Widespread Panic Brings the Heat to the Desert, Las Vegas Style
Words and photographs by the ubiquitous Jeff Fernandez
Videos courtesy of Widespread Panic and Nugs.tv
The Widespread Panic caravan brought the heat to the desert this past weekend in Las Vegas for three fun-filled, face-melting nights at the MGM Park Theatre with plenty of bust-outs, first-time played, and old school favorites, sending everyone in attendance home just wanting more, more, more.
After burning down Milwaukee last weekend with one of the best shows of the year, Widespread Panic immediately picked up where they left off… ready to rumble.
Opening the first set Friday with old school favorite “The Take Out” into a Jimmy Herring guitar-heavy “Going Out West.” It was obvious they came to rock. Shortly there after Jojo Hermann went into the ever-so-popular “Greta,” with Herring shredding the guitar and Sunny Ortiz and Duane Trucks killing the percussion hard and heavy. Herring’s jams were long and momentous all the way through the first-set ender “Dear Mr. Fantasy.”
Second set brought us a special sandwich never before heard: “Bust It Big > Life During Wartime > Bust It Big,” sending us into a musical frenzy. Soon after a “Tie Your Shoes” to be remembered, another special song, “Gimme,” for long-time roadie Garrie Vareen, brought tears to many, including myself. The set ended with a heavy-duty “Love Tractor,” with Herring once again jamming it out like never before.
The encore of “This Part of Town” into Tom Petty’s “You Wreck Me” to end night one really built momentum for what was to come.
[10/26/18 ONE: The Take Out > Goin’ Out West, Greta > Weak Brain, Narrow Mind, Tickle the Truth, B of D, Sell Sell, Space Wrangler, Dear Mr. Fantasy; TWO: Bust It Big > Life During Wartime > Bust It Big, Hatfield, Junior, Papa’s Home > Drums > Papa’s Home > Tie Your Shoes, Gimme > Pleas > Love Tractor; E: This Part Of Town, You Wreck Me]
[‘Within You Without You’ tease before ‘Pleas’]
Day two: Saturday’s show continued to “raise the bar” at the Park MGM with highlights “Cream Puff War” and “Fairies Wear Boots.”
John Bell and the boys kicked off set one with “Tall Boy” and a soon after “Me and the Devil.” Another great sandwich emerged: “Holden Oversoul > Cream Puff War > Holden Oversoul.”
Set two opened with old school favorite “Post Card,” and highlights were “Big Wooly Mammoth” and “Bear’s Gone Fishin’ > Maggot Brain > Chilly Water” with Carrot Top joining in on percussion to end the second set.
Encore was a very touching “Visiting Day” into a favorite Black Sabbath song, “Fairies Wear Boots.”
[10/27/18 ONE: Tall Boy, Mr. Soul, Walkin’ (For Your Love), Who Do You Belong To?, Trouble, Goodpeople > Me And The Devil Blues, Holden Oversoul > Cream Puff War > Holden Oversoul; TWO: Postcard, Little Kin, Big Wooly Mammoth > You Got Yours, Second Skin > Pilgrims, All Time Low, Bear’s Gone Fishin’ > Maggot Brain > Chilly Water*; E: Visiting Day, Fairies Wear Boots]
* with Carrot Top on percussion
[Entire show with Edie Jackson, sign language interpreter]
Leaving everyone guessing… what’s to come for Panicween tomorrow?
The third show and WSP’s official Halloween observance was one for the books. The theme was “Laugh In.” JB and Dave Schools were dressed in suits with bow ties just like Laugh In hosts Dick Martin and Dan Rowan. Jojo was dressed as NFL Hall of Famer Joe Namath, and Herring was decked out in LA Dodger’s gear representing where Laugh In was produced and filmed. Trucks was “Dude Love,” a Mick Foley character from WWE/WWF wrestling, while Sunny was repping “Home Team” and Edie Jackson (sign language interpreter) was giving us an incredible version of Goldie Hawn from the late ’60s-early ’70s show.
The night began with prerecorded clips of each of the band members telling jokes (just like Laugh In would start their episodes). Then the show began with plenty of bust-outs and first-time-played to follow.
Opener Godzilla (LTP Chicago 2011), and the Fire had begun. Some old-time favorites next including “One Arm Steve,” “Imitation Leather Shoes,” “Better Off,” “Diner,” and a smoking “Black Out Blues” that lead into a first-time-played “Jumping Jack Flash” to end the first set.
Second set, and the temperature was rising rapidly. FTP Jethro Tull’s “Aqua Lung” with JB nailing the vocals led into old school favorite “Pigeons” with “Here Comes the Judge” sandwiched in the middle. Another momentous sequence was “Four Cornered Room > Slippin’ Into Darkness* > Henry Parsons Died.” “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” also made its first-ever appearance, segueing into the set-ending, Herring face-melting version of Jerry Joseph’s “North.”
WSP came back with a three-song encore to be remembered for many years to come. They began with another FTP, Tiny Tim’s “Tiptoe Through The Tulips” (Herring crushing this hard and heavy) into another FTP, Dobie Gray’s “Drift Away,” climaxing with another great rendition of “Aint Life Grand” to send us on our way.
[10/28/18 ONE: Godzilla, One Arm Steve, Imitation Leather Shoes, Better Off, Time Zones > Diner > Blackout Blues, Jumpin’ Jack Flash; TWO: Aqualung, Pigeons > Here Comes The Judge > Pigeons, Sundown Betty, Four Cornered Room > Slippin’ Into Darkness* > Henry Parsons Died, Mercy > Jam > (Don’t Fear) The Reaper** > North; E: Tiptoe Through The Tulips, Drift Away, Ain’t Life Grand]
* with Steve Lopez on percussion
** with Ben Draper on cowbell
[Only ‘(Don’t Fear) The Reaper’, Only ‘Aqualung’, Only ‘Drift Away’, Only ‘Here Comes The Judge’, Only ‘Jumpin’ Jack Flash’, Only ‘Tiptoe Through The Tulips’; Entire show with Edie Jackson, sign language interpreter; GoGo Dancers onstage for ‘Jumpin’ Jack Flash’, ‘Pigeons’ > ‘Here Comes The Judge’ > ‘Pigeons’, ‘Slippin’ Into Darkness’ > ‘Henry Parsons Died’, and ‘(Don’t Fear) The Reaper’ through the end of the show; ‘In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed’ tease by Jimmy during ‘Four Cornered Room’; Last ‘Godzilla’ – 10/31/11, 376 shows]
WSP came and delivered the heat again and again with multiple “bust-outs” and “first-time-played” songs. Thanks to all who made this possible: Widespread Panic, Edie Jackson, Paul Hoffman, and their respective crews.
It just keeps getting better and better. Hot ’Lanta, you’re next! Can’t wait to see what’s to come as they ring in 2019!
