Photo by Joshua Timmermans

This weekend, Widespread Panic unleashed an epic three-night stand at Live Oak Bank Pavilion in Wilmington, N.C. Friday night’s show opened with “Jack,” played for the first time since 1991, and continued with a bust out of “Flicker.” The weekend featured many memorable moments, including an ode to The Meters on Saturday and a tease of the Grateful Dead’s “Not Fade Away” in celebration of Bill Kreutzmann’s birthday. Sunday included a selection of tunes that referenced Mother’s Day; the double set performance consisted of female and family nods, billed as “Ladies Night,” the second female-themed performance from the band after Halloween 2017 in Las Vegas. 

On the first night of Widespread Panic’s stand in Wilmington, N.C., they kicked things off with a bust out of “Jack,” followed by “Goodpeople” off 2006’s Earth to America. Next, “Pilgrims” segued into “You Got Yours” before jumping into “Pickin’ Up The Pieces.” Then the band played a tune off ‘Til the Medicine Takes, “One Arm Steve.” For their next tune, Widespread Panic performed “Steven’s Cat” off Street Dogs ahead of a pairing of “Bear’s Gone Fishin’” into “Love Tractor.” 

Set two picked up with two covers of Bloodkin’s “Henry Parsons Died” and “Who Do You Belong To?” Next, they unleashed “Sleepy Monkey,” followed by “Diner” and “Cease Fire.” “Jamais Vu (The World Has Changed)” came next, before the band performed “Tie Your Shoes” and “Papa’s Home.” The final song of the band’s second set was a cover of Jerry Joseph’s “Climb to Safety.” After a brief break, Widespread Panic returned to the stage for a three song encore, beginning with a bust out of “Flicker,” last played on Aug. 31, 2018. Next, they played “This Part of Town” and finished off the night with a take on J.J. Cale’s “Travelin’ Light.” 

The second night of Widespread Panic’s Live Oak Bank Pavilion run began with a segued pairing of “Surprise Valley” into a take on Talking Head’s “City of Dreams” and a return to the set opener to cap the three-part jam. The band continued with “Rock” and “Heroes.” Then, they performed “Airplane” into “Rebirtha” segued into Van Morrison’s “Send Your Mind.” For the last song of the first set, they laid down an epic “Blackout Blues.”

Widespread Panic picked up a pair of brute. songs to kick off the second set, they played “Protein Drink” into “Sewing Machine,” before following up with “Vacation.” “Disco” segued into “Driving Song,” followed up a homage to Jazz Fest with The Meters’ “It Ain’t No Use,” last played in 2019. J.J Cale’s “Ride Me High” came next, ahead of set-closer, “Space Wrangler.” Widespread Panic offered a cover of fIREHORE’s “Sometimes” for their encore and finished with “Action Man.”

The band finished their Wilmington, N.C. run last night. The group celebrated Mother’s Day with a selection of songs that all nodded to women and families, starting with “Little Kin.” Next up, Widespread Panic served “Ain’t Life Grand” ahead of “Greta,” which bled into “Radio Child.” A cover of Vic Chesnutt’s “Aunt Avis” was played, then “You Should Be Glad” and “Hatfield.” Allen Toussaint’s “On Your Way Down” and Bobby Rush’s “Bowlegged Woman, Knock Kneed Man” concluded set one. 

Set two picked up with a cover of David Bomberg Band’s “Sharon” and segued into “Bust It Big.” They continued with “Party at Your Mama’s House” into Robert Johnson’s “Stop Breakin’ Down Blues” – in honor of his birthday. “Sundown Betty” came next, ahead of a segued section that began with “Gradle” > “Fishwater” > “Drums” and finished on a cover of The Beatles, “Dear Prudence.” The final song of the set was “Porch Song,” then, after a brief break, the band returned to the stage for an encore performance of “Trashy” and a take on Funkadelic’s “Red Hot Mama.” 

Widespread Panic 
Live Oak Bank Pavilion– Wilmington, N.C.
May 6, 2022 

Set I: Jack, Goodpeople, Pilgrims > You Got Yours, Pickin’ Up The Pieces, One Arm Steve, Steven’s Cat, Bear’s Gone Fishin’ > Love Tractor

Set II: Henry Parsons Died, Who Do You Belong To?, Sleepy Monkey, Diner > Cease Fire > Jamais Vu > Tie Your Shoes > Papa’s Home, Climb To Safety

Enc.: Flicker, This Part Of Town, Travelin’ Light

Widespread Panic 

Live Oak Bank Pavilion– Wilmington, N.C.

May 7, 2022 

Set I: Surprise Valley > City of Dreams > Surprise Valley > Rock, Heroes, Airplane > Rebirtha > Send Your Mind, Blackout Blues

Set II: Protein Drink > Sewing Machine, Vacation, Disco, Driving Song > It Ain’t No Use > Saint Ex > Ride Me High > Driving Song, Space Wrangler

Enc.: Sometimes, Action Man

Widespread Panic 

Live Oak Bank Pavilion– Wilmington, N.C.

May 8, 2022

Set I: Little Kin, Ain’t Like Grand > Radio Child, Aunt Avis, You Should Be Glad, Hatfield, On Your Way Down, Bowlegged Woman 

Set II: Sharon, Bust It Big, Party At Your Mama’s House > Stop Breakin’ Down Blues, Sundown Betty, Gradle, Fishwater > Drums > Dear Prudence, Porch Song
Enc.: Trashy, Red Hot Mama