Photo Credit: Erik Kabik

Sunday, April 14, marked the onset of Panic en la Playa Doce, the twelfth annual iteration of Widespread Panic’s beloved jam getaway to the Hard Rock Hotel in Riviera Maya, Mexico. On night one, the band welcomed its fans to the scenic resort with its first performance of the four-night series, which featured two bust-outs and a well-suited traveling theme. This first show also aligned with frontman John Bell’s birthday, celebrating 63 years in style with two sets of certified classics.

Widespread Panic kicked off Panic en la Playa with “Travelin’ Light” from the band’s beloved 1988 debut album Space Wrangler, taking off with an exploratory jam in the final phrases to segue into the explosive “Action Man.” The group continued with two further hitched pairings, merging “Stop-Go” into “Goin’ Out West” and “Travelin’ Man” into “The Waker” and freshening up the classic “Stop-Go” with a rap of Leonard Cohen’s “That Don’t Make It Junk.” Panic continued by rolling out a sprawling four-track caravan, delivering “Driving Song,” a bust-out of “Breathing Slow” for the first time since 2019, “Shut Up And Drive” and finally “Rock,” from the band’s self-titled 1991 sophomore album, to close out the first frame.

The jam vanguard returned to the stage with the 1993 B-side “Better Off,” followed by “Who Do You Belong To?” and a medley that framed “Dark bar” between two treatments of “Good People.” Next, the band kept the energy high with another bust-out, bridging a three-year gap for 2003’s “Tortured Artist” since its last staging in March 2022. After a brief pause to correct an equipment issue, the group kept on with the brute. original “Protein Drink / Sewing Machine,” followed by “Honky Red” and finally a medley of “King Baby” and “North” to wrap the second set. The band then returned to the stage for a three-song encore, sharing “Old Joe,” “Disco” and “Bowlegged Room,” which featured a “Four Cornered Room” rap, before sending the crowd off into the balmy tropical night.

Widespread Panic will perform again tonight, as will Kitchen Dwellers and Trouble No More, featuring Brandon “Taz” Niederauer, Daniel Donato, Dylan Niederauer, Jack Ryan, Nikki Glaspie, Lamar Williams Jr., Peter Lein and Roosevelt Collier. For more information, visit panicenlaplaya.com.

Read on for the complete setlist from night one, and stay tuned for further updates from Panic en la Playa Doce.

Widespread Panic
Panic en la Playa Doce – Riviera Maya, Mexico
4/14/24

Set I: Travelin’ Light > Action Man, Stop Go* > Goin’ Out West, Travelin’ Man > The Waker, Driving Song > Breathing Slow+ > Shut Up And Drive > Rock
Set II: Better Off, Who Do You Belong To?, Good People > Dark Bar > Good People, Tortured Artist~, Protein Drink / Sewing Machine, Honky Red, King Baby > North
Encore: Old Joe, Disco, Bowlegged Woman%

Notes:
* w/ “That Don’t Make It Junk” rap
+ Bust-out of “Breathing Slow” last played on 11/02/19 (135 shows)
~ Bust-out of “Tortured Artist” last played on 3/25/22 (85 shows)
% w/ “Four Cornered Room” rap