Welcome to the New School of Gov't Mule
by Philip Lombardo philip_lombardo@hotmail.com

[Note: This month, we have a guest writer with a story about a Gov't Mule Roadtrip. If you are interested in contributing a Roadtrip story, please let me know before you take your trip, to give me time to get you on the schedule. Even if you just have questions about what is involved, feel free to email me at ira@jambands.com. And, I'd love any feedback on this or past Roadtrips! Thanks, Ira]

It took me a long while as a music fan to realize that you do not need to focus all your energies on seeing one band. This caused me to burn out on several of my favorite bands, and disrupted me from going to see them for several years on end. This is not to say that's the only reason I stopped going, but certainly a big part of it. Well, in the last few years I learned there is much good live music out there, and instead of focusing all of my attention on one band, I would spread the wealth and see what some other musicians had to offer.

Perhaps the greatest benefit to me of this new attitude was stumbling across the work of Warren Haynes and Gov't Mule. I know I had heard quite a bit of his work with the Allman Brothers, but never really knew who he was, and how deep his talents ran. As far as Gov't Mule, I had heard the name thrown around here and there, but never paid it much attention, until a friend sent me some tapes. I was immediately taken with his soulful voice, and with the harder edge that they had. They were bluesy at times, more hard rocking and intense at others, very improvisational, and really like nothing I had ever heard.

So the next time they passed through town I caught a couple of their shows and was thoroughly impressed. The crowds were different than I was used to, the music was much more in your face than I was used to, but one thing remained the same. These guys were playing from their hearts, playing some kickass music, and it was totally unique. So I listened to a few more of their live shows, bought a couple of their cds, and again caught a few more shows the next time they passed through town, and kept finding myself asking the question that I suppose anyone who became enamored with them asks, 'How can just three guys up there sound so full'

My fascination with Warren kept growing, not that I didn't appreciate what the other band members offered, but he was the one that captured my attention. I saw him sit in as a guest at a show, and then with the Phil and Friends tour, and I just found his ability to play effortlessly and always add to the music, while bringing whoever he was playing with to a new level to be uncanny. After Allen Woody passed away, I had the extreme pleasure of catching one of the two set 'Smile at Half Mast Tour' shows with Matt Abts and Warren doing mostly acoustic stuff, and I see him in a much different setting. Only a few feet away, and this time with only an acoustic for most of the show his voice shone even more than usual, and he just oozed soul.

Warren's annual charity Christmas jam show in Asheville showcased all of these talents, with Warren playing solo acoustic, then with Matt, and Dave Schools for a Mule set, and later on with the Allmans. Each time I've seen him play it just seems like such a privilege, and I grow fonder of his ability to take a song to a new level, whether it be with his voice, or his guitar. And his extraordinary ability to play with any and everyone makes him in my opinion the best guitarist out there today, period.

So Gov't Mule moves on, with Dave Schools of Widespread Panic on bass, and Chuck Leavell on keyboards. My Mule experiences were still quite limited since I had only recently started to see them, but I felt extremely fortunate to live within a small radius of several of these shows and was as excited as ever to see this band play. I was very curious to see what these shows would be like, and what the setlists would hold. I also wanted to see how these four fine musicians would play together, given all of their extremely busy schedules, and probably quite limited rehearsal schedule.

4/1/01 Peace Center Greenville, SC

We rode in from Atlanta to superb weather, and drove around town a few times looking for a place to eat. Greenville, SC is not the most happening town on a late Sunday afternoon. We learned that the equipment bus broke down on the way from Nashville, and that things would most likely get off to a late start. Pre-show preparations were made and the wait began. The showtime was supposed to be 8, but ended up being about 9:30.

Once they let us all through the doors, we got our first look at a pretty nice theater. There were about 10 little opera type balconies holding 10-15 people a piece around the entire venue, with one long row of seats stretching the entire width, and nice cushy chairs. We sat about 13th row off to Warren's side and had a real good view the whole night. The crowd was mixed, about a quarter local season pass holders I assume, with binoculars in hand, and the rest split evenly between an older and a much younger looking crowd. Mule shows seem to have a bigger crowd mix than most of the shows I see, and I always find it interesting to look around and see who is there. Warren addressed the crowd early on and said they would make up for the late start by playing for a good long while, and that they did, with no breaks.

Now might be a good time to comment briefly on Gov't Mule's sound. If you have never checked them out before, you should, but with caution. They are not your typical jam band. They do jam, and play about as well as any band out there, but are far more rockin', and loud than any other jam band out there, or any I've heard. Their music is at times soothing, but for the most part is not for the faint of heart. I suggest bringing earplugs if you've never seen them before, because they test the limits of the PA systems wherever they play.

This long set was pretty much filled to the brim with standard Mule tunes, no gimmicks or crazy covers, Mule to the bone. Warren didn't waste too much time before he started preaching to us with his soulful voice. A quick 'John the Revelator' with only Warren singing led to an appropriately titled 'Rockin' Horse'. 'Thorazine Shuffle' followed, and this is where the show took off for me. Matt took his solo towards the end and was just crushing his kit in machine like fashion. Dave Schools was thumping the familiar bass line, and was having a great time doing it. Dave and Matt laid down some really fat rhythms the entire night, and allowed Warren plenty of room to take off wherever he felt the need. The jams in 'Temporary Saint' and 'World Gone Wild' were as hard rocking as it gets, and just when you'd think they were all going to bring it back down, Warren would rip another measure, and Schools and Matt were right there with him bringing it up another notch. 'Tastes Like Wine' brought things back down a bit and ended with a really sweet slide solo, with the rest of the band almost in awe of Warren, or maybe that was just me!

'Lay Your Burden Down' started what I would call the middle portion of the show. This is probably my clear-cut favorite Mule song right now, but at this point it seemed like the band rushed things. Well, maybe not rushed things but decided to cut some jams a bit short. This is without the benefit of tapes, but it seemed like both the 'LYBD' and 'Bad Little Doggie' were somewhat of abbreviated versions. The 'Bad Little Doggie' led right into a raunchy 'How Many More Years' with Warren just absolutely blistering the main riffs. This tune was not abbreviated at all and Warren sang some lyrics from 'The Hunter' before they led back into the ending jam. 'Blind Man in the Dark' followed, and this is the one tune I am really starting to come around on. Showcasing all of Warren's skills, most especially his soulful, passionate voice, and crafty songwriting, the tempo swings just really do it for me now.

Following 'BMITD', it really seemed like Schools could use a break as he wiped himself off, and it seemed like they all kind of needed a second to catch their breath. That's where Chuck came in. The final portion of the show is where Chuck Leavell really started to shine. His playing was nice up to this point, but there isn't always that much room in a loud rocking band like Mule, so he needed to pick and choose his places wisely. He mixed it up a bit on the organ and keys, and certainly added to the music, when the opportunity arose. Occasionally Warren and him would trade looks as Schools looked on in bliss.

Here, Leavell played a nice long intro that started off slow and built to a point where the crowd, and Warren alike were clapping in unison with him, and allowed the others a second to breathe. This intro led into 'Soulshine', perhaps the most well known Haynes' penned tune. The crowd ate it up, as did I. The opening line, 'When you can't find the light, That guides you through a cloudy day', with Warren adding 'like today' at the end, really seemed to touch everyone in attendance, as it usually does, and showed a bit of humor over the whole travelling ordeal they went through to get there. The catchy riff and beautiful lyrics, just make this tune an amazing song. Then add Warren's voice, and forget about it. They closed the show with their signature tune 'Mule', and some intense bass thumping by Schools.

The band left the stage momentarily and returned with Mike Barnes for the '32 20 Blues' encore. This was a really solid version of the Robert Johnson song with Mike Barnes tearing up some solos alongside Warren. Warren spoke of technical difficulties at one point. I'm not sure if this was sound related or not, but I thought it sounded pretty good, and loud. Dave Schools looked like he was savoring every second of playing with Warren, as was Chuck, and Warren seemed to be enjoying himself up there too.

I'd say my questions regarding how the band would play and sound could be answered with one word-well. I wouldn't say the show was spectacular by any means, but still I felt like it was a privilege to see Warren sing and play guitar one more time. As far as comparisons of the old and new Mule, I will defer comment. I liked what I heard, and it sure doesn't seem like the band wants to dwell on the past, so why should the fans. This band can only get better with each show, and luckily I get to catch them a few more times this tour.

4/4/01 Georgia Theater Athens, GA

After a couple of long work days, and after finally getting caught up on some missed sleep from Sunday night, I was really excited for the Athens show. Rumors surfaced that Randall Bramlett would be joining Warren, Matt, Dave, and Chuck, and the excitement started to build. The Georgia Theater is nothing special, but is quite intimate. The place was filled to the brim and we set up camp on the floor level towards the back, on a tiered section. It was the perfect spot. No one was in my line of sight, sound pretty damn good, and no one pushing through me constantly the whole show.

I'm going to try to piece this together as best as I can, but it may be hard to do. The reason being this show was just one big highlight reel, and my excitement even in writing about it now may get the best of me. The crowd was so much more into it from the get go than the Greenville crowd, as was the band, and from note one I could pretty much tell that this show was going to blow the Greenville one out the door.

The band took the stage at about 10:45, and the crowd was ready. They opened with 'Thorazine Shuffle' and got things off to a fast pace, with Matt again taking a kickass solo and was just beating the hell out of his kit. He is definitely the hardest drumming drummer I've ever seen play. The crowd was eating it up, and the fellows on stage were eating it up. 'Rockin' horse followed and I started noticing a major improvement in sound. The mix was pretty much perfect. The Greenville show had Warren and Matt much higher in the mix than Schools and Chuck, and at the time seemed fine, but compared to Athens was a big notch below.

Two familiar songs followed, 'Lay your Burden Down' and 'Bad Little Doggie', and again I was a bit disappointed that these two songs seemed to be cut off prematurely. I got over it pretty quickly though. They were played crisp and to the point and Schools was laying down some thick bass lines, Chuck was filling each mini-jam perfectly, and Warren, well Warren was playing like Warren does. 'Bad Little Doggie' led right into 'Blind Man in the Dark'; these two tunes just make a real solid rocking combination.

Up to this point the show was pretty standard. All five songs thus far had been played every show of the tour, and there weren't any surprises. What was to follow wasn't standard by any means, though. The energy was stepped up a major level here, and there would be no holding back from here on out. Randall Bramlett took the stage with his sax in hand and Schools and Leavell started the familiar tones of what would be the best 'Low Spark of Highheeled Boys' that I've seen the Mule do. Warren singing the line 'The spirit is something..The spirit is something you can't destroy' is just another example of how when Warren sings a song, he feels it, and makes you feel it. It really is something to behold. It comes across on tapes okay, but really needs to be seen live. It clocked in at over 20 minutes and featured 2 absolutely magnificent sax solos by Bramlett, a real nice slide solo by Warren, and a stellar piano one by Chuck too. 'Compared to What' followed and Chuck took the lead vocals. Randall stayed out on stage for this, and all I kept thinking was that it could not possibly get any better than this. The 'Compared to What' absolutely blew the roof off the place, and they needed to take a setbreak here, because the place was on fire!

I'd like to single out one player as being the star of that set closing combo, but it just wouldn't be fair. They all played collectively as good as anyone I've ever seen share a stage. The second set started off much like the first with a few really hard rocking songs, 'Fire in the Kitchen' and 'World Gone Wild.' Both got the crowd back into things, and we were back in familiar territory. You could kind of sense a pattern here. First set ­hard rocking, then jam crazy. Second set-hard rocking, and then hopefully jam crazy as well.

The addition of Bramlett brought such an extra element to things. It made the band play more groove like, and was easier on the ears than anything I've seen the Mule do live. In my opinion, if you didn't like this night's show, I wouldn't bother going to check them out again, because it doesn't get any better. He joined them again for what would be the best hour of music I've seen all year. If there is one Mule song I wanted to see Randall play on, it was 'Sad and Deep as You. Similar to the 'Low Spark', in it's rotating solos, it just all came together again here. The song starts off real slow and builds and builds, but this go round they stretched it out and allowed Randall and Chuck and Warren to take several solos before it built to it's thunderous climax. You could feel the tension building in the air as they brought it up and up and up. I almost couldn't take it anymore!

I really ought to mention Schools' playing a bit here too. He was real laid back in Greenville, just kind of playing along, laying some nice lines, but not real aggressive. It made sense, after all he is filling a void in the band. Maybe it was the hometown crowd and comfort level thing, but he threw all that out the window during the second set. He was a monster on the bass, being real aggressive, enthusiastic, and taking some solos. He also had the benefit of being much higher up in the mix, not too high, but just right, and I think he knew this night was his to seize. During the 'Sad and Deep as You' when the solos spiraled around the band members, Schools joined in. Simply said it was fantastic.

'Spanish Moon' followed and Warren tore up the lyrics, and this is just one of those tunes that with Randall sitting in, it would almost be a shame not to play. If I had to pick my favorite tune of the night, this would be it. I was dancing as hard as I ever have at a Mule show, and they jammed it out again, this time with Warren's slide stealing the show, with he, Chuck, and Randall all trying to outdo each other. This was just absolute perfection up on stage. The show could have ended here and I would have been completely satisfied, but there was much, much, more to come.

Warren motioned to Randall to stay up on stage, as he was about to leave and Chuck kicked into the piano intro to 'Soulshine.' Horns always add a new dimension, and this was no different. 'Mule' followed with Schools taking a mean solo. During the transition portion of the song, Wayne Sauls took the stage and Warren handed over his guitar for a mean slide solo. Warren swayed on the side of the stage with his eyes closed, totally engulfed in the music. Wayne handed the guitar back to him and they tore into a ripping 'Who Do You Love?' Then a little 'Les Bres' tease brought them back into 'Mule.'

I was positive that was the closer, and what followed is what I guess you could call the give back song. The crowd was so energetic and appreciative, that the band had to return the favor. Not that they hadn't already done so, but the interaction between the crowd and band was real strong all night. I found out later that they sound-checked this song also, so maybe it was planned all along. Radiohead's 'Creep' closed the set, and Warren chewed this song up and spit it out with his soulful, powerful voice. I should also give a quick mention of the lights they had going on to. Along with the excellent sound job, this is the first time I've ever noticed any kind of light scheme with the Mule. It was subtle most of the time, but on occasion had some real nice quick flashing effects, and added nicely to the jamming.

The band momentarily left the stage and returned with Kevn Kinney for what I thought was a predictable and somewhat of a letdown encore. Kevn sang and played electric guitar on 'Straight to Hell' off his latest album which Warren produced. I was hoping for an 'I Shall be Released' or something similar, but letdown and all, nothing could bring me down from this night of musical ecstasy. Most of the crowd seemed to enjoy this encore in sing along fashion and I suppose it just goes to show you that you can't please every one all the time.

This band had turned into a finely tuned machine in only about a week. During and after the Greenville show they all looked tired. This was not the case in Athens. Warren kind of stood and looked out into the crowd as he tossed pic after pic to the fans, and you could tell he knew that this was a smoker of a show. I've only seen one other show this tour, but my guess is that this is the one where it all came together, and I am all but forced to go out and see a few more of these shows this tour. First and foremost I go to see Gov't Mule to see Warren play and sing, and the rest is usually icing. The Athens show may not have had Warren taking every lead and pushing every jam, but he certainly held it all together beautifully along with Matt for the finest of Mule shows I've ever caught.