Gov’t Mule Welcomes Guests At Lengthy Memphis Show

Last night Gov’t Mule continued their Spring Tour with a stop at the Minglewood Hall in Memphis. As become the norm for their Southwest swing Warren & Haynes & Co. once again welcomed guitarist Eric Krasno to sit-in, but also expanded their bromance with their opening act by inviting Kraz’s entire band to join in the fold too.

The Southern jam titans two-set show opened with “Slackjaw Jezebel” and featured a meaty sandwich of “Lay Your Burden Down” > “Smokestack Lightning” > “Lay Your Burden Down” followed by “Left Coast Groovies” > “Urging The Bell” and “Endless Parade.” Krasno emerged next for the first sit-in of the night on a cover of Bob Marley & the Wailers’ “Lively Up Yourself,” ahead of the set-closing warhorse “Thorazine Shuffle.”

Mule’s lengthy 14-song second set kicked off with “No Reward” and featured the band working Led Zeppelin’s “D’yer Mak’er” in the middle of “Frozen Fear.” Krasno reemerged next for a cover of “Stratus.” The augmented band worked their way through the Billy Cobham jazz-fusion tune while incorporating teases of John Scofield’s “Hottentot” and Deep Purple’s “Highway Star.” The band closed out their show with a “Time to Confess” that featured jams on “Les Brers In A Minor” and “Shakedown Street,” followed by fan-favorite “Soulshine” and a monster seamless run of “30 Days In The Hole” > “I Don’t Need No Doctor” > “Mississippi Queen” > “I Don’t Need No Doctor” > “30 Days In The Hole.”

When Mule returned to the stage for the encore, they were joined by Krasno and the rest of his band – Danny Mayer, Stu Mahan, Deshan “D’ Vibes” Alexander and Eric Kalb – for a cover of Tom Waits’ “Goin’ Out West.”

Gov’t Mule closes out their run with the Eric Krasno Band tonight with a show at the Saenger Theatre in Mobile, Alabama.