Warren Haynes has another orchestral preview ready to share. The Gov’t Mule frontman just released “Shakedown Street (Live),” a striking symphonic take on the Grateful Dead classic, pulled from his forthcoming ‘Dreams & Songs’ album. It follows last month’s live version of the Mule hit “Banks of the Deep End.” Official release date and pre-order details are coming soon, and the new cut shows just how much room the orchestra finds inside a familiar groove.
Haynes traces the arrangement back to one of his favorite songs to play live. “‘Shakedown Street’ is a really powerful orchestrated arrangement that enhances the power of the original, which I played and sang a ton of times with those guys through the years, especially with Phil Lesh and Friends, but with The Dead as well,” he shares. “It’s a very danceable song. A lot of people just focus on the groove and get lost in the rhythmic quality of it. The orchestra forces you to pay attention to it in a different way. It’s very dark and powerful and, I think, very effective. This song goes back to the Jerry Garcia Symphonic Celebration, which was my first experience with an orchestra. That’s kind of what started this whole journey for me, which is still going on.”
Haynes has revealed the full track listing too. The 16-track ‘Dreams & Songs’ explores the full sweep of his catalog and career, drawing on music from Gov’t Mule, the Allman Brothers Band, The Dead, his solo albums, and more. Available in the U.S. via Evil Teen Records, it was recorded in 2019 at the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium in his hometown of Asheville, North Carolina, when he debuted the one-of-a-kind symphonic show alongside the 64-piece Asheville Symphony Orchestra. His lineup of seasoned rock ‘n’ roll improvisers included Oteil Burbridge on bass, John Medeski on organ and keys, Jeff Sipe on drums, and Greg Osby on saxophone, plus Edwin McCain and Jasmine Muhammad on background vocals. It’s a thrilling, ambitious reimagining of a deep and storied songbook.
Next year, Haynes brings his acclaimed Dreams & Songs Symphonic Experience to Nashville for two nights at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center with the Nashville Symphony, on Thursday, March 11th and Friday, March 12, 2027, presented by Lightning 100. He’ll be joined by John Medeski, Kevin Scott, Terence Higgins, and Greg Osby, along with vocalists Saundra Williams and Mayteana Morales, all led by conductor Rich Daniels from the Chicago City Lights Orchestra.
Until then, Haynes stays busy on the road with Gov’t Mule. The Grammy-nominated quintet tours this summer on their headlining Kicking In Your Stall Tour, plus a co-headlining run with blues-rock titan Joe Bonamassa across the U.S. from July 22nd through August 23rd. After that, Gov’t Mule heads out on the newly announced Dreaming The Same Dream Tour with Ziggy Marley in the fall. The 16-date co-headlining outing, also featuring a guest DJ set from Yola, opens September 23rd in New York City and wraps October 17th in Dallas. Haynes also performs a special set at the Hudson River Music Festival in Croton-on-Hudson, NY on Sunday, June 21st with Grahame Lesh and Daniel Donato.