Widespread Panic Resets The Clock On ‘Time Zones’ In Oakland

Widespread Panic kicked off a three-night stand at Oakland’s Fox Theater on Thursday, almost a decade to the day after their last performance at the venue. The jam titans marked the occasion by reviving “Time Zones” for the first time in more than two and a half years.

Panic’s visit to the Oakland Fox is part of their first extended tour and West Coast run since 2016. Guitarist Nick Johnson is still in the mix while Jimmy Herring recovers from treatment for cancer.

Widespread Panic co-wrote “Time Zones” with longtime collaborator Jerry Joseph. The song last surfaced on December 30, 2023 at the Fox Theater in Atlanta. The track from the band’s 2006 album Earth To America was trotted out after a show-opening sequence of “Airplane,” “Rebirtha,” “Space Wrangler” and “Better Off.”

The sextet continued a focus on material from the 20th Century by following “Time Zones” with “Walkin’ (For Your Love)” and a pairing of “Gradle” and “You Got Yours.” Panic punctuated the set with their beloved cover of Warren Zevon’s “Lawyers Guns & Money.”

An extended “Ribs & Whiskey” filled with fretboard fireworks from Johnson opened set two. Keyboardist JoJo Hermann then led the band through “Big Wooly Mammoth,” ducking from lighters thrown at him during the song’s “Somebody throw me a fire” refrain. A quick romp through “Send Your Mind” followed before Panic dusted off “Sleepy Monkey,” one of their oldest originals, for just the third time since 2023.

Nick Johnson was showcased once again on the ensuing “This Part Of Town,” which flowed into fan-favorite “Pigeons.” From there, “Mercy” gave way to an intense jam propelled by the lockstep rhythm section of drummer Duane Trucks and bassist Dave Schools. The improv quieted to near silence before the band lit into “Good Morning Little Schoolgirl.” The John Bell-sung blues standard began a set-closing sequence that also included “King Baby” and “Fishwater.”

Widespread Panic started the encore with the James Taylor classic “Knocking ‘Round The Zoo.” A rousing “All Time Low” then brought the show to its conclusion.

Listen to an official recording with a nugs subscription and an audience recording of Panic’s Thursday night show in Oakland taped by Z-Man:

Setlist & Photos