Widespread Panic Debuts Grateful Dead Cover, Welcomes Guests For Panic En La Playa Finale

By Nate Todd Jan 26, 2026 • 12:38 pm PST

Widespread Panic concluded their 2026 Panic En La Playa destination event in Puerto Aventuras, Mexico on Friday. The band’s four-night finale at the Hard Rock Hotel saw Sierra Hull and Adam MacDougall guesting and featured a Grateful Dead cover debut.

WSP — John Bell, Dave Schools, Domingo “Sunny” Ortiz, JoJo Hermann, Duane Trucks and Jimmy Herring fill-in guitarist Nick Johnson — launched the show with a trio of vintage Panic numbers: “Postcard,” “Pilgrims” and “Walkin.”

Mandolinist and PELP performer Sierra Hull emerged as the first guest of the evening, adding to a cover of Van Morrison‘s “And It Stoned Me,” as well as mandolin featuring Panic original “Pickin’ Up The Pieces.” Following Hull’s departure, the band weaved in and out of “Fishwater” and Traffic‘s “Low Spark Of High-Heeled Boys” to conclude the first frame.

Set two commenced with a pairing of “Bust It Big” and a cover of the Neil Young-penned Buffalo Springfield song, “Mr. Soul.” Keyboardist Adam MacDougall of PELP performers Circles Around The Sun came out three songs into the second set, lending his expertise to “Second Skin” and Funkadelic‘s “Red Hot Mama.”

Panic dipped once again from the Parliament-Funkadelic catalog with “Maggot Brain” ahead of second set closer, the always rowdy “Chilly Water.” To open the encore, WSP unveiled a cover of the Grateful Dead’s “Jack Straw,” a song co-written by Robert Hunter and Bob Weir. Bobby recently passed away on January 10 and Panic premiered the GD classic as a nod to the late guitarist. “Ain’t Life Grand” brought the concert and Panic En La Playa Trece to a close.

Watch the “Jack Straw” debut and listen to the full show below:

Setlist/Photos