Photo by Ian Rawn

Last week, on Feb. 9, 10 and 11, Widespread Panic performed their first multi-day stint stateside of the year with a run at the Durham Performing Arts Center in Durham, N.C. The performances–which sold out the 3,000-person venue–came hot off the heels of the Athens, Ga.-based unit’s 37th birthday, which took place three days prior to the run’s start and weeks after the conclusion of their 10th annual destination event Panic en la Playa.

The first evening saw many highlights, including a run-opening rendition of Van Morrison’s “Send Your Mind” and jam of “Holden Oversoul” > “Jam” > “Genesis” by Jorma Kaukonen > “Cotton Was King” during the first set – which closed with Tom Petty’s “Honey Bee.” The second set of the evening, which ran for 83 minutes, saw covers of Bloodkin’s “Henry Parsons Died” and Vic Chestnutt’s “Aunt Avis” along with a pairing of “Barstools and Dreamers” with “Machine,” marking the first time the songs have led into one other since Sept. 1, 2018.

The second evening of Widespread Panic’s stay in North Carolina had similar heat, starting with a rolling boil with an almost nearly non-stop first set made up favorites following one another: “Bear’s Gone Fishin'” melted into “Blackout Blues,” “Chrismas Katie” flowed into “Radio Child,” and the frame closed with a run of “Stop/Go” > “Pleas” > “Love Tractor.” The second set also contained very few pauses over its 90 minutes: After starting with some banter from John Bell, the band rocked from “Little Kin” into Buffalo Springfield’s “Mr. Soul.” Other notable moments included a cover of War’s “Four Cornered Room,” which followed “Drum Solo” into “Papa’s Home” into “Jam,” and an aptly composed two-song encore of Howlin’ Wolf’s Tail Dragger and BloodKind’s “End Of The Show.”

The final evening of Widespread Panic’s run in Durham saw all of the members of the band in top form as they broke into “Imitation Leather Shoes,” which was followed by “Postcard” into “Makes Sense To Me.” Other highlights from the 61-minute opening frame include a cover of The Dillards’ “There Is A Time” and a closing “Chilly Water.” The second frame opened up with Roebuck “Pops” Staples’ inspiring “Hope In A Hopeless World” and saw several other covers, including yet another BloodKin favorite, “Trashy,” and Murray McLauchlan’s “Honkey Red.” The second set was closed with a flourish of “Driving Song” into “Tall Boy” back into “Driving Song” before ending with “Saint Ex.” They encored with two songs: “Blue Indian” and “Climb To Safety” – during the latter, Bell soloed expertly over the first verse.

Widespread Panic will perform next at The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas in Las Vegas on March 3, 4 and 5. Learn more and find tickets here.

Widespread Panic
Durham Performing Arts Center – Durham, N.C.
Feb. 9, 2023

Set I: Send Your Mind (Van Morrison), One Arm Steve, Holden Oversoul > Jam > Genesis (Jorma Kaukonen) > Cotton Was King, Cease Fire > Jamais Vu, Honey Bee (Tom Petty)

Set II: Aunt Avis (Vic Chesnutt) > You Should Be Glad, Wondering > Jam > Hatfield > Henry Parsons Died (Bloodkin), Dyin’ Man, Barstools and Dreamers > Machine, Thought Sausage

Enc.: Old Joe, Walkin’ (For Your Love), Knocking ‘Round The Zoo (James Taylor)

Notes: Last time ‘Barstools and Dreamers’ led into ‘Machine’ (9/01/18 Nashville)

Widespread Panic
Durham Performing Arts Center – Durham, N.C.
Feb. 10, 2023

Set I: Bear’s Gone Fishin’ > Blackout Blues > Time Zones > Can’t Get High (BloodKin cover), Christmas Katie > Radio Child, Stop/Go > Pleas > Love Tractor

Set II: JB Banter, Little Kin > Mr. Soul (Buffalo Springfield cover) > You Got Yours, C Brown, Better Off, Papa’s Home > Bass And Drums > Drum Solo > Papa’s Home > Jam > Four Cornered Room (War Cover), Conrad The Caterpillar > Action Man

Enc.: Tail Dragger (Howlin’ Wolf Cover), End Of The Show (BloodKind cover)

Widespread Panic
Durham Performing Arts Center – Durham, N.C.
Feb. 11, 2023

Set I: Imitation Leather Shoes, Postcard > Makes Sense To Me, I’m Not Alone, Jaded Tourist, The Last Straw > There Is A Time (The Dillards cover), Visiting Day, Chilly Water

Set II: Hope In A Hopeless World (Roebuck “Pops” Staples cover), Worry, Contentment Blues, Pigeons, Trashy (BloodKin cover) > Jack, Honky Red (Murray McLauchlan cover), Driving Song > Tall Boy > Driving Song > Saint Ex

Enc.: Blue Indian, Climb To Safety

Notes: JB solo for first verse of ‘Chilly Water’