A Very Happy New Years For Widespread Panic In Charlotte

Widespread Panic concluded 2014 last night at Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, North Carolina with a memorable show that saw the band assisted by a horn section at various points and included a whopping five cover debuts.

[Photo by Ian Rawn]

The Georgia rockers began the evening with a pair of classics in “C. Brown” and “Space Wrangler.” The Guess Who’s “No Sugar Tonight/New Mother Nature” led into “Ain’t Life Grand,” which was followed by three Bill Withers covers performed with Randall Bramblett and The Megablasters horn section -“Lean On Me,” “Ain’t No Sunshine” and “Use Me.” Only the latter had been played by Panic in the past. An hour-long second set put the focus on originals such as “Pigeons,” “Henry Parsons Died” and “Imitation Leather Shoes.” Bramblett and the horns returned at the end of the second set for “Weight Of The World” and “Sharon.”

Crew member Steve Lopez led a countdown to start the third and final set. “Auld Lang Syne” and “Burning Down The House” were played over the P.A. as bands and fans celebrated the start of 2015. Widespread Panic picked up their instruments for a cover debut of “Happy” by The Rolling Stones. JB and Co. kept “Happy” coming by busting out their original of the same name and then shockingly the Pharrell megahit of the same name from Frozen. A massive “Porch Song” sandwich with a “Blackout Blues,” “Cotton Was King,” “Climb To Safety,” “Drums,” “Chilly Water,” “Pilgrims” filling closed out set three. Widespread Panic brought the night to a close with a tribute to the recently-deceased Joe Cocker with performances of two of his trademark songs -“High Time We Went” and “A Little Help From My Friends.”

Head to PanicStream.com to stream a recording of the entire show.

Watch fan-shot footage of “Lean On Me” thanks to tvdirector38:

Set One: C. Brown, Space Wrangler, No Sugar Tonight / New Mother Nature, Ain’t Life Grand, Lean On Me*#, Ain’t No Sunshine*#, Use Me* (40 mins)

Set Two: Disco, Pigeons, Henry Parsons Died, Greta > You Got Yours, Imitation Leather Shoes, Weight of the World*, Sharon* (57 mins)

Set Three: Happy# (Rolling Stones) > Happy (Widespread Panic) > Happy# (Pharrell Williams), Porch Song > Blackout Blues, Cotton Was King, Climb To Safety, Stop Breakin’ Down Blues > Drums > Drums and Bass > Chilly Water, Pilgrims > Porch Song (85 mins)

Encore: High Time We Went, A Little Help From My Friends#

* w/ Randall Bramblett & The Megablasters
# First Time Played

[Setlist via PanicStream.com]