Watch Gov’t Mule Welcome Heartbreaker Mike Campbell & Dirty Knobs Bandmates For New Medley

Gov’t Mule ended a run of four shows featuring support from Mike Campbell & The Dirty Knobs on Wednesday night in Knoxville, Tennessee. Mike Campbell, former member of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers and current Fleetwood Mac guitarist, sat-in with Mule at each concert and last night’s performance at Knoxville Civic Auditorium was no exception with his Dirty Knobs bandmates also joining the fray at various points.

Each night has seen Gov’t Mule end the concert by delivering one long set. The quartet featuring guitarist Warren Haynes, multi-instrumentalist Danny Louis, drummer Matt Abts and bassist Jorgen Carlsson started their set with the pairing of staples “Lay Your Burden Down” and “About To Rage.” Mule then uncorked their take on the Junior Wells standard “Snatch It Back And Hold It” complete with the original jam “Hold It Back” they worked up while recording the blues song for 2021’s Heavy Load Blues.

The ensuing “Child Of The Earth” came from the 2006 Mule LP High & Mighty and featured stirring vocals and guitar solos by Haynes. Next came the reggae-tinged “Time To Confess” and a rousing “Fallen Down” that gave way to a jam on the Grateful Dead’s “The Other One.”

The evening’s first “Dirty Mule” collaboration followed as Campbell, Haynes and Carlsson were accompanied by Dirty Knobs drummer Matt Laug and keyboardist Chris Holt for the Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers classic “Breakdown.” Warren Haynes and Mike Campbell shared vocal duties and traded guitar solos in a reprise of a collaboration on Saturday in Tallahassee on the lead single from Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers’ 1976 self-titled debut album. Campbell engaged Haynes in a bit of “Like A Hurricane” and “Layla” jamming within “Breakdown.”

Watch last night’s “Breakdown” below in footage captured by Rob Turner:

Mike Campbell remained on stage for the premiere of a three-song medley that also featured Haynes, Abts, Louis, Holt on acoustic guitar and Lance Morrison sliding in on bass for Carlsson. The ensemble kicked off the suite with the Mule debut of Junior Walker & The Allstars’ 1966 hit “(I’m A) Road Runner.” Campbell and Haynes expertly dueled with the former leading the collective into Bo Diddley’s “Who Do You Love?” as the guitarists continued to co-helm each song vocally. The medley came to a rousing conclusion with the Gov’t Mule debut of Cream’s “I’m So Glad.” The audience sang along on the Fresh Cream gem.

Check out the “Dirty Mule Medley” via Rob Turner’s video below:

Gov’t Mule went at it alone next for the beloved “Thorazine Shuffle.” It was then back to Heavy Load Blues as Haynes led his mates on Howlin’ Wolf’s “I Asked Her for Water (She Gave Me Gasoline).” From there, a cover of Billy Cobham’s “Stratus” saw Morrison relieve Carlsson on bass and Chris Holt play electric guitar. The quartet finished the set sans guests with “Mule” and took on Tom Waits’ “Make It Rain” for the encore in Knoxville.

Setlist (via Gov’t Mule Instagram)

Set: Lay Your Burden Down, About To Rage, Snatch It Back > Hold It Back > Snatch It Back, Child Of The Earth, Time To Confess, Fallen Down > The Other One Jam, Breakdown~^%, RoadRunner~^”%+ > Who Do You Love~^”% > I’m So Glad ~^”%+, Thorazine Shuffle, Asked Her For Water, Stratus”%, Mule

Encore: Make It Rain

• ~ Mike Campbell
• ^ Matt Laug
• “ Lance Morrison
• % Chris Holt
• + First Time Played