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Vegas Night 2 (5/9/26)

Listen to the entire show on Nugs or Relisten or Archive.org.


Data mined and explored via Everyday Companion.



“Like a locomotive wheel; Feelings real as steel

Hearts are just bound to break; Well, I'm off and on my way

Rolling night and day; Highway's callin' my name”


There are a plethora of ways to spend your day in Vegas. Whether you like to be a lady lying in the sun smelling of coconuts by the pool, testing if you are a lucky one at the casino, enjoying Wizard of Ozzy at the Sphere, or sleeping manning the day away, all is welcomed and accepted in Sin City. We chose to go to Shakedown Street at the Tuscany Hotel and Casino and peruse the many goods Spread Heads were selling. It was an awesome scene, one of the cleanliest Shakedown Streets we’ve ever seen, indoors with white walls and white carpet. No ice cold fatties anywhere! But the tents, tapestries, and wares helped convert a conference room into a mini hippie village. WATLO conducted several fan interviews (check out our YouTube channel) and met a young man (Zion) who is the lead guitarist for Datura. They were playing the late night shows at The Tuscany after every Panic show. A St. Louis psychedelic rock band consisting of some Gen Z music lovers. They encouraged us to come by after the big leagues game, and were so kind and genuine. How could we say “no?” 


By dusk on night two, we were all feeling more acclimated to the intense triple-digit heat, the Pacific time zone, and the late show time. We were also better poised for the sharp curtain call time. The staff helped by opening doors ten minutes early, and we eagerly found our position right behind the rail on JB side. 


As the clock ticked to 9:05 pm, we all looked around at each other wondering where they were and why they were running late. Funny how five minutes after the ticketed time felt so behind schedule when in recent years it wasn’t uncommon for them to start 30-minutes post start time. Regardless, by 9:12 pm, they finally took the stage easing all pre-show angst. JB greeted the crowd, “Evenin’ ladies and gentlemen.” And the audience erupted. Quick fit check: Schools was rocking his red pants, Duane had his hat on backwards, Jojo had no hat AGAIN and chose a more form fitting black button down, JB was hatless and donned only one shirt, a light colored button down. 

They opened with Wonderin’, the most common opener in 2025 according to our Annual Report. The sound was incredibly dialed in. This was also the opening number the very first time the band played in Las Vegas in 1992. One of our pit friends, Jimmy, kept saying how amazing it sounded, noticeably better than the previous night. Right out of the gate, they seemed more dialed in and cohesive. They’ve opened with this original 67 times, 9.7% of the time the song has been played, it’s been in the show opener position. 


They came to a complete stop after a rocking version where each instrument was coming through crystal clear. They slowed it down with For What It’s Worth, a Buffalo Springfield cover. This was the first song the band ever played live as a band, and always takes us back. However, it was only the 40th time the best band in the land performed it. There was one of the most massive show gaps in the history of the band, from 1988-2011 - 2,314 shows. Welcome to your 40’s, FWIW! Despite this song celebrating its 60th birthday (first released in 1966), it’s as relevant as ever. Panic plays it so well, putting their own spin on it and yet playing homage to the original version. JB’s vocals were on fire! By the end, Dave and Jojo were joining in on the vocals and the three of them together were destroying it. Nick clearly ate his wheaties and got enough sleep. His tone was perfect, such a beautiful blend of sounds, certainly leaving his own mark in Panic history for the music and fans alike. JB goes off at the end… leading with his soul. 


They gave us a solid 20-seconds to relish in the moment before slowly introducing Little by Little, led by Duane, Sunny’s shakers, and JB’s signature guitar tone. Their last performance at Jazz Fest in New Orleans was the FIRST time they omitted LxL from a tour stop since September 2023 in Wilmington. So, that’s a pretty big deal that they did NOT play it in NOLA. Since they did skip it in the Big Easy, it wasn’t a matter of “if” but “when” they’d play their most obviously biographical song. Everyday Companion has a show chart for every song with quick stats. The second to last column indicates the number of times the song has been played out of the last 100 shows. Little by Little is the only song that we are aware of with a higher number than Drums. LxL has been played 31 times out of the last 100 shows, outpacing every song in their catalog INCLUDING Drums. Wowza. Clearly, they like this one, and so do we! 


Very quickly after ending the song, Jojo’s keys beautifully began the introduction to Blue Carousel, another new tune with a FTP date in 2023, within the last 100 shows. This was the 13th time ever performed. They allude to the Wizard of Oz with the following lyrics, “Got one life in black and white, there's no place like Home. Got another in Technicolor, so back down the road I go.” We like to think this was for all those friends who visited the Sphere throughout the run for the 4D experience on the yellow brick road. Paul Hoffman lit the stage in all blue. JB’s guitar was coming through strong and mighty, and he continually faced the crowd, which was a real treat! When you’re unsure what life truly is about, just hear Jojo and JB reminding you in your ear, “LOVE AND JOY!!!!” Spread your love far and wiiiiiiiiide! You’ll be happy on your blue carousel regardless of what’s going on in the world around you, despite some friends potentially being in the dog house. 


An incredibly smooth transition led by Duane dropped us right into Rock. Sunny busted out his Talking Drum for this song, and pretty much does only for this song. Open those pupils wiiiiide up, Sunny’s instrument can often give away the next song. This was the 739th performance of Rock, first played on 10/4/89 at The Nick in Birmingham, AL. Speaking of Nick, it was only his second time playing the song, LTP in Playa. JB was crushing the slide guitar AND his growly passionate vocals. The layer of sound JB was adding was exceptional, and he gave us another front row view rather than turning around. We thought the roof was going to erupt as they reached a massive peak (5:32). JB started adlibbing at the end (6:32), “there goes my little two fist smile” “awww there goes my hair” “awwww a hundred dollar year” “awwww, daddy bring a blowdryer” “awwww just any ol’ way to the mountain top” - Whaaaaaat?!?!!?! Then, the band completely exploded, bringing the song to a finish. We certainly needed and deserved the beverage break!


Then, Duane launched into Sometimes!!! The biggest LTP gap of the entire show, at 51 shows!! The last time we had JB thank us for our smile was on 2/16/25 in Atlantic City at the Panic’s triumphant return after canceling the second half of their 2024 tour schedule. This was huuuuuuge! Smiles for miles as fans exploded into a dancing frenzy looking at their neighbor and singing loud and proud. This was only the 119th time played, even though the band first debuted it in 1999. It was Nick’s first time playing it! Sometimes had a massive gap a few times in touring history, but most notably after Todd left the band. They played it in LA on 4/4/14 (the same weekend they debuted Honky Red - slight foreshadowing) and then shelved it for 346 shows until its epic return in Playa on 1/23/22. Such a treat!


JB gave us some intel, “That was a fIREHOSE tune. We used to listen to it in the van.” Well lo and behold… Sometimes was indeed a cover of a small band out of California that performed live from 1986-1994. fIREHOSE released Sometimes on their album If’n in 1987 and as a single in 1988. Thank you, JB, for the education and introduction to a band we were unaware of until this moment. 

Then, Nick started the familiar riff to Gimme, it’s 200th time ever played. This is such a beautiful song, which pays a huge tribute to Michael Houser, our original lingering lead (Rest in Power, Rise in Peace: 1/6/62-8/10/02). The last time he was on stage with the boys playing this song was on 11/20/01. Then it was shelved for 256 shows before they played it with George on 11/6/05. Now, it’s in the somewhat regular rotation, averaging 13.6 shows between performances since Jimmy joined the band. This was Nick’s second time taking lead on the song. We highly recommend reading the lyrics on EdC and learning the history of the song. Spoiler alert, now JB says “gimme a kiss on Tuesday” but the original lyrics were “gimme a kiss there, Tuesday” alluding to the nickname of Mikey’s wife, Barbette. This night in Vegas, he had some substitutions in the second verse, “Give me a lift here, tape man. I’d give you my stories if I could.”  Furthermore, on the third verse (Tuesday’s verse), rather than giving his heart he sang, “I’d share in my soul, child. Share in my soul.” The way he inflected his voice on “hit” all three times was also stunning. A-plus plus to the front man of the best band, earning himself MVP of this show, in our very humble opinions. It seemed like everyone was playing with immense emotion and love, especially the original members who assuredly miss their original guitarist: Jojo, Sunny, Dave, and JB. Gooooo team Panic! 


A fan shared with us that JB waved his arm in a circle with his finger in the air before Nick kicked off Jack. Duane had a smile across his face as JB sang about the Wizard, likely thinking of his father-in-law recovering from cancer, regaining his might, so he can rejoin his brethren on stage. Ugh - JB for President AGAIN! His “laaaaaawd done gone slipped beyond his eyes” had all the panties soiled. What a hero. Nick flew away with the solo, earning his spot as lead guitarist. It has been such a joy watching him grow and develop with this band so quickly. He really had some big shoes to fill, and we believe he’s doing a phenomenal job! A friend explained that his addition to the band has created a lot of mystery in the band and their performance. Will they hit that peak? Will they sound cohesive tonight? Will they nail that transition? Will they collectively achieve the tempo change? The mystification of it all adds an extra layer of joy as we sit back and witness whatever they choose to reveal. An audible cheer erupted after the second time JB referenced “the Wizard.” Finally, Nick really took it home with his last solo of the song, solidifying how well he’s done at executing these beloved songs, some of which are older than him! 

During the classic Panic fizzle, Jojo’s organ came through loud and strong for the final song of the third set of the run, Climb to Safety, a Jerry Joseph cover. We absolutely love the crowd participation in this song and how special and meaningful it is to look each other in the eyes and remind each other that there is absolutely no way you will EVER be alone. This community is so special. We are often reminded by fans during interviews that their favorite part of this music IS the fanbase. We have each other’s backs, there is so much love in the room, the best of friendships are made and sustained through this band, and we support each other through it all, the good and bad. We promise, you WILL be dry! This version was as mighty as ever, each band member playing their hearts out. At around 4:12, Jojo busted out the chord progression for Fishwater, familiar sounds that were hard to place in the moment, thank JBesus for our unpaid interns! JB emphatically added some extra umph “laaawd, laaawd, laaaaaawd, never be alone.” 


That concluded the first set of Saturday’s show. After our spot on the floor got completely usurped on set break night one, we had a family meeting and decided to take turns leaving for our errands this evening and that worked much better! After such a short set break the previous night, we weren’t messing around or taking any chances that they were going to give us a long casino-style set break or that Chomperwooks would respect our epic spot mere feet from the rail. As a group we came up with a strategy to only go two at a time, because we are professionals and know better. 


After a whopping 36-minutes (that’s sarcasm), eerily the same number of minutes as the previous night (do they also set a stop watch?), the band came on stage for set two, their fourth set in Vegas. Jojo kicked things off with Tall Boy, their 521st time summoning the Holy Ghost. We love this as an opener, so did some data crunching. Of the 521 times it’s been played, it opened a show with only one mega set seven times, the first set 22 times, the second set 21 times, the third set once (NYE 2011), and kicked off the encore seven times (four times as the only encore song). Numbers you didn’t think you wanted to know, but now you’re glad you do! You’re welcome. It was a short, tight, studio-like version of the song. The sing along was highly spirited and gleeful to say the least. Only a few dozen $20 beers were spilled.


After concluding TB, Nick kicked off his second time playing Happy. We at the WATLO HQ are instrumental fiends, and we were sooooo happy to get our first one of the weekend. First played on 9/24/95, it was never played in the George era. Mikey last played it on 4/19/02 at Walnut Creek Amphitheater in Raleigh, NC, it was next played with Jimmy on 9/30/06 in Charlotte, NC - perhaps playing homage to Mikey’s home state. Not necessarily a song they always jam or stretch out, the last time they played it in Auggie, it tracked over 11-minutes and this version clocked in at 9:46. The jam was powerful, and in our opinions, really set the stage for what was to come.


The jam softened and fizzled as Sunny played his chimes, and Jojo kept the keys going, until JB led us into Driving Song. The oldest song in the second set, it was first played on 4/7/86, performed for more years than Duane and Nick have been alive. A lingering lead that has certainly taken many of us very, very far. 


Often used as bread, as the first slice concluded, the crowd went WIIIIIIIIILD! Then they played another song related to traveling long distances over the road, Pilgrims. Sunny gets to bring out a LOT of toys during this song, and we loved watching him grab various shakers, bells, whirly instruments, and all sorts of noise makers (goat toes, anyone?) which added so much texture and color to the overall sound of the band. JB substituted, “if it feels true, we shake.” He had his echo effect heightened: listen closely (3:44) for the clear echo of “black kitty crossed our path” and “with little fog feet.” His voice was so angelic. Dave’s bass line was quite distinct in this song, hearing Nick’s epic solo overlaid on top of the iconic bass riff was stunning. Truly a highlight from the second night!


Nick was rearing to get back into Driving, but quickly realized the rest of the men wanted to drag out the transition a bit longer. Dave strummed his bass, and twenty seconds later, JB steered the ship back into Driving Song for the final verse. 


JB quickly left the stage, Dave played more bass for us, not quite ready to leave. And then, he left, followed quickly by Jojo. Nick stayed on the stage for quite a while, with his guitar still strapped around his neck, watching joyfgully as Duane and Sunny progressed into one of the most epic recent versions of Drums (over 18 minutes!). For a few solid minutes, Nick stood there, clearly impressed by his fellow Millenial buddy and the fresh kit. Finally, Zoel came over and grabbed NJ’s guitar for him, and he exited.


Then, the rhythm section went to TOWN! Here are the lengths of drums in the last calendar year:

  • 3/22/26: 4:40

  • 2/14/26: 5:03

  • 1/21/26: 12:29

  • 1/20/26: 15:18

  • 11/22/25: 6:07

  • 10/26/25: 15:41

  • 10/24/25: 3:17

  • 8/22/25: 14:06

  • 8/8/25: 2:20

  • 7/26/25: 14:33

  • 6/28/25: 14:12

  • 6/4/25: 5:53

So, at 18:20, this was the longest drums in the last twelve months! If you are motivated to look back farther, please feel free, and report back! We are always hiring interns. 


Duane and Sunny were so impressive. Duane, especially, killed it! He literally unboxed a brand new kit for this run, so we believe he was very excited to break it in! Their interchanges and exchanges were extraordinary. The other four men were giving them ample space and time to experiment with it all. Drums can be a divisive song. Some folks use it as an opportunity for a reprise of set break errands, some use it as an opportunity to light up a joint or imbibe in whatever additional substance or beverage is desired, and others use it to tribal dance, giving our souls an opportunity to remember what it was like to dance around the fire with our sisters and brothers thousands and thousands of years ago. Elders in the crowd might just sit down and rest. How do you enjoy drums? 

Dave got back on stage for just over a minute of some bass-y drums, giving the other three members time to join them.


They made an intentional feedback-type noise, and then Duane used his kick drum to begin Ribs and Whiskey. It was a long drawn out introduction, much slower and gooier than is typical. It was a highly unique R&W opener, more on par with a Four Cornered Room or Slippin’ Into Darkness intro. JB had his black guitar on that he typically uses for Vic Chesnutt songs and Ribs. His trusty slide was on his pinky digit and Mr. Bell was really tearing it up! The intro lasted about one minute and 40 seconds before the quintessential slide guitar lick. One of our favorite introductions to Ribs in recent memory, without a doubt. This was Nick’s third time playing Ribs with the boys as the lead guitarist, but he sat in on NYE last year when he accompanied Jimmy on Ribs, Tall Boy, and Diner. FYI The nerdy stats we are tracking for Nick and sharing on IG only include his time as a lead guitarist for the band, not his sit-ins. Jojo was absolutely crushing it! This song can lean a little honky tonk, but this version was much more funky! Jojo stood up for several minutes, what we refer to as the “Lochness Monster” and we took some photos of this momentous occasion:

As he sat back down we cheered as loud as we could, hooting and hollering exclaiming, “You stood up!” It’s always hard to tell if the band can see us or not, but from where we were standing, it appeared like Jojo stared right at us, smiled, and nodded. Go, Jojo, goooooo! Nick and JB had an awesome interchange, exchanging licks back and forth - it was a LOT of JB slide guitar in-your-face and we were THERE for it! TURN JB UPPPPPPPPP!!!!!! The rhythm section was holding it down, a complete all out rage jam. The following day, we asked several fans their favorite highlight from this show, and the vast majority reported that it was RIBS!!! At about 8:17 they reached a crescendo of epic proportions. JB had the echo machine on again when he magically sang “make my body feel hot, body feel hot” towards the very end. 

Then, the entire band, as cohesively as ever, segued right into Stop Breakin’ Down Blues - a Nick Johnson FTP! Robert Johnson wrote the song and released it in 1960. The amazing blues number was then popularized by The Rolling Stones when they released it in 1972 on their album Exile on Main St. The previous day (May 8) was Robert Johnson’s birthday, so perhaps this is a little birthday nod and celebration of the King of the Delta Blues. It was super fun singing along to the lyric “99 degrees” when we were actually experiencing those types of temperatures all weekend. They annihilated this one; poor song didn’t stand a chance. JB was feeling it some more as he adlibbed a lot! It’s hard to capture it all, but our favorite is when he sang, “make you do the shimmy shake” because it reminded us of how Kyle celebrated the 1000th birthday of Love Tractor! 


They fully stopped so JB could release the black guitar he loves to play the slide with and slip on the Washburn hollow bodied natural wood grain colored guitar. Up All Night was the newest song of the second set, debuting on 10/26/07, still nearly 19 years ago! An old-school setlist indeed. Since its debut it has been played 155 times with no noteworthy LTP gap, in other words, this tune is very much in the rotation. It was played six times in 2022, eight times in 2023, seven times in 2025, and already three times this year! At about 3:12 they kicked off the jam which was one of the best of the night! Pay attention around 4:57 when Nick starts to take off, as Jojo lays down the funk, and Dave really lays into the bass. Duane drove the band to monumental heights. At 7:45, Nick began the Up All Night guitar lick and brought everyone back to the song at hand swiftly, quickly, and expertly. Truly, impressive stuff! A very appropriate song for the crowd in Vegas - it’s fairly easy to stay up all night. Both JB and Dave said “you kept me up all night” and then JB shouted “YOU DID!” Haha! 


Nick ripped into All Time Low to close out the set. First played on 4/18/98, this was the 372nd version. Let’s talk about song placement with ATL… some friends have an inside joke about the set or show ending with ATL versus starting with it, so let’s dive in. This one’s for you, Tim and Kelly! Of the 372 times it’s been played, it’s closed out the first set 34 times, the second set 32 times, and the entire show 21 times. Therefore, it has been used as a “closer” 87 times (23.4%). It has opened a one-set show once, kicked off the first set 15 times, began the second set 36 times, and started the encore 14 times. Therefore, it’s been used as an “opener” 66 times (17.7%). Simple math tells us that it’s placed anywhere else in the setlist (not an opener nor a closer) 58.9% of the time. Truthfully, we’re pretty impressed that one song spends almost 41.1% of its recorded history in the very important spot of opener or closer. It’s not as impressive as LGM (see the night one recap). Thank God we’re crunching all these numbers and learning all this incredibly pertinent information so you can impress your friends with this level of Panic knowledge. They played it fast and furiously, coming to a close. Without a word they exited the stage. 


Minutes later, when they came back on stage, JB was holding a mandolin, lovingly referred to by old school fans as a “tiny guitar.” We were told it was because the rock and roll fans who LOVED Widespread Panic had never seen a mandolin before. When JB started using it for Ain’t Life Grand and End of the Show, they called it a tiny guitar because they truly weren’t sure what instrument it was, but it sure looked like a tiny guitar! Please share if you know how that all got started, referring to JB’s mandolin as a tiny guitar.

JB said, “when you listen to the words it’s not that soft” seemingly referring to End of the Show. He’s right! It’s not a soft song lyrically despite its soft sounding music. The audience audibly shouted “cat in heat” alongside Mr. Soul. Last played in Port Chester, this was Nick’s first chance to play this Bloodkin song in the Big Leagues. Daniel Hutchens, founding member of Bloodkin and co-author (alongside Eric Carter) of many beloved songs, passed away May 9, 2021, exactly five years before this show date. We believe this to be a tribute to the end of his life, as we know his songs are living on for seemingly the rest of time despite him physically not being on this Earth anymore. Each member played it so lovingly and full of emotion. 


JB said, “see you tomorrow night, ladies and gentlemen.” The house music kicked on another Talking Heads tune, Stay Up Late, a classic Vegas song. We stayed and danced, took family photos, and slowly poured into the casino for yet another fun night! There was a cover band playing in the bar at The Virgin, but we ventured to The Tuscany to support our new friends in Datura. As timing would have it, we stumbled in right as JR from Mom’s Kitchen was on stage with them performing Henry Parson’s Died, another Bloodkin song. Therefore, we got to think of and honor Danny’s life a second time soon after the show. Such a blessing! While we stayed up incredibly late, it wasn’t allllll night, as we needed to save some strength for the Sunday show and the final two sets of the Vegas run. Good game everyone! Hit the showers.

Thank you to our Title Sponsor, Higher Love:


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