Amidst the landscape of the enchanting Great South Bay waterways and the Woodstock Festival vibe, the iconic band Gov’t Mule captured the stage as the last headlining showcase of this year’s Great South Bay Festival in Patchogue, New York. As sky grew darker painted blue on blue one stroke at a time into deeper and deeper shades of the night, Mule like 4th of July fireworks plunged into the night sky shattering the darkness with colored lasers, diamond, sapphire and emerald mists into the velvet inks of space.
Warren Haynes appeared like a raging tsunami playing his guitar as if it was an extension of himself, while he and the band featured songs from Pink Floyd in “The Dark Side of the Mule” joining in on the celebration of the legendary album’s 50th anniversary. Giving the Floyd songs a “Mule” type vibe their set list included “Have A Cigar”, “Breathe”, “Money”, “Great Gig in the Sky”, “Shine on You Crazy Diamond” and of course “Comfortably Numb.” The faction also performed the magical “Game Face” and “Time to Confess.”
Way in the back behind drummer Matt Abts, and across the stage from husband, Danny Louis, Mule’s, keyboardist extraordinaire ….stood the beautiful back-up singer Machan Taylor whose voice was so poetically possessed and impressive I just had to call attention to her. Machan toured with Pink Floyd and a barrage of others including: The Glenn Miller Orchestra, George Benson, Foreigner, Pat Benatar, Aretha Franklin, Billy, Joel, Natalie Merchant, and others. She’s also an accomplished musician, and is in the process of writing her memoirs. Machan killed it! Her voice like that of liquid mathematics, or perfumed smoke, resonated through the air, like a kaleidoscope of colors on the horizon.
The members of the band who ignited the spark that set the heavens on fire were frontman Warren Haynes on vocals and guitar, Danny Louis on keys, Matt Abts playing the drums, Kevin Scott on bass, Jackie Green on guitar, keys, and Vox, Ron Holloway on sax, and along with Machan Taylor, Sophia Ramos doing a sublime job on Vox. Gov’t Mule was born in 1994 as an offsring of the Allman Brothers Band by Warren Haynes and bassist Allen Woody. Since then, they have gathered an enormous conglomerate of fans who follow them loyally from every state in the union. They continue to play the main stage as headlining band at Festivals throughout the country and will be bringing in the New Year at The Beacon Theater in New York City.
Check out other tour dates, you will love this show!!!
