Watch Peter Frampton Join Gov’t Mule During Guest-Filled Return To The Ryman

Nashville’s The Ryman Auditorium came alive on Friday with a Gov’t Mule concert featuring Peter Frampton joining in for two songs and a handful of additional special guests. Friday’s show marked the quartet’s first show at the Mother Church of Country Music since 2015.

Peter Frampton, who recently announced an extensive U.S. Summer Tour, had sat-in with Mule numerous times in the past and also jammed with frontman Warren Haynes when he was a member of The Allman Brothers Band. Frampton was the four-piece’s initial guest at The Ryman as he emerged towards the end of Friday’s first set.

The legendary 73-year-old guitarist sat in a seat set up towards the middle of the stage. Warren Haynes also played from the seated position during Frampton’s appearance. In 2019, Frampton was diagnosed with a degenerative muscular disease called inclusion-body myositis. He retired from performing after a farewell tour that year and now is in good enough health to hit the road again.

Gov’t Mule and Peter Frampton began the collaboration with a cover of The Beatles’ “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.” Though Frampton regularly plays The White Album gem in concert, Mule hadn’t performed “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” since Peter sat-in with the band in Cincinnati on January 29, 2010 as per Setlist.FM. Frampton handled lead vocals and took a powerful guitar solo.

Current Nashville resident Peter Frampton stuck around to help Mule close the set with “I Don’t Need No Doctor.” Warren Haynes and Peter Frampton co-helmed the song written by Nick Ashford, Valerie Simpson and Jo Armstead. Frampton has a long history with “I Don’t Need No Doctor” dating back to Humble Pie covering the song before Peter left the band to start a solo career. Mule hadn’t performed the tune made famous by Ray Charles since September 20, 2019.

See Peter Frampton team with Gov’t Mule at The Ryman via fan-shot video below:

The Peter Frampton guest spot followed a string of songs to start Mule’s first set after opener “Traveling Tune” that included both beloved classics like “Thorazine Shuffle,” “Mule” and “Soulshine” and tunes from their forthcoming studio album, Peace...Like A River, namely “Dreaming Out Loud” and “Same As It Ever Was.” Haynes and his bandmates premiered “Made My Piece” from the album live to get Friday’s second set underway.

Guitarists Audley Freed and Jamey Johnson augmented Gov’t Mule on the next two songs. Robert Kearns also replaced Jorgen Carlsson on bass as the expanded ensemble took on The Band’s “Up On Cripple Creek” and Drivin’ n’ Cryin’s “Straight To Hell.” Mule previously covered the former on January 14, 2018 and the latter on New Year’s Eve 2008. Ater a trio of originals sans guests, the quartet welcomed Freed and guitarist Tom Bukovac for a hard-hitting rendition of Neil Young’s “Cortez The Killer” to wrap the second set.

Gov’t Mule returned for the encore with Peter Levin joining Danny Louis on keys for John Lennon’s “Working Class Hero.” Levin left the band onstage to finish the “Traveling Tune” that opened the show hours earlier. Mule’s spring tour moves on to Georgia for shows in Macon on Tuesday and Augusta on Thursday.

Setlist (via Gov’t Mule Facebook)

Set One: Traveling Tune (Part 1) > Thorazine Shuffle, Mule, Soulshine, Dreaming Out Loud, Time To Confess, Captured, Same As It Ever Was, While My Guitar Gently Weeps*, I Don’t Need No Doctor*

Set Two: Made My Peace~, Up On Cripple Creek# $ % &, Straight To Hell# $ % &, Revolution Come, Revolution Go, No Need To Suffer, Rocking Horse, Cortez The Killer$@

Encore: Working Class Hero^ > Traveling Tune (Part 2)

• ~ – First Time Played
• * – w/ Peter Frampton on guitar
• # – w/ Jamey Johnson on guitar
• $ – w/ Audley Freed on guitar
• % – w/ Robert Kearns on bass
• & – No Jorgen
• @ w/ Tom Bukovac on guitar
• ^ – w/ Peter Levin on keys