Last night, the titans of rock and roll in Widespread Panic retook the stage at the Riverside Theater to conclude their three-day celebration in Milwaukee, WI. The swamp rockers didn’t waste time as they rifled through their extensive catalog, rare covers from Jerry Garcia, Allen Toussaint, Warren Zevon, and Neil Young, as well as a double encore that included a Motörhead bust out.

As the six band members settled into their positions onstage and the rowdy crowd settled down, an inspiring cover of Pops Staples’ “Hope in a Hopeless World” kicked off Sunday Service before Dave Schools settled into the bouncing rhythm of “Weight of the World”. Jimmy Herring kicked open the porch door of an expansive “Holden Oversoul” to run unbridled until the bottom dropped out for a blazing take on Jerry Garcia’s “Cream Puff War”. For only the sixth time in the band’s storied history, WSP returned to “Holden Oversoul” to complete this sandwich.

John Bell showed off his country-fried vocals during a sizzling “Contentment Blues” before JoJo Hermann took the helm for a piano-laden rendition of “This Part of Town”. Breaking up the sequence of originals, Panic performed Bloodkin’s “Can’t Get High”, marking an appearance from the fellow Athens, GA rockers in the first set every night this run.

Keeping the jams cooking, JB stirred his cauldron of goods to “make rain for L.A.” during “Hatfield”. As is tradition, the tune featured a mystical improvisation from the depths of JB’s unfathomable imagination, “Dog faced clouds; all smiles and ears.” Closing out the first frame, JoJo switched to his organ for a comradely version of Jerry Joseph and Glenn Esparza’s “Climb To Safety”.

Widespread Panic – “Hatfield” – 10/23/22 – Partial

[Video: Azaremba1]

Panic elected to continue with Jerry Joseph’s oeuvre when the band came back for the second set, inviting tour manager, Steve Lopez, onstage for the second time this weekend to help perform “Chainsaw City”. Schools switched gears as he abandoned the reggae rhythm for a pulsating barrage of “Second Skin” and “Rebirtha”. With the World Series lineup finalized last night (Phillies v. Astros), the lyrics, “I know a town where real life’s a game / and baseball’s all that’s real / At night all the faces light up / as the players take the field” hit especially home for celebrating—or commiserating—fans.

Consecutive covers followed as a hard-hitting take on Van Morrison’s “Send Your Mind” preceded Allen Toussaint’s “On Your Way Down” for only the seventh time ever after an eight-year hiatus ended during 2019’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre
 run. A descending segue plunged into the unknown void of “Proving Ground” before washing up along the shores of Neil Young’s “Mr. Soul”.

Afterward, the band cleared the stage to give Duane Trucks and Sunny Ortiz space to duel on their respective kits until returning to shoot down a soaring “Saint Ex”. Without stopping, the Panics cracked open a crispy, cold “Tall Boy” before racing down the stretch of the second set to finish strong with a galloping “Action Man” and bawdy cover of Warren Zevon’s “Lawyers Guns & Money”.

Widespread Panic walked back onstage for what many assumed was the final time of the night to meander its way through “Pilgrims”. In one of the most lyrically appropriate ways to end a Sunday night, Panic switched gears for the second Neil Young cover of the show with “Last Dance” (“Monday morning / Wake up / It’s time to go to work!”).

However Widespread wasn’t ready to call it quits just yet. Instead, Panic dusted off Motörhead’s “Ace of Spades” for the first time since the Vegas Halloween run of 2017. Badass debauchery ensued as one would expect.

Widespread Panic – Riverside Theater – Milwaukee, WI – 10/23/22 – Full Audio

Widespread Panic rolls on to Savannah, GA this weekend for Halloween shows on October 28th and 29th before ringing in the New Year with festivities scheduled at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on December 30th and 31st. The only shows currently slated for 2023 require a passport for the 11th iteration of Panic en la Playa. Safe travels home, Good People.

Setlist: Widespread Panic | Riverside Theater | Milwaukee, WI | 10/23/22

Set One: Hope In A Hopeless World, Weight of the World, Holden Oversoul > Cream Puff War > Holden Oversoul, Contentment Blues, This Part of Town, Can’t Get High, Hatfield > Climb To Safety (63 mins)

Set Two: Chainsaw City*, Second Skin > Rebirtha > Send Your Mind, On Your Way Down > Proving Ground > Mr Soul > Drums > Saint Ex > Tall Boy > Action Man > Lawyers Guns & Money (98 mins)

Encore One: Pilgrims, Last Dance (19 mins)

Encore Two: Ace of Spades (4 mins)

Notes * w/ Steve Lopez on percussion

– 6th time band has sandwiched ‘Cream Puff War’ with ‘Holden Oversoul’

– ‘Ace of Spades’ LTP 10/27/17 Las Vegas (159 shows)