When ya double down, ya double up! Back in business, the unstoppable vehicle of Widespread Panic rumbled onward Tuesday night, keeping the jams flowing for the second consecutive night at the Fox Theatre. Waiting in the wings like the bridesmaid who caught the bouquet, Billy Strings remained on-hand to accompany the band in Atlanta, appearing mighty comfortable adding his twangy tone, spry energy, and blistering licks to the Widespread Panic sound.

Reminiscent of 2018’s Sunday Service at Red Rocks Amphitheatre when Panic opened both sets with “Let’s Get The Show on the Road” and “Let’s Get Down to Business”, WSP opened with Michael Stanley’s “Let’s Get The Show on the Road” (after opening with LGDTB on N1). The evocative vocalist, John Bell, belted out his fellow Cleveland native’s lyrics with the desperate anguish of a condemned man a-waiting his sentencing.

After the opener cut to the bone, Panics sandwiched the windchimes and wholesomeness of “Driving Song” around an uplifting “Pleas”. The eager audience joined in the chorus of “Pleas” for a rowdy symphony of vocal ranges and pitches. From this point onward, the six-piece powerhouse kept its foot on the gas and didn’t stop until set break.

JoJo Hermann’s organ and Dave Schools‘ bass-heavy barrage cast their lures into “Bear’s Gone Fishin’” before the skies darkened for “Saint Ex”. The hurricane winds and bawdy piano of “Greta” grounded the jam as JoJo took lead vocals on the raucous ditty.

Without letting the note fade into silence, Schools chiseled out the punchy bass intro of Calvin Carter and Bobby Rush’s “Bowlegged Woman”. After Jimmy Herring’s lightning solo and Dave Schools’ quick tease of Pink Floyd’s “Interstellar Overdrive”, John Bell added an improvised rap to the performance and reprised Sly and the Family Stone’s “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)”. Schools and the audience didn’t miss a beat and immediately contributed enthusiastically to the tease.

Racing to setbreak, WSP staked everything on the longshot horse, “Action Man”. JB warned that “Ya ain’t see nothin’ yet,” a promise that rang especially true from Saratoga to Atlanta, considering the second set on the horizon. Finally, after over an hour of unbroken jams, the band stopped playing and stepped offstage.

Past the halfway point and not looking back, Sunny Ortiz introduced “Rock” and soon JB’s slide guitar danced among a downpour of percussion. Bloodkin’s “Henry Parsons Died” shed melodies in favor of a serpentine, 17-minute “Second Skin”.

Following a segue inspired by Beck’s “Where It’s At”, a jumpin’ “Jack” flashed back to the Feudal Age in a fabled story of wizards, jesters, kings, queens, and, namely, one-eyed jacks. Spreading their sonic wings, “Pigeons” perched in the middle of the second set to enthrall the audience to bob their heads in imitation of the titular creature. The heavy riffs of Vic Chesnutt’s classic combination “Protein Drink / Sewing Machine” would be the last songs played as a six-piece.

Billy Strings emerged from the shadows offstage once more. The crowd roared and thanked the gods, old and new, for their newly discovered luck. A hellacious, 13-minute “Mercy” blazed with additional firepower as Jimmy and Billy tangoed with the devil and granted him no quarter during an intense breakdown.

The seven-piece (Stringy Panics) remained in its own catalog after a bombastic segue built into a behemoth “Bust It Big”. Closing out the second set, JB retook the vocal helm for a wet and wild “Chilly Water” finale. Schools posthumously dubbed the performance “Billy well water” before walking offstage.

As expected, Billy Strings returned with Widespread Panic for the Tuesday encore in Atlanta. Showing off his vocal prowess, Billy shared vocal duties with JB to kick off the two-song encore with “Pickin’ Up the Pieces”. Strings has covered the song six times in the past three years with his eponymous, arena-filling jamgrass band, and on Tuesday extended it with flatpicking perfection. JB then retook the vocal helm to wrap the year’s penultimate amid the swirling organ of Jerry Joseph and Glenn Esparza’s “Climb to Safety”. The sold-out crowd participated vocally and brought this show home in enthusiastic unison, ending at the stroke of midnight.

Tonight is New Year’s Eve. It seems Billy Strings has nowhere else to be, so hopefully he will remain jamming with a few of his musical idols. For the ones ringing in the New Year together at the Fox or apart from the festivities, God bless and be safe. Look out for another so we can live to enjoy the upcoming year. Happy New Year, Goodpeople!

Check out videos and audio of Billy Strings’ latest sit-in with Widespread Panic in Atlanta below. Tickets for tonight’s New Year’s Eve finale are hard to come by, and given the last two nights of collaborations, they’re not likely to fall in price anytime soon. Good luck and godspeed. Try CashorTrade, StubHub, or VividSeats.

Widespread Panic, Billy Strings — “Mercy” — 12/30/25

[Video: MrTopdogger]

Widespread Panic, Billy Strings — “Chilly Water” — 12/30/25

[Video: MB1 Music]

Widespread Panic, Billy Strings — “Pickin’ Up The Pieces” — 12/30/25

[Video: MrTopdogger]

Widespread Panic — Fox Theatre — Atlanta, GA — 12/30/25 — Full Audio

[Audio: tarheelmike1]

Setlist: Widespread Panic | Fox Theatre | Atlanta, GA | 12/30/25

Set One (8:13p–9:20p): Let’s Get the Show on the Road (Michael Stanley), Driving Song > Pleas > Driving Song > Bear’s Gone Fishing, Saint Ex, Greta, Bowlegged Woman (Bobby Rush) [1], Action Man
Set Two (10:01p–11:40p): Rock, Henry Parsons Died (Bloodkin), Second Skin [2], Jack, Pigeons, Protein Drink (brute.) > Sewing Machine (brute.), Mercy [3] > Bust It Big [3], Chilly Water [3]
Encore (11:43p–12:00a): Pickin’ Up The Pieces [4], Climb to Safety (Jerry Joseph, Glenn Esparza)

[1] w/ “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)” rap
[2] w/ “Where It’s At” (Beck) tease (JoJo)
[3] w/ Billy Strings on guitar
[4] w/ Billy Strings on guitar & vocals

“Billy Well Water” – DAS end of 2nd Set