Widespread Panic & Billy Strings Honor Ozzy, Jimmy Cliff At New Year’s Eve Finale In Atlanta [Videos]

Last night, Widespread Panic stamped their trademark style and format onto New Year’s Eve at Atlanta’s Fox Theatre, finishing out a three-day run with a three-set finale.

After joining WSP for both of the first shows, Billy Strings hung around to complete the trilogy of sit-ins. Atlanta-based guitarist Nick Johnson, who previously played with the late Col. Bruce Hampton and currently tours with Randall Bramblett, jumped into the deep end during the second set. The third set followed after midnight, with Steve Lopez leading the audience through a countdown to usher in the New Year. Balloons cascaded from the star-speckled blue ceiling, Billy Strings came out once more, and the septet paid tribute to Ozzy Osbourne and Jimmy Cliff, who both passed away in 2025.

John Bell wielded an acoustic guitar as Widespread kicked off the final night at the Fox with an ethereal “Blue Indian” before a mellow “Wondering” strolled into “We Walk Each Other Home”—a crafty update to the setlist from the traditional pairing of “Wondering” and “Walking”.

Neil Young’s “Don’t Be Denied” kept the tear ducts lubricated as the third verse captured the transcendental beauty of JB and Michael Houser’s early friendship, which laid and cemented the foundation of Widespread Panic. Performed only the 2nd time ever, Alice In Chain’s “Down In A Hole” remained in rotation after its debut on WSP’s Alice in Wonderland-themed Halloween in Savannah.

Before the set continued, Billy Strings returned to the stage with an acoustic guitar in hand. Strings would share vocal duties during “Fishing”, a song that he has covered with his band twice. Earlier this year, Billy joined Panic in Chicago and played the song then as well. Billy would remain onstage but let JB do the singing for twangy cuts of back-to-back rippers, Bloodkin’s “Who Do You Belong To?” and J.J. Cale’s “Travellin’ Light”, to finish the first frame.

After a short set break, JoJo Hermann excavated a behemoth “Big Wooly Mammoth” with his piano’s tiny hammers before Jimmy Herring digested pure rocket fuel to blast off on “King Baby”. Like Trump, high on power and God-only-knows what else, tweeting at 3 a.m. or Elon, high on ketamine watching his satellite launches, Jimmy Herring could not be stopped or controlled.

When he finally touched ground again, Widespread invited Nick Johnson on stage for a trio of originals. John Bell’s slide guitar meshed with the combined guitars of Nick Johnson and Jimmy Herring to give “Ribs and Whiskey” added smoky flavor to Dave School’s slow-cooked and precisely measured recipe. Quenching the lingering heat from the aftermath of spicy BBQ, Nick Johnson & Co. cracked open an intoxicating “Tall Boy” and then settled into the sanctuary of Ms. Lee’s “Diner”.

After a particularly heated guitar duel between Herring and Johnson, JB awoke cold and hungry on his park bench for an improvised journey into a world of pure imagination: “Warm up some of yesterday’s coffee / Nothin’ but the best for you! / Angels show up in the strangest places / Little sunshine sledding down the rooftop through the glass to keep my coffee cup a little warmer a little longer / I know I gotta go / I know I gotta go before all the respectable people / the church people come around.” With one final ghoulish banshee wail, JB punctuated his rap section and closed the door into his imagination. JoJo was still in the Christmas spirit and tossed in a tease of “Carol of the Bells” into the tail end of the tune.

Winding down the second set with the witching hour close at hand, JB thanked Nick Johnson, and the jam juggernauts strove forth as a six-piece for the last two songs of the year. JB raised a toast and offered his blessings during an apropos “May Your Glass Be Filled” before turning the ignition and riding “Love Tractor” into the sunset of 2025.

Steve Lopez stepped to the microphone to thank the Fox staff, the audience, and band and to lead the countdown to midnight and into the New Year. “Auld Lang Syne” played over the house PA and a sea of balloons fell from above. Afterward, Billy Strings joined Widespread Panic to open the third set with a euphoric rendition of “Ain’t Life Grand”. Billy would remain for the rest of the show including the encore.

Consecutive tributes followed as Billy Strings’ vocals and guitar stood out amidst double doses of covers of Jimmy Cliff and Ozzy Osbourne. Carefree vibes showered the audience as “Sitting in Limbo” morphed into “I Can See Clearly Now” until Ozzy’s tribute embraced the friendly shadows and good-hearted villains during a high-octane pairing of “Paranoid” and “War Pigs”.

WSP have only performed the Jimmy Cliff songs three and four times, and not since New Years 2015 and February 2016, respectively. Black Sabbath’s “Paranoid”  and “War Pigs” have only been played three and two ties each. The former hasn’t been played since Broomfield Halloween in 2016, and the latter occurred earlier this year in Asheville, NC after Ozzy’s passing.

Returning to their own catalog, WSP teased Winston Riley’s “Arleen” until blazing into an instrumental “Disco” inferno. Next, the dizzying maelstrom of “Tie Your Shoes” was laced into a “Zambi Jam” before the third and final set came to a close with “Porch Song”.

The seven-piece took their positions on stage one last time for a two-song encore. JoJo  and JB took lead vocals for J.J. Cale’s “Ride Me High”, but Strings joined as well during “All Time Low”. Abbreviated ATL for both song and city (“All Time Low” and Atlanta), Billy Strings has performed this song 36 times with his own band, but not quite like last night. Last night, the audience was gifted a total of 14 songs with Billy Strings (two of which he lent his vocals) and another three songs with Nick Johnson, making for a total of 25 songs and nearly three and a half hours of hard-hitting, blues-infused rock ‘n’ roll.

Still reeling from what was surely WSP’s best run of the year, not one person left unsatisfied.

Next up is Panic en la Playa Trece. Time to trade in the winter jackets for flip flops on the beach of Riviera Maya in Mexico. After that, the calendar is filling up quickly with shows scheduled in Austin, St. Augustine, Birmingham, New Orleans, and Maryland. Red Rocks is unscheduled but assumed for the last full weekend in June. For the full tour, click here.

Revisit L4LM’s full coverage of the run: December 29th | 30th | 31st (you’re reading it). 

Widespread Panic, Billy Strings — “Fishing” — 12/31/25

[Video: MB1 Music]

Widespread Panic, Billy Strings — “Ain’t Life Grand” — 12/31/25

[Video: Natural Music Biz]

Widespread Panic, Billy Strings — “Sitting In Limbo” (Jimmy Cliff) — 12/31/25

[Video: MrTopdogger]

Widespread Panic, Billy Strings — “Paranoid” (Black Sabbath) — 12/31/25

[Video: MrTopdogger]

Widespread Panic, Billy Strings — “War Pigs” (Black Sabbath) — 12/31/25

[Video: MB1 Music]

Setlist: Widespread Panic | Fox Theatre | Atlanta, GA | 12/31/25

Set One (8:45p–9:36p): Blue Indian, Wondering, We Walk Each Other Home, Don’t Be Denied (Neil Young), Down in a Hole (Alice In Chains), Fishing [1], Who Do You Belong To? (Bloodkin) [2], Travelin’ Light (J.J. Cale) [2]
Set Two (10:19p–11:31p): Big Wooly Mammoth, King Baby > Ribs & Whiskey [3], Tall Boy [3] > Diner [3]
May Your Glass Be Full, Love Tractor
Set Three (12:02a–1:04a): Ain’t Life Grand [2], Sitting Here in Limbo (Jimmy Cliff) [1] > I Can See Clearly (Johnny Nash) [2], Paranoid (Black Sabbath) [1], War Pigs (Black Sabbath) [1], Disco [2], Tie Your Shoes [2], Porch Song [2]
Encore (1:09a–1:30a): Ride Me High (J.J. Cale) [2] > All Time Low [1]

[1] Billy Strings on guitar and vocals
[2] Billy Strings on guitar
[3] Nick Johnson on guitar

Sitting Here In Limbo – LTP 12 / 29 / 15
I Can See Clearly – LTP 02 / 26 / 16
Paranoid – LTP 10 / 31 / 16
War Pigs – 2nd time played
Down in a Hole – 2nd time played
1st set acoustic