After leaving South Carolina in rubble, jam-rock brute squad Widespread Panic shlepped its way over 2000 miles across the country to kick off a three-night extravaganza at The Theater at Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was a brisk night in the desert as attendees pulled themselves away from the roulette wheel, pool bars, and other uncountable distractions of Sin City to get inside the only show that mattered.
Like a match to kindling, Widespread ignited the first show with “Let’s Get Down To Business”, honoring Vic Chesnutt in the opening slot. An uninterrupted “Good People” followed before Panic dusted off “Worry” for the first time this year. The tinkling of JoJo Hermann’s piano revealed a pristine “This Part of Town” built up with purpose until “Little Kin” wreaked its unholy havoc. It was as if Dave Schools threw a Molotov cocktail through a storefront window after a few rounds of shots—all Hell broke loose.
Widespread Panic – “This Part of Town” – 3/11/22
[Video: troop1042]
Wearing a “Riverside Theater” hoodie, Jimmy Herring then loaded the audience onto his personal jumbo jet to navigate “Airplane” to the brink of outer space. To wind down the first frame, Panic performed a hard-hitting “Impossible” before transitioning into a bass-heavy “Machine” and an intoxicating “Barstools & Dreamers”.
Widespread Panic – “Airplane” (Partial) – 3/11/22
As the band stepped offstage for the first time, those in the audience went out to rehydrate, test their luck, and gulp down some of that fresh casino oxygen that’s pumped in through the vents. Right on cue, Widespread Panic returned to the stage to blaze through “Up All Night” to encourage the attendees—and, perhaps, to tease the East Coast fans streaming the show into the wee hours of the morning. JoJo led the bawdy charge into “Blackout Blues” before Jimmy Herring commandeered the helm for an instrumental take on “Party At Your Mama’s House”.
Widespread Panic – “Blackout Blues” – 3/11/22
[Video: troop1042]
John Bell’s vocals and Herring’s axe combined forces for an ice-cold “Tall Boy” before Panic showcased “Halloween Face” for only the 4th time ever. Winking at the band’s past Halloween shows in Las Vegas, the recently debuted tune channeled the spirits of the holiday with spooky lyrics and a dark, doomsday breakdown.
Dave Schools flexed his finger strength for an extensive, bass-heavy barrage of “Second Skin” before covering Leon Russell’s “Stranger in a Strange Land” for the second time ever. The Panics sandwiched Bob Dylan’s “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall” inside the Leon Russell tune, mirroring the pairing used during its debut at The Chicago Theatre late last year.
A psychedelic prelude introduced a fan-favorite cover of War’s “Four Cornered Room” before the band capped the second set with a raucous “Chilly Water”. The free-flowing notes that poured forth from Herring’s corner rivaled the power generated by the nearby Hoover Dam before Duane Trucks and Sunny Ortiz isolated the jam for a succinct percussion breakdown.
Widespread Panic – “Four Cornered Room” (War) – 3/11/21
[Video: Tiny Hat Experiences]
To wrap up the first show of the 2022 Las Vegas run, Widespread Panic returned for an ethereal “Blue Indian” encore before punctuating the night with Warren Zevon’s “Lawyers Guns and Money.” JB aced the appropriate lyrics, “How was I to know / she was with the Russians too?”, “Gambling in Havana / I took a little risk”, and “I’m down on my luck!”.
Here’s hoping the “Tour Rat Pack” can keep it on the straight and narrow (within reason, of course) as the Sin City Panic weekend continues to ramp up tonight. Until tomorrow, Goodpeople. Bet on black.
Listen to a full audio stream of the show via PanicStream.
Setlist: Widespread Panic | Virgin Hotels Las Vegas | Las Vegas, NV | 3/11/22
Set One: Let’s Get Down To Business, Good People, Worry, This Part of Town, Little Kin, Airplane, Impossible, Machine > Barstools and Dreamers (69 mins)
Set Two: Up All Night, Blackout Blues, Party At Your Mama’s House, Tall Boy, Halloween Face, Second Skin, Stranger In A Strange Land > A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall > Stranger In A Strange Land, Four Cornered Room > Chilly Water (91 mins)
Encore: Blue Indian, Lawyers Guns & Money (9 mins)
View this post on Instagram