Duane Trucks Makes Widespread Panic Debut In Charleston

Last night Widespread Panic opened a fall tour that will find Duane Trucks on drums with their first of two shows at North Charleston Coliseum in Charleston, S.C. The band focused on older material throughout the night as they worked Trucks into the fold.

[Photo from Rehearsal by Josh Timmermans via Panic Facebook]

For Duane’s first set, Panic didn’t play any songs debuted after 1996. The second set started with a pair of ZZ Top covers (“Waitin’ For The Bus” and “Jesus Just Left Chicago”) and contained plenty of older material with the one exception being “Cotton Was King,” an original which was debuted in 2010. While there were a few moments where the band didn’t connect on certain segments, for the most part Trucks shined in his new role. Duane brings a new edge to Widespread Panic’s music and it will be very interesting to see how the rest of the tour plays out.

On Friday afternoon Duane took to Facebook to show his appreciation:

“Thanks everyone for all the love. Total mind blower to be playing with WSP. Feeling very humbled by the outpouring of positivity. I couldn’t be more grateful to the man that ties everyone and everything together, Col. Bruce Hampton.”

Here’s the setlist from Panic’s tour opener:

Set One: Disco > Tall Boy > Diner, Holden Oversoul > Ride Me High > Climb To Safety, Rebirtha > Henry Parsons Died, Radio Child (63 mins)

Set Two: Waitin’ For The Bus > Jesus Just Left Chicago, Space Wrangler, Cotton Was King, Sleeping Man, Driving Song > Papa’s Home > Drumz & Bass > Driving Song, Greta > Life During Wartime > Love Tractor (80 mins)

Encore: Heaven, Red Hot Mama (11 mins)

[Setlist via PanicStream.com]

Widespread Panic returns to North Charleston Coliseum tonight.