Gov't Mule

This 2 DVD set features complete shows from the last night of their Deja Voodoo tour on Oct. 15, 2004 at the Orpheum Theatre in Boston and their first night of the High & mighty tour at the Riviera Theatre in Chicago on December 9, 2006. These 2 shows bridge the rebirth of the band and represent the new era of the band as a quartet. They perform classic tracks and soon-to-be-classics from their acclaimed 2006 release High & Mighty. The DVDs include over 6 hours of performance, interviews, and backstage footage and special lyrics features…

Gov't Mule's sound is a throwback to the '70s heyday of Southern rock, and their style is peppered with references to the best of the Allmans, with a liberal dose of early ZZ Top thrown in for good measure. Their second album shows no signs of a sophomore slump, featuring playing and songwriting every bit as strong as their debut outing. Warren Haynes' guitar work, if anything, is even more adventurous this time around, particularly effective on the opener "Blind Man in the Dark," "Thelonius Beck," and "Birth of the Mule."

Since releasing their self-titled debut album in 1995, Gov't Mule have remained close to their trademark bluesy hard rock roots. While they cover classic blues tunes regularly, they apply that musical signature. Heavy Load Blues marks the first time the quartet have recorded an album devoted strictly to blues. They cut it in one small room in a New England studio standing very close to one another – without headphones – using small vintage amplifiers. The band played stripped-down blues live from the studio floor; the few overdubs were added later. The 13-song standard version of the set offers six excellent Warren Haynes originals alongside covers by masters such as Ann Peebles, Howlin' Wolf, Elmore James, Bobby "Blue" Bland, and others. Haynes co-produced the set with John Paterno.