After playing their first show since May to a sold-out crowd in New Haven, CT on Saturday, Warren Haynes and Gov’t Mule rang in the new year with two nights at New York’s Beacon Theatre.
The Beacon is hallowed ground for Haynes, who played hundreds of electrifying shows at the historic venue with the Allman Brothers Band during their annual multi-night residencies over the course of two decades. The theater once synonymous with the ABB has also become a spiritual home for Gov’t Mule, hosting the band’s New Year’s shows dating back to 2002. Those deep roots made the Beacon the perfect venue to finish off a year-long celebration of the band’s 30th anniversary.
Mule completed its 30 Years Strong tour back in February, but the two-night Beacon run gave fans and the band one last chance to look back on 30 years of Mule before entering a new year. Monday’s show felt appropriately reflective and soulful, with songs like Blind Faith‘s “Presence of the Lord”, played for the first time since 2018, ABB classic “Soulshine”, and Tom Waits‘ “Make It Rain”. Mule also welcomed two special guest guitarists, Rick Lollar and Oz Noy, with Lollar joining in on the title track from the band’s collaboration with John Scofield, Sco-Mule, and Noy lending his jazz fusion chops on “Devil Likes It Slow”.
Gov’t Mule With Oz Noy – “Devil Likes It Slow” – 12/30/24
[Video: sgibson818]
The mood of Tuesday’s New Year’s Eve show was more celebratory, with a mix of funk, blues, and progressive rock, all tucked inside “Mule”, which both opened the show and capped off the encore. Set one featured a pair of ZZ Top tunes, “Just Got Paid” and “Nasty Dogs and Funky Kings”, while set two included a geographically suitable cover of James Brown‘s “Down and Out in New York City”, King Crimson‘s “21st Century Schizoid Man”, and Led Zeppelin staple “Dazed and Confused”, not to mention a reggae rendition of “Auld Lang Syne” at midnight.
The triumphant two-night Beacon run, plus Saturday’s sold-out kickoff, made for a perfect capstone for “30 Years of the Mule.” Looking ahead, the band is set to host Island Exodus 15 in Jamaica later this month and has upcoming festival appearances at the inaugural Suwannee Amp Jam at Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park and Virginia’s FloydFest. Find a full list of shows and ticketing details here.
Click below to check out fan-shot videos and gallery of photos from Gov’t Mule at the Beacon Theatre courtesy of photographer Ken Spielman. Scroll down to view the full setlists.
Gov’t Mule With Rick Lollar – “Sco-Mule” – 12/30/24
[Video: sgibson818]
Gov’t Mule – “Auld Lang Syne” – 12/31/24
[Video: Gerry Murnane]
Setlist: Gov’t Mule | Beacon Theatre | New York, NY | 12/30/24
Set One: Revolution Come, Revolution Go, Game Face, Presence of the Lord (Blind Faith), Dreaming Out Loud, Sco-Mule (with Rick Lollar), Unring the Bell, Endless Parade, Mr. Man
Set Two: Traveling Tune, Devil Likes It Slow (with Oz Noy), Soulshine (The Allman Brothers Band), Banks of the Deep End, Doing It to Death (The J.B.’s), Time to Confess, No Need to Suffer, Railroad Boy (Traditional)
Encore: Make It Rain (Tom Waits)
Setlist: Gov’t Mule | Beacon Theatre | New York, NY | 12/31/24
Set One: Mule > Larger Than Life, Temporary Saint, Dolphineus > Painted Silver Light, Peace I Need, Shake Our Way Out, Just Got Paid (ZZ Top), Nasty Dogs and Funky Kings (ZZ Top), Captured, Monkey Hill, Living Loving Maid, Thorazine Shuffle
Set Two: After the Storm, Young Man Blues (Mose Allison), So Weak, So Strong, Down and Out in New York City (James Brown), I Asked for Water (She Gave Me Gasoline) (Howlin’ Wolf), The River Only Flows One Way, Auld Lang Syne (Traditional), 21st Century Schizoid Man (King Crimson), Listening to You, Dazed and Confused (Jake Holmes)
Encore: Bad Little Doggie, World Boss, Brand New Angel, Mule
