Austin Night 1 (2/14/26)

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There are many cities across this country to catch a good live show any day of the week but one claims the title of “The Live Music Capital of the World” - Austin, Texas. It was time for Widespread Panic to carve out some meat on that boastful bone for them, and us. Any of the Day Zero Heroes who arrived early were welcomed to a warm, serene day under that big Texas Sun. We tend to arrive early and familiarize ourselves with new surroundings and solidify logistics. However, a plan was just that: a plan.

When they said everything was bigger in Texas, raindrops were never part of that consideration. Valentine's Day had arrived and with it, a downpour. Spreadheads scrambled to adapt, stay dry, and enjoy what that beautiful city had to offer. We tried to gauge the weather against our desires to line up, mingle, and buy merch and ultimately decided to head to the Moody Center as close to the 6:30pm entry time as possible. Upon drop off in the ride share lot, we were greeted with a splendid sunset of downtown Austin as the rain finally gave way to clearer skies.

Kudos to the band for allowing merch sales outside for those trying to beat the rush and have a more serene retail therapy experience. The mobile merch stand flanked the left side of about six entry lines. This was where confusion set in for a few attendees - rookies and seasoned vets alike. All lines in the front of the building were for reserved seats while there was a separate line for GA/Floor tucked away past the box office on the southwest side of the building. Some people cleared security at the front gates only to be turned away and told to go to the other line, but after a certain point they let any ticket holder in any gate to ease congestion.

The line for the floor fed directly to the main concourse on the 100 levels and brought into view a vast, nearly empty arena with a sunken floor and white shade covering the upper level. The covered seats were rather inconspicuous and blended in with the arena. The initial admission to the floor was funneled through one stairway, causing some folks to still be shuffling down three songs in. Overall getting into the venue was a tad chaotic. A couple people reported even going to the wrong “Moody” venue. Woops!

Whether it was the first or 101st time, the feeling of those lights dropping will always bring a rush, anticipation, and the reality of Panic coming on stage. At roughly 7:45pm local Texas time, that feeling set in once again. The band took the stage then wiggled and wormed their way through the tuning of their toys. JB faced the band, shimmied his pants up, then turned back and said “Good evenin’, there, Austin”, to greet us as only Mr. Bell could.

Junior, set a tone some would have expected, but welcomed: LOVE. The Junior Kimbrough inspired blues-driven medley brought energy right out the gates. The band loves a Junior to open a set but this was only the 28th show opener and first since 1/19/2024 in St Louis at the Stifel Theatre. JoJo took an early charge in the intro before giving way to JB professing how Junior loved his lover's loves - even Her Mama. Nick Johnson’s tone on that familiar Goldtop PRS rode steadily and found a crispy solo after the second verse.

For only the eighth time ever, Greta followed Junior. Interestingly though, the First Time Played of Greta, on 3/30/96, was preceded by Junior. If the band was going for energy, they got a 10/10 in that department. Barks. Woofs. Howls. The Dawgs were in the house of the Longhorns. One could not help but to think that this was a love song to rivalries. The spotlight hit Dave during the first drop in the music, Dave put horns on his head, only to turn them down. He is a Dawg through and through. Nick’s tone, staying consistent, found a nice stride around the 6-minute mark and shone the rest of the way through the track.

For only the fourth time ever following Greta on the setlist, Little Lilly took shape as Dave charged with the bass line to lead transition. Another crowd favorite (aren't they all?). “HEEEEY LITTLE LILLY” roared over the Good People along with Dave showing the true connection with the music and the crowd. JB's smooth voice laid a precursor with the line “her whispered words could mend broken hearts.” Notably, JB was TURNED UP and the rhythm section was as dependable as ever as they laid the groundwork for Nick to settle in even more. His solo peaked around the 3:35 mark with a riff that reminded us of the Wizard himself. The crowd continued swaying, smiling and celebrating love as they wound down Lilly for the 245th time in Panic history.

Without another true hard stop, JoJo ended Greta with a bluesy touch but then laid the hints of what was to come next - Climb to Safety. The Jerry Joseph cover was the moment we came alive in the crowd. Paul Hoffman flanked each side of the stage with purple lights, the rear with blue, and the band with white spot lights. Working in perfect timing with the band and the crowd he added an extra layer to this experience. Paul moved the spot lights from band to crowd, with a slight flash of yellow, to display a whole building screaming in unison: “YOU KNOW AS WELL AS I DO IT’S NO FUN TO DIE ALONE”. The production was in full swing. The band was firing. The crowd was hyped. The magic was being made and Duane Trucks was driving this train. His playing on CTS was purely phenomenal. He knew when and who to drive to harness most of the magic. Around the 2:50 mark, the Goldtop PRS crunch sliced through and by 3:20 Duane felt Nick building and pushed even harder. This felt like a Valentine's Day show - spirits and energies were high.

Whew!! Time for a breath. The band shared smiles and tunes, JB meandered a bit, and as Hoffman dropped the lights to a gloomy blue we heard Nick’s first version of This Part of Town. We continued love in a different way - compassion. JB sounded angelic as he told a story of giving a helping hand only to have his lover realize he also needed love and hope. With a nice little play with his words, JB sang “Around this corner, we will be the forsaken”. The band continued to remind us to love and help people - strangers and those close to you alike. Clocking in at 9:25 the jam from about 5:50 on took us on a smooth ride. Nick had a nice slow build that JB added a layer to that made this a mellow, yet satisfying jam.

Slow build might have been the recipe for mama’s gumbo but Thought Sausage hit out the gate strongly. This was the fifth time Thought Sausage followed TPOT and it was short, fast but heavy hitting. At 4:47 it was the second shortest song of the set but the quality was present. From about 2:20 to 3:41 was some of Nick's best work of the night, despite his first time playing this tune too. The crowd had the headbanging down by the song's end.

However, the knees bent, the hip sway degree increased and we got down as DAS led a nasty transition into Barstools and Dreamers. This was now a true dance party. Panic had yet to play Machine with Nick. They also took a break from Machine 15 times from introducing Barstools when Duane first joined. So maybe it was a tough one for the newbies? Regardless, the jam hit a funky groove with JB’s slide work mixing with Nick's crunch, Dave's rumble and JoJo’s underlying accompaniment. Around the 8:30 mark began a build up that pushes vigorously before giving way to Dave's bass-led down-and-dirty jam. JB came back in with some sexy slide work as the band continued to harness the crowd engagement with “really love the people!!!”

JoJo began with the defining intro of King Baby. Nick joined and JB added his level before Dave's bass rumbled through the arena. The 26th time played since its debut at Red Rocks 6/25/2023, King Baby made its way to Austin. Paul Hoffman really shined during this song. He overlayed the right, left and rear of the stage with purple, he blended strobes of yellow, blue and white lights in perfect tandem with the band. There was a more forceful impact of this song, about greed and emotional immaturity, when Hoffman synched perfectly with the music. King Baby has become a refined product in their live repertoire.

Just in case anyone forgot the reason why we were here, the 1,178th Porch Song closed the first set. A few good cats passin’ the day, indeed. Notably, Josh Timmermans usually raises his Nikon to capture the Good People having a Good Time to procure one of his famous shots from the rail. Always be prepared for the photo op during Porch if you're in the pit! Clocking in at 3:54, this short and sweet set-ender left us feeling great, happy, and ready for what the second set has to hold.

After 70 minutes, set break hit and it was as weird as ever in a new venue!

“Where’s the nearest bathroom?”

“Can you sneak me a bottle of water down?” (They made you pour your plastic water into a cup to enter the floor)

“I miss the theater because I knew where everything was at.”

But the biggest observation summarized easily - Nick Johnson had the Juice now! One person was overheard saying “Nick is a Mikey Panic fan who was taught by Jimmy”. This hit home because in that first set, Nick found his way to meld into what the other members were doing, then took charge and slung his own sword.

The second set came out with a bang after a 33 minute intermission. The third time You Wreck Me opened a set, this song instantly kicked the crowd’s momentum into high gear. This Tom Petty cover had the crowd jumping, singing and shouting. Petty had originally titled this song “You Rock Me” but felt ‘Wreck’ helped convey the emotional instability of obsessing over someone so much better. This was a pretty standard Wreck Me. While the first set leaned into a 'feel-good' take on love, the second shifted focus to love’s more volatile strains. 

After a true stop and some tuning, Zoel brought out the beloved Black Washburn to JB’s hands. Duane set the beat for JoJo to hammer in a funky intro before giving way to JB’s signature slide into Ribs & Whiskey. JB sounded fantastic in playing and singing, taking time from hunching over and working his slide and back to the mic. Shedding his maroon Carhartt from the first set, he had a scowl on his face, he was happy but playing with emotion. Including a Down on the Farm tease, this Ribs was smokin’! JoJo took the charge back around 3:33 and the crowd was grooving!!! Nick took the lead for a few minutes but around 8:12, JB let his slide do the talking before reminding us “If you don't believe my love, I’m gonna find new ways to spend my night!” Who doesn't dream of smoked ribs and smooth brown liquor when in Texas?

Giving the black guitar back to Zoel, JB allowed the band to immediately hop into Wondering. Sunny’s intro was as dependable as the sunrise, but he set a fast pace to this one with a seemingly higher BPM. This 670th Wondering had a feel of a set opener. A fast and danceable iteration measured in at 4:25. JB's voice still sounded great while telling us about the mental instability that living in your own head can bring - because thinking creates danger and we didn't want our hearts getting turned around.

Let's find out who we were, shall we? Another FTP for Nick Johnson and the swinging and sloshing of Proving Ground made its first appearance since Halloween last year. JB set a slow-building foundation with a riff that invited Nick to join in, eventually erupting into the full-throttle, punch-in-the-face energy of Proving Ground.  After a solid play through, JB ignited another match that let Nick burn up the joint at 4:30. This jam begged the question, would there be a sandwich coming? The band took this roaring jam into Zambi territory - causing confusion and wonder from the crowd on what was coming next.

Time for grinding and ass throwing! Ride Me High blasted through as JoJo headed us from Zambi confusion back to a dance party. This was a good example of how Nick injected himself at the right moment with proper force. He intertwined and interacted with JoJo in the Jam around the 5:30 mark. Nick's second go at Ride Me High was a good one; the build up, peak and follow-through beginning of this jam was a highlight to the night. It was safe to say Mr. Johnson had found his comfortability in his role with the Six-Headed Monster.

After a fling with being rode on high, the band switched gear like only they could, and brought us back into Proving Ground. This short ending provided satisfaction for the sandwich we were hoping for with a forceful stop. 

“Another love song!” JB said while the band finished their tuning. Down. A song about the struggles of a relationship and waiting for things to take their course. A great nod to Todd Nance, Down has now been played twice with Nick Johnson. The PRS from Nick stayed sharp while the band stretched this one to 6:34. Midway through, JoJo stepped in front and led this jam that rose to a nice handoff to Nick to drive this love song home. One could feel the emotion of this song in the building as they progressed. Who hasn't had a strained relationship they dealt with? This band knew how to tug at those familiar feelings in us all. 

This led us to a familiar slow intro of Papa’s Home. Nick felt his way around as JB stepped to the mic and told the story about a man trying to make it back to his loved ones. The slow escalation of Papa’s erupted when Sunny took charge. Dave took a step towards the side stage, allowing all the Spreadheads to see Domingo dominate his rig. 73-years old and still bashing around like he did 35 years ago. JB gracefully allowed some space for Nick to lead us into the second verse, whilst Dave again gave space to Sunny, and this time JoJo joined in to add another level to this stellar jam. 

Could another sandwich be coming? Papa’s slowed down and everyone but Duane and Domingo took a step back - we had drums. Sunny took it first showing his bag of tricks while Duane set the speed. Then it was Trucks’ time. Duane showed why he was a true powerhouse. As the remaining band members grabbed their instruments, Dave took a puff and Hoffman hit him with a spotlight.

The bass strums permeated the air bringing slow allusion to the frantic start of Tie Your Shoes. While still never pressed on an album, this was an absolute fan favorite and crowd pleaser and very welcome deep in the second set. While Dave headed this 343rd rendition, Nick and JB traded layers of sound that built this to its final ascent around the 4:00 mark. This simply stated yet rocking reminder to take care of your business and most of all, “Love Your Girl.”

The deconstruction of TYS led us back around to the finish of Papa’s Home. This segment gave Nick time to shine and capped off this second serving of a second set sandwich. It was readily apparent he had done his homework and was feeling confident playing lead.

Without hesitation, Nick ripped into the opening riff of Jerry Joseph's North.  More emotion wringing as JB sang about leaving someone behind to find his true self during the second JJ cover of the evening. After a solid start to the song, JoJo took us on a funky little ride around the 4:20 mark.  This was the 57th time North has ended a second set and this is a good example why. An Energizer-bunny of a song, this one keeps the jam revving and rising though its completion. After JB proclaimed he's gonna “Disappear”, JoJo and Nick traded shots before Nick sailed off into a magnificent solo to wrap up this 77-minute set. 

Some were expecting a feel-good all love set but as you may know, Panic is unpredictable and mysterious. This second set felt like dealing with and reconciling a tumultuous, toxic love. From being emotionally and mentally unstable, to finding out who you were, to slipping up, to breaking up, to reconciling, to finding out what it was all really worth. A lot of us obsess over the way Panic writes setlists and this second set captured what love and relationships look like for many of the Good People. They aren’t all lovey dovey, are they?

Warren Zevon’s Keep Me In Your Heart started the encore. This song perfectly provided a cleanse for those who just experienced a wild emotional ride. At the end of the day, we all were there to do one thing, have a good time we could carry with us in the years to come.  JB reminded us that we carry a lot with us, and hope some carry us with them, “When you're doing simple things around the house, I hope you think of me and smile." An incredibly lovely song where JB’s angelic voice was put on display while paying homage to an inspiration. In its 9th time played, Paul Hoffman projected an image of lines and swirls that resembled human rib cages lined in the shape of a heart. While JB finished his lyrics, he turned to Nick and brought this tune to a close. Hugs. Smiles. Tears.

BOOM! For the third time ever, and first since 2011, Love Tractor showed up on Valentines Day! We exploded as this familiar tune had us bouncing on our feets. Hoffman had lit up the entire arena at this point. The energy in that building was incalculable - OFF THE CHARTS!!  What a punctuation mark on an incredible show. This was also the 999th Love Tractor played all time. We are close that 1,000 milestone

YEEEE-HAW, Austin! What a perfect way to celebrate this special holiday, with our 6 favorite boyfriends!

We'll see ya'll on the beach in FL for the Auggie run. Peace, love, and Widespread Panic!