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Birmingham Night 1 (4/17/26)
- watlopodcast
- Apr 20
- 21 min read
Listen to the entire show on Nugs or Relisten or Archive.org.
Data mined and explored via Everyday Companion.
It was a perfect sunny day in Birmingham, Alabama when Widespread Panic took the stage for the first ever time at the fresh and new Coca-Cola Amphitheatre. Blue skies and warm weather were a welcome reason to get even more fizzing for the inaugural show at the CCA, it had been over eight years since the Panics last raged Bham (2/17/18 at the BJCC Arena). This welcoming and charming metropolis has long been called the Magic City due to its “magic” growth and rapid rise during the industrial boom of the late 1800’s. Fans were raring to go and the unchained and unsupervised shakedown lot gathering nearby was charging hard before the show. Word got out fast that despite the moderate atmospheric heat, there was little to no bluecoat heat at the lot, and it was a fine place to start shaking it loose before heading into the venue to grab an ice cold caramel colored caffeinated carbonated cola beverage, regular or diet. Fans were missing the days of yore in the legendary Oak Mountain Amphitheatre (played a total of 24 times, from 10/05/90-7/20/13, the “Red Rocks of the South” was the site of some of the most epic moments in WSP history and Alabama’s proud home for the boys from Athens. The most current Alabama shows were at the Orion Amphitheatre in Huntsville, (the most recent being nearly three years ago on 7/28,29,30/2023). It was a relatively easy cross to bear knowing that these guys were likely going to throw down some serious heat, hard and fast at this two-day affair.
The venue was mostly full, the sun was still up and shadows were getting longer at 7:13 PM CST when we saw our heroes stroll casually onto the stage and take up their tools of the rock and roll trade. No hat and wearing more layers than anyone else in the house, JB greeted the crowd with two words: “Hello, Everybody!”. A very familiar and comforting tune began the set, an original and finely aged instrumental known as The Take Out. Whether it's the spot where you motor your boat to the ramp for trailering, or a place where you get a bucket of fried to-go, The Take Out is a soaring and glorious composition that makes it easy to smile, dance, and get settled on in for the night ahead. LTP N2 10/25/25 in MIlwaukee, (also the show opener) this was Nick’s first time playing this number in front of a live audience. They had obviously rehearsed it together, because they were synced up and seemed to deliver a flawless rendition of the 365th playing of this song, one full year of “Take Outs” for the faithful. The studio version from the band’s first album Space Wrangler (1988) is precisely 2:16 in length, and amazingly this live version was precisely 2:22 in length, just a 6 second variation. What incredible precision and execution, these guys are professionals. The sound was spot on, and the best crew in the business had yet again gotten everything just exactly perfect. So good so far.
Our staffers at the show expected to see a Porch Song slotted directly after TTO, but as this band is able to do, they gave us a delightful surprise, the first of many this weekend. Of the 365 times TTO has been played, Porch directly followed it 233 times, 63.8% of the time. Porch was the after +1 song (so… TTO > some other song > Porch) 24 times, meaning once TTO is played, Porch is the next two songs over SEVENTY percent of the time. Barely a pause and then we were treated to another first from Nick’s ever expanding catalog. A fast rhythmic looping riff from JB launched us into another beloved Panic original, Radio Child. Also last played at the Riverside Theatre on 10/25/25 in the first set, the first track from the 1997 Bombs and Butterflies got the bodies moving in a fast paced frenzy. It seemed the caffeine from all the soda pop consumed so far was really kicking in. A short punchy version kept the band tightly woven and the heads were not shy with the full daylight dance moves. The most creative lyric swapper in the land replaced “worlds whispered in the mind” with “over and over in the life” during the third verse, but it didn't slow anyone down and flowed perfectly. Jojo’s keyboard work during RC was an early indication that this would be a great weekend for him and that he was bound to bring his A game.
The boys took a pause, did some slight noodling and then came a mighty and unmistakable bass drop into the original instrumental and another first for Nick, Machine. Recorded originally as a studio demo at John Keane’s place in Athens, GA in 1990, and finally released in 2022 on the Miss Kitty’s Lounge album, this song is typically a precursor to Barstools and Dreamers. If you have not checked out the MKL “demo” album, do yourself a favor and give it a spin. JB said about MKL: “This was Widespread Panic un-filtered - or, at least self-filtered - filling in almost every cranny with sound and movement” Interestingly, the last two Barstools played (1/21 and 2/14 of 2026) did not have the Machine beforehand. This time we were back to traditional Panic and after a zesty Machine, another shot from DAS bass cannon dropped us into a song of much badassery, Barstools and Dreamers.
While the previous three songs had brought Nick’s total number of unique songs played with WSP up to 117, this was his third time playing B&D. There was some delightful interplay between JB and Nick on this number, they stretched things out a bit and seemed very comfortable exchanging licks. This version clocked in at about 14 minutes; around the middle of the song Duane reminded everyone that he was indeed wearing his hat backwards and that means something. He took things up a notch or three and had a real good mind to beat his drums senseless, while the other young member of the band seemed to respond by wailing his guitar and for a few minutes these two young studs were off the leash and really let the sparks fly. This was a fun and furious peak, yet at 9:45 it was time for the elder statesman to step back in and show these young guns how it’s been done for almost 40 years. JB brought his sexiest slide guitar game, DAS had the bass mountain erupting with funky bits for days, and Jojo kept up his bid for MVP. The buildup from the peak and then the release into the swampy funky freestyle telepathic babies being born today JB mini-rap was just the kind of ride fans travel across the country for, time and time again. Listen loud at the end of B&D when JB slips in at 13:33 “Only really care what the puppy dogs feel”. According to the Big Brown Soda executive team, they were only taking thirsty people at the CCA. Word in the venue was those in possession of one “Y” chromosome and one “X” chromosome must be be exceedingly cautious when gulping and guzzling diuretic beverages, due to the fact there were a total of two men's restrooms to heed the need of approximately 7500 dudes in attendance.
We heard there was actually a mythical third restroom backstage with no line (ahh the perks of being friends with the band!) and thus JB was not scared to take a few big pulls from his Chilly Water branded water bottle during the pause once B&D had come to a glorious close. Once Mr. Bell had finished slaking his thirst, we heard a soothing chime cascade and cymbal rattle that alerted us it was time to have an animated adventure with our old friend Charlie. We call him “C” for short, and he has taught us all a lot in the more than 40 years since the FTP on Thursday February 13th, 1986 at the Uptown Lounge in Athens, GA. Charlie reminded us that it's good to brush your teeth and comb your head before catching the bus to school. He informed us that sometimes your friends will go and tell you a lie and you miss the bus, but you can walk and you don't need to say another word. C taught us that we don’t have to worry at all. He taught us that we can sit in the grass if it feels good, and that even though we love our friends, sometimes a dog is as good as any man. (RIP Bubs, you were and always will be a good dog. We see the shimmer of your memory.) Charlie also enlightened us to the idea that trying to do as we should does not always rhyme with what feels good. Thanks Charlie, these are all words that we live by in the HQ, we always strive to draw unto others as they have been drawn to you. Hoffman threw up the album art from Free Somehow and JB’s voice sounded extra angelic and sublime here, it's as if he was pouring pure emotion and love into every word he sang into the microphone. Sunny kept a lovely rhythm and really the whole thing gelled together as if by magic. In an extremely rare occurrence at a modern Panic show, JB spoke to the crowd: “Jeff Riley wrote that song. Mikeys’ roommate back in college…And then we stole it!”. In the credits on the 1991 self-titled album AKA “Mom’s Kitchen” it does indeed credit Jeff Riley as a co-writer of this all-time classic, along with Widespread Panic. It's amazing the things we can learn when we listen loud and JB is willing to give us some cherished nuggets of banter. Thanks for the lesson, Charlie. Thanks for the lesson, JB!
A few seconds after the moment that JB concluded his statement, Jojo struck his piano and introduced the next song, Goodpeople. More of a mid-era Panic song, initially introduced live as the first set opener at the fabulous Fox Theatre in Atlanta on 3/26/05. This song appeared on the 2006 album Earth to America. It was a nice way to momentarily reignite the dance party and we noticed a theme of Jojo really stepping up and leading the charge: it’s always such a treat to see a man really doing above average work at his job. The “first half” of GP was only about two and a half minutes, with JB growling the lyrics and emphasizing the line about “Ten thousand angels singing, lawwwwd you know it thrills my soul”.
It's not always a guarantee that they will play GP>Dark Bar>GP, but it’s more common then not. We crunched the numbers here at WATLO HQ. Out of the 227 total times played, it’s been standalone (AKA not used as sandwich bread, AKA no DB) 98 times. Therefore, we at WATLO do hereby officially release a unified statement that despite the commonality, the inclusion of Dark Bar between the two halves of Goodpeople is considered a "sandwich". But, kind of a boring sandwich, that you eat out of desperation because there’s nothing left in the fridge. Like a butter sandwich (shoutout to Grandpa who always ate them… we are the good people, the ones your grandad warned you about!) This version did not disappoint and was worth every bit of the nearly 8 minutes that it occupied during the first set. The vocal divine harmonies between JB and Jojo were not to be missed. The night sky was fully dark by this time in the show at the outdoor venue, plenty dark enough to see the fireflies and shooting stars. We know JB likes to roam his stage area like a big cat stalking its prey, during the Dark Bar JB moved fully off his Persian rug towards Jojo and faced him in reverence and collaboration as they played the heaviest part of the song. It was inspiring. In the last very last verse, (starting at about 7:09), Dave stepped to his mic as well and the three sang a powerful final harmony before the drop back into Goodpeople.
A strong and concise re-entry into the second half of Goodpeople got the folks moving again; the driving bass mixed with some continued strong playing from the piano man, combined with the rest of the band was controlled mayhem. Nick had the tone just right to add the sugar on top and JB brought some extra oomph to his vocals in order to match Jojo’s energy. Reminding us “here are your waters so drink” many men in the crowd who had yet to fully realize the horrors of the restroom lineup at set break may have been foolishly hydrating themselves.
A very brief moment of pause (like a teensy baby carrot) was the segue into the ninth song of the first set, Little by Little. It was an unrushed and comfortable beginning to the song and had everyone in the place listening to Duane as he set the pace and got us off on the right foot. There must be a strong affinity to this song and the band clearly has a strong attraction to it. It has been played at every tour stop/run but one since its debut on 7/29/23 in the Cotton State at the Orion Amphitheatre. The last run they did NOT play LxL was the two night stand in NC around the middle of September 2023. Starting on 10/20/23 (N1 MKE), we have been treated to always getting a LxL. As of this weekend at the High Fructose Corn Syrup Amphitheater, it was officially 28 consecutive tour stops where Little by Little has been played. If you are doing the math and wondering how this was actually the 31st playing of this song, don't forget to include the 2024 weekend in June in Colorado when the boys played LxL twice in one run. We are here for it and we fully trust in the Panics to do their craft and to play all the right songs. It shows that they have gotten this one absolutely dialed, and have a blast performing it. The imagery of “Riding off into a sunset that never sets at all, on the road to Shangri-La” has a power to it. For a band that has been through so much, and never given up, it is a testament to the power of a hard work ethic and accountability to family. None of us are getting any younger and nothing lasts forever, so each time we get to go to see all our friends and our favorite band it gets more and more meaningful. The peak at the end of LxL was so in your face and raw, it delivered this “new” song in an “old soul” way. The sun had fully set by this time late in the first set, and the bright lights were on. There was an audible nod of respect to his mentor and teacher as Nick sent this one over the top. This was quintessential Widespread Panic. It might have actually been too strong for one unfortunate fan in the pit near the rail on Nick side.
Time for the last song of the first set, Blackout Blues. When we were discussing the arrangement of this song the next day with Shorty and David from Florida, they mentioned firstly that N1 seemed like a Jojo night and he was MVP. This Blackout was another example about how they were correct in this assessment. Our new friends also mentioned how there seemed to be an unusually long and oddly subdued and drawn out intro to BOB. Here’s what happened: Someone in the pit blacked out at the beginning of Blackout Blues. The fan went down like a sack of 9 pound hammers right in front of the young and impressionable Nick Johnson. The surrounding fans quickly summoned some medical assistance and the helpful first responders had their flashlights all lit up in the area and then hoisted the blacked out patient over the rail in front of the stage, mere feet from the lead guitar player’s view. Further medical attention was sought and the patient was wheeled to safety. All of this commotion was obviously concerning to the fellas on Jojo/Nick side as you hear them kind of taking it easy while the medical emergency was handled. At about 1:50 into the song everything was able to come back to “Panic pit normal” and Jojo launched into the lyrics. For the old dogs on stage they are accustomed to such sights and smells but we are not sure how much Nick has seen, just glad they all came out ok. The interplay between Duane, Nick, JB, and especially Jojo was just incredible and really got us all sweating out our worries. JB’s slide guitar was a master class and Nick was taking notes. JB was turnt up! Listen in carefully at 6:44 after Jojo tells us he’s moving back to Mississippi before he loses his mind, when JB quips slyly “There it goes”. We are just glad that that fan who needed help was able to keep their head up off the ground and that the staff at all these venues are so helpful and kind in keeping us safe and well tended to throughout the shows.
After a relatively short (35-minute) set break, the band came back on stage at 8:53 PM. Rather than tuning, they played some spacey ethereal sounds indicating that we’d be swinging from tree to tree. Last played in Milwaukee, this was Mr. Johnson’s first time playing this song in the big leagues. While this was the 270th time Panic has played this highly sought after song, 68.5% of them (185) were played in the Mikey-era. After his death, there was a 167 song gap before they played it with George on 5/1/05. Kicking off the second set with this number was one helluva way to blast off into the night. This was only the 11th time in WSP history and Duane’s first time they played the song in this slot (set 2, song 1). Here are the other 10 shows:
03/16/87
09/01/87
06/01/88
08/25/90
09/25/94
11/06/94
09/16/97
06/18/99
10/19/99
07/22/09
Pretty special stuff… Nick and the band destroyed it. One fan was heard saying it was her favorite Contentment she’s ever seen live! The screen behind the band had the newly familiar image of a Bald Eagle in denim overalls sitting in a rocking chair on a porch playing an acoustic guitar. This image was the artwork from the recently released J.T. Lucchesi 2025 tour print that was available from the bands’ online store. The graphic was animated and the Eagle’s feathered wing tip was slowly strumming upon the guitar as JB absolutely greased our eardrums and our souls with all that he was planning on playing: The Contentment Blues. JB’s money is no good here, and he never needs to pay a dollar for his dues as far we are concerned. We love our chicken here at the WATLO HQ.
Jojo’s organ sustained while Duane brought us all to the Diner. Such a classic! Despite its regularity in the rotation, it is consistently a fan favorite. We love asking fans what their favorite song is and this one is high on the list! JB was feeling it, and early on added some extra sparkles (1:38): “sunny won’t you shine my shoe” “shine, shine, sparkle on, sit real still” - GET IT! Jojo was front and center all weekend, and may have earned MVP of Alabama - he oscillated so perfectly between the organ and piano, both of which were prominent throughout the whole song. Nick’s solos during Diner were so good. One fan texted us, “Nick’s threading the needle between sounding like Jimmy and Mikey, but definitely adding his own touch to the songs.” So well put! Hoffman put up the poster art from the run, showcasing a sexy blue Miss. Lee figure with lots of hidden Easter eggs of Panic material. His use of graphic art during the entire run added so much texture to the lighting display.
There was a noticeable explosion at 7:14, led by the young stud, Nick, which culminated in an epic crescendo at 8:22. The descent from the peak segued perfectly into JB’s rap (9:22):
“Hanging in the diner, sittin’ in the light of Miss. Lee. She opened up early, help a poor boy out. Said, ‘come on in, yeah. I got in a little early too. Couldn’t sleep… kept dreamin’ dreamin’ dreamin’ dreamin’ dreamin’ dreamin’, the same dream. Wake up, back again. Oooh, there’s a little sunshine, awww, just peakin’ over the hedge there. Through the glass and the words on the glass, slippin’ too, restin’ up ‘gainst my coffee cup, keep it warm little longer. Hanging in the light, hanging in the light. I gotta go! Before all the respectable people come ‘round. Awwwww i know, i know, i gotta go. Just one more, one more, one more, ladies, ladies. Aww her smile! Hanging in the light, basking in her light. Baskin’, baskin’, baby, baby. Warm tug, awwwww, all I love. Hanging in the light, child, of Miss. Lee.”
The rest of the band came alive as JB concluded preaching, clearly motivated by the sermon. Nick and Schools had an epic interplay with JB very, very clearly in the mix. The three of them were cooking up something VERY special in the Diner this evening.
A clear cohesive transition from the entire six-headed monster led us from the Diner into the barn, where she’s been waiting! This was the 1000th time Love Tractor has been played! Bringing the tune into the very exclusive 4-digit club… we’ve got:
Travelin’ Light (1047)
Pigeons (1110 - includes 4.18)
Chilly Water (1163 - includes 4.18)
Porch Song (1179 - includes 4.18)
Space Wrangler (1218)
JB was SO up front and center - he was SHREDDDDINGGGGG! Then, the entire band unleashed, each member playing with all his might. Nick absolutely killed it, with every single member executing so hard. A well-celebrated 1000th birthday for Love Tractor!
We all needed a break after that one, and a huge sip of beverage, including JB who went back for another glug of chilly water. Nick played a little diddy, and School reciprocated, as we patiently awaited what was to come. Duane’s high hat kicked off Visiting Day. Last played in Milwaukee, another first for young Nick. First played on 4/25/00, the band played it 23 times with Mikey on lead guitar. Despite its early debut in Panic history, it wasn’t officially released for 20 more years, until 2010 on Dirty Side Down. What an incredibly potent reminder to see the things that make us smile, an easy thing to do as we look around the venue seeing smiles beaming from ear-to-ear. There are times we can all get stuck feeding the negative, but Panic pulls us out of the fire. Live music, especially Widespread Panic, is an opportunity for a reset, for us to leave charged up, shinier, happier, and more joyful than when we arrived. Thanks, Jojo! JB crooned in the background as Jojo wailed about drinking rye, eating chicken, and singing sad songs while we get him high. Dave’s back-up vocals rained supreme. All three of them on their mics added so many layers to the lyrics. Truly remarkable stuff.
They came to a full stop, exchanging smiles with each other. Jojo was so animated the whole weekend! The audience started cheering loudly, and Dave’s bass introduced Blight. First played on 10/27/95, this was Dave’s time to shine! We love discussing Brute. any chance we can… a super group comprised of some familiar names; Dave Schools, Michael Houser, Todd Nance, and Vic Chesnutt. They released the song in 1995 on their album Nine High Pallet. Dave unleashed it all, and gave us the highly coveted “mother fucking viral” rather than “literally” which he’s been favoring. Dave’s vocals were at a 12 out of 10 all weekend, but this song he went OFF with his “wooos” and “shiiiiiiiiiiiine” and his “shine on through” - seemingly leading the vocals and backing himself up. It sounded like he prepared for the evening with a big cup of hot water and honey! It paid off. This was full throttle Panic at their finest… They worked themselves up into an absolute frenzy with a massive crescendo at 7:40, each member firing harder than the next. While Dave didn’t give us a typical Blight “rap” or any words of wisdom, he said it all in an exaggerated “hooooooo” almost like a big sigh, as well as his overall playing and vocals. Wowza.
Jojo came front and center with the organ, as Dave kept up the momentum on bass mountain, for a smooth transition into You Got Yours. Another FTP from 1995 (9/16), so far all six songs from the second set were first played in the Mikey era. A relatively easy song to catch, it was played nine times in 2022, eight times in 2023, six times in 2025, and this was already the third time played in 2026. However, there was a huge show gap after Mikey’s passing. The band wouldn’t play it for 271 shows between 6/29/02 (Mikey’s last Red Rocks run) and 7/28/06 (John Keane joined them on guitar and vocals for the song when it kicked off the second set). The crowd was getting down with stank faces, ass-shakin’ dancing, and fist pumps galore, as we were reminded of all the relationships that taught us all the lessons we needed to learn. Thank you, exes! They came to a complete stop again, giving us all time to hoot and holler, and for JB to get another sip of water. The man was working hard! Did you see all his sweat beads forming on his face? The long sleeve flannel was keeping his body nice and hot!
JB said something like “all in the right place?” to which someone replied “yuuup!” - JB’s guitar gave away the next tune as they switched gears and slowed it all down with We Walk Each Other Home. What a beautiful tune, an opportunity to catch our breaths, hold our loved ones close, and think of those souls gone from the Earth but never gone from our hearts. Mostly written about a doggy companion, we can’t help but think of all the friends who left this plane too soon. As much as we love the rage dancing fast paced song, nothing fills a set like a rock ballad. The Dead perfected this as they’d often slow it down mid second set. The tradition of slowing it down around this time of the show is a beloved tradition we support! Jojo’s organ was front and center again, he seemed so fired up! Maybe it was the short commute, or the feeling of it being as close to a home town run as he’ll get all year, whatever it was, we were so pleased Jojo ate his wheaties and showed up to work ready to rage! JB’s vocals were smooth as butter, he is the sexiest man aliiiiiiiive!
They stopped completely again, this set was not short of any commas, and Duane’s high hat led us into Up All Night. The 8th original in a row (if you count Blight as an original… but maybe you don’t!). Released on Free Somehow (2008), it was first played on 10/26/07 and this was the 154th time the band had us laughing in Savannah. Did anyone else pick up on the southern state theme? They knew their audience, as the crowd seemed dominated by students attending SEC schools. Right around 3 minutes, they started the jam with a smooth and sensual intro. Nick was given permission to roam and he really took us all to places we needed to go. Dave and Sunny were also crushing it over in the rhythm section. The band built up speed and fury as they climbed up to a massive peak at 6:55, when Nick started playing the Up All Night lick, but the rest of the men weren’t ready to descend yet. They stretched the crescendo out, for a bit longer, until finally Nick led them all down so JB can remind us about the best parts of Christmas - lights hidden during the day and exposed at night! Truly, one of the best jams of the night! Instead of ending the song, once the lyrics concluded they started jamming again. Jojo gave away the next song pretty quickly… but the rest of the band kept on doing their thang!
Finally a sideways carrot (>)!!! The first cover of the entire night - 18 songs of original music to kick off the Bham run. This song was originally released on the exquisite album, Troubadour (1976) by JJ Cale. First covered on 11/4/96, Panic has never released a studio version despite playing it 315 times. This song can easily be the longest of the show, and was used as sandwich bread for the first time in Playa earlier this year (1/22/26). It was the third longest song of this show (Barstools and Diner were both longer), but still had a massive jam component. Jojo and Nick came up strong together around 4:22 with Jojo blasting through on the organ. They showcased themselves as a solid singular unit this weekend, working together in the left corner. Dave couldn’t be denied and around 6:50 made all our guts vibrate dropping heavy bass bombs. The jam slowed down, which is always appreciated. Jams don’t always have to be louder and faster to be good, they don’t always have to be summiting a peak, sometimes the most impressive ones stay sultry, guttural, and creepy. Around the 9-minute mark, they entered a VERY spacey dark jam, dare we say scary? Reminiscent of a Zambi jam (Z-man gets the final say on whether or not it qualifies as a “Zambi” jam). After only about a minute of the scaries, Jojo started playing the familiar notes to Ride Me High, pulling the rip cord on the jam. Both JB and Schools were offering backup vocals, and the harmonizing was EPIC! Bass Mountain took over for the final seconds of the song until Jojo’s organ led us into the second set finale.
Another cover, written by Jerry Joseph, ended the second set - Climb to MFing Safety! Such a crowd pleaser! Everyone was arm-in-arm with their show besties, both old and new. We couldn’t help ourselves from joining in with a big group of frat bros jumping up and down in unison! Wow - every single band member was giving it their all and from our perspective, every single fan was doing the same. It became a full-blown sing-a-long as we all looked each other in the eye, promising each other we will ALL be dry, we will ALL be each other’s ladders. Which, little did we know at the time, was a very important promise given the forecast for the next night’s show. JB went off at the end, “laaaawd” “awwwhhhh” “child” - hell yes. They really left us all wanting mo’, mo’, mo’ as they exited the stage without a word.
A few minutes later, they re-entered the stage to begin the encore. The band tuned up again, and Duane and Nick simultaneously kicked off Down. One of our housemates from our Airbnb in the magic city kept saying that Down was the most memorable song for her from the weekend. We can’t hear this song without thinking of our original drummer, Todd Nance (11/20/62-8/19/20), and shedding some tears. His voice still rings through in our ears, hearts, and souls. First played on 4/16/00, it was the third time played in 2026, and you’ll NEVER hear us complain about hearing this song too often. Rightfully so, this song had a HUGE hiatus after Todd left the band in 2014. They brought it back during the rainy Red Rocks on 6/25/21 with Duane at the helm. It rained so hard you couldn’t tell what were tears and what were rain drops, but it’s safe to say all the good people were sobbing like babies. This version was so spectacular, so perfectly executed, so heartfelt. You could feel the emotions pouring from the stage and the audience - it was truly a special moment.
Right as JB reminded us that we will need our favorite things, they ripped into Mr. Soul, a Neil Young classic! They’ve been covering this song for 39 years, first on 5/13/87, this was the 393rd time played. The longest show gap by almost double was after Jimmy joined the band. They went a full 51 shows without playing it (8/6/06-3/28/07). Otherwise, it’s been in the regular rotation. They left nothing on the table, no gas left in the tank, each member completely annihilating until the very last second. JB’s nickname is Mr. Soul, so we always get extra pumped that he’s singing his own anthem. After an explosive ending, they each left the stage without saying goodbye, but we knew we’d see them all again tomorrow.
We wiped the sweat off our faces, said goodbye to all our friends both old and new, and slowly exited the venue. After sweating so much, we decided it would be smart to fill our Nalgene with water before exiting as we were fully amping for the Bloodkin after show. We were not expecting to get stopped by venue security who made us dump the entire water bottle out in order to EXIT the venue. We weren’t sure why it would be illegal to carry H2O out of the venue, or why the venue rules wanted us to be so dehydrated, however we were convinced that they would have let us leave with Coca-Cola! Enjoy Coke!
Thank you to our Title Sponsor, Higher Love:
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