Widespread Panic Wrap Asheville Run with Nightly Odes to Ozzy Osbourne and Guest Slots From John Keane, Debut “War Pigs” as Final Move
Photo Credit: Erik Kabik
Widespread Panic returned to the ExploreAsheville.com Arena Harrah’s Cherokee Center in Asheville, N.C., on Friday, July 25, and Saturday, July 26, after opening up their three-night stand on Thursday, July 24, with help from their longtime producer/studio engineer, John Keane, and tour manager Steve Lopez sitting in on select numbers. Like the night one’s “Fairies Wear Boots” selection, the band not only maintained a similar trajectory across the calendar with recurring guest arrivals, but also made a habit of performing odes to the late Ozzy Osbourne at each stand, including a debut of “War Pigs,” which emerged as their final move of the three-part locational offering.
Coming off a well-received opener in Asheville, N.C., Widespread Panic returned to the indoor venue, filling the seats before administering the night’s first dose of song, dusting off an infrequent cover, Link Wray & His Raymen’s “Rumble,” which was last played in June 2023, before Friday’s bust out, which rolled into BloodKin’s “Henry Parsons Died,” without pause. The group positioned a series of originals, beginning with “Tall Boy,” “Rock,” the touching “We Walk Each Other Home,” and building into the concert’s second instrumental, “Party at Your Mama’s House.”
The group, John Bell, Dave Schools, Jimmy Herring, Jojo Hermann, Sunny Ortiz, and Duane Trucks, positioned Robert Johnson’s “Stop Breakin’ Down Blues” before Keane’s return to the stage, for his second consecutive night on stage with Widespread. The band’s frequent collaborator, known for his Peach State studio work with his host, as well as R.E.M. and the Indigo Girls, began his sit-in with an acoustic guitar and delivered lines from Vic Chestnutt’s “Degenerate.” Keane went electric for the night’s ensuing cover and return to the Chestnutt archive, on “Sleeping Man.”
Before turning in their final song of Friday’s first set, the band’s manager, Steve Lopez, also took the stage, following his Thursday night sit-in, joining Widespread Panic and Keane for a collective cover of “Chainsaw City.” During the onset of the concert’s second set, the band made a clear statement by placing Black Sabbath’s “Iron Man” in the first slot. The move functioned as a tribute to the late Ozzy Osbourne, who passed away last Tuesday. The song selection also represented a bust out, concluding a 39-show performance gap following the play, which preceded Friday’s arrival on October 28, 2023.
The group continued with a second set offering of originals and select covers, including JJ Cale’s “Ride Me High,” which emerged mid-frame, and the final song before the encore brought back the night’s guest, Tom Petty’s “Runnin’ Down a Dream.” Keane filled out Talking Heads’ “City of Dreams” and The Dillards’ “There Is a Time” on pedal steel, ultimately leaving his hosts to perform “Porch Song” as their final night two offering.
Widespread returned to the exact concert location for their third and final stand during this particular concert series, where they cemented patterns by bringing back Keane and offering a final homage to the Prince of Darkness. Before either of those motifs emerged on night three, the band busted out the Grateful Dead’s underrated, Jerry Garcia-scribed “Cream Puff War” for the first time since 2023.
During the latter half of Saturday’s initial batch of songs, the band brought back Keane on a cover of “Blight,” followed by a return to originals on “This Part of Town” and “Blue Indian,” all three of which included the stimulating cry of the pedal steel, played by their guest. Keane returned one final time during the group’s Asheville stand, adding to the final placements of “Expiration Day” and “Ain’t Life Grand.”
As the outfit’s final move during the Asheville, N.C. run, Widespread Panic deliberately nodded to Ozzy’s legacy and monumental musical impact by ending their three-part concert series with a debut of Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs.” Bell led the lyrics, which were echoed by the audience, who energetically seized the heavy metal anti-war protest anthem.
All said and done, Widespread Panic performed a nightly ode to the late Ozzy Osbourne during all three of their Asheville concerts, and included guest Keane on select numbers each night. After this weekend’s run, the band will take a brief break from the road and will ultimately arrive in Indianapolis on August 8 and 9 for the next series of concerts. Tickets remain on sale.
Widespread Panic
ExploreAsheville.com Arena at Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville, N.C.
July 25, 2025
Set I: Rumble > Henry Parsons Died, Tall Boy > Rock, We Walk Each Other Home, Party At Your Mama’s House > Stop Breakin’ Down Blues, Degenerate*, Sleeping Man**, Chainsaw City***
Set II: Iron Man, King Baby > Second Skin > Diner > Ride Me High, Postcard, Love Tractor, Running Down A Dream
Enc.: City of Dreams****, There Is A Time****, Porch Song**
Notes:
* with John Keane on acoustic guitar/vocals
** with John Keane on guitar
*** with John Keane on guitar/vocals, Steve Lopez on percussion
**** with John Keane on pedal steel
Widespread Panic
ExploreAsheville.com Arena at Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville, N.C.
July 26, 2025
Set I: Goodpeople, Rebirtha > Greta > Cream Puff War, I’m Not Alone, Small Town, Blight* > This Part Of Town*, Blue Indian
Set II: And It Stoned Me, Climb To Safety > Hatfield, Keep Me in Your Heart, North > Drums > Saint Ex > Disco > Pigeons, Flat Foot Flewzy
Enc.: Expiration Day*, Ain’t Life Grand**, War Pigs+
Notes:
* with John Keane on pedal steel
** with John Keane on pedal steel/vocals
+ Debut, first time played
