Widespread Panic Replaces Fleetwood Mac At New Orleans Jazz Fest

Widespread Panic
John Davisson
– Widespread Panic
John Bell of Widespread Panic plays the Lockn’ Festival at Infinity Downs Farm in Arrington, Va., Aug. 25.
New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival is hoping the third time’s a charm for its May 2 lineup with the announcement that Widespread Panic will take the stage after Fleetwood Mac and The Rolling Stones were forced to back out. 
The Athens, Ga-based rock band plays a mix of Southern rock, blues, jazz and psychedelia with a lineup headed up by John Bell on lead vocals/guitar. The band also features Dave Schools on bass/vocals, Domingo Ortiz on percussion, John Hermann on keyboards, Jimmy Herring on guitar and Duane Trucks on drums. 
Stevie Nicks & Co. had initially been announced in place of The Rolling Stones, who nixed their slot after Mick Jagger was told he needed heart valve replacement surgery. 
Days after announced that Fleetwood Mac would fill in for the Stones, Jazz Fest broke the news to fans Monday that the Mac couldn’t make it either “due to the illness of Stevie Nicks.” The band also postponed four North American gigs. 
“We are having more fun than ever on this current tour, but as we all know, touring life comes with its challenges,” Mike Fleetwood said in a statement. “The flu has sidelined Stevie for a couple of weeks but she is on the mend and we look forward to getting back out on the road. We so apologize to the fans, but we are working on rescheduling.”
Along with announcing that Widespread Panic had been confirmed for the event, Jazz Fest announced Monday that admission on May 2 will no longer be day-specific. Second weekend general admission tickets will be valid for any single day of the weekend, including May 2. Plus, May 2 has been designated a “Locals Thursday” (in addition to April 24), with tickets available for $50 at the gate for Louisiana residents. 
General admission tickets are priced at $75 through the day prior to each weekend. Children’s tickets (age 2-10) are $5 and will now be available each day at the gate.  
Widespread Panic’s upcoming schedule also includes multiple nights at the Brandon Amphitheatre in Brandon, Miss., and Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colo. Recent reports submitted to Pollstar’s Boxoffice include a three-night stand at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, N.Y., March 22-24 that sold 6,000 tickets and grossed $522,910.