LA Night 3 (7/25/26)

Listen to the entire show on Nugs or Archive.org.

Data mined and explored via Everyday Companion.

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The same rowdy 2,000-person crowd was back again for the final night of the Western Jaunt that the Panics had embarked on back on July 5th, 958 miles away in Jackson, WY. It had been a challenging journey, yet incredibly fulfilling and a joyful experience to see that many Widespread Panic shows in a row covering thousands of miles. The folks we talked to right before the show were rightfully emotional. It all felt bittersweet. At times, it appeared like the shows would never end, as we always had the next concert to look forward to, the next destination to travel to. And, yet, we all found ourselves at the end. We reminded our neighbors to be grateful that it happened, not sad that it was ending. Although, truthfully it was more of a reminder to ourselves, as it was incredibly melancholy that it was all coming to a close.

The band promptly took the stage at 8:11 pm, which we were used to at that point. The first two nights they began around 8:13 pm, and the anxiety of finding your seat was hardly there, given we were so used to the venue by the third night. JB greeted the crowd, “Good evening, everybody!” and the Spreadheads erupted. Schools’s bassline kicked off the 23rd of 24 total sets the band played during their West Coast Summer Tour, they opened the show with Goin’ Out West. This Tom Waits cover hadn’t been played all of the summer tour. Last played at Red Rocks as the second encore (a meaty version worth listening to), we had been curious every night when it would make an appearance, and sensically, they held on to it until the very last night of tour. With several references to LA specifically, this was the perfect show opener for the final concert of the stretch. JB replaced “forget about you” to “available to you” and Paul kept the lights on during the first round of “she looks good without a shirt on” but then adjusted to the more common pitch black lighting for the second go-around. Hopefully the band got an eyeful of boobies before he decided to turn the lights down.  

Nick eloquently led the band into the second song, The Take Out, a beautiful instrumental usually indicating that Porch Song is nearby. The last three times they played TTO it opened the show. The last time it was in the second slot of the first set was on 12/29/16. Porch Song came next, fast and furiously behind The Take Out, spearheaded by the rhythm section, Duane & Sunny. Paul did an excellent job turning the lights on super bright so we could all see each other clearly and look one another in the eye as we sang “having a good time” together. A few good cats, indeed! Mikey’s spirit was officially in the building as we belted out the lyrics for our beloved man in the moon, who is indeed a musician! Nick’s tone was exquisite, JB was loud and clear, and Jojo shined. This entire tour each band member has been on fire. We kept referring to the Western Jaunt as the “Turn JB Up Tour” because it seemed like he was soloing and shredding his axe more than ever before.

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 A beautiful segue, mostly orchestrated by Schools, started All Time Low. The first true sideways carrot of the first set. JB took his time starting the first verse, which threw a few fans off. We heard the lyrics shouted a little prematurely; however, we would much rather hear misplaced singing than chomping. Nick went off and totally destroyed his guitar solo, which in turn energized the entire band to turn it up a notch, which in turn inspired the entire crowd to dance and shake just a little harder. The little break gave us all a chance to grab a sip of chilly beverage, including JB!

Dave kicked off the fifth song, an old blues song written by Willie Dixon but first recorded by Howlin’ Wolf in 1960, Spoonful. In 2021, Rolling Stone ranked it 154 in their list of the “500 Greatest Songs of All Time.” Listing off vices to satisfy cravings, this song elicits the emotions of Los Angeles. More than the average population uses materialistic means to seek happiness in the City of Angels. Nick really showcased his blues guitar chops, at times sounding as if he was using a slide, but alas he was not. You could feel Dave’s bass cutting right through your soul rattling all your organs. The sound in the 100-year old theatre was immaculate. JB got growly, which elicited a massive “woo” from men and ladies alike. 

Then, as clear as day, Dave started the bassline to Muffin Man, a Frank Zappa cover. In Nugs, this track is listed as Spoonful, starting at the 10-minute mark. On the set list it is not written down. However, on Everyday Companion, it’s listed as a separate song. The entire band followed suit, and Dave sang the chorus of this incredibly weird song “Girl, you thought he was a man, but he was a muffin.” This was only the second time the band has played the tune. The first and only other time was on 9/19/10 in Baltimore, MD. That’s a 743-show gap, and by our definition, a bust out. LFG! We didn’t know it yet at the time, but this was the first of two bust outs of the evening. There’s a possibility that this was an improvisational moment, since it was not included in the setlist the band refers to during the show, yet they all knew it very well, so who can really say? Perhaps they talked about it beforehand. Whatever happened behind the scenes, we were incredibly grateful that it happened as such. 

JB launched them into the next song, a total tear jerker where we all got to remember our beloved pets, mostly those who have passed on. We Walk Each Other Home is one of their most played songs, right now played during 29% of all shows. It’s a good one to have on your bingo card, that’s for sure! 

They’ve enjoyed pairing their “walking” songs together, so it didn’t come as a huge surprise to hear Walkin (For Your Love) next! At 879 times played, this song’s boots are pointed toward the four digit club! Let’s just hope they can get to 1,000 times played before driving into the sunset that never sets at all. Jojo shined during this one, creating a very light, airy, and beautiful texture. His migration to the organ made it sound like we were all in church. Spirits were high!

Then, the Panics dusted off Meeting of the Waters. A mere 1,212 shows ago, it was last played with George on lead guitar on 10/26/03 in Lexington, KY. This song was played 13 times from April 18 until October 26, just over six months of celebrating the days into the night. Therefore, this is the only song Nick Johnson has performed with WSP that Jimmy has not played with the band. History in the making! With the conclusion of the summer tour, perhaps the band was telling us they didn’t want a long and sad goodbye. We often refer to Panic Nation as a small town. It seems like everyone knows everyone even if it’s just a degree or two off. For one incredible and joyous month, we sang and danced in the small town, and it was glorious. A LOT of Panic fans in attendance, the WATLO Secretary included, have only been fortunate enough to see Panic with Jimmy, so witnessing this song was very much a first. Experiencing firsts together bonds us ever closer. 

The second and final sideways carrot of the set brought in Love Tractor. After hearing two songs in the set that had been played twice and fourteen times, it was nice to end the set with a banger and member of the four digit club. At the 1,005th time played, this version brought it all home. They played energetically and solicited many a “yee-haw”s from the crowd. An excellent crowd participatory moment that will live in our memories forever! Typically when it’s JB’s turn to shred the guitar, he turns sideways towards Nick. But on this fateful night, he stayed facing straight on, allowing us to see his fingers move at the speed of lightning. Praise JBesus! 

With no words, at 9:15 pm local time, the band left the stage for the final set break in LA and of Summer Tour. After a whopping 45 minutes, by far the longest set break tracked of the tour, they took the stage again at 9:50 pm, giving fans plenty of time to complete all their errands and then some. It was nice to have ample time to say goodbye to friends you had gotten accustomed to seeing so often; however, it’s also possible they omitted one song from the encore, likely due to timing, which isn’t so grand. 

Again, the general emotions from the crowd were bittersweet. The last set of 24 from the entire Western Jaunt was underway. Sunny grabbed his whistle and the familiar beats to Fishwater ramped up. A friend texted after the show with gratitude that Sunny has been using his whistle again. Thank goodness for the Hometeam FM group for launching a petition, gratitudes to all those fans who signed it, and an extra special ‘thank you’ to Sunny, a man of the people! There was no holding back at this point. With only one set of music to go, why leave anything left in the tank? Fishwater was quite possibly the best second set opener to rev the energy up to 11 and immediately indicated that the last set at the Orpheum Theatre was going to be the fire sauce. Since Duane joined the band on October 3, 2014, the band has played Fishwater 137 times and they’ve only opened the second set with it five total times (10/12/14, 1/27/19, 3/30/19, 8/9/25, and this fateful night in LA - 7/25/26). For those who don’t have access to a calculator, or who hate division, that’s only 3.6% of the time the song is played in this position (set 2, slot 1) in modern-era Panic. Check out the LA Stat Compilation to see the first time they opened a second set with it!  

The song came to a ferocious end, and Nick kicked off Space Wrangler. This tune is a great opportunity to count Sunny’s vibraslaps. Our operatives got to 4 in the first minute alone. JB said “off to a wrangler school” instead of “rides on a.” Only 13 songs were played three times during their Western Jaunt, and this is one of them. It makes sense, it’s one of their oldest originals and most often played songs. Nick’s tone was in the zone, and resonated through the theatre perfectly. It was easy to pick up JB’s notes too, with that familiar “wicka wicka” sound. Each band member seemed so comfortable and at ease performing - no strain just smiles from ear-to-ear. This song provided a great opportunity to remember your dreams so clear, on a personal note, our dreams were to complete summer tour, finish strong, and in high spirits. Mission accomplished! JB got extra growly at the end, and Nick completely unleashed, inspiring each member to go as hard as possible (AHAP) creating one of the most epic peaks! 

They came to a complete stop, giving everyone plenty of time to regroup. Then, the 147th version of Vacation began. It’s not unusual to see 20+ show gaps for this beloved song, that’s quite ballad-like at the beginning but then steams up into a rockin’ Panic-esque jam. However, this is the fourth time Nick has played it, and it was last performed only 7 shows ago (7/11/26). Jojo’s organ was hitting hard, setting a scene of being at church. It wasn’t a Sunday show, but certainly felt like a very special show nonetheless. JB said “Walked over there” rather than “took a trip over there” which felt appropriate after singing about walking in two songs the previous set. Rather than a “raft and a song” the woman in the story came along with a “laugh and a song.” We loved these beautiful changes JB made throughout the show, and it’s so incredible how one word substitution changed the imagery of the story so vividly. He is a true poet and rockstar! The jam kicked up as each member found his footing. It got so rockin’ that Jojo needed to stand up! He seemed to have stood up more than usual this entire summer tour, or maybe we were just paying closer attention. 

Then, the second instrumental began, Galleon! This was on our list of dust off requests we handed out all summer via the Summer Tour Co-Pilot. Last played 150 shows ago on 8/10/22 in Atlanta, GA, it was one of three songs played this evening that had NOT made an appearance in the last 100 shows. This was only the 45th time the song has ever been played live by the band: 42 times with Mikey on lead guitar, twice with Jimmy, and now once with Nick. 

After a beautiful rendition, the song kind of came to that familiar fizzle which typically means Driving Song is next. Alas, Sunny’s chimes and JB’s guitar lick kicked off a meaty Driving Song, which included the instrumental Breathing Slow at the end. Driving Song didn’t make sandwich bread (meaning another / different song wasn’t played in the middle of Driving Song). The last time it was played straight through was on 4/14/24, JB’s birthday show during Playa Diez in Mexico. Interestingly, that was also the last show Breathing Slow was played. The time before that, where Driving Song was played straight through, was on 6/26/22 at Red Rocks, but Breathing Slow was not performed, just a straight through DS. For context, since 6/26/22 there have been 32 shows where Driving Song has been sandwich bread and the three shows previously discussed where it was played straight through. If you want to go straight to Breathing Slow, it begins around 7:22 during Driving Song on the Nugs show, and is tracked separately (as it should be in our opinions) on the taper’s recordings. 

Schools kept the jam going, which allowed Nick to change his guitar. After a spellbinding journey through the classic Driving Song topper known as Breathing Slow, it was time to get heady and heavy with the oft-played cover song known as Honkey Red. This song has been in the regular rotation since its LA debut in the year of 2014. The stage lights turned a hellish red and the sound quality of this storied 100-year-old room was on full display during a run through a song about life lived in a raw sort of way. JB and Nick were bouncing notes off each other and all in the audience were wide-eyed at JB’s stunning vocal performance. Interestingly, this was the 95th performance of the song which had been first played in this same building at the very end of an 8-show west coast run in the spring of 2014.

Next was a song we all knew had to be played in LA. Nick deftly changed back to his first string guitar, Amber, just as this song was beginning. The story of Hatfield is set squarely in the City of Angels. Being that it was the middle of summer we did not see a drop of rain for our entire swing through the whole of California, it made sense. The band played a spirited version of this fan favorite, with Schools offering a peppy bass tirade at about 4 minutes into the song. Through all the tempo changes and phases of the song, the fans waited patiently for the coveted JB rap which appeared at 7:36:

“We played cops and robbers, cowboys and Indians, Oh one day we done playing, just sitting on the hillside watching the clouds go by, ooh little beer bellies, oooh imagination in our eye, mirrors, mirrors in the clouds, telling everybody’s story all at once. Hatfield said ‘One of these days I'm gonna get a big old, one of them 132 piece, you know the big boy science project kit, I’m gonna send things up them clouds, I’m gonna bring some rain, awwww I’m gonna make it rain.’”

We at the HQ are certain he was referring to actual atmospheric precipitation, not throwing stacks of singles out at the club. Charles was a pious man.

The Hatfield rap ended and we were immediately launched into the next song, with Jojo leading the charge. He tickled the truth of a piano riff that indicated Bust It Big was next. Shout out to our friend Jason from PA who made the “Play More Jojo Songs” sticker and gave us a few way back at Red Rocks. It seemed the band listened, as Jojo was a center piece throughout the entire 12-show western jaunt. This version stretched out a tiny bit and played a tiny jam at 5:06, hitherto named the “Blue Stiletto Shoes Jam”. They did an excellent job segueing back into the meat of the standard BIB and closed it out with a bang. The Rosemary’s baby crowd shout-along did not disappoint and it seemed there were plenty of voices left even at this late stage of a full tour.

Another expertly crafted sideways carrot led the music makers and revelers alike into the set two closer of night 3, and technically night 12 of the run that began in Jackson, WY one month prior. The tour began with Little Lily and we had all learned a lot since then. Many folks were guessing that we would get an “LA Woman” Doors cover, alas it was not to be. It seemed to be a good call, as JB absolutely channeled Jim Morrison and was as cool as cool could be on this version of Roadhouse Blues. Only the third time this song was ever performed by the band in a live setting, the other two times being at PELP 10 and the 2023/24 Fox Theatre NYE run. Based on our research and humble opinions, this was their best version yet. They sent it fully and it was a perfect and raucous way to end the set and position us for the final encore of the tour.

There are songs we get a lot, and there are songs we chase. There are songs we may never see again, and songs we seemingly get at every stop. The unmistakable intro to the Neil Young cover Last Dance was a moment in time when we all knew it was prime time Panic and reminded us that we were the lucky ones. Huge shout out to Mean Gene Green of the Home Team, who told us during his interview in late 2025 that this song was one he would request if given the chance. This song has become a rarity and was absolutely a very special treat. The way JB sang to us that the sun had been up for “Hours and hours and hours and hours” was unforgettable. He also added in a creative “negative negative negative attitude” call towards the end of the song. It rounded out as a strong and poignant selection to really put a stamp on this exceptional three-night -run.

The crowd was able to muster some cheers and whistles while Joel brought out the “tiny guitar” AKA mandolin for the front man to adorn and pluck at during a heart heavy rendition of End Of The Show. An all-time Bloodkin cover, this ballad was an opportunity to really soak up every bit of the joy and love that had been conjured over the last month of touring, and during the last 40 years of touring as well. The entire band seemed to be just basking in the glow of the fact that they played against the odds and pulled off an unprecedented feat at this stage in their career. Thousands upon thousands of miles, 12 shows in 6 different venues across 4 states, shows at elevation and in the hot sun, shows in dangerous urban areas. The band showed why they are known as some of the most dedicated and hardest working in the business. They delivered. The gleam in JB’s eye gave away the fact that there was one more song written on the setlist, a song that can feature him on the tiny guitar and had an album named after it. Whether it was the curfew or just the sense that the bow had already been neatly placed upon the epic summer 2026 “Jaunting out West” tour, we will likely never know. 

There were tears and hugs as the band left the stage and the reality of an impending “Monday morning” was becoming all too real. A HUGE ‘thank you’ to the crew and to all those who made this Western Jaunt possible. We are steeped in gratitude and forever changed by this experience. 

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