Govt. Mule
The Lawn At White River State Park
August 20, 2010

[All Photos By Kimberly Duncan]

Although I am familiar with Govt. Mule’s work, I have been indifferent in crossing the line between casual listener and avid follower. I have been more familiar with the historical attribute of this band and the relationship they have to the Allman Brothers Band and The Dead. That would be Warren Haynes’ doing, co-founded by the late Allen Woody. And I can also tell you about their infectious blues-laced rock and roll, as well as right now, my first live Govt. Mule experience.

Does my lack of knowledge with Govt. Mule’s repertoire make me a bad writer? No, it makes me an objective and open-eared observer, which is what I became Friday night. And after experiencing the power in their rock and roll, what a way to start the weekend.

16 years is a long time for a band to do things right. For Govt. Mule, last night was a testament to one hell of a great rock and roll band. And as they were dishing it out, the fans were soaking it up.

I am not sure why concert lawn chairs were set up in the main area of the venue. Maybe if it was for some smooth-talking crooner or soft-spoken folk group it would make sense but this was Govt. Mule and these people came to dance and drink and celebrate. The neat little rows became a casualty of toppled over and kicked around hunter-green covered chairs. And sitting in them was practically pointless, as well.

People were dancing in the makeshift aisles, on the grass, around the beer tents, you name it. I witnessed two people going up to this lady screaming like they had not seen each other in ages, but as the band kicked into another song, they forgot about the reunion of sorts and all immediately began a bump and twist ritual that followed Jorgen Carlsson’s infectious grooves. In seconds flat, they were off to the front with the woman they found quickly following, doing a combination of dancing and walking at the same time.

Two sets consumed the night. The first one was a mixture of good ol’ rock and roll and blues jams that peaked with the highlighted gospel-tinged “Soulshine” that felt like the uplifted were getting a taste of the uplifting. I don’t think they could take that song any higher.

From song one they did not stop with only seconds lapsing in between songs before Warren Haynes would start up the next one. This band was tireless. And when they announced their break before another set, all I could think of was Haynes, you are the man. And not just Haynes, I would have been tangled up in Carlsson’s noodlings halfway through the first group of songs.

The thing that impressed me the most with this band is that they all could have been looking the other direction and still knew what each person was thinking, anticipating every nook and cranny of the jam. The way Danny Louis treated the keys, they had that Al Kooper and Mike Bloomfield relationship down to a tee.

With the second wind, the band pulled out all the stops and turned up the volume, playing a much heavier set. At one point, they kicked into overdrive and whipped out “When The Levee Breaks,” deafening ears and blowing minds, only to bleed back into their originally planned song. It got to the point in the night where guitar solos swirled around so much, I was lost in their maze of sound, which sometime became a distraction while others an accentuation.

If this was improv jam this band could feel it. If they took shape in the Frank Zappa style of contrived playing through diligent and interdisciplinary practice, they have a serious degree of talent to pull that off. Either way, the best way for you to decipher it is to go and experience it for yourself.