Widespread Panic Busts Out ‘None Of Us Are Free’ At Red Rocks Opener

Widespread Panic returned to Red Rocks on Friday to kick off a three-night run at the iconic Colorado venue and kept their historic streak alive with their 64th consecutive sellout. WSP delivered an all too appropriate bust out of the Ray Charles and Solomon Burke recorded “None Of Us Are Free” following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade on Friday. The mood was perhaps lightened a little bit, however, by a gorgeous rainbow arching behind the picturesque amphitheatre early in the show.

Panic delivered a particularly funky “Pigeons” to launch their Red Rocks run. Frontman John Bell led the sextet through the opening verses ahead of guitarist Jimmy Herring tearing right into a solo before JB brought the classic home. Chuck Berry’s “Let It Rock” followed and began a three-song seamless section that included an early first set “Chilly Water” which flowed into a cover of Firehose’s “Sometimes.”

Jorma Kaukonen’s “Genesis” commenced an even bigger fully segued section followed by keyboardist JoJo Hermann leading the way on “Big Wooly Mammoth” and a return to “Chilly.” Bassist Dave Schools addressed the Supreme Court decision during his brute co-write “Blight” saying, “Stand by your woman cause her body is her fuckin’ own” and “We are stronger together, we have to stick together.” The band continued on with “Greta” before closing out the first frame with the classic “Space Wrangler.”

The second set began with a cover of Tom Petty’s “You Wreck Me” followed by “You Got Yours.” The vintage staple “C. Brown” kicked off another continuous movement that included “Little Lilly,” which carries the line “don’t believe everything you see,” and “Radio Child” with a jam bridging the two songs to cap the three-song segment.

Another tune to fit the times in “All Time Low” came next followed by Panic’s beloved cover of Neil Young’s “Don’t Be Denied,” a song that certainly carried a new meaning but always evokes memories of late WSP guitarist Michael Houser, whose signature song “Airplane” followed and led into “Diner.” “Ain’t Life Grand” with JB on mandolin counted as second set closer.

WSP returned for the encore with the aforementioned “None of Us Are Free.” Written by Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil and Brenda Russell in 1993, Ray Charles recorded a version that same year with soul singer Solomon Burke including it on his album Don’t Give Up On Me a decade later. Panic last played “None Of Us Are Free” on August 24, 2018 at LOCKN’ for a total gap of 114 shows, as per Painic Stream.

For the Red Rocks bust out, JB changed up the second verse opening line from “people still in darkness” to “People still in office, they can’t see the light.” Panic put an exclamation point on night one with Warren Zevon’s “Lawyers, Guns and Money.” WSP returns to Red Rocks tonight. Livestreams are available via nugs.net.

Watch fan-shot video of “None Of Us Are Free” as well as Schools on “Blight” along with pro-shot video of the show openers and full-show audio via Fatah Ruark’s Live Music Archive below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49B9f71DhEI

Setlist (via PanicStream)

Set One: Pigeons, Let It Rock > Chilly Water > Sometimes, Genesis > Big Wooly Mammoth > Chilly Water > Blight > Greta > Space Wrangler

Set Two: You Wreck Me, You Got Yours, C. Brown > Little Lilly > Jam > Radio Child, All Time Low, Don’t Be Denied, Airplane > Diner, Ain’t Life Grand*

Encore: None Of Us Are Free, Lawyers, Guns And Money

Notes:

*w/ JB on mandolin

– None Of Us Are Free LTP 8/24/18 LOCKN’ (114 Shows)