Umphrey’s McGee To Open For Widespread Panic In Alpharetta
By Scott Bernstein May 25, 2016 • 5:41 pm PDT
Georgia rockers Widespread Panic have announced they will be joined by Umphrey’s McGee at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park in Alpharetta, Georgia on September 16. Widespread Panic is expected to play two sets at the Atlanta area show which be preceded a set from Umphrey’s.
Widespread Panic and Umphrey’s McGee have shared a handful of stages in the past. First was at a 2010 show at LC Pavilion in Columbus, Ohio where Umphrey’s McGee keyboardist Joel Cummins joined Widespread Panic for “Space Wrangler” and a cover of The Guess Who’s “No Sugar Tonight/New Mother Nature.” Later in 2010, Widespread Panic guitarist/lead singer John Bell joined Umphrey’s McGee for a cover of Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine” at the Warren Haynes Christmas Jam. Then in Charleston on October 5, 2013 Bell again sang “Ain’t No Sunshine” with Umphrey’s while Cummins and guitarist Jake Cinninger sat-in with Widespread Panic on “Maggot Brain.” Cummins and Cinninger stuck around and were joined by percussionist Andy Farag to help out Panic on “Red Hot Mama” before Farag contributed to Widespread’s nightly “Drums” sequence.
The two bands combined forces again in 2015 for a series of three June shows. On June 20 Farag, Cinninger and Cummins added to Panic’s cover of “Red Hot Mama” at Jones Beach in Wantagh, New York. Then, on June 21 in Pittsburgh, Umphrey’s was joined by Jimmy Herring, JoJo Hermann and Duane Trucks for a cover of The Who’s “Eminence Front.” Later in the night Panic was assisted by Brendan Bayliss on “For What It’s Worth” and Bayliss and Cummins for “Me & The Devil Blues.” Tickets for Widespread Panic with special guests Umphrey’s McGee in Alpharetta go on sale June 10.
Watch Panic cover “Red Hot Mama” with members of Umphrey’s in 2013:
