- Jerry Garcia – guitar, vocals
- Donna Jean Godchaux – vocals
- Keith Godchaux – piano
- Bill Kreutzmann – drums
- Phil Lesh – bass, vocals
- Ron "Pigpen" McKernan – organ, harmonica, percussion, vocals
- Bob Weir – guitar, vocals
The band was formed in 1997 by Matador Records employees and a professional record collector for jamming. Initially having no plans to record or to tour, the band played their first live show in 2001 as an opening act for Pavement's Stephen Malkmus. After releasing a pair of rare vinyl LPs from 2005, the band released the albums Focus Level in 2008 and Full House Head in 2010. Touring with bands such as Dungen and Circle, the band released their fourth album, Long Island in 2013
The band's style has been labeled as hard rock, psychedelic rock, stoner rock and blues rock. The band's minimalist musical style also attributes krautrock influences, being described as "classic-rock-meets-krautrock" and " repetitive, one-chord riff-rock." The band described their musical style as "Kraut Southern rock."
The band's style also has been compared to those of ZZ Top, AC/DC, Teenage Head-era Flamin’ Groovies, Canned Heat, Amon Düül, Can, The Groundhogs, The Stooges and the Velvet Underground. Tom Hughes of The Guardian described Major's vocals as being "somewhere between a John Lee Hooker drawl and a Captain Beefheart honk
The band is known for "its minimalist jams both onstage and on record.
Two or three guitars, whatever amps you got, one wah pedal, one distortion box. The bass, the drums. Reluctant vocals, that’s all we need.
Present Band Members:
Paul "Top Dollar" Major – vocals, guitar
Jesper "The Governor" Eklow – guitar
Marc Razo – bass
Harry Druzd – drums
P/W - 33&third
Studio albums
Live Albums
Gov’t Mule have announced they will share their live album Stoned Side of the Mule, Vol. 1 & 2 digitally for the first time. The 13-tracks were recorded during the band’s Rolling Stones-themed Halloween show at The Tower Theatre in Upper Darby, Pa.– just outside of Philadelphia–on Oct. 31, 2009. The band shared the evening’s cover of “Under My Thumb” with pristine audio in conjunction with the announcement.
The album was initially issued as a limited vinyl release in 2015 by Provogue to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Gov’t Mule and quickly sold out. Along with the digital release, the band will share their first-ever European repress of the LP on May 27. The re-release will come on two transparent blue and red vinyl as well as on CD.
Stoned Side of the Mule features the band covering Rolling Stones staples including “Paint It Black,” “Wild Horses,” “Angie,” Brown Sugar,” and more. On the evening of Oct. 31, 2009, Gov’t Mule were joined by Steve Elson, who is known for his saxophone work with David Bowie and Stevie Ray Vaughan and guitarist and vocalist Jackie Greene who is known for his work with The Black Crowes and Phil Lesh & Friends.
1 Under My Thumb (4:51)
2 Monkey Man (5:18)
3 Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker) (4:42)
4 Paint It Black (4:16)
5 Angie (4:57)
6 Ventilator Blues (7:38)
7 Shattered (4:10)
8 Wild Horses (06:25)
9 Bitch (04:59)
10 Slave (08:05)
11 Play With Fire (02:54)
12 Can’t You Hear Me Knocking (08:07)
13 Brown Sugar (05:04)