After attending hundreds of concerts and festivals, it’s rare to have something new and unexpected happen. But it did when The Warren Haynes Band and Dreams & Songs Symphonic Experience brought the “Now Is the Time” tour July 26th to Cleveland’s Jacobs Pavilion. Following nearly three hours of music – two sets (50 and 60 minutes respectively) with the additional backing of a local 51-piece orchestra conducted by Rich Daniels and one solely with the seven members of WHB — the crowd was in such good spirits it loudly sang along to Bill Withers’ “Lean On Me” as it blasted through the PA after the band played its final song.

The Experience touched upon every facet of Haynes career and his blues-based, jazz-influenced rock ‘n’ soul hybrid. It focused on the Allman Brothers Band (“Dreams” and “Whipping Post”), time with the members of the Grateful Dead and concert celebrations of that band’s catalog (“Terrapin Station”>”Slipknot”>”Terrapin” and “Shakedown Street”), Gov’t Mule (“Thorazine Shuffle” “Dreams & Songs” and “Raven Black Night”) and his solo work (“Broken Promised Land” and “Fire in the Kitchen” from his 1993 debut and “Terrified” from his upcoming WHB release).

Led by Haynes (guitar /vocals), WHB included Terrence Higgins (drums), Greg Osby (sax), Matt Slocum (keys) and Kevin Scott (bass) along with backing vocalists Mayteena Morales and Saundra Williams. While you wouldn’t think that there’d be much opportunity for jamming with a full orchestra involved, Haynes and company did just that throughout the night, so much so that the WHB portion ended up cutting “Beautifully Broken” off the setlist while the band played a compact yet fierce 45 minutes that ended with the cleansing vibes of “Soulshine.”

 Warren Haynes Band and Dreams & Songs Symphonic Experience
7/26/2024
Jacobs Pavilion Cleveland, OH


Set 1 (WHB w/ Symphony)
Dreams And Songs #  
Dreams  
Fire In The Kitchen  
Spots Of Time  
Broken Promised Land #  
Drum Intro
> Terrapin > Slipknot > Ts #  


Set 2 (WHB w/ Symphony)
Raven Black Night > Ss (Excerpt) > Rbn  
Thorazine Shuffle  
Instrumental Illness  
Forevermore
Band Interlude > Drum Intro
> Shakedown Street #  
Whipping Post  
Dreams And Songs (Reprise) #  


Set 3 (WHB):
Band Interlude > Invisible
 River’s Gonna Rise
Man In Motion #
Terrified #
Soulshine #
# with Saundra Williams & Mayteana Morales – background vocals