An Evening with Gov’t Mule

January 20, 2010

Revolution Live, Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Written by Kate Dingle

Last Wednesday night, it seemed like the spirits of Woodstock were all summoned to converge on Fort Lauderdale. About eleven hundred fans, young and old, came together for An Evening With Gov’t Mule.

The house lights went down just before 9pm, and in an instant we were all transported to that enigmatic big grassy field (linen dresses, cowboy boots, and that distinguishable sweet and smokey smell that everyone knows were all present). When the Mule men finally emerged, they got right down to business. Their first set was full of all of the jam band and Lynyrd Skynyrd-esque qualities that fans had expected. What the crowd didn’t expect was a surprise appearance from blues man David Shelley for the tune “Born Under A Bad Sign”. Other highlights from the first set included “Blind Man In The Dark”, “Birth Of The Mule”, and “Broke Down On The Brazos”. Just over an hour after the set began, front man Warren Haynes promised that after a short break they’d be back to finish off their evening of music.

The intermission proved to be just as entertaining as the music. As soon as the music stopped, concert goers swarmed to find the nearest exist and many vowed not to return for the second set. You see, everyone had spent over an hour having their personal space invaded. Many folks were hot and irritated at the fact there wasn’t enough space to walk to the restroom or even move two inches to the left or right. And as an added bonus, the intermission also included a visit from the Broward County Fire Department (I’m sure they didn’t swing by for the entertainment).

The second set started off with a bang, and quickly the quartet was back to work. For the next hour, the guys pulled out all the stops. The showed off a combination of fresh music styles and vocals while maintaining their rustic and rockabilly core sound. Tunes from the latter set included “30 Days In The Hole”, “Thorazine Shuffle” and encore “Champagne and Reefer”.

Regardless of the conditions, it is undeniable that everyone present witnessed music royalty. It was clear that Gov’t Mule takes what they do seriously, and goes above and beyond to ensure that their fans experience a near flawless concert experience. And a flawless show was what we all received.

Photos by Christina Mendenhall

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