Photo: Ian Rawn

Widespread Panic kicked off another epic New Year’s Eve at the fabulous Fox Theatre in Atlanta with a beautiful “For What It’s Worth” that was worthy of the gorgeous venue. That song is as timeless as the Fox’s arch. The first set saw John Bell on acoustic guitar, which is always endearing to me. We also heard “Genesis,” another touching song, and “May Your Glass Be Filled” is an especially fitting song on NYE.

 

The second set was almost all one big jam, including “Pleas” > “Pusherman Jam” > “Good People.” Then we went right into another rager of “Honky Red” > “I’m Not Alone” > “St Ex.” And I’ll never tire of hearing the story of St. Exupery. A warm “Holden Oversoul” took us into another much-needed set break.

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Just like in the days of Bill Graham ushering in the New Year, it’s always a treat when [Widespread Panic crew member Steve] Lopez emcees the countdown for us. He and Dave Schools were welcome masters of ceremony, and Schools’ thoughts were insightful, per the usual. A rainfall of confetti and balloons set the stage for a celebratory “Auld Lang Syne,” right before the band just blew our freakin’ minds. They went into “The Waker.” “THE WAKER.” This song is about the late, great Mikey Houser’s son and has not been performed since his passing in ’02. Many fans thought it was permanently shelved with the songs too sacred and holy to touch again. And then they played it. And we gasped. And we cried. And we sang. And we danced. And we hugged. And we laughed that we were crying. It was beautiful. The most beautiful New Year’s moment I’ve ever shared.

From “The Waker,” they went into “Arleen” and allowed us to dance all those mixed emotions out. We were later gifted a JB/Schools Zambi rap right before they went into “I’m So Glad” with Nick Johnson and Kevin Scott on vocals and percussion. And weren’t we all thinking of Col. Bruce Hampton (Retired), that night in his hallowed Fox Theatre? The previous evening I’d sported a Col. Bruce dress while standing beside my friend Pat, in his GREASE shirt. We were all thinking of the Col. at some point over the weekend. “Little Lilly” brought us back into “Arleen,” a common theme of the jammy weekend. Towards the end of the third set, we were all thrilled with the second-ever cover of The Hollies’ “Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress” and one that nearly shook the Fox down.

 

An emotional rollercoaster of an encore began with “End Of The Show”, for which I’ll forever thank [the song’s writer Bloodkin’s] Danny Hutchens. A kickass “Protein Drink” saw me nearly knock myself unconscious, and I’m not even mad. After that, it took me a hot minute to recognize “Bastards In Bubbles.” Just when Panic melts your face, they tickle your heart with something amazing that they haven’t played before, like a Brute masterpiece to remind you of Vic Chesnutt. We closed it down with “Sewing Machine,” and I’d say they stitched it up pretty tightly. I’ve been rolling the setlist around in my head all day. Wondering if this means that “Waker” is now off the shelf going forward. Interpreting the raps. Polling our friends for their take on the weekend. So much to consider. It’s not just another rock show to us. It’s church. It’s an annual pilgrimage. And even after 23 years of doing this, somehow, Widespread Panic still manages to surprise me. And tire out my legs from dancing harder than I’d think possible. Thank you, to the band, the crew, the staff of Brown Cat, the amazing venue and ushers (especially the dancing ones!), and the fans that make this all a reality. During every Panic show, I have a moment when I realize that there’s nowhere else I’d rather be. And this show warmed my heart for four hours with that sentiment. Here’s to another few decades of doing this whole thing together, eh? May your year be filled.

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https://www.jambase.com/article/widespread-panic-new-years-eve-2018-atlanta-setlist-videos