Widespread Panic continued its tour de force with a second consecutive night of heavy-hitting rock and roll at the Riverside Theater in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Not only is Milwookie one of Panic’s favorite places to play (last night was the 47th time WSP performed in the city), it’s also a cherished destination for the fans. Even though this particular breed of music maven will travel just about anywhere on the globe to see their favorite band, the mecca to the Riverside Theater is as respected as voyaging to Colorado for June’s shows at Red Rocks Amphitheatre or New Year’s Eve at the illustrious Fox Theatre in Atlanta (honorable mention: the swamps of St. Augustine for The Amp).
Without hesitation, Panic zealots braved the plummeting temperatures to lock in for Saturday night’s special. Soon after 8 p.m., the lights turned low and the instrumentals flowed early as an opening “The Take Out” was ordered, bagged, and delivered alongside a tasty “Driving Song” sandwich. WSP cruised down the familiar backroads into “B of D” (the second instrumental in three songs) for the meat of the sandwich.
After finishing the second half of “Driving Song”, Duane Trucks and Sunny Ortiz laid the framework for “Porch Song” without stopping. John Bell’s vocals captivated during “We Walk Each Other Home” before Jimmy Herring branded his signature guitarwork onto both “Christmas Katie” and “Radio Child” in rapid-fire succession.
A longer pause allowed Jimmy’s amplifier and tubes time to cool off before JoJo Hermann broke the silence during a heart-wrenching rendition of “Don’t Wanna Lose You”. JB harmonized with JoJo during the chorus before commandeering the vocals for the second verse. JoJo’s piano and Jimmy’s guitar both had time to shine until Dave Schools redirected the music in favor of the bass barrage of NRBQ‘s “Flat Foot Flewzy”.
Schools also took lead vocals on the first cover of the evening. However, the bassist did more than hold down a thumping rhythm and sing. The big man threw down a colorful, improvised “Repo Man” rap into the set-closing cover:
“Hey, I know it’s got some commercials but Repo Man is on TV / would you like to come and maybe have some popcorn and watch Repo Man with me tonight / Saturday Night Live / Monday Night Football / These are just some of my favorite shows / How would you feel if I just snuck my arm around your shoulder while we was watching that TV / ya know, when we get to the scene where Harry Dean Stanton’s dad gets in the car and flies off into the cosmos / that’s when I look at you and say, ‘You know baby, you’re okay!’ / It’s all about love for me and you / ‘Cause flying saucers are… time machines / That’s right, flying saucers are time machines / and if you believe that then I will sell you a fridge over there in some other town in Wisconsin…”
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Past the midway point in the run, Panic opened the entirely original second set with an explosive “From the Cradle” that immediately revived the energy. Another soul-crusher followed as JB took lead on “Down”, written by fallen drummer Todd Nance, amidst JoJo’s swirling organ.
Jimmy Herring stayed red-hot throughout “Holden Oversoul”, taking the liberty to solo during each of the first three songs that opened the second set. JB transformed his voice into a spiritual scalpel to cut through “Mercy” before WSP constructed “Machine” for the third instrumental of the show.
As is tradition, Panic chased the jaunty lurching instrumental with a potent double-shot of funk during “Barstools and Dreamers”. Mixing the old with the new, Panic offered a stark contrast between a screamin’, high-voltage “Little by Little” and the mellow, wholesome tones of “Vacation”.
With the finish line in sight, Widespread flew from the mellowed perch into the tangerine and cotton candy psychedelic skies of “Pigeons”. The audience bobbed their heads to resemble the titular animal. After one final transition, JB summoned the spirit of Saratoga as “Action Man” closed the second set with saddles and guns a-blazing.
For Saturday’s encore, Widespread Panic returned to perform Jimi Hendrix’s “Little Wing” for only the 4th time in the last 18 years. This was only the second cover of the night and was the highlight of the night for many. For the final song of the night, WSP returned to their own catalog to finish in euphoric celebration with “Ain’t Life Grand”.
Listen back to Saturday’s show here and scroll down to view the full setlist.
One more show ahead for Milwaukee. Time to buck up, brew down, and dance and sing until your feet and throat hurt. Look out for one another. Let’s show the casuals what professionals look like.
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Setlist: Widespread Panic | Riverside Theater | Milwaukee, WI | 10/25/25
Set 1: The Take Out, Driving Song > B of D > Driving Song > Porch Song, We Walk Each Other Home, Christmas Katie > Radio Child, Don’t Wanna Lose You, Flat Foot Flewzy (60 mins)
Set 2: From the Cradle, Down, Holden Oversoul, Mercy > Machine > Barstools and Dreamers, Little By Little, Vacation, Pigeons, Action Man (80 mins)
Encore: Little Wing, Ain’t Life Grand (10 mins)