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Mempho Fest Night 1 (10/3/2025)
- watlopodcast
- Oct 12
- 14 min read
Listen to the entire show on Nugs or Relisten or Archive.org.
Data mined and explored via Everyday Companion.
Thumbnail picture taken by JD Swenson. Before getting into the recap, we’re excited to announce that We Are The Lucky Ones has written Panic show recaps since the 2025 Red Rocks Run, making this the sixth run to report nerdy stats and fun information about our beloved band and the songs they choose to play for us. This show witnessed a lot of repeats from previous recaps, as festival sets tend to have, so rather than repeating deep dives, we thought it would be easier to provide a short cut to other write-ups (the number in the parentheses is the number of shows this song has been played in 2025):
Disco (6) | |||||
Pleas (6) | |||||
Love Tractor (7) | |||||
Shut Up and Drive (4) | |||||
I’m not Alone (5) | |||||
Little by Little (11) | |||||
Thought Sausage (4) | |||||
Up All Night (5) | |||||
Junior (4) | |||||
One Arm Steve (4) | |||||
Surprise Valley (7) | *FTP in 2025 standalone (not sandwich bread) | ||||
Blackout Blues (5) | |||||
Impossible (2) | |||||
Jack (6) | |||||
Bear’s Gone Fishin’ (5) | |||||
Tie Your Shoes (5) | |||||
Protein Drink > Sewing Machine (4) | |||||
Keep Me In Your Heart (4) | |||||
Porch Song (8) |
On a beautiful Friday in Memphis, the Radians Amphitheatre at the Memphis Botanic Gardens welcomed music lovers from around the country to the Mempho festival for a daylong affair. It was a fun lineup, and our heroes all the way from Athens, GA were slated to headline Friday and Saturday, each with two full sets. They delivered a show on night one that could appeal to the masses as well as hopefully bring enough heat to satisfy the core (and jaded) Panic fans in attendance. From a chicken’s eye view, a glance down the setlist (which was visible when Jojo was on the screen 😮) revealed many tried and true Panic anthems, actually all originals aside from four songs: one special treat during a guest sit-in, the second set closer(s) and the first song of the encore. It was a large and relaxed venue that had plenty of good vibes and good people. One intern said “It sort of felt like a group of old friends and random families gathered to enjoy some southern BBQ when a Panic show just happened to break out.”
A wordless greeting was all we got from Lord Bell as the band took the stage and the band dropped into a fiery opening, Disco. JB’s boots looked eerily shiny and new and Jojo was wearing an uncharacteristically fancy shirt. Jojo and Jimmy sounded ferocious, like they had been waiting all day to take the stage and unleash Hell’s fury on some unsuspecting families, normies and civilians in the audience. Herring added even more fuel to the fire as the song developed, we felt this scorching instrumental was a great way to get the set going. It ended with a nice and smooth outro and segued into another classic song.
Pleas was the second slot of set one. This time Sunny and Dave set the tone, especially Mr. Schools with some heavy base tones filling the beautiful outdoor amphitheater. JB‘s vocals sounded crystal clear and as soulful as ever. Pleas is such an amazing song to showcase how this band can instantly come together and play on a sublime level. The Disco was clearly a good warm-up as this version of Pleas sounded tight as a drum. Things got speedy and shreddy as the song worked towards the end. It makes sense because the next number was about to be a high octane dance party.
Love Tractor came to Mempho. The band was definitely working hard to get the crowd fully saturated with lather. School’s yeee-haawwwws had some extra oomph, we really dig it when schools belts out the extra zesty yeehaw’s! JB reminded us we’ve got enough fuel this time, child. Again, Jimmy put his trademark shredding into the latter part of this song, and for sure the crowd was getting turnt up. Some civilians were already seen looking for parts of their faces on the ground. They kept this version concise, staying around the six minute mark and ended with a full stop and pause.
Duane did an excellent job setting the pace for our next number: the Dirty Side Down classic Shut Up And Drive. Jojo and Jimmy traded notes and Sunny got his bongos warmed up. This was our first song of the evening that stretched out beyond its normal confines, it had an enjoyable jam led by Jimmy, some excellent modern panic for the festival goers. The way JB sang this song had a lullaby quality, but the crowd was not going to sleep. A nice gentle come down with some heavenly organ sounds from Jojo along with some goat toes by Sunny ended SUAD.
In the fifth position of set one, the band chose to play the old ballad I’m Not Alone. Again this allowed them to showcase just how perfect JB’s voice was sounding so far this evening. Of course, all of us more experienced fans and interns can’t unhear Mikey’s signature tone and lead on the guitar solo of this song. That being said Jimmy Herring has an unmistakable sound and oh boy did it sound good in the context of I’m Not Alone. From our WATLO executive box seats, we could see legions of fans holding their loved ones close and soaking up the togetherness. This song brings all the feels. Whether they were swiping right and left on their Tinder profile or holding their spouse of 50 years, no one was alone during this song, JB made dern sure of that.
From a classic onto a soon-to-be-classic. After a very brief pause we heard the drum intro for Little by Little. This song is in the very regular rotation, the most played song of 2025 with 11 renditions in all 11 runs of the year.. Bingo card guarantee. This song gave new and old fans alike another opportunity to review and recap the almost 40 years of Panic tour. Study up kids: The 40th anniversary will be here before we know it. This mostly standard version wound down for a short pause before our next song.
Thought sausage was the next selection. A traditionally vicious opening began what is a good old filthy Panic song about the finer things in life. It was pleasing for the fans to hear JB growling with intention to add the extra spice for this number. Those in attendance gyrated approvingly as JB crowed and pleaded his case to be allowed into Mom’s kitchen. Again, Jimmy Herring was truly flexing his might and shredding with a reckless abandon. No one’s face was safe. There were at least a few families on their picnic blankets who weren’t really sure how to process the emotions. Make more babies? Hide the existing babies? Dance wildly? All 3??? The band didn’t waste any time and maxed out every ounce of the Thought Sausage during the short performance.
A very trademark and poppy riff led us into a standard intro of Up All Night. We at the HQ are fairly certain that those families probably weren’t staying up all night unless their children were teething or yet to be potty trained. There may have been a few heads in the crowd that intended to play through although the all day festival might hamper those plans. The boys decided to get a little creative around 2:30 when things got quite elegant and sounded more sublime. Jimmy and Jojo led a small jam. They got kind of funky and fun, something creative for the kids. It was the first real freeform jam of the night. Duane kept the ball rolling forward while Jojo and Jimmy added the flair. Definitely a fun stretch out. The curious among us should tune in and listen close at 7:19. JB must have been in awe of the jam because he went ahead and swapped the lyrics, saying “The best thing about Christmas is the New Year’s lights”. We celebrate Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and Christmas at the WATLO HQ. We have yet to hang up New Year’s lights, but have interns looking into it as we speak. Apparently they sell them on Temu? It was a very cute lyrics swap by the main man Bell. He is a genius in so many ways. After a gorgeous lyrical ending to UAN, the band did not miss a beat when they dropped into the crowd pleaser known as Junior.
This was the ninth and final song of the first set. With JB singing about how “you kept me out all night“ and “your dog loves me too“ it’s easy to feel the preacher man is singing straight to you. The drop into Junior is always a highlight of any set, with all the band members taking a big bite of the apple. Duane’s drum sounded very full, his strength seemed to grow throughout the set, mightier with each song. The drumming, lead guitar, vocals, and bass were all weaving together for a sound that could only be described as WSMFP. Anyone who came to see a relaxed festival had to be wondering, who are these guys and how can I follow them for the rest of time? Quintessential dirty Panic for all involved, this Junior did not disappoint. Jimmy Herring took yet another opportunity to melt the remaining flesh from anyone’s faces in the venue and they closed out a ripping junior mistake free. JB: “All right we’ll be back in two shakes everybody!”
We had a relaxing set break, with enough time to free the chilly water, free willy, and then grab a hotdog and peruse the merchandise stand. It was then time for another full set of wild wild Widespread Panic. A Jojo number was the set two opener, One Arm Steve. As the baseball playoffs were already underway, it was a treat to hear a song mentioning Willy Mays and his suitcase full of wonders. Jojo’s voice sounded as strong as ever. Seems like he’s back to 110%, a superman to be sure. JB and Jojo nearly harmonize during OAS and it’s a magical combination. This was a nice tight and short version of OAS and it did pack a punch. The way Jojo played his piano on this demonstrated that it truly is one of the top Jojo songs in the catalog. He says he ain’t no superman, no man of steel, but you could’ve fooled us because he was crushing the keys.
After Jojo received the MVP for a solid OAS, he passed the mic to Sunny who started beating on his bongos to get us ready to fly. Good time to settle in this was about to be far and away the longest song of the run clocking in at over 18 minutes. There was a lot of ground to cover in the second number of the second set. The first three minutes of SV sounded very classic, and then they started in on some improvisation and some deconstruction. Things were only just beginning to get weird as they entered the jam, although things were bound to get a lot weirder. Jimmy kept his foot firmly on the gas pedal as he pushed higher and higher towards an early peak in the song. Things cooled off at around seven minutes and started to enter into more of a space vibe. By the 11 minute mark, we were about as weird as we get with Widespread. From the WATLO executive VIP suite we saw at least one or two families rolling up their blankets and heading for the exits with perplexed looks on their faces, or at least what was left of their faces. We required our interns to come in on their day off and listen through this jam several times. They could not identify or define a cohesive thread and had little to report back about exactly what was going on. They did the best they could and they will be handsomely rewarded for their effort.
At around the 12 minute mark, one of our eyewitness reporters heard one normie say to the other normie “Is this still that same song about kissing the mountain air?”. At approximately 14 minutes the second normie replied to the first: “I’m pretty sure it is that one song about mama talking the waters, it kind of sounds like that still”. This happened to be the exact moment when Jojo’s organs and Duane’s drums herded the cats all together and they dropped back into that one song called Surprise Valley. It was at this moment when the two normies were seen throwing their hands in the air and dancing wildly, truly enjoying the moment. Next up was the mini drum segment of the song. Sunny started off by beating the bejeesus out of his bongos, (in a good way) to set the tone, and then Duane followed along, bringing a two prong approach to drumming in this segment. Finally at about 15:40 Jojo added his organs to signify a return to a fully formed Surprise Valley outro. This was a hard earned one. The tension built in the jam made the resolution that much sweeter for normies and spread heads alike.
Coming back to another number where Jojo and JB get to collaborate and harmonize it was time for Blackout Blues. The super peppy number helped to keep the dance floor moving and reminded heads that drinking and blackouts may occasionally cause relationship issues. There were absolutely no issues with having JB turned up during this number. He really brought some swagger and unbridled joy to this original song, his slide guitar sounded like a million bucks. The way JB and Jimmy wielded their guitars on this number gave Jojo a run for his money and the MVP title although a strong finish at the organ cemented the award for Mr. Hermann. That fancy shirt was really paying off.
A full finish and then time to shuffle another joker into the deck: Kevn Kinny! With such a full lineup at the festival, including so many longtime friends and collaborators, it was a matter of when and not if someone would sit in with the band. At the headquarters, we are huge fans of Kevn Kinny and his unparalleled songwriting ability as well as his history in the music industry. He is truly one of a kind. It was thrilling to see him come out with such a genuine and humble smile to address the crowd. JB: “Tis our great pleasure to introduce our very good friend since before the very beginning, Mr. Kevn Kinny.” It took a little bit of fiddling around to get his guitar working, fortunately Panic has the all-time best guitar tech in the business, Joel. Thank you Joel for all that you do. Things are sounding great. You are a legend, sir.
Kevin Kenny: “How are y’all doing, all right“
The mere presence of Kevin on stage created such a peaceful, calm and loving vibe. You could feel it literally radiating into the crowd and even beyond into the parking lot the way he looked out upon the people. There was a smile in his eyes, the way he held his guitar, even the way he wore his hat. It was truly something to behold; this one song sit in was worth the price of admission and then some. The entire song was stunning in so many ways: the level of storytelling, the emotion, the way the band surrounded Kevn as he took the lead so gently. Jojo kept things just exactly perfect in the sweet spot with his keyboard playing. It was truly something special. Check out when things get quiet around 6:52. Kevn takes the lead so eloquently and delivers the final verse in a way that only a true songwriting master can. These words were meant to come from him, there may have been a few tears shed in the executive suite, moments like this are why we all travel across the country time and time again. We can’t recall where we were every time they played Bust it Big (can you?), although this moment was definitely unforgettable. Ten years prior when Kevn Kinny came out and played the same song at the Riverside Theater was equally unforgettable. It was powerful then, it was powerful now: a lot of changes in 10 years. We become different people at the core. Our emotions are very fleeting and fluid as humans. The song remains the same. Nothing can bring this out like Widespread Panic can. Kevn ended the song with a long held note, singing like it was his last time and his first time. Has off to you Mr. Kinny. Thanks for bringing your magic to the festival. JB: “Kevn Kinny, ladies and gentlemen.”
Next up some slightly spooky rumbling from Dave and Jimmy, leading us into another somewhat nasty song known as Impossible. An appropriately hard and heavy intro got us back into rocking with the six headed monster. The Impossible was a beast of a version and absolutely raged our way back into the meat of the second set, it helped to dry the tears from STH. Jimmy sounded so on point. It’s truly amazing what this man can do with guitar. They let us down easy with a nice and gentle outro from this impossible, which was the fifth song of the second set.
Now back into some more emotional music. There’s nothing like the first few notes of Jack to take you right into the here and now. Something about this song touches on a deep level of emotion. It’s truly an incredible piece of music and always welcome in the set list as far as the WATLO staffers are concerned. We've written about it before. There's quite a few dogs and quite a few kids named Jack out there because of this incredible original. The wizard is still in the corner y’all, as one of our guests reminded us during this podcast episode. It's hard to really call a live version of Jack anything but beautiful; this one clocked in at seven minutes with no need for a jam. It was just a story told in a way that we can all relate to, like School’s famously said “There’s enough biscuits for us all”. Jack’s whomping ‘em up. Towards the end of the song, the Wizard in the corner put his signature flourish on the finish of this Jack.
For our next offering, Jojo led things off with a creative hockey organ style mini riff. It was the beginning to Bears Gone Fishing, officially about to clock in as the second longest song of the evening. Once the baseline hit from on high, the dance floor got much more fluid and groovy: hips were seen moving in ways they had not previously during this set. We at the HQ are delighted by how creative JB gets with his phrasing and vocalization. This song has a special place: having been a subscriber to Mad Magazine in the 80s, the president of our nonprofit always chuckles at the lyric about spy versus spy. Based on the president’s dating history, the concept of “baby being a freak show“ also hits home. The ahhhhh oooohhhhs JB drops at 3:45 are very unique and entertaining. We’re not sure if that’s what it sounds like when he’s in the dentist chair or when he’s dipping his toes into chilly water before a swim: all we know is it’s awesome. In the last couple minutes of BGF, Dave gave us some clever improvisation with his bass playing, and delivered a proper finish to the song and set the table for the intro to the next song.
The repetitive descending seven note pattern that Dave instigated was quickly joined by the rest of the band, and like a shot we were off into a fast and hard version of Tie Your Shoes. There are several tempo changes in this original song, and few lyrics. Everyone did a good job keeping it cohesive and JB delivered the life advice in a direct and powerful manner. Jojo and Jimmy again seemed to be chomping at the bit to raise the bar on this number, and they took it to a decent level of madness, peaking hard before JB got to lay the ultimate hip trip on us,
“Love your girl, child, love your girl, wake up now someone else come on and love your girl, child”
Some more hockey organs and super slowing down wrapped up a standard length version of this song. Without a pause they went onto the set closer(s)
We heard the opening riff from our second cover song of the show, Vic Chesnutt’s super rocker song duo: Protein Drink/Sewing Machine. It was a standard hard played and hard rocking version, no outlandish jams or substitutions. As always we heard a big hearty crowd response when JB told us about the flavor profile of the mushrooms in his mouth. As expected this was a strong closer and gave the crowd reason to rage into those late second set dance moves and not worry about saving anything for later. It was a good call to go full send, as the first song of the encore was a chance to cool it down.
Only the 8th overall performance of the Warren Zevon ballad, Keep Me In Your Heart For A While was chosen to begin the two song encore. This song was originally released on the 2003 album The Wind. A heartfelt performance of a newer song in the catalog (FTP 6/25/23), JB did his best to pull at the heart strings and deliver a textbook version of this oft played cover song.
To finish the encore, it was back to original and old school Panic. A rapid and upbeat march from Duane signaled to the crowd that it was time to “Live it up”. Not the longest version of the Porch song, the boys decided to cap it off after the first main go-around. It was a tight and simple way to call it a night and send the fans out with a smile. Overall a well played show, if not basic in the setlist construction, centered around a special sit-in. Folks had been at the amphitheater all day so it was not a big grudge that the band kept the Porch to the “quickie” version. So grateful for this band and all that comes with it. See yall tomorrow night at the Botanical Gardens. Remember to tip your bartenders.
JB: “Thank you very much Mempho people”
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