After starting their year-end run in New Haven on the 28th, Gov’t Mule returned to the Beacon Theatre on December 30th. They hadn’t played at the venue in a year, and NYC fans were psyched to have them back. Unlike previous stands, however, the upper balcony was unsold. It would be a shame if younger fans stopped coming to Mule shows, but on this night, it concentrated the crowd into an energetic mass.
Opening with the thunderous bass line of “Revolution Come…Revolution Go,” the band began the festivities. The song is the title track of their 2017 album, and although Kevin Scott wasn’t on the studio version, he made it his own. There has been a noticeable surge in intensity since he joined the band in 2023. The incendiary lyrics about hope for a divided and angry America are sadly as poignant now as when they were written before the 2016 presidential election. “Game Face” lacked its usual “Mountain Jam” in its middle, as the band just played the Allman Brothers’ instrumental in New Haven. Instead, we were treated to a call and response between Warren Haynes and Scott. The band treated the crowd to a rarity, Blind Faith’s “Presence of the Lord,” which they hadn’t played since August 28, 2018 in Mankato, MN. It was amazing that Haynes delivered licks that Eric Clapton stopped summoning a long time ago.
The instrumental “Sco-Mule,” featured guitarist Rick Lawlor doing John Scofield’s parts in a guest spot. Lawlor’s solos steered more towards blues than Scofield’s jazz runs, but it still worked. The band ended the first set with two slower songs, the reggae-infused “Unring The Bell” and “Endless Parade,” both from 2006’s Mr. High and Mighty. The set closed with a blazing version of “Mr. Man,” from 2004’s Deja Voodoo.
The band started the second set with “Traveling Tune,” followed by the instrumental “Devil Likes It Slow,” featuring Oz Noy on guest guitar. The chemistry between the two axemen hasn’t faded since the last time they teamed up at the Beacon. “Soulshine” gave everyone a chance to scream their lungs out, and “Banks of the Deep End” featured some more searing guitar from Haynes. The J.B’s “Doing It To Death” has been part of the Mule’s repertoire since the band’s original incarnation as a power trio with the late Allen Woody. This version was the band at it’s funky best, per usual. “No Need To Suffer,” from the band’s last album with their original bassist, 1999’s Life Before Insanity, took the crowd from quiet intensity to raging fury. The traditional “Railroad Boy” served as a strong set closer. For the encore, the band covered Tom Waits’ “Make It Rain.”
Even though it was clear the band was holding back a lot of originals (and any number of covers, given the fact that the “theme” of the show is celebrating thirty years of the band), the first Beacon show was a strong one and yet another reminder of why you should always check out the band when you can. Next year, Warren Haynes has promised previously unreleased material, but you never know what their touring schedule will be. In the words of Tom Waits, in another of his tunes, get behind the Mule.
One Response
Soulshine is a warren song…
Larry McCray recorded it first, i think…