Widespread Panic Breaks Out Rare Covers & Originals At West Coast Tour Finale In L.A.

Widespread Panic wrapped up their first extended West Coast Tour in a decade on Saturday with the final show of a three-night stand at Los Angeles’ Orpheum Theatre. The Georgia rockers kept fans on their toes by loading the setlist with surprises, including tributes to a pair of legendary acts closely associated with the City of Angels: Frank Zappa and The Doors.

Fittingly, the show began with a cover of Tom Waits’ “Goin’ Out West,” which was last played as the final song before the West Coast run a month prior at Red Rocks. Then, after linking the oft-paired “The Take Out” and “Porch Song,” Panic dug in on a run on an “All Time Low” that bled into the blues standard “Spoonful.” Guitarist Nick Johnson, still filling in for Jimmy Herring, led the band into an extended jam on longtime Los Angeles resident Frank Zappa’s “Muffin Man.” Bassist chimed in on vocals, as he did during WSP’s first and only other cover of the song on September 19, 2010 in FZ’s hometown of Baltimore.

Nick Johnson channeled Zappa with tap-heavy licks before “Muffin Man” dissolved into near silence and “We Walk Each Other Home” started. The “walk” continued with the subsequent “Walkin’ (For Your Love).” Widespread Panic then shocked the crowd by dusting off “Meeting Of The Waters.” The band hadn’t played the track from their Ball album since October 26, 2003 — a span of 1,212 shows. A rousing “Love Tractor” brought the first set to a close.

Widespread Panic kept the energy high by launching set two with beloved staples “Fishwater,” “Space Wrangler” and “Vacation.” Another surprise followed with the return of “Galleon” after 150 shows and nearly four years. The rare, unreleased instrumental was penned by late Widespread Panic co-founding guitarist Michael Houser. Performances of “Galleon” on June 25, 2017 and August 10, 2022 were the only versions played by Houser’s bandmates since his death until Saturday night.

“Galleon” gave way to “Driving Song,” which yielded “Breathing Slow,” aka the “Driving End Jam” for the first time since April 14, 2024. Schools then teamed with drummer Duane Trucks to pound out the intro to “Honky Red.” A standalone “Hatfield” came next before Panic lit into the JoJo Hermann showcase “Bust It Big.”

Widespread Panic still had another surprise in store as they wrapped the closing stanza with “Roadhouse Blues.” The Doors cover was debuted by Panic on January 25, 2022 and then played again on December 29, 2023 before returning to the setlist for the third time on Saturday. 2023 was also the time time the group covered Neil Young’s “Last Dance” until they kicked off the encore in L.A. with the Time Fades Away classic. The concert and tour then concluded with the apropos “End Of The Show.”

Tap below to watch audience-shot video of the last three songs of Widespread Panic’s L.A. run:

Official Audio (via nugs)

Setlist (via Everyday Companion)

Set One: Goin’ Out West, The Take Out > Porch Song, All Time Low > Spoonful > Muffin Man > We Walk Each Other Home, Walkin’ (For Your Love), Meeting of the Waters > Love Tractor

Set Two: Fishwater, Space Wrangler, Vacation, Galleon > Driving Song > Breathing Slow > Honky Red, Hatfield, Bust It Big > Roadhouse Blues

Encore: Last Dance, End Of The Show

[Last ‘Meeting of the Waters’ – 10/26/03, 1212 shows; Last ‘Muffin Man’ – 09/19/10, 743 shows]