Gov’t Mule Says Farewell To Blackberry Smoke With 36th Different Collaborative Encore Cover

Who would’ve guessed the pairing of Gov’t Mule and Blackberry Smoke would lead to such magic? Last night the bands brought the leg of the Smokin’ Mule Tour featuring Warren Haynes & Co. and BBS to a close at Heritage Arena in Jackson, Wyoming. Each night of the 19-show run included a collaborative encore and not once did the bands repeat a song leading to a total of 36 different covers played over the course of the tour.

Sunday saw Blackberry Smoke and The Record Company open for Mule. Haynes and his band delivered a lengthy set that included a bevy of fan-favorite originals along with a handful of covers. The set at Jackson’s Fireman’s Ball featured such inventive sequences of “How Many More Years” > “Higher Ground” > “How Many More Years” and “Larger Than Life” > “If 6 Was 9” > “Larger The Life.” When Gov’t Mule returned for the encore, they brought out Blackberry Smoke’s Charlie Starr and Brandon Still as well as The Record Company’s Chris Vos for a cover of JJ Cale’s “After Midnight.” In a tour filled with bust outs, “After Midnight” was another as Mule last played the song popularized by Eric Clapton was back on July 27, 2013 at Gathering Of The Vibes. Last night’s “After Midnight” was just the third Gov’t Mule played in the past five years.

Gov’t Mule begins a series of shows with ZZ Top at Jones Beach in Wantagh, New York on September 9. That same night Blackberry Smoke resumes a tour of their own at The Fillmore Silver Spring in Silver Spring, Maryland. Blackberry Smoke and Gov’t Mule do come together for three more shows spanning September 29 – October 1.

Gov’t Mule Setlist

Set: Bad Little Doggie, Streamline Woman, Mr. Man, How Many More Years > Higher Ground > How Many More Years, Unring The Bell, Devil Likes It Slow, Stoop So Low, Soulshine, Banks Of The Deep End, Larger Than Life > If 6 Was 9 > Larger Than Life, Don’t Step On The Grass Sam, Just Got Paid, Railroad Boy

Encore: After Midnight w/ Charlie Starr, Brandon Still & Chris Vos