Photo by Josh Timmermans via @WidespreadPanicHQ on Instagram


After being introduced by wrestling legend Ric Flair, Widespread Panic celebrated New Year’s Eve in Atlanta by welcoming longtime friend and collaborator John Keane for an extended sit-in paying tribute to Vic Chesnutt.

The evening’s lone debut arrived as the set one opener, as Keane and the band performed Chesnutt’s own “Good Morning Mr. Hard On,” which first appeared in the songbook of their joint project brute. (The original brute. lineup featured Chesnutt, Dave Schools, Michael Houser, Jojo Hermann, Todd Nance and John Bell.)

Christmas 2019 also marked the 10th anniversary of Chesnutt’s passing, and the band – plus Keane – used the first set as a chance to nod to his work.

After Keane added pedal steel to “Blight” and acoustic guitar to “Degenerate,” the collective performed WSP’s first version of Chesnutt’s “Morally Challenged” in a whopping 1,139 shows (LTP: 12/31/01).

Keane also stuck around for “This Cruel Thing” and “Protein Drink”/”Sewing Machine” before WSP closed their first set alone with “Expiration Day.”

Keane appeared once again on the tail end of set two, adding pedal steel to a jam into “Blue Indian.”

Widespread Panic’s first “Turn On Your Love Light” since 2016 opened their third period (LTP 4/25/16), and while that also featured Keane, WSP took the reins for the rest of set three, with a standout “Surprise Valley” sandwich as well as a closing “Imitation Leather Shoes”> “Flat Foot Flewsy” segment.

“Pilgrims” opened the encore, before Keane came back to tease “I Trusted You” (an ongoing nod to Panic’s Halloween show) and play a rousing “Porch Song” to end the festivities.

Check out the full setlist and watch Ric Flair introduce the band below:

Widespread Panic
Dec. 31, 2019
Fox Theater, Atlanta, GA

Set I: Intro$, Good Morning Mr. Hard On*%, Blight%, Degenerate%, Morally Challenged**%, This Cruel Thing^%, Protein Drink% / Sewing Machine%, Expiration Day

Set II: Disco, Pigeons, Little Lilly > Party At Your Mama’s House, Stop Breakin’ Down Blues, Holden Oversoul, Honky Red > Jam% > Blue Indian% > Blackout Blues

Set III: Turn On Your Love Light^^%, Red Hot Mama > Ride Me High > Surprise Valley > I’m So Glad > Drums > Surprise Valley, Gimme, Imitation Leather Shoes > Flat Foot Flewzy

Enc: Pilgrims > I Trusted You tease% > Porch Song%

Notes:
$ by Ric Flair
% with John Keane
*Widespread Panic debut (Vic Chesnutt)
**Last time played 12/31/01
^Last time played 2/10/16
^^Last time played 4/25/16