Live Live: Reviews
Gov't Mule
10/9/02
Orpheum Theater - Boston, MA
The Music
Gov't Mule kicked off their "Deep End Vol. 2" tour on Wednesday night at the magnificent Orpheum Theater and featured a heavy dose of rocking guitar solos. The band, best described as a rock n' roll jamband, had a simple philosophy: start slow with a good beat, get faster and then let guitar genius Warren Haynes (lead guitar/vocals) take over. Haynes, who has played with TheOther Ones, The Allman Brothers, and many more, was the centerpiece of the show. He soloed on every song with a beat variation from slow too as fast as I've ever seen, and tension / release style to the delight of all. His guitar differentiated within each song but made most of the songs sound similar. The other members also got into the game; during "Thorazine Shuffle" and "Rocking Horse" George Porter, Jr (Greg Rzab and George split bass duties) jammed where he slapped, hit, and kept up a great beat into a Haynes solo. Also, during these songs drummer John Molo changed things up with a varying beat and varying sound drum jam with use of a cowbell of some sort. Rob Baracco also had some great moments on the keys during "Painted Silver Light" switching between the keys and organ. But the highlight of the show was during "Down and Out in New York City" and "Sco-Mule" when saxophone great Karl Denson** played with Mule. Haynes and Karl went back and forth and then joined together for an awesome sax / guitar sound.
The Sights:
The lighting for the show was average at best. They had a few moving lights and some background entertainment, but nothing more than spinning lights over a tapestry. However, the Orpheum Theater itself is amazing. It's an old theater with a balcony and carved designs on the walls, one of my personal favorite places to see a show.
The Vibe:
I was not so impressed with the energy level of the audience. Parts of the show, the beginning, when Karl came out, during some of Haynes's jams, there was high energy. But most of the show had a similar sound, which made it hard to get excited, and most people were just bobbing their heads with delight.
Quirks and Smirks
There were many tapers at this show, more than I normally see. The crowd was also older than most of the "jam band" scene. Maybe it had something to do with the Allman Brothers following, which Haynes brings. Quote of the night: "What the f*$% is Karl Denson doing here?"
-Andrew Zarkowsky
**Yes, if you listened to Live Live we announced that Karl Denson's Tiny Universe was also playing that same night. Nevertheless, Karl did appear with Gov't Mule; yes… Karl is a stud!