Widespread Strings: Widespread Panic Welcome Billy Strings During Second Half of Night Two in Chicago, Bust Out “Rockin’ in The Free World”

Photo: Marc Millman [Herring]/ Stevo Rood [Strings]

On Thursday, June 5, destiny road led Billy Strings to The Chicago Theatre to revisit his old friends, Widespread Panic. The happenstance was possible as a result of proximity; Strings’ tour pulled into the region ahead of their arrival on the Allstate Arena stage in nearby Rosemont, Ill. [June 6-7], making for a tangible exchange built on a pair of prior intersections, Mempho Fest 2021 and the Ryman in 2019. Last night’s performance continued the ensemble and their guest’s live histories, representing their longest exchange to date. 

Strings’ arrival coincided with the kick-off of the concert’s second set, which emerged after a relatively standard start on a dog freeing “Greta” merged into “Worry,” before a trademark take on “Space Wrangler.” John Bell brought the audience back to Earth during “I’m Not Alone.” Without pause, Widespread Panic treated the Windy City crowd to a nonstop segue of “Aunt Avis,” “Rebirtha,” and “Better Off.” Jojo Herman heightened the night’s take on “Don’t Wanna Lose You” before the group found a collective exit after “Halloween Face.”

With their guest in tow, Widespread Panic returned to the stage and cut their teeth on a song that nodded to Strings’ favorite pastime, “Fishing.” Strings and John Bell tossed lines, and the audience took the bait, feeding off the palpable energy. Strings had borrowed the tune twice in 2022, testing it out with his crowd before reemerging for its arrival on Thursday night. Saving his voice, Strings extended licks on “Bust it Big” and kept up the attack during “Ribs and Whiskey,” which evoked a bluesy side to the musician. 

A high point of the live exchange was baked into “Pickin’ Up The Pieces,” a song Strings is known to cover, and first emerged during his live show on Sept. 9, 2022, at Ameris Band Amphitheatre in Atlanta, a festival stop on Willie Nelson’s Outlaw Tour. The arrival of “Surprise Valley” kicked off a run of songs that would collectively turn out some of the night’s hottest moments, instrumental repartee that kept up during Funkadelic’s “Red Hot Mama,” and the host’s inventive siege of General Echo’s “Arleen,” bottled with a “Cocaine in my Brain” rap, and reference back to “Red Hot Mama,” “Surprise Valley,” and Strings’ reference back to his entrance on “Fishing.” 

The second set totaled 87 minutes after “Chilly Water,” with Strings striking a tone most hadn’t heard since Michael Houser. The onset of the night’s encore extended Strings’ sit-in with “All Time Low,” a song Strings and his band have delivered 35 times according to billybase.com, most recently, during his Outlaw Tour stop in the Gorge, on May 25, 2025. 

The show ended with an explanation point: Widespread Panic’s first cover of Neil Young’s “Rockin’ In The Free World” since their New Year’s Eve gig on December 31, 2022, in Nashville. Herring and Strings’ back-and-forth topped the night’s collaborative moments during the rip-roaring fan favorite turned rock-and-roll standard. Watch the fan video below. 

Widespread Panic returns to The Chicago Theatre tonight for their third and final sold-out concert in the Windy City. For those unable to attend in person, livestream the concert via nugs.net.

Widespread Panic 

The Chicago Theatre – Chicago 

June 6, 2025 

Set I: Greta > Worry, Space Wrangler, I’m Not Alone, Aunt Avis > Rebirtha > Better Off, Don’t Wanna Lose You, Halloween Face

Set II: Fishing+, Bust It Big%, Ribs and Whiskey%, Pickin’ Up The Pieces+, Surprise Valley% > Red Hot Mama% > Arleen% > Red Hot Mama% > Surprise Valley%, Chilly Water%

Enc.: All Time Low+, Rockin’ In The Free World+

Notes: 

+ Billy Strings, guitar and vocals 

% Billy Strings, guitar 

Setlist via panicstream.com