Gov’t Mule is celebrating their 30th anniversary, a very impressive achievement as Warren Haynes and Allen Woody started the band as a side project, looking for something to do when they weren’t playing with the Allman Brothers Band. There were originally only plans for one album and one tour, but 30 years later, the band is still around with 20+ studio and live albums and several tours.

On Oct. 30, Gov’t Mule brought the celebration to College Street Music Hall in New Haven with an electric performance, displaying their tight interplay and stunning technical ability.

The show started with “Slackjaw Jezebel,” highlighting the connection between the rhythm section with powerful basslines and a driving groove on the drum set, overlayed by Haynes’ catchy and dynamic guitar riffs and unmistakable voice.

Like most jam bands, Gov’t Mule is meant to be seen live. Throughout the show, they provided an experience more than a performance, as they would break out into long solo sections, giving all the individuals in the band a spotlight and providing a fresh sensation for the audience at every show.

The concert was broken into two sets, each one about 10 songs long and around an hour each, with an intermission in between. The first set included many of the most popular songs like “Banks Of The Deep End,” “Beautifully Broken” and Haynes’ iconic
track “Soulshine,” which he originally wrote in 1987, and with recordings from Larry McCray and the Allman Brothers Band.

The first set also included tracks “After the Storm” and “Shake Our Way Out” from their 2023 album “Peace…Like a River” as well as “Monkey Hill” and covers of “I’m a Ram” by Al Green and “Hottentot” by John Scofield.

Throughout the performance, one of the most impressive details was Haynes’ vocals, as the 65-year-old singer sounds exactly like he did when he was in his 20s. With those vocals on top of all the extremely talented musicianship from the members of the band, it creates an unforgettable live experience.

The band then took a brief intermission before coming out for their second set. Each set included one solo section for every member of the band, giving them each an opportunity to solo at least twice.

The second set started with a cover of Robert Johnson’s “32-20 Blues,” which was one of four covers in the second set. The other covers included “Stage Fright” by The Band, “Doing It To Death” by The J.B.’s and Van Morrison’s “I’ve Been Working,” which got its moment in the middle of the song “Mule.”

The second set included songs from over the years acting as a true celebration of the long history of the band with songs like “Fool’s Moon” from the 2001 album “The Deep End Vol. 1,” “Gone Too Long” off their latest album “Peace…Like A River,” and both “Larger Than Life” and “Thorazine Shuffle” from the 1998 album “Dose.”

After they finished the second set, the band left the stage for only a few seconds before returning for an encore as they played “Fallen Down” and “The Other One.”

The crowd at the show was on the older side, but their age did not stop fans from getting up and moving to the powerful and soulful blend of blues and southern rock. Even all the way up in the balcony seats, there were many fans on their feet for the
whole show. There was just a stirring excitement and clear love for the band in the crowd at College Street Music Hall.

The show served as a great celebration of the band’s 30-year history, with the setlist covering a lot of the band’s discography as well as paying tribute to the bands and musicians that inspire them.