St. Augustine Night 2 (3/21/26)

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The vibe in the lot on Saturday was an all-out tour scene. Heads, Normies, Florida Men, and lot scene kings and queens were in their element! The vast majority of the good people had already arrived the previous day, and most of us were planning on staying another day; so it was less coming and going energy and more staying and enjoying the Saturday frequencies. The weather was considerably hotter than the previous night, no need for a jacket this evening! Suns out = guns out!

The lines getting in were much more manageable. It seemed like everyone had taken their positions with time to spare. The six stately gentlemen took the stage at 7:10 pm and JB said, “Hello, everybody!” 

Duane’s cymbals took us off to the races, and we were headed to Chainsaw City, the first and only purebred Jerry Joseph cover of the weekend. Two other JJ songs appeared during this night as well, although they are accredited to a co-authoring by JJ and WSP. This was the 10th time they opened a show with this song, the last time was on 3/16/18. It was the 169th time we’ve heard the sound of laughter and a banshee wail in total (FTP: 8/25/90), meaning it opens 5.9% of the time it’s played. According to our ears, Jojo had more of a noticeable honky tonk style during this rendition. They came out firing on all six cylinders, indicating there were only good things to come on this hot Florida Saturday night. 

With barely a pause, they baby segued into Action Man. This song doesn’t lend much to jamming, its more geared up for rocking, running, and all out rage dancing. Odds are 101 out of 100 this song will leave you breathless. JB’s was on FIRE!!! He added some “Lawds” and during the last line said “Balls of steel” - get some!

They took a 30 (ish) second break, giving us all time to sip some water and nod to our neighbors with the knowing look that this was going to be a good old fashioned heater. Old Neighborhood was next! First played on 10/28/01, with Michael Houser (R.I.P. 1/6/62-10/10/02) at the helm, a studio version has never been released. It was only played twice in 2025 (Charleston and Milwaukee). Coincidentally, the last time it was played it was also showcased in the set 1 song 3 slot, same as this show. This was a great time for Sunny to show us his chops, and boy did he! Nick also held his ground, playing with the iconic Houser tone. For those fans old enough and lucky enough to have seen the original guitarist it certainly felt like memories from the old neighborhood. Speaking of memories, Nick was actually using Mikey’s stage speaker setup that had been stored in the warehouse all this time. It felt so special to see them back on stage giving authentic tribute to the lingering lead. Schools even briefly teased P-funk at the end of this classic song!

A seamless transition started Better Off. Two “new” songs for Nick back-to-back! This song is old as they come, first played on 2/7/92, just over a month before Jojo’s first show with the band (3/13/92). In the first verse of this original from 1993’s Everyday album, Nick appeared to have a slight moment of doubt: we didn’t hear any obvious mistakes, but based on his body language and facial expression he seemed pensive. We carefully observed him smile, look at JB and then take a deep breath to regain his composure. He momentarily closed his eyes for a second to seemingly center himself and prepare to get back in the zone. A few open bar chords to regain the rhythm and then he went into a FULL SEND tirade of epic guitar fury. We can’t promise we’ll stop talking about Nick or ourselves for that matter… we love hyping the band and brand - WE ARE SO LUCKY!!!

They came to a full stop and then dusted off the most note-worthy bust-out of the weekend, quite possibly the entire year (TBD). Just Kissed My Baby is a Meters song, originally released in 1974 (52 years ago!). They first covered JKMB by George Porter Jr and the gang on 1/8/91, but hadn’t graced us with this funky sexy bassline since 5/1/16 in Ohio (shoutout our fantastic Secretary of WATLO and JB’s home state!!), 346 shows ago. Young Wesley told a hilarious story about running back from the bar with his hottie wife, Taylor, at the start of this song and plowing through a bunch of make-out sessions in the pit. GET SOME, FREAKS! They played this song so well, absolutely crushed it! You would not have guessed they hadn’t played it in almost a decade, nor never before with Nick. Our neighbor directly behind us in the pit asked us to use our custom WATLO nerd book to write a note (thank you, Christie, for writing to us rather than talking to us during the music!). Anyways, she shared this message:

“Tomororw is our 1 yr wedding anniversary. We walked out to this song! ♥️”

Awwww - thank you for that message! Happy one year wedding anniversary to Stephen and Christie! At 8:26, JB did a sick Night People rap, a song released in 1978 by Allen Toussaint, another New Orleans legend. Schools caught on and even added “night people” at the very end! 

Without missing a beat, the entire band cohesively started up Greta. Last played on Valentine’s Day, it’s important to be reminded that not every chick at a Panic show is a flower child, she may be a red hot flower mama or perhaps even be packing heat! Oh, and GO DAAAAWWWGS! Never forget Panic's roots in Athens, GA. The jam really heated up, full throttle Panic - cohesive, technical, danceable, dark, sexy - all the reasons we all keep coming back for more! 

The song kind of fizzled and then picked back up for Little by Little, the only song played during all 15 runs in 2025. So far they’re three for three in 2026, our lucky number! Pops, Junior, and the Holy Ghost. This was the 30th time their autobiographical song has been played, welcome to the dirty thirties, LxL! There aren’t many songs Nick has played three times with Panic, but this one and the previous one he’s played in all three runs. They ripped it, as they usually do. New songs are constantly evolving and they seem to be gathering more and more momentum with this one.

Panic gave us a full thirty seconds to catch our breath and rehydrate with our beverage of choice. Thank God, because St. Ex requires all the hydration. Nick really stepped up into the hot seat for several “metal” Panic songs, which many fans were craving. The group of youngin’s behind us were STOKED. Marshall went HAMMMMMMM and knew every word - way to go, stud! Check out our Instagram page for a supercut of fans “pumping or dumping” St. Ex along with footage of Marshall GETTING DOWNNNNNN. While it may seem like a controversial song, it turns out most fans like it, love it, and want some more of it. 

That wrapped up set number three of the weekend, marking the halfway mark of our time in St. Augustine, FL. The set breaks seemed shorter at this venue. Sometimes, they can be upwards of 40-45 minutes! 33 minutes did not feel like enough time to get all the set break errands done, but with an outdoor amphitheater in a residential area, they are bound by a strict curfew. We all know how important it is to this fan base to be law abiding citizens at all times. 

Fans took their positions and the Panics kicked off the second set of night two with their third cover of the evening, Honky Red. Last played in Port Chester, this was Nick’s first time covering Canadian folk singer Murray McLauchlan’s 1971 tune. Rumor has it, Schools’ dad suggested they cover the song, which they did for the first time 4/5/14 at the Orpheum Theater in LA at the end of an epic 8 show west coast run. They’ll be there this summer for the first time since 2015! This was the 90th performance of the song, another song ringing in a new decade during this show! 

After a full stop, they played I’m Not Alone. This is such a great crowd participatory moment. Looking back at the whole amphitheater lit up singing “feeling a little easier now, knowing you’re all here” is a peak Panic point. Never alone, sometimes sad, but the friendships and romances created through our tribe eases the sadness tremendously! Show up to the venue alone and leave with a whole passel of new friends. 

Immediately, they eased a segue into the sultry and swampy bass thump of Second Skin. Recorded in January 2006 in the Bahamas, this was on the last studio album released with George McConnell as the lead guitarist (Earth to America 2006). It was played 24 times in 2005 before they laid it down in the studio. This version is superb - magic and glory abound! Each member performed superbly, and even though they didn’t “walk it out” (as one intern refers to them stretching songs up to 15-20-ish minutes) as long as they could, the jams were meaty and delicious! JB put his slide over his finger for the last couple of minutes to create a first-class “wahhhhhh” sound that added tremendously to the overall sound. Second Skin fizzled out in a tranquil manner and again the rowdy crowd was impressively quiet while listening loud for what would be next. 

They stopped for a microsecond before indicating through sound that the next number would be King Baby. Their second most played song from 2025, this new tune has all the makings for a perfect Panic song. Along with JKMB and St. Ex this was the third “king” song of the night. We all witnessed tempo changes galore, shredding moments, beautiful lullaby moments, lyrics that make you think, and an opportunity to let everyone show off their chops. Nick came away as MVP of this version, he raged it. JB was really feeling the lyrics, adding lots of little extras here and there throughout the song. Jerry Joseph is credited as an author of the last two songs (Second Skin and King Baby), so whether you consider these as originals, covers, or collabs, it is up to you!

There was a jammy collision at the end where a King Baby and Bust It Big mashup jam ensued for about three minutes. It was so dope - you can hear traces of each song throughout the jam. Jojo was getting ready to play BiB, while Schools kept on the KB riff. JB was clearly in the mix. Bust it Big has never had a studio release, akin to Old Hood, although technically both songs have officially been released on the band’s live album, Night of Joy (2003). Nick felt incredibly comfortable in this song, he really stepped out into the light, shining brighter than ever, and absolutely melting faces! Finally, the eldest man on the stage had a chance to step into the limelight, getting everyone moving and shaking. The culmination to the peak of the jam (5:55) would have blown the roof off if we were indoors. It may have torn a hole in the big-top tent, only maintenance at The Amp can truly tell if this was the case. Hats off, gentlemen. 

Many fans consider the line in King Baby about the “little hands” and the warning in Bust It Big about “beware of the man who builds monuments to himself” as obvious nods to the current domestic political climate and elected leadership. Further interpretation as being commentary on social issues was reinforced with the following song, City of Dreams, originally released in 1986 by the Talking Heads, written by David Byrne. The crowd sang along as loudly as possible, “southern USA!” even heard on the soundboard recording. This song cuts deep, and is incredibly sad and emotional, starkly revealing the sad truths about our country’s troubled past. Stealing land from Natives, who had dreams of their own, so that the city of dreams could be built. Please don’t forget, that underneath the concrete exists so, so many lifetimes of dreams. It’s our job to continue them - to take care of Mother Earth, to love one another, and to encourage peace. 

They came to a full stop so that Zoel could give JB his black guitar, usually implying a Vic Chesnutt song. Nick kicked off Protein Drink, his first one with JB and the Panics. It was only played once with Houser (12/31/01), when Vic joined them at the Phillips Arena in Atlanta, GA for the first of three sets. They took a 285 show break before playing it again on 7/29/06, that time with John Keane joining them on stage. After that, they didn’t play it again until 4/25/07 with Mr. Jimmy Herring as their fourth lead guitarist (a 78-show gap). JB likes to switch up what he says about the mushrooms in his mouth, this time adding, “and the mushroom that tasted like a thousand galaxies in my mouth” - git you some, JB! Yum!

Sewing Machine has immediately followed Protein Drink 139 times. Out of the total 149 times played, that’s 93.3% of the time. Six times, they played it as the second song after Protein Drink with a different song in between. One time (9/17/11), they played Sewing Machine two songs before Protein Drink. The other three times?

1. 7/6/13 (Grand Targhee, WY): Protein Drink was the second-to-last song of the first set, Sewing Machine was the last song of the first set the previous night (7/5/13).

2. 1/26/18 (PELP): Protein Drink opened the entire show and Sewing Machine closed out the first set.

3. 10/26/19 (MKE): Protein Drink kicked off the second set and Sewing Machine closed out the second set. 

Those tricky boys! 

In Auggie, they motored right into Sewing Machine and it was EPIC! Several people texted about how meaningful it was that they played those two songs that particular night. Shout out to Karen, for getting her sewing machine back from the shop early. Happy birthday to Mal, our “PRO-SEW” Queen! And, welcome back to the sewing game, Alexis! It’s so amazing how one song can be so meaningful for so many people. Played specifically for we. 

JB grabbed his tiny guitar (AKA a mandolin) and Nick switched guitars for the first AND ONLY time of the entire weekend. Then, they started Ain’t Life Grand. AIN’T IT?!?!? This song was the most played (times out of the 100 shows leading up to 3/21/26) that’s also older than 30 years. It’s a crowd pleaser and several folks in the pit erupted in rage dancing with so much joy pouring out of everyone’s soul! It was a spectacular moment!

The crowd was left cheering as the band exited for a brief break prior to the encore. They came back on and Duane and JB promptly introduced Vacation. This was the 144th time the song had ever been played even though it was first played on 9/15/86, celebrating its 40th birthday this fall. It was only played twice last year, St. Augustine, FL and Milwaukee, WI. Being in Florida during Spring Break definitely feels like even more of a vacation than most runs. It’s also very fitting with the references to the sea, scary shark fins, and little white boats. It’s a very touching song, referencing the people who make your vacation time worthwhile, those who are always there to help out, side-by-side ready to do it all over and over, again and again, time after time. The lyrics are so sweet and touching, and JB’s angelic voice came pouring over everyone in attendance. The Vacation jam (7:26) was a huge highlight. Nick nailed it with authority, reminiscent of our beloved musician in the moon. 1-2-3- we miss Mikey!!! The cohesiveness of the entire band all firing at full blast individually was simply remarkable. Each member going hard as ever, yet sounding so united, a full on shark attack in all the right ways. This show was phenomenal, and one of our staffers thought the Vacation jam alone was the best part of a remarkable show. 

They were ready to gift us with the two song encore (unlike the previous night), and Nick ripped into Postcard. This was the 260th Postcard and a perfect crowd participatory song to send us all home to - THIS TOWN IS NUTS! Schools’ backup vocals were hittttting! He gave some extra wails and woos, adding to the energy of a punchy throwdown. Truly, a perfect encore! What more could you ask for? Vacation & Postcard - we all left that venue as winners! 

No one on stage said anything and the band cruised effortlessly off of to get some rest and prepare for a Sunday Funday.  The crowd said a lot of things loudly all at once, and the song called Swamp (by the Talking heads and first released on the 1983 album Speaking in Tongues) came over the house speakers while the ugly lights came on. Just to note, Swamp was first played by Panic on Halloween 1998 in New Orleans and has been played a total of 22 times by Widespread. Swamp was last performed before a live audience by the fellas on night four of Panic en la Playa Siete on 1/29/18. Everyone stuck around and danced a victory lap despite the band being long gone and the ushers looking decidedly tired and very ready to go home.

The atmosphere leaving the venue was absolutely fizzing. Everyone was at an all time HIIIIIGH! People slowly poured out of the venue, stopping every 5 seconds or so to have another quick but not-so-quick conversation with a new or old friend. All sorts of crews snapped pics with the lit “WSP” sign in the front lawn, hugged one another, took group photos, grabbed officially licensed merch items, and hooted and hollered as we all high fived and hugged each other one last time before drifting off to various late night shenanigans. The most original cover band ever had somehow done it again, delivering us a time to live outside of any worry or concern, completely in the moment and willingly full of effortless joy. Bell for president!