The swampy swashbucklers, Widespread Panic, anchored along the white-sandy beaches of St. Augustine, FL on Saturday for the second consecutive night. Fans streamed in from all directions to soak up the sun and hear the legendary jam rock and rollers. WSP opened the show with a guest sit-in, dusted off a Meters’ cover, and paired a double-dose of fan-favorite encores to leave all at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre wanting more.
After John Bell greeted the audience, Steve Lopez joined WSP for an opening cover of Jerry Joseph’s “Chainsaw City”, complete with a reggae feel, a JoJo Hermann piano solo, and “no bad vibes.” Racing down the track, the underdog champion of Saratoga, “Action Man”, found glory in victory before WSP cruised the familiar streets of “Old Neighborhood”—appropriate, since last night marked the 28th time that Panic performed at this venue since 2008, the 25th time since 2016; not many places can compete with those numbers.
Without stopping, Dave Schools bounced into “Better Off” until parking amidst the long-awaited return of The Meters’ “Just Kissed My Baby”. To make the return extraordinary, JB added the chorus of Allen Toussaint’s “Night People” into the mix before JoJo took the vocal helm for a howlin’ “Greta”. The Meters bustout was a highlight for many.
Still going strong, Widespread segued into “Little by Little”. This year marks WSP’s 40th anniversary, and the song off 2024’s Snake Oil King reflects on this milestone with lyrics, “Gradually, then suddenly / Took almost forty years!” Careening towards set break, the soaring dogfight of “Saint Ex” crash landed after a high-octane climax.
Past the halfway point in the run, Panic came out swinging with Murray McLauchlan’s slugfest “Honky Red”. As Sunny Ortiz swept his windchimes, JB cleaned up his vocals for “I’m Not Alone”, a vocal performance that rivaled the Cranberries’ Tiny Desk concert in emotional intensity.
Dave Schools steered into “Second Skin”, commencing a triplet of heavy hitters. JoJo’s organ and Nick Johnson’s guitar navigated the tumultuous seas between and throughout the first two before an insatiable, power-hungry “King Baby” sired “Bust It Big” after a jazzy segue. WSP has paired “Bust It Big” with “King Baby” five times out of the 27 times (~20%) that KB has been played.
Talking Heads‘ “City of Dreams” honored St. Augustine’s fabled status as the location of the Fountain of Youth. The cover proffered apropos lyrics “spaniards lived for gold,” “our favorite town,” and “southern U.S.A.,” riling the already rowdy crowd. An intergalactic “Protein Drink” set up the jarring rhythms of “Sewing Machine”, combining two Vic Chesnutt tunes like the lighting arrangements on either side of the stage, which meshed multicolored arrays of light and resembled threads weaving in a psychedelic, spiderweb loom. Lastly, JB grabbed his mandolin for a jubilant set-closing “Ain’t Life Grand”.
Widespread Panic wrapped up the second night in St. Augustine with two fan-favorite originals, “Vacation” and “Postcard”. Starting slow and meditative, the tempo kicked into high gear to close out the show with a badass bang. These two songs appeared together in an encore only once in WSP storied history on N1’s memorial to Thomas “Bear” Guenther during 2019’s Ride Festival.
Victory lap ahead, and Reverend JB’s reputation travels far and wide for being a veritable firebrand on Sunday Service. Buckle up and enjoy the last licks as St. Augustine continues to hold court for the Good People and Florida Panic!
Check out Live For Live Music‘s coverage of the three-night run: Friday, March 21st | Sunday, March 22nd.
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Widespread Panic – “Chainsaw City” – 3/21/26
[Video: BRADFORD WALKER]
Widespread Panic – “Just Kissed My Baby” (The Meters) > “Greta” – 3/21/26
[Video: BRADFORD WALKER]
Widespread Panic – “Greta” > “Little By Little” – 3/21/26
[Video: BRADFORD WALKER]
Widespread Panic – “Second Skin” – 3/21/26
[Video: BRADFORD WALKER]
Widespread Panic – “Sewing Machine” – 3/21/26
[Video: BRADFORD WALKER]
Widespread Panic – “Vacation”, “Postcard” – 3/21/26
[Video: BRADFORD WALKER]
Setlist: Widespread Panic | St. Augustine Amphitheatre | St. Augustine, FL | 3/21/26
Set 1: Chainsaw City*, Action Man, Old Neighborhood > Better Off, Just Kissed My Baby > Greta > Little By Little, Saint Ex (66 mins)
Set 2: Honky Red, I’m Not Alone, Second Skin > King Baby > Bust It Big, City of Dreams, Protein Drink / Sewing Machine, Ain’t Life Grand** (77 mins)
Encore: Vacation, Postcard (16 mins)
* w/ Steve Lopez on percussion
** w/ JB on mandolin
Notes:
– LTP ‘Just Kissed My Baby’ 5/01/16 Huber Heights, OH (345 shows)
– ‘Night People’ rap during ‘Just Kissed My Baby’
– Without Jimmy; Entire show with Nick Johnson on guitar
