Vegas Night 1 (5/8/26)

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Data mined and explored via Everyday Companion.

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“Make your bed on a stack of lies

We blow to hell the whole damn place

And wipe the grin right off your face”

With Widespread Panic’s recent approach to their schedule, playing 1-2 runs per month, it’s fairly infrequent for the band to play in two different cities a mere week apart. In 2025, it only happened once as they played Milwaukee and then five days later in Savannah. In 2024, it only happened once from Playa to Jazz Fest in New Orleans, eight days apart. In 2023, it happened again where their Halloween run in Savannah took place five days after their annual Riverside run. You get the idea… it’s a once-a-year occurrence. This year, however, they have big plans for a summer bus tour, playing 14 shows in one month (counting Red Rocks) in six different cities. The Vegas run felt like they were kicking off this transition into a more nostalgic youthful touring schedule since they had only been at Jazz Fest in Nola eight nights prior. For those lucky ones who were able to attend them both, it was a fairly wild experience seeing Panic in two completely different environments, all the way across the country, with such close proximity in time. 

Let’s talk Vegas Panic… as of showtime on N1, Widespread Panic had played in Las Vegas, Nevada 46 total times, the very first time was on 4/20/92 at The Shark Club. If you are wondering, they opened that show with Wondering. This weekend’s venue in the hotel / casino has gone through a transition over the course of history. First, it was called The Joint and belonged to the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. In 2018, it was rebranded as The Theater at Virgin Hotels inside, you guessed it, the Virgin Hotel & Casino. Through the changeover, the hotel rooms have gotten a little nicer, but the venue has remained relatively the same. This year, chairs and assigned seats were added to the tiered levels, no longer a fully GA show, there were now designated seats, pit, and balcony tickets. Panic has played at The Joint sixteen times, the first time was on 11/25/97. They have played at The Theater at Virgin Hotels nine times, the first time on 3/11/22. Regardless of where and when, Panic has a reputation for throwing it DOWN in Vegas. Something about casino Panic in Sin City just feels right, like a party that knows no bounds, many spirits strong. A place where anything goes, but all the stories stay, permits fans to get as rowdy as possible, an energy that often brings out the best from the boys. 

Doors were at 8 pm and the ticketed show time was at 9 pm Pacific Time. As the band and their fan base age, these later start times become harder and harder, physically, mentally, and emotionally. We overheard grumblings from even fans based in the Pacific Time zone at how difficult the late start time was. The band and the entire crew are all based in the Eastern time zone, so their circadian rhythms were set in such a way that the show’s start time was MIDNIGHT! It always takes a bit of time for our bodies to adjust to such a dramatic time change. Overall, from where we were enjoying the show, everyone (band, crew, and fans alike) seemed a bit weary on night one. After the last two tour stops having outdoor rain events, we were all ridden hard and put away wet.

The band took the stage promptly at 9:00 pm sharp, and the music began at 9:01 pm. We don’t have a solid record on all 3,267 shows Widespread Panic has played and what time they went on vs the ticketed start time; however, in our memories of seeing this band, this was the closest to printed ticket time we’ve ever seen. A mere sixty second gap. Fit check: JB was sporting a lightweight black buttoned down long sleeved collared shirt, sleeves rolled up, no hat, and no additional layers. He rocked his wood-grained guitar the entire first set. Jojo had on an extra large art deco dress shirt which has made an appearance a time or two before, definitely at the most recent Mempho. Duane was sporting a freshie Maple Leaf Bar shirt, assumingly from his recent gig there with Kevin Scott playing a Jazz Fest late night set. He was also breaking in a brand new drum kit! Duane’s World!

JB was barely audible when he said: “Good evening, everybody!” Duane’s drum beat started the races with a Jerry Joseph cover, Chainsaw City. They opened with this song on night two in St. Augustine, Florida three tour stops ago. This was the 64th time in the band’s history that they opened a show reminding us that there are no bad vibes, and was the 170th time the song has been played. According to our calculations, that means that there’s a 37.6% chance if the song is in the setlist, it’s opening the show. decent odds, even in Vegas! Schools’ backup vocals were coming in strong, he really shined throughout the entire night. During the reggae break, Jojo jumped in with some epic reggae-inspired keys. GO JOJO!

The music came to a complete stop and Nick quickly picked the familiar opening to Holden Oversoul. JB forgot the lyrics during the first line and audibly chuckled at his cute little noises and mumbles to get him through the line. His eyes opened wide and his smile was glorious. Even during the 821st performance, it’s still possible to have slight flubs, and that’s what makes live music so special. You never know what you’re going to get! Nick got up front and center for his guitar solo and totally ripped! Jojo was filling in with the organ, the two of them are quite a power house. Schools and the two men on percussion threw it down literally all night, relentless non-stop carnage, earning a shared MVP title of the evening. Go Sunny! Go Duane! Go Dave! 

They came to another complete stop before JB introduced the next song with his lullaby style guitar playing and his beautiful angelic voice. The rest of his bandmates soon joined in. This was the only old school “water” song of the weekend, as they left out both Fishwater and Chilly Water. Van Morrison released this song in 1970, and Panic has been covering the delectable tune since 2/16/87. Over 39 years of JB singing about sweet jelly roll - yes please! Typically, JB will turn around when he starts shredding, perhaps preferring the energy from Nick and Jojo, maybe he’s a little shy. However, during this song, JB did some additional guitar work facing us, his loving fans! At the very end, our preacherman really let loose, and sang “sweet, sweet, sweet, sweet jelly roll” - four sweets! 

They paused again before the young stud, Nick Johnson began Space Wrangler. Welcome to vibraslap town! Population: 1 - Sunny Domingo Ortiz!!! Since Love Tractor’s 1,000th birthday in Birmingham, we’ve been talking about the 4-digit club. Space Wrangler is holding strong as their most played song, likely the first member of the 4-digit club, this treasured song has now been played 1,219 times. They missed a tempo change, which gave Duane a good laugh. The barely recognizable flub put some fire in Nick’s belly as he erupted with his guitar solo around the 7-minute mark, hitting a really awesome peak at about 8:49. JB was feeling gender inclusive when he sang “people dance different with familiar grace” rather than “girls.” Duane revved it up, and Nick followed right behind him. Seeing the two of them work together and get to know each other’s playing style better has been an absolute joy. The only two band members in their 30’s, you can tell they enjoy pushing each other and encouraging one another. 

The boys came to a stop again, this time giving everyone ample time to drink some chilly beverage, including themselves. Jojo’s keys with some cymbal clashing mysteriously kicked off the next number, Bears Gone Fishing. Once Dave played the recognizable bass line, Jojo hopped over to the organ to continue throwing it down. Shoutout to Heather for getting your sticker song, “Baby’s a freak show!” - it’s always a huge win when they play the song you used as inspiration for your sticker. Good job, sister! This song elicits the sexiest of dance moves, and the pit was really grooving. JB whispered, “You’re so sweet” along with some mumbles. Still feeling the sweet talk from Stoned Me! They built up into a super grooving jam. We’ve never seen Nick sweat so much, he appeared to be working very hard. In our collective intern observations of him, his first 12 shows he made it look easy. This was the first time we saw his appearance look as if he was truly working for it. Fully sending!!! I mean, just listen to the guy around 8:14, he relentlessly reached peak after peak. We’re so lucky to have him filling in for Jimmy! Bass Mountain was erupting! They cooled it down a bit, and Nick and Dave exchanged some licks, with Dave mostly leading the charge. He was so in-your-face all weekend. JB got in the mix too! But, this time turned around so we couldn’t watch his fingers. Dave reached a super low tone, nearing brown note status, as Duane picked the tempo and energy back up a smidge. Bears clocked in at the longest song of the set, and (in our humble opinions) the best jam of the set!

An impressive segue led us straight into Sleeping Man. The first and only sideways carrot segue of the first set. The third cover of the eight-song set, this number was written by Vic Chesnutt and first released in 1993 on his album Drunk. Our favorite band in the land first started playing it on 3/21/95, and it’s been in the regular rotation ever since. Dave changed up the lyrics a lot and added some little outbursts. Such a rocking head banger. We are HERE for it. “You’re a guarded secret. In a government home. People come to see you. When you think you’re alone, and you’re not!” “And, he’s watching you! Mmmmm.” We love when the big man sings! His vocals are getting better and better each show! JB had his slide on his pinky finger, adding some amazing sound and texture to the groove. Dave was really feeling it! He did some sign language, mimicking a telescope and then using his fingers to point to his own eyes and then out to the crowd as if he’s watching us. He repeated the second verse instead of repeating the first verse, which is more common and how the song is written. So, we only got to sing “pickle jar” once. Then, Dave added “We’re gonna watch you through every appliance you own!” We love when he gets a little political and speaks his mind through his music. Creativity at its finest!  

The song came to an explosive end and the crowd absolutely erupted! Such a crowd pleaser!! They did a bit of re-tuning, and Duane started Blue Indian with a bit of a longer dreamy intro. JB’s singing was so angelic and with the organ coming through strong it really felt like church. He can substitute out many things during the line “where the stray dogs go” and tonight he said “where the stray souls go” which feels extra appropriate in Sin City. He also said a whopping SIX “now”s before “just like home” and substituted "stray cats roam” rather than “dogs go.” No dogs in Vegas, just souls and cats! 

After a soft conclusion, Jojo kicked it into high gear with the leading keys for Blackout Blues. There literally may not be a more appropriate place to play this song than night one of Las Vegas. We can attest, there was a lot of blacking out or those on the verge of blacking out at The Theater! JB threw his slide back on his pinky finger and did an exceptional job! The entire pit had a glorious sing-a-long to conclude the first of six sets of the weekend. Jojo took his job seriously, as he closed the set very strongly, bopping between his organ and piano keys. It must have been his fancy shirt working its magic! Go Jojo!!! 

The crowd exploded in gratitude for a rockin’ start to an epic weekend! As fans moved about the premises, we watched a few people bite it on the ramp out of the pit. Clearly, not listening to Jojo’s wise advice to keep your head up OFF the ground. Alas, we all made it to our set break errands assuming there would be plenty of time in the set break for the classic casino Panic operations (AKA go back to your room for tomfoolery before the second set begins).

Set 2:

The band returned to the stage after a relatively short set break, especially in Vegas Panic terms. JB was again wielding his natural wood grain top Washburn. A few heads may have been caught off guard as traditionally there was typically plenty of time to go back to your room at the Hard Rock and act like a rock star during the prior iconic runs at this storied venue.  It was only a bit over 36 minutes when the ugly lights dimmed and it was time to turn on the pretty lights to illuminate the second frame. The punctuality seemed to be part of an ongoing effort to keep the ball rolling forward and get the work done before things got too late.

It was the Daniel Hutchens’ song Makes Sense To Me that got all attendees back into the groove. A nice, tight and short version was a good way to warm up again. JB sounded frisky in his vocals and guitar riffs, he seemed recharged a bit after taking a spell to rest during halftime. Astute fans of the band and their fallen heroes were well aware that the anniversary of the day Daniel Hutchens passed was approaching; as this was May 8: Daniel was lost on 05/09/2021. It was not a stretch to believe there would be at least a few nods to this lost great throughout the weekend. No one will ever forget the memorial show for Danny at Red Rocks on 6/27/21. 

Baseball season in the good ol’ USA is in full swing, and the second song of set 2 was here to remind us. Rebirtha saw Nick’s third time performing this original classic from the 1997 album Bombs and Butterflies. According to the history notes on EDC, this song originally debuted as an instrumental titled “Apologies to George Porter”. FTP on 1/23/93 in Chattanooga, TN, with the lyrics added version unveiled on 10/02/94 in Lexington, KY. They stretched it out to nearly 10 minutes, Nick showed a comfortability and willingness to add his stylistic touch to the heady peak in the last third of the song. Dave and Sunny kept things rolling forward, Sunny’s cowbell and wooden blocks got some nice attention and the smooth rumbles from atop Bass Mountain filled the 31 year old venue space. It was a bit spacey at the end with Jojo’s organ holding the sound wide open, which seamlessly led into the next number with a polished segue.

A spooky and dark church organ filled our ears next and alerted us it was going to be another WSP original from Bombs and Butterflies. Classic heavy hitting Panic, the drop into You Got Yours always goes hard, and this was no exception. Again Sunny gave his cowbell a serious beating, and the heads were banging in the teeming audience. DAS was very animated during his playing of this number, moving and bopping nimbly as he played his instrument with an ease and dominance worthy of his 4-decade plus career. There was plenty of dance space, and the building was filled with a strong presence of experienced and fully spreadicated folks. Many friends so near and more friends being made all the while. This point in the show marked a sense of arrival and the joy associated with knowing we were just getting started. The band seemed to be getting a bit more locked in and accustomed to being on west coast time and not battling a rain storm at a muggy outdoor stage. 

A brief pause was followed again by a song introduced by a signature Jojo keyboard riff. This time on his piano, it was the peppy drop into another original, Goodpeople (Earth to America 2006). This song as we know is typically played in a sandwich format as Goodpeople>Dark Bar>Goodpeople. This version was true to tradition and Jojo would continue to lead as they segued into the mysterious and mesmerizing unreleased original song which has evolved significantly since its debut at Red Rocks in 2008. The current and consistent lyrics have Jojo singing in the second verse “Well now I had a dream in Vegas, got up and floated out of bed, dancing with the aliens just like we were little kids.” There was of course a nice little cheer from the crowd upon hearing the piano man sing a line about Glitter Gulch. It was during the Dark Bar that a long time friend leaned over and said “They have been taking a lot of weight off of JB tonight”. It was a fair and unbiased observation, the hard working front man may not be able to pitch a no-hitter every night and it's good to know the other band members can always step up and give a little extra if everyone is not fully sending it.

Dark Bar has an interesting history including a long hiatus and ongoing lyrical evolution. Take a deep dive into the history of this song here. After we were treated to a spirited and spontaneous jam in the latter part of an above-average 8:38 long version of DB, the band professionally and effortlessly segued into the closing part of the trio, back into Goodpeople. Nick and Dave got heavily involved and they joined forces to bring the energy back up during a 4-minute romp through the song. 

Filling the seventh slot of the second set was the “new” instant classic, Trashy. This was another song played with direct ties to Daniel Hutchens, as it was co-written by him and subsequently released on the 2021 Bloodkin album Black Market Tango. Trashy but true is a state of mind and way of being that speaks to a significant portion of the Widespread Panic fan base. This version (the 36th time played, FTP at the now infamous 2021 Red Rocks Daniel Hutchens tribute Sunday show) was yet another evolution of the song that continues to develop. Clocking in at a bit over 19 minutes, it was easily the longest version played to date, with most other examples hovering around the 8-10-12 minute mark. The extra time in the song was in the form of a massive and exploratory jam that became the entire second half of this marathon outing. Perhaps it was a nod to Danny, perhaps it was just sudden inspiration, whatever the reason we WATLO staffers were beyond gleeful to behold this one-of-a kind masterpiece. The improvisation begins around 7-minutes with a strong solo from Nick. The extra juice applied during this launching spot elicited a huge and raucous cheer from the crowd at hand. As the SEC worthy cheers dissipated and the hooting and hollering softened, a few of our neighbors mentioned hearing various teases in the back half of the jam, including Fire on the Mountain, All Time Low, and definitely a Low Rider Bass riff right at the 19:00 mark. If you hear some static popping sounds from about 10 minutes onward on the soundboard release or audience tape, do not adjust your set: those sounds were also noticeable in person. Fortunately the crew got things figured out and remedied the situation before too long.

The powerful drop into the next number hit hard, and we were back into rage dancing and hollering the lyrics after our super exploratory Trashy. JB was ready to give it his all for the entirety of the short and powerful version of a long time fan favorite cover: Lawyers, Guns, and Money. From Warren Zevon’s 1978 album Excitable Boy, the boys in the band have been covering it since 3/21/87 at Oneilly’s Pub in Macon, GA.  Despite the nearly 4 decades in the catalog, this was only the 78th playing of LGM. Part of the reason for the “rare” number is long gaps, primarily 799 shows between 10/31/93 and 10/28/00. There was also a 604 show gap between 10/15/88 and 10/31/92. It's delightful to imagine that at a point in the late 80’s and early 90’s this band was averaging 150 shows a year. This, ladies and gentleman, is known as putting your work clothes on, leaving your mark, and then some! Imagine going on tour for 4 years and seeing nearly 600 Widespread Panic shows. Insane. Who needs college? Since 6/13/14, LGM has been played 37 times, and without any significant gaps; averaging an appearance every 13.35 shows. This Zevon classic rock classic discusses two out of three of the most popular things in the quaint city of Las Vegas: Personal Injury Attorneys and cold, hard cash. We believe that in the 31-year history of this band rocking Sin City, there have been more than a few heads that were down on their luck, between a rock and a hard place. Soft parades do not exist in Vegas. JB was legendary in his vocal delivery here, he sounded balanced and had the perfect texture to his tone. DAS offered some solid backup vocals and added “Lots of money” to the order at exactly 2:30 in the song. It does take lots and lots and lots of money to exist in Las Vegas as we were all reminded during our time at the Virgin Hotel.

If you are not a nerd, consider skipping the next paragraph. If you are a nerd, we love you even more. Nerds do it better. 

A delightful fan approached us during lunch the following day and asked us to dive into the song placement stats for LGM, as she had recollection that it’s “typically” used as a set closer. This one’s for you, Laura! Of the 78 times the song has been played, it’s been used as a first set closer nine times, a second set closer seven times, a third set closer once (what was going on during the 10/15/88 show that there were three sets??), and an encore closer (aka a show closer) 19 times. In total, it’s been used as a “closer” 36 times, which is 46.2% of the time. Your intuition was strong and proved to be correct! Now, let’s review its position as an opener just because we can and we already made the spreadsheet. LGM opened a one-set show once, kicked off the first set five times, began the second set seven times, started a third set once (6/11/88 - now we are extra curious about these elusive 3-set ‘88 shows), and started the encore  three times. In total, it’s been used as an “opener” 17 times, which is 21.8% of the time. Combining the two noteworthy placement positions of opener and closer, that means this Warren Zevon cover has either opened or closed the set/show 53 times, a whopping 67.9% of the times it's played. Laura, this graph is because of your inspiration, thank you!

A short pause was next and JB caught his breath as Joel brought him his shiny black guitar; the rest of the band took a little noodly tuning moment for a few seconds. As we know, the sight of the black guitar can often mean it's time to hear a song written by Vic Chesnutt R.I.P. (11/12/64-12/25/09). The unmistakable intro guitar lick alerted heavy metal Panic fans that they definitely were in for a treat. A Protein Drink for the people. During the spoken work psychedelic shout out that always brings on a huge cheer from the crowd, JB said:

“And those mushrooms that tasted so very very nasty in my mouth, and those mushrooms that tasted so very…oooh but they were good in my head”.

It was clear that many heads in attendance were definitely in full agreement with this assessment by JBesus. However, with modern technology, updated legislation in many states, and time honored confectionary techniques, it seemed like the flavor hurdle had been leaped by more than a few of the faithful fun guys and gals at the show. As expected by those in the know, The expected one-two metal punch you in the face combo was realized with a seamless and searing drop into the next Vic song, Sewing Machine. With the imagery of a little boy who may be a bit trashy but true, this one was a barn burner and a good way to send the crowd into a furious frenzy one more time on this Friday night at the Virgin. Right at the middle of the song, the jam inflamed to a point of total vigor and vengeance. It became clear that all involved were giving full effort and it was going to be a good weekend no matter what. The song ended and the band left the stage for a very short pause before the encore.

After a few moments, the band came back on stage. JB had his wood guitar again and sort of cleared his throat. That seemed like the most conversation we were going to get from the man that evening. Nick beautifully began the first encore of the run with We Walk Each Other Home, an original tune, first played on 7/30/23 at the Orion Amphitheater, a fan favorite venue for Panic. This song was released by the band as a single. Despite this being only the 26th time ever played, with its relatively short time in their catalog, this song won the Vegas N1 title for most times played out of the last 100 shows. A good friend linked up arm-in-arm as we recalled the beloved dogs that have left the earth who we miss terribly. Death is part of life, but Panic gives us a great opportunity with this song to process grief and extend love and gratitude to all the souls (humans and pets alike) who are no longer on this plane. They played with intense emotion, seemingly also recalling all their loved ones. Energetically, it was deep yet cathartic and beautiful. 

Next they ripped into a Tom Petty song, You Wreck Me. Last played on Valentine’s Day (LOL!). They first started covering this epic rocker on 10/20/17 in Milwaukee, 18 days after TP died. This was the 23rd time The Panics covered it. Jojo had an awesome piano solo, carving out his own segment to shine and show off his skills and his extravagant, silky shirt. After finishing, Dave stepped up to his mic, spread his arms wiiiiiide and said “Thank you, we’ll be here all weekend!”

Burning Down the House came on as we were politely asked to leave by venue staff and spilled out into the casino floor buzzing from a fantastic night one show. The heads took over the nearby casino space and rocked on in any way that they desired. Some were ready for bed, but many were amping to stay up all night. Smoke ‘em if you got ‘em.

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