Ron Holloway, Melvin Seals, Jennifer Hartswick & More Join Gov’t Mule In Philadelphia

Gov’t Mule kicked off their New Year’s Run on Friday at the Tower Theater in Philadelphia. The jam titans we joined by a slew of guests throughout the night welcoming the likes of Ron Holloway, Melvin Seals, Jennifer Hartswick and Roosevelt Collier during their two set affair.

Warren Haynes & Co. got their night in the City of Brotherly love off the ground “Dark Was The Night, Cold Was The Ground” from Revolution Come…Revolution Go. The band reached back to Dose for “Game Face” that included a tease of Weather Report’s “Birdland.” After a take on “Time To Confess,” Mule was joined by Seals, Hartswick and Weedie Braimah, who had opened the night as part of Otiel & Friends as well as longtime friend Holloway. With the stage full of musicians they dug in on a cover of Little Feat’s “Spanish Moon.” Haynes was returning the favor from earlier from in the evening when he sang lead with Otiel & Friends on “That’s What Love Will Make You Do.” “Revolution Come, Revolution Go” and Al Green’s “I’m A Ram” closed out the opening frame.

Gov’t Mule was joined by Holloway to begin their second set. With the horn player in tow, the band dug in on “Mule” that saw them drop into Van Morrison’s “I’ve Been Working” in its midst. The back half of the stanza was highlighted by a version of “I Think You Know What I Mean” that segued into the blues standard “When The Levee Breaks” that Led Zeppelin made famous before returning back to the cut from Life Before Insanity. Humble Pie’s “30 Days In The Hole” and longtime fan-favorite “Soulshine” closed out the set.

When Gov’t Mule returned for their encore they were joined once again by Holloway as well as pedal steel player Collier. The augmented act looked to Tom Waits’ “Going Out West” as last night’s capper that saw them work in teases of Henry Mancini’s “Peter Gunn” and the traditional tune “Wade In The Water.” Watch fan show video captured by Sean Roche below:

Dark Was The Night, Cold Was The Ground

Spanish Moon with Ron Holloway, Jennifer Hartswick, Melvin Seals & Weedie Braimah

30 Days In The Hole > Soulshine

Going Out West with Ron Holloway & Roosevelt Collier

That’s What Love Will Make You Do – Oteil & Friends w. Warren Haynes

Setlist (via Gov’t Mule Facebook)

Set I: Dark Was The Night Cold Was The Ground, Game Face, Time To Confess, Spanish Moon*, Revolution Come, Revolution Go, I’m A Ram

Set II: Mule** > I’ve Been Working** > Mule**, Thelonius Beck, Beautifully Broken, The Man I Want To Be, I Think You Know What I Mean > When The Levee Breaks > I Think You Know What I Mean, 30 Days In The Hole, Soulshine

Encore: Going Out West

* with Ron Holloway, Melvin Seals, Jennifer Hartswick, Weedie Braimah ** with Ron Holloway