Gov't Mule (pronounced Government Mule) is a southern rock/jam band formed in 1994 as an Allman Brothers Band side project. They released their debut album Gov't Mule in 1995. Gov't Mule has become a staple act at many music festivals including Bonnaroo, Wakarusa, Mountain Jam, Vegoose, and their annual New Orleans Jazzfest night show.
The first CD with Louis and Hess, Deja Voodoo, was released in September 2004, and additional material from those sessions was released in 2005 as Mo' Voodoo. The new lineup's second full release, High and Mighty, was released on August 22, 2006, and it was followed in 2007 by a dub/reggae album called Mighty High - including versions of classic Mule covers and originals with special guest appearances by Michael Franti, Toots Hibbert, and Willi Williams.
Gov't Mule continues to tour extensively and have become staple acts at many music festivals including Bonnaroo, Wakarusa, Mountain Jam, Vegoose, All Good, and their annual New Orleans Jazzfest night show (where they filmed and recorded the last show of the Deepest End tours, with 17 guest musicians in a 6 hour show).
Every year since 1989, Warren Haynes hosts the Annual Christmas Jam in his hometown of Asheville. Concerts take place over a week-end at the Asheville Civic Center, as a fundraiser for Habitat For Humanity. Many artists who play at the X-Mas Jam also perform separate gigs in various Asheville clubs, usually the day before the Jam proper. The 19th edition took place on December 14-15, 2007 with performances by Kevn Kinney, Grace Potter and The Nocturnals, Shelly Colvin, Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit, Jackson Browne, G. Love, Bruce Hornsby and Peter Frampton among others. Gov't Mule headlined both nights.
On June 28, 2008, Gov't Mule performed as a Power Trio for the first time since 2000, this time with its regular bassist Andy Hess. The band titled their set "Old School Mule" and ran through some of their older songs such as "Wandering Child" and "Thorazine Shuffle."
On September 15, 2008, Stefani Scamardo (Warren Haynes' wife) announced on her Sirius radio show that Andy Hess would be leaving the band and a new bassist would be in place for the fall tour. According to the band's myspace, he will be replaced by Jorgen Carlsson, who has been rehearsing with the band for six months.
