Pickin’ Party In Nashville: Jarrod Walker Joins Widespread Panic At Ascend Amphitheater

Widespread Panic’s three-show run at Nashville’s Ascend Amphitheater concluded Saturday night with a sit-in from mandolin player Jarrod Walker. WSP also busted out a pair of rarely played Black Sabbath covers on night three of the band’s visit to Music City.

Walker, who is a member of Billy Strings’ band, took the stage to join guitarists John Bell and Jimmy Herring, bassist Dave Schools, drummer Duane Trucks, percussionist Domingo “Sunny” Ortiz and keyboardist JoJo Hermann for the final three songs of Saturday’s first set. Walker’s appearance followed guitarist Daniel Donato joining WSP at Thursday's concert at Ascend Amphitheater.

The guest mandolinist first accompanied a performance of the WSP staple “Little Lilly.” The collaboration continued with Walker picking along to “Pickin’ Up The Pieces.” Drones put on a visual display above the band while the Walker was onstage.

Walker’s stint with Widespread Panic was completed with a mandolin-aided version of “Ain’t Life Grand” that closed out Saturday’s first set. Watch video of Walker sitting in with Widespread Panic below:

Widespread Panic also pulled out something special for the final songs of the second set. The band busted out Black Sabbath’s self-identifying “Black Sabbath” for just its fourth performance and first since 2016. A segue into Black Sabbath’s “Fairies Wear Boots,” which was last played in 2023, followed before a transition back into “Black Sabbath” to complete the set.

Check out video of “Black Sabbath” into “Fairies Wear Boots,” back into “Black Sabbath” captured from the audience of Saturday’s show:

Stream official nugs.net soundboard audio of Saturday’s Widespread Panic concert featuring Jarrod Walker sitting in, Black Sabbath bust outs and more:

Setlist (via PanicStream.com)

Set One: One Arm Steve, Pleas > Bust It Big, Down, Me and the Devil Blues, Space Wrangler, Little Lilly* > Pickin’ Up The Pieces*, Ain’t Life Grand*

Set Two: Thought Sausage, Machine > Barstools and Dreamers, Blue Carousel > Bear’s Gone Fishing > I’m Not Alone, Blight > Halloween Face, I Walk On Guilded Splinters > Drums > Black Sabbath > Fairies Wear Boots > Black Sabbath reprise

Encore: Blue Indian, All Time Low

Notes:

• *w/ Jarrod Walker on mandolin
• LTP ‘Me and the Devil Blues’ 4/19/23 Austin (51 shows)
• Drone show above crowd during Jarrod Walker sit-in
• LTP ‘Black Sabbath’ 10/28/16 Broomfield (264 shows) – 4th all time
• LTP ‘Fairies Wear Boots’ 4/15/23 Austin (54 shows)