Widespread Panic headlined the Mempho Music Festival in Memphis Tenn. this weekend. The band was on a short hiatus after frontman John Bell tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this season. The shows marked Widespread Panic's first performances since early August.
After a full day of music with performances by Billy Strings, Southern Avenue, Lucinda Williams and more on Oct. 1, Widespread Panic took the stage and opened with "Tall Boy" > "Disco" > "Henry Parsons Died."
They kept their blues-fueled train rolling with their tribute to bluesman Junior Kimbrough “Junior,” then played "Aunt Avis" and their classic track "Rebirtha." Soon thereafter in line with expectations, Billy Strings joined the legendary band onstage for an extended jam.
They started off with "Dirty Business" > "Jam" > "All Time Low" by the end of the initial jam Strings and Bell had gone toe to toe and were locked in. Strings just the day before had won the “Entertainer of the Year” at the IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards and it could be assumed he didn't accept the award in person so he could enjoy these performances. The young picker continued to jam with the band on "Airplane" > "Red Hot Mama."
Widespread took on the rest of the night showing off their skill and longevity with a five-track jam bookended with "Driving Song." They calmed the steam engine down with psychedelic and calming renditions of "You Got Yours" and "Pigeons."
The second day of the Mempho Music Festival featured performances by Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Andy Frasco & the U.N. and Moon Taxi. Widespread Panic took the stage at 8:30 and played for over two hours straight.
Widespread Panic opened with "Ain't Life Grand" > "Big Wooly Mammoth." They kept the blues flowing and played a classic cover of Howlin’ Wolf's "Smokestack Lightning" highlighting JB's iconic vocal range. They stayed true to their formula of long-form non-stop jams starting with "Little Lilly" into "Arleen" during which they teased "Hard To Handle." They then dove into a sandwich jam of "Proving Ground" > "Blackout Blues" > "Proving Ground." They sandwiched "Bust It Big" in-between "Fishwater" to close the set. They Encored with their fourth-ever rendition of "Bastards in Bubbles" then "The Take Out" into "Porch Song" to close out the festival.
Widespread Panic will be returning to the road for a string of shows this October.
Watch Billy Strings perform with Widespread Panic below.
Widespread Panic
Mempho Music Festival -Radians Amphitheater, Memphis, TN
Oct. 1, 2021
Tall Boy > Disco > Henry Parsons Died, Junior, Aunt Avis, Rebirtha, Dirty Business* > Jam* > All Time Low*, Airplane* > Red Hot Mama*, Driving Song > Surprise Valley > Drums > Bowlegged Woman > Surprise Valley > Driving Song, You Got Yours, Pigeons
*with Billy Strings
Widespread Panic
Mempho Music Festival -Radians Amphitheater, Memphis, TN
Oct. 2, 2021
Ain't Life Grand > Big Wooly Mammoth, Smokestack Lightning, Saint Ex, Little Lilly > Arleen, Proving Ground > Blackout Blues > Proving Ground, Second Skin > Pilgrims, Holden Oversoul > Drums & Bass, Chilly Water, I'm Not Alone, Fishwater > Bust It Big > Fishwater
Enc.: Bastards in Bubbles, The Take Out > Porch Song
