Peter Frampton showed Gov’t Mule the way on Friday when the guitar hero joined the blues jam band during a show at Ryman Auditorium. The Frampton Comes Alive rocker stepped in during the first set of the Nashville show which also saw appearances from Jamey Johnson, Audley Freed, Robert Kearns, and Tom Bukovac.
Frampton pulled up a stool next to Mule bandleader Warren Haynes toward the end of the first set. The two six-string Svengalis first squared off on the George Harrison-penned Beatles classic “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”, which Frampton covered on his 2003 album Now. After a lengthy duel that recalled—but of course, could never stack up against—the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame tribute to Harrison featuring Prince, Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne, Steve Winwood, and Dhani Harrison, things got a bit bluesier with Nickolas Ashford‘s “I Don’t Need No Doctor”. Frampton has been a loyal fan of Mule over the years, previously joining the band on “I Don’t Need No Doctor” back in 2010 in Cincinnati, OH.
Beyond being graced by an iconic rocker of the genre’s heyday, Frampton’s sit-in carried added significance in light of his recent health issues and quasi-retirement. In 2019, Frampton announced a farewell tour after he was diagnosed with inclusion body myositis (IBM), a progressive muscle disorder that causes spasms, weakness, and atrophy. Despite meddling from the pandemic, Frampton was able to complete Peter Frampton Finale—The Farewell Tour last year and donated $1 from each ticket sold to the Peter Frampton Myositis Research Fund at Johns Hopkins.
Despite his condition, Frampton announced last month that he will return to the road for the Never Say Never tour. Last fall when COVID sanctions lifted and he resumed his previous farewell tour, Frampton began performing while seating. He told Guitar World at the time, “Standing would be dangerous for me now, because I get so carried away when I’m playing that I’m liable to fall over”. As for IBM’s impact on his ability to play guitar, “It’s starting to affect my hands, but not enough yet, so I can still play a good lick. But I’ll be honest, I’m anxious about it.”
Watch Peter Frampton sit in with Gov’t Mule on “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” and “I Don’t Need No Doctor” in Nashville.
Gov’t Mule, Peter Frampton – “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” (The Beatles) – 5/12/23
[Video: Michael Wilker]
Gov’t Mule, Peter Frampton – “I Don’t Need No Doctor” (Nickolas Ashford) – 5/12/23
[Video: Rod Goelz]
Setlist: Gov’t Mule | Ryman Auditorium | Nashville, TN | 5/12/23
Set One: Traveling Tune > Thorazine Shuffle, Mule, Soulshine (The Allman Brothers Band), Dreaming Out Loud, Time to Confess, Captured, Same as It Ever Was, While My Guitar Gently Weeps (The Beatles) [1], I Don’t Need No Doctor (Nickolas Ashford) [1]
Set Two: Made My Peace, Up on Cripple Creek (The Band) [2], Straight to Hell (Drivin’ n’ Cryin’) [2], Revolution Come, Revolution Go, Cause We’ve Ended as Lovers (Syreeta), No Need to Suffer, Rocking Horse, Cortez the Killer (Neil Young & Crazy Horse)
Encore: Working Class Hero (John Lennon) > Traveling Tune
[1] w/ Peter Frampton
[2] w/ Audley Freed, Jamey Johnson, and Robert Kearns
[3] w/ Audley Freed and Tom Bukovac
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