The only words spoken to the crowd at Friday night’s Widespread Panic show were from guitarist/lead vocalist Michael Houser, who, at the beginning of the performance, politely suggested fans save their energy.

But the nearly sold-out crowd had no intention of following orders.

As soon as the lights went down, a simultaneous sound of seats flapping against their backs was heard echoing throughout Stephens Auditorium.

Two seconds later, nearly everyone in the venue was getting down to quality tunes. As keyboard/technician Jo Jo Herman said before, “It’s all about dancing.”

And so it was. But there were a few people who weren’t shaking to the sounds — they were too busy taping the show.

The recording devices could be spotted protruding out of the mass of bodies watching the performance and picked up over two hours of one hell of a show.

The band played some of its most well-known songs, as well as a vast array of unique jam sessions.

Todd Nance and Domingo S. Ortiz dished out over 20 minutes of pure skin-rocking beats, with some other percussion instruments added in throughout a jam after the intermission.

The true free-flowing dancers got an opportunity to groove hardcore during this segment.

And so, Panic’s performance lived up to expectations. The only exception was a tripped out light show that occurred during some of the second half of the show.

A white curtain served as a backdrop for a giant kaleidoscope effect of colors and shapes that were constantly growing and forming splendid patterns. For anyone on something it was great, but for the sober, it detracted from the performance.

Whether you saved your energy for the end or not, Widespread Panic drained every bit it could with its signature dance jams.