Earlier today Widespread Panic confirmed that founding drummer Todd Nance will return to the band in 2016. Nance took a leave of absence from Panic this past fall due to undisclosed personal reasons. The drummer spent time in Colorado and gave his first major public performance in March during a benefit show with The Dyrty Byrds.

Nance returned to Georgia this spring and has played a few gigs in the Athens, GA area, including one at the Georgia Theatre with The Bar Tab 5 ensemble that featured his Panic percussion partner Sunny Ortiz. He also traveled to Chattanooga, TN on May 9 for a gig with longtime friends Sam Holt, Daniel Hutchens and Jon Mills at Clyde’s On Main, and he performed with The Dyrty Byrds at Charleston, SC’s Home Team on May 15 and 16.

More recently, Nance, Holt, Hutchens and Mills have played every Thursday in June at Live Wire Athens. They have one more performance left on June 25. Then, on July 26 Nance, Hutchens and Ed Andrerson of Backyard Tire Fire will open for Sam Holt Band at Athens’ Lumpkin Street Station.