Today, August 8th, marks the 26th anniversary of Widespread Panic‘s performance at the second day of Aspen Harmony Festival in Aspen, CA when the band shared a bill with the Grateful Dead‘s Bob Weir and his solo outfit, RatDog. Considering the jam synergy between the two groups, it’s no surprise that Weir and members of RatDog accepted the invitation to join forces with Panic during the Athens, GA rockers’ headlining show.
The sit-in came in the middle of Panic’s second set when Weir, along with RatDog drummer Jay Lane and bassist Rob Wasserman, sat in for both “Me And The Devil Blues” and “Pusherman”. Weir then left the stage, but Lane and Wasserman remained for a big jam segment that riffed heavily on the Grateful Dead‘s “The Other One”. Finally, Wasserman left, leaving Lane to rock a “Drums” segment with Panic’s Sunny Ortiz and Todd Nance.
View the full lineup poster for the 1999 Aspen Harmony Festival and check out audio and video of the Widespread Panic set featuring Bob Weir and members of RatDog below.
Widespread Panic w/s/g Bob Weir & RatDog – “Me & The Devil Blues” (Robert Johnson), “Pusherman” (Curtis Mayfield) – 8/8/99
[Video: The Sandbox Channel]
Widespread Panic w/s/g Bob Weir & RatDog – Aspen Harmony Festival – 8/8/99
[Taper unknown; Transferred by Shawn Kempa; Seeded by Mike Ward]
Setlist [via Everyday Companion]: Widespread Panic | Aspen Harmony Festival | Aspen, CO | 8/8/99
Set 1: Love Tractor > Dyin’ Man, Hatfield > The Waker, Big Wooly Mammoth, Machine > Barstools and Dreamers, All Time Low
Set 2: Ain’t Life Grand > Chilly Water, Me And The Devil Blues*, Pusherman*, Jam** > Drums*** > Vacation > Tie Your Shoes > Climb To Safety
Encore 1: Pigeons > One Arm Steve
Encore 2: Red Hot Mama
* with Bob Weir on guitar, Jay Lane on percussion, Rob Wasserman on bass
** with Jay Lane on percussion, Rob Wasserman on bass
*** with Jay Lane on percussion
[‘The Other One’ jam after ‘Pusherman’; Ratdog also appeared]
[Originally published 8/8/17]