SweetWater 420 Fest: The Panic and Friends Report
Article by Tony Carey
Photograph by Jeff Fernandez
The Easter Bunny was good to concert-goers of SweetWater Brewing’s 15th annual 420 Fest held in Atlanta’s Centennial Olympic Park during the April 19, 20, and 21: Easter and Earth Day weekend. SweetWater Brewing’s annual Earth Day celebration has become a Southern springtime tradition for beer, music, and food lovers. Culminating 15 years of celebration to bring awareness to the environment and their delicious beers, SweetWater Brewing billed headlining acts Widespread Panic for Saturday and Sunday sets and The Avett Brothers to cap off Friday night opening ceremonies. Other acts such as Billy Strings and Joe Russo’s Almost Dead (JRAD) delivered jam-heavy setlists to the eager eyes and ears of travelers who trekked from miles away and locals who lived close by. Sweetwater Brewing’s 420 Fest shows no signs of slowing in popularity.
BILLY STRINGS
SweetWater’s beers and Johnsonville’s bratwursts, along with other great local food vendors, provided the much-needed food and beverage energy that kept crowds fueled during the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday sets. Bluegrass acoustic assassin Billy Strings showcased his talents during a Friday afternoon festival set and during his sold-out Saturday late-night set, held at Terminal West. Strings, during a mostly sold-out tour, supported his newly released album Turmoil and Tinfoil to eager fans who had been waiting patiently to enjoy Billy’s flawless picking. Billy’s next stops on tour will take him and his band to Denver’s Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom and a New Orleans Jazz Fest late-night Tipitina’s appearance.
JOE RUSSO’S ALMOST DEAD
JRAD filled the chilly Friday night with Grateful Dead classics like “Jack Straw,” “Help on the Way,” “Slipknot,” “The Eleven,” and “The Other One.” A lengthy “Eyes of the World” closed out the set, showing onlookers why JRAD have become the newly crowned kings of Grateful Dead jazz-filled jam rock. JRAD members Scott Metzger, Tom Hamilton, Dave Dreiwitz, Marco Benevento, and Joe Russo hit the road with several dates including New Orleans’ Mardis Gras Ballroom, Los Angeles’ Greek Theatre, and Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, Colorado.
WIDESPREAD PANIC SATURDAY
Saturday and Sunday headlining sets were held together by Athens, Georgia, rock and roll touring veterans Widespread Panic. During the three-day event, there was no band louder and none as musically precise than Panic. Band members John Bell, JoJo Herman, Jimmy Herring, Duane Trucks, Sunny Ortiz, and Dave Schools provided the center piece of musical collaboration needed to celebrate the 420 weekend. The Saturday night Panic set provided favorites like “Surprise Valley,” “Who Do You Belong to?” “Red Hot Mama,” “Life During Wartime,” and “Makes Sense to Me,” jolting the crowd’s musical spirit into staying through Sunday’s celebrations.
[WSP 04/20 Sweetwater 420 Festival 1: All Time Low > Surprise Valley > Red Hot Mama > Pleas > Who Do You Belong To? > Surprise Valley > Hatfield, Holden Oversoul, Sell Sell > Love Tractor; 2: Pigeons > Travelin’ Light > Greta > Life During Wartime, Ribs And Whiskey, Rebirtha > Tall Boy > Big Wooly Mammoth > Chilly Water > Drums > Chilly Water; E: And It Stoned Me, Makes Sense To Me]
[‘Hatfield’ tease during ‘Pleas’; ‘Dixie Chicken’ tease during ‘Ribs And Whiskey’]
WIDESPREAD PANIC SUNDAY
The theme of “Never Miss a Sunday” show has prompted Widespread Panic to deliver setlists fans dream about on Sundays. The jam-filled show was highlighted by a first set “Jesus Left Chicago” and “I’m So Glad” with Jason Isabell sitting in. Paul Hoffman and crew provided the Sunday nighttime psychedelic lighting display needed to fill the brutally bombastic drum, bass, guitar, and keyboard notes of “Tie Your Shoes,” “Arleen,” “Radio Child,” “Bowlegged Woman,” and “Action Man.” Widespread Panic continues their tour with stops out west after headlining Trondossa Music and Arts Festival next weekend and then New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival May 2.
[WSP 04/21 Sweetwater 420 Festival 1: Send Your Mind, Climb To Safety, You Got Yours, Cream Puff War, Airplane > Jaded Tourist, Pilgrims, Jesus Just Left Chicago*, I’m So Glad*; 2: Disco, Conrad, Ride Me High, I’m Not Alone, Tie Your Shoes > Jam > Arleen > Christmas Katie > Radio Child, Bowlegged Woman, North; E: City of Dreams, Porch Song, Action Man]
[* with Jason Isbell on guitar]
A true family event, SweetWater’s 420 fest has become an attraction the South can not escape. With 15 years of history and many more years of delicious brews in the works, Atlanta looks like a permanent 420 celebration host for many years, attracting beer and food lovers enjoying the tunes of their favorite bands while discovering new ones.
