Sunday Cinema | Sit N Ski With Widespread Panic

Just over 18 years ago Widespread Panic began one of the most historic tours in their history, when they kicked off a run of 20 shows in 28 days dubbed the “Sit-N-Ski Tour.” The band visited mountain towns in Colorado, Utah and Wyoming giving fans (and the band) an opportunity to ski during the day and watch Panic at night.

Guitarists John Bell and Michael Houser and bassist Dave Schools sat down throughout the shows and strapped on acoustics for parts of the performances as they re-worked some songs for special unplugged renditions. Along the way Widespread Panic busted out tunes they hadn’t performed in over a 1,000 shows and welcomed friends David Blackmon and Jerry Joseph for sit-ins.

For today’s Sunday Cinema selection we look at fan-shot footage featuring nearly all of one Sit-N-Ski show from the Ogden Theatre in Denver, CO on February 9, 1996. Blackmon guests on about a dozen songs including covers of “And It Stoned Me” and “Low Spark Of High-Heeled Boys” as well as a blistering “Airplane” > “Jam” and a gorgeous and fitting “Vacation.”

Set One: Little Kin (Missing From Video) > Pleas > Stop-Go, Travelin’ Light, Smoke And Burn > Happy > Chunk Of Coal*, And It Stoned Me*, Vacation*, Blackout Blues*

Set Two: A of D > Glory > Diner > Pilgrims > Solace, Help Me Somebody > Makes Sense To Me > Airplane* > Jam* > Sleeping Man*, Driving Song* > City of Dreams* > Driving Song* > Breathing Slow* > Love Tractor*

Encore: Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys*

* with David Blackmon on fiddle

[Setlist via Everyday Companion]

For more from Sit-N-Ski check out this audio compilation our friends at PanicStream have put together.