After Billy Strings joined Widespread Panic for most of Thursday night’s show, the audience was locked and loaded in anticipation of Friday’s finale at the Chicago Theatre. As always, Panic did not disappoint. The veterans of rock hit their stride early before welcoming a barefoot Jerry Joseph on stage right before set break. Heavy jams, improvised raps, and streams of songs flowing without interruption— behold Widespread Panic in all its glory.

Like a beacon in the night, John Bell‘s vocals shone during an opening performance of Michael Stanley’s “Let’s Get the Show on the Road”. Rotating within the realms of the band’s own repertoire, Panic blazed through “Ain’t Life Grand” and “Little Kin” to get the party started early, Jimmy Herring dousing gasoline on the fire between each hot-handed guitar riff.

Without stopping, Bloodkin’s “Trashy” set up a trio of Everyday songs as a high-voltage “Pleas” stumbled into “Diner”, followed by a contemplative “Wondering”. During the breakdown in “Diner”, JB slunk in the back door for some of “yesterday’s coffee / some donuts I don’t think the mice got to yet / nothing better than the service at the Sunset Diner.”

Winding down the first frame, Dave Schools welcomed Jerry Joseph and recognized JJ for bringing WSP to Chicago with his band, Little Women, “a long time ago.” Joseph traded lead vocals with JB and guitar parts with Herring during “Chainsaw City” before closing out the set with a raucous “North”.

Past halftime, Panic returned to its own playbook, an updated version of Phil Jackson’s triangle offense, with only one cover for the remainder of the night. “Jack” emerged and with it brought one-eyed jesters, mystical jams, and biscuits for all. Schools wrestled “Bears Gone Fishin’” into the set until JoJo Hermann and Herring laced up their boots to chase the tornados of “Tie Your Shoes”.

Sunny Ortiz’s drums announced the advent of “Hatfield”, and JB captured lightning in a bottle again by cooking up a second improvised rap section like the titular rainmaker. He told the story as follows:  “I remember Hatfield’s mama / she’d bring us beer in the summertime / it was so hot, hot, hot / we would just lean back on the hill and watch the clouds go by / his Mama’s place is the place we would go after school / had a glow around the house / around his mama / lil’ sparkle in his and his little brother’s eyes….”

While the rains soaked into the dirt, Duane Trucks counted out the next song, a hard-hitting “Dyin’ Man”. For the first time since 2022, WSP unearthed Solomon Burke’s “None of Us Are Free”, the only cover of set and one of the highlights of the show.

Maintaining momentum, “Cease Fire” > “Jamais Vu” appeared in the same order as on 2015’s Street Dogs’ tracklist before segueing into “King Baby”. Fresh off 2024’s Hailbound Queen, this marked only the 17th time the song was played since its debut at Red Rocks Sunday Service in 2023. Panic has long since taken the training wheels off this fledgling jam, and it’s been a force to be reckoned with among WSP’s abundant arsenal.

With one last transition, Panic bounced into “Love Tractor” to finish out the second set and give the wahooing yahoos a chance to release some of their boisterous energy.

For Friday’s finale, JB thanked “Reverend Jerry Joseph and Mr. Billy Strings,” and Dave Schools commended the audience and city, “Thank you, Chicago, you f*cking rule!” Duane Trucks killed time by hammering out a quick measure of Bell Biv DeVoe’s “Poison”.

Once in position, Widespread Panic encored a pairing of Michael Houser compositions as “Travelin’ Man” rolled into “The Waker” for the 12th time since both were brought off the shelf during 2018’s St. Panic’s weekend in D.C. and 2018’s New Year’s Eve at the Fox Theater in Atlanta, respectively. Still not done, the Panics emptied the tank with one last fan-favorite original, a closing “Blue Indian”.

With Chicago now in the rear view, all eyes lay on the western horizon toward Colorado’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre for WSP’s annual June festivities. Afterwards, the rest of 2025’s schedule is filling up as Asheville, Indianapolis, Boston, Richmond, and Memphis wait patiently in the wings. For tickets and full schedule breakdown, click here.

Travel safe, Good People. See y’all on the Rocks.

Below, watch full fan-shot video from Widespread Panic’s Chicago finale, view photos from the night via Josh Timmermans, and read the full setlist via PanicStream.

Find tickets to upcoming Widespread Panic tour dates here.

Widespread Panic – Chicago Theatre – Chicago, IL – 6/6/25 – Set 1

[Video: Jessi Ware]

Widespread Panic – Chicago Theatre – Chicago, IL – 6/6/25 – Set 2

[Video: Jessi Ware]

Widespread Panic – Chicago Theatre – Chicago, IL – 6/6/25 – Encore

[Video: Jessi Ware]

Setlist [via PanicStream]: Widespread Panic | Chicago Theatre | Chicago, IL | 6/6/25
Set 1: Let’s Get The Show On The Road, Ain’t Life Grand, Little Kin > Trashy > Pleas > Diner > Wondering, Chainsaw City*, North* (79 mins)
Set 2: Jack, Bear’s Gone Fishin’ > Tie Your Shoes > Hatfield > Dyin’ Man, None Of Us Are Free, Cease Fire > Jamais Vu > King Baby > Love Tractor (84 mins)
Encore: Travelin’ Man > The Waker, Blue Indian (15 mins)
* w/ Jerry Joseph on guitar and vocals
Notes:
– LTP ‘Let’s Get The Show On The Road’ 3/05/23 Las Vegas (61 shows)
– ‘Highway To Heaven’ rap during ‘Diner’
– LTP ‘None Of Us Are Free’ 8/27/22 Napa (85 shows)