SWEET - Gov't Mule at the Orpheum

Wow. Many thanks to my bud Terry for asking me to come along for this show. He got us front row seats right in front of Warren Haynes. We were also able to get in and watch the sound check thanks to one of Terry's friends, Phil. Phil knows Carter Allen from WBCN and a gal named Karen from WZLX, who was kind enough to get us in for the sound check. The band ran through a couple of slower tunes, then ripped it up for a minute or so on a loud one so they could get levels. Then Warren wanted to get a good sound for doing some acoustic numbers, so he and the sound guy, along with his guitar tech, worked on getting rid of too much low end on the acoustic. They got this sorted out for the most part, then Warren thanked everyone for coming.

The show started with Warren doing two solo acoustic numbers, which was amazing. Sitting right in front, it was a spectacular site to see Warren lit up from behind by a row of blue gobo lights. For the next number they were switched to magenta, which was equally beautiful. Then the rest of the band came out and they launched into the first set, playing a nice mix of fast and slow tunes, always with a heavy groove. I'm still getting to know the Mule, so I don't know many of their songs by name yet. They ended up playing quite a few covers as well, including "Livin' Lovin' Maid", part of "You Can't Always Get What You Want", and "Maybe I'm Amazed", all of which were incredible. The highlight of the show for me was a slow tune which ended with an extended slide solo by Warren, a haunting piece in minor. They did some really rocking jams as well, and the vibe in the audience was similar to the audience at the Allman Brothers show, lots of smiles and dancing, people living life as it was meant to be lived.