In the November issue of Relix, American Idol Taylor Hicks spoke enthusiastically of bands such as Widespread Panic, who create “real music.” He went on to observe, “If I wasn’t a musician, these are the people I’d be traveling to go see.” On Saturday night he traveled to Asheville, North Carolina, not only to watch many of these artists but to perform as well.

Hicks appeared through the course of the evening at Warren Haynes’18th Annual Christmas Jam, both watching the show as an audience member and also contributing as a performer. He first took the stage during a set from the New Orleans Social Club. Hicks stepped up with Branford Marsalis for a version of “Fortunate Son” with this celebrated collection of Crsecent City musicians: The Meters’ George Porter, Jr. and Leo Nocentelli, Ivan Neville, Henry Butler and Raymond Weber. The American Idol winner later returned at the evening’s close for Gov’t Mule’s two encores, covers of “Sugaree” and “I Shall Be Released,” which also featured, among others, Brendan Bayliss, Marty Stuart, Kevn Kinney and Neville.

The night offered numerous other highlights. An early set from the John Popper Project Featuring DJ Logic offered some of the materials from the group’s debut disc, with host Warren Haynes appearing on “Fire In Her Kiss” and Branford Marsalis guesting on “Lapdance.” Much later, Dave Matthews delivered a solo performance, that began with “Bartender” and then closed out with the addition of Gov’t Mule, who backed him for “Cortez The Killer” and “All Along The Watchtower.”