The blues-rock leviathans of Widespread Panic cruised down the home stretch of their three-night run at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY, on Sunday. The temperature dipped yesterday afternoon (“November sun is felt by none”), and the dedicated fanbase scrambled to take refuge inside the nearly 100-year-old venue and away from the wind’s chilly embrace. Inside, an early show captured all the warmth of this traveling circus’s community with deep-seated love during one last time to feed.
After holding a moment of silence for fallen brother and friend (and for Hard Working Americans Dave Schools and Duane Trucks, bandmate), Todd Snider on Friday, the band elaborated on the emotion surrounding the unfathomable loss for fans and musicians far beyond Nashville’s city limits. Using the time-tested tools in hand, Widespread Panic paid tribute to Todd Snider with a few songs, including a debut from the wily songwriter’s own pen, to end the second set.
But first, Panics. Schools introduced “Rebirtha” with a bass-heavy barrage before JoJo Hermann‘s piano led into “Tall Boy”. Jimmy Herring sliced his way through “Papa Johnny Road”, peppering spicy licks to each song early and often.
Dave Schools dug his heels into “Machine” until the jagged instrumental pulled up at the local watering hole to refill glasses during “Barstools and Dreamers”. The Cap’s projectors cast Sunny Ortiz on the walls, flanking either side of the stage in sync with John Bell singing “Well, there’s a birdman playing tiny little sideways bongos.”
After busting out “Free Somehow” at Halloween in Savannah for its second performance in nearly 14 years, the original off Panic’s 2008 album of the same name appears to be here to stay. To follow, Jimmy Herring wielded his white PRS, providing energy to stay “Up All Night”, and the visual display backdrop flickered into red and green bulbs on cue as JB sang, “The best thing about New Year’s is the Christmas lights /Hiding in the daytime exposed at night.”
Mellowing it out, Panic unwrapped an enigmatic “Cosmic Confidante” before riding out into the sunset of set break with “Love Tractor”. This version was unlike the traditional song structure, and the inverted introduction gave a fresh take on an old tune.
With only one set of music left in the weekend, WSP wrestled “Little By Little” into the opening slot to crank up the intensity. Jimmy slathered notes by the handful, his fingers cascading ripples through his fretboard and into the air. Dave Schools really started to feel himself as he introduced “You Should Be Glad” in a power stance, his hair flipping left to right in time with the beat like a troll doll tied to a metronome.
Widespread Panic — “You Should Be Glad” — 11/23/25
[Video: Richard Lippin]
Calling back to 2019’s Sunday Show and its five-song encore, JoJo’s piano and JB’s soulful voice led the way into “This Part of Town” before tumbling into “All Time Low” and Vic Chesnutt’s “Blight” in bombastic succession. As the lights turned purple for Todd once more during “I’m Not Alone”, Herring and Schools fired off emotionally charged solos, their clothes glowing with a purple aura from the spotlights above.
A jam-heavy, improvised segue blazed into the dizzying maelstrom “Tie Your Shoes”, completed with Little Feat’s “Spanish Moon” and “Little Drummer Boy” teases. Taking the veil off, Panic covered Talking Heads‘ “Heaven”, debuted Todd Snider’s “Play a Train Song” (“Make ‘em leave my boots on when they lay me in the ground”) and closed the set with Jerry Joseph and Glenn Esparza’s “Climb to Safety” (“It’s no fun to die alone!”).
Widespread Panic — “Heaven” (Talking Heads) — 11/23/25
[Video: Richard Lippin]
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Widespread Panic — “Climb To Safety” (Jerry Joseph, Glenn Esparza) — 11/23/25
[Video: Richard Lippin]
These three songs, combined, served as a powerful remembrance of Todd Snider as his friends, fans, and collaborators cope with his sudden and tragic loss. The hurt we feel from his, or any, loss is the result of the love we feel. WSP helped us heal the best way they know how.
Back for the final encore of the weekend, Widespread Panic gave Jimmy Herring one last chance to engulf the venue with his flamethrower guitar riffs during “Pilgrims” (“Big city’s lights growing sharper now”). JB appropriately had the last word, swapping out his guitar for a mandolin to close the weekend with a conclusive cover of Bloodkin‘s “End of the Show”. The late Bloodkin songwriter, Daniel Hutchens, would have celebrated his 61st birthday last month.
Congrats to all who took part in this weekend’s festivities. We took our spot in time and finally found a place to call our own, as always. After the end of a show, the weary pilgrims face the grim reality of Monday morning and usually travel while hungover and sleep-deprived. Still, we should be glad, because we’re the lucky ones with the blood still pumping through our veins. Appropriately, the audience shuffled back out to the street to scatter into NYC and beyond while Chuck Berry’s “No Particular Place to Go” played over the PA.
Hot’lanta on deck for New Year’s Eve at the Fox Theatre. Next one’s gonna be the best of the year! Travel safe, travel well. Until next time. Happy to be a part of that rockin’ balcony all three nights. As per usual, it was everything I could have hoped for or asked for. Heaven on repeat. (“And there is a party. Everyone is there / Everybody gonna leave at exactly the same time / It’s hard to imagine that nothin’ at all / Could be so exciting or could be this much fun!”)
Widespread Panic — The Capitol Theatre — Port Chester, NY — 11/23/25 — Full Audio
[Audio: Zmanatl]
Setlist: Widespread Panic | The Capitol Theatre | Port Chester, NY | 11/23/25
Set One: Rebirtha > Tall Boy, Papa Johnny Road, Machine > Barstools and Dreamers, Free Somehow, Up All Night, Cosmic Confidante, Love Tractor (74 mins)
Set Two: Little By Little, You Should Be Glad, This Part Of Town, All Time Low > Blight (Vic Chesnutt) > I’m Not Alone > Tie Your Shoes > Heaven (Talking Heads), Play A Train Song (Todd Snider) [1], Climb To Safety (Jerry Joseph, Glenn Esparza) (76 mins)
Encore: Pilgrims, End of the Show (Bloodkin) [2] (13 mins)
[1] FTP
[2] w/ JB on mandolin