It’s a Saturday night in uptown Oakland, and the vibe is high with Widespread Panic set to conclude a three-night run at the Fox Theater on the 18th of July. The Southern-fried psychedelic rock group from Georgia are back in California for the first time in three years, thus generating an extra level of anticipation that comes from how absence makes the heart grow fonder.
Widespread Panic have been challenged by the absence of lead guitarist Jimmy Herring, who is recovering from a battle against throat cancer but is expected to return soon. It’s not the first time they’ve had to deal with replacing a beloved lead guitarist, going back to original band member Michael Houser’s ill-fated battle with pancreatic cancer in 2002. Widespread Panic rallied both before and after, playing some of the biggest, best shows of their career in Houser’s twilight days when they headlined the inaugural Bonnaroo Festival in Tennessee in June of 2002. They would also carry on without Houser on a West Coast tour that rocked the Berkeley Greek Theater a month later.
How the times have been a changing since then, with Bonnaroo shifting from its original “jamrock Woodstock” format to more of a pop-oriented scene. Herring joined the band in 2006 to great acclaim and was a star player when a similar festival situation occurred with Panic on the bill for a truly sensational Sunday Funday afternoon set at the inaugural Outside Lands Festival in San Francisco in 2008. Outside Lands would, however, also shift formats in a pop and EDM direction about a decade later. Yet through all the changing trends, Widespread Panic continues to rock on into their 40th year as one of America’s longest-running bands.
With a foundation in classic rock, blues, and psychedelia, the group was a trailblazer in the 1990s as they grew a devoted following by mixing up their setlists with a huge repertoire and improvisational prowess that inspired fans to want to catch multiple shows or even go on tour. The group aren’t touring as heavily in the 2020s, yet it seems a less-is-more approach has led to strong consistency. The Sunday finale of a three-night outdoor run in Napa in 2022 was a smoking barnburner that many fans felt was one of the best Panic shows they’d ever seen, followed by another hot Napa run in 2023.
Those who missed the opening night here at the Fox on Thursday knew they’d blown it as soon as they saw that the rare deep cut “Airplane” had opened the show. Yet this Saturday finale of the run opens large as well, as Widespread Panic dives right into the sonic deep end with their ever scintillating take on J.J. Cale’s “Ride Me High”. The deep, funky, bluesy groove gets the Spreadheads fired up right out of the gate for a big night. The majestic “Driving Song” shifts gears in another appealing direction, as it becomes clear that the band are dialed in. Lead guitarist Nick Johnson fits right in, ripping hot leads that feel like a blend of Herring’s energetic fretwork with Houser’s influential melodic style.
A segue into the soul-soothing “I’m Not Alone” melts like butter, with rhythm guitarist/vocalist John Bell singing some melodic blues. The song’s open-ended jam section takes off with percussionist Sunny Ortiz adding a great polyrhythm to drummer Duane Trucks’ beat to make the song feel like the soundtrack for an outlaw posse riding across the west. Bassist Dave Schools adds his signature lead bass runs over the psychedelic organ of keyboardist JoJo Hermann as the sextet gels at a high level, before shifting back into “Driving Song” to conclude a stellar 25-minute sequence to open the first set.
“Can’t Get High” from 1994’s Ain’t Life Grand is another classic mid-tempo song that hits a melodic sweet spot, as Bell sings of how he feels sober and “can’t get right” now that the object of his affection is gone. “Good People” cranks up the dance energy in the theater with Hermann’s funky piano and syncopated guitars over dynamic polyrhythms. The longest jam of the set occurs with “You Should Be Glad” as funky electric piano and wah-wah guitar coalesce to generate that uniquely intangible Panic “x-factor”. Tight cowbell enhances hot liquid lead guitar over a big groove as the Fox rocks out.
The group’s cover of Buffalo Springfield’s “Mr. Soul” is a long-time crowd pleaser. The main riff at first sounds sort of like the Rolling Stones‘ “Satisfaction”, but then the song surges with Bell’s gritty vocal over the heavy groove. JoJo stars again (in what turns out to be his birthday) with dynamic piano and organ solos as the high-level first set concludes in electrifying fashion. It’s also something to think about how influential Neil Young remains, while still going strong on his own tours as the Bay Area saw last year’s visit to the Shoreline Amphitheatre.
It’s a festive scene during the set break as fans socialize while refreshing their beverages or aiming to upgrade their seating. Moving from the balcony to the lower level during the first set finds a crisper sonic mix. The bluesy psychedelic rock power is quickly back in effect on the “Holden Oversoul” opener, before Widespread Panic shift gears into the swaggering “Proving Ground” from 1991’s self-titled sophomore album. Then, as on the album, the group move into “The Last Straw”, a rarity with an uplifting melodic groove that elevates the sound at the Fox to a tangible higher level.
The vibe is really getting lit now before the band pour extra gas on the fire to ignite the night with “Dyin’ Man” from 1999’s classic Til the Medicine Takes. Representing a creative peak at the crest of the 20th century giving way to the new millennium, it’s one of those rare albums where every song is a sonic gem. “Dyin’ Man” features Widespread Panic on a sharp rocker that cranks up the energy level at the Fox to a scintillating peak.
Another highlight of the second set is a groovy drum jam between Trucks and Ortiz that keeps the crowd dancing and cheering, rather than taking a break. The vibe surges again on “Ain’t Life Grand”, a classic Widespread Panic anthem that inspires the audience with melodic piano, vibrant guitar leads, and emotive vocals. It feels like it could be a climactic closer, but the group carry on with a raucous “Love Tractor” that gets a “Yee haw” from Bell toward the end.
The encore of the last show in a three-night run always feels like a momentous opportunity to make a statement of some sort to conclude the festivities, and Widespread Panic seize the moment here with their classic take on Van Morrison’s “And It Stoned Me”. The group’s sweet-sounding arrangement features a gloriously melodious component, as John Bell sings the ode to just getting high off one’s natural surroundings as a youth. The group’s sound is dialed in so crisply here as the guitar swells and melodic piano generate a blissful shimmer that’s like manna for the soul, as sweet as “jelly roll”. The Jerry Garcia Band had a popular gospel-tinged version of the song, but Panic’s arrangement is truly in a league of its own.
It feels like the night could end on this blissful note, but then the band goes for broke by rocking out on bluesy classic rocker “Bowlegged Woman”. It’s a high-octane yet down-and-dirty tune to complement the sweet bliss that preceded it, the combination of which sort of epitomizes the sonic dichotomy of Widespread Panic through the decades. Local fans can only hope the band won’t wait three years to come back.
