Gov’t Mule Honors Robert Hunter & Welcomes Larry McCray In Detroit

Gov’t Mule dedicated their Tuesday night performance at The Fillmore Detroit to Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter, who passed away one day earlier. Mule performed a number of Dead songs Hunter wrote and teamed up with guitarist Larry McCray at the end of the evening.

The quartet kicked off the concert with a run of originals that included “Bad Little Doggie,” “Brand New Angel,” “Steppin’ Lightly,” “Far Away” and “Larger Than Life.” Next up was a cover of The J.B.’s “Doing It To Death” and the classic “Banks Of The Deep End.” Mule closed out the frame with the sequence of “Banks Of The Deep End,” “Funny Little Tragedy” and “I Feel Like Breaking Up Somebody’s Home.”

Gov’t Mule opened their second set in Detroit with “Lay Of The Sunflower,” a song penned by guitarist Warren Haynes and Robert Hunter. The four-piece then covered “Dark Star,” “Loser” and “Sugaree,” each of which featured Robert Hunter’s lyrics. A pairing of “Rocking Horse” and “Mule” ended Mule’s second set. For the encore, McCray emerged for a take on Little Milton’s “That’s What Love Will Make You Do.” Larry McCray notably was the first artist to record “Soulshine,” one of Haynes’ signature songs, in 1993 and has since sat-in with Gov’t Mule a number of times.

Watch fan-shot video of “That’s What Love Will Make You Do” captured by Adam Roesner:

Here’s a clip of “Sugaree” thanks to plagaristicavocado: