With the red carpet already rolled out and the freaks widespread around town, Widespread Panic shuffled back to their positions on stage for another heater Saturday night.   After a day to roam around Las Vegas, last night’s audience showed signs of wear, but their excitement and energy were unwavering.  As WSP emerged from the shadows, Edie Jackson joined them on-stage as the ASL interpreter and 7th member of the band.

John Bell welcomed the crowd with a “How’s everyone doin’ tonight?” before JoJo Hermann led the way into an intoxicating performance of the crowd favorite “Tall Boy”.  Jimmy Herring, with a huge grin on his face, taught a lesson in warp speed to all the space cadets in attendance, as the six-piece charged through a caustic cover of Neil Young’s “Mr. Soul”, with aliens displayed on the backdrop.

Bassist Dave Schools strolled through a sweet “Walkin’ (For Your Love)”, with Hermann jumping back and forth between organ and piano.  John Bell’s brought his emotionally distraught vocals around back-to-back covers of Bloodkin’s “Who Do You Belong To?” and a despairing performance of Cat Steven’s “Trouble”.  The boys haven’t played “Trouble” since the politically charged burner in Birmingham earlier this year, as the tune reappeared once more to tug on some heartstrings.

Picking up steam, Panic kicked it into high gear with a lively version of “Good People”, a musical tribute to their enthusiastic and dedicated crowd.  The drums and bass morphed the restorative “Good People” into a tormented cover of Robert Johnson’s “Me and the Devil Blues.”  John Bell’s cutting vocals pleadingly told the story of the devil arriving to fulfill his end of bargain from a desperate man.  With such a performance, it was hard to tell if Robert Johnson or John Bell sold their souls to the devil (assuming we all know the infamous story of Robert Johnson meeting Satan at the crossroads to exchange his soul for guitar playing abilities).   JoJo Hermann, with his customary baseball cap on tonight, enthralled with his soulful piano playing, which contrasted marvelously with School’s powerfully steady bass.

To end the first set, WSP split “Holden Oversoul” in half with a much-desired cut of the Grateful Dead’s “Cream Puff War” sandwiched in the middle.  This “Cream Puff / Oversoul” sandwich was done for only the fourth time in the band’s history, with “Cream Puff War” being played for the first time since 2016 at the Chicago Theatre.  Jimmy Herring switched guitars mid-song to make this sandwich possible, ending last night’s first set in a very satisfying fashion.

Widespread Panic – “Cream Puff War”

[Video: MrTopdogger]

Many in attendance raced back to their rooms to refuel, while some hit the tables in hopes of getting lucky.  However, the real luck was found within the venue for this spectacular Halloween run, as Widespread Panic kicked the second set into overdrive early.  

Upon return to the stage, Widespread Panic opened the second set with a badass version of the crowd favorite “Postcard”. Las Vegas landmarks were displayed on screen for the breakdown and John Bell’s accompanying lyrics, “Now we’re cookin’ up an ass kickin’ time (didn’t we?)…  This town is nuts! My kind of place; I don’t want to leave, I don’t never, never, never, never want to leave.”

The powerhouse machine kept things rolling with a collection of originals, beginning with the violently energetic “Little Kin”, the opening track off of Ain’t Life Grand.  JoJo Hermann took the lead on vocals with assistance from John Bell and Dave Schools, for the prehistoric bass-heavy romp “Big Wooly Mammoth”. Schools stomped, JoJo’s fingers danced, and Herring engraved lightning bolts around the curvature of the listener’s cranium.  The diabolical mastermind, Dave Schools, was throwing evil laughs into the microphone while thrashing his bass guitar, and was countered evenly by the holy powers of Jimmy Herring in their nightly battle between good and evil.  

WSP transitioned into another scorcher “You Got Yours”, featuring John Bell and Dave Schools leading the way on vocals.  The thumpin’ bass line of “Second Skin” developed into an epic jam with John Bell on slide guitar. After eventually settling into the wandering progression of “Pilgrims”, the boys cooked up another original with the explosive and honest tune, “All Time Low.”  

After a brief pause, Dave Schools introduced “Bear’s Gone Fishin’”, with a flourish of keys provided by JoJo Hermann.  Another pause gave the audience time to collect themselves before a wicked combination that began with a take om George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic’s “Maggot Brain”, featuring a hot-handed Jimmy Herring. The band smoothly segued headfirst into the depths of that cold, cold “Chilly Water”, inviting up actor/comedian Carrot Top to lend a hand on percussion, as Widespread Panic brought the second set to a close.

The encores began in a traditional sense, and ended with a Halloween surprise.  Widespread Panic came back onstage to deliver a beautiful cut of “Visiting Day” from Dirty Side Down.  Widespread Panic last played the tune in Nashville with a tremendous response from the crowd, and again to rowdy excitement last night in Vegas.  However, the roof was blown off the theater when the band kicked things into a cover of Black Sabbath’s “Fairies Wear Boots.”  This Sabbath song hasn’t been played since Widespread’s 2016 Milwaukee run, when the band chose to encore a different Black Sabbath song for every night of Milwaukee and Broomfield’s Halloween runs.

Widespread Panic – “Fairies Wear Boots”

[Video: MrTopdogger]

The Vegas run culminates with one last spooky Halloween spectacle tonight.  All cards have been counted, but there’s no telling how many aces the band has hidden in their wizard cloaks.  This is it boys and girls, time to go all-in. 

Setlist: Widespread Panic | Park Theater | Las Vegas, NV | 10/27/2018

Set One: Tall Boy, Mr. Soul, Walkin’ (For Your Love), Who Do You Belong To?, Trouble, Good People > Me and the Devil Blues, Holden Oversoul > Cream Puff War > Holden Oversoul

Set Two: Postcard, Little Kin, Big Wooly Mammoth > You Got Yours, Second Skin > Pilgrims, All Time Low, Bear’s Gone Fishin’ > Maggot Brain > Chilly Water*

Encore: Visiting Day, Fairies Wear Boots

* w/ Carrot Top on percussion