Widespread Panic continued to live it up on Wednesday at Panic en la Playa Trece, the band’s annual getaway in Riviera Maya, Mexico. The sparse precipitation that John Bell casually summoned during the opening night’s “Hatfield” had cleared by morning, giving way to blue skies and sunshine on Wednesday. They say you make your own luck…
After morning yoga and a sticker exchange and a daytime set by Eggy on the Beach Stage, the sun sank lower on the horizon over the Gulf of Mexico and the resort’s courtyard beckoned revelers back for another night of Widespread Panic (Widespread PaNick?). Dave Schools noodled once he took the stage before JoJo Hermann’s piano directed the six-man crew and their galleon into the familiar waters of “Greta”. Before long, interim guitarist Nick Johnson layered in his lines and Schools howled at the Mexican moon. Schools took the lead for a cover of Vic Chesnutt’s “Blight”, rambunctiously repeating the phrase “blue sky” as a weather report of sorts and supplementing the jam with words of wisdom referencing “an enemy to his ears.”
Drummer Duane Trucks carved a percussive path into and through the woods of “Wondering” before Nick Johnson put his best foot forward, showing off his uncanny guitar prowess during “Little by Little” and “Airplane” before truly taking off during a rowdy transition into “Pusherman”, the Curtis Mayfield cover that has gone unplayed by the Panics since 2021’s Nolaween celebration.
Widespread Panic – “Airplane” > “Pusherman” (Curtis Mayfield), “We Walk Each Other Home” – 1/21/26
[Video: Bradford Walker]
An emotionally wrought take on “We Walk Each Other Home” paired with a quick-lipped “Pusherman” showcased JB’s vocal range before the band crawled into a “Conrad” set-closer. The band had shared a practice session video featuring this song (and JB with a backwards cap!) earlier in the week, and Johnson spread his wings like a butterfly on the resulting PELP live take with multifaceted melodic movements and a flutter of tempo changes.
The rolling drums and steady pulse of J.J. Cale’s “Travelin’ Light” set the table for set two before dropping into “Barstools and Dreamers”. After a brief pause, the heavy bassline of “Bear’s Gone Fishin” waded into psychedelic watercolors (“It’s sunny at the edge of the sea”). Without waiting to dry off, the band hiked around bend in the trail and up the switchbacks of “Surprise Valley”. At one point, Panic left the song unfinished and broke it down to enjoy the vantage point as Sunny Ortiz and Duane Trucks begat a percussion duel. That gave way to a bit of Queen’s “Another One Bites the Dust”, which in turn snowballed into Sugar Hill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight”.
Widespread Panic – “Airplane” > “Pusherman” (Curtis Mayfield), “We Walk Each Other Home” – 1/21/26
[Video: Bradford Walker]
The next crossroads brought up Robert Johnson’s “Me and the Devil Blues”. As on the “Smokestack Lightning” from night one, Nick Johnson showed a controlled restraint here, allowing Bell’s hellish growl room to reverberate behind every cascade of guitar riffs. After returning to “Surprise Valley” to complete the torta, the band moved through “Blue Indian” and Bloodkin’s “Henry Parsons Died” Johnson burying any doubts about his ability to man this station as he shoveled dirt on the latter. A bawdy “Blackout Blues” then closed the tab on the second set with a fistful of two-dollar bills.
The band opted for time-tested covers for its two-song encore: First, Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth”, the decades-old protest song whose lyrics still ring true in today’s political climate (“Paranoia strikes deep / Into your life, it will creep / It starts when you’re always afraid / Step out of line, the man come and take you away”); then, Glenn Esparza and Jerry Joseph’s “Climb to Safety”, a retort to the preceding tune’s atmosphere.
Widespread Panic – “For What It’s Worth” (Buffalo Springfield), “Climb to Safety” – 1/21/26
[Video: Bradford Walker]
Later, Karina Rykman kept the party going for the late-night crowd on the Stairway to Heaven Stage until 2 a.m. Halfway through and no turning back. Let’s see who’s still on their feet come Friday. Only the strong survive in the land of open bars and unrelenting sunshine. Good luck all!
Below, check out the full Widespread Panic setlist from night two of Panic En La Playa Trece and a selection of photos from the night. Listen to full audio recordings of every night of Panic En La Playa with your nugs All Access subscription here.
Setlist [via HomeTeam.FM]: Widespread Panic | Panic En La Playa Trece | Hard Rock Hotel | Riviera Maya, Mexico | 1/21/26
Set One: Greta > Blight > Wondering, Little By Little, Airplane > Pusherman, We Walk Each Other Home, Conrad (69 mins)
Set Two: Travelin’ Light > Barstools and Dreamers, Bear’s Gone Fishin’ > Surprise Valley > Drums > Me and the Devil Blues > Surprise Valley, Blue Indian, Henry Parsons Died > Blackout Blues (88 mins)
Encore: For What It’s Worth, Climb To Safety (14 mins)
Notes: Without Jimmy; Entire show w/ Nick Johnson on guitar
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