REVIEW: Gov't Mule and Tedeschi Trucks define the best of live music at SPAC
09/05 @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center
Photos by Debi Gustafson
“Throughout the night I watched the band members exchanging smiles, their joy radiating through the crowd. Both bands embodied what it means to feel the music, not just play it, from the head to their toes.”
The Mule returned to SPAC for the first time since 2023 for a special co-headlining show with Tedeschi Trucks Band. Each band played for two hours, cementing their reputations as two of the best live touring bands in the world today.
The night began with Nolan Taylor, whose beautiful songwriting, voice, and acoustic picking, set the stage for and acknowledged the folk, singer-songwriter roots of the headliners. Taylor’s storytelling painted pictures of struggle, heartbreak, and hope, reflecting American daily life.
Then, Gov’t Mule once again defined live music with their extended jams, improvisations, and audience connection. It was a pleasure to see the chemistry between Warren Haynes, Danny Louis, Kevin Scott, and Terence Higgins, communicating with each other through their smiles and glances and following each other’s intuitive cues. From the audience you could feel the music flowing through them. The setlist featured songs spanning all 30 years, drawing from albums like By a Thread, Deja Voodoo, Heavy Load Blues, Dub Side of the Mule, Mighty High, Dose, Peace… Like A River, and Life Before Insanity.
Their reggae-infused cover of Al Green’s “I’m a Ram” got us all on our feet. Haynes then highlighted his songwriting power with “Fallen Down,” that went into “The Other One” by the Grateful Dead intro and then “Gimme Shelter” by the Rolling Stones outro, a breathtaking sequence that left the audience in awe.
The band delivered a forceful rendition of “Mule,” with the crowd singing the lyrics “Where’s my Mule? Where’s my 40 acres? Where’s my dream? Mr. Emancipator.” 30 years after its release, the song still resonates deeply amid today's ongoing struggles for social justice, equality and freedom. Mule closed with “Soulshine,” a moving anthem about hope and resilience which was a joy to experience live.
Tedeschi Trucks Band took the stage next, showcasing one of the most powerful sounds of any touring band today. Susan Tedeschi, Derek Trucks, Mike Mattison, Gabe Dixon, Brandon Boone, Tyler “Falcon” Greenwell, Isaac Eady, Alecia Chakour, Mark Rivers, Kebbi Williams, Emmanuel Echem, and Elizabeth Lea delivered a set with passion.
The set featured a beautiful duet between Tedeschi and Dixon on “I Am the Moon,” their voices harmonizing seamlessly, and covers of blues classics, “How Blue Can You Get” and “I Feel So Bad”.
Every band member put their whole body and soul into this show, especially the drummers who had sweat-drenched foreheads even on a cool September night, as they drove the rhythm for the full two-hour set. TTB brought back the drum solo, with both Greenwell and Eady jamming for extended time giving everything they had, as Derek Trucks turned his back to the audience to watch these drummers with full attention and a big smile.
The night ended with two rare and unforgettable collaborations. Warren Haynes and Danny Louis joined Tedeschi Trucks on stage for “Spanish Moon” (a Little Feat cover), featuring an incredible bass solo by Boone. Trucks and Haynes riffed off each other, communicating in their own language built from decades of history. The jam felt like it could have gone on forever. Then “Key to the Highway,” famously covered by Eric Clapton and Duane Allman on Derek and the Dominos’ Layla album, with verses sung by Tedeschi, Haynes, Mattison, and an instrumental “verse” sung through Trucks’ screaming slide guitar. It was a perfect ending to a full moon night. It was a pleasure to see these former Allman Brothers bandmates playing together and showing their legendary ability to express themselves and communicate with the guitar.
Throughout the night I watched the band members exchanging smiles, their joy radiating through the crowd. Both bands embodied what it means to feel the music, not just play it, from the head to their toes. This show was not a performance, but an experience and a masterclass in connecting with an audience through art. Each improvisation was a reminder that live music is about presence, collaboration, and shared emotion.
