Widespread Panic on the beach of St. Augustine for three consecutive nights brings an entirely new meaning to March Madness. An early showtime Sunday meant less time to relax before the finale, deleting oysters by the dozen, exploring the lively, narrow streets of St. Augustine’s historical downtown, or hanging on the adjacent beach or in the St. Augustine Amphitheatre parking lot.
Throughout the comfortably temperate day, the gravitational pull grew exponentially stronger as the clock inched closer to showtime. By 6:30 p.m., the venue was packed to the gills and soon thereafter, Widespread Panic retook its throne amidst the swamps of St. Augustine.
Keeping it classic for most of the first set, Panic turned the keys in the ignition and the ol’ reliable engine rumbled to life. An uncharacteristic opening “Driving Song” cruised smoothly into a fabled “Jack”. The rabid crowd, who already bellowed every word of DS’ first verse, erupted with an avalanche of whistles and cheers when John Bell alluded to the “wizard in the corner” a few minutes later during “Jack”.
Jimmy Herring transcended into an alternate dimension as the euphoric jam section crested ever higher with each progressive peak until finally breaking down and descending into the bowls of “Bust It Big”. JoJo Hermann held down the fort, taking lead vocals and playing just about every keyboard in his kit. Dave Schools hammered out a monster solo culminating in a percussive climax. Sunny Ortiz’s windchimes, like approaching headlights, signified the return of “Driving Song”.
The all-original first set lifted anchor as Sunny’s chill percussion introduced “Wondering” before JoJo retook the helm for an organ-heavy, vinyl-scratchin’ “Dyin’ Man”. After a brief pause, the ol’ jalopy “Shut Up And Drive” cruised down dawn’s highway, contributing to the ongoing theme.
To honor PanicStream’s 20th anniversary, Panic performed “Holden Oversoul”. This was both the first song played after WSP’s hiatus as well as the website’s launch in 2005. The energy peaked and spilt into an improvisational transition jam. JoJo led the charge while Schools reprised variations of the “Bust It Big” melody until eventually turning the corner of “Christmas Katie”. WSP leaned heavily into an infamous “Dirty Business” feint, but alas: “Cadillacs roll…!”
As has been tradition of late, a blistering “Action Man” galloped off the starting line on JB’s cue (“Make it last all night!”). With a touch of reverb in JB’s mic, his growls echoed around the venue like a pack of howling wolves in a valley. (“SA-RA-TO-GA!!!”)
Refreshed from set break, Widespread Panic continued their audio assault with a second set slugfest, taking flight into a psychedelic “Pigeons”. JB swapped the lyrics “your reflection is looking clearer / working on a sunny day” (instead of “cloudy day”) and unleashed one of the most raucous CAWWWW’s in recent memory. Later, the spunky frontman reprised “Shut Up and Drive” with “hear that new song on the radio” during a rare “Pigeons” rap, “Something will come and move us anyway / just might be time / wake up, wake up / leave your car parked out in the street in the snow / a long time ago.”
Redirecting the vibes, the forlorn “Cosmic Confidante” lingered unhurriedly among the stars before crash landing into the dogfight of “Saint Ex”. An extended, funky-fried introduction of J.J. Cale’s “Ride Me High” marked the first cover of the night but would soon be followed by two more in sequence.
Without stopping, WSP shifted gears and merged into the first half of Traffic‘s “Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys” until Schools molded the melody into a downright dirty rendition of Winston Riley’s “Arleen”. This performance featured both “Good Morning Little Schoolgirl” and “Ribs and Whiskey” inspired raps. JB’s vocals and JoJo’s piano joined forces to finish out the back half of “Low Spark”, completing a greasy “Low Spark” and “Arleen” sandwich. Still unfinished, Panic closed out nearly 40 minutes of nonstop jams with a coup de grâce, “Postcard”.
JB egged the already-ravenous crowd on by swapping words to declare “You People Are Nuts! / I never wanna leave!” Anybody that has ever been to a Panic show, certainly knows the feeling, especially on the last night.
Slowing it down, JB offered a simple toast of “May Your Glasses Be Filled” before crashing through the gates of Hell with a nefarious “Halloween Face”. Besides the song’s usual dark jams, the performance featured an elongated and inverted introduction. Cleansing the lingering blight in the wake of HF’s destruction, WSP restored the immaculate vibes with a set-closing “Ain’t Life Grand”.
Without further ado, the last encore of Widespread Panic’s weekend arrived as the six-piece swamp rockers opened their sails to glide through a fan-favorite “Vacation” (“As panic grabbed my legs / you know it, pulled me in!”). Ending within their own catalog, JoJo blazed the way for a rowdy “Blackout Blues” to punctuate the weekend. As is tradition, the relentless crowd danced and bobbed until the last note.
Call me a believer in meliorism, but it’s damn good for WSP to be back onstage and giving the die-hards trips to look forward to and friends to reunite with across the continental U.S. of A. Next stop, Nashville with Charleston, Chicago, and Red Rocks waiting in the wings. Can’t wait to take over Broadway with y’all. Until then, get some rest, you savages earned it! Travel light, travel well.
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Widespread Panic – “Driving Song” > “Jack” > “Bust It Big” > “Driving Song” > “Wondering” – 3/23/25
[Video: Pete Millett2]
Setlist [via PanicStream]: Widespread Panic | St. Augustine Amphitheatre | St. Augustine, FL | 3/23/25
Set 1: Driving Song > Jack > Bust It Big > Driving Song > Wondering, Dyin’ Man, Shut Up And Drive, Holden Oversoul > Christmas Katie > Action Man
Set 2: Pigeons, Cosmic Confidante > Saint Ex, Ride Me High > Low Spark of High Heeled Boys > Arleen > Low Spark of High Heeled Boys > Postcard, May Your Glass Be Filled, Halloween Face, Ain’t Life Grand
Encore: Vacation, Blackout Blues
Notes:
– LTP ‘Dyin’ Man’ 7/29/23 Huntsville (35 shows)
– ‘Good Morning Little Schoolgirl’ and ‘Ribs and Whiskey’ raps during ‘Arleen’
– LTP ‘May Your Glass Be Filled’ 12/31/23 Atlanta (23 shows)