Widespread Panic Plan 'Elaborate Party' in Mexico

This coming January 31 to February 4, Widespread Panic will head down to the Mayan Riviera in Mexico to perform four consecutive shows at an intimate, all-inclusive resort as part of a Panic-only festival entitled Panic En La Playa. The destination event sold out of its initial allotment of tickets instantly this week and festival organizers have now added a second resort to double the capacity -- to just 2,000 total. The exclusive, vacation-oriented festival will signify the end of Panic's year-long 25th anniversary celebration... but it almost didn't happen.

"From my angle, it probably was something I wouldn't have wanted to do, because it seems kinda exclusive -- it's not the way we usually do things," bassist Dave Schools confesses to Spinner. "But my personal experience on Jam Cruise this year changed it, because it's the same people who run it. And they've got a really good thing going on Jam Cruise ... The guys in the band were like, 'Do you think we could do it?' and I said 'All I know is that the Cloud 9 people do a great job.' I think it's going to be great."

Because of its unusual attributes -- the stage is right on the beach and the entire resort is transformed into a five-star luxury festival -- Panic En La Playa would be pretty special no matter what. But it's going to be even more special since it will signify the end of the band's 25th anniversary year. And although Schools allows that it's way too far off for the band to already be planning the setlist, there will definitely be all the fanfare expected from a celebration of this nature. Whereas normally, he says, they would approach four shows at the same place in front of the same audience by running through 90 to 100 songs currently in the rotation, down in Mexico he expects some particularly unusual journeys into the band's vast back catalog.

"It'll be the end of a year-long celebration and I expect there will be some partying," he says. "And some elaborate thought going into things."

Fair enough. Tickets for the added second resort -- Now Jade -- will go on sale to the public for the few minutes that it'll take to sell out on Wed., June 28 at noon, ET via the official website. And for those fans that want a more immediate fix, Widespread Panic's shows this weekend at Red Rocks will be the first concerts live-streamed in 3D audio utilizing brand new technology from iClips. We expect there will be some partying...