Widespread Panic Delivers Rarities & Classics At 1st Of 3 At Red Rocks

Widespread Panic has a long history of performing at the famed Red Rocks Amphitheater that dates back to September 14, 1991, when they appeared as part of a bill that also featured Blues Traveler and Acoustic Junction. On Friday night the Southern-jam titans returned to their home away from home to kick off a three-night run that by its end will bring their total number of appearances at the venue to 61 and even more impressively bring their total number of consecutive sellouts to 57.

Widespread Panic opened up their first show since a pair of headlining sets at their Trondossa Festival early last month with a venue appropriate cover of Bob Dylan’s “Solid Rock.” From their keyboardist JoJo Hermann took the band through “One Arm Steve.” Panic next reached for a pair of lesser played tunes from their mid-1990s output serving “Glory” and “Contentment Blues” for 43 and 78 time ever respectively. Van Morrison deep cut “Send Your Mind” followed. Bassist Dave Schools fronted the sextet on Vic Chesnutt’s “Sleeping Man” which kicked off an extended run of fan-favorites as WSP dropped “Space Wrangler” in the middle of “Driving Song” ahead of the set-closing take on J.J. Cale’s “Travlin’ Light.”

The Georgia rockers got their second frame of the evening going with the one-two punch of “Protein Drink” > “Sewing Machine.” Panic continued to dig up rarities offering up “1X1” a composition that Hermann brought over from his days in Beanland, “Happy” and “B Of D” all of which have been played less than 100 times each since being debuted last century. “Love Tractor” continued the old-school feel to the mid-portion of the set. John Bell & Co. dusted off their version of Dr. John’s “I Walk On Guilded Splinters” next serving it up for the first time since February 28, 2017 – a span of 42 shows. Talking Heads’ “Papa Legba” and Robert Johnson’s “Stop Breakin’ Down Blues” brought their second of six sets in Morrison, Colorado to an end. Widespread Panic returned to the stage for a two-song encore offering up “You Got Yours” and “Climb To Safety” closing out a night that was heavy on vintage songs.

Widespread Panic continues their three-night Red Rocks run tonight. A webcast is available via nugs.tv.

[Solid Rock]

[Protein Drink | Captured by wspanicbrad]

[Sewing Machine | Captured by wspanicbrad]

[I Walk On Guilded Splinters | Captured by Mr Topdogger]

Setlist (via PanicStream)

Set I: Solid Rock, One Arm Steve, Glory, Contentment Blues, Send Your Mind, Sleeping Man > Driving Song > Space Wrangler > Driving Song, Travelin’ Light (65 mins)

Set II: Protein Drink > Sewing Machine, 1×1, Happy, B of D, Love Tractor > Drums > I Walk On Guilded Splinters > Papa Legba, Stop Breakin’ Down Blues (90 mins)

Encore: You Got Yours, Climb To Safety (14 mins)