Gov’t Mule 5/12/23 @ Ryman Auditorium

Photos by Ryan Sidebottom. Scroll down for full gallery

It was a packed house Friday at the Ryman for Gov’t Mule’s first show at the Mother Church in over eight years. Promoting their upcoming album, Peace…Like A River, the Spring ’23 tour kicked off just a week ago on May 5th in New Orleans. It’s a short 10 stop tour that stays mostly down here in the southeast serving as a warmup before their busy summer schedule. Playing shows with the Avett Brothers early on, then diving into the Dark Side of the Mule tour mid to late summer and sprinkling in a few stops on The Outlaw Music Festival with Willie Nelson and Family. Mule is one of the hardest working bands around, touring consecutively every year since the release of their debut album in 1995, albeit some years more than others. This drive has formed a loyal base of fans over the years, combining old and young generations alike, and their dedication to their craft reflects directly into their incredible live performances.

At the helm of Mule is legendary guitarist and vocalist Warren Haynes (formally of The Allman Brothers Band) with co-founder Matt Abts on Drums. Keyboardist Danny Louis joined the band in 2002, as did bassist Jorgen Carlsson in 2008, keeping the current lineup going strong for 15 years now.

Mule put together an incredible show to say the least, playing album hits, covers, impromptu jam sessions, and even had a couple very special guest appearances that surprised everyone in attendance. The highlight of the night was when Warren welcomed classic rock legend Peter Frampton to the stage to a very emotional standing ovation from the crowd. Finishing off their first set of the night, Mule and Frampton played The Beatles classic “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”, with Peter on lead guitar and vocals while Haynes played rhythm up until the final 2-minute jam session, which had Pete and Warren swapping licks back and forth. They were all smiles and were truly enjoying each other’s presence, as was everyone else in the crowd. Mule and Frampton closed the first set with a 9-minute version of “I Don’t Need No Doctor”, a widely covered song originally written by Nick Ashford, but made popular by Ray Charles. I was not expecting to check off Peter Frampton from my musicians I’ve never seen list on Friday, but thanks to Gov’t Mule, I now can. It was an incredible experience and even more meaningful to be able to witness at The Ryman.

Like the first set, Set 2 was a balanced mix of original work and covers as well. Multiple guests were pulled out to perform with the band including Jamey Johnson, Audley Freed (Cry of Love, The Black Crowes), Robert Kearns (Cry of Love, The Bottle Rockets, Lynyrd Skynyrd), and Tom Bukovac. Starting off the second set hot, Mule brought out Warren’s good friend, and country legend, Jamey Johnson to sing The Band’s classic hit “Up on Cripple Creek”. This really got the crowd pumped after the break and kept the crowd on their feet for the remainder of the show.

All in all, it was a fantastic night at the Ryman, and from the consensus I heard from fellow fans at the show, was one of the top shows that most had ever seen. If you have never had a chance to catch Gov’t Mule, I highly recommend seeing them. They are a constant staple at most music festivals and with their consistent touring schedule it shouldn’t be hard to catch a show near you. Check the link down below for their current spring and summer tour dates. If you still can’t catch a show, then bring Gov’t Mule to you by pre-ordering their new album Peace…Like a River, I promise you won’t be disappointed, and I can honestly say that Mule is one band who has never let me down. Be sure to check back with Music City Music Magazine for all your live music reviews, killer photos, album reviews, and artist interviews, Peace Ya’ll!

Set 1

1. Traveling Tune

2. Thorazine Shuffle

3. Mule

4. Soulshine (The Allman Brothers Band)

5. Dreaming Out Loud

6. Time to Confess

7. Captured

8. Same as It Ever Was

9. While My Guitar Gently Weeps ft. Peter Frampton

(The Beatles)

10. I Don’t Need No Doctor ft. Peter Frampton (Nickolas Ashford)