Photo Credit: Charlie Horne

On Saturday night, Gov’t Mule celebrated Halloween at the Orpheum Theater in New Orleans. For this year’s Mule-O-Ween event, the Warren Haynes-led ensemble donned costumes inspired by the classic mockumentary, This is Spïnal Tap, and infused their second set with numbers pulled from the beloved 1984 film. During the night, the quartet also welcomed The Levee Horns to assist with a handful of tunes. 

The evening’s first set began with a pair of Pink Floyd covers, “One of These Days” and “Fearless,” before the ensemble worked through their original “Thorns of Life.” The initial frame continued with “No Need to Suffer,” “Drawn That Way,” and “Time to Confess” before they ran through the Howlin’ Wolf penned “I Asked for Water (She Gave Me Gasoline),” which also appeared on the band’s 2021 studio album, Heavy Load Blues. 

For the next portion of the set, the group brought out The Levee Horns to add some instrumental depth to Bobby “Blue” Bland cover, “Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City.” The night’s guests stuck around and assisted with a take on Etta James’ “I’d Rather Go Blind.” The covers continued with a set ending take on Ann Peebles’ “I Feel Like Breaking Up Somebody’s Home,” another tune featured on the group’s 12th studio album. 

After wrapping the night’s first frame, the band members snuck off stage to dress in their Halloween garb inspired by the 1984 rockumentary. Off stage, Haynes donned apparel attuned with Nigel Tufnel, Danny Louis went as Daniel St. Hubbins, Jorgen Carlsson as Derek Smalls, and Matt Abt as one of the band’s many drummers. To compliment the night’s theme,  projected video clips from the film played on venue screens throughout the second set which was all covers, and many debuts plucked from the Spïnal Tap repertoire.

Amongst the new numbers introduced during the night was the set opening “Tonight I’m Gonna Rock You Tonight, followed by debuts of “Hellhole,” “Heavy Duty,” “Stonehenge,” “Gimmie Some Money” and “Jazz Odyssey.” Memorable moments also included a stretched-out bass solo by Carlsson and a jam-heavy encore consisting of a “Game Face” which launched into “Mountain Jam” and, ultimately, a return to “Game Face” to conclude the Saturday evening Halloween extravaganza in The Big Easy. 

Next on the docket for Gov’t Mule is their sold-out XMas Jam at Harrah’s Cherokee Center in Asheville, N.C., on Dec. 10. 

Scroll down to view last night’s complete setlist. 

Gov’t Mule 

Orpheum Theater – New Orleans 

Oct. 29, 2022 

Set 1: One of These Days (Pink Floyd cover), Fearless (Pink Floyd cover), Thorns of Life, No Need to Suffer, Drawn That Way, Time to Confess, I Asked for Water (She Gave Me Gasoline) (Howlin’ Wolf cover), Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City (Bobby “Blue” Bland cover) (w/The Levee Horns), I’d Rather Go Blind (Etta James cover) (w/The Levee Horns), I Feel Like Breaking Up Somebody’s Home (Ann Peebles cover) (w/The Levee Horns)

Set 2 (This Is Spinal Tap): Tonight I’m Gonna Rock You Tonight (Spïnal Tap cover), Hell Hole
(Spïnal Tap cover), Heavy Duty (Spïnal Tap cover), Keyboard Interlude, Stonehenge (Spïnal Tap cover), Gimme Some Money (Spïnal Tap cover), Jazz Odyssey (Spïnal Tap cover), Bass Interlude, Big Bottom (Spïnal Tap cover), Drum Interlude, Tonight I’m Gonna Rock You Tonight. (Reprise) (Spïnal Tap cover)

Enc.: Game Face / Mountain Jam / Game Face

Setlist via Setlist.FM.