Last night, Gov’t Mule continued their New Year’s run with the first of two nights at the Beacon Theatre in New York City. The show was energetic from start to finish, with the band welcoming nearly a dozen special guests onto the stage to join them throughout the night.

The first guest of the evening was drummer Shawn Pelton, who emerged for “Broke Down On The Brazos” halfway through set one and stayed on ’til the end of the set. Following this number, guitarist Oz Noy and drummer Jeff Babcock came out for a cover of Billy Cobham’s “Stratus” ahead of a cover of Traffic’s “Feelin’ Alright”, which featured The Better Half Singers—a group composed of Mini Carlsson and Machan Taylor, both of whom are wives to members of the band. Finishing out set one, Lincoln Schleifer joined Mule, Pelton, and the Better Half Singers for an appropriately chosen rendition of The Beatles’ “With A Little Help From My Friends”.

“Bad Little Doggie”

[Video: Paul Allegretta]

Similar to the first set, the second set started with just the core members of the band fronted by Warren Haynes. However, as the set unfolded, guests again returned to the stage, first during “Easy Times” featuring the Better Half Singers. From there, after “Fool’s Moon”, the band invited out guitarist Jimmy Vivino and drummer Carmine Appice for a take on Free’s “Heartbreaker”. Eventually, bassist Paul Ill also joined in for the next tune, another Free song, “Walk In My Shadow”.

With a number of drummers on hand, the second set featured an extensive drums portion that allowed Appice, Pelton, and Matt Abts to be featured before landing in a cover of the Allman Brothers Band’s “In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed” that saw Pelton and Vivino joining the group. The final tune featured the traditional Gov’t Mule lineup, before the final encore of Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here” featuring The Better Half Singers and Shawn Pelton.

“Wish You Were Here”

[Video: Paul Allegretta]

You can check out photos from last night’s show below, courtesy of Eric Gettler.

Setlist: Gov’t Mule | Beacon Theatre | New York, NY | 12/30/2017

Set 1: Traveling Tune > Rocking Horse, Banks Of The Deep End, Blind Man In The Dark, Bad Little Doggie, Burning Point, Broke Down On The Brazos with Shawn Pelton, Stratus with Shawn Pelton, Oz Noy & Jeff Babcock, Feeling Alright with Shawn Pelton & The Better Half Singers, With A Little Help From My Friends with Shawn Pelton, The Better Half Singers & Lincoln Schleifer without Jorgen Carlsson

Set 2: Stone Cold Rage, Drawn That Way, Easy Times with The Better Half Singers, Fool’s Moon, Heartbreaker with Jimmy Vivino & Carmine Appice; without Matt Abts, Walk In My Shadow > with Jimmy Vivino, Carmine Appice & Paul Ill; without Matt Abts & Jorgen Carlsson, Carmine Appice Drums > Shawn Pelton Drums > Matt Abts Drums >In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed with Shawn Pelton & Jimmy Vivino, Railroad Boy > Traveling Tune

Encore: Wish You Were Here with Shawn Pelton & The Better Half Singers; Little Martha tease

The Better Half Singers (Machan Taylor, Mini Carlsson & Elaine Caswell)