Review: Widespread Panic Brought the Heat on First Night at Red Rocks

A swarm of music lovers, wooks, hippies and Southern bros descended on Red Rocks Amphitheatre June 27 in their annual pilgrimage to the venue for Widespread Panic's three-night run. "I come here every year," said one burly, bearded fan named Jim, who was puffing a joint and ashing it on the rim of his empty PBR. He had traveled from South Carolina for the shows. "This will be my sixtieth. And you know that Sunday is going to be Panic's 75th here, right?"

The Southern-rock jam band, which formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1986, first performed at Red Rocks in 1991 with Blues Traveler, eventually establishing a yearly three-night run that sells out every June, making Red Rocks history. And its loyal fanbase comes from far and wide, with folks from all backgrounds and ages forming a sort of weekend-warrior family at the venue. They'll post up outside Red Rocks for hours before the doors open, sharing stories and making trades, then executing what's become known as "the running of the tarps": When the doors do open, fans burst in at full speed to secure a seat for their groups, tarps and blankets flapping behind them like superhero capes. Watching them from near the stage, the descent recalls the stampede of antelopes that kills Mufasa in The Lion King. And even though tarps technically aren't allowed at Red Rocks, Spreadheads aren't exactly known for following the rules.

But they are known for their palpable party energy. Friday shows are always a hit, striking a sweet balance before it gets more ratchet on Saturday (I'd never seen more people projectile in my life than at last year's event) and cools down on Sunday (although there's a reason "never miss a Sunday show" emerged). And something about this year's Friday sets was immediately special. There were points that seemed to echo Panic's epic opening set for the Rolling Stones last year, with the band bringing out Chuck Leavell, the Stones' keys player who was also in the Allman Brothers Band, for "Climb to Safety" halfway through the first set.
Panic, which comprises John Bell (vocals/guitar), Jimmy Herring (sexy guitar), Dave Schools (bass), Domingo Ortiz (percussion) and Duane Trucks (drums), opened the set with Van Morrison's "Send Your Mind" — an appropriate song to set the tone for the evening — before quickly turning to the hit "Walkin' (For Your Love)." The entire amphitheater seemed to be singing along, boogieing as j's were lit throughout.

With Panic, you can always expect each instrument to shine even while sharing the spotlight — these guys have been playing together for decades (well, except for Duane, who joined in 2014) and it shows: The chemistry is undeniable. As the band went into "Cotton Was King," the juice was flowing. Ortiz and Trucks lent a cascade of drums that Herring built off of with a seering solo, his face even moving with each pick at the strings. As you looked around the venue, it was apparent that this is what Panic fans come for — not just the songs that fans play on the daily, but the excellent improvisations that send everyone into a kaleidoscopic spiral of sound.
The group is also keen on a balance between the long, winding and high-energy improvs with slower grooves to soothe the crowd into a little breather (and likely a breather for the musicians, as well). "We Walk Each Other Home," off of last year's album, Snake Oil King, provided that, with JB's gravelly vocals (my pops describes them as "wise-sounding") painting a calming picture that would soon be reflected by a starry night sky.

And then boom: The pace didn't just pick up, it went from zero to sixty as the band broke into "Climb to Safety," with much of the crowd roaring for Leavell (and some audience members asking, "Who's that again?"), who stayed on keys with Jojo for the rest of the set. Schools, looking majestic as ever with his hair flowing in the breeze created by the little floor fan that's at his left at every show, set the groove for the song that had a dude in front of me ripping his shirt off, shouting, "Let's fuckin' gooooo!!!!" Leavell melded a perfect counterbalance into an extended jam that became increasingly modal as the other members joined in, creating an almost chaotic yet cohesive, unforgettable moment of improvisation.

That was followed by another standout of the night, "Time Is Free," moving into "Blight" and "Stop Breakin' Down the Blues" to close out the first set.
Panic kept the momentum throughout the second set, kicking off with fan-favorite "Porch Song" as the sun set and the band's lights flooded the rocks with psychedelic swirls. During "Can't Get High," I happened to be with my friends' daughter, who, at just four, has probably seen more concerts than I have at 32. It was her first Red Rocks show, and some fans around us couldn't help but grin at her infectious joy, handing her glow sticks that she would wave around during Herring's solos like a conductor. "That's pure happiness right there," a woman commented with a smile, as my little homie was voraciously headbanging in my arms with a big smile throughout the song's long jam into "Little by Little."
And, of course, there were many more extended improvisational sections. Jojo sent out a cascade of keys as the band performed "Disco" into "Second Skin," which served the longest jam of the night, also reaching heights that at times recalled the modal spirit of Bitches Brew, if Miles Davis happened to be a Southern rocker. As the jam deconstructed, the band reformed the sonics into a cover of Tom Waits's "Goin' Out West," yet another epic standout,before covering "The Harder They Come," for which Leavell took the keys yet again for the remainder of the set. Everyone sang along, hugging, dancing — and yes, I even saw some happy tears.
After the band closed out with "Mercy" and a climactic "Fishwater," the audience was buzzing — especially since "Fishwater" included Ortiz's signature conga drumming, always a favorite section of a Panic show. Often at Red Rocks, you'll see many people escaping to their cars ahead of the encore to beat any traffic. Not so with Panic, and those few who did leave missed out. The band took the stage again for an encore of "You Can't Always Get What You Want" alongside Leavell. While I do wish Panic had picked a Stones track that hadn't become a classic car-commercial type song... well, I guess I got the message from the refrain.

It all ended with "I'm So Glad," a fitting way to cap off the night. This was one to remember, but hey, that's WSMFP for you. See more photos from the show below:   Find more concerts on our concert calendar.