Widespread Panic Performs ‘L.a.’ For 1st Time Since 2016 At The Ride Festival

Widespread Panic headlined the 2019 Ride Festival with two sets on Friday and one long set on Saturday at Town Park in scenic Telluride, Colorado. The band paid tribute to a late friend on Friday and worked just the second version of a classic instrumental since 2012 into their set of Saturday.

The sextet opened Friday’s first set with a jam they led into the showcase “Bust It Big.” Panic fit the 2019 debut of Jorma Kaukonen’s “Genesis” in the middle of “Bust It Big.” A focus on classics continued with “Contentment Blues” and “You Got Yours” before the band paired “This Part Of Town” and “Old Neighborhood” and covers of Alan Price’s “Sell Sell” and Willie Dixon’s “Tail Dragger” to close out the frame.

Friday was the band’s first show in Telluride since the passing of longtime friend Tom “Bear” Guenther. “Bear” inspired both “Bear’s Gone Fishin'” and “Postcard,” which were both played on Friday. The former came in the middle of a wild second set and the latter came as part of an encore that also featured “Vacation.” Panic kicked off their second set on Friday with the instrumental “B Of D” and later jammed “Airplane” into “Jaded Tourist” before using “Surprise Valley” to bookend a sequence that included “Bear’s Gone Fishin’,” “Red Hot Mama,” “Drums” and Funkadelic’s “Maggot Brain.” WSP ended the set with “Chainsaw City” ahead of the aforementioned “Vacation”/”Postcard” encore.

Widespread Panic delivered a 136-minute catalog-spanning performance on Saturday. John Bell led the band through “Ribs & Whiskey” to start before it was time for one of the group’s newest originals, “Sundown Betty.” Oldies “Holden Oversoul” and “Stop-Go” were followed by “Party At Your Mama’s House.” Last night’s “Stop-Go” saw JB present what PanicStream dubbed a “That Don’t Make It Junk” rap. The set rolled on with “Chunk Of Coal,” “Second Skin” and a cover of ZZ Top’s “Jesus Just Left Chicago.” A few songs later, Panic dusted off the instrumental “L.a.” for the first time since September 16, 2016 and second time since February 18, 2012.

“L.a” bled into “Diner,” which in turn gave way to a cover of Bill Withers’ “Use Me.” Panic toasted Telluride with “May Your Glass Be Filled” and said farewell to the Colorado faithful with their seventh ever version of the Col. Bruce favorite, Cream’s “I’m So Glad.”

Fan-Shot Videos (Captured by Fred Ramadan)

You Got Yours

Airplane

Red Hot Mama

Maggot Brain > Surprise Valley

Vacation > Postcard

Jesus Just Left Chicago

I’m So Glad

Diner > Use Me

Setlists (via PanicStream)

Friday, July 12

Set One: Jam > Bust It Big > Genesis > Bust It Big, Contentment Blues > You Got Yours, This Part Of Town, Old Neighborhood, Sell Sell, Tail Dragger

Set Two: B Of D, Up All Night, Airplane > Jaded Tourist, Surprise Valley > Bear’s Gone Fishin’ > Red Hot Mama > Drums > Maggot Brain > Surprise Valley, Chainsaw City

Encore: Vacation, Postcard

Saturday, July 13

Set: Ribs & Whiskey, Sundown Betty, Holden Oversoul, Stop-Go* > Party At Your Mama’s House, Chunk of Coal, Second Skin, Jesus Just Left Chicago, Little Kin, Action Man, Thought Sausage, Gradle, L.A. > Diner > Use Me, May Your Glass Be Filled, I’m So Glad (136 mins)

* w/ ‘That Don’t Make It Junk’ rap