Columnist Spencer Patterson: Gov’t Mule longs for a live performance

Spencer Patterson

Friday, April 23, 2004 | 8:16 a.m.

Last May, Gov't Mule played for nearly six hours straight at New Orleans' Saenger Theatre.

Turns out that wasn't even the longest performance of keyboardist Danny Louis' career.

"When I was a kid I used to play six-set gigs, and they were actually longer in total duration," Louis said in a phone interview from his New York City loft.

But, Louis quickly qualified, "that wasn't continuous."

Fans attending tonight's Gov't Mule show at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel -- co-headlined by veteran rock outfit Little Feat -- shouldn't expect anything quite so long in duration.

Still, Mule's shows are notorious for going late into the night, so don't plan on catching the 11 p.m. news when you get home.

Doors for tonight's show open at 7 p.m., with Little Feat scheduled to go on at 8. Tickets for the twin bill are $38.

Gov't Mule's marathon New Orleans concert has been preserved in its entirety on "The Deepest End," a two-CD/DVD set released last October.

That show featured a parade of guest musicians, among them: bassists Jack Casady (Jefferson Airplane, Hot Tuna), Les Claypool (Primus), Mike Gordon (Phish), Jason Newstead (Metallica) and Dave Schools (Widespread Panic), mandolinist Bela Fleck, keyboardist Bernie Worrell (Funkadelic), guitarist David Hidalgo (Los Lobos) and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band.

It also included an important nonmusical moment for Louis.

"I got a kick when (guitarist) Warren (Haynes) said, 'And by the way, Danny's an official member of the band'," Louis said. "We had made that decision quite some time before, and I think a lot of our fans knew that ... but that was a really big moment for me."

A longtime associate of Mule founders Haynes, Allen Woody (bass) and Matt Abts (drums), Louis joined the band onstage several times prior to Woody's death in August of 2000.

"Whenever Mule would come to New York, I'd play with them as a guest," Louis said. "And I always secretly wondered what it would be like to play with the band as a keyboard player. I'd mumble to myself, 'Man, I'd like to be in this band.' "

Louis eventually got his wish, when Haynes asked him to join the reconfigured Gov't Mule lineup in the spring of 2002.

"I canceled life as a freelance keyboard player and opened up the door to having a commitment to my favorite band," he said.

"I never really set out to be a hired gun, but I did have a lot of fun doing it, and got to play with a lot of really great people ... Gregg Allman, Joe Cocker, UB40, the Kinks. But I had always wanted to be in a band. That was always my ambition, even as a young kid."

After several years touring with part-time bassists -- including Schools, Newstead and Buddy Guy regular Greg Rzab -- Gov't Mule officially became a quartet in September with the addition of Andy Hess (Black Crowes, John Scofield).

"Through all those years, while everybody's contributions were amazing, there was an intangible thing that would happen when Andy played with us," Louis said. "It's something about how Andy and Matt play together, their interaction."

The new-look Mule is completing work on a studio album, with an eye toward a fall release date. In the meantime Louis plans to savor the chemistry that comes with being a full-time member of a full-time band.

"A lot of times when you're playing with people that you haven't played with a lot, you have to have a flare gun and flags to make sure everybody is seeing each other," he said.

"(But in a band) there's a trust and a familiarity that you build that breeds a certain type of confidence. And once you get to a point with a certain unit, those things are unspoken."

Music notes

Smooth moves: The 11th annual "City of Lights" Jazz Festival takes place Saturday at Desert Breeze Park, at the corner of Spring Mountain and Durango roads.

On the bill for Southern Nevada's largest smooth-jazz event: trumpeter Rick Braun, saxophonists Kirk Whalum and Michael Lington, guitarists Norman Brown and Nick Colionne, bassist Michael Manson, keyboardists Bobby Lyle and Marcus Johnson, multi-instrumentalists Brian Culbertson and Mindi Abair and the Lao Tizer Band. Tickets are $54.55 to $97.50 ($15 for children ages 11-18). Gates open at 11 a.m., with music scheduled from noon through 10 p.m.

Vegas bound: Simon & Garfunkel have announced a July 3 MGM Grand Garden Arena date for the next leg of their "Old Friends" reunion tour, the duo's second Las Vegas stop. Tickets are $75, $175 and $250 and go on sale Saturday at 10 a.m. at the MGM Grand box office, at TicketMaster outlets, by phone at 474-4000 and at www.ticketmaster.com.

Quick hits

A look at a few of the shows scheduled to hit Southern Nevada in the next week:

Seal touches down at the House of Blues at Mandalay Bay tonight at 8. The British-born vocalist released his fourth album, aptly titled "Seal IV," last September. Van Hunt opens. Tickets are $40-$72.

The Wu-Tang Clan's Method Man performs at the House of Blues Sunday at 8 p.m. with the Chapter and MIMS. Method Man's long-anticipated new album, "Tical 0: The Prequel," is scheduled to drop May 18. Tickets to the 21-and-over event are $22.50-$30.

Phantom Planet, the band that penned "California," the theme song for Fox TV show "The O.C.," plays the Huntridge Theatre at 7 p.m. Wednesday. Also on the bill: Trainwreck featuring Kyle Gass of Tenacious D and Steriogram. Tickets are $15.

Las Vegas-born electronic duo the Crystal Method returns to the House of Blues for a live performance with DJ Hyper at 9 p.m. Thursday. Tickets to the 21-and-over event are $25-$30.

On sale

Incubus plays the Thomas & Mack Center on Aug. 15 with opening act the Vines. Tickets are $35.50 and are available at the Thomas & Mack box office, at UNLVtickets outlets, by phone at 739-3267 and at www.unlvtickets.com.

Josh Groban performs at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on Aug. 21. Tickets are $40, $50, $70 and $115 and go on sale Saturday at noon at the Mandalay Bay box office and through TicketMaster.

Tickets go on sale Saturday at noon for two Mandalay Bay Beach concerts: the Beach Boys on June 4 ($35-$40) and the B-52s on June 5 ($37.50-$40). Tickets will be available at the Mandalay Bay box office and through TicketMaster.

Tickets are on sale now for the first "Jazz Under the Stars" installment at Spring Mountain Park on May 30. On the bill: Sax Pack featuring Kim Waters, Steve Cole and Jeff Kashiwa, and Praful. Tickets are $45.

Velvet Revolver, a supergroup featuring three ex-members of Guns N' Roses and former Stone Temple Pilots frontman Scott Weiland, plays The Joint on June 11. Tickets are $27 and go on sale Saturday at noon at the Hard Rock box office, by phone at 693-5066 and through TicketMaster.

Rain Las Vegas hosts Train on July 25. Tickets are $35 and $75 and go on sale Saturday at 10 a.m. at the Palms' box office and through TicketMaster.