Gov't Mule
08.22.2016 CEFCU Center Stage , Peoria, IL
One Set:
Slackjaw Jezebel
Larger Than Life >
World Gone Wild
Million Miles From Yesterday
Pass The Peas with Stratus tease
Which Way Do We Run?
Brighter Days
Broke Down On The Brazos >
Tributary Jam
Left Coast Groovies
About To Rage
Unring The Bell with Shakedown Street tease
Endless Parade
Just Got Paid
I'm A Ram > with Black Dog tease
Love Me Do >
I'm A Ram
Encore:
Cowgirl In The Sand with Charlie Starr
Rocking In The Free World > with Charlie Starr
Machine Gun (Instrumental) > with Charlie Starr
Rocking In The Free World with Charlie Starr
On Monday night I drove down to Peoria afternoon for Gov't Mule. I'm not even sure how many times I've seen them. I'd guess around a dozen starting in 2004. This setlist lacked a lot of their staples which led to the band digging deeper into their catalog. It was a beautiful evening with temps much cooler than what I'd experienced at this same venue for Umphrey's McGee a few weeks prior. Upon arrival I saw Ben and Eugenia tailgating. One year earlier on this date I was at Magnaball with his brother Pat. Appropriately enough I'd seen the Walters Brothers Harley Davidson billboard on the way into Peoria. This show was at the CEFCU Stage next to the river. The Umphrey's show was on the other side of the depot. I went inside at 7 pm when Blackberry Smoke started. It was impressive how many fans were clearly there for the opening band. Dressed in cowboy boots and chewing tobacco this was a different element than what I was accustomed to. They played for an hour and we enjoyed their set. I met up with my friend Doc. There was no where to sit so we took a spot in the back of the pit. That's how crowded it was. I was the only person I saw sporting Phish attire. When Mule started the older blues/Allman Bros. crowd filed in.
Gov't Mule played for two hours. I'm not going to go through each song. The setlist above speaks for itself if you know their repertoire. Highlights for me were About to Rage and Endless Parade. These are two of my favorites. Warren was really on his game. It seems now that the ABB is done that he appears to be in better shape. Jorgen Carlson's bass playing and Matt Abts's drumming had me grooving all evening. I enjoy seeing shows at that location with the I-74 bridge in the background. Ten years ago I got more into this band when the High and Mighty album came out. They played several tracks off that one including A Million Miles from Yesterday. I went into the show with very little in the way of expectations and perhaps that's why I enjoyed myself so much. Anyone who has followed along with this knows these writings are less of a show review and more of a journal of my experience. I started writing them for fun way back in the day. Then it became an excuse to stay sober at the shows after I stopped drinking. Now I still do it as a way to reflect.
I spent the month of August exercising, reading, and binge watching Oz. This is probably the last "summer break" I may ever have. After the stint at Casey's I decided that will be my final foray into food service. Also, that's the last part time job I intend to get. I want one more season in the sun in the fall working in the corn research game. Hopefully, the Cubs can take care of business. I'll be seeing Phish this fall in a city (Nashville) that I've never seen live music in. Then it's back to my alma mater ten years after for what appears to be the final Widespread Panic concert at Iowa State University in Ames. Beyond that I'll intensify my search for a full time job and eventually find an apartment of my own. I see the path ahead of me... Now the scene turns to Dick's Spoting Goods Park in Commerce City, CO for what has become the highlight of the Phish year.
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