Last time Widespread Panic played Montana was the summer of 2013, that’s why it was no surprise pulling up to  the Fox Theatre in Spokane Washington the parking lot had a resemblance to the tailgating of a Bobcat Grizzly game. The parking lot was covered in Treasure state license plates as far as the eye could see. Montana state Widespread Panic showing their devotion for the band they love.
    This would be the second stop on Widespread Panic’s 2015 spring tour, playing to a sold-out capacity of 1600 plus at Spokane’s gorgeously decorated “Art Deco” Martin Woldson Fox Theater, built in 1931.
    The band features John Bell on guitar vocals, Jimmy Herring on guitar, Jojo Herman on keyboards, Dave Schools on bass guitar, Domingo Ortiz on percussions, and Duane Trucks on drums, Trucks is sitting in for Todd Nance who has been on extended personal leave from the band. The show opened with a soaring rendition of Ophelia, and the entire first set seamlessly wove together as the band travelled through their diverse repertoire sandwich with a classic Murry Mclauchian 1975 song “Honky Red”, the first set ended with a fan favorite Pigeons.

Set One: Ophelia, Space Wrangler > Walkin’ (For Your Love), Honky Red, Goodpeople, Greta > Airplane > Pigeons

    After a short set break Widespread Panic came back to the stage with an explosive second set, and blew up the backstage with a dazzling light display,  giving the good people of Spokane and traveling fans a taste of the southern rockers ability to travel around the spectrum of musical improvisational experimentation. The band put the training wheels on for a brand new song debut: “Jamais Vu”.
    To end the show the band returned to the stage for an encore thanking Van Morrison for writing this song “And it stoned me” could it be a reference to Washington states new recreational marijuana laws? “Pilgrims” would close the show, to a very fan engaging performance in Spokane Washington. Widespread Panic last performance in Spokane Washington was in 1999 16 years ago, let’s hope it doesn’t take them another 16 years to return to Montana, “we are fans we will travel”.  “We listen, Pilgrims. We shake, to the radio. We listen, to the radio.”

Set Two: Sell Sell, Bust It Big > Dyin’ Man, You Got Yours, Ain’t Life Grand, Driving Song > Jamais Vu > Driving Song, Cotton Was King, Fishwater, Pilgrims

Tune into kglt 91.9 FM or steaming @ kglt.net Thursday March 19, for an audio review of this show!