Gov’t Mule, 7/21/09

Gov’t Mule | Minglewood Hall
Memphis, TN | July 21, 2009

I was pretty excited for the first time Gov’t Mule, one of my favorite bands, played Minglewood Hall. It would also be the first time I had seen them play since Jorgen Carlsson took over on bass for Andy Hess. I’d heard good things about Carlsson, but hadn’t really listened to him play very much (if at all) with Mule.

It took one song for me to determine he was the best fit for the band since Allen Woody passed away.

Five songs in, drummer Matt Abts pounded out the opening beats to one of my favorite songs, “No Need To Suffer.” The song features a great bass solo mid-way through, and it, to me, was going to be a barometer for the bass player’s fit. He passed with flying colors – he had that dirty, raunchy, guttural tone that Woody had and Hess lacked.

Set 1: Bad Little Doggie, Mr. High & Mighty, About To Rage, Devil Likes It Slow, No Need To Suffer, Painted Silver Light, 32-20 Blues, Thirty Days In The Hole

Set 2: John The Revelator, Lay Your Burden Down > Minglewood Blues > Smokestack Lightning > Lay Your Burden Down, Like Flies > Drums > Inside Outside Woman Blues #3, Blind Man In The Dark, How Many More Years

Encore: Child Of The Earth > Soulshine