Coming off of the highly anticipated 1999 archival release of Sco-Mule earlier this year, Gov’t Mule and John Scofield have been ripping through the west coast and midwest on a 21-city excursion this winter, leaving droves of jubilant concert goers behind wherever they go. Last weekend, on March 1st, Sco-Mule took to the LC Pavilion in Columbus, OH and affirmed to all in attendance why you indeed never miss a Sunday show.
The early stages of the first set featured a dichotomy of tunes from Mule’s catalog. A high-octane “World Boss” opener bull-rushed the crowd with a wave of energy that was palpable all night. “Steppin’ Lightly” followed, featuring Mule keyboard player Danny Louis supporting Haynes on rhythm guitar. It wouldn’t be the last time that Louis changed hats during the show either, as he would also take up trumpet and trombone at various intervals throughout the show, too. The versatility of Mule is boundless.
Warren & Co. then served up two seamless segues that reminded you why they cover so much material: because they’re so damn good at it. The first came in the form of Led Zeppelin’s “D’yer Mak’er” sandwiched in between “Frozen Fear.” It was as if Haynes was reassuring the crowd that warmer days are still to come. The second segue was a sly cover of Tom Petty’s “Breakdown” melded into Mule’s “Beautifully Broken.” Haynes channeled his best Petty on vocals and indulged the blues-y nodes of the track. Wonderfully executed.
Cue John Scofield stage right. With songbook and guitar already in hand, he confidently strode to center stage and launched Sco-Mule into a ferocious and blues-laden end of the first set beginning with an enthralling “Night Time Is The Right Time” (Roosevelt Sykes), followed by Ray Charles’ “I Believe To My Soul,” and finally a terrifically chaotic 20-minute version of the Allman Brothers Band’s “Kind Of Bird” with a “In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed” tease in it that found great interplay between Haynes and Scofield and vice-versa. The stanza could not have ended on a higher note.
The second set opened as other previous Sco-Mule performances had not: with Scofield on stage to start the second set. It should be mentioned here that even when Scofield is noodling, he has purpose and meaning behind it; very little wasted motion. So, when the band sized up Funkadelic’s “Maggot Brain” everyone knew they were going to be in store for a special exhibition of musicianship. The runs that Scofield went on during the second set were something to behold, as there aren’t many guitar players that can coherently connect that many phrases and ideas together. It’s like seeing and hearing a song deconstructed, flipped sideways on its head, and then fortified again to its original state.
A cover of Scofield’s own “Jeep On 35” would ensue with Haynes and Scofield riffing off each other and eventually allowing each other space to create on their own. It’s a give and take relationship between the two as they both know that there’s no one part greater than the whole in achieving the sound they hope to find. Scofield’s final appearance in the second set came on a cover of the J.B.’s “Pass The Peas,” which again found the five players on stage in total congruence with each other. Whether it was Scofield playing off of Haynes or Louis on keys, everyone was on the same page musically, an exclamation point to their collaboration.
The second set rounded out with the Haynes’ penned “If Heartaches Were Nickel,” a down-tempo tune that allowed the crowd to breath for a little bit. However, that wouldn’t last long. Mule ran through the upbeat “Slackjaw Jezebel,” CCR’s “Long As I Can See The Light” and finally, a powerful “Broke Down On The Brazos” before being joined back onstage by Scofield for an acid-jazz like “Riders On The Storm” (The Doors) encore. Scofield’s tone amid the recreated raindrops were like something you hear out of a dream.
Whether you’re a fan of rock or blues or jazz or even somewhere in between, this joint tour with Gov’t Mule and John Scofield will satisfy your thirst. They’re two of the greatest musical storytellers of their generation and if you get the chance (and you still have time left) go see Sco-Mule. You won’t go home disappointed.
Sco-Mule Remaining Tour Dates
3/3 Durham Performing Arts Center in Durham, NC
3/5 Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN
3/6 The Paramount Theater in Charlottesville, VA
3/7 Sherman Theater in Stroudsburg, PA
3/8 The Space at Westbury in Westbury, NY
3/11 State Theatre in Portland, ME
3/13-3/14 Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY