Photo Credit: Wesley Hodges

After opening up three nights of music at the Stifel Theatre in St. Louis on Thursday, Jan. 18, Widespread Panic returned to the Mound City stage last night, Jan. 20, for their final stand. Saturday saw the band pay homage to their location with a bust out of the song “St. Louis.” The number initially appeared on the Athens, Ga. group’s 2010 set, Dirty Side Down, and prior to last night’s dust-off, it had not been performed since June 28, 2019, ending a 150-show gap. 

Set one picked up with a trio of originals, which unfolded into a pair of covers: Howlin’ Wolf’s “Trail Dragger,” followed by Murray McLauchlan’s “Honky Red.” The Peach State favorite turned back to their own body of work with the newly added cut, “We Walk Each Other Home,” performed for the first time in 2024, following its July 30, 2023 debut at The Orion Amphitheatre in Huntsville, Ala. 

Ricocheting between present and past, the band stepped back to their ‘Till the Medicine Takes collection, landing on “One Arm Steve,” which bled over into “Pleas.” “Halloween Face” served as the final song of the first set–which clocked in at 64 minutes. Back on stage, the show’s second half commenced with Talking Heads’ “Life During Wartime,” featuring a snippet of “The Great Curve” in the song’s outro. “Party At Your Mama’s House” ensued and ran into “Rock.” 

Fan favorite “Barstools and Dreamers” represented a high before the group worked into a segue of material, including: “Machine,” “Surprise Valley,” NRBQ’s “Flat Foot Flewzy” and a “Surprise Valley” return. The jammed-out display unearthed “Jamais Vu” and more frequently performed originals.

For the evening’s encore, Widespread started with a bust out, taking on their Dirty Side Down originator and regional ode, “St. Louis,” for the first time since the band’s concert at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colo., on June 28, 2019. During the last moments of the concert, they delivered a take on brute.’s “Expiration Date” and an “Ain’t Life Grand” finale. 

With a trio of St. Louis dates on the books, Widespread Panic will take a break from the stage, resuming their live schedule with three nights of concerts at The Windy City’s The Chicago Theatre on Feb. 15 through 17. Tickets are sold out. For more information, visit widespreadpanic.com. 

Scroll down to view Widespread Panic’s setlist via panicstream.com.

Widespread Panic 

Stifel Theatre – St. Lous 

Jan. 20, 2024

Set I: Wondering, Holden Oversoul > Makes Sense To Me > Holden Oversoul, Tail Dragger, Honky Red, We Walk Each Other Home, One Arm Steve > Pleas, Halloween Face (64 mins)

Set II: Life During Wartime, Party At Your Mama’s House > Rock, Barstools and Dreamers, Machine > Surprise Valley > Flat Foot Flewzy > Surprise Valley, Jamais Vu, Disco > Blackout Blues > Porch Song (93 mins)

Enc.: St Louis+ > Expiration Day, Ain’t Life Grand (16 mins)

Notes: 

+ Bust out, last time played: June 28, 2019 at Red Rocks Amphitheatre 

Setlist via panicstream.com.