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Post by postreznorjack on Sept 3, 2021 8:39:19 GMT -5
Gunna go with MMJ this round since they aren't a jamband.
Things will get harder after this. probably cheese but eventually we're going to have the mule discussion.
I have a deep respect for Warren Haynes as a guitarist. At one point he was the hardest working guitarist in the scene. He played with Mule, The Dead, and ABB. Plus when he joined ABB he rejuvenated the band, who at that point we're just playing same setlist greatest hits type shows. He encouraged them to change up their setlists and just injected life into the band, giving us many more years of great live performances than we otherwise would've had.
I also respect the original three piece lineup, a bold move for a jamband. Allen Woody was a great bassist and by all accounts a great dude. A buddy of mine was a taper in the 90s. They ended up in the same restaurant as Mule one night during tour. Some fans wanted to pay for Mules dinner, and Woody pointed to the tapers and said to buy them dinner instead.
I enjoyed the deepest end records, and I was at the deepest end concert in new Orleans. It was imo the absolute peak of the jamband scene in the 00s, the crest of the wave so to speak. And I still think Mule is a killer cover band.
But! There are really only a handful of Mule originals I enjoy. And sitting through a whole Mule show of mostly originals with no sit-ins gets tiresome for me pretty quick. Lots of the same bluesy rock stuff over and over, which I know some people love but I prefer it in smaller doses.
All that to say that in a round or two my vote is eventually going to be Mule.
Post by Delicious Meatball Sub on Sept 3, 2021 8:45:39 GMT -5
MMJ here. Like someone (I think snowman) said yesterday, SCI have some weird stuff in their catalog, but also had some fun bluegrass based jams in their early years. In fact, I think if their tour bus had driven off a cliff in 2008 they’d be remembered pretty fondly.
MMJ, meanwhile, will break your heart again and again, and are not a jamband.
Post by Larry Farnsworth on Sept 3, 2021 8:53:32 GMT -5
I will note that Bisco is still sliding under the radar, despite being the music equivalent of getting stabbed in a Philadelphia alleyway by a dude high on horse tranqulizer, only inverted
Post by Larry Farnsworth on Sept 3, 2021 8:54:36 GMT -5
I also agree with postjack's Mule take, and was preparing something similar. Haynes is a legend, and they've got a few jams, but otherwise just a truly forgettable blues-rock band.
i've really only seen mule at festivals, and it was usually a 20-30 minute stop-over on the way to something else, but I don't think I've seen them in forever - bonnaroo 2009 was the last time I remembering seeing them and half what i saw were covers - beatles, radiohead, U2, neil young. it was good, but at the same time a guitar/bass/drum blues jam band can wear out quickly. he was better with the Dead/ABB or sitting in with people.
I really enjoy his sit in with DMB for cortez the killer at their central park concert.
i was in town for jazzfest both shows. was at a point where my interest in mule was waning in 2014, but figured it's mule at the saenger it'll probably be cool. show was a scorcher.
highlights of the 2014 show include:
ventilator blues with a bunch of guests including chuck leavell, ivan and cyril neville, don was and devon allman. don't want no woman with johnny winter and paul nelson dust my broom with johnny winter and paul nelson feel like breakin' up somebody's home with trombone shorty and luther & cody dickinson 32/20 blues with smoky greenwell, sonny landreth, and ed williams to close set 1
set 2 included:
sugaree with bill kreutzman, GPJ and others city of new orleans, same guests as above spanish moon with GPJ, paul berrere, others it's a man's world with eric krasno, charles bradley, sonny landreth
encore was maggot brain > cortez the killer with sonny landreth
i mean fuck what a night. there were some mule originals weaved in but mostly covers with tons of awesome guests.
then the next year, it had some cool moments (pass the peas is always a treat) but it was mostly mule originals with maybe the soul rebels or trombone shorty sitting in. not saying that's bad but it didn't come near of hitting the heights of the show the year previous.
so mule is great if you are guaranteed a bunch of incredible covers and special guests. nobody in the scene has a deeper rolodex than warren. but most shows ain't gunna be 5.2.2014.
Post by postreznorjack on Sept 3, 2021 10:08:27 GMT -5
i'm only a casual STS9 fan but i respect that they wrote their best song so late in their career: "world go round" is peak jamtronica and absolutely burns the place down when they close with it.
