Festival Flashback: Widespread Panic Welcomes Sturgill Simpson At Trondossa On This Date In 2018

Widespread Panic closed out the inaugural Trondossa Festival with help from Sturgill Simpson on this date in 2018. Simpson emerged at the end of Panic’s first of two sets on the second day of the event to sit-in on a pair of covers at Riverfront Park in North Charleston, South Carolina.

The Trondossa Festival was named by event co-hosts Widespread Panic in honor of one of Col. Bruce Hampton’s favorite songs. David Earl Johnson penned “Trondossa” and Col. Bruce & the Aquarium Rescue Unit released their take on the song on 1993’s Mirrors Of Embarrassment. Widespread Panic debuted their version of “Trondossa” as the penultimate song of the festival. Trondossa returned in 2019 and was set to take place again on May 16 & 17, 2020 but was canceled due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Widespread Panic was joined on the lineup for Trondossa 2018 by Simpson, Margo Price, Moon Taxi, Hiss Golden Messenger and Big Something. Both Panic and Simpson performed at both days of the festival. Sturgill emerged towards the end of WSP’s first set for a cover of JJ Cale’s “Ride Me High.” Simpson dueled with Panic guitarist Jimmy Herring throughout the +13-minute take that eventually gave way to a rendition of the Beatles’ “Come Together.” Sturgill and Widespread’s John Bell dueted on the song from the Fab Four’s Abbey Road LP.

Watch footage of the “Ride Me High”/”Come Together” pairing:

Listen to audio of Sturgill’s collaboration with Widespread Panic thanks to PanicStream and Team Dirty South below:

Setlist (via Everyday Companion)

Set One: Porch Song, Sundown Betty, Henry Parsons Died, Machine > Barstools and Dreamers, City of Dreams, Ride Me High* > Come Together**

Set Two: Pleas > Chilly Water, Genesis, Walkin’ (For Your Love), Tall Boy, Arleen > Jam > Drums > Airplane > Trondossa > Conrad

• * with Sturgill Simpson on guitar
• ** with Sturgill Simpson on guitar/vocals

[First ‘Trondossa’; Entire show with Edie Jackson, sign language interpreter; Slow ‘Porch Song’; ‘Sundown Betty’ with inverted intro; Fireworks display during ‘Conrad’]

[Originally Published: May 6, 2020]