While the 70th birthday celebration of Col. Bruce Hampton will be forever remembered as his final show, as he passed away after suffering a heart attack at the conclusion of the show, the night included a number of Hampton’s closest friends and musical collaborators coming together to celebrate his music.
The night was formatted with a number of different musical formations with guests joining in periodically as introduced by Jon Waterhouse, the first of which included Oliver Wood, Darick Campbell, Kevin Scott, Duane Trucks and Matt Slocum teaming up on “There Was a Time” before welcoming out Susan Tedeschi for “Postcards From Hell,” “Sing About It” and “Feelin’ Good.”
The next team of musicians to hit the stage included Trucks, Brandon Niederauer, Tinsley Ellis, Yonrico Scott, Denny Walley and former MLB pitcher Jake Peavy for “Oh Pretty Woman” and “Shake Your Hips” before Leftover Salmon’s Vince Herman, Drew Emmitt, Jeff Mosier, Jeff Sipe, John Popper, Duane Trucks and Kevin Scott tagged them out for their three-song segment that included a cover of “She Caught the Katy.”
Trucks would remain on the drums as he teamed up with Widespread Panic bandmate Dave Schools and R.E.M.‘s Peter Buck to back Todd Snider for his Snider’s “Play A Train Song.” T Hardy Morris then came out for “Stupid Preoccupations” before welcoming out Chuck Leavell and Phish’s Jon Fishman along with Karl Denson for “When You Come Back Next Time You Gotta Stay.”
Fishman, Leavell and Denson remained as Kevn Kinney formed a quartet for the Rolling Stones’ “Rip This Joint” before Warren Haynes made it a quintet for “Compared to What,” “Good Morning Little Schoolgirl” and “Trouble Everyday.”
A majority of Widespread Panic then emerged as John Bell, Dave Schools, Jimmy Herring and Duane Trucks teamed up with Jeff Sipe, Derek Trucks and Matt Slocum for the Allman Brothers’ “Jessica” and a “Trondossa” that included Susan Tedeschi on vocals.
Much of that ensemble stayed out to close the set with more special guests as “Don’t Cry No More” followed “Smokestack Lightning” and included the guest of honor as did the following “Basically Frightened,” “Fixin’ to Die,” “Space is the Place” and the finale of “I’m So Glad.”
While the encore will be remembered as Hampton’s last, the entire ensemble came out for “Turn On Your Lovelight” that closed the show and the iconic musician was surrounded by a number of close collaborators and friends in his final musical moments before the show’s abrupt conclusion.
Here’s a look at the setlist:
Hampton 70, Fox Theatre, Atlanta, GA
Jam > There Was a Time, Postcards From Hell, Sing About It, Feelin’ Good, Oh Pretty Woman, Shake Your Hips, She Caught the Katy, Workin’ On a Building, Black Bottom, Play a Train Song, Stupid Preoccupations, When You Come Back Next Time You Gotta Stay, Rip This Joint, Compared to What, Good Morning Little Schoolgirl, Trouble Everyday, Jessica, Time is Free, Trondossa, Smokestack Lightning > Don’t Cry No More, Basically Frightened > Fixin’ to Die > Space is the Place > I’m So Glad
Enc: Zambi > Turn On Your Lovelight
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