[Photos by Dino Perrucci]

Gov’t Mule hosted their third Island Exodus at the Breezes Grand Resort in Negril, Jamaica this past weekend. The event featured three headlining shows from Gov’t Mule as well as a Warren Haynes solo show, three sets from The North Mississippi Allstars Duo and special guest appearances by Ron Holloway (sax) and Little Feat pianist and co-founder Bill Payne (who is in Jamaica preparing for Little Feat’s annual Feat Fan Excursion).

All three of Mule’s weekend sets kicked off with a segment of open improv, and on Friday that segment, fittingly dubbed “Jam-a-ica” set the weekend into high gear with teases of “Norwegian Wood” and “Dark Star.” The opening night relied heavily on the group’s classic material, with highlight moments taking place during the “I’m A Ram,” “Love Me Do” sandwich as well as the second set “Electric Funeral Jam.”

On Saturday, the North Mississippi Allstars Duo, consisting of brothers Cody and Luther Dickinson, opened for Mule. Once again, Haynes and company kicked off the set with a themed jam—this time titled “neGril Jam”—that nodded to their surroundings. Partway through the set, guests began to emerge when Ron Holloway came out to jam on “The Other One,” after which Bill Payne joined in for a take on the Frank Zappa/Mothers of Invention cover, “Trouble Every Day.” The set closed out with a pair of Little Feat tunes, “On Your Way Down” (written by Allen Toussaint but made famous by Little Feat) and “Spanish Moon,” which also featured appearances by Cody and Luther Dickinson. In the second set, the group played an entire set of covers, featuring songs by The Beatles, Robert Johnson and Hound Dog Taylor with help from Ron Holloway & Luther Dickinson. For the encore, Luther joined the band for a take on Lennon’s “Working Class Hero.”

Haynes performed a solo set on Sunday featuring songs off his 2011 release Man in Motion as well as a few choice covers, including “Comes A Time” and “China Doll.” Mule drummer Matt Abts, keyboardist Danny Louis and bassist Jorgen Carlsson as well as Luther Dickinson also joined in for portions of the set.

On Monday night, the first set kicked off with the “Wrung Out Jam” and also featured a cover of the Stones’ “Angie” with Luther Dickinson, as well as a pair of reggae covers including Bob Marley’s “Lively Up Yourself” and the Toots and the Maytals’ “54/46 (That’s My Number).” Cody Dickinson and Ron Holloway also joined in on several numbers throughout the set. For the encore, Mule performed their take on Dylan’s “Girl From The North Country” followed by Steve Millers “The Joker” with Ron Holloway, Luther Dickinson, Cody Dickinson and a surprise appearance from percussionist Wally Ingram. Ingram is in town to perform a special show at Breezes with Leftover Salmon tonight.

Check out the full gallery of photos from Mule’s Island Exodus here.

Setlists

[via Mule.net

01.13.2012 Gov’t Mule’s Island Exodus, Negril, Jamaica

Set 1
Jam-A-ica > with Norwegian Wood & Dark Star Tease
Birth Of The Mule > with Happy Together & One Way Out Teases
Thelonius Beck
Banks Of The Deep End
Don’t Step On The Grass, Sam with Live & Let Die Tease
Need Your Love So Bad
Slackjaw Jezebel
The Letter
I’m A Ram >
Love Me Do >
I’m A Ram

Set 2
Jam-aiCa >
Bad Little Doggie >
How Many More Years with Higher Ground Verse
About To Rage >
Electric Funeral Jam >
About To Rage
Steppin’ Lightly
Forevermore
Temporary Saint >
Mule

Encore
Hammer & Nails

01.14.2012 Gov’t Mule’s Island Exodus, Negril, Jamaica

Set 1
neGril Jam >
Kind Of Bird with Get Up, Stand Up Teases
Thorazine Shuffle with Live & Let Die Tease
Fallen Down > with Wharf Rat & Les Brers In A Minor Teases
The Other One Jam with Ron Holloway, 3rd Ston From The Sun Tease
Trouble Everyday with Billy Payne
Sco-Mule with Ron Holloway & Billy Payne
On Your Way Down with Ron Holloway, Billy Payne & Luther Dickinson
Spanish Moon with Ron Holloway, Billy Payne, Luther Dickinson & Cody Dickinson

Set 2
nEgril Jam >
She Said, She Said >
Tomorrow Never Knows
32/20 Blues with Ron Holloway & Luther Dickinson, Loser Tease
Come On Into My Kitchen Intro > with Ron Holloway & Luther Dickinson
Gonna Send You Back To Georgia with Ron Holloway & Luther Dickinson, Peter Gunn Tease

Encore
Working Class Hero with Luther Dickinson

01.15.2012 Gov’t Mule’s Island Exodus, Negril, Jamaica
Warren Haynes Solo

Man In Motion
River’s Gonna Rise
Angel City
The Real Thing
Gordon James
Back Where I Started
Sick Of My Shadow with Ron Holloway
A Friend To You with Ron Holloway
Comes A Time
China Doll
Death Don’t Have No Mercy with Ron Holloway & Danny Louis
Patchwork Quilt with Matt Abts, Danny Louis & Jorgen Carlsson
Bird On A Wire with Matt Abts, Danny Louis & Jorgen Carlsson
Wild Horses with Danny Louis & Luther Dickinson
Drift Away with Danny Louis & Luther Dickinson
Frozen Fear with Danny Louis & Ron Holloway

Encore
In My Life with Matt Abts

01.16.2012 Gov’t Mule’s Island Exodus, Negril, Jamaica

1 Set
Wrung Out Jam > with Steppin’ Lightly & Trouble Everyday Teases
Unring The Bell with Shakedown Street Tease
Catfish Blues
Larger Than Life
Gameface with Close Encounters Of The Third Kind, Linus & Lucy & Mountain Jam Teases
No Need To Suffer
Painted Silver Light
Mr. Big
Angie with Luther Dickinson
Lively Up Yourself with Ron Holloway, Luther Dickinson & Cody Dickinson; 54/46 Was My Number Tease
Endless Parade with The Thrill Is Gone & (If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don’t Want to Be Right Teases
Blind Man In The Dark > with Ron Holloway; Pygmy Twylyte Tease
Afro Blue > with Ron Holloway
Blind Man In The Dark with Ron Holloway

Encore
Girl From The North Country
The Joker with Ron Holloway, Luther Dickinson, Cody Dickinson & Wally Ingram; 54/46 Was My Number Tease