06/03/2026
Good morning Panic nation.
If anyone was wondering, my knees are aching, my dogs are barking, my back is wrenched and my voice is ragged. And I feel satisfied! But let me back up a minute and share some context to properly bring those mortal inconveniences into plain sight.
I’ve attended all 75 of Widespread Panic’s headlining (and sold out) shows at Red Rocks. I’ve seen the band and crew shed and molt their second (and third and fourth and fifth) skin.And I’ve shared the space in time that we in the Rockwell household simply call ‘Red Rocks weekend’ with so many individuals that are dear to our heart and souls.
My partner in this life, Lisa, and I literally raised our little family with Red Rocks weekend as a key feature of our summertime fun. We took our son to Red Rocks for his first Widespread Panic show at 3 months old in 1999 and he grew up playing, dancing, sleeping, crying and singing on the wooden benches of the ancient amphitheater in the foothills of Colorado.
And I’ve been lucky enough to count myself as belonging to the legion of fans who have documented the highs and lows of WSMFP over those years. Contributing to this community and helping to foster its culture has been one of the most important and incredible experiences of my life.
The project we now call Everyday Companion was just under a year old in 1996 when the band rolled onto the stage that beautiful day in late May. Thanks to the connecting influence of Ben Tanen, Will Duckworth and I started communicating via a thing called the ‘internet’ in 1995 and by Red Rocks weekend there were some rough plans to start a major research project to collect setlist, lyric, side project, and other information. By the end of 1996 there was a website that had been published, driven by a database engineered by Will and a book designed by Lisa and printed by me.
I get a ton of love and attention from the Panic community for Everyday Companion, but the project would not exist without some key contributors, most notably Scott Holcomb who has quietly and diligently kept the information in the database up to date and published on the website. He truly is the ‘everyday companion’ of your data, Panic nation!
But the project also owes its existence to ALL OF YOU. The contributions and energy that propels the project belongs to the fans of Widespread Panic. There is a reason why our site has remained firmly ‘Web 1.0’ in its design and approach… because it is about the information and providing access to the information. We have resisted temptations to monetize the platform in the name of keeping the project ‘by the fans, for the fans.’ You are the reason the project exists and persists. Without the fans, there would be no EC and there would be no ‘Undisputed King of Red Rocks.’
I find myself in 2025, celebrating our 30th year (along with the Home Team crew), trying to understand what those years and 75 shows represents… so I’ve decided to share a few numbers, all dealing with time, to try to make some sense of it all.
75 shows is a ALOT. Seriously, that is a BIG fu***ng number. It is 150 sets of music and 76 encores (who else remembers the double encore on June 24, 2000?!).
But perhaps the most impressive way of thinking about this would be to consider the amount of time that has been spent in the hollowed space of Red Rocks.
Let’s just assume an average Panic show runs approximately two and a half hours, that would mean Panic has played 188 hours of music at Red Rocks. ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY EIGHT HOURS!
That is eight entire days of music…. yes, you would have to listen to Panic 24 hours a day for EIGHT STRAIGHT DAYS to hear all of that music!
If going to Red Rocks to see Panic play their music was a full time, five day a week, 8 hour a day job, the Red Rocks run would represent 24 days of work…
And despite my aching knees, tight hamstrings and creaky back, I do not regret a single moment of it.
That is because I consider music to be humanity’s original magic trick. It can heal a wounded heart and bring our souls into alignment. It has the power to bring you spaces in your memory that you never thought you’d find again. It can stimulate your imagination, bringing you to worlds previously unknown.
Cherish your music and those who you share those experiences with. Support your musicians and the spaces they depend on to create their magic. And do not take for granted your contribution to your culture and community.
Go and live your life one note at a time and with the music that moves you…and someday you’ll find yourself living inside that dream, full time, for days and days and days on end.
Peace and Love to you all,Ted Rockwell
