Widespread Panic made their glorious return to the Capitol Theatre last night, rekindling the same unruly spark they captured on Sunday Show, the 2020 live album culled from their last visit to the Port Chester, NY venue in 2019. Inside the sub-2,000-cap room, the band once again unleashed unbridled fury and raw grit as they tore through their deep blues-rock repertoire and paid tribute to Todd Snider, Todd Nance, and Daniel Hutchens.

The fans erupted as the house lights dimmed and WSP took their respective positions onstage. Once settled, the slow rolling beat of “Wondering” accelerated into Van Morrison’s “Send Your Mind” before easing into “Good People”. Without splitting the song or adding the nefarious “Dark Bar” section, WSP took their foot off the gas to stop mid-song.

Dressed mostly in black and aglow in purple stage lights, the road-hardened veterans honored their fallen friend Todd Snider with a long moment of silence. Snider, who passed last week, was an avowed fan of Widespread Panic, name-checking them in his classic song, “Conservative Christian, Right Wing, Republican, Straight, White, American Males” and joining the band for an extended sit-in at the Ryman Auditorium in his adopted hometown of Nashville in 2019. In 2013, he recruited WSP bassist Dave Schools and drummer Duane Trucks to form the supergroup Hard Working Americans with guitarist Neal Casal and keyboardist Chad Staehly (Great American Taxi), later adding lap steel guitarist Jesse Aycock. The band combined the jammed-out Southern rock of Widespread Panic with Snider’s penchant for storytelling, releasing a self-titled studio debut in 2014 and following it up with Rest in Chaos in 2016.

After finishing out the back end of “Good People”, Panic cantered into “Space Wrangler”. Jimmy Herring kicked his spurs into his trusty steed, galloping with guns and saddles a-blazing until settling into “Walkin’ (For Your Love)”.  Schools echoed John Bell’s vocals and strolled through the tune with a leisurely gait.

Musical tributes to Todd Nance and Daniel Hutchens followed as “Down” and Bloodkin’s “Trashy” were dealt in succession. Both of the fallen friends would have celebrated their birthdays this month (Nance on the 20th and Hutchens earlier on the 9th). Without stopping, Trucks’ uptempo snare and JoJo Hermann’s bawdy piano revived a beastly “Big Wooly Mammoth” before crawling into a hard-hitting “Imitation Leather Shoes” to close out Friday’s first frame.

Back in action after a brief intermission, Panic delivered a trio of originals to kickstart the second set. A raucous caucus of “Pigeons” broke the ice and riled the rowdy crowd immediately out of setbreak. After a Beatles-inspired “Norwegian Wood” tease, a swinging “Little Lilly” accelerated into a high-voltage “Worry”.

JoJo and Jimmy Herring collaborated to take “Tacklebox Hero” to deeper depths, leaving the shoreline far behind to voyage into unchartered waters. Like a werewolf under a full moon, the multi-faceted frontman, JB, transformed into notorious Mississippi bluesman Howlin’ Wolf during a doggone dirty “Smokestack Lightning”. JoJo and Jimmy chased the feral wolfman’s wails up and down their piano and fretboard, respectively.

Widespread segued into the second Bloodkin song of the night, the funereal “Henry Parsons Died” before taking off for a tumultuous flight during “Saint Ex”. With time running out in the second half, Murray McLauchlan’s “Honky Red” maintained momentum until WSP switched gears and colors in favor of a fan-favorite “Blue Indian”. Like Dr. Frankenstein’s monster, the Panics traversed the frozen to track down Jerry Joseph’s “North”.

Friday’s encores started slowly but culminated into a jubilant finish. Vic Chesnutt’s “Expiration Date” hung heavy on the hearts of the mourning until “Ain’t Life Grand” uplifted the vibes for a strong finish on the first night.

Two more nights ahead [get tickets]. Don’t come a-knockin’ when the Panics are a-rocking. See y’all soon!

Widespread Panic – “Trashy” – 11/21/25

[Video: Matt Frazier]

Widespread Panic – “Little Lilly” – 11/21/25

[Video: Matt Frazier]

Widespread Panic – “Smokestack Lightning” (Howlin’ Wolf) > “Henry Parsons Died” (BloodKin) – 11/21/25

[Video: Matt Frazier]

Widespread Panic – “Blue Indian” – 11/21/25

[Video: Matt Frazier]

Widespread Panic – “North” (Jerry Joseph) – 11/21/25

[Video: Mike Winikoff]

Widespread Panic – “Expiration Day” – 11/21/25

[Video: Matt Frazier]

Widespread Panic – “Ain’t Life Grand” – 11/21/25

[Video: Mike Winikoff]

Setlist [via HomeTeam.fm]: Widespread Panic | Capitol Theatre | Port Chester, NY | 11/21/25
Set 1: Wondering, Send Your Mind (Van Morrison), Good People, Space Wrangler > Walkin’ (For Your Love), Down, Trashy (BloodKin) > Big Wooly Mammoth > Imitation Leather Shoes
Set 2: Pigeons, Little Lilly^ > Worry, Tackle Box Hero, Smokestack Lightning (Howlin’ Wolf) > Henry Parsons Died (BloodKin), Saint Ex, Honky Red (Murray McLauchlan), Blue Indian, North (Jerry Joseph)
Encore: Expiration Day (brute.), Ain’t Life Grand
^ Third Stone tease