Warren On Wednesday
Is there a band or group you know you would like, but you have never seen them perform? Have you gone to a concert before every listening to an album? I have done this in the past, and it can go two ways. One - Good Decision. Two - Bad Decision. It seemed I couldn't loose with the decision made on Wednesday. I went to see Gov't Mule at Ram's Head Live. I don't own any albums, and I haven't seen them perform. At least, I haven't seen them perform as a headlining act. This leap of faith had to be a shoe-in for a Good Decision. None other then Mr. Warren Haynes is the front man for Gov't Mule. I have seen him perform with the likes of the Allman Brothers Band and the Dave Matthews Band. The man is not short on talent.
I can't sing the praises of Federal Hill enough. The Ram's Head Live is within walking distance of my house. This afforded me the luxury of not driving. I was set to meet Justin at the venue, but Ryan and I pre-gamed on Clement Street. He came over to the house, and we sat on the deck with Teresa. The weather has been perfect all week. It hasn't reached boiling point so, decks are great retreats from the indoors. We had a few drinks, and made Teresa jealous. She has been a bit under the weather and was unable to attend the show. I felt bad as we walked out the door.
We reached the inside of the venue without a moment to spare. There was no opener, and the place was two-thirds the way full. It was a typical ABB type crowd. It was comprised of teenagers, 20-somethings, retired rockers, bikers, yuppies. The usual suspects. We were able to stand stage-right with a decent view of the stage. I like the Ram's Head Live, but the sound is OK. If you are in front of the stage, the sound is really good. If you are off to the side and under the balcony, it is muddy. It is still a joy to watch how effortless it is for Warren to play. That will never cease to amaze me. We weren't able to meet up with Justin until the set break, but lets take a look at the setlist.
Set 1
Mr. Man
Lola Leave Your Light On
About To Rage
Slackjaw Jezebel
The Letter
I'll Be The One
I'm A Ram
A Million Miles From Yesterday
Soulshine
Set 2
My Seperate Reality
Painted Silver Light
Rocking Horse
Thelonius Beck>
Drums
Larger Than Life
Maybe I'm Amazed
Mule>
Big Legged Woman>
Mule
Encore:
Time To Confess
Again, I don't really know any Gov't Mule tracks, but I really enjoyed each tune. I am trying to place my favorite, and I think it was 'A Million Miles From Yesterday.' I really love hearing 'Soulshine.' That is such a good tune. Justin predicted the Beatles cover - 'Maybe I'm Amazed.' The drum session was also cool. The band only had one percussionist on a kit, but he whaled away for a few minutes. It was a solid couple of sets. Great rock 'n roll with some blues.
The night concluded with a cab ride back to Federal Hill. Its nice to walk, but not after a long night. It was really cool to see Justin. I can always count on his musical taste to bring him to such shows. It was also cool to hangout with Ryan. I am sure we will be hitting up some shows in the future. After the night concluded, I can say Good Decision. Than again, this was pretty much a given from the beginning. Warren Rules.
