Warren Haynes’ 22nd Christmas Jam: 12/11/2010

First off, I’d like to apologize for the long hiatus. With COVID putting concerts on hold, I just could not bring myself around to posting about past shows. It felt like rubbing salt in a wound. But as vaccines are rolling out and concerts are getting booked again, I feel OK starting to share stories once more.

For this one, we go back to 2010 for the annual Warren Haynes Christmas Jam. For those who need a refresher, the Christmas Jam is a benefit concert in Asheville, NC where all the proceeds go to Habitat for Humanity. This show had a great lineup, with the following headliners:

• Steve Miller Band
• The Warren Haynes Band
• Gregg Allman
• John Bell (from Widespread Panic)
• Umphrey’s McGee
• Dirty Dozen Brass Band
• Missing Cats

In addition to the headliners, there was also a slew of special guests, including: Mike Barnes, Cody Dickinson, Fred Eltringham, Sherman Ewing, Ruthie Foster, Audley Freed, John “JoJo” Hermann, Terence Higgins, Ron Holloway, Ron Johnson, Robert Kearns, Kevn Kinney, Ivan Neville, and Artimus Pyle.

Because this was a general admission show, my friend Terry and her date got there early and secured seats for us. We were straight back, which was OK, but I would have preferred being closer and on the side. Still, the sound was good, and at least I didn’t have to stand outside in the cold for hours, which was a plus.

Not surprising, the high points for me were Steve Miller and Gregg Allman (who even jammed together, which was way cool). Warren’s band was great, as were Umphrey’ McGee and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band. Not a big John Bell fan, but he did perform “Walk on Guilded Splinters” with Gregg Allman, and that was excellent. The only disappointment was that Steve Miller did not play “The Joker,” but everything else made up for that one minor disappointment.

As is always the case with a Christmas Jam, the music went on until the wee hours of the morning. But it was a great time, and thinking about it now, I can say I am itching to see some live music again.

Here are the setlists.

Missing Cats:

• Smiling Assassin
• The Slaughter
• Step On Over Me
• Highwire
• Over Lubbuck

Umphrey’s McGee:

• Conduit
• 1348
• Ain’t No Sunshine w/ John Bell
• Miss Tinkles Overture
• All In Time

The Warren Haynes Band (featuring Warren Haynes, Ivan Neville, Ron Johnson, Terrance Higgins, Ron Holloway, and Ruthie Foster):

• Man In Motion (w/ Andy Farag and The Dirty Dozen Brass Band)
• Rivers Gonna Rise (w/ Andy Farag and The Dirty Dozen Brass Band)
• Everyday Will Be Like A Holiday
• I’ve Been Loving You Too Long (w/ The Dirty Dozen Brass Band)
• Sick Of My Shadow (w/ Andy Farag and The Dirty Dozen Brass Band)

Steve Miller Band:

• Jet Airliner
• Take the Money and Run
• Mercury Blues
• Further On Up The Road (w/ Warren Haynes)
• Just Got Back From Texas
• Ooo Poo Pah Do (w/ Carlos Reyes)
• Shubada (w/ Carlos Reyes)
• Nature Boy (w/ Carlos Reyes)
• Wild Mountain Honey (w/ Carlos Reyes)
• Dance Dance Dance (w/ Carlos Reyes)
• The Stake
• Abracadabra
• Livin’ In The USA
• Fly Like An Eagle (w/ Warren Haynes and Carlos Reyes)

John Bell:

• Dobro Christmas Medley
• Papa’s Home
• May Your Glass Be Filled

Gregg Allman:

• Midnight Rider
• Just Another Rider (w/ Dirty Dozen Band and Ron Holloway)
• Dreams (w/ Ron Holloway)
• Just Like A Woman (w/ John Bell)
• Walk on Guilded Splinters (w/ Dirty Dozen Band and John Bell)
• Melissa (w/ Warren Haynes)
• Lost Highway (w/ Steve Miller)

Dirty Dozen Brass Band:

• Ain’t Nothing By A Part
• Papa Was A Rolling Stone (w/ Warren Haynes)
• Thats What Love Will Make You Do (w/ Ron Johnson and Warren Haynes)
• Spanish Moon (w/ Warren Haynes, Ron Johnson, Ivan Neville, and Artimus Pyle)
• Superstitious (w/ John Bell and Ron Holloway)
• Use Me (w/ Warren Haynes, John Bell, and Ron Holloway)

Warren Haynes 18th Christmas Jam: 12/16/2006

This Christmas Jam was a strange one, with some highs and some lows. Also, things on a personal level were very unsettled at the time, so that affected the overall experience.

The lineup was pretty solid:

• Dave Matthews
• Gov’t Mule
• The John Popper Project Featuring DJ Logic
• Marty Stuart and his Fabulous Superlatives
• New Orleans Social Club (featuring Henry Butler, Leo Nocentelli, Ivan Neville, George Porter & Raymond Weber)
• Taj Mahal Trio
• Special Guests: Mike Barnes, Brendan Bayliss, Randall Bramblett, Audley Freed, Col. Bruce Hampton, Taylor Hicks, Kevn Kinney, Branford Marsalis, Mickey Raphael, Dave Schools

I was really psyched to see Branford Marsalis. He is a virtuoso on the saxophone, and I had really high expectations of him jamming with various groups.

I guess I should address the low points first. John Popper’s group was pretty boring. He is a great harmonica player, but something about him as a frontman just doesn’t spark excitement for me. The other weakness in this show was Dave Matthews. Although I like Matthews, he was totally sick at this show, obviously fighting the flu. He was struggling to sing, and actually had to stop midsong once to get a drink and catch his breath. I give him a lot of credit for getting up there in such condition, but it did not make for a great performance.

As far as the high points, Branford and Taylor Hicks jamming with New Orleans Social Club was mind-blowing. Hicks, the American Idol winner, played harmonica alongside Marsalis, and the look of admiration and awe on Taylor’s face of getting to jam with Branford was priceless. Branford also performed a killer sax solo on “Low Spark of High Heeled Boys.”

The last thing I want to say is that Marty Stuart and his Fabulous Superlatives were awesome. I had seen Marty solo at the Christmas Jam, just sitting in on mandolin, but to see him with his full band was really great. They were really top notch musicians and their entire set was flawless.

I was only able to locate the setlists for Dave Matthews and Gov’t Mule, so here they are. If anyone has any other setlists from this show, feel free to post them in the comments section.

Dave Matthews:

• Bartender
• Grace Is Gone
• #40
• Save Me
• So Damn Lucky
• Smooth Rider (aborted)
• Gravedigger
• Crush
• Long Black Veil

 

Gov’t Mule:

Set I

• Cortez the Killer (w Dave Matthews)
• All Along the Watchtower (w Dave Matthews)
• Reggae Soulshine
• Brand New Angel
• Unring the Bell
• Leaving Trunk

Set II

• Sco-Mule
• Mule
• Sugaree
• I Shall Be Released
• Time to Confess
• 3 String George
• Child of the Earth
• Devil Likes It Slow
• The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys
• I Shall Be Released

Trans-Siberian Orchestra: 11/26/2019

This was the first concert I had attended in a while. The past few months have been challenging: relocation issues and the passing of a loved one just a couple of the major things. As such, hitting concerts was not a priority. But things are settling a bit, so my wife and I decided to go see Trans-Siberian Orchestra at the SAP Center (affectionately called the Shark Tank since it’s home to the San Jose Sharks hockey team). I’d never seen them before and heard they put on a killer stage show, so I figured it would be worth checking them out.

We had lower level seats, pretty much straight back. I figured this would be a good spot to appreciate the lasers and pyrotechnics (I was correct in my assumption). The show started almost on time, and there was no opening act, just TSO.

So the first half of the show was Christmas Eve and Other Stories, and was comprised of about 15 songs, very much in the Christmas spirit. I have to say, if I’m being honest, I found it a little too hokey for my tastes. It was like being strapped in a chair and made to watch Hallmark Holiday Programming for an hour straight (note that Hallmark Channel sponsored the tour). My wife said it felt like being in a mega-church. So while there were some cool parts, overall, I was not impressed with the first half.

Thankfully, they redeemed themselves in the second half.

The second half was chock full of classical hits (Grieg, Mozart, Beethoven, etc.) amped up with wailing guitars reminiscent of Judas Priest. And the light show was mind-blowing! There was even a massive Tesla coil shooting out flames and bolts of electricity that crackled in time to the musical pieces.

So on the whole, I liked the show. I would even consider seeing them again, but only if it was not around the holidays. I would love to see a performance that was all hard rock interpretations of classical music. That kind of stuff brings out the prog rock fan in me.

Here are some pictures I snapped from the show, along with the setlist. Hope your holidays rock!

 

Setlist:

• Who I Am
• An Angel Came Down
• Come All Ye Faithful / O Holy Night
• The Prince of Peace
• First Snow
• A Mad Russian’s Christmas
• Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24)
• Good King Joy
• Ornament
• Old City Bar
• Promises to Keep
• This Christmas Day
• An Angel Returned
• Epilogue
• The Storm / The Mountain
• Handful of Rain
• Mozart/Figaro
• Christmas Canon Rock
• Wizards in Winter
• Can You Hear Me Now
• Beethoven
• Believe
• Wish Liszt (Toy Shop Madness)
• Requiem (The Fifth)
• Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24) (Reprise)

Warren Haynes 25th Christmas Jam – Second Night: 12/14/2013

After a long night of music on the first night of the Jam, I rested up and felt ready for the second night’s festivities. The headliners for the second night were:

• Aquarium Rescue Unit
• O.A.R.
• Michael Franti & Friends
• Gregg Allman & Friends
• Grace Potter & The Nocturnals
• Gov’t Mule
• Xmas Jam Band

In addition, there was a nice array of special guests: Craig Sorrells, Bill Evans, Roosevelt Collier, Casey Driessen, Mike Seal, Dr. Dan Matrazzo, Billy Thornton, Ron Holloway, Mike Barnes, Ron Johnson, Jeff Sipe, Audley Freed, Count M’Butu, and John Scofield.

I had seen all the main acts before, with the exception of Aquarium Rescue Unit and O.A.R. I was totally unfamiliar with O.A.R., but had heard of them. I have to say, they were really good. Their version of Led Zeppelin’s “Fool in the Rain” with Warren Haynes sitting in on guitar was excellent.

Of all the bands performing that night, I was most excited about Aquarium Rescue Unit. I’d seen Col. Bruce Hampton several times, and was pretty psyched to see the classic ARU reunited for a live performance. They did not disappoint at all, even though my expectations were high. They totally jammed from beginning to end. Unfortunately, this would be my last time seeing Col. Bruce. Just a few years later, he would die in a way that every musician dreams about. He was on stage with a stellar list of musicians, celebrating his 70th birthday with a concert at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta. While jamming with his friends, in the middle of performing the Grateful Dead’s “Lovelight” as an encore, he collapsed on stage and died. Here is the Jambase article about his death. When I go, I hope it’s like that; guitar in hand and surrounded by my friends.

Anyway, back to the Christmas Jam.

The rest of the night was incredible. It had to be to keep me up until 3:00 am again. While ARU was the highlight for me as far as bands go, the definite high point of the entire night was when Gregg Allman kicked off his set with “Statesboro Blues.” I can’t think of a better Allman Brothers’ tune to open a set.

Speaking of sets, I could not find all the setlists, but here are the ones I was able to locate. Rock on!

Setlists:

Warren Haynes and Craig Sorrells

• Hope She’ll Be Happier

O.A.R.

• About Mr. Brown
• Dareh Meyod
• Black Rock
• Fool in the Rain (with Warren Haynes)
• Peace
• Heaven
• That Was a Crazy Game of Poker

Aquarium Rescue Unit

• Fixin’ to Die
• Elevator to the Moon
• Basically Frightened
• Compared to What
• Yield Not to Temptation (with Bill Evans and Roosevelt Collier)
• Space Is the Place (with Warren Haynes, Casey Driessen, Roosevelt Collier, Bill Evans, Mike Seal, Dan Matrazzo, Billy Thornton, Ron Hollaway)
• Right Now (with Ron Holloway, Mike Seal, Casey Driessen, Roosevelt Collier, Bill Evans, Ike Stubblefield, Billy Thornton, Craig Sorrell)

Michael Franti & Friends

• I Got Love for You
• I Don’t Wanna Go
• The Sound of Sunshine (with Mike Barnes)
• 11.59 (with Mike Barnes)
• Let It Go
• Life Is Better With You (with Warren Haynes, Artimus Pyle, and Chris Pyle)
• Say Hey (I Love You)
• Hey World

Grace Potter & The Nocturnals

• Medicine >
• The Divide >
• Big White Gate
• Stop the Bus >
• Paris (Ooh La La) >
• The Lion the Beast the Beat >
• Nothing but the Water
• Gimme Some Lovin’

Gregg Allman & Friends

(Gregg Allman, Warren Haynes, Audley Freed, Ron Johnson, Jeff Sipe, Count M’Butu)

• Statesboro Blues
• Just Another Rider (with Bill Evans, Ron Holloway, Craig Sorrells , Greg Hollowell)
• Soulshine (with Bill Evans, Ron Holloway, Craig Sorrells, Greg Hollowell)
• Stormy Monday
• Dreams (with Oteil Burbridge, Bill Evans)
• One Way Out  (with Oteil Burbridge)

Gov’t Mule

• Hottentot (with John Scofield and Dr. Dan Matrazzo)
• Doing It to Death (with John Scofield and Dr. Dan Matrazzo)
• Sco-Mule (with John Scofield, Dr. Dan Matrazzo, Ron Holloway)
• Kind of Bird (with John Scofield and Bill Evans)
• Whisper in Your Soul (with Grace Potter)
• Gold Dust Woman (with Grace Potter)

Warren Haynes 25th Christmas Jam – First Night: 12/13/2013

The 25th annual Christmas Jam to benefit Habitat for Humanity was a milestone event, and as such, was extended to two nights and featured an array of amazing musicians. I, of course, had to go both nights.

The first night featured a solid list of headliners:

• Warren Haynes & Ray Sisk
• Gov’t Mule
• Love Canon
• Keb’ Mo’
• John Scofield and the Uberjam Band
• Gregg Allman
• Phil Lesh Quintet
• Widespread Panic

In addition to the headline acts, the show also included the following special guests: Ike Stubblefield, Randall Bramblett, Birdland, Jay Bowman, Ron Holloway, Ron Johnson, Casey Driessen, and Jeff Sipe.

As a die-hard Grateful Dead fan, I was most excited to see Phil Lesh. And while he played a great set, I felt somewhat sad at the end. Basically, whenever Phil sang, he just seemed weary, like the years were finally catching up with him. It did not come as a surprise that he essentially stopped touring after this, only playing an occasional show on the East Coast and basically playing at Terrapin Crossroads, a club he owns in San Raphael. I guess that seeing Phil looking old made me feel old too.

I’m pretty sure that Gregg Allman played a short acoustic set with Warren during this first night, but I could not find a setlist to confirm that.

On to Widespread Panic. They are one of those bands who, like Primus, I feel that I should like, but I really am just not crazy about. And as the clock was nearing 2:00 am, my tolerance for them plummeted real fast. I ended up leaving the show about halfway through their set. I knew I would have another long night of music the next day, so I wasn’t going to wear myself out staying up for a band that I just wasn’t that interested in.

Anyway, here are the setlists that I was able to find online. Check back soon for my memories from the second night.

Setlists:

Warren Haynes & Ray Sisk

• Glory Road

Keb’ Mo’

• France
• More Than One Way Home
• Government Cheese
• Every Morning (with John Scofield)
• Perpetual Blues Machine (with John Scofield)
• Shave Yo’ Legs

Phil Lesh Quintet

• Celebration >
• Playing in the Band >
• China Cat Sunflower >
• I Know You Rider
• Night of 1000 Stars
• Mountains of the Moon >
• St. Stephen >
• The Other One >
• Over the Rainbow >
• The Other One
• Terrapin Station

Widespread Panic

• Disco >
• Papa’s Home (with Count M’Butu) >
• Up All Night
• Worry
• None of Us Are Free
• Surprise Valley >
• Ride Me High (with Randall Bramblett) >
• Drums >
• Surprise Valley
• Expiration Day
• Angels on High (with Warren Haynes and Randall Bramblett)
• Jesus Just Left Chicago (with Warren Haynes)
• Ain’t Life Grand

Gov’t Mule

• World Boss
• Mother Earth
• Opium (with Bill Evans and Ike Stubblefield)
• Scared to Live
• Game Face (with ‘Mountain Jam’ snippet)
• Captured
• Funny Little Tragedy (with ‘Message in a Bottle’ quote) >
• Thorazine Shuffle (reprise)

Warren Haynes 21st Christmas Jam: 12/12/2009

Another year, and another Christmas Jam. This one was special for me because my wife and I took our older daughter, along with some of her friends. This was the only Christmas Jam that she attended with us, and I have great memories of how excited she and her friends were.

The lineup for this show was a little more eclectic than most jams. The main acts included:

• Counting Crows
• Ani DiFranco
• Gov’t Mule
• moe.
• George Porter Jr.
• Eric Krasno
• Nigel Hall & Adam Deitch
• Stax Records Legend William Bell

In addition, there was a nice group of guest musicians who augmented the headliners.

Special Guests:

• Aerosmith’s Brad Whitford
• Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews
• Jeff Austin
• Mike Barnes
• DJ Logic
• Jackie Greene
• Col. Bruce Hampton
• Jimmy Herring of Widespread Panic
• Kevn Kinney
• Collective Soul’s Ed Roland

Counting Crows was definitely cool. They did a cover of The Beatles’ “Golden Slumbers” medley, which was excellent. I also enjoyed Ani DiFranco. She is someone that I probably never would have paid to see by herself, but she was better than I expected. Glad to be able to check her off the list. William Bell was also really great. I wasn’t familiar with him, but was very impressed with his performance.

At one point, I took all the youngsters down onto the floor for a bit, while my wife held the seats. While on the floor, Brad Whitford joined some musicians on stage and did a cool version of “Last Child,” one of my fav songs from Aerosmith’s “Rocks” album. As we were cramped into the floor space, I noticed some older freak offering his pipe to one of the younger girls I was chaperoning. I caught his eye and gave him a look that basically said, “You’ll most regret doing that.” He heeded the silent warning and melted back into the sea of people.

As always, the show went on until the wee hours of the morning. I was not able to find all the setlists, but I found a few. Here are the ones I was able to locate. Rock on!

Setlists:

Ani DiFranco:

• Anticipate
• Untouchable Face
• Manhole
• As Is
• Present/Infant
• Fuel (with Nigel Hall)
• ¿Which Side Are You On? (with Warren Haynes & Jeff Austin)
• Overlap (with Adam Deitch, George Porter Jr., Jeff Austin, Nigel Hall, Warren Haynes, Eric Krasno & Xmas Jam)

Counting Crows:

• Round Here
• Golden Slumbers / Carry That Weight / The End
• Miami
• Goodnight L.A.
• 1492
• Washington Square
• A Long December
• Rain King (with Warren Haynes)
• With a Little Help From My Friends (with Warren Haynes & Jeff Austin)
• Rain King (with Warren Haynes) (reprise)
• This Land Is Your Land (with Warren Haynes)

Ed Roland:

• The World I Know
• Shine

George Porter Jr.:

• Little Old Money Maker
• Leave Me Alone (w/ Trombone Shorty )
• Fire on the Bayou (w/Jimmy Herring, and Xmas Jam Horn Section)
• Hard to Handle (w/William Bell, Audley Freed & Xmas Jam Horn Section)
• Everyday Will Be Like a Holiday (w/William Bell, Warren Haynes, and Audley Freed)
• You Don’t Miss Your Water (w/William Bell, Audley Freed, and Xmas Jam Horn Section)
• Everybody Loves a Winner (w/William Bell, Audley Freed, and Xmas Jam Horn Section)
• Born Under a Bad Sign (w/William Bell, Brad Whitford, Audley Freed, Xmas Jam Horn Section, and Warren Haynes)

Gov’t Mule:

• Broke Down on the Brazos
• Steppin’ Lightly
• Railroad Boy
• Frozen Fear
• Devil Likes It Slow (with Jimmy Herring and Ron Holloway)
• Patchwork Quilt (with Jimmy Herring and Fred Eltringham)
• Sugaree (with Jackie Greene, Jimmy Herring & Fred Eltringham)
• Don’t Let Me Down (with Jackie Greene and Fred Eltringham)
• I Feel Like Breaking Up Somebody’s Home (with Brad Whitford, Ron Holloway & Fred Eltringham)
• Train Kept A-Rollin’ (with Brad Whitford and Fred Eltringham)
• I Shall Be Released

Warren Haynes:

• Wild Horses

moe.:

• Captain America (with DJ Logic)
• Tailspin
• Together at Christmas
• Z0Z (Zed Nought Z)
• Happy Hour Hero (with Jimmy Herring)
• George

Warren Haynes 30th Anniversary Christmas Jam – Second Night: 12/8/2018

The second night of the Christmas Jam was faced with a winter storm, which dumped significant snow on Asheville. Because of the expected difficulties, those who did not feel comfortable venturing out were given the option to stream the show from home. Since I live only about a mile from the venue, I of course went and brought a warm jacket so I could walk home afterwards.

I went with my friend Seth, and we grabbed some barbecue before heading over to the show. When we got there, I was elated to see throngs of scalpers desperately trying to sell off their tickets for below face value in a lame attempt to recoup some of their money. It makes me happy to see scalpers suffering and losing money. I have no sympathy for those vampires who feed off others.

Anyway, the second night boasted a stellar lineup of headline acts:

• Joe Bonamassa
• Jim James
• Dave Grohl and Friends
• Eric Church
• Gov’t Mule

In addition, there were also the guest musicians who graced the stage on the first night of the Jam.

The show began with a collaboration of guest musicians jamming and warming up the crowd. That was followed by Joe Bonamassa, who I was probably the most excited to see. As a guitarist, I was eager to see the blues great perform live. He did not disappoint. After he played, all I could think was that I would hate to be a musician having to follow that guitarist. But, the rest of the show was right up there in caliber.

Sadly, my friend Seth left right after Bonamassa’s set. Snow was already piling up and he was concerned about not being able to make it home. Thankfully, I had other friends who were there, and I made the rounds, sitting with various friends throughout the evening.

There were many high points that night, but probably the best for me was when Gov’t Mule kicked off their set with Neil Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World,” segueing into Hendrix’s “Machine Gun,” then back into “Rockin’ in the Free World,” with Dave Grohl playing guitar with them. UNBELIEVABLE! Here is a video recording on YouTube for those who are interested.

Not long after that, I decided to cut out a little early and start walking home. It was already past 1:00 am, and I knew it would be a cold trudge through the deep snow. But actually, it was kind of nice, in the surreal early morning darkness. Here is a picture I snapped on the walk home.

Here are the setlists from the headline acts. Hope you all have a rockin’ New Year, and may 2019 bring you lots of live music!

Setlists:

Joe Bonamassa:

• Beck’s Bolero >
• Rice Pudding
• Spanish Boots
• SWLABR
• I Can’t Quit You Baby
• How Many More Times

Jim James:

• Just a Fool
• Throwback
• All Over the World
• Here in Spirit
• Over and Over
• Better Get Together While Still Got Time
• No Secrets
• A New Life >
• State of the Art (A.E.I.O.U.)

Dave Grohl:

• Play
• Times Like These (with Warren Haynes)
• Everlong

Eric Church:

• Desperate Man
• Record Year
• Carolina
• Smoke a Little Smoke
• Ain’t Wastin’ Time No More (with Warren Haynes)
• Atlantic City (with Warren Haynes)
• Diddy Wah Diddy (with Warren Haynes)
• The Weight (with Warren Haynes)

Gov’t Mule:

• Rockin’ in the Free World (with Dave Grohl) >
• Machine Gun  (with Dave Grohl) (instrumental) >
• Rockin’ in the Free World (with Dave Grohl)
• Thorazine Shuffle
• Revolution Come, Revolution Go
• Million Miles From Yesterday
• Dreams and Songs
• Red Baron
• Mule

Warren Haynes 30th Anniversary Christmas Jam – First Night: 12/7/2018

The Christmas Jam has become a holiday tradition for me. Every year since I moved to Asheville, NC, I have attended the Jam, and it is always great. This year, Warren held the Jam over two nights, which was consistent with the 20th and 25th. I, of course, planned on going both nights.

Ticket purchasing has become a challenge, even in the small city of Asheville. Scalpers and bots scoop up tickets and resell them through TicketMaster and scalper sites like Stub Hub, making it tough for fans to acquire tickets. For that reason, I went down early in the morning to the box office and was first in line. This proved advantageous, since the box office opened the window 5 minutes prior to when TicketMaster opened the online sales. I got reserved seats for both nights, and then found to my dismay that many of my friends who tried to buy online got shut out, all reserved seats gone in less than 2 minutes. The bots strike again! Now for my quick PSA—Scalpers are scum. No matter how much you want to see a show, don’t ever buy from a “verified reseller” for more than face value. As long as you do, these bottom feeders will continue to ruin music for all of us.

OK, stepping down from the soapbox and getting on with the show.

First night I went with my wife and daughter. The lineup was pretty solid. The headliners included:

• Dark Side of the Mule
• Grace Potter
• Mike Gordon
• Jamey Johnson
• Marco Benevento

In addition, there were a bunch of guest musicians, including: Audley Freed, Jen Gunderman, Joanne Shaw Taylor, Jimmy Vivino, Kevn Kinney, Mike Barnes, Robert Kearns, Ron Holloway, and Tyler Ramsey. There were others who were not announced. Sorry, but don’t remember them all.

The show went on until after 2:00 am, and I think this was the first time my wife made it to the very end. While the entire show was great, Dark Side of the Mule was by far the highlight. Gov’t Mule performed a long Pink Floyd set, complete with lasers and an incredible light show. It was a great way to end a marathon night of music.

The only negative about this night was Jamey Johnson. He was good, and I liked the music he played, but he was painfully loud. Now I am not one to shy away from loud music, so if I consider a band to be too loud, they are probably too loud. He obviously missed the memo that when playing country music, you do not need to turn the amps up to 11. Leave that setting for Spinal Tap.

I could not find all the setlists, but I found a few. I will add others if I find them. Also, I’m including a few pictures that I snapped. And for those who are interested, here is a video of Dark Side of the Mule, with the full on lasers.

Rock on, and check back soon for my post on the second night.

Setlists:

Marco Benevento

• The Story Of Fred Short (Intro) >
• Seven Twenty Two >
• Walking With Tyrone
• Live A Certain Life
• Stay In Line
• I Can’t See The Light >
• Follow The Arrow
• Band Introductions/Banter
• Greenpoint
• Pepper

Mike Gordon

• Say Something
• Whirlwind
• Peel
• Victim > Sweet Emotion
• Pendulum
• Wild and Blue
• Do You Still Drink About Me
• Crazy Sometimes

Grace Potter

• Gold Dust Woman (w Warren Haynes and Jim James)
• Medicine
• Empty Heart
• Not Fade Away > Stars
• The Lion the Beast the Beat
• Paris (Ooh La La)
• I Shall Be Released

Dark Side of the Mule:

• Pigs on the Wing 2
• Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts I-V)
• Have a Cigar
• Breathe
• On the Run
• Time
• Breathe (Reprise)
• The Great Gig in the Sky
• Money
• Us and Them
• (with Jim James on lead vocals)
• Any Colour You Like
• Welcome to the Machine
• One of These Days
• Fearless
• Echoes, Part 1
• Comfortably Numb

Encore:

• Wish You Were Here

 

Warren kicking off the show

 

Mike Gordon

Grace Potter

Dark Side of the Mule

Warren Haynes Christmas Jam – Night Two: 12/13/2008

This was the second night of the 20th Anniversary Christmas Jam. While the first night was long and epic, the second night proved to be even longer and more jam packed.

I basically went solo this night. My wife could only handle one night of jams, but I had friends who were there so I was able to hang out with them for most of the night (although they did leave early, and I stayed to the very end, which was around 4:30 am). The headliners for this night were Steve Earle, Johnny Winter, Coheed and Cambria, Michael Franti, Ben Harper and the Relentless 7, John Paul Jones, and Gov’t Mule. In addition, there was a plethora of guest musicians forming impromptu groups and sitting in with the other bands.

When Warren opened the show, playing an acoustic number with Ruthie Foster, he informed the crowd that there would be something special at the end of the night, and to make sure to stay. I did not need much convincing.

After that, the “Xmas Jam Band” played for a while, playing some great songs and bring up lots of special guests.

Steve Earle played next. He was really good and I gained a whole new level of appreciation for his music.

Not long after Earle, Johnny Winter took the stage. I had seen him once years ago, and it was not his best night, but it felt kind of special to see him this time. He was pretty sickly, and was literally assisted out on the stage and placed in a chair. Then his classic Gibson Firebird was brought out and placed in his hands, and he proceeded to wail. This would be my last time seeing the legendary bluesman, may he rest in peace.

Next up was Coheed & Cambria. I was kind of looking forward to seeing these guys because I’d heard great things about them, but I have to say, I was disappointed. Maybe they were having an off night, but they just didn’t do it for me.

Michael Franti followed, and he got the place on their feet and dancing. John Paul Jones (the great Led Zeppelin bassist), played with him for almost the entire set. While the friends I was did not care for his set, I personally really enjoyed it. Hey, to each their own.

Ben Harper performed next, and he was great. This was my first time seeing him, and he totally lived up to my expectations. The fact that I was still rockin’ in the early morning hours is a testament to his set.

Finally, the closing event of the night: Gov’t Mule’s set. They played a few cover tunes with some guest musicians, and then brought out John Paul Jones to do a mini Zeppelin set to close the night. Totally rocked the house!

It took me a couple days to recover from all that music, but it was well worth the lack of sleep. Here is the full setlist from the night’s multiple performances.

WARREN HAYNES & RUTHIE FOSTER:

• Grinnin’ In Your Face

XMAS JAM BAND (Audley Freed, Jen Gunderman, Buddy Cage, Kevn Kinney, Fiddle Dave, Robert Kearns, Edwin McCain, Mickey Raphael):

• Blues on Top of Blues
• Straight To Hell
• Free Fallin (w/ Patterson Hood)
• Dreams To Remember (w/ Joan Osborne & Horns*)
• TCB (w/ Robben Ford, Joan Osborne, Eric Krasno & Horns*)
• Chain of Fools (w/ Ruthie Foster, Robben Ford, Joan Osborne, Karl Denson, Ron Holloway, Eric Krasno)
• When Something Is Wrong With My Baby (w/ Joan Osborne, Warren Haynes & Horns*)
• Tumblin’ Dice (w/ Ruthie Foster)

* Karl Denson, Ron Holloway, Derrick Johnson, Craig Sorrells

STEVE EARLE:

• Copperhead Road
• Christmas In Washington
• My Old Friend The Blues
• Guitar Town (w/ Warren Haynes)
• Gotta Serve Somebody (w/ Warren Haynes, Steve Earle, Joan Osborne, Travis Tritt & Ruthie Foster)
• Brand New Companion (w/ Mickey Raphael & Warren Haynes)

GROUP SONG:

• Serve Somebody

JOHNNY WINTER:

• Paul Nelson Jam (Intro)
• Hideaway
• Blackjack
• I Used To Love Her But It’s All Over Now (w/ Warren Haynes)
• Mojo Boogie

COHEED AND CAMBIRA:

• No World For Tomorrow
• Gravemakers & Gunslingers
• Mother Superior
• Favor House Atlantic (acoustic)
• I Shall Be Released (w/ Warren Haynes)
• Welcome Home (w/ Warren Haynes)

MICHAEL FRANTI & JAY BOWMAN (FRED ELTRINGHAM ON DRUMS):

• Love Don’t Wait (w/ John Paul Jones, Robben Ford & Mickey Raphael)
• Sweet Little Lies (w/ John Paul Jones, Robben Ford & Mickey Raphael)
• All I Want Is You (w/ John Paul Jones, Robben Ford, Mickey Raphael & Eric Krasno)
• Hey World (w/ John Paul Jones, Robben Ford, Mickey Raphael & Eric Krasno)
• I Got Love For You (w/ John Paul Jones, Robben Ford, Mickey Raphael & Ron Holloway)
• Say Hey

BEN HARPER & RELENTLESS 7:

• Number No Name
• Shimmer
• Lay There
• Better Way
• Fly 1 Time
• Keep It Together
• Dressed In Black
• Boots
• Up To You Now
• Good Times, Bad Times (w/ John Paul Jones)

GOV’T MULE:

• Southern Man (w/ Patterson Hood)
• Lively Up Yourself (w/ Karl Denson & Robben Ford)
• Simple Man (w/ Travis Tritt)
• Livin’ Lovin’ Maid (w/ John Paul Jones)
• Since I’ve Been Loving You (w/ John Paul Jones)
• No Quarter (w/ John Paul Jones on keys & Audley Freed)
• The Ocean (w/ John Paul Jones on bass, Ben Harper & Mike Barnes)
• When The Levee Breaks (w/ Ben Harper & John Paul Jones on bass)

Warren Haynes Christmas Jam: 12/21/2002

This was the first of what would be many Christmas Jams for me. Since this date, I have not missed a single Christmas Jam (15 years so far, and counting). The Christmas Jam is a benefit concert hosted by Warren Haynes and happens each year in his hometown of Asheville, NC. All money goes to Habitat for Humanity, and he always has a stellar lineup of musicians, who take turns jamming together in unique combinations. It is heaven for the music enthusiast.

At the time of this show, I had my own business, so I was working a lot. But I took the evening off and went to the show with my wife and business partner. We also bought tickets for staff as a holiday gift, though not all showed up (I think some sold the tickets and pocketed the money).

Anyway, it was a marathon musical evening. I was not able to stay until the end, but I lasted until after 1:00 am. Pretty much, I saw everyone except Gov’t Mule, which was fine with me, since I would see them almost every year after that.

Here is the list of bands and musical guests who performed.

Main Acts:

• Gov’t Mule
• Robert Randolph & The Family Band
• Moe.
• Bob Weir
• John Hiatt and The Goners

Special Guests:

• Rob Barraco
• DJ Logic
• Audley Freed
• Jerry Joseph
• Col. Bruce Hampton
• Kevn Kinney
• Sonny Landreth
• John Molo
• Edwin McCain
• Dave Schools

I tried to find the setlists online, but no luck. High points I remember was Robert Randolph performing “Shake Your Hips” (a Rolling Stones classic) and Bob Weir’s set which included “Shakedown Street,” “Truckin’,” and “The Other One.”

Wish I had more to share. All I can say is it was a great time, and I was hooked on the Christmas Jam after my first taste.

Rock on!