By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times
Gov’t Mule
When Gov’t Mule headlines a show on November 1 at The Met (858 North Broad Street, Philadelphia, http://themetphilly.com), the band’s fans will be in for a special treat.
Every year, Gov’t Mule plays a special show at the end of October — Mule-O-Ween.
Gov’t Mule — Warren Haynes – guitar, lead vocals (1994–present), Matt Abts – drums, percussion, vocals (1994–present), Danny Louis – keyboards, guitar, trumpet, vocals (2002–present) and Kevin Scott – bass (2022–present) – has a long-standing tradition of performing annual Halloween tribute-themed shows.
It is usually a one-night event on All Hallow’s Eve. This year, it stretches out over two nights with a show in Washington, D.C. on October 31 and November 1 in Philadelphia.
“We’re doing Mule-O-Ween on Friday and Saturday this week,” said Haynes, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon from a tour stop in New Haven, Connecticut.
“Normally, Mule-O-Ween is just one night. But when it’s on a weekend — Friday and Saturday – we do two nights.
“With Mule-O-Ween, we play two sets. The first set is 90 minutes of Gov’t Mule songs. Then, we take a break and come back with a special 75-minute themed set.
“Some of our Mule-O-Ween themed sets in the past have been Black Sabbath, Traffic, “Who’s Next,” Neil Young, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin and Free.”
This year’s 75-minute themed set will feature the music of Aerosmith.
“This is our first time to do Aerosmith,” said Haynes. “We’ll be focusing on the first four albums by Aerosmith.
“We get ready by rehearsing on the bus and at venues during sound check. This year’s preparation has been going on for a few weeks.”
Aerosmith’s first four albums were “Aerosmith,” “Get Your Wings,” “Toys in the Attic” and “Rocks.”
Best-selling hits from the quartet of LPs included “Dream On,” “Same Old Song and Dance,” “Sweet Emotion,” “Walk This Way” and “Back in the Saddle.”
The opening act for Gov’t Mule at The Met will be Corey Glover, the former frontman for Living Colour.
“Corey will open for us and then join us for the Aerosmith set,” said Haynes. “We’re doing 11 Aerosmith songs. I’ll sing half of them and Corey will sing the other half.”
Gov’t Mule’s first set will feature songs from the band’s current “Back In The Saddle Tour,” the band’s first big tour run since February 2024.
The first leg of the 29-date outing included five co-headlining shows with longtime friends Tedeschi Trucks Band. The second leg of the headlining tour launched October 10 in Bowling Green, Kentucky and included a stop at Santander Arena in Reading earlier this week.
“We’ll do three more shows after this weekend and then take most of November and part of December off,” said Haynes. “Then, we’ll do out annual New Year’s Eve shows at the Beacon Theater in New York.
Gov’t Mule is still touring its “Peace…Like A River” album which was released in 2023. Haynes also has been doing shows in support of his “Million Voices Whisper” album which was released last year.
“It’s been a long year – for sure,” said Haynes. “I’ve been bouncing back and forth with the Warren Haynes Band and with Gov’t Mule.
“This is the 30th anniversary of our first album from 1995. After Allen Woody died in 2000, we became a quartet. We were a trio up to that point. After Woody died, it seemed natural to be a quartet.
“Our new bass player Kevin Scott joined about three years ago. Right now, we have Terrence Higgins on drums filling in for Matt Abts. Matt is 60 years old, and he’s been having back problems.”
Despite being a band for three decades with more than 20 studio albums, Gov’t Mule has never gotten in a rut – never been satisfied with doing the same thing over and over again.
“We play a different set list every night – always have,” said Haynes. “Sometimes, we’ll do three or four shows in a row without repeating a song.
“We’re doing a lot of stuff from early records. We keep track of what we’ve played in every city and never repeat songs from previous shows.”
Keeping track of set lists is much easier now that we’re in the digital age.
“We had a big blue binder with every set list, and we’d consult it prior to every show,” said Haynes. “Thankfully, we don’t have to do that now. With 30 years of concert set lists, it would be tough.”
So, fans attending this weekend’s show at The Met will hear nothing but songs they’ve never heard performed live by the band before – and a treasure trove of songs from Steven Tyler and Joe Perry’s catalog.
Video link for Gov’t Mule – https://youtu.be/qyUvxFokkiE.
The show at The Met on November 1, which has Cory Glover as the opening act, will start at 7:30 p.m.
Ticket prices start at $34.25.
Other upcoming shows at the venue are Jon Batiste on October 30, Of Monsters and Men on November 4 and Jon Legend on November 5.
On October 31, the focus at Jamey’s House of Music (32 South Lansdowne Avenue, Lansdowne, 215-477-9985,www.jameyshouseofmusic.com) will be on Early Times.
Renaissance Man Early Times
Despite the name, this is not a show looking at happenings in the past. It is a show featuring modern day Renaissance Man Early Times (yes, that is his real name).
On Friday night, Early Times will take the stage at Jamey’s with the High Rollers, his NYC-based band which specializes in original rock and soul music.
Times is a native of Sacramento, California. While performing in and around California’s state capital, Times was awarded Best Guitarist in the Sacramento Music Awards.
Times helped usher in a new wave of broadcasting as he was tapped to help start Sirius Satellite Radio. He hosted a daily show on Sirius Blues from the channel’s opening until its closing.
After some time away from broadcasting, Early was once again brought on to help the blues channel, now branded as B.B. King’s Bluesville, where he currently hosts a daily program.
In addition, he hosts a three-hour show four days per week playing classic rock on Deep Tracks. He also has his own blues-centric station called Piranha.
As a recording artist, Times has released a number of well-received albums including “Hit and Run,” “The Corner,” “Electric City,” “Zodiac Griot” and recently released “Fallen Angels.”
“I grew up in Sacramento, and I’ve been into music my whole life,” said Times, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon from his home in upstate New York.
“As a kid, I listened to my parents’ stack of 45s – Little Richard, Chuck Berry, acts like that. I started playing guitar when I was 12 and I got full into it.
“When I was 14 and a freshman in high school, I had a band, and we played parties and began making money. It was off-and-running from that point.
“In high school, I got more heavily into the blues. I saw B.B. King play when I was 15 or 16. I also saw Bo Diddley and John Lee Hooker with a full band.
“I was especially impressed with B.B. King. There was something really remarkable about his show.
“After high school, I was touring around a little. In my early 20s, I toured around England for a few months.”
Now, Times is known around the country for his uniquely individual musical style.
“In Sacramento, I was playing six or seven nights a week,” said Times. “I was playing blues clubs and jazz venues. I was doing rock shows and acoustic shows.
“All that stuff has paid off. I toured with E.C. Scott and did a couple records with her.”
Times joined E.C. Scott’s band and toured internationally and recorded two CDs with E.C. for the Blind Pig Label – “Hard Act to Follow” and “Masterpiece.”
While in Sacramento, Times operated Fantasia Music, a record label that had international distribution through Bayside. He released “Society for the Misunderstood” (Best CD in Sac This Week), “Hobo Deluxe” (Best CD nomination Sacramento Area Music Awards). “The Comedown” (Best CD nomination Sacramento Area Music Awards), and “Tickle Your Fancy.”
During his time in Sacramento, he received an unprecedented 10 nominations in the Sacramento Area Music Awards (Sammies), more than any other artist in the area. These nominations were for Best Rock Musician/Vocalist (multiple); Best Singer/Songwriter; Best Rock Band; Best Blues Band; Best Local CD (multiple); Early was also the recipient of the Critics’ Choice Award as Sacramento’s Best Guitarist.
“I moved to New York from Sacramento in 1998,” said Times. “I was in Manhattan for a long time and then Queens. Now, I live in upstate New York.”
Times operates Manhattan Recording and Dealer’s Choice Records out of his New York studio. There, he recorded his latest album, “Fallen Angels,” which was produced by Jay Messina.
“This was my first album that I also released on vinyl,” said Times, a highly respected guitarist and songwriter. “There’s something special about recordings on vinyl.
“On this album, I played all organ. I downplayed guitar and did more organ solos. I didn’t want to keep doing the same thing over and over again.
“I get a little restless if I’m doing the same thing. I have a couple projects that are different. I have a solo acoustic album that’s almost finished.”
Times’ previous album was “Zodiac Griot.”
“I made that album last year with a jazz trio – a drummer, a Hammond organ player and me,” said Times. “It had all original songs.”
Now, Times is returning to Jamey’s.
“I’ve played Jamey’s three times so far,” said Times. “It’s a great place to play. It has a great sound system — and the food is wonderful.
“My band will be organ, bass, drums and me on guitar. We’ll be doing original musis and an occasional cover. We’ll be playing songs from ‘Fallen Angels,’ ‘Electric City’ and ‘The Corner.’
“This will be my last date of the year. Next, I’m going into the studio. I have two or three projects I’m working on. I’ll get back on the road in the spring.”
Video link for Early Times — https://youtu.be/ervG_aHw1W0.
The show at Jamey’s on October 31 will start at 8 p.m.
Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door.
The show is also available on pay-per-view for $15.45.
Other upcoming shows at Jamey’s are Tracy Grammer on November 1 and The Philly Blues Kings featuring Clarence Spady on November 2.
The wait is over.
After waiting a long time for a new album by the Humbleman Band to drop, the group’s fans will see their patience rewarded on November 1 when the band performs a “Record Release Show” at the Black Squirrel Club (1049 Sarah Street, Philadelphia, blacksquirrelclub.com).
The band will mark the official release of “Looking Up,” an album that was several years in the making.
Humbleman Band is one of the Philadelphia area’s longest-running rock bands — and a band which has been involved in projects all over the country.
Humbleman Band’s current line-up is Charlie Cooper – writer, vocals, guitar; Wain Ballard – lead guitar; Kim Alexander – vocals; Boz Heinly – bass; and Buck Buchannan – drums.
“We’ll be playing all the songs from the new album,” said “Cholly” Cooper, during a phone interview from his home in Germantown.
“There are 14 songs on the record, and this will be the first time we’ve played some of them live.”
There will also be an added attraction.
“We’re also going to be playing a new song that was just written and is not on the album,” said Cooper, one of several musicians to come from the Norristown area along with a pair of late jazz greats — bassist Jaco Pastorius and Hammond legend Jimmy Smith.
“The song is called ‘No Kings’ and was inspired by the recent ‘No Kings’ events.”
The band has been around for more than a quarter-century.
“Humbleman Band was formed in 1999,” said Cooper. “We get along really well musically and as friends. We have a lot of respect for each other.”
Humbleman Band is not very prolific when it comes to releasing albums.
“We seem to have a cycle of putting out an album every five years,” said Cooper. “We put out an album a few years ago called ‘Least Bad of Humbleman 1984-2009.’ That album was a 25-year compilation starting with our days in 1984 as a punk band called The Proles.”
The band released its albums “Late Bloom” in fall 2014 and “Beautiful Day” in November 2018.
Humbleman Band, a rock band that is socially conscious, features songs that band members have written and arranged – songs with lyrics inspired by current events.
“We just finished wrapping up our next album which has been two years in the making,” said Cooper. “We went into the studio a few months ago.
“We recorded the rhythm section in a big studio — Rittenhouse Soundworks in Germantown. Then we did the overdubs at our home studio, J-Street Studios.
“The last recordings happened in March. Then we sent it to Rittenhouse Sound for mixing and mastering.”
The LP, which has an up-tempo feel and an uplifting vibe, is the band’s best recording yet.
“The title track – “Looking Up” – showcases the group’s optimism with lyrics such as, “Not so bad, could be worse, could be surrounded by flowers in the back of some hearse” and “Things are looking more up, my friend, that’s how I’m feelin’ today.”
Humbleman Band has consistently delivered social commentary and positive messages, often with humor and a light touch, using spoken word lyrics, and generally delivered with dance beat arrangement.
Video link for Humbleman Band — https://youtu.be/01Clk69MaAU.
The show at the Black Squirrel on November 1 will start at 7:30 p.m. with opening act Reverend Chris.
Tickets are $10.
Other upcoming shows at the venue are Lizdelise, Lexxie Mathis and Elly Kace on October 30, Root Settaz: All Hallows Reggae Bash on October 31 and Philly Roda de Samba e Choro on November 2.
Kennett Flash (102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square, 484-732-8295, http://www.kennettflash.org) is hosting the Dale Melton Trio on November 2.
Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center (226 North High Street, West Chester, www.uptownwestchester.org) will present a screening of “Nosferatu” with a live soundtrack by Not So Silent Cinema on October 30.
Elkton Music Hall (107 North Street, Elkton, Maryland, www.elktonmusichall.com) will host The Dude Ranch and Meatfits on October 31, Winslow on November 1 and Parker Barrow on November 5.
