In praise of Dark Side of the Mule and JBLZE

Earlier this past August, a friend and I ventured to Charlotte, NC to witness what may be the ultimate tribute bands of their genre. I’m speaking about Government Mule paying homage to Pink Floyd along with the Jason Bonham Led Zepplin Experience (JBLZE) performing together at the PNC Arena just north of Charlotte. The two bands are on the road together this summer at a venue near you, hopefully.  It was a warm August evening and the crowd was amongst the smallest crowds that I have been in at this venue and other similar amphitheaters in over ten years. Unfortunately, we bought our tickets early in the process and learned that leading up to the show, they were selling open seats near me for $25. These seats under the roof dropped in value by 80%! But let’s not dwell on the promoters’ loss and enjoy the show’s recap.

Leading off the evening was the JBLZE. They were fronted by Jason Bonham, whose dad, John, laid down the beat for Led Zepplin in their Hall of Fame career. Jason has assembled a band whose sound draws some interesting comparisons to their legendary inspirations.  Jason was joined onstage by lead vocalist James Dylan, who has Plant’s voice and tone without the flowing locks. However, lead guitarist Jimmy Sakura has Jimmy Page’s locks and his guitar prowess. With sunglasses on for most of their performance, he looked like a slightly taller version of 1970’ s Jimmy Page looks. Rounding out the rhythm section was bassist Dorian Heartsong and multi-instrumentalist Alex Howland.

Over the course of an hour, we were feted by Zepplin hits and B-sides. You could hear it in their sound that these guys were really enjoying themselves. The band spanned the career of Led Zepplin, mixing in slower ballads (California) with their signature, driving sound (Rock and Roll). The crowd was up and dancing for the entire set, inspired by the excellent sound.

The production this evening was prompt and appreciated. After a 30-minute break, Government Mule took to the stage and proceeding to offer a half dozen Mule tunes, including two form their newest album, “Peace like a River.” Heck, they had a captive audience and they would like to sell some new music to an adoring crowd. So, why not?!

The current band consists of Warren Haynes on lead guitar and vocals, Matt Abbs on drums, longtime keyboardist Danny Lewis and newcomer Kevin Scott on bass. Ron Holloway joins on sax throughout the show. When they turned the corner, they began the Dark Side of the show with Shine on you, Crazy Diamond, and proceeded to march their way through the song list below.

  1. Stone Cold Rage
  2. Rocking Horse
  3. Revolution Come, Revolution Go
  4. Shake Our Way Out
  5. Made My Peace
  6. After the Storm

          Dark Side of the Mule: ___________________________

Courtesy of Setlistfm.com.

Warren Haynes is arguably the most sought-after musician playing rock and roll today. He came to prominence when he was recruited by Dicky Betts, who he eventually replaced, in the Allman Bros. band and played with them for more than 20 years. Joining him in the ABB was Allen Woody on bass who went on to found Government Mule together. The Mule started out as a side project of Haynes and Woody but it soon came to prominence of its own.  When the Allman Bros. band eventually decided to retire in 2014, Warren made Gov’t. Mule their main game. Warren also had a stint with The Dead, in the early 2000s and has shown his love for all things Jerry Garcia throughout his career.

Personally, I first heard Warren Haynes perform Shine on you Crazy Diamond with The Dead in 2004 at this very same amphitheater. His version inspired me to revisit the Floyd catalogue. This led us to this show where he performed sixteen PF songs, including two encores in a two hour and thirty-minute performance. The accompanying light show brought a shower of images which pulsated and changed every few seconds. The color and shade of the lights was very tantalizing and added a unique sensation to every song. The tunes were meticulously recreated with a sound and energy that permeated your pores. If you’re a Floyd fan, this was as good as it was going to get these days. The light show demonstrated the possibility that this music offered. If you’re a Floyd fan, this is as strong a performance of the original music being offered around the country. I was captivated by the recreated sound!

#darksideofthemule #jblze #pncarenacharlotte #governmentmule

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