Gov’t Mule Finally Return to the Beacon with Special Guests, Allman Brothers Band Material

Photo by David Sullenger via Gov’t Mule’s Facebook page

Gov’t Mule returned to their longtime home venue, New York’s Beacon Theatre, for the first of two concerts last night. The gig marks the group’s first appearance at the famed theater–which Warren Haynes has played more than any other musician–since 2019. Last night’s show was originally scheduled for December 2021 and, after being postponed due to COVID, was rescheduled for April 2022 and December 2022, before both those dates were pushed due to a variety of health issues.

As is tradition, the show was a guest-heavy affair. The night kicked off with “Bad Little Doggie” and, at the end of Mule’s first set, Faub Faux guitarist Jimmy Vivino and SNL drummer Shawn Pelton emerged for the second show in a row. This time the musicians performed on two classics, The Allman Brothers Band’s “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed” and the Grateful Dead’s “Fire on the Mountain.”

The collaborations continued during the band’s second set. First, guitarist Oz Noy, a longtime friend of Haynes, appeared on Ann Peebles’ “I Feel Like Breaking Up Somebody’s Home Tonight.” Then, near the end of the frame, Vivino and Pelton returned for The Allman Brothers Band’s “Whipping Post.” The musicians also contributed to the encore, which consisted of Tom Waits’ “Get Behind the Mule.” It marked the second show in a row where the band closed their second set with material from The Allman Brothers Band’s repertoire and encored with a Waits tune.

Gov’t Mule will ring in 2024 at the Beacon this evening. 

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