I will be back in NC this Thursday to attend the Annual Warren Haynes Christmas Benefit concert in Asheville this weekend.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warren_Haynes]
Warren Haynes is the cofounder of Gov't Mule. This concert raises money for Habitats for Humanity, a very worthy and important cause that transcends color and racism.I have chosen to support benefit concertsthat raise money for those in need. So here's the skinny:

I am glad Chris and Dawn enjoyed Gov't Mule, a band started by Warren Haynes.Since Chris asked if they were a Southern band, I thought I would make the info easier to access.

From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gov't_Mule

Gov't Mule (pronounced Government Mule) is a Southern rock jam band formed in 1994 as an Allman Brothers Band side project by Warren Haynes and Allen Woody.

The band released their debut album Gov't Mule in 1995. Gov't Mule has become a staple act at music festivals across North America, with both its members and frequent guests boasting members from other notable bands, adding various funk and blues rock elements to the band's sound.
1990s
When The Allman Brothers Band reformed in 1989, partially in response to the popularity of their Dreams box set, Warren Haynes was added as a permanent lead guitarist and vocalist, and Allen Woody was recruited as bass guitarist. The two shared a love for 1960s power trios which include Cream, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, the James Gang and Mountain.[1][2] Haynes, Woody, and drummer Matt Abts, who played with Haynes in Dickey Betts' band, came together as Gov't Mule during Allman Brothers breaks. They released their debut album Gov't Mule in 1995. Live from Roseland Ballroom was released in 1996, consisting of their 1995 New Year's Eve set opening for Blues Traveler.

When The Allman Brothers Band were not forthcoming with any new material, Haynes and Woody left to concentrate full-time on Gov't Mule in 1997. Their second studio effort, Dose, was released in early 1998. They were joined by members of the Allman Brothers, the Black Crowes, Parliament/Funkadelic and The Derek Trucks Band for their 1998 New Year's Eve concert, released both in a two and four CD version as Live... With a Little Help from Our Friends. The performances exposed some of the bands' influences, covering Neil Young, Free, Traffic, Jimi Hendrix, Little Feat, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Black Sabbath, and Mongo Santamaría (via John Coltrane).

In the same way that The Grateful Dead were often referred to casually as 'The Dead', Gov't Mule are often referred to as 'The Mule'.

[edit]2000-2003


Original lineup Gov't Mule. L to R: Haynes, Abts and Woody
In February 2000, the band released Life Before Insanity, to critical praise,[3] and although the band had already experienced previous successes, they anticipated a greater commercial success with this album. Unfortunately, Allen Woody was found dead in New York City in August of that year.[4] On September 21, 2000 a benefit concert was organized called "One for Woody",[5] with the proceeds going to Woody's daughter, Savannah Woody, intended for her education. The Allman Brothers, The Black Crowes, Phil Lesh and Friends, Jimmy Herring, Edwin McCain and several more of Woody's friends also performed at the concert. Haynes and Abts continued to do limited touring in the Fall of 2000 supporting Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals as an homage to Woody. Their subsequent "Smile at Half Mast Tour" that followed was named in reference to a poem Haynes wrote for Woody's funeral.

At the "One for Woody" performance and subsequently at other shows, Haynes began appearing with The Allman Brothers Band again. With Dickey Betts' departure from the Allmans, Haynes came back full-time to the band at the beginning of 2001[6] and has continued splitting his time between the Allman Brothers, Gov't Mule and for a period Phil Lesh and Friends and other re-formed Grateful Dead bands.

The next year, Haynes and Abts began to record a tribute album.[7] using some of Woody's favorite bass players. These sessions resulted in two CDs The Deep End, Volume 1 (2001) and The Deep End, Volume 2 (2002). A documentary of the recording sessions was also made by Phish bassist Mike Gordon called Rising Low. Bass contributions to the CDs came from Jack Bruce, formerly of Cream, John Entwistle of The Who, Mike Watt of Minutemen, Les Claypool of Primus, Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Chris Squire of Yes among others.

Haynes and Abts used a revolving door of keyboardists and bassists to fulfill touring engagements in support of the Deep End recordings. Keyboardists included Chuck Leavell, Rob Barraco, Page McConnell and Danny Louis. Bassists included, among others, Dave Schools of Widespread Panic, Oteil Burbridge who already had filled Woody's former place in The Allman Brothers, Les Claypool of Primus, Victor Wooten of the Flecktones, George Porter, Jr. of The Meters, Jason Newsted (formerly of Metallica), Greg Rzab formerly of The Black Crowes and the Buddy Guy Band, and Andy Hess, also formerly of The Black Crowes. Louis and Hess were eventually named as permanent members[8][9] of Gov't Mule.

[edit]2004-2008


Abts with Gov't Mule in 2008
The first CD with Louis and Hess, Deja Voodoo, was released in September 2004, and additional material from those sessions was released in 2005 as Mo' Voodoo. The new lineup's second full release, High & Mighty, was released on August 22, 2006, and it was followed in 2007 by a dub/reggae album called Mighty High - including versions of covers and original songs with special guest appearances by Michael Franti, Toots Hibbert, and Willi Williams.

Gov't Mule continues to tour extensively and has become a staple act at many music festivals including Bonnaroo, Wakarusa, Mountain Jam, Vegoose, All Good, and their annual New Orleans Jazzfest night show (where they filmed and recorded the last show of the Deepest End tours, with 17 guest musicians in a six-hour show).

Every year since 1989, Warren Haynes hosts the Annual Christmas Jam in his hometown of Asheville, North Carolina.[10] The concert usually takes place the first weekend in December at the Asheville Civic Center, as a fundraiser for Habitat For Humanity. Many artists who play at the Christmas Jam also perform separate gigs in various Asheville clubs, usually the day before the Jam proper. The Pre-Jam, as it is called, features many of the same artists, in smaller clubs. The 19th edition of the Jam took place on December 15, 2007[11] with performances by Kevn Kinney, Grace Potter and The Nocturnals, Shelly Colvin, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Jackson Browne, G. Love, Bruce Hornsby and Peter Frampton among others. Gov't Mule headlined.

12/11/2012

Author's Note: MY journal will not allow this post[again]...so i am posting here as an alternative. Strange, it worked some and then stopped working again...my computer knowledge is enough to know that something is being "worked on"....causing "side effects"

Posted on 12/11/2012
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