Widespread Panic made their glorious return to the Hard Rock Hotel in Riveria Maya, Mexico for their 13th annual Panic en la Playa destination event. This year, Panic is without Jimmy Herring, who announced shortly after New Year’s Eve that he would be stepping away temporarily to undergo further treatment for his throat cancer. Atlanta-based guitar slinger Nick Johnson stepped in to pinch-hit for the recuperating wizard and, just as he did on New Year’s Eve at the Fox Theatre, knocked it out of the park.
Change and adaptation are nothing new for Widespread Panic. After losing their founding guitarist Michael Houser to pancreatic cancer in 2002, George McConnell joined the band for a few years before Herring brought his own energy and lightning riffs to the WSP’s signature sound for the past two decades. Now, Nick Johnson has arrived with his own tone and style, and once again, his different pace finds a middle ground between Mikey’s mellow vibe and Jimmy’s relentless, rapid-fire barrage.
Before the music began, WSP’s tour manager Steve Lopez and Cloud9’s Annabel Lukins blessed the crowd with a welcoming toast. While Steve focused on the longevity of PELP (“Spread love. Spread joy. Choose joy”), Annabel tried to define what Home Team means: “If it wasn’t for the Grateful Dead, I wouldn’t be standing up here right now. Bob Weir taught us to wander together and that the music never stopped. Then Todd Snider reminded us to speak our truth through our heart and our humor. And through this, it has led us here… let’s have a toast! First, we’re going to toast to Jimmy. Next, we’re going to toast to listening to the songs that we love and staying connected to each other and to the Home Team ’cause that’s what it’s all about. Let the games begin!”
Kicking off the first of four nights, Widespread Panic stepped onstage and barged into an opening “Disco” inferno. Dave Schools was extra plucky before JoJo Hermann’s hands blurred amidst his layered keyboard rig and set up Nick Johnson for his first solo as WSP’s lead guitarist. Right from the jump, Nick fit like a glove.
Schools segued the instrumental into the waddling rhythm of “Little Lilly”. John Bell sang like an international angel, while Schools and JoJo echoed the harmonies. Nick Johnson bridged verses three and four and remained calm, cool, and collected as the tempo ramped up, biting into his second solo in as many songs. JB and Schools huddled for a vocal call-and-response around the interplay between JoJo’s piano and Johnson’s guitar licks.
JB’s slide guitar cracked “Rock” open like a cold beer in the Mexican sunshine before JoJo unpacked his suitcase full of wonders during a bawdy “One Arm Steve”. Nick Johnson started to settle in, gaining the trust of the band and winning over the loyal but sometimes stubborn fanbase as he buckled down during “Christmas Katie” and “Holden Oversoul”—two songs that Jimmy has typically branded with his hellfire solos. Clearly, the White Wizard passed some magic on to him before retreating to Rivendell for healing.
In between “Katie” and “Holden”, JB stepped front and center for an evocative performance of Bloodkin’s “Trashy”, which has become an unofficial anthem for the band. Just past the standard hour of music, WSP closed out the first frame with Warren Zevon’s “Lawyers, Guns and Money”.
Following set break, Dave Schools anchored the helm with bass bombs on “Rebirtha” and “Sleeping Man” until JB got “Down” on a former WSP drummer Todd Nance’s tune in the middle of the boisterous courtyard. “Hatfield” cooked up some rain before Sunny Ortiz and Duane Trucks charged into a drum-heavy breakdown. Without stopping, the other band members jumped in headfirst into a fan-favorite performance of Winston Riley’s “Arleen”.
Nick Johnson peppered in some tasty licks before turning it over to JB for the grit, sauce, and caws. JoJo teased The Doors‘ “Riders on the Storm” and JB threw down a “Sleepy Monkey” rap. The jams washed ashore into the wind chimes of a “Driving Song” torta with a saucy “Tall Boy” as the meat. Like they did during Sunday’s finale at the Capitol Theatre, Panic remained in the holiday spirit and teased “Little Drummer Boy” before steering back into the second half of “Driving Song”. Finishing off the second set, Nick Johnson added a mind-bending intro to Jerry Joseph’s “North” (“Send me back to MEXICO / Send me back to school!”).
The first encore gave Nick Johnson yet another chance to prove why he is the right man to fill in for Señor Herring. His spacing and composure on Howlin’ Wolf’s classic blues ripper “Smokestack Lightning” was nothing short of masterful. Even moreso, JB clawed and growled along to JoJo’s roadhouse piano like the songwriter’s animal counterpart, making the cover a highlight for many. The lyric “Fare you well” held new meaning after the recent passing of the Grateful Dead’s beloved guitarist Bob Weir.
After howling at the moon, WSP completed the lunar day with a rowdy, closing “Porch Song”—the guacamole on top of a taco to wrap up a delicious first night of Panic en la Playa Trece.
Playa All-Stars held down the fort with an afterparty, but three more days of music remain on the horizon. Sunscreen, water, cerverza, tortas, tequila—you really cannot go wrong at Playa. However, it is a long four days so don’t forget to pace yourself to avoid the crash. I personally would highly recommend any of the restaurants on site, with the BBQ and Thai being highlights of the Hard Rock’s culinary offerings. I still think about that slow-cooked pork shank far too often.
Three more nights ahead. Tie your sandals and buckle up, Good People.
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Widespread Panic – “Disco”, “Little Lilly” – 1/20/26
[Video: BRADFORD WALKER]
Widespread Panic – “Up All Night”, “Trashy” (Bloodkin) – 1/20/26
[Video: BRADFORD WALKER]
Widespread Panic – “Holden Oversoul” – 1/20/26
[Video: BRADFORD WALKER]
Widespread Panic – “Hatfield”, “Drums” – 1/20/26
[Video: BRADFORD WALKER]
Widespread Panic – “Drums”, “Arleen”, “Driving Song” – 1/20/26
[Video: BRADFORD WALKER]
Widespread Panic – “Driving Song”, “North” – 1/20/26
[Video: BRADFORD WALKER]
Widespread Panic – “Smokestack Lightning” (Howlin’ Wolf), “Porch Song” – 1/20/26
[Video: BRADFORD WALKER]
Playa All Stars – “Fire On The Mountain” – 1/20/26
[Video: BRADFORD WALKER]
Widespread Panic | Panic En La Playa Trece | Hard Rock Hotel | Riviera Maya, Mexico | 1/20/265
[Audio: Coloartist]
Setlist: Widespread Panic | Panic En La Playa Trece | Hard Rock Hotel | Riviera Maya, Mexico | 1/20/265
Set 1: Disco > Little Lilly > Rock, One Arm Steve, Christmas Katie > Trashy, Holden Oversoul, Lawyers Guns and Money (63 mins)
Set 2: Rebirtha > Sleeping Man, Down, Hatfield > Drums > Arleen > Driving Song > Tall Boy > Driving Song, North (94 mins)
Encore: Smokestack Lightning, Porch Song (14 mins)