Show Review

The mule is the mutt of the barnyard, a no frills work animal that does all the dirty work. Gov’t Mule is a no frills band that gets down and dirty. Taking the stage at Baltimore’s brand new venue, The Rams Head Live, Gov’t Mule closed out the 2nd night of a two-night stand. While the stage may have been brand new (not even two weeks old), the music was old-fashioned kick-ass Rock-n-Roll. Conjuring up the psychedelic-blues sound of a long gone era, very reminiscent of Cream, Jimi Hendrix, Creedence Clearwater Revival and the like, Gov’t Mule studied the blueprint drawn by those immortals and then added their own personal touch to it. They used that blueprint to cover a wide range of musical styles throughout the night – the jazz-tinged flavor of “Sco-Mule”(with Washington DC legend Ron Holloway sitting in on sax for added effect), the quiet tenderness of the Jerry Garcia inspired ballad “Patchwork Quilt,” to the dirty raunch of “Mule,” which asked the question, “Where’s my mule? Where’s my 40 acres?” referencing the genesis of Gov’t Mule’s name.

Lead singer and guitarist Warren Haynes seemed most inspired this evening when drawing on the songs of his heros, transforming the songs of his youth into his own personal vision. Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Effigy,” moved from a simple, three-minute song into a fifteen-minute full exploration into the heart of the Mule, with drummer Matt Abts leading the way with a mid-song drum break. Haynes singing called on the band’s past tragedies to put even more anger into the line, “Who is burning? Who is burning?”

This ability to put so much honesty into song is the strength of this band. Paul McCartney and John Lennon never knew how raw sounding and heartbroken their “You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away” could sound until hearing Gov’t Mule play it as part of their encore. When Haynes sings, “I’m gonna take you down. No more crying. I think it’s time to confess,” during “Time to Confess,” you may not know what you have done, but you are ready to give up and tell it all.

The highlight of the show though was the journey through Jimi Hendrix’s blues romp “Red House.” Haynes, who is one of the most versatile of all guitarists, changing identity and styles to fit in with any band or genre with which he plays (and he plays with a lot of bands), led the charge with a constantly evolving sound. Despite this constant changing of styles he is still able to provide his signature lick and feel that gives him his uniqueness. During “Red House” he started out with a slow bluesy stomp, backed by Abts rock solid backbeat that slowly built up the tempo, before Haynes slipped into a swirl of screaming psychedelica.

Sax-man extraordinaire Ron Holloway graced the stage throughout the night, bringing his tasteful playing to a couple of songs in both sets as well as the encore. His work at the beginning of the Traffic classic “Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys” gave it a slow bouncy feel that allowed the song to move along at a graceful pace. The transition between “Devil Likes it Slow” and “Everyday Will Be Like a Holiday” during the 2nd set, saw Haynes step back and give Holloway room to navigate the band through the jam between the two songs.

This night was not all about guests and cover songs. Gov’t Mule still showcased their own brand of rocking blues. Old school standard “Temporary Saint” saw them getting back to their roots as a band and tackle one of the oldest songs in their repertoire. The 2nd set was chock full of songs from their new album Deja-Voodoo. “Bad Man Walking,” “Mr. Man” and “Little Toy Brain,” all new songs, served to open up the set. “Bad Man” stays in the classic Mule sound, while “Mr. Man” and “Little Toy Brain” show an evolution in the band’s songwriting, exhibiting slower, more complex song structures. Gov’t Mule has taken a different approach this time around to the development of their new songs. In the past they would road test songs for a couple of months before settling on a arrangement for their album. This time they did not play any of their new material until the album came out.

Considering the newness of the venue they were playing, the final song of the night, “More Than a Hammer and Nails,” with the line “It takes more than a hammer, to make a house a home” was wholly appropriate this evening. With their brand of psychedelic workingman blues, Gov’t Mule shows up every night and proceeds to do all the dirty work that allows them to make any house a home.

Photos by Robert Massie