Biography All Music Guide Wikipedia
Group Members: Warren Haynes
All Music Guide:
The leaders of Gov't Mule, Warren Haynes and Allen Woody, should be well known to Allman Brothers fans for their stint in Southern rock's most famous native sons. In 1989, Haynes became the second replacement for Duane Allman, providing a good foil for Gregg Allman and Dickey Betts on guitar and vocals; Woody filled out the Allman sound on bass. Five years after their debut, the duo joined drummer Matt Abts in the side project Gov't Mule, a band in which the Allman Brothers' influence is apparent but complicated with the psychedelic, bluesy power trio feel of Cream.
Gov't Mule debuted in 1995 with a self-titled album on Capricorn Records, followed by the stellar concert date Live at Roseland Ballroom. The studio follow-up, Dose, appeared in early 1998; another concert set, Live...With a Little Help from Our Friends, followed a year later, with the complete show later appearing as a four-disc limited-edition set. A new studio effort, Life Before Insanity, appeared in early 2000. A vital member of the band was lost, however, on August 26, 2000, when Woody was found dead in a hotel room in New York City. The band had been preparing to record their next album, and after a time, Gov't Mule finally decided to carry on with the project, this time with guest bassists ranging from Flea to Bootsy Collins. The two-volume Deep End series for ATO Records resulted. Phish bassist Mike Gordon also got involved in the project, filming the recording of the albums for a planned documentary. In mid-September 2001, the group hit the road for a six-week tour in support of Deep End, Vol. 1; Oteil Burbridge filled in as bassist for most of the dates.
The second volume of Live...With a Little Help from Our Friends appeared in 2002 and the Deepest End: Live in Concert CD and DVD in 2003. One year later saw the release of Déjà Voodoo, Gov't Mule's first studio effort since Woody's death. It featured his official replacement, bassist Andy Hess, as well as new keyboardist Danny Louis. The same lineup released High & Mighty in 2006. The two-volume Benefit Concert series followed in 2007. In 2009, Gov't Mule issued By a Thread, its first studio album in three years. Hess was replaced by bassist Jorgen Carlsson, and the album featured a guest appearance by ZZ Top guitarist Billy Gibbons. In 2010, the Evil Teen imprint issued Mulennium, a three-disc package that commemorated Gov't Mule's complete 1999 New Year's Eve concert at Atlanta's historic Roxy Theatre with the band's original lineup. The concert also included guest appearances by the Black Crowes, Little Milton, and Audley Freed.
Wikipedia:
Gov't Mule (pronounced Government Mule) is a Southern rock jam band formed in 1994 as an Allman Brothers Band side project by Warren Haynes and Allen Woody.
The band released their debut album Gov't Mule in 1995. Gov't Mule has become a staple act at music festivals across North America, with both its members and frequent guests boasting members from other notable bands, adding various funk and blues rock elements to the band's sound.
History
1990s
When The Allman Brothers Band reformed in 1989 in response to the popularity of their Dreams box set, Warren Haynes was added on lead guitar and Allen Woody joined on bass guitar. The two shared a love for 1960s power trios like Cream, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, the James Gang and Mountain. Haynes, Woody, and drummer Matt Abts, who played with Haynes in the Dickey Betts Band, came together as Gov't Mule during Allman Brothers breaks. They released their debut album Gov't Mule in 1995. Live from Roseland Ballroom was released in 1996, consisting of their 1995 New Year's Eve set opening for Blues Traveler.
When The Allman Brothers Band were not forthcoming with any new material, Haynes and Woody left to concentrate full-time on Gov't Mule in 1997. Dose, their second studio effort, was released in early 1998. They were joined by members of the Allman Brothers, the Black Crowes, Parliament/Funkadelic and The Derek Trucks Band for their 1998 New Year's Eve concert, released both in a two and four CD version as Live... With a Little Help from Our Friends. The performances exposed some of the bands' influences, covering Neil Young, Free, Traffic, Jimi Hendrix, Little Feat, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Black Sabbath, and Mongo Santamaría (via John Coltrane).
2000-2003
In February 2000, the band released Life Before Insanity, to critical praise, and although the band had already experienced previous successes, they anticipated a greater commercial success with this album. Unfortunately, Allen Woody was found dead in New York City in August of that year. On September 21, 2000 a benefit concert was organized called "One for Woody", with the proceeds going to Woody's daughter, Savannah Woody, intended for her education. The Allman Brothers, The Black Crowes, Phil Lesh and Friends, Jimmy Herring, Edwin McCain and several more of Woody's friends also performed at the concert. Haynes and Abts continued to do limited touring in the Fall of 2000 supporting Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals as an homage to Woody. Their subsequent "Smile at Half Mast Tour" that followed was named in reference to a poem Haynes wrote for Woody's funeral.
At the "One for Woody" performance and subsequently at other shows, Haynes began appearing with The Allman Brothers Band again. With Dickey Betts' departure from the Allmans, Haynes came back full time to the band at the beginning of 2001 and has continued splitting his time between the Allman Brothers, Gov't Mule and for a period Phil Lesh and Friends and other re-formed Grateful Dead bands.
The next year, Haynes and Abts began to record a tribute album. using some of Woody's favorite bass players. These sessions resulted in two CDs The Deep End, Volume 1 (2001) and The Deep End, Volume 2 (2002). A documentary of the recording sessions was also made by Phish bassist Mike Gordon called Rising Low. Bass contributions to the CDs came from Jack Bruce, formerly of the "supergroup" Cream, John Entwistle of The Who, Mike Watt of Minutemen, Les Claypool of Primus, Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Chris Squire of Yes among others.
Haynes and Abts used a revolving door of keyboardists and bassists to fulfill touring engagements in support of the Deep End recordings. Keyboardists included Chuck Leavell, Rob Barraco, Page McConnell and Danny Louis. Bassists included, among others, Dave Schools of Widespread Panic, Oteil Burbridge who had filled Woody's former place in The Allman Brothers, Les Claypool of Primus, Victor Wooten of the Flecktones, George Porter, Jr. of The Meters, Jason Newsted formerly of Metallica, Greg Rzab formerly of The Black Crowes and the Buddy Guy Band, and Andy Hess, also formerly of The Black Crowes. Louis and Hess were eventually named as permanent members of Gov't Mule.
2004-2008
The first CD with Louis and Hess, Deja Voodoo, was released in September 2004, and additional material from those sessions was released in 2005 as Mo' Voodoo. The new lineup's second full release, High & Mighty, was released on August 22, 2006, and it was followed in 2007 by a dub/reggae album called Mighty High - including versions of covers and original songs with special guest appearances by Michael Franti, Toots Hibbert, and Willi Williams.
Gov't Mule continues to tour extensively and has become a staple act at many music festivals including Bonnaroo, Wakarusa, Mountain Jam, Vegoose, All Good, and their annual New Orleans Jazzfest night show (where they filmed and recorded the last show of the Deepest End tours, with 17 guest musicians in a six-hour show).
Every year since 1989, Warren Haynes hosts the Annual Christmas Jam in his hometown of Asheville, North Carolina. The concert usually takes place the first weekend in December at the Asheville Civic Center, as a fundraiser for Habitat For Humanity. Many artists who play at the Christmas Jam also perform separate gigs in various Asheville clubs, usually the day before the Jam proper. The Pre-Jam, as it is called, features many of the same artists, in a smaller club. The 19th edition of the Jam took place on December 15, 2007 with performances by Kevn Kinney, Grace Potter and The Nocturnals, Shelly Colvin, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Jackson Browne, G. Love, Bruce Hornsby and Peter Frampton among others. Gov't Mule headlined.
On June 28, 2008, Gov't Mule performed as a power trio for the first time since 2000, this time with its regular bassist Andy Hess. The band titled their set "Old School Mule" and ran through some of their older songs such as "Wandering Child" and "Thorazine Shuffle."
On September 15, 2008, Haynes' wife, Stefani Scamardo announced on her Sirius radio show that Andy Hess would be leaving the band and a new bassist would be in place for the fall tour. Hess was subsequently replaced by Jorgen Carlsson, who had been rehearsing with the band for six months.
2009
On August 17, 2009, it was announced on the band's official website that Gov't Mule's eighth studio album, entitled By a Thread, was on schedule for release on October 27, 2009. On the same date, the first track of the new album, called "Broke Down On The Brazos" (featuring Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top), was made available for listening on the website.
On October 31, 2009, Gov't Mule gave a special Halloween concert at the Tower Theater in Philadelphia. From the Gov't Mule web site: "Following in the tradition of 2007's "Holy Haunted House" and last year's Pink Floyd spectacular, the band, once again, has something very special planned for the occasion." This third in their series of Halloween shows featured a first set, which lasted over two hours, and was composed entirely of Rolling Stones covers. The previous sold-out shows had featured covers of Led Zeppelin's Houses of the Holy and an assortment of Pink Floyd compositions.
2010
Gov't Mule played at the "Island Exodus" in Negril, Jamaica in January 2010, at the inclusive resort The Grand Lido Negril. The First Island Exodus consisted of three Gov't Mule shows and a Warren Haynes solo show. Also appearing at this event were Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, Ron Holloway, and DJ Logic.
Gov't Mule also played at the Hangout Music festival on Saturday, May 15, 2010 and at the Azkena Rock Festival (Gasteiz/Vitoria), June 24, 2010. Gov't Mule also opened up for the Dave Matthews Band on Friday, July 30, 2010 at Cruzan Amphitheater West Palm Beach Fl.
In October 2010, Gov’t Mule celebrated Halloween at the Fox Theater in Oakland, CA. Warren Haynes and company used the first set to cover The Who’s Who’s Next in its entirety. Setlist:
Set I: Baba O’Riley*, Bargain*, Love Ain’t For Keeping*, My Wife*, The Song Is Over*, Getting in Tune*, Going Mobile*,Behind Blue Eyes*, Won’t Get Fooled Again* Set II: Steppin’ Lightly, Broke Down On The Brazos, No Need To Suffer, Painted Silver Light, Trane > Eternity’s Breath > St. Stephen Jam > When Doves Cry > Beautifully Broken > When Doves Cry > Beautifully Broken > Trane > Noisy Jam > Drums > Any Open Window, Railroad Boy > Thorazine Shuffle Encore: Going Out West
