When word went out this weekend’s Port Chester Gov’t Mule shows were to be professionally filmed by the band, it was clear these gigs wouldn’t be ordinary concerts. As a result, there was also to be no taping from the audience as the assumption is that there will be an official release somewhere down the line. The Saturday, April 28th show seemed reminiscent of last summer’s show at Central Park: that one opened a tour, but similarly left the impression the band knew exactly what kind of show it wanted to put out.
As was the case the prior night at the Capitol, there was also the absence of many of the covers for which the band is known for: perhaps this was a copyright issue since the shows were filmed. Of course, this made the concert debut of Pearl Jam’s “Come Back” on Saturday night all the more notable. The song, off the group’s 2006 Avocado album, is one of two (“Life Wasted” being the other) tunes Eddie Vedder wrote in the wake of the passing of Johnny Ramone. As has been the case with the other Pearl Jam covers Warren Haynes has attempted in the past, this one was spot-on. That it was in the middle of an eleven-song bunch of all originals raised even more eyebrows.
The setlist was clearly meant to highlight the Mule’s catalog from 2004 onward. Perhaps this was meant to complement the list from Friday’s show, which skewed a little more towards the early stuff. There were more than a few examples of unbridled Mule. “Beautifully Broken” was played without the “Breakdown” or “When Doves Cry” coda, perhaps also due to the filming. The second set opened with “Life Before Insanity,” which was a real treat to hear. The triad of “Trane,” “Eternity’s Breath,” and “St. Stephen Jam” had some of the fiercest playing of the night. The crowd roared for every note of these instrumentals and Haynes’ face showed he knew that’s what they came for. Unfortunately, the rest of the set didn’t really contain as much jam-heavy material. “Mr. High and Mighty” and “Inside Outside Woman Blues,” which bookended the aforementioned Pearl Jam cover, rocked.
After reprising “Traveling Tune” to close the set, Warren dusted off “I’ll Be The One,” an underrated classic from his debut solo record. There was a nice “Blue Sky Jam” in the middle, although it felt a little truncated just as it was heating up. That seemed like an apt metaphor for show although it speaks volumes when you can find fault with a show played that long and well.
Photos by Ross Edmunds
