Gov't Mule

It's been over a decade-and-a-half since Warren Haynes walked nervously into the Allman Brothers' rehearsal space and began peeling off a note-perfect evocation of a Duane Allman solo during his band audition. As the band ground to a halt, Gregg Allman looked over at Haynes and said, "We hired you to be you. Just be Warren." Since then, Haynes has pursued Allman's advice with a vengeance. Three years after joining the reformed Allman Brothers, Haynes finally released his long-delayed solo album, Tales of Ordinary Madness, and two years later he hooked up with Allman Brothers bassist Allen Woody and drummer Matt Abts to form one of Rock's greatest power trios, Gov't Mule. In the beginning, Haynes and Woody rotated tours on an alternating cycle; three weeks with the Allmans, three weeks with the heavy Blues/Soul/Jazz-flecked Mule. It was a grueling schedule but it cemented Haynes' reputation as a tireless road-dog and a stellar guitarist devoted to his increasingly slavish fan base. After the Mule's eponymous debut in 1995, Haynes and Woody continued their Allmans/Mule double duty and released a string of live and studio recordings, gaining more and more loyal fans. Haynes eventually made the Mule his primary band with an even more dedicated recording and touring regimen. The band was enjoying rising levels of success and acclaim when Woody suffered a fatal heart attack in the summer of 2000. Haynes tributed his fallen friend with the incredible Deep End discs, where a cast of over 20 superstar bassists came in and played with Haynes and Abts. After many guest bassists and much discussion, Haynes finally tapped Andy Hess to be Woody's permanent replacement in the Mule and also added the talents of keyboardist Danny Louis. The blissfully intense results of this union are all over the Mule's latest studio effort, the scorching Deja Voodoo. But Gov't Mule in the studio is just a mere glimpse of the power of Warren Haynes when he hits the stage. To quote Greg Lake, "See the show." (Brian Baker)

Wigglepussy, Indiana

Thursday · BarrelHouse

There's definitely something in the water up Columbus way that has assisted in creating its legacy of über-artistic local Rock bands, and Wigglepussy, Indiana has been drinking it by the gallon. At heart, the guitarless quartet is a Prog band, but their concentration on musical extremism and showmanship trumps the geeky math-rocker stereotype. Bill Jordan stalks the stage and belts out his macabre lyrics with theatrical flair. Scott Lambridis thumps and tickles his massive seven-string bass while drummer Jason Schultz switches from smooth pocket playing to crushing double bass in an instant. Providing the most memorable touchstone of the band's sound is Lawrence Desilets' keyboard. His playing is usually the eye of the 'Pussy storm, sometimes spawning funky grooves akin to Phish's Page McConnell, sometimes beating the hell out of the keys Bernie Worrell-style, and often just adding spooky backdrops a la Faith No More. And speaking of FNM, Jordan has been quoted as saying that Mike Patton's music is "more of an inspiration than an influence," but the fact is that fans of Patton's myriad of projects will feel right at home at a WPI show. Their latest disc, last year's Life at the Gallows, is an enhanced interactive CD containing videos and a documentary. It is also full of their signature impressionistic songs, as is their equally great debut, Volatile Composition. WPI has also garnered a reputation for turning live shows into events, particularly with a light and video barrage provided by "fifth member" Chris Beaty when show logistics permit. They went without visual accompaniment when they performed last year at the Midpoint Music Festival (still one helluva performance), but they are appearing without the support of other bands at this free show, so the psychedelic circus should be in full effect. (Ezra Waller)

Darden Smith

Wigglepussy, Indiana

Friday · Jack Quinn's

Trying to pin a musical style on Darden Smith is like herding jellyfish: He'll fit in any box you put him in but it's pointless to keep him there. The Texas singer/songwriter began composing songs in his teens after his family moved to Houston and turned it into a vocation during his college years in Austin, playing the club circuit and making a name for himself. Smith's first album was the self-released Native Soil in 1986, which featured guest spots by fellow Texas talents Nanci Griffith and Lyle Lovett. The album earned Smith a ton of positive press and enough acclaim to attract the attention of Columbia Records, who signed him and released his next two albums, 1988's Darden Smith and 1990's Trouble No More. Between those two works, Smith teamed up with Boo Hewerdine for the powerful Evidence, which further cemented his reputation as a first class songwriter and performer. Unfortunately, Smith's broad based Roots/Folk/Country/Blues/Swing hybrid made him hard to understand from a major label's perspective and they let him slip away after 1993's Little Victories. Smith label-jumped for awhile, putting out Deep Fantastic Blue on Plump in 1996 and the 2000 live album Extra Extra, recorded at the University of Texas' Cactus Cafe. Around that time, Smith was commissioned by the Austin Symphony to create an orchestrated piece he titled "Grand Motion," in collaboration with the symphony and a local dance troupe. In 2002, Smith began experimenting with his sound, adding in Joe Henry-like ambience and atmosphere, a shift that found an ear at Nashville upstart label Dualtone, who released Sunflowers to a typically warm critical reception. He seems to have found a home with Dualtone as they became the first label in 15 years to release two consecutive Darden Smith albums with last fall's excellent Circo, a work that continued in the sonic vein of its predecessor. Don't look for Smith to reflect musical trends, look for him to anticipate them. (BB)