After a particularly collaborative day one, the 30th annual Christmas Jam reached new heights on Saturday, with a crossover between the worlds of rock and roll and jam as Dave Grohl joined Gov't Mule for a three-part opener of "Rocking In The Free World" and an instrumental "Machine Gun" which segued back into "Rocking In The Free World." In fact, Gov't Mule and Grohl have a surprising shared history. Following 9/11, the band gave Grohl's mother a cross-country ride on their tour bus so she could be with Dave during such uncertain times. Following that blistering opener, the guests kept coming for Mule's set at the Asheville, NC venue. The Better Half Singers added extra vocals to Mule originals "Million Miles From Yesterday" and "Dreams & Songs." The crowd was also treated to jazz guitarist Mike Barnes and tenor saxophonist/Warren Haynes band veteran Ron Holloway on Billy Cobham's “Red Baron.” Mule closed their single set with their namesake tune "Mule," featuring Halloway and North Carolina native/Christmas Jam veteran Audley Freed. Earlier, the crowd at the U.S. Cellular Center was treated to performances by Warren Haynes & The 45 Cherry Band, Joe Bonnamassa, Edwin McCain, Tyler Ramsey and Joanne Shaw Taylor, as well as a Jim James set featuring a full backing band (a rarity compared to his recent, acoustic solo tour). Gov't Mule drummer Mike Abts also led a special Planet of the Abst set. As always, Haynes was a constant presence, jamming acoustically with Grohl on the Foo Fighters' "Times Like These" and joining Eric Church & The XJ House Band for a batch of covers like the Allman Brothers' "Ain't Waisting Time No More," Bruce Springsteen's "Atlantic City," Bo Diddley's "Diddy Wah Diddy" and The Band's "The Weight." Watch Grohl and Gov't Mule jam on "Rocking In The Free World" and check out Xmas Jam setlists below:
Subscribe to skip adsAdvertisement