Widespread Panic Busts Out ‘Cortez The Killer’ With Jerry Joseph In Bend

Georgia rockers Widespread Panic concluded a two-night stand at Les Schwab Amphitheater in Bend, Oregon on Sunday night. Jerry Joseph & The Jackmormons opened the show and for the second night in a row members of the band sat-in with Panic.

Widespread Panic kicked off percussionist Domingo “Sunny” Ortiz’s birthday show (though he his actual birthday is on July 4) with “Disco” and focused solely on old school classics throughout the first set including “Wondering,” “Can’t Get High,” “Holden Oversoul,” “Tie Your Shoes” and “Fishwater.” The band opened the second set with the instrumental “B Of D” and led into “Drums” with a “Goodpeople” > “Bust It Big” > “Stop-Go” sequence. “Drums” was followed by the evening’s foray into recent material: “Cease Fire” and “Jamais Vu.” Later in the set, WSP welcomed Jerry Joseph on guitar and vocals and Steve Drizos on percussion for “Cortez The Killer” and “Chainsaw City.” Panic hadn’t performed the Neil Young cover since October 17, 2009 – a span of 462 shows. The sextet had debuted “Cortez” on Halloween 2001 and last night was just the fifth time they’ve played it since.

A “Blue Indian”/”Action Man” encore put an exclamation mark on the night. Widespread Panic continues summer tour on Wednesday in Lake Tahoe.

Listen to Jerry and Panic bust out “Cortez The Killer” taped by Bennett Schwartz: