Gov’t Mule kicked off their summer tour on Friday night in Warren Hayne’s hometown of Asheville, N.C., at the Salvage Station. The band welcomed sit-ins by Jeff Sipe on drums (Aquarium Rescue Unit, Leftover Salmon) and Mike Barnes on guitar (Derek Trucks, John Scofield) for the single-night affair at the picturesque outdoor venue.
Friday night also saw Kevin Scott on bass; the musician is currently sitting in for Gov’t Mule mainstay Jorgen Carlsson, who recently tested positive for COVID-19. The tour opener was riddled with several originals and lively covers that included renditions of rock classics, like Neil Young’s “Cortez The Killer.”
Before a take on other’s tunes, Hayne’s kicked off the show by leading the band through “Thorazine Shuffle,” which gave way to “Mule,” and later a pairing of “Larger Than Life” and “Banks of the Deep End.” Then, the band lent their talents to Tom Waits’ “Make It Rain” ahead of an extended “Gameface” jam. Next, they rolled into a number of their most recent album, Heavy Load Blues, with “Snatch Back and Hold It,” which included a “Hold It Back” jam section within the 2021 tune.
Sipe lent his skills to Funkadelic’s “Maggot Brain” to set off the second set. Then, the band ripped into Young’s rock anthem “Cortez The Killer,” with Matt Abs subbing in for Sipe. Next, the Allman Brother’s favorite, “Soulshine,” illuminated the night before the band brought it home on “Feel Like Breaking Up Somebody’s Home.”
Warren's old friend Barnes took the stage for “Sco-Mule,” ahead of “Asked Her For Water.” Then, for the night's final song, Gov’t Mule landed on “Effigy,” a tune performed initially by Credence Clearwater Revival.
This evening, the band will pop up at Riverbend Festival in Chattanooga, Tenn., following Friday's display. For more information, visit mule.net.
Watch a clip of the band's performance below.
