Gov’t Mule Welcome John Scofield, Ivan Neville, Adam Deitch, Jennifer Hartswick and More at Suwannee Amp Jam
Photo Credit: Jay Blakesberg
On Saturday, March 8, Gov’t Mule returned to Live Oak, Fla.’s Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park for their second headline set at the inaugural Suwannee Amp Jam. Following an unforgettable kickoff on Friday night that exemplified the emergent event’s collaborative spirit with ten sit-ins, night two maintained that momentum by bringing out many of the artists from the previous set for 11 new live collaborations.
Gov’t Mule took the stage for their Saturday show with a fiery run through the Life Before Insanity classic “Bad Little Doggie.” Dirty Dozen Brass Band drummer Terence Higgins once again signed on to fill Matt Abts’ seat for the full set and brought a funkier flavor to further classics like “Blind Man in the Dark,” “Larger than Life” and a reeling jam centerpiece of “Lies Lies Lies,” which contained the fully improvised mid-track “Monkey Dance.” To wrap the first set, the band called up perhaps the show’s most exciting guest, with legendary guitarist and fusion innovator John Scofield bringing his inimitable sound to “Hottentot,” “Opium” and a set-closing cover of the Allman Brothers Band’s “Instrumental Illness.”
The band’s second set was much more guest-forward, beginning with the explosive opener of Warren Haynes’ “Man in Motion” with guest spots from acclaimed trumpetist Aslin Parker, Dumpstaphunk trombonist Alex Wasily and New Orleans funk hero Ivan Neville on B3 organ. Mule pared back to its core quartet for “Rocking Horse,” “Go Down Swinging” and the powerfully moving “These Changes,” then switched gears to cover Tower of Power’s funk essential “What is Hip?” with Parker, Wasily, trombonist Jonathan Lloyd, Lettuce drummer Adam Deitch, Dumpstaphunk guitarist Ari Teitel, and storied trumpetist and artist at large Jennifer Hartswick.
For the final movement of Amp Jam #1, Gov’t Mule pulled up two more thrilling covers, breaking into the Grateful Dead’s “Shakedown Street” and Steely Dan’s “Pretzel Logic” with vocal support from Hartswick and Rebekah Todd. Finally, to close out the festival, the band stepped back onstage for an encore of “One.”
See the full setlist from Gov’t Mule’s second Amp Jam set below. For tickets and more information on the band’s 2025 tour itinerary, visit mule.net/tour.
