Gov’t Mule Announces New Year’s Run & Live Releases
By Scott Bernstein Oct 3, 2014 • 8:55 am PDT
Warren Haynes and Co. will perform at the Beacon on December 30 and New Year’s Eve before heading down to Philadelphia to close out the run on January 2 and 3. This year’s run will be a reverse of last year’s run as in 2013 Mule started off with two shows at the Tower and ended the run with two shows at the Beacon.
Gov’t Mule will be joined by special guest Myles Kennedy on New Year’s Eve. While a theme for New Year’s hasn’t been announced, you can’t help but think of AC/DC when looking at the NYE image the band has used. Kennedy is known for his impressive pipes and is just the guy to help the band pull off AC/DC covers, if that’s the route they choose. Cabinet and Ron Holloway will be Mule’s guests on January 2, while saxophonist Bill Evans joins the band on the 3rd. VIP Tickets for the Beacon shows will be available starting Tuesday, October 7 at 12 p.m. ET with regular tickets going on sale Friday, October 10 at 12 p.m. ET. Tower VIP & presale tickets go up for grabs the week of October 13, with a public on-sale on Friday, October 17.
As for the vault releases, Stoned Side of the Mule: Volume 1 will be released on Record Store Day’s Black Friday, November 28th, at select independent record stores. The vinyl-only release features seven Rolling Stones covers recorded on Halloween 2009 at the Tower Theatre in Philadelphia. The release also features special guests Jackie Greene and Steve Elson.
Dark Side of the Mule, set for release on December 9, will feature 90 minutes of Pink Floyd covers. The live album, which was recorded on Halloween 2008 at the Orpheum Theatre in Boston, will be available in three configurations -a standard version (1-CD), a deluxe version (3-CD/1-DVD package of the entire 3-hour performance) and a double vinyl version. All configurations feature newly-mixed and mastered audio.
Then there’s Dub Side of the Mule, which is coming in early 2015. This release will feature a 45-minute set of reggae songs with reggae legend Toots Hibbert of Toots & The Maytals. Dub Side Of The Mule was recorded on New Year’s Eve 2006 at the Beacon Theatre in New York City. The live album will be available in three configurations -a standard version (1-CD), a deluxe version (3-CD package of entire 3-hour performance and 1-DVD of the Toots set) and a double vinyl version. The release also features special guests Gregg Allman & Friends and John Popper.
Finally, Gov’t Mule has officially announced the January 2015 release of their long-awaited SCO-MULE album. Here’s full details on SCO-MULE from the band’s press release:
In late September of 1999, John Scofield teamed with Gov’t Mule, then featuring original bass player the late Allen Woody, along with keyboardist Dr. Dan Matrazzo, in Georgia for two legendary shows of mind-bending live prowess. Both shows were recorded and included the Mule’s first-ever all-instrumental sets. The band had begun preparing the music for eventual release while working on their third studio album Life Before Insanity. However, less than a year later, their beloved bassist Allen Woody passed away, setting the Mule on a different path. The idea of releasing SCO-MULE came up over the years, but the timing was never as right as it is now – helping to mark Gov’t Mule’s 20th Anniversary. While Scofield and the Mule did reunite briefly for a set at Warren Haynes’ 25th Annual Christmas Jam in December 2013, fans have been clamoring for the return of the project ever since those lauded 1999 shows, and for more than a decade the Mule have been eager to share the music from these shows through an LP. Now for the first time, fans can experience the SCO-MULE magic first-hand in album form, newly mixed and mastered. The 3-hour all-instrumental album is a jazz romp laced with rock riffs and will be available as a 2-CD set as well as a double vinyl.
