Gov’t Mule Rings in 2015 with AC/DC Set at Beacon Theatre Run (SHOW REVIEW)

Gov’t Mule refuses to allow itself to become predictable. Even as the quartet continues an over decade-long tradition of New Year’s runs in New York and Philadelphia, the two nights at The Beacon Theatre in found Warren Haynes and co. looking and moving forward, using the past as touch-points for progress.

Cover material and guest musicians are a given at any Gov’t Mule show in New York and the night of December 30 was no exception, but the real surprise of the night might as well have been the prominence of material from Gov’t Mule’s last studio album Shout. “World Boss Is Coming,” “Whisper In Your Soul,“ “Stoop So Low” and “Forsake n Savior” all reaffirmed the impression left with the 2013 record and subsequent live renditions. The latest originals of the group are of a piece with the band’s vintage tunes, the likes of which did not turn up til late in this evening’s second set.

And even then “Gameface” (with teases of Weather Report’s “Birdland” and ABB’s “Mountain Jam”) and a thrashing “Thorazine Shuffle” were juxtaposed with “Funny Little Tragedy,” which, with its coda of “Message in a Bottle” is turning into a rousing set closer, here all the more so as the Police reference hearkened back to covers alternately startling and moving earlier on. The Mule loves its reggae, but who would’ve guessed they’d arrange Steve Miller’s “The Joker” in Jamaican style (though a quick tease of Bob Marley’s “Get Up Stand Up” was not so much of a surprise). Or, given that New Year’s 2012, Gov’t Mule covered Joe Cocker’s Mad Dogs and Englishmen in its entirety, Haynes would reference that occasion by way of introducing two of the recently deceased British soulman’s tunes

But Leonard Cohen’s “Bird on a Wire” has to be one of Cocker’s lesser-known interpretations–though it may be his most openly vulnerable one–while “The Letter,” second only in familiarity to the Beatles “With a Little Help From My Friends,” made for an ideal set closer, albeit a somewhat odd piece of pacing. Given that fusion drummer Billy Cobham’s “Stratus,” strategically positioned at mid-point of the set, was the only extended jam of the evening, another slice of familiar Mule would’ve changed the impact of the first hour plus, the night as a whole night and, given the logic this group prefers to impart to their performances, the two-nights overall.

Additional latter day Mule tunes including Shout’s “Done Got Wise” and By A Thread’s “Broken Down On the Brazos” led to the other high points of this show. Drummer Simon Kirke, of Free and Bad Company fame, gleefully bashed away at Matt Abts’ drums for the former’s “Mr. Big” as well as the British band’s cover of Albert King’s “The Hunter.” Returning from last year’s New Year at the Broadway venue, drummer Carmine Appice guested for an absolutely uproarious encore of Rod Stewart’s “Hot Legs” plus Faces’ “Stay With Me,” the first given extra cache as the former Vanilla Fudge and Beck, Bogert & Appice member played with one of The Mod’s solo backing groups.

Less-than wholly open-minded Gov’t Mule fans might’ve been put off some by the extra novelty of this concert and social media reflected such discontent to a degree, but the first set of December 31st put such reservations to rest and with a vengeance. Again, newer material in the form of “No Reward,” “Captured,” and the very apt “Bring on the Music” anchored a set otherwise replete with standards of the band including “Dolphineus” and “Painted Silver Light.” A patented Mule change-up occurred when the foursome featured Cream’s “Politician” within “Fool’s Moon” and then went on to demonstrate their mastery of dynamics with a subdued “Time to Confess,” “Railroad Boy’s sharp twelve-string slide and a romp through Haynes’ instrumental writing collaboration with Allmans co-founder Dickey Betts “Kind of Bird.”

That thoroughly satisfying near two hours only heightened the anticipation for the second set devoted exclusively to the music of AC/DC. Perhaps somewhat of an off-the-wall choice on the surface, the Australian rockers did celebrate their fortieth anniversary in 2014 and Gov’t Mule loves few things more than a good riff, but even that dual rationale might not prepare for the onslaught that began immediately with “Highway to Hell,” then continued for over ninety minutes more. The two double stacks of Marshall amps were dwarfed (but only visually) by a massive stage backdrop with “Mule’ rendered in stylized font and the deafening volume made offering of earplugs to those upfront more than just a welcome gesture, but a necessity .

After playing keyboards, trombone and trumpet and singing up to this point, Gov’t Mule’s utility man Danny Louis got to parade around with an electric guitar, while Haynes offered another gesture of humble generosity by assuming stage left and allowing Myles Kennedy front and center. With just enough showmanship and not a whit of histrionics (Abts in Angus Young costume mid-set supplied that- combined with his alternately confident and deferential demeanor and absolutely unwavering vocals (plus one notable stint on electric guitar), Kennedy practically stole the show.

This dynamic only further delighted Gov’t Mule. Radiant smiles shown more than once on the face of Haynes, Louis gallivanted in almost non-stop motion and the grins that betrayed Abts’ concentration to not play in his usually filigreed style were, however, in contrast to the ever stoic bassist Jorgen Carlsson. There was simply no room for his assertive instrumental personality as displayed during the first set to manifest itself within the simplistic yet immediately recognizable riffs such as “Hells Bells” and “TNT” that pummeled a largely ecstatic audience.

Many of the attendees did wilt towards the end, understandably so given the 2am finish of nearly four hours of music. Yet it’s not as if there was nothing but din for the duration as Haynes’ solos offered welcome touches of melody amidst the bombast of things like “Dirty Deeds Done Cheap” and his sole vocal for the slow bluesy “Ride On” connected in sentiment with the themes apparent in The Mule’s preceding set(s). Certainly the rudimentary nature of these songs presented little technical challenge, but the five musicians were clearly as well-practiced as this homage was well-thought out and produced. The nearly complete stage re-set took comparatively minimal time so as the players took the stage just in time for a midnight countdown, accompanied by cannons full of confetti showering the crowd, the quintet was later to be surrounded by thundering fiery eruptions around the stage at show’s climax. As executed without apparent hiccup, except when Kennedy’s guitar strap become momentarily unhooked, this seemingly off the wall idea ended up one of the most satisfying themes in recent years of Gov’t Mule touching upon reggae, grunge and music of the Sixties.

Like the Grateful Dead before them, Gov’t Mule aren’t often considered a party group or a dance band, but if this latest addition to their NYE history at the Beacon Theatre proves anything, it is that, when Haynes, Abts, Louis and Carlsson decide to fulfill that role, they do it with a memorable flourish as entertaining as it is enlightening.