This is going to be a long one. If you’re only into the MP3s and/or setlist scans, pictures etc - just scroll through the text. To call this a “review” is a disservice to professional writers everywhere. When it comes to Gov’t Mule I’m a fan first. Keep that in mind while reading this drivel.

It had been over a year since I’d seen Gov’t Mule live. The move from the east coast to the west coast is entirely to blame. Well that and a change in income. So to say I was looking forward to this show is putting it very mildly. I’m only somewhat embarrassed to admit that I was in “line” for this one at 3:00PM. Alright it was 2:50. The next person to join me in ‘line’ wasn’t there until 5:30, and they didn’t even stay. The doors opened at 7. It appears the longer I go w/o seeing the band, the earlier I’ll arrive for the next show. If you’re starting to think to yourself ‘this guy puts the fan in fanatic’ - it’s really just Gov’t Mule that I get this obsessive-compulsive over.

Being first in line did allow me the privilege to pick whatever spot I wanted, and I wanted to be front and center. Which is where I ended out.

Grace Potter and the Nocturnals were the opening act, and they came on stage around 8. It had been well over a year since I’d last seen GP&TN, and was very damn psyched that they were the openers. The new arrangements (and I’m not even sure how new they are) to their older songs are great. Great. The song If I Was From Paris is brilliant, where the hell did it come from? See the post Smashing a perfectly good guitar for my retarded little story on Scott smashing his guitar. To Grace and the band: those two or three folks that kept shouting out crap - on behalf of Vancouver, I’m sorry. Please don’t let it (or the border crossing hassles) deter you from coming back to British Columbia.

Grace Potter & The Nocturnals - The Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, BC - 11/15/07

Mastermind
Treat Me Right >
Stop The Bus
Here’s To The Meantime
Big White Gate
“Grace telling a story about the border crossing”
If I Was From Paris
Watching You >
Nothing But The Water (Part I) >
Nothing But The Water (Part II) >
Group Drums > Band Intros >
Nothing But The Water (Part II) >
Nothing But The Water (Part I)

More on Grace later (like, another post) cause the 2nd night (Seattle) was every bit as good, if not better, than the first.

So. Gov’t Mule, set one. Mr. High & Mighty was a great start - it’s one of my favorite tracks from that album. Pygmy Twylyte was a complete surprise, and the first time I’d heard it live in person. But to continue with Have Mercy On The Criminal, I Can’t Keep From Crying Sometimes and then Honky Tonk Woman - with Grace, was over the top amazing.

Set two - well just look for yourself. That’s What Love Will Make You Do with Scott Tounet (Nocturnals guitarist) was fun, though in my irrelevant opinion 32/20 Blues the next night in Seattle was the real GM w/ Scott highlight.

Regardless, it was the last song of the night that really blew me away. Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man was such a perfect encore that I’ve been refreshing MuleTracks almost every hour today just to see if by chance that the Vancouver show is already up for sale. Don’t get me wrong - the recording by Dennis (thanks Dennis!!) (download the show in lossless format here) is very solid (for a stealth), but I’m just itching to listen to the sound board.

Now, this could all be in my imagination. But… during the encore, I was one of the people singing the part of the chorus, and I caught Brian Farmer doing the same from the side of the stage. As soon as the show ended, Brian came out, moved some crap around, grabbed one of Warrens pics and handed it directly to me. I thought that was very cool, but I acknowledge that my definition of cool might differ from most. I don’t care.

Somehow I ended out with part of Matts drum kit. It was just handed to me (again, thank you Mule road-crew you guys are great). I was going to give it to my buddy Andrew but I figured it would be something my younger brother might like. He started out as a drummer, I know he thinks Mat Abts is amazing, and he’s been to more Mule shows (and has been a fan for way longer) than I. Hopefully he won’t read this and will be surprised at Christmas, but if he does, don’t worry this isn’t the only thing I’m getting you. Chances are slim he’ll read this, I’m pretty sure that the 4 people who do (one of whom is my mother) won’t include him.

Alright I’m running out of steam. The rest is in lazy bullet point format.

Scott Tournet, one of the Nocturnals, decided his guitar was going to stay in Vancouver. I caught the strings not because I wanted them but because I didn’t want them to hit me in the face. I was handed the neck. I gave both to a friend who also got the setlist, and plans to frame them all together. I approve. Plus he gave me the 2nd sets setlist, which was awesome of him.

Anyway, a real review/post of the show will have to wait until after I’ve slept. And if the hotel I’m staying @ in Seattle has Internet….

I might find time later tonight to do a proper post, with some MP3s and stuff, but I’m actually really busy for a change. So in the meantime, watch this amazingly cool video. It’s a medley of stuff from Grace Potter & The Nocturnals current tour (Rochester, NY, Binghamton, NY, Washington, DC, Richmond, VA) with Gov’t Mule. And speaking of Gov’t Mule, Grace joins Warren (or vice versa I’m in a hurry and a bit too lazy to look it up right now) in the video below. So clickit.

OK when it’s done playing, watch Part I.

These videos are making me even more excited (and I have to tell you, with just about 24 hours to go, I’m already pretty antsy) to see GP&TN open for the Mule on back to back nights. With any luck this series will continue to the west coast part of the tour so I have a cool memento.

Since moving from Philly to Vancouver, I haven’t seen Grace Potter & The Nocturnals play live. In Philly I managed to see them open for The North Mississippi Allstars, Assembly of Dust and moe., plus two headlining shows. All in the space of a year. There really were some benefits to living on the east coast..

Grace Potter & The Nocturnals - Treat Me Right (7/14/07)
Grace Potter & The Nocturnals - Stop The Bus (7/14/07)

At least I’ll be seeing them 2 or 3 times in November.

photo taken: 11/19/2005

Filmed live @ the 8×10 in Baltimore, MD - here’s the latest Grace Potter and the Nocturnals video - Ain’t No Time -

ps. there’s a great high quality version of the video that you can run in full-screen.

pss. the band is currently out on tour supporting Gov’t Mule - be sure to arrive in time to catch them - I promise you’ll be floored.

A very, very late note: Thanks ever so much to John, who works w/ Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, for getting me an advanced copy of their latest CD, This is Somewhere. I will absolutely do a more in depth review of the fantastic album at some point in the not too distant future. But do yourself a favor - grab a copy today, don’t wait for my rambling praises.

As usual, the list is huge, but the highlights (for me anyway) include:

Bob Dylan
Bjork
The White Stripes
My Morning Jacket
Regina Spektor
Crowded House
Ben Kweller
Bela Fleck & The Flecktones
Rodrigo y Gabriela
Grace Potter & The Nocturnals
JJ Grey & Mofro
Rose Hill Drive
Charlie Musselwhite

In my humble opinion, the lineup isn’t as hot as it was in say, 2005 (the year I went). Hopefully the temperature won’t be as hot either.

Grace Potter & The Nocturnals at the 8×10 in Baltimore, MD on September, 14 2006.

The first time I saw Grace Potter & The Nocturnals was when they opened for the North Mississippi Allstars @ the TLA in Philly on 11/19/2005. It would be safe to say that I was totally blown away. In the following couple of months I managed to attend 6 other GP&TN shows, and each one was better than the last.

Additional videos here.

Also - Raised On Indie gives Nothing But The Water a pretty positive review - and includes several mp3s.

Well it’s getting close to that time of the year again - and I’m not talking about Christmas or Hanukkah. That’s right, it’s closing in on New Years Eve - a night that’s both frustrating and fun for concert goers. And the frustrations I refer to aren’t the huge lines, the drunks, or the hugely overpriced hotel rooms. I’m talking about the decision we all have to make in terms of which band(s) to go see. Last year I did The Black Crowes @ Madison Square Gardens. This year, I’ve already decided on a Mule Years Eve. What are your plans?

As a shout-out to two of my favorite music blogs*, (and maybe to help you decide which show to go to) here are ten cover songs by bands that are playing this New Years eve.

1. Umphrey’s McGee - …And Justice for All | source | (UM is playing The Aragon Ballroom in Chicago, IL on NYE)
2. Gov’t Mule - Goin’ Out West | source | (Gov’t Mule is playing The Beacon Theatre in NYC, NY on NYE - see you there!)
3. The Derek Trucks Band - The Weight | source | (tDTB is playing The Fox Theatre in Atlanta, GA on NYE)
4. Grace Potter and the Nocturnals - Skinny Woman | source | (Grace Potter is playing the Higher Ground in Burlington, VT on NYE)
5. Rose Hill Drive - Dazed and Confused | source | (Rose Hill Drive are playing the Boulder Theater in Boulder, CO on NYE)
6. Robert Randolph - Purple Haze | source | (Robert Randolph is playing the Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, NJ on NYE)
7. moe. - Day Tripper | source | (moe. is playing Radio City Music Hall in NYC, NY on NYE)
8. Galactic (with ALO) - Yes We Can | source | (Galactic is playing Tipitina’s Uptown in New Orleans, LA on NYE)
9. Trey Anastasio - Foxy Lady | source | (Trey is playing the House of Blues in Atlantic City, NJ on NYE)
10. Tea Leaf Green - I’ve Got A Feeling | source | (TLG is playing the Theatre of Living Arts in Philly, PA on NYE)
11. The Black Keys - Have Love, Will Travel | source | (The Black Keys have yet to announce NYE plans, so this doesn’t count as one of the 10)

*LMB frequently does tour date info, Here comes the flood features great cover songs.