Widespread Panic Reheat Professor Longhair’s “Red Beans” During Boston Finale

On Thursday night, Widespread Panic began their three-night siege of MGM Music Hall at Fenway Park in Boston. During the first concert, the Peach State band brought out long-time live collaborator, Chuck Leavell, to sit in and add instrumental flourishes to JJ Cale’s “Ride Me High” and the band’s own “Ain’t Life Grand,” alongside John Bell, John “JoJo” Hermann, Jimmy Herring, Domingo Ortiz, Dave Schools and Duane Trucks. 

The initial evening set the stage for their follow-ups, both of which presented as thoughtfully arranged frames with distinct flair, from the protagonist-naming songs that filled the first set on Friday to a bust out of “Red Beans” on Saturday, which poked at the city’s Bean Town nickname. Each move made for memorable additions to their first Boston gigs since 2015. 

During Friday night’s return to MGM Music Hall,  the band deliberately pulled in a slew of characters by way of “Arleen,” “Little Lilly,” “Henry Parsons Died,” “Aunt Avis,” and “Jack.” Mixed into the aforementioned batch of songs were breaks from the motif, like “Gimme” and “Smokestack Lightning,” which gave the crowd time to consider the pattern and what grew as a theme throughout the first set. 

The band continued by clocking in treatments of live staples during the second half of the concert, beginning with “Little Kin.” After a pause, they resumed their output of magnetic energy on “Diner” paired with Tom Waits’ “Goin’ Out West,” which found JoJo teasing “Where It’s At.” Without pause, the band ripped into a sequence of “Tie Your Shoes,” “Bust It Big,” and the second set’s percussive instrumental interlude, which highlighted Trucks’ mastery over the kit. 

“Drums” turned into “Saint Ex,” and eventually set ender, Jerry Joseph’s “Climb To Safety.” For Friday night’s encore, the band returned for a combo of Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth” and “Love Tractor.” During Widespread Panic’s third and final evening at MGM Music Hall, they served up a “Thought Sausage” and a side of “Red Beans,” by way of the latter, a Professor Longhair original, which presented as a bust out, last played on Feb. 20, 2022. 

Set two leaned into a ricochet of selected songs, which began after “Disco,” “Pigeons,” and “Cosmic Confidante.” Leading the charge, “Surprise Valley” fused with “Party at Your Mama’s House” and Traffic’s “Low Spark of High Heeled Boys.” They continued the segue with “All Time Low” back into “Low Spark of High Heeled Boys” and finally a return to the first track in the five-piece series, “Surprise Valley.” 

Before turning in their final Boston frame, Widespread Panic pulled out “Postcard.” Ultimately, they nodded to their three-night run with a three-piece encore which took shape as “Blue Indian,” The Beatles’ classic “Dear Prudence,” and a “Porch Song” finale. 

Widespread Panic will perform two nights at the Allianz Amphitheater at Riverfront in Richmond, Va., on Sept. 12 and 13. Both nights are sold out. 

Scroll down to view the band’s Boston setlists from Friday and Saturday nights.

Widespread Panic 

MGM Music Hall at Fenway Park – Boston 

August 22, 2025 

Set I: Arleen> Little Lilly> Henry Parsons Died, Aunt Avis, Greta, Gimme, Jack, Smokestack Lightning> Action Man

Set II: Little Kin, Diner> Goin’ Out West*, Tie Your Shoes> Bust It Big> Drums> Saint Ex, Climb To Safety

Notes:

* “Where It’s At” tease by JoJo

Widespread Panic 

MGM Music Hall at Fenway Park – Boston 

August 23, 2025 

Set I: Thought Sausage, Dyin’ Man, Holden Oversoul > Worry, This Part Of Town, Little By Little, Rebirtha, Red Beans+ (57 mins)

Set II: Disco, Pigeons, Cosmic Confidante, Surprise Valley > Party At Your Mama’s House > Low Spark of High Heeled Boys > All Time Low > Low Spark of High Heeled Boys > Surprise Valley, Postcard (74 mins)

Enc.: Blue Indian, Dear Prudence, Porch Song (20 mins)

Notes:

+ Bust out, last played on Feb. 20, 2022 (122 shows)