Kenny Wayne Shepherd never played with Stevie Ray, but still has hope for Clapton

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, SEPT. 7, 2000 By Steve Newton When Kenny Wayne Shepherd calls the Straight on a crapping-out cellphone from the wasteland of Duluth, Minnesota, it feels like a mixed blessing. On one hand, I’m happy to chat with anyone who’s helping to keep the Strat-ified blues-raunch spirit of Stevie Ray … Continue reading Kenny Wayne Shepherd never played with Stevie Ray, but still has hope for Clapton

Alvin Youngblood Hart loves Southern rock, was an Allman Brother for a night

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MAY 25, 2000 By Steve Newton Until now, Alvin Youngblood Hart has been best-known as an acoustic folk-blues performer. His first two albums—1996’s Big Mama’s Door and 1998’s Territory—showed him carrying a traditional torch similar to that of blues revivalists Taj Mahal and Guy Davis. So it comes as quite a surprise … Continue reading Alvin Youngblood Hart loves Southern rock, was an Allman Brother for a night

Talking Ry Cooder, Ronnie Montrose, and the Allmans with Gov’t Mule’s Warren Haynes

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON NOV. 12, 1998 By Steve Newton Bluesman Luther Allison, folk-pop troubadour Jeff Buckley, fingerstyle-guitar innovator Michael Hedges, and jazz drummer Tony Williams might seem unlikely heroes for a southern-rock band, but they’re who Gov’t Mule’s new CD, Dose, is dedicated to. Between the time the band started recording Dose and the deadline … Continue reading Talking Ry Cooder, Ronnie Montrose, and the Allmans with Gov’t Mule’s Warren Haynes

Gordie Johnson draws inspiration from Eddie Kramer and kudos from Bruce Fairbairn for Big Sugar’s Heated

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON NOV. 12, 1998 By Steve Newton During a recent interview with famed local rock producer Bruce Fairbairn, I asked him if he’d heard any current albums that had blown him away, production-wise. It only took him a couple of seconds to come up with Heated, the latest CD from Toronto blues-rockers Big … Continue reading Gordie Johnson draws inspiration from Eddie Kramer and kudos from Bruce Fairbairn for Big Sugar’s Heated

Warren Haynes’ “Star-Spangled Banner” evokes the beauty of the States, not its bombs

Anyone who knows the Newt knows that I'm crazy about Warren Haynes, guitarist-vocalist-songwriter for Gov't Mule and the Allman Brothers Band. Everything he touches musically is magic to me, and I write about it whenever I can. As such, I heard a lot I liked in this reverb-heavy version of "The Star-Spangled Banner", which he … Continue reading Warren Haynes’ “Star-Spangled Banner” evokes the beauty of the States, not its bombs

Warren Haynes on the Allman Brothers reunion, Dickey Betts’ signature sound, and Where It All Begins

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON OCT. 27, 1994 By Steve Newton Word on the street is that the Allman Brothers Band is playing some of the finest, most intense gigs of its illustrious career. And according to people who have seen the group recently, it’s not just the best-known members—Dickey Betts and Gregg Allman—who are making things … Continue reading Warren Haynes on the Allman Brothers reunion, Dickey Betts’ signature sound, and Where It All Begins

Dickey Betts rambles into Vancouver with a “wicked” Warren Haynes on slide

By Steve Newton On April 2, 1989, southern-rock legend Dickey Betts brought his new band to Vancouver for a show at the 86 Street Music Hall. One of the coolest things about that gig was that it was the Vancouver debut of 28-year-old guitarist Warren Haynes, who would go on to huge acclaim as the driving … Continue reading Dickey Betts rambles into Vancouver with a “wicked” Warren Haynes on slide

Rockers say the darndest things: top quotes of 2013

Dave Wyndorf (above) "probably would have made more money." I interviewed quite a few rockers last year. Here's some of the things they said. "To me stoner rock is just non-commercial rock that pulls from every great era... And as far as the stoner element, I mean, yeah, it’s always cool to smoke pot.” --Brant Bjork … Continue reading Rockers say the darndest things: top quotes of 2013

Gov’t Mule channels Led Zeppelin and Humble Pie in Vancouver, no Elvis required

ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, OCT. 26, 2013 There was a rumour swirling around town recently that West Van resident Elvis Costello might show up at Gov't Mule's Vancouver show to perform "Funny Little Tragedy", the song he sings on the band's star-studded new album, Shout! Well, last night at the Commodore, Elvis never entered the building. Didn't matter … Continue reading Gov’t Mule channels Led Zeppelin and Humble Pie in Vancouver, no Elvis required

Warren Haynes declares that everyone has a voice on Gov’t Mule’s Shout!

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON OCT. 23, 2013 By Steve Newton What do Elvis Costello, Ben Harper, Dr. John, Grace Potter, Steve Winwood, and Dave Matthews have in common? Well, apart from the fact that they’re all certified rock stars in their own right, they each sang lead on a track on Shout!, the new album from American … Continue reading Warren Haynes declares that everyone has a voice on Gov’t Mule’s Shout!

Warren Haynes says Dickey Betts and Derek Trucks are “two distinctly different personalities”

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON NOV. 10, 2004 By Steve Newton When original Gov't Mule bassist Allen Woody died of a heart attack in August of 2000, he left a sizable pair of shoes that have taken bandmates Warren Haynes and Matt Abst more than three years to fill. At first, the two remaining members didn't even … Continue reading Warren Haynes says Dickey Betts and Derek Trucks are “two distinctly different personalities”

Warren Haynes is proud that Gov’t Mule’s new CD draws comparisons to Zeppelin’s Houses of the Holy

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON OCT. 12, 2006 By Steve Newton Warren Haynes spends a large part of his time with a guitar in his hands; for more than a decade he's been doing double duty with southern-rock legends the Allman Brothers and blues-rock kings Gov't Mule. So it's no surprise that the musician is pictured playing … Continue reading Warren Haynes is proud that Gov’t Mule’s new CD draws comparisons to Zeppelin’s Houses of the Holy

Joe Bonamassa has 200 guitars, says he’s “okay for guitars”

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON AUG. 27, 2008 By Steve Newton In their recent autobiographies, famed British rockers Ronnie Wood and Eric Clapton hazily recall how one of their main pastimes while on tour—apart from getting wasted and rattling groupies—was cruising pawnshops and secondhand stores for cool guitars. When blues-rock virtuoso Joe Bonamassa calls from a tour … Continue reading Joe Bonamassa has 200 guitars, says he’s “okay for guitars”