The second weekend of JazzFest officially kicked off yesterday and one early entry in the sit in department took place at New Orleans world famous Fairgrounds. During their first post-Katrina New Orleans appearance, Widespread Panic invited out once (and future?) Phish keyboardist Page McConnell to play on Bukka Whites Fixin to Die. Though McConnell is close friends with the Panic camp, and even appears on Space Wrangler, the keyboardist has not performed with the group since March of 1994. Later in the afternoon, Big Chief Bo Dollis Jr and the Wild Magnolias Mardi Gras Indians also sat in with Panic on a version of Big Chief that segued out of one of Panics drum segments. Later in the evening, McConnell jetted off to The Sugar Mill to participate in a late-night Monsta Jam.

Widespread Panic will perform at Houston, TXs Showgrounds at Sam Houston Race Park this evening.