Gov’t Mule dubbed its New Year’s Eve performance at the Beacon Theater ‘The Year of the Mule’ show. Whether this refers to 2003 (a year that included the naming of permanent bass player Andy Hess along with the release of the epic Deepest End DVD) or to 2004 is unclear. What is certain though, is that on this evening the band looked to the past in saluting the late Allen Woody through a ‘Wish You Were Here’ encore that featured the collective voice of audience members. The Max Weinberg 7’s Jimmy Vivino also appeared over the course of the night on covers such as ‘Sympathy For The Devil’ (shaker, backing vocals), ‘For What It’s Worth’ (keyboard, backing vocals) and ‘I Ain’t Superstitious’ (guitar). While word on the street had suggested that John Popper was to sit in, that road was paved with misinformation. Nonetheless Spin Doctor’s guitarist Eric Schenkman appeared in the second set during ‘Smokestack Lightnin’.’ The Mule, which will open a number of shows for Kid Rock in January and February will next perform at the Ski Jam on January 14.