Warren Haynes Resurrects Countless Covers in California
Warren Haynes, photo by John Patrick Gatta
Warren Haynes continued his solo excursion over the weekend with three more shows down the California coast. The celebrated singer-songwriter and guitarist’s independent outing has brought intimate presentations, and in keeping with his storied career and diverse interests, some exceptionally eclectic setlists, packed with unexpected covers.
After beginning his winter solo tour with a performance in Grass Valley, Calif. on Thursday, Haynes trucked on to San Francisco’s The Fillmore on Friday night and quickly dispelled any potential for bad luck with an electrifying live debut of the Grateful Dead’s “Brokedown Palace.” The artist’s first take on the American Beauty essential thoughtfully acknowledged the hallowed venue before a soul-stirring first frame, featuring Gov’t Mule staples like “Dreams & Songs” and “Beautifully Broken” alongside rare covers like Elton John’s “Madman Across the Water,” Robert Johnson’s “Come On in My Kitchen” and James “Beale Street” Clark’s “Look on Yonder Wall,” revived for the first time since March 2022, July 2016 and Feb. 2009, respectively.
Haynes’ second set in San Francisco commenced with a return to George Harrison’s “Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth),” last staged at Gov’t Mule’s 2024 Island Exodus destination event. Further surprises rolled in with Van Morrison’s “Into the Mystic” (LTP Sept. 2023), John Lennon’s “Working Class Hero” (LTP July 2021) and the Allman Brothers Band’s “End of the Line,” drawn from the group’s 1991 Haynes-era album Shades of Two Worlds and revived for its first staging since July 2023. Following an encore of the traditional “Railroad Boy,” Haynes met a roar of demand from the crowd with a grand finale of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” which he’d performed last in July 2022.
On Saturday, Haynes touched down in Napa, Calif., and tore into another action-packed solo engagement at the Uptown Theatre with his thoroughly honed version of Morrison’s “Ballerina.” Beyond rare placements from his own canon, like solo versions of Gov’t Mule’s “Forevermore” (LTP Dec. 2023) and “Tastes Like Wine” (LTP March 2022) and his solo debut of his Million Voices Whisper standout “These Changes,” the artist paid tribute to his late collaborator with Phil Lesh & Friends’ “The Real Thing” (LTP March 2022), honored the Grateful Dead again with Jerry Garcia’s “To Lay Me Down” (LTP Jan. 2018) and cut deep into his repertoire for his second-ever rendition of Tracy Chapman’s “For My Lover,” debuted in Sept. 2008. Other bust-outs like Tampa Red’s blues classic “It Hurts Me Too” (LTP Aug. 2023), Dennis Robbins’ “Two of a Kind, Workin’ on a Full House” and Jim Croce’s “Roller Derby Queen” (both LTP March 2022) cleared a path to a set-closing medley of three Allman Brothers Band favorites.
Haynes’ Sunday show at Santa Cruz’s Rio Theatre commenced with “Old Before My Time, another long-dormant entry from his tenure in the ABB, then returned to the format he’d introduced in his prior shows. Highlights among the many unexpected song resurrections included Jerry Garcia’s “Loser” (LTP Oct. 2020), Radiohead’s “Karma Police” (LTP July 2016), the Eagles’ “Wasted Time” (LTP June 2021), Tom Paxton’s “The Last Thing on My Mind” (LTP July 2021), Gordon Lightfoot’s “Affair on 8th Avenue” (LTP Oct. 2020), Morrison’s “And It Stoned Me” (LTP July 2021), the Allman Brothers Band’s “Dusk Till Dawn” (LTP July 2016) and Jimmy Cox’s “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out” (LTP March 2022). At the end of an exhilarating weekend, Haynes tacked on an encore of Gov’t Mule’s “In My Life,” delivered solo for the first time since March 2022.
Warren Haynes’ winter solo tour will continue with seven further shows through Feb. 26, followed by a five-night run with Gov’t Mule from Feb. 27 to March 7. Find tickets and more information at warrenhaynes.net.
Read Haynes’ recent Relix feature here.
