Like local dads hovering over a grill at a barbecue, Widespread Panic fired up festivities at the Orion Amphitheater in Huntsville, Alabama last night. The only thing hotter than the midsummer ‘Bama heat was the scorching Panic jams, juicy and loaded with flavor, gumption, and intent.
Just after 8:00 p.m., the six-piece band shuffled casually onstage and kicked the show off with a heavy improvisation section. In the middle of the hullabaloo, keyboardist JoJo Hermann grabbed the wheel and steered the music into “One Arm Steve”. A brief pause begat a rippin’ “Little Kin” that teetered on the verge of insanity due to Jimmy Herring’s relentless lead guitar.
Embarking into consecutive covers, Dave Schools’ bass introduced Neil Young’s “Vampire Blues” before John Bell’s numinous voice sharpened its edge amidst Cat Steven’s “Trouble”. This marked the first time this cover was played since 2020’s final show of the five-night short stack at New York’s Beacon Theatre.
Getting back into their own catalog, the Panics cracked open a frosty “Tall Boy” to temporarily abate the all-encompassing heat. A trickle became a deluge as “Hatfield” was summoned to “bring rain for L.A.” (hot damn, indeed!). JB included a succinct improvised rap before JoJo’s organ introduced a heavy-hitting “You Got Yours”.
Dave Schools’ echoing vocal harmonies faded out as he picked up on a distinctive pairing of bass notes that resounded into a haunting rendition of Vic Chesnutt’s “Aunt Avis”. Before stabling their stallion of a first set, the men of Widespread Panic reined in “Space Wrangler”, unbridling the powerful beast to trot, canter, and gallop through the tempo changes.
After failing to address the audience to open the show, JB atoned for his uncommon lapse of manners by welcoming everybody with “Hello, Huntsville!” Getting back to business, Panic tumbled into an opening “All Time Low” featuring another nod to the nearby U.S. Space & Rocket Center with the lyrics, “Like the space around me / I take my spot in time.”
The unsustainable momentum crash-landed into Van Morrison’s “Send Your Mind” before the band tied on one of the recent additions to its collection, the alluring “Tackle Box Hero”. This performance was only the fifth time that the new original was played since its debut earlier this year at Panic en la Playa Once. Hermann and Herring demonstrated impeccable chemistry during their exchanges and interplay here.
The band took flight into a rollercoaster-ride “Saint Ex” next, soaring through the musical interpretation of a WWII pilot’s dogfight. Following a brief pause, a Daniel Hutchens-penned composition, Bloodkin’s “Trashy”, began a string of unbroken jams as well as a hefty, double-decker song sandwich.
The percussive intro to “Papa’s Home” broke down into a piano-led transition into Traffic’s “Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys”. Halfway through, the bottom fell out once more, like a Scooby-Doo staircase, and the music cascaded into the jaunty melody of “Tie Your Shoes”.
Dave Schools teased Little Feat’s “Spanish Moon” briefly before making the ascent into the latter halves of “Low Spark” and “Papa’s Home”, respectively. Without a true drums section, Sunny Ortiz and Duane Trucks banged their kits with fervor to close out the uninterrupted sequence. Not quite done yet, Panic tacked on a cover of Tom Petty’s “You Wreck Me” to end the second set.
Back onstage for a victory lap, Widespread Panic encored with a mellow “Nobody’s Loss” featuring poignant vocal harmonies between JoJo and JB. Warren Zevon’s “Lawyers, Guns and Money” finally capped a fiery first night.
Two more nights lay ahead, and it’s full speed ahead. Stay hydrated, folks. This rocket ship ain’t gonna pilot itself. Prepare for takeoff.
For a full list of upcoming Widespread Panic shows, head here. Click below for a selection of videos from Friday’s Widespread Panic show at the Orion Amphitheater in Huntsville, AL and scroll down to view the full setlist.
Widespread Panic – “Vampire Blues” (Neil Young) – 7/28/23
[Video: Mike Wallace]
Widespread Panic – “Low Spark of High Heeled Boys” (Steve Winwood) – 7/28/23
[Video: Mike Wallace]
Widespread Panic – “You Wreck Me” (Tom Petty) – 7/28/23
[Video: Mike Wallace]
Widespread Panic – “Lawyers, Guns and Money” (Warren Zevon) – 7/28/23
[Video: Michael Wilker]
Setlist [via PanicStream]: Widespread Panic | Orion Amphitheater | Huntsville, AL | 7/28/23
Set One: Jam > One Arm Steve, Little Kin, Vampire Blues, Trouble [1], Tall Boy, Hatfield, You Got Yours, Aunt Avis, Space Wrangler (70 mins)
Set Two: All Time Low > Send Your Mind, Tackle Box Hero, Saint Ex, Trashy > Papa’s Home > Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys > Tie Your Shoes > Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys > Papa’s Home, You Wreck Me (79 mins)
Encore: Nobody’s Loss, Lawyers Guns and Money (10 mins)
[1] LTP 3/01/20 NYC (101 shows)
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