Oakland Night 2 (7/17/26)

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"Been feelin' alright

 For a couple of days

Either in a fog

Or a sunny haze…

It's all in my mind

I got a brand new start

 All I can do

 Is take care of my heart."

Welcome to Oakland, CA. The famed Fox Theater was in the midst of hosting a three night run, 7/17 being the middle of three shows, and it took place on a Friday. This is the only full show recap WATLO is writing for the run, but if you’re curious about the stats from each show, check out our Oakland Stats Recap. Our crew was a bit more wary as to where we parked after having a bit of a scare with a faceless spirit post show on night one. The circus was definitely in town, with the front of the venue being converted into a shanty shakedown street, complete with vendors and gas merchants alike. The pervasive hiss of tanks and hawkers selling wares while hunting miracle tickets mingled with the excited and animated conversations of the ever-growing line to enter the venue.

Security was a breeze and the dangers of the streets were soon forgotten upon entering this beautiful and ornate building. It is clear that the Fox was prepared for the Panics and the bars were well stocked with cases upon cases of whiskey and the coldest beer. Part of the venue is general admission on the multi-tiered floor, and the balcony was assigned seats. The floor seemed to get full and a bit tight but for the most part folks were respectful and there was space to dance if one desired. 

The doors opened at 7pm and the show time was listed to begin at 8 PM. The band shaved one minute off their N1 start time of 8:11 and JB first touched the neck of his guitar at 8:10 PM. 

No hat on, and no preamble words from John Bell, he just got straight down to business. The first set was a creative endeavor, with the first four songs all having the word “little” as the first word of the song title. Little Kin, Little Lilly, Little By Little, and Little Wing came up 1-2-3-4. The crowd had filled in by the start time although the show was not sold out and there was plenty of elbow room. The balcony had many empty chairs and our agents there reported that there was ample room to dance and get loose in a lateral fashion between the rows of steepy tiered seats. It was interesting to see the balladesque Jimi Hendrix cover song Little Wing (Axis: Bold As Love, 1967) occupy a slot normally reserved for a peppy first set number. We love how this band can always keep us guessing and keep things fresh. The last time Little Wing was in a first set was 1988. 

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The crowd was murmuring excitedly after the theme was noticed and realized, and guessing at the next “little” song, although here came a Panic curve ball: a “big” song. Bust it Big was in slot 5 of the first set and busted the bubble of any heads thinking we could get the second time ever playing of “Little Red Rooster”. This was a raucous version of BIB and dried out the eyes of those that got misty during the Little Wing, which was the first time Nick Johnson had performed that classic cover song with Widespread Panic in concert. Jojo stood up during the BIB, something he has been doing quite a bit this summer. Go Jojo! The next day was his birthday (7/18) and he seemed ready to get the celebration started. There was a powerful short jam during the Bust It Big that we named the “Downward Doggie Jam’, it was sensational.

The wild abandon dance rager and shout-along during Bust It Big got the energy ramped way up, and the energy stayed high with a classic, Pleas. The message of these two songs back to back was one of gratitude and seeing the glass half filled. The concepts of having more by wanting less along with loving a toy by experiencing poverty are both clues to self-guided contentment, great reminders to the fan base that less can be more.

After the mid-set numbers were completed, Nick took a guitar change and then another tempo and vibe shift arrived. JB’s haunting voice took the crowd into a light trance with the modern original, Shut Up and Drive. This song was a cool down and tapped into the memories of all the miles folks had covered since leaving Denver and driving through Wyoming, Montana, Oregon, and Northern California. The band and crowd were both very present and it was nice to look around and see folks locked in and paying close attention. The recent outdoor mountain states shows had been so fun, although it was nice to be back indoors where the lights and the sound could focus into a sharp point and hit us right where they needed to. This was not a “summer concert in the park” where locals could have a charcuterie board and chilled chardonnay while engaging in an endless conversation. This was a Widespread MF’ing Panic show and it felt like we were back in the zone. We among many others exercised our rights to shut up and listen, and it was fantastic. Dave seemed pleased to not have to shoosh the crowd. He had more important things to do.

Nick changed back to his opening guitar, “Amber”, after SUAD, and it was time for yet another heart hitting song that has lessons to be learned within the masterful lyrics. C. Brown was such a pretty addition to this introspective and spiritually uplifting first set. JB sounded amazing and he reminded us that we did not need to worry any more. It seemed by the blissed out look of the folks surrounding us on the floor that we had all left our worries at the door and for this blessed time when the band was on stage, we were without a concern. 

A quick stop and then the set one closer began, this time it was more in the typical fashion of setlist architecture, with a short fast number to take us out into set break. The Tom Petty song “You Wreck Me’ has been part of the Panic catalog ever since TP passed away, and this number had the entire house singing along and feeling the high of shouting out “OHHHH WOOOWWW WOWWWW”. JB set his guitar back in its stand and let go of it at exactly 9:15 PM, ending an unforgettable 65-minute first set that was creative and unique in many ways, and the connection between the band and the fans was undeniable.

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Set break was a great opportunity to catch up with friends and talk about the important things. Whether visiting the restroom or the bar, lines were moving swiftly and everyone seemed able to take care of their needs easily in this well organized and well staffed concert venue. The band had been consistent in taking about a 30 minute set break so most heads knew exactly how much time they had to enjoy halftime. Many of the conversations were about the “Quadruple Little” set opener, or perhaps about songs they hoped to see in the second set, or just talking about baseball. 

At 9:46PM the band retired and took up their respective instruments. In a show of Jojo might, One Arm Steve came crashing through the gate and the powerful sound brought any lingering fans quickly back to their seats or spots in the pit. They belted this one out and the crowd was more lubed up than they had been before, as stable as a drunk on shaky ground.

Next was an anchor song to get us all grounded and in the flow state of N2 Oakland Panic, Hatfield. Many were calling for this one in the Tour Closer three-night run in LA, although not surprised to see it appear on this night. 

JB’s beloved and original Hatfield rap (7:38-11:20):

“Charlie always had the touch. He always had his shine. Always had the touch, swears his mother. Ohhh, now, I remember Hatfield’s Mom. Big old beautiful Orick lady. Ohhhhh, ooh, she come round bring us homemade beers, and it was, I was 14 when it was so hot, hot, hot, hot, hot, hot in the summer time. Ooh summer daysssss, summer daysssss. Oh, summer days, we out playing Cowboys & Indians, awww, Cops & Robbers and Dragnet, Hawaii 5-0, Star Trek. One day, just restin’ from make believe. Awwww, back lookin’ at some clouds. Hatfield said, ‘ya know, I saw that, I saw this movie where they shootin’ arrows, indians were shootin’ arrows, tryin’ to, tryin’ to tear open the clouds some give us some rain. I was learning. Get my little science kit and learn to make some rain.’ Awwwwwww. Oh, then he just there, smellin’ the smells from inside Mama’s kitchen. Pies coolin’ on the window. Ohhhh. Ohh. Corned beef and cabbage comin’ through on that too. Hatfield’s mama was cookin,’ everything smelled good together. Just the way you look at flowers in the skies, all colors look good together. She had the touch. Sittin’ back and listenin’ to her playing on that awww 3-string banjo sounded like a symphony of blues. Awwww, every bar go right to your heart. Ohh. Rain for LA.” 

After his rap, JB followed the band into a jam of sorts. It lasted for nearly 10 minutes and had teases of the next song interwoven from Dave’s Bass guitar. Our operatives at the show named this the “Corned Beef and Cabbage Jam”. We did not see what was for sale at the food concession, although we’re quite certain this was most definitely not on the menu anywhere aside from Hatfield’s Mama’s kitchen.

The CB&C jam seemed to get the band deeper into a psychedelic state and ready to stretch things out quite a bit. The Tie Your Shoes that resulted was nothing short of epic. This version was only 7 minutes long but hot damn did it go to a frothy and foamy peak of all proportions. There was a moment when all 6 men on stage put in full sendworthy effort, and it was music to our ears. The pit was dripping in sweat despite the clever circular A/C vents that adorn the floor and blow cool air up your kilt when things get too streamy. Energetically, something ripped open during this song and the band decided to turn it up to 11 for the duration of the show.

A cool steady drop led into Jamais Vu. The hypnotic trance dance we all needed after some of the most ferocious Panic of the tour. We highly recommend looking up the lyrics. We felt especially connected to the line “snowing at the end of July” given that by the 17th, we were indeed at the end of July. JB looked cool as ever while nailing the lyrics and sultry sounds of this banger. Young Wesley astutely and swiftly noted to his crew that it was indeed Nick’s first time playing the song, which was the last of Nick’s first time played for the evening.

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The pit got hyped up for a Neil Young cover, Vampire Blues. After the dust off in Las Vegas, they were ready to suck the blood from the Earth in California, and we were prepared to receive the high octane. Nick threw on his stankiest of faces while hitting some soaring notes. We all reciprocated with some gnarly stanky crunch faces whilst dancing. 

One of our new friends, Teal, went wiiiiiiild in front of Sunny when the band transitioned into Greta. This was her jam and clearly she was not a flower child! We quickly traded places with her so she could rage dance as close to the rail as we were allowed to go. Fists pumped, hips gyrated, and our voices made the howlin’ sounds of rabid dogs. During the first and biggest howl, Schools took a step back from his microphone and spread his arms out wide, indicating that the crowd had it under control and the big man on bass didn’t even have to make a peep. He added some ferocious barking and the three vocalists (Jojo, JB, and Schools) all contributed to Greta’s fighting mood.

Right when a jam would normally take off during Greta, the band swiftly migrated into a Dr. John cover, I Walk On Guilded Splinters. Anytime you see this song on a setlist you know it’s a very good show. All six of them worked together to literally blow the roof off the Fox. Nick was going to extremes, seeing how much he really could shred. It was intense and incredible to witness. We liked Jojo’s haunting keys during the final vocals of the song. Of their entire repertoire, this song conjures up the most serious black voodoo magic. 

The Papa’s drop made time stand still. The fist pumping and raging dance party continued all the way to the North Pole. During our WATLO Family Gathering at 4 Winds Winery, we had a loving conversation with a seriously deadicated fan who, in the midst of summer tour, missed the Bend run so he could attend his son’s baseball game. After a quick flight across the country for the game, and then back across the country for some Cali Panic, we quoted the lyrics to this song as he made it home for a very important championship game (which his son’s team won!!). It was so epic to give him a big hug during this song. There’s nothing like the Panic magic of how these songs, lyrics, and stories hit us so deeply in our personal lives, connecting us all and resonating so deeply with our current life experiences, and then witnessing them performed live together as one cohesive Panic Fan unit. It’s hard to explain in words just how incredible it is to be part of the Panic community. 

They paced themselves perfectly throughout this set to still have a lot of energy left for the final song of the set, North. The perfect set closer that didn’t give us a chance to catch our breath or drink water. So much energy was emanating from the stage, it was hard not to give it right back to the six heroes on stage. We rage sang with our pit neighbors, jumped up and down, and had the time of our lives as this incredibly memorable show was coming to an end. We not only found out our worth, but just how big we were out in Northern California. JB added, “Now you see it, now you don’t” during the part when he repeated “I’m gonna disappear.” It was clear they were having a lot of fun up there. Even our veteran compadre who’s been seeing this band for the entirety of the WATLO Secretary’s life (36 years) was impressed by how much fun they were truly having this fateful night. We witnessed a top shelf North, they really don’t get much better than this. Faces were lighting up throughout the crowd with smiles from ear-to-ear. 

We were stoked to see what was in store for the encore after such a heated show. With a huge nod to Mikey, Travelin’ Man kicked off the encore. Check out our incredibly nerdy stat recap for the weekend to learn more about the rarity of this encore. In summary, this was the first and only encore of only these two songs in this exact order in the band’s history. With an effortless transition they moved perfectly into The Waker. This was the perfect sentimental send off for such a triumphant show. The encore was short but sent us out into the night with full hearts, smiles, and so much gratitude for what this band can provide to us. Our souls were touched by the magic of live music, specifically Widespread MF Panic. 

All six threw their hands into the air and JB did jazz hands to signal that the show was over. We slowly gathered our belongings, including our melted faces off the ground, and headed out into the night. We successfully avoided tanks and faceless spirits taunting us in our vehicle, and rode off into the nighttime Oakland cityscape absolutely beaming with joy. 

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