Last night, Gov’t Mule brought their Smokin’ Mule tour to CEFCU Center Stage, a beautiful riverside venue in Peoria, IL, on a gorgeous summer night. The one set show brought it all that has been happening on the tour: Mule favorites, choice covers, and sit-ins from members of Blackberry Smoke.
Southern-rockers Blackberry Smoke opened the show when the sun was still shining brightly on concertgoers. Their brand of music was certainly a nice pairing with Gov’t Mule. They played songs such as “One Horse Town” and even jammed a solid Bob Marley tune in “Three Little Birds”. They did a great job as an opener.
By the time Warren Haynes, Matt Abts, Jorgen Carlsson, and Danny Louis took the stage, the sun had set beyond the river. The night was dark and ready for Gov’t Mule. They opened up with an energetic “Slackjaw Jezebel” to fans’ delight. As they continued with their set, Mule’s consistency of musicianship was completely present in the show. With the venue being on the Illinois River, a massive fifty-foot barge slowly passed behind the stage. As if in a perfect moment of jam-world synchronicity, as Haynes belted out “Brighter Days,” the barge, probably hearing the awesome music of Mule, shined an incredibly bright light on the scene from the middle of the river, causing the crowd to go crazy. Perhaps in a nod to the passing vessel and its beacon of light, it seemed as if Haynes belted out even stronger, “Long for brighter days far behind me…” It was a cool moment of the show.
The foursome only played harder, edgier, and better from that point out. One of Mule’s oldest songs, “Left Coast Groovies,” was played flawlessly. “Unring the Bell” was another highlight of the show. After the singing faded and it went to the jam, Haynes’ guitar solo took the music to another level. His ability to hit notes that speak to your soul was on full display during the jam. As has happened before in the song, he even included the famous guitar riff from “Shakedown Street” in the jam. Afterwards they slowed things down with a powerful “Endless Parade,” one of their slower tunes but one that packs a lot of energy. The end of the set brought the reggae/dub side of Mule with “I’m a Ram” which included a segment of the Beatles’ “Love Me Do.”
As has been the standard for the encore slot of the Smokin’ Mule tour, the band brought up guitarist Charlie Starr from Blackberry Smoke to help them play some well-known hits. The encore of Peoria reckoned back to Halloween 2014, when Gov’t Mule played two shows dubbed “Young Mule.” Neil Young’s “Cowgirl in the Sand” was the first song played, and though it certainly was played well, it took a back seat to the song that followed. As soon as the band began Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World,” the crowd went absolutely ecstatic. One of the most iconic rock-and-roll songs of all time was a great way to end the night. And if that weren’t enough, the song contained Jimi Hendrix’s “Machine Gun” jam sandwiched inside. It was a fantastic way to end the night. The Smokin’ Mule tour continues tonight in Des Moines before heading out west to Red Rocks and California.
Check out a full gallery of photos below, courtesy of Ojeda Photography, as well as the setlist.fm setlist.
