Asheville Recap Night 2 (7/25/25)
Listen to the entire show on Nugs or Relisten or Archive.org.
Data mined and explored via Everyday Companion.
The weather was HOT and word on the lot was that heaps of people drove into Asheville for the weekend after listening to the preceding weeknight show. Tickets were released at the box office so that all heads that wanted to get into the show easily could. Miraculous! Overall, there was a lot of gratitude for an indoor show with air conditioning!
It was so amazing seeing all the fans behind the stage! It was clear with all the tickets they released day-of that the venue needed more space, and from the floor, staring at all the fans getting DOWN behind the stage was such a thrill. Eye-witness reporters behind the stage said it was one of their favorite views of the band, excellent Duane, Sunny, and Jojo footage from that vantage point. (super reminiscent of that “other” bands arena show audience setup, but we don’t want to mention the P-word). We at WATLO HQ are loyal to JB and The Panics.
There’s something about Widespread tuning up before the show that gets us frothing at the mouth and ready to bust through a brick wall! Oh Yeah!!! A fierce crackling introduction into Rumble kicked off night 2. It’s the 12th time they ever played this instrumental song and the 3rd time they ever opened a show with it. Rumble was released in the U.S. in 1958 by Link Wray & His Wray Men. They revolutionized sound effects by poking holes in their amp with a pencil in order to create the iconic sound we all know and love. Check out this reel to learn more. Now, we’re blessed with petals that can make a guitar sound like anything the musician wants it to. But in the 50’s it started with pencil holes straight to the amp!
A very smooth transition brought us right into Henry Parson’s. Yet again, played on a Friday night rather than 6 pm on a Saturday. We were shouting about Hank and the devil at exactly 8:22 pm, a derivation of precisely 21.63 earth hours. The version at ‘25 Red Rocks was 22.22 hours off - so at least they’re consistent! The Boys were feeling it - this version was meaty, intense, and incredibly soulful.
After a full stop, Jojo brought us into our second “Jojo” song of the run, Tall Boy! Another classic Jojo tune, first played 8/3/95: 30 years ago! The crowd absolutely lit up with many audible “Go Jojo’s!” exclaimed as we were overjoyed with the blessings of vocals from our beloved piano hero. You can even hear the crowd scream “I’m feeling weak!” on the soundboard, but we highly recommend the taper’s version (visit the Archive link above) for the full crowd effect. The jam around 4:20 was so great, Dave was on fire all weekend (per usual) and Jimmy’s tone sounded well-rounded. Double chef’s kiss! Muah! Muah!
A nice smooth transition followed and we heard the familiar sounds of Rock. The best way to know for sure if it’s Rock is to notice if Sunny is holding the Talking drum (aka Kalangu) under his arm and a curved wooden beater in the opposite hand. However, a cloud of smoky fog completely shrouded him and it was impossible to see what he was holding. An excellent touch of mystery! Soon enough, we heard Sunny and knew for certain we were going to be treated with an excellent original, Rock! Did you do your homework and watch Ask Sunny a Question? Give this man his due! This was the 734th time played, and it rocked (dad joke intended). Around minute 6 the song hit a raging peak then moved into a cooldown phase as we made it home piece by piece. We loved the ad-libbing by JB, “my pinky toe” with Dave backing him up in a growling voice. Their vocals meshed so well together and culminated into a powerful ending.
This song is AMAZING. One of their primordial songs, first debuted on 10/4/89, Rock encapsulates one of Panic’s best themes: freedom. A slave is so fed up with captivity that he decides to drown himself in the nearby pond by holding a heavy rock over his belly. Hearing the dogs barking as they showed the master where the slave went, he still decides to join the fish and snakes underwater. Eventually, our main character makes it “home” to the other side of the veil (death / heaven / etc.) piece by piece.
With a full stop after Rock, the crowd was offered a solid 10-20 seconds to cheer, high five the neighbors, and take a drink of water, beer or liquor drink before witnessing what was about to happen next. The beautiful guitar strums of We Walk Each Other Home filled the arena, and we were blessed with their new original tune about our beloved pets, and pets lost.
For the next number JB picked up the jet black Washburn HB35 he uses for slide, mostly in open G, open D, or drop D. His preferred slides are made of brass. JB typically has the professional tech Joel tune this guitar down a whole step to play certain Vic Chesnutt songs. Speaking of Joel, our operatives in the field informed us that Joel was missing from the stage all weekend . A gentle bongoscape by Sunny led us into Party at Your Mama’s House, the second instrumental of the evening and run. Jimmy’s guitar sounded particularly sweet this whole run, but this song really showcased his melodic beautiful tone - soft, kind, and just what we needed! Such a peak at about 8:50 and JB’s slide guitar comes through beautifully.
Seamlessly, we’re brought into Stop Breakin’ Down. Three runs in a row? Let’s go! During the last run (Red Rocks), they ended night one set one with this tune (originally released in 1938 and written by Robert Johnson, but popularized by the Rolling Stones in 1972) so it was great to get it towards the end of the first set without it ending a set. JB saying “stiggly wiggly” is what dreams are made of. His vocals during this song (and truly, the entire run) made all the panties in the arena soaked. The song ended and John Keane was welcomed back on stage, with no verbal introduction.
His elegant guitar picking brought us into Degenerate (a tune we were blessed with in AC earlier in the year). John’s mic wasn’t quite projecting during his first verse, but it was quickly remedied. First played on Halloween 2011, this deep and textured song was written by Vic Chesnutt and released on his album “About to Choke” in 1996. Here’s a sentimental video of the press kit for the album. Panic also released it on their “Live Wood” album in 2012. A rare treat, we at HQ feel beyond grateful that this song has been more common lately.
Dave lovingly explained a bit about John before they ripped into another Vic song, Sleeping Man: DAS: “In case some of ya’ll don’t know, that over there is Mr. John Keane. Our long-time mentor and Fader Dominator. Who is responsible for a lot of the Vic Chesnutt songs you hear.” ‘Fader dominator’ is a reference to running the mixing board during recordings. An excellent version of the song, there’s a great funky breakdown around minute 4. Dave also added two quips, “Look at him go” and “The cat will get it” adding to the lyrical mystique that JB had been encouraging the entire run.
Side quest: who is Vic? Born in Jacksonville, FL on November 12, 1964 he released his first album in 1990. During his career, he released 17 albums. In 1983, a car accident left him partially paralyzed, which put him in a wheelchair and he only had partial use of his hands. (In the linked video above you see him play the piano with the side of his right hand rather than his fingers). brute. is a sideproject band, members include Vic along with some familiar names… Dave Schools, Michael Houser, John Hermann (Jojo), Todd Nance, and John Bell. They recorded their first album, Nine High a Pallet, at John Keane’s studio and released it on September 12, 1995. They first performed together as brute. at the Georgia Theater on January 18, 1985. brute. only played 6 total times, about once a year in Georgia. During the NYE show in 2001 at Phillips Arena, Vic sat in with Panic the entire first set and they only played Vic Chesnutt songs. He died on Christmas Day in 2009, unfortunately from an overdose of muscle relaxants. Sadly, 24 days before his death, during an interview he revealed that he had “attempted suicide three to four times. It didn’t take.” We’re grateful for his musical contributions to our beloved rock band and glad that his spirit and soul live on in the music we love and adore so much. Rest in peace, rise in power.
Back to the show….
After Sleeping Man concluded with a full stop, Dave actually introduced Steve this time, “Steve Lopez….” Since he already played Slippin’, it was likely Chainsaw City. This song was written by The Reverend Jerry Joseph and released by Little Women on the album “Pretty Wiped Out” in 1990. This version features Steve Kimock. The tempo felt slowed down, which allowed JB’s lyrics to come through clearly and defined. Yet again, his vocals were perfect and the band was really vibing and getting it. The crowd was grooving together in a cohesive sway. He missed the first “Hear that sound?” but other than that, he nailed it! It wouldn’t be a Panic show without a forgotten lyric or two. Right at 5:10 a Reggae beat dropped and the crowd audibly “wooo’d”. Truly, there were no bad vibes in sight. With a mumbled, “Steve Lopez, everybody” set one concluded!
To fire the rockets and launch set two, Duane started beating his drum in a perpetual way, and someone (Dave?) screamed “I am IRON MANNNNNN” and set two kicked off with an epic cover. This was another selection from Black Sabbath’s Paranoid album (1970). This was the fourth overall time Panic has covered the tune and the first time it happened on a non-halloween run. Each member executed this song perfectly. Duane deserves extra props - he completely slayed.
Jojo’s keys kept rolling and next we were blessed with a new majestic introduction into King Baby. We love and fully support new introductions to songs - please, keep us on our toes! King Baby debuted on 6/25/23 and has been played often, as new songs typically are. So far in 2025, it has been played at every single run. Some fans talk about the lyrics being about Trump and his tiny hands, others think of the young babies and children unfortunately growing up with electronics and how that impacts their mental and social development. Whatever your beliefs, the song slaps and is one we’ll gladly hear each run. Sunny’s maracas that led into the jam were hypnotic, then Jimmy’s soaring guitar licks intensified the jam, until Dave’s bass dropped it all down with an opportunity for all six cylinders to fire. It’s important to notice what song ear worms into your dome the following morning, and for one WATLO HQ staffer, it was this one. The jam around minute 8 is so blissful, harmonious, and transcendental. It felt like the whole crowd was being lifted up, which is less common with Panic - usually their noteworthy jams are very earthy, guttural, and tethering. Overall, this run felt more ethereal than usual.
Some rumbles continued and then Dave’s bass led us right into Second Skin. Yasssss! Really wasn’t expecting this one, since they just played it at Red Rocks, but the crowd was stoked to hear it! It is the year of the snake after all. Second Skin was co-written by Widespread Panic and Jerry Joseph and released on Earth to America in 2006, it first debuted on 3/24/05. It’s been played four times in 2025 and we are big fans of of the reminder to step out of your current version and enter into your newer higher self. It’s such a great anthem when going through any sort of transition. JB reminded us that it’s all about the love inside and releasing the fears that you hide away. A profound and useful message. The jam really took off around 7:08. All 6 of the Panics seemed to be giving this song their full attention. Listen carefully starting around 8:16 for some super nasty bass fills from atop bass mountain. DAS was getting into his third and fourth skins, witness the sickness yall. We loved the back and forth between Duane and Dave - they really have a good thing going over in the rhythm section. Relatively quickly, they moved into the second verse, which truly was pure magic and glory. Clocking in a fair bit shorter than their last version (13:25 vs. 20:46), it still got the crowd grooving, shaking, and ready to come down and surround and shed that skin. Dave really felt the end of the song and showed off his elegant although powerful bass soloing skills and then Jojo’s spacey unstructured organ frills and some hi hat vibes from Trucks brought the song to a conclusion.
Next up, the super classic and instantly recognizable quick drum and cymbal beat along Sunny’s bouncy bongos brought us into the Diner, one of their most played songs. This version was their 670th time playing the song, and we’ll be here for the next 670 times. JB made this one extra special with his “yeah yeah yeah” after the first verse, his flawless vocals, “now, now, now, she’s beautiful,” and of course the beloved Diner rap (after an indisputably epic jam at 8:31 - chicken skin don’t lie)
“Hanging in the diner, sitting in the light of Miss Lee. She opened the doors early, help a poor boy out. Oooh, oooh, I remember back in high school… ahhh you were going to be a movie star and I was going to be a pilot. Oooooooh, aaaaahhhhh, well at least you got a job. A county job, union. Hanging in the light of our memories. Hanging in the light of Miss Lee. Little sunshine, ohhhh, reflecting through the trees. Sliding down the rooftop through the window and diner keeping my coffee cup a little warm a little longer. Hangin’ in the light. Baskin’ in the light. LIGHT! Ooooohhhhhhh ahhh woah ahh woah ahh woah. Ohhh the smiles. Ohhhh I swear I see it, the Miss, running around around around around around around around around, hanging in the light. Hanging in the light of Miss Lee.”
A cool 2.5 minutes of rapping - LFG. Jojo goes off after JB finished his superb Diner rap.
The band effortlessly flowed right into Ride Me High - truthfully many of them (Dave, Duane, Sunny, and Jojo) all jammed right into it! The crowd was digging the funkiness and really getting down to Jojo slaying the keys! LET JOJO SING! Ride Me High was originally recorded by J.J. Cale in 1976 off the same album Travelin’ Light is on, Troubadour (please, put this one in your weekly rotation at a minimum). Jojo kind of missed the second verse, but we’ll cut him some slack since he’s still recovering from his injury. Jimmy’s licks around 7:30 were reminiscent of ARU and quite colonel-y. The jam kind of fizzled for a minute or so until Jojo picked it back up and then the energy was high high high through the rest of the tune.
A quick drop into Postcard - thank god we had a healthy snack of nuts at set break. This is truly an ass kicking song. One of their earliest original songs, debuted on 10/6/86, it was released on Everyday in 1993. There’s something incredibly special about shouting with all your favorite people “I never want to leave!” in the middle of the run. Nerd stat: the last time it was played in the middle of the run (not the last night of the run) was 5/28/22.
The song ended and the crowd was treated to the familiar fast opening strums of Love Tractor! Another incredible and old original. The crowd participation is so much fun in this one with the anticipated “yeeeeeehawwwwww” during the FOURTH breakdown (wait for it…). Let’s just say, we’ll be waiting for JB at the barn at the first opportunity we get, and we’ll be damn sure we got us plenty of fuel. Jimmy’s tone was very listenable and we could hear JB’s guitar clearly in the mix - can we get him turned up once and for all? Way up! The crowd went wild and most of us assumed this would be the set closer, the lights came on and we thought for sure that was it.
Paul Hoffman must have been in on the prank (or slight guffaw?) by lighting us all up after the big finish of Love Tractor, but they were not done! Instead, we were treated to a Tom Petty cover, Runnin’ Down a Dream. Here’s the official music video. It was released in 1989 on his first solo album, Full Moon Fever. This was the 10th time it’s ever been played by The Panics, first debuted on 10/29/22 at their Halloween show. It was then played six times in 2023, once in 2024, and so far twice in 2025. An excellent second set closer - the crowd was perfectly riled up, stoked for the “bonus” song, and ready to cheer for an encore.
Once the band reemerged, JB said “some nights, you’re just flying by the seat of your pants!” Unsure what’s that related to, the unexpected last song of the second set, or the encore we were about to hear. John Keane was sitting at his pedal steel guitar, despite no mention of him on stage.
When City of Dreams began the crowd erupted. It had been since Auggie 2024 (30 song gap) since we were blessed with the Talking Heads original, released in 1986. David Byrne is a lyrical magician. While the melody sounds pleasant and peaceful, and it’s quite a joy to sing "remember this, our favorite time” and “southern USA!” (especially when in the South), it’s actually an incredibly dark song about the destruction of native cultures that’s taken place for the creation of American cities. Lives were lost in various wars and massacres, land was stolen, and massive destruction happened to the earth in order for modern-day humans to thrive in cities. It’s quite a juxtaposition that left WATLO HQ staffers grateful for one of the most beloved Talking Heads covers they play along with significant angst about how we got to this moment. The best takeaway is to simply find gratitude for this beautiful life we get to live, despite the tragedies that took place in the past.
The song barely ended before Duane started to play “There is a Time.” Jojo's effortless key-play led into a masterpiece solo on the slide guitar by Keane at 2:30. If it’s true that he is retiring, this could be a swan song that makes the heart warm, this man has given so much to us. Thank you John. You are an Icon and will always have a very special place in our heart and at our table. It’s incredible to get to celebrate one of the band’s closest friends and influences while they are still alive and well. Misty eyes here in our cubicle at the HQ, must be the dust and sunshine making our eyes look wet.
Let’s deep dive into the next song, There is a Time…it was the 13th time they ever played it. Originally, it was showcased on an Andy Griffith episode in 1963, written by The Dillards, and officially released the same year. We highly recommend enjoying the footage from the episode HERE. Creeeeepy. In the Red Rocks Night 1 recap, we did a deep dive into time related to the Colonel Bruce song “Time is Free.” Now we get to continue the conversation on time as we are reminded that along with time being free, it’s also young, and so are we. Time really is just a concept, not an actual measurement, so we get to choose how we treat and view time. You can consider the rapidity of time and view it as ever-fleeting. Or, you can choose to see time as young, infinite, and always available. JB changed the third line of the last verse. Instead of “The frost will come and bring the harvest” he said “trust the lord, breathe the forest” - wow. The path certainly is new and the world is free. After the somewhat heavy emotions that came from CoD, this felt like a breath of fresh air and a joyful reminder that anything is possible, that we can always change and grow, and that we have so much freedom to explore life however we wish. We are so lucky! We’re always lucky. We’re always looking.
For the last hurrah of the night, John Keane switched to electric guitar, then Duane and Sunny ripped into Porch Song! This song is Panic’s anthem and second most-played song (third if you consider “Drums” a song - we don’t). The Ashevegas crowd was anointed with the 1170th known live performance of porch, counting fast and slow versions. One of our WATLO interns at the HQ considers this to be the best original song to end a show with. Mikey’s spirit was present, and the sequence of the three encore songs flowed together so beautifully. After the reminder about how time is infinite, free, and young, we then got to shout about living the moon time and the band suggested we focus on playing, living it up, and passing it with a few good cats. It was a quick version, clocking in at just over the 3.5 minute mark, a perfect slam dunk to end night two.
JB bid us goodnight: “Goodnight, everybody! Thanks for goin’ with us. [cutest snicker ever] Mr. John Keane, everybody! Edie Jackson on the good signs! Goodnight!”
The crowd's energy was so exuberant and grateful! Hugs and high-fives all around as we stepped into the warm night, ready to live the moon time with our dearest friends! There is a time to live it up!!! Love to Vic Chesnutt and John Keane and the unlimited glorious mighty spirit that moves in all things. We’re lucky to live in this time, happy in our home.