#widespread panic

Song Review: Widespread Panic - “Smokestack Lightning” (Live, March 20, 2026)

Widespread Panic could’ve just as easily called their version of “Smokestack Lightning” Jojo plays the blues.

Keyboardist Hermann is the featured soloist on piano and organ alongside, to a lesser extent, guitarist Nick Johnson, who plays an innovative solo that begins on the bottom strings before moving to more traditional fretting territory.

Vocalist/rhythm guitarist John Bell is, too, amped up for this down-low number, employing the full range of his voice and turning in some nifty, Bob Weirian swings of his axe.

While this is a true-blue rendering with Hermann hinting at “Spoonful” early and often, this “Smokestack Lightning,” captured on professional black-and-white video March 20 in Florida, is another example of Widespread Panic sounding exactly like Widespread Panic no matter whose song they’re playing and who’s playing in the band.

Grade card: Widespread Panic - “Smokestack Lightning” (Live - 3/20/26) - B+

Thank you so much for the ask, @kt-catt!! ❤️ I also received this Ask from @deianestormborn and @c-e-p5315 so I will answer those here as well for you lovelies 🥰🥰

I think before we all became moots I did this here with my all-time favorite songs, but I'm coming up with a playlist for my new Geraldus/Nienna Modern AU fic The Life That Came From You To Me so these songs are on CONSTANT REPEAT this week while I write it, haha. So I wanted to share 🥰

1. Insult and an Elbow by Yonder Mountain String Band

2. Wagon Wheel by Old Crow Medicine Show

3. Victory by Trampled by Turtles

4. Ain't Life Grand by Widespread Panic

5. Soul Meets Body by Death Cab for Cutie

'Widespread Panic at St Augustine, Florida' by AJ Masthay.

18" x 24" fine art linoleum block print, in signed, numbered and embossed Regular Artist edition of 100 for $75; a signed and numbered giclee print in a Swirl Foil Artist edition of 35 for $100; a signed watercolour 1/1 original for $350; a signed 1/1 original colour drawing for $1250; and a signed graphite 1/1 original for $650.