Gov’t Mule celebrated the new year last night with their third and final show at New York’s Beacon Theatre, capping off their annual year-end run at the venue, and the band delivered a two-set affair that once again welcomed several guests, offered multiple debuts, honored a couple late musicians and looked toward a revolutionary 2018.

The night kicked off with a first set that featured a few tracks from Mule’s latest album, Revolution Come…Revolution Go along with some classic cuts and a cover of the Allman Brothers Band’s jazzy instrumental “Kind of Bird,” which teased a couple other Allmans tunes plus “Auld Lang Syne.”

The night’s second set opened with a couple nods to musicians who passed away in 2017, with Mule first playing Steely Dan’s “Daddy Don’t Live in That New York City No More,” honoring the group’s late founder Walter Becker, then Tom Petty’s “Something In the Air,” both live Mule debuts. The songs also featured returning guests Jackie Greene and Saturday Night Live drummer Shawn Pelton.

The remainder of the set focused on a “revolution” theme, along with songs that either subtly or overtly spoke to the current state of United States politics. Along with Greene and Pelton, Mule were joined by The Better Half Singers (Machan Taylor, Mini Carlsson &, Elaine Caswell) and The Chronic Horns (Pam Fleming, Jenny Hill &, Sara Jacovino) for much of the remainder of the night.

Songs featured in the statement set included James Brown’s “Funky President (People, It’s Bad), “Children of the Revolution,” the title track from Mules recent album, Sam Cooke’s “A Change is Gonna Come,” Bob Dylan’s “The Times They Are A-Changin’” (intertwined with “Auld Lang Syne” interlude for the new year), Gil Scott-Heron’s “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised,” The Clash’s “Revolution Rock,” Van Morrison’s “He Ain’t Give You None,” Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth,” The Temptations’ “Ball Of Confusion (That’s What The World Is Today),” Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Fortunate Son” and David Bowie’s “Changes.”

For the encore, Mule wove in and out of several tunes, including more Allmans cuts “Melissa” and “Mountain Jam,” plus Jimi Hendrix’s “Machine Gun” and Neil Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World.” Along with Greene and Pelton, guitarist Jimmy Vivino also joined the band for the end of the encore to round out the night.

See the full setlist below, along with some fan-shot video from the night.

Gov’t Mule
Beacon Theatre New York, NY

Set I: Thorns Of Life, Larger Than Life, The Man I Want To Be, Painted Silver Light, Lay Your Burden Down, About To Rage (with Les Brers In A Minor tease), Kind Of Bird (with In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed, Les Brers In A Minor & Auld Lang Syne teases), Dark Was The Night Cold Was The Ground

Set II: Daddy Don’t Live in That New York City No More*, Something In The Air*, Revolution^, Funky President (People It’s Bad)^^, Children of the Revolution^^^, Revolution Come, Revolution Go%, Revolution%%, A Change Is Gonna Come%%%, The Times They Are A-Changin’$ > Auld Lang Syne > The Times They Are A-Changin’ Reprise$$ > Auld Lang Syne$$ > The Revolution Will Not Be Televised$$$, Reblow Your Revolution$$ > Rebel With A Cause (Segue)%%, Revolution Rock%%, He Ain’t Give You None%%% > For What It’s Worth$$$$, Revolution Blues&, Ball Of Confusion (That’s What The World Is Today)%%, Fortunate Son^^^, Changes^^^

Enc: Melissa& > Mountain Jam& > Melissa& > Rockin’ in the Free World& > Machine Gun (Instrumental)&& > Rockin’ in the Free World&& > Mountain Jam&&

Notes:
*Debut, with Jackie Greene & Shawn Pelton
^Debut, with Jackie Greene, Shawn Pelton (drums) & The Chronic Horns (Pam Fleming, Jenny Hill &, Sara Jacovino)
^^with Shawn Pelton & The Chronic Horns
^^^Debut, with Jackie Greene, Shawn Pelton & The Better Half Singers (Machan Taylor, Mini Carlsson &, Elaine Caswell)
%with Jackie Greene, Shawn Pelton & The Chronic Horns
%%Debut, with Jackie Greene, Shawn Pelton, The Better Half Singers & The Chronic Horns
%%%with Jackie Greene, Shawn Pelton, The Better Half Singers & The Chronic Horns
$Jackie Greene & Shawn Pelton (Drums) without Gov’t Mule (Concert Debut)
$$with Jackie Greene, Shawn Pelton & The Chronic Horns
$$$Debut,with Jackie Greene, Shawn Pelton (drums), Matt Abts (lead vocal), Danny Louis (percussion) & The Chronic Horns
$$$$with Jackie Greene, Shawn Pelton, & The Better Half Singers
&with Jackie Greene & Shawn Pelton
&&with Jackie Greene, Shawn Pelton & Jimmy Vivino

Source: Mule.net