Savannah Night 2 (11/1/25)

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Welcome back, here’s your Night 2 recap from Savannah, GA! The energy in the lot was palpable. After such a mind blowing show the night before fans were truly wondering what tonight’s show would bring. More first-time-played songs? More bust outs? The line and the lot seemed less bustling, yet the anticipation was still incredibly high. Nothing like Southern Fried Panic with a legitimate lot scene! 

Fans were excited to see some of the lighting rigs and white speaker covers from the night before still up. The visual effects were incredible the second night as well. A+++

JB greeted the crowd, “Good evenin’ everybody!” Mr. Soul himself started off the show with his guitar wah-wahs that took a little secret and stirred it in the sauce! As we patiently waited for him to give us approval that the gumbo was indeed ready yet, the crowd fiercely gyrated to JB’s sexy grumbles, Schools’ thumping bassline, and Jimmy’s fierce shredding. Each cylinder was firing at an alarming velocity right out the gate. Knowing nods and glances were exchanged between heads as we strapped in for what was sure to be an extraordinary performance by JB and the Panics. The bassline drop at 4:30 sent booties low, which coalesced with JB inviting us all into the kitchen. Thank God, we were hungry! “Mama said, ‘C’mon, Daddy, laaaaaawd, stuff’s good and ready. Awwww, ahwww, aww, come on and get it.” 

The engine cooled down with a microscopic pause as Jimmy shredded the way for us to pick up those fallen pieces. Such a masterpiece of a song, JB was in the mix! We want this man turned UP! This is one of the band’s older songs, Pickin’ Up The Pieces was first played on 6/26/91 and released on Everyday two years later. The crowd was in one cohesive groove, absolutely loving life, contemplating all those letters that were never sent and all the worries we were already sweating out alongside thousands of our favorite people. Schools added some unexpected bass notes around the 3-minute mark encouraging everyone to jam it out a bit - Jojo took the first bite and we were treated to an excellent organ solo, Jimmy was up-to-bat next. “Just another day indeed” but this one felt extra special.

The band did the classic Panic fizzle before Dave led us down into the keyhole. Bear’s Gone Fishin’ was next and we were very pleased about it. This was the 250th time the band had searched for Bear and the mermaid. Debuted on 7/1/97 as an instrumental, the stunning storytelling wasn’t added until 6/26/99 during the fourth time played. Performed six times in 2025, we’re always curious if they’ll walk this one out. Alas, this was a relatively short version of Bears, clocking in under the ten-minute mark. However, it was flawlessly executed. We’re particularly fond of the vibraslap, and an opportunity for Sunny to be showcased - so this is a WATLO HQ favorite. JB injected some very sexy “ahhhh”s and “ooohhhhh”s and what sounded like could be “to eaaaach” or “teeeeth” - either way his growls and grumbles are very welcomed here. Dave dropped the fellas into another jam sesh around 5:50 - his bass skills are jaw dropping AND caboose lowering. We are so beyond grateful for his leadership. Schools for President! While the jam wasn’t necessarily long it carried a LOT of fury and depth. Jojo’s keys cooled it down in the last minute of the song, and skilled ears could hear Hatfield’s storm a-comin’ even before Bears was fully wrapped up. 

A well-earned carrot brought us directly to LA where the roots were shrinking dry. Previous recaps have recounted the story of Charles Hatfield. It’s a worthwhile Wikipedia page, if you’re into that sort of nerdy stuff… Speaking of nerdy stuff, this was the 650th time ever played, the 6th time in 2025, released on Everyday (1993), and first played on 2/8/92. JB ad-libbed a bit, “Come on here, come make us some rain” - we love paying close attention to these delectable impromptus. More from our beloved front-man before the jam even kicked off, “Look at him, loook at him!” The jam was superb. Ten out of ten! Our eyes were WIIIIIIIIDE open. Jojo led a beautiful ivory solo before JB reminded us that Charlie indeed always had the touch. The band created space for Preacher-man JB to gift us with a rap (8:45)

“I remember Hatfield’s Mama. A beautiful, glowing lady. Used to go back to her place and we could play after school. Awww, we’d play cops and robbers, rat patrol, startrek, ice station zebra… cowboys and Indians. Oh, one day, aw we was just sitting out there, back on that little, you know, side, lookin’ at the clouds.  Awww, awwww, Hatfield said ‘I’d wish it would rain just a little bit you know that rain… kind of just floats slow, it’s like snow, it’s light, little child. Oooooooh, just thinkin’ about it.’ Oh, felt a little on my face. Oooh felt a little out and in-place. Listennnnn. Ahhh, Hatfield.”

With one last ad-lib, “Lord, he made rain for LA” the song concluded with a full teensie stop, as Sunny grabbed his talking drum.

Rock is also an old song, first played on 10/4/89, released on Mom’s Kitchen in ‘91, this was the 736th time ever played and the 6th time in 2025. So far, the first five songs of the evening were all released in the Mikey era (between 1991-2001). JB’s world-class slide guitar playing skills were showcased beautifully. The interplay between Jimmy’s and JB’s guitar was out-of-this world! As we all made it home piece-by-piece JB had some incredible interjections / mumbles we tried to decipher (6:42): “Awww, lord, I still got told I'm going that piece by piece. Awww there goes my belly baby, scratchin’ the rock, awwwwwww.” Truly, any moment in a show that JB is mumbling like that can only mean one thing… straight heat fire is blasting from the stage. JB gave us one last “laaaaawwwwwwwwd, child” before the colossal ending. It is statistically proven in the Panic-verse that the more he says “lord child” the better the show. Count it and lock it in! 

Duane’s drumbeat started off Little by Little. This was the second of two repeated tunes from Milwaukee weekend. The first one that happened the prior night made a little more sense, since it went so well with the Alice in Wonderland story. This repeat, however, was for Thomas, one of the young gents we interviewed before the show. You perhaps could hear our tech assistant shout “ODDS ARE HIGH!” from behind the interview camera when he mentioned that LxL is the song he’d choose to add to the setlist. This is because odds are indeed incredibly high. Let’s roll through the stats... The song debuted on 7/23/23 in Huntsville, AL. Since then there has been ONE SINGULAR RUN that has seen its absence, Wilmington 2023 (the alphabet run!). Since then, it has been played 23 times in the last 22 tour stops (you read that correctly - it was played TWICE in Colorado in 2024). They are making it VERY clear and obvious that this is their favorite song off their new album. The largest show gap this song has seen is FOUR, and that’s only happened three times. So, please put this on your Bingo card, make it the song you want to hear each run, and get ready to THROW IT DOWN. Because despite it being a guaranteed played song, it still slaps. We all know the journey of an endless soul begins with a baby’s crawl, but it’s nice to be reminded of that 1-2 times per month. Thanks, JB.

There was a slightly longer pause (actual seconds) before You Got Yours started, thanks to Jojo’s organ. Back to the oldies and the goodies! First played on 9/16/95, it was released in 1997 on Bombs & Butterflies, and this was the 269th time ever played. The largest show gap came after Mikey Houser’s death. It was brought back 7/28/06 with a 271 show gap, and then played fairly consistently up until the present day. This was the 7th time the song was played in 2025. At about the 3.5-minute mark, Jojo started a solo, and JB joined in on the fun! We’re all so grateful for all the breakups that opened up the next doors. Schools added some excellent backup growls with a nice little scream at the end. Best backup vocalist in the biz! I wouldn’t quite call Jojo’s jamming a Cars tease, but it was miiiiighty close! 

Jimmy took a freshly tuned axe from Joel before the set closer, he strapped up with his flamethrowing grey tiger striped Paul Reed Smith. The previous  song had barely ended before Jojo filled us in that his head was INDEED up off the ground. A great set closer! First played on 11/17/93, Blackout Blues was released in 1994 on Ain’t Life Grand - the whole first set was comprised of songs released with Mikey as the lead guitarist except Little by Little. JB’s slide guitar was up in the mix - it’s a wonderful treat when all six cylinders are firing the ENTIRE set. With no word from the band, setbreak commenced! Grab an extra chilly water because you are going to need it!

After a 36 minute setbreak, the fourth and final set of the weekend was about to begin. The crowd was ready for it. About halfway through setbreak, the stage crew dimmed the house lights at the stage and half of the venue was dark, as if the band was about to come back on! It was a fakeout freakout to run back to the seats although our intern had a trusty stopwatch that let us know we had at least 10 minutes to wrap up snack time and use the restroom, maybe grab a chilly beverage.

Disco began the set, it was a great way to get the dance moves fired up again and warm up the hips. It was a classic version without much wandering, concise and hot hot hot. Definitely a bit of shredding going on and a modern twist with a smooth easy transition to the full end of the song. This was the 567th time Disco appeared on a setlist, the FTP was 8/4/88. Mastery achieved.

A very short pause and then we busted into the next number, Bust It Big. After getting all fired up during Disco, it was no wonder that they went full send on this one. Honorable mention to Sunny for really taking the percussion up a notch or three, GET IT SUNNY!!! The band came to play, and it was clear they were laying it all out. About 5 minutes into BIB, the sounds dissolved into a spacey bass line and the song was left unfinished. This was a sign that we were in for a sandwich, with BIB being the bread which would hold the gastronomic delight together for ease of eating while dancing or driving or gambling. This was only the tenth time in Panic history that BIB was used as sandwich bread.

A Schools driven segue into the next number allowed a moment for JB to sip some water before the 3rd song of the second set began. This time it was a Vic Chesnutt cover, the introspective and haunting song known as Aunt Avis. This was the 269th performance of a number from the 1997 studio release Bombs and Butterflies. This song was incredible in the tone and power emanating from School’s bass rig, it was grounding and surreal for those in attendance. They kept this one short, and had a tiny jam at the end for about a minute before the seamless transition into Diner. 

Being the second ingredient in a seven layered sandwich, they were generous with the portion and would stretch this version out to nearly 17 minutes, the longest song of the four set weekend affair. Duane set the pace and the rest of the band fell into the groove. Jimmy offered a couple blistering leads as the song caught fire and gained momentum. At about 5:45 on the Nugs recording, Jimmy took his opportunity to open up and hit some soaring peaks and turn up the note count to infinity. The Herring effect took hold and the rest of the band put some extra emphasis into bringing up the energy, the crowd responded accordingly by going wild. After a few minutes of shred time, things backed off while Sunny, Dave, and Jojo created a background soundscape to set the table for the beloved Diner Rap. We could listen to Lord JB rap about Ms. Lee for eternity. He mentioned in the rap that the main character had been “up all night”, before describing the sunlight “Sliding down the snow covered rooftop” to keep his coffee cup warmer just a little bit longer. The rap did not contain any new revelations about the characters in the story, but was lovely nonetheless. Jojo brought the pace back up to exit the rap section, and then Jimmy took the helm again to bring another cacophony of notes raining down on the ears of all in attendance. Duane did a great job keeping up with the Wizard in the corner, they pushed each other hard toward the finish line of this epic 663rd version of the 1993 Everyday original. Schools added some calming bass to simmer things down and set up another excellent segue.

JB did a quick change to his Black Gibson guitar before the next song, the rest of the band kept things sliding forward while he swapped axes. Here was our third layer of this unique sammy, the 1999 ‘Til The Medicine Takes original instrumental composition, Party At Your Mama’s House. The light show was incredible here as it was all weekend, the white slip covers on the suspended speaker stacks plus the screen behind the band allowed for some truly remarkable projections and images to be displayed. Huge shout out to all the tireless crew for putting in the hard yards and extra hours making the spectacle one to remember forever. The band did a fine job hitting all the tempo changes and various parts of PAYMH, for a danceable and swayable version that held the middle of the second set together nicely. A tasty little peak at the end got the crowd stomping again before another delightful segue, again not missing a beat!

Jojo had the honkey tonk tone on his keys to serve up the next tune, Ribs and Whiskey. The turn JB up movement was pleased to hear our lord and savior Jbesus loud and clear, laying down some saucy and creative guitar bits to get us in the mood for meat and booze. It was a treat to see JB and Jimmy doing a bit of dueling with a groovy call and response while the percussion section carefully kept time and witnessed the sickness from behind their kits. It was a drawn out intro and really set the table for what was about to be a roof removing ribs. JB was teasing us and then finally dropped the line about how he “accidentally” was perving on our sister. If there is an official beverage of the Panic Nation, it's Whisky. Followed closely by some chilly well water the next day to regain some might before heading to work again. Jojo got in on the action mid song with some hella groovy organ playing, again a creative and fresh sound on a song that was seeing its way onto a setlist for the 247th time in Panic history. The peak they found on this one was amazing, and hearing the entire crowd holler “WHISKEY” at full volume is always going to bring a smile to the face of everyone in attendance.

Another well executed segue brought us into the 6th song of the BIB Rib sandwich, Second Skin. The boys took a short pause and DAS added some trippy bass feedback to hold the space while JB switched back to his wood grain color Gibson HB35 guitar before this next titan of a song. The choppy and rhythmic bassline that sets up the Second Skin is always akin to stepping through a portal into a sonic journey. The sultry and swampy opening of this 2006 Earth to America release casts a spell, and in this version the spell was cast heavy duty. This was the only song of the second set that was recorded without Mikey Houser on lead guitar (RIP to our fallen lingering lead: 1/6/62-8/10/02). Being that this was the 5th show in a 9 day span, it was clear beyond doubt that the band was locked in and communicating with each other on so many levels. JB’s national treasure of a voice just seemed to get better with each show, and this song was a total showcase of what he can do. Anchoring the second set with over 15 minutes of bliss mode, it was a perfect choice to play at a perfect time. We could hear the boys listening to each other and giving space for things to develop and grow in an organic and natural manner. Incredible version by any measure. The latter half of the song saw some incredible light show moments and it was a snapshot in time we wish could have lasted forever. Schools got the call to close out the song with some bass noodling and arena rumbling, he teased and prodded at what the next number was to be, and a pseudo segue led us into the 7th piece of the “meat” between the BIB bread.

Tie Your Shoes was next. DAS set the pace and Jimmy quickly joined, then the percussion section added another layer. Like a shot we were back into full lather of the dance party we wished would last all night. We saw the crowd going nuts, and we liked it. The simple message to wake up and take care of business without taking anything for granted  is one we try to take to heart here at the HQ. The boys kept their feets on the gas as they drove this song toward the big finish, which would be a segue back into the song we heard unfinished near the beginning of the second set. A hefty peak and total commitment helped elevate TYS to where it needed to be, an absolute crescendo of might and power. A seamless transition led us into the thin sliced bread and opportunity to complete this masterpiece.

The beginning of Bust It Big was a free form jam that was more of a hybrid between TYS and BIB, very unique and very intense, a supercharged segue to be sure. Finally, at exactly 2:16 Jojo hit the keyboard riff to turn into the fully recognizable second half of BIB. The crowd had some vocals left in them to shout out loud about Rosemary’s baby. What an epic way to bring things full circle to finish a song. Given that the crowd had SEVEN songs and roughly 65 minutes of music, we were very pleased to hear and witness THAT many people scream-singing alongside Jojo. Hats off to the Panic Nation southern fried crowd for paying attention! It was a short enough and focused enough BIB that one could get away with calling it a Bust It Big reprise.

Things did not slow down when we heard a no-stop transition into the trademark bass intro to the first song on the first album, the famous and fun Chilly Water. It was clear that the true professionals in the crowd had kept a full clip of water ready by their side, because the Spread Heads got this bitch wet. This outing to the trough was the 1159th version of a song that is loved by rowdy water signs and definitely confuses normies when they get drenched during the right times. First played on 6/22/85, the song is older than a good portion of the fans in attendance. This is the ultimate crowd participation bit, and we have come to believe that a high percentage of fans are just fine with a little harmless H₂0 being tossed around. At around 4:20 on the Nugs clock the song transitions into the middle jam section, Sunny was merciless on his bongos and Herring turnt it up as well, climbing higher and higher to a peak that set the stage to hear about Venus light rising. We at the WATLO HQ absolutely love this song, and we stay hydrated in its honor. Light is like water, and it truly is a magical substance. Having fresh cool water is essential and a gift by any means. This cornerstone of a song is a good reminder to always have some water with you, never ever take it for granted. Any of us today that have clean, potable water available at the mere turn of a tap are truly the lucky ones. 

You know what else makes us lucky? An all-original first set with only ONE song recorded post-Mikey’s death and an all-but-one original second set with only ONE song recorded post-Mikey’s death. Now those are the ingredients that make up one hell of a Panic show. Without any bust outs or FTP in 2025, it goes to show that when Panic puts all their might into their tried and true songs, it can easily be one of the best shows of the year. 

The band came back on stage for one final push in Savannah. Dave thumped his bass aggressively, reminiscent of the earlier Second Skin. As the rumblings began, true nerds knew there was about to be some War. The question was… Four Cornered or Slippin’? Pro tip - look to see if anyone is on stage with Sunny. If Steve Lopez is up there, it’s Slippin’ Into Darkness. But if Sunny is up there all by himself, it’s going to be Four Cornered Room. Alas, there was no Steve, so we sat with JB and we all felt each other’s deepest emotions. War originally released this song in 1972. This song was last played in Atlantic City during their phenomenal come-back run (2/16/25), making this the longest LTP gap of the night at 31 shows. There was an incredibly creepy silhouette of a man on the screen that is still giving us all nightmares. JB went off script a bit with added “awwwwwww”s but had a solid “rap” (8:30):

“I know we met each other for a reason. Sit down and talk, we get through most of our problems. Just because we took the time to sit down in this four cornered room, lookin’ for ponies, all for a better understanding. Zoom, zoom, zoom, in my four cornered room.” 

What a welcomed reminder - we can solve all our problems by sitting down and talking! Thank you, JBeesus! 

As JB’s vocals slithered away “my four cornered room. Zoom, zoooom” Steve then joined the boys on stage so we had a hunch that Slippin’ Into Darkness would be next. Alas, our hunch was correct. This song was also originally released by War but one year prior (1971). Panic first started covering these War tunes over 20 years ago (Four Cornered = 2/7/96 & Slippin' = 10/31/02 - [after Mikey’s death - ‘took my friend away’ 🙁]). They have only played the two songs back-to-back ONE OTHER TIME (10/28/18). It felt special to have these two War covers played one following the other, especially because they are often confused for each other at the beginning. This was a rockin’ version, easy to groove to, and the whole crowd was boogying. A very different vibe from the previous War cover, yet lyrically still very dark and sad. 

Steven Lopez sitting in with Sunny

The last 20 seconds of the song had some rumbles, cymbal clattering, and Jojo’s keys and without a pause the boys busted into a 1978 Warren Zevon cover, Lawyers Guns & Money! What a rowdy way to finish the Halloween run! Talk about an old cover… They first played this one on 3/21/87. It has seen some pretty large show gaps, but thankfully since Duane joined the band, you only have to wait 5-31 shows to see it. The last three times played it’s been used to close out the entire show. We love shouting with friends, old and new, “SEND LAWYERS, GUNS, AND MONEYYYYY!” Yessssss! 

The song ended and JB said, “Thank you, everybody! Goodnight, goodnight!” 

Okay, so was it a coincidence that the encore was War > War > Warren Zevon? Well… believe it or not, a rabbit’s habitat is called a “warren” which means a complex of underground burrows. So, we like to believe that they wrapped up the entirety of the Alice in Wonderland theme with an encore that alluded to the white rabbit’s home, where Alice had been chasing him the entire time. Hats off to you, Panic! Incredibly thoughtful and well done!!! 

See ya’ll in Port Chestaaaaaaah!