Widespread Panic Breaks their Own Record with 65th Consecutive Sell-Out at Red Rocks
Rock and roll titans Widespread Panic rolled up their sleeves and went to work on Saturday night, breaking their own record with their 65th consecutive sold-out show at Red Rocks Amphitheatre. As is tradition, the legendary Colorado venue was the place to be on the last weekend of June. The weather held up and the venue remained dry so far this weekend.
The band walked onstage to raucous applause from the tiered benches where the loyal disciples waited anxiously for the second night of music. Dave Schools flicked his cigarette and picked up his bass guitar as the band assumed their respective positions onstage. Getting down to business, a percussive “Rock” opened the show, allowing Jimmy Herring to shred with his golden axe and John Bell to work in his slide guitar.
Related: Widespread Panic Returns To Red Rocks Amphitheatre For 64th Consecutive Sell-Out
Next, JoJo Hermann included a piano-laden introduction to “One Arm Steve” before Schools led the way into the bass-heavy bombardment of “Bear’s Gone Fishin’”. An instrumental cut, “The Take Out”, set the stage for a classic performance of the fan-favorite “Porch Song”.
After a short pause, another instrumental followed in the form of an infernal “Disco” before JB donned the slide once more for a savory “Ribs & Whiskey”. Rounding out the first frame, JoJo introduced a monumental “Bust It Big” sandwich with a voodoo-infused cover of Dr. John’s “I Walk on Guilded Splinters” stuffed in the middle like a Nawlins’ po’ boy.
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Set break allowed the more balanced audience members to climb the countless stairs for refreshments, a bathroom break, or to find friends and loved ones before nightfall. Tour manager Steve Lopez accompanied the band onstage to add percussive flavor during a howlin’ cover of War’s “Slippin’ into Darkness” to open the second set. JB had the goods a-cookin’ during a zesty “Thought Sausage” until finally declaring the gumbo ready for consumption.
Keeping the bass thumpin’, J.J. Cale’s “Travelin’ Light” flew into an expansive “Surprise Valley” sandwich. Layered inside were monster jams, beginning with a mystical “Hatfield”. Channeling an inner energy in a trancelike state, JB recounted the stranger-than-fiction tale of the rainmaker and his brother who ended a drought in Southern California with days of rain and flooding in 1915.
Returning to J.J. Cale’s catalogue, JoJo dished out a sizzling plate of “Ride Me High” before sliding into “Second Skin”. The euphoric sandwich finished with the second half of “Surprise Valley”, the quintessential mountain song (“Kiss the mountain air we breathe!”). Winding down the second set, Widespread Panic performed an emotionally charged cover of Talking Heads’ “Heaven”, perfectly summing up what so many of us were feeling. The Panics zig-zagged through the jaunty rhythms of “Tie Your Shoes” before concluding the second set with a second cover off Talking Heads’ 1977 Fear of Music album, “Life During Wartime”.
Widespread Panic – “Ride Me High” (J.J. Cale) – 6/25/22
Widespread Panic – “Tie Your Shoes” > “Life During Wartime” (Talking Heads) – 6/25/22
For Saturday’s encore, Widespread Panic began slow and steady with JoJo at the helm for a gut-wrenching “Nobody’s Loss” before taking off into a majestic “Saint Ex”. Soaring through the WWII dogfight inspired tune, Panic finished the second night with the bawdy barroom debauchery of “Blackout Blues”.
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With one more night of Widespread Panic at Red Rocks on the horizon, the band has shown that they have plenty of gas in the tank. Now, the question is, do you? Best to bring rain gear tonight. Stay safe and dry, Goodpeople, look out for each other there and everywhere. Until tomorrow. For a full list of Widespread Panic tour dates, click here.
Setlist [via PanicStream]: Widespread Panic | Red Rocks Amphitheatre: Morrison, CO | 6/25/22
Set One: Rock, One Arm Steve, Bear’s Gone Fishin’, The Take Out > Porch Song, Disco, Ribs & Whiskey, Bust It Big > I Walk On Guilded Splinters > Bust It Big (60 mins)
Set Two: Slippin’ Into Darkness*, Thought Sausage, Travelin’ Light, Surprise Valley > Hatfield > Ride Me High > Second Skin > Surprise Valley, Heaven, Tie Your Shoes > Life During Wartime (95 mins)
Encore: Nobody’s Loss, Saint Ex > Blackout Blues (23 mins)
Notes * w/ Steve Lopez on percussion