It is amazing how music is so embedded in Warren Haynes’ essence. 2016 is another big year for him. He has an early summer European tour with Gov’t Mule, and he has a bunch of dates as the leader of the Jerry Garcia Symphonic Celebration. Even so, he finds time for other side projects, including the Ashes and Dust Band. They stopped by Milwaukee’s Pabst Theater last night, February 24th, for a splendid night of great entertainment.
In stark contrast to his other musical endeavors, Warren Haynes & the Ashes and Dust Band is much more folksy and acoustic-based. On the album simply titled Ashes and Dust, Haynes asked Railroad Earth to do the backing music. They couldn’t come along because they are busy with their own tour, so Haynes brought drummer Jeff Sipe as well as musicians from ChessBoxer.
They opened the night with “Is It Me or You,” the same opening track of Ashes and Dust. A soulful Patchwork Quilt followed. Things got rocking when they played “One More Cup of Coffee,” where Haynes’ wailing guitar solos blared from the amplifiers. Then the bass player rid himself of the upright bass in favor of an electric bass guitar for a very long and very funky version of Little Feat’s “Skin It Back.” With all the instruments plugged in and powered up, this was the most rocking point of the show.
With plenty of material from the Ashes & Dust album, Haynes made sure to give a nod to some classics. Perhaps the loudest ovation from the crowd came when they started playing “Loser” by the Grateful Dead. Haynes’ vocals were spot on, and the song contained an excellent violin solo, which was only topped by the banjo solo, which of course was topped by the guitar solo. The Allman Brothers’ “Blue Sky” and “Jessica” were also played flawlessly. The latter closed out the set.
The encore featured an a cappella cover of the Stanley Brothers’ “Angel Band,” that went straight into Gov’t Mule’s “Soulshine.” Hearing a different version of the song that is normally played fairly standard every time by Mule was a real treat. They closed the show out with a rocking “Two of a Kind.”
Before Haynes goes back to Gov’t Mule and the Jerry Garcia symphonic celebrations, take the chance to see him on his current tour with the Ashes and Dust band. It certainly brings out a different facet of Haynes’ musicianship that you will easily enjoy. The one and only Warren Haynes is certain to impress.
Setlist: Warren Haynes And The Ashes & Dust Band at the Pabst Theater, Milwaukee, WI – 2/24/16
Set: Is It Me or You, Patchwork Quilt, Beat Down the Dust, One More Cup of Coffee, Skin It Back, Instrumental Illness, Madman Across the Water, Loser, Company Man, Blue Sky, Dusk Till Dawn, Drums, Spots of Time, Jessica
Encore: Angel Band, Soulshine, Two of a Kind
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