Watch Gov’t Mule & Big Sugar’s Gordie Johnson Honor Jeff Beck In Toronto
Johnson also added to songs by Al Green, Humble Pie and Bob Dylan.
By Nate Todd Sep 14, 2023 • 10:32 am PDT
Gov’t Mule kicked off their fall tour around their new album Peace…Like A River at Toronto’s Massey Hall on Wednesday. Guitarist Warren Haynes and company welcomed Gordie Johnson from Toronto’s own Big Sugar, who opened up the show, to honor the late Jeff Beck with his signature song “Freeway Jam.”
Johnson emerged toward the end of Mule’s set in Toronto for “Freeway Jam,” off Beck’s landmark 1975 album Blow By Blow. Beck sadly died earlier this year on January 10. As drummer Matt Abts, bassist Kevin Scott and keyboardist Danny Louis laid down the song’s rolling groove, Warren Hanyes addressed the audience.
“One of the greatest guitar players of all time died earlier this year. And we’d like to pay tribute to Jeff Beck right now.”
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Haynes and Johnson swapped some riffage before running through the song’s familiar melody a few times. Things then took a more improvisational turn highlighted by synth stylings from Louis, a wailing affair from Johnson and Warren busting out the slide to cap off the 15-minute “Freeway Jam.”
Watch Gov’t Mule and Gordie Johnson tear through “Freeway Jam” below:
Gov’t Mule kicked things off in Toronto with “Mule” from their 1995 self-titled debut album. Following staple “Stone Cold Rage,” the quartet delivered an original, “Wake Up Dead,” from their 2021 blues album, Heavy Load Blues. Next the band offered their interpretation of Junior Wells “Snatch It Back and Hold It” from the 2021 LP, which is a mix of originals and blues standards.
Gov’t Mule also got into material from their latest album, Peace…Like A River, with “Same As It Ever Was” followed by “Game Face” with a “Mountain Jam.” Additional highlights included a cover of Bob Marley’s “Lively Up Yourself,” the favorite “Beautifully Broken” and a “Trane” > “Rumble” > “Sex Machine” > “St. Stephen Jam” segment.
After the Haynes-penned Allman Brothers Band song “Soulshine,” came the Gordie Johnson sit-in on “Freeway Jam.” Johnson would end up staying on with the band for Al Green’s “I’m A Ram” and Humble Pie’s “30 Days In A Hole” to wrap the set. Gordie came back out with Mule for Bob Dylan’s “I Shall Be Released” to encore.
Gov’t Mule is on to Ottawa, Ontario for the CityFolk Festival. Check out their full tour routing below:
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