Gov’t Mule’s Warren Haynes, photo by Dino Perrucci
Since their formation three decades ago, Gov’t Mule have earned a reputation not only as the foremost torchbearers of improvisational Southern rock, but also as inexhaustible road warriors. On Sunday, Oct. 26, the storied quartet honored this legacy as they rode their fall Back in the Saddle Tour into Charlottesville, Va.’s Ting Pavilion, where they marked a whopping 2,500 shows with an electrifying performance.
Gov’t Mule’s landmark show opened with a set from Andy Frasco & The U.N., who welcomed Mule frontman Warren Haynes for a sit-in on their debut cover of David Bowie’s “Fame” and the original “Keep On Keepin’ On.” The headliners commenced their show with the traditional “Railroad Boy,” followed by “Game Face,” which acknowledged the band’s deep roots in The Allman Brothers Band with an extended detour into “Mountain Jam.”…