Tragedy fails to deter Little Feat, Gov’t Mule

Spencer Patterson

Monday, April 26, 2004 | 8:25 a.m.

Sadly, Little Feat and Gov't Mule aren't linked only by their Southern rock attitudes and high-energy jams.

Both bands have also suffered death, to founding members Lowell George and Allen Woody, respectively. Both men suffered apparent heart attacks, 21 years apart.

As the co-headliners showed Friday at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel, however, tragic rock stories can have joyous endings.

Kicking the night off with a fun 90-minute set, Little Feat demonstrated that it remains a vibrant live act more than two decades after the loss of guitarist, vocalist and principal songwriter George.

These days, longtime members Paul Barrere (guitar), Sam Clayton (drums), Kenny Gradney (bass), Richie Hayward (drums) and Bill Payne (keyboard) are augmented by guitarist Fred Tackett and vocalist Shaun Murphy, both of whom signed on during the group's resurgence in the late '80s and early '90s.

The current Little Feat incarnation has actually been together longer than its original counterpart, and that musical familiarity was evident during several tight, funky jams.

Though George's considerable shadow still hangs over the proceedings, the crowd of around 1,000 didn't seem to mind that Barrere now sings "Dixie Chicken," happily joining him for the familiar refrain: "If you'll be my Dixie Chicken / I'll be your Tennessee lamb / And we can walk together down in Dixie land."

Barrere even managed a fresh take on George's signature piece -- the weary country-blues road tale "Willin' " -- presenting it medley-style in tandem with hippie anthem "Don't Bogart That Joint" and folk standard "This Land Is Your Land."

Though Little Feat's recent studio efforts haven't been on par with its classic '70s releases, the band managed to seamlessly blend new material into its show. Last year's "Night on the Town," in particular, sounded at home among old favorites such as "Time Loves a Hero" and "Fat Man in the Bathtub."

Little Feat closed with a rollicking take on "Let It Roll," featuring a guest appearance from local guitarist Mark Chatfield, owner of Cowtown Guitars. Chatfield, who once toured with Murphy in Bob Seger's band, had no trouble holding his own in his first live stint with the group.

Gov't Mule -- which evolved from a power trio into a quartet in the years after bassist Woody's 2000 death -- then followed with a two-hour, 20-minute blowout of its own, finishing long after midnight.

The new-look Mule, together on an official, permanent basis just seven months, sounded better than ever, no easy task for an act with a hard-earned reputation for onstage consistency.

Warren Haynes remains the band's central figure, a guitar virtuoso with powerful vocal pipes. But today Gov't Mule's sound is more far-ranging, thanks to the addition of keyboardist Danny Louis.

At points during the show, Haynes switched to a rhythmic approach to his instrument, while Louis steered the Mule into more jazzy territory.

Only once, during the opening moments of Al Green's "I'm a Ram," did the roue musicians fall out of step. Otherwise, drummer Matt Abts and new bassist Andy Hess remained locked together, creating a hard-driving palate for Haynes and Louis to paint over.

Haynes' considerable artistry was on display from the opening number, the soulful vocal-only piece "Grinnin' in Your Face."

From there, he see-sawed between originals such as "Soulshine" -- one of Haynes' contributions to his "other" group, the Allman Brothers Band -- and covers including Van Morrison's "Into the Mystic," Prince's "When Doves Cry" and U2's "One."

One particularly mind-blowing segment saw Haynes segue from a heavy version of one Beatles' song ("She Said She Said") into a trippy, jammed-out take on another ("Tomorrow Never Knows").

Though Haynes' solos often ran several minutes or more in duration, they never grew tiresome -- a tribute to his creativity and quick musical reflexes.

You couldn't help thinking that George and Woody might have approved.