Room At The Top: Duane Betts Joins Widespread Panic Atop Mountain In Wyoming

Widespread Panic kicked off their first extended tour in a decade on Sunday at the idyllic Snow King Amphitheatre in Jackson, Wyoming. Guitarist Duane Betts sat-in with Panic on the final two songs of their second set on the summit stage at the venue located roughly 8,000 feet from sea level.

The sextet returned to Jackson nearly 20 years after their last performance in town. Widespread Panic will be on the road through July 25, with two shows in Montana followed by an extensive West Coast run. Nick Johnson is still holding the lead guitar seat while Jimmy Herring continues to recover from treatment for throat cancer.

Widespread Panic focused solely on classic original material for their first set in Jackson. The eight-song frame included such favorites as “Little Lilly,” “Can’t Set High,” “Tall Boy,” “Walkin’ (For Your Love)” and “Space Wrangler.”

A cover of Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth” got the second set underway. The band then nodded to the venue’s name with “King Baby,” the lone original from the 21st century to make the setlist last night. “Sleeping Man” followed along with a seamless sequence featuring a “Rebirtha” amid “Driving Song” trailed by “The Last Straw.”

Wyoming resident Duane Betts took the stage with Widespread Panic for the ensuing “Mountain Jam.” Panic hadn’t played the Allman Brothers instrumental since July 25, 2022 — a span of 140 shows. The lineup who tore through “Mountain Jam” for over 20 minutes included multiple ties to the ABB, as Duane is the son of late co-founding guitarist Dickey Betts and WSP drummer Duane Trucks is the nephew of late co-founding drummer Butch Trucks.

Duane Betts, making his Widespread Panic debut, took the first “Mountain Jam” solo before keyboardist JoJo Hermann let it rip on organ and Nick Johnson shredded. Betts and Johnson connected on the “Third Stone From Sun”-esque riff to lead the ensemble through the second major movement of the instrumental based on Donovan’s “There Is A Mountain.”

The guest guitarist stuck around after the seven musicians concluded “Mountain Jam” to lend a hand on “Bowlegged Woman” to bring the second set to a close. Widespread Panic then began the encore with the fitting “Room At The Top.” The version was the band’s first since they debuted the Tom Petty cover on March 24, 2024 in St. Augustine, Florida. Panic said farewell to Wyoming with an “Ain’t Life Grand” finale.

Watch fan-shot video of Duane Betts sitting in on “Mountain Jam” and stream Z-Man’s audience recording of the complete Widespread Panic show in Jackson, Wyoming below:

Setlist (via EverydayCompanion.com)

Set One: Little Lilly, Send Your Mind, Ribs And Whiskey, Can’t Get High, Tall Boy, I’m Not Alone, Walkin’ (For Your Love), Space Wrangler

Set Two: For What It’s Worth, King Baby, Sleeping Man, Driving Song > Rebirtha > Driving Song > The Last Straw, Mountain Jam*, Bowlegged Woman*

Encore: Room at the Top, Ain’t Life Grand

Entire show with Nick Johnson on guitar

* with Duane Betts on guitar

[Without Jimmy]