He’s the hardest working man in Rock ‘n Roll. Warren Haynes holds more titles that most of us will in a lifetime: guitarist for the Allman Brothers, fill-in lead for the Grateful Dead, host of the Mountain Jam. But without a doubt his favorite role is as frontman for Gov’t Mule, his one-time side project turned rock monster.
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What should we call it — jam glam? Halfway through Gov’t Mule’s intimate September 30th set at Brooklyn Bowl in New York, singer-guitarist Warren Haynes started playing the most unlikely riff, a gnarly stuttering thing that many of the couple-hundred folks on hand to celebrate the release of the Mule’s new studio album, By a Thread, probably didn’t recognize: “Is It My Body,” from Alice Cooper’s 1971 dirty-glitter classic, Love It to Death. I’ve seen the Mule light up whole chunks of the Sixties and Seventies songbooks on stage, but this was a great leap sideways. Keyboard player Danny Louris handled second lead guitar, so he and Haynes could recreate the original double talk of Alice guitarists Michael Bruce and Glen Buxton, while drummer Matt Abs and new bassist Jorgen Carlsson added some Free muscle to the pulse.
At New York’s hottest new music venue you can catch bands, drink local brews and knock down some pins too. On Sept. 30, Gov’t Mule became the first major group to jam at Brooklyn Bowl in Williamsburg.
The Mule performed at a private party to promote their latest album, By a Thread, which comes out on Oct. 27. Original Mule members Warren Haynes (left) and drummer Matt Abst were joined by longtime keyboardist Danny Louis and new bassist Jorgen Carlsson as they cranked out mostly new tunes and one crowd-pleaser, “Thorazine Shuffle” (watch a live version from 2007 below).
TRACKLIST
1. Broke Down On The Brazos
2. Steppin Lightly
3. Railroad Boy
4. Monday Mourning Meltdown
5. Gordon James
6. Any Open Window
7. Frozen Fear
8. Forevermore
9. Inside Outside Woman Blues #3
10. Scenes From A Troubled Mind
11. World Wake Up
VIDEOS
BEST SHOTS
photo credit: humboldthead
