After canceling 2024’s weekend in the mountains of western North Carolina due as Jimmy Herring battled back from a cancer diagnosis, Widespread Panic on Thursday made its long-awaited return to ExploreAsheville.com Arena at Harrah’s Cherokee Center in Ashville.
Much like at Panic’s first show back on Valentine’s Day in Atlantic City earlier this year, an electric current ran through the audience as they filled the intimate venue to capacity. After missing out on Panic last year—and weathering the lasting effects of Hurricane Helene in the months that followed—the Asheville fanbase was rabid a night with the swamp-rock lords of Athens, GA. Herring, John Bell, Dave Schools, JoJo Hermann, Duane Trucks, and Sunny Ortiz were happy to oblige.
JB broke the silence to start with a simple “Good evenin,’ Asheville” before opening with a “Little” trio—“Little Lily”, “Little by Little”, and a resounding “Little Kin”—each featuring high-voltage Herring guitar solos…