloves’ “I Want Candy” and “Ace Of Spades” by Motorhead mixed in among Panic staples “Pigeons,” “Ain’t Life Grand,” “Disco” and “Fishwater” in the 93-minute second set.

The members of the band kept a non-musical tradition going by dressing in costumes for their Halloween show. Keyboardist JoJo Hermann donned two different costumes over the course of the evening: Kenny Powers and Liberace. John Bell went as “Evil Spock,” Jimmy Herring dressed as a biker, Dave Schools wore a Zombie costume and Domingo Ortiz was decked out as a chef. Drummer Todd Nance dressed as King Tut which was fitting since the stage design for the evening featured Egyptian Pyramids.

Here’s last night’s setlist:

Set One: Drinking Muddy Water*, Holden Oversoul, Tallboy, Blight > Coconut, Heroes, Impossible, Bowlegged Woman, Devil in Disguise**, Cocaine*** [71 mins]

Set Two: Spill the Wine****, Pigeons, Ain’t Life Grand > I Got My Mojo Working*****, Disco, Rebirtha > I Want Candy****** > Drums > Fishwater, Help Me*******, Ace of Spades******** (x2) [93 mins]

Encore: All Time Low > Surprise Valley > Cream Puff War [18 mins]

Notes: * FTP The Yardbirds (1967)
** FTP JJ Cale (1982)
*** FTP JJ Cale (1976) w/ ‘Sunshine of Your Love’ tease
**** FTP War (1970) w/ the crew on flute, keys, and percussion
***** FTP Muddy Waters (1957)
****** FTP The Strangeloves (1965)
******* FTP Sonny Boy Williamson II (1963)
******** FTP Motorhead (1980)

[via PanicStream]