Friday Is Now Officially Mule Day

In honor of Gov't Mule finally announcing a Chicago date for their summer tour, I am officially declaring today, and every Friday, Mule Day.

To help prepare you for this, I have compiled this handy FAQ.

What does this mean? It probably means that each Friday I'll post something Gov't Mule related.

So um, what is a Gov't Mule? Gov't Mule is the World's Greatest Rock & Roll Band. Here is their website.

What sort of music does this Gov't Mule play? What don't they play? Primarily known for their guitar based rock, they are quite eclectic, particularly in a live setting.

Who is in this Gov't Mule? Gov't Mule is comprised of guitarist / vocalist Warren Haynes, Drummer Matt Abts, Keyboardist Danny Louis and Bassist Andy Hess. Original bass player Allen Woody died in August of 2000.

I seem to recall you mentioning them before, how can I find out what else you have written? Check out all the things I have tagged Gov't Mule.

Boy - you seem to really like these guys. Yes, very much. I've been fortunate enough to see them live numerous times and they have never disappointed.

The name Warren Haynes sounds familiar - how else might I know him? Warren has had a couple of stints in The Allman Brothers Band. He has also played with both Phil Lesh & Friends and The Dead. You might have also seen him play with Dave Matthews on his Central Park DVD. He was ranked #23 on the Rolling Stone list of 100 Greatest Guitarists Of All Time. He is awesome. I have seen him perform live almost 50 times.

50 times? Are you some sort of freak? Yes.

I might be interested in hearing them - how can I do that? One of the coolest things about Gov't Mule is that they allow taping and trading of their live shows. Search for them on any of your torrent sites like etree and download a show. Or for great quality stuff, pick up something from their MuleTracks site. I recommend 4-15-00 which was my first show, or any of the Mule Years Eve shows, or just pick one randomly. It will kick your ass - guaranteed. Their official studio stuff is available where ever the shiny CDs are sold including Amazon. I imagine they are probably available on iTunes as well.

You didn't answer my question - what's up with that? If I missed anything, please let me know in the comments.

So for an inaugural item, here is a very cool video of them doing Grinnin' / Mule from way back in 1996. Check out the wicked slide work...



SB