Photo by Josh Timmermans

Over the weekend, Widespread Panic began their six-night run at ACL Live at The Moody Theater in Austin, Texas. The opening shows in the City of the Violet Crown took place on Saturday, April 15 and Sunday, April 16, and both saw heavy covers, bust-outs and improvisational jams.

Widespread Panic kicked off their run with “Better Off” and gave way to “Disco,” which was followed by “Give” and “Shut Up and Drive.” They then jammed from “Good People” > “Dark Bar” back into “Good People.” After “Up All Night,” they ripped through “Lawyers” before closing their first frame with Warren Zevon’s “Guns and Money.”

The second set of the opening evening started with “Heroes” and stomped along with “Walkin’ (For Your Love).” Next came “Space Wrangler” and Black Sabbath’s iconic “Fairies Wear Boots.” Much like the first set, the second frame found its way into a fluid run toward its second half. They flowed from “Mercy” into “Jam” into “Big Wooly Mammoth” and back into “Jam.” Without pause, “Jam” flowed into a penultimate “Tie Your Shoes,” which was followed by a groove of Curtis Mayfiel’s “Freddie’s Dead” before a set closing “Blackout Blues.”

For the encore on Saturday, they covered The Beatles’ “Come Together” for the first time since their Mexico destination event on Jan. 25, 2020, before closing the set with “Love Tractor.”

Sunday’s set picked off with the same heat from the night before with “Holden Oversoul,” which encapsulated “Makes Sense To Me” and Jam.” Next came two pairings: “Sleepy Monkey” > “Cream Puff” and “Christmas Katie” > “Radio Child.” They rounded the first set with “Pilgrims” and “Halloween Face,” closing the set at just under one hour.

The second set started with a jam of “Machine” > “Barstools and Dreamers.” Next came a five-track jam of “Genesis” > “Party At Your Mama’s House” > “Stop Breakin’ Down Blues” > “Drums” > “Diner” – the last song included a rap of “Highway To Heaven.” After “May Your Glass Be Filled,” “Honky Red” served as the set’s penultimate song before they capped things off with “North.”

For their encore, Widespread Panic decided to dish not one but two bust-outs: “Waiting For The Bus,” which was last heard live on Oct. 20, 2017, and “Jesus Just Left Chicago,” which they shared last on July 13, 2019. To close out the evening, they performed an appropriate “End of the Show.”

Widespread Panic will continue their run at The Moody Theater tomorrow, April 18.

Widespread Panic
The Moody Theater – Austin, Texas
April 15, 2023

Set I: Better Off, Disco, Give, Shut Up And Drive, Good People > Dark Bar > Good People, Up All Night, Lawyers, Guns and Money (Warren Zevon) (54 mins)

Set II: Heroes, Walkin’ (For Your Love)^, Space Wrangler, Fairies Wear Boots (Black Sabbath), Mercy > Jam > Big Wooly Mammoth > Jam > Tie Your Shoes > Blackout Blues (83 mins)

Enc.: Come Together (The Beatles) > Love Tractor (14 mins)

Notes: ^ w/ pause
– ‘Red Hot Mama’ jam after ‘Big Wooly Mammoth’
– ‘Freddie’s Dead’ (Curtis Mayfield) jam after ‘Tie Your Shoes’
-LTP ‘Come Together’ 1/25/20 Playa (94 shows)

Widespread Panic
The Moody Theater – Austin, Texas
April 16, 2023

Set I: Holden Oversoul > Makes Sense To Me > Jam > Holden Oversoul, Sleepy Monkey > Cream Puff War, Christmas Katie > Radio Child, Pilgrims, Halloween Face (59 mins)

Set II: Machine > Barstools and Dreamers, Genesis > Party At Your Mama’s House > Stop Breakin’ Down Blues > Drums > Diner^, May Your Glass Be Filled, Honky Red, North (100 mins)

Enc.: Waitin’ For The Bus > Jesus Just Left Chicago, End of the Show (16 mins)

Notes: ^ w/ ‘Highway To Heaven’ rap
– LTP ‘Waitin’ For The Bus’ 10/20/17 Milwaukee (183 shows)
– LTP ‘Jesus Just Left Chicago’ 7/13/19 Telluride (114 shows)