Widespread Panic Rocks in New Year at Fabulous Fox with Billy Strings
With an army of 4665 of the lucky ones each night, Widespread Panic delivered three smoking shows, with Billy Stings sitting in all three nights and Nick Johnson for the NYE show. WSP brought the entourage to the Fabulous Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia, for 2025 year-end finale, with Billy Strings, sitting in with his magical wizardy guitars, making these the hottest tickets out there.
MONDAY 12-29-25
Opening up with “Let’s Get Down to Business” spoke volumes of what was to come. “Makes Sense to Me > (JoJo Hermann’s) One Armed Steve > Little by Little > Walk on > Sleeping Man,” with Dave Schools’ vocals we love so much. Then Jimmy Herring’s “Second Skin” tease lead to “Aunt Avis and John Bell’s sweet, oh sweet, vocal, flub and all. Set ended with energy: “Rebirtha > Conrad” with frenzied freaky people everywhere.
Second set and temperature rising, opening with “Little Kin” into some dirty funky Dave Schools king of bass: “Machine > Barstools and Dreamers” and John Bell’s “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin).” “Good People > Dark Bar > Good People > Party At Your Mama’s House” and, after hearing for 24 hours that Billy Strings would be sitting in, POOF! there he was BMFS. He slays that electric axe like none other. Strings would sit in the rest of the show, from “Stop Breakin’ Down Blues >Fishwater > Surprise Valley > Fishwater > Surprise Valley > Blackout Blues.”
Wowza! That’s how you end the second set with Billy Strings!
Encore: “There is a Time” and “Mr. Soul”
Day one in the books; two days left until the new year!
TUESDAY 12-30-25
Now that the cat’s out of the bag. Billy Strings is sitting in all three nights; let’s GO! Opener “Let’s Get The Show On The Road” into “Driving > Pleas > Bear’s Gone Fishing > St. Ex” with Jimmy’s slow jams into “Greta > Bowlegged Man > Action Man” to end set one.
Set two: “Rock > Henry Parsons Died > Second Skin > Jack > Pigeons > Protein Drink > Sewing Machine.” Billy Strings sat in for remainder of the show: “Mercy > Bust It Big > Chilly Water”
Encore: “Pickin’ Up The Pieces” and “Climb To Safety”
Two down — Billy once again bringing his heat to the table — one more night left!
WEDNESDAY 12-31-25
Here we are: the big finale. New Year’s Eve. After traversing the country all year, The six-headed monster from Athens, Georgia, is ready to bring on 2026, which will be WSP’s 40th year of existence and what’s shaping up to be and incredible set of dates from East to West Coast. But we still have business to finish in 2025!
Set one Acoustic (sort of): JB sat in a chair on acoustic guitar, beginning with “Blue Indian > Wondering > We Walk Each Other Home” into crowd fav Neil Young’s “Don’t be Denied” > Alice and Chains “Down in a Hole,” and Billy Strings comes out for “Fishing >Who Do You Belong To? > Traveling Light” to end the acoustic first set. FIRE!!!!
Set two: “Big Wooly > King Baby > Ribs and Whiskey” with new special guest Nick Johnson, local musician who played with Jimmy and Colonel Bruce back in the ARU Days, a wizard of his own. He sat in for the next two songs: “Tall Boy” and “Diner.” WSP closed out the last two alone: “May Your Glass Be Full” into a smoking Dave Schools-led “Love Tractor” to end set two.
Its time! Tour Manager Steve Lopez counted us down to new year, with balloons dropping, confetti flying, and all of us hugging and kissing our friends nearby; WSP and Billy Strings come out (Strings for the rest of the show) and began playing “Ain’t Life Grand” into Jimmy Cliff’s “Sitting in Limbo” with JB and Strings trading lyrics into one more Cliff song, “I Can See Clearly Now,” and then it was time to bring out the big guns and heavy metal with Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath’s “Paranoid > War Pigs.” “Disco > Tie Your Shoes > Porch Song”
Encore: “Ride Me High > All Time Low”
Wow, what show, what a run, what a year! THANK YOU Widespread Panic, the crews, Paul Hoffman, Bandit Lites, the Fabulous Fox Theatre, and all those that helped to make this momentous three-day NYE event happen.
Next stop: Panic in La Playa, Playa del Carmen, Mexico. SEE YOU THERE!!
Thanks also to two great resources: Everyday Companion and PanicStream!
