The jam scene is full of long shows, special guests and perpetually touring bands.
But few players have been in as many bands and stayed on the road as much as Warren Haynes. Often seen as the hardest-working man in one of the most musically and physically demanding genres, Haynes always seems to be on the road with one group or the next.
"The past 10 years have been really busy," Haynes said.
That's one way to put it. Haynes is everywhere — a member of the Southern rock staples the Allman Brothers Band and legendary jammers the Dead, and the front man of blues rock group Gov't Mule, which headlines Artscape Saturday.
Over the years, Haynes has also become the go-to guy for special appearances — especially at festivals. If Haynes is on a bill with more than three or four other bands, it's almost guaranteed he'll hop on stage and jam with at least one other group. Growing up in Asheville, N.C., Haynes was used to seeing musicians informally perform with each other.
After picking up the guitar at age 12, Haynes started listening to classic guitar legends such as Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton, and later gravitated toward blues players such as Muddy Waters, Elmore James and B.B. King. When Haynes started making music himself, it was only natural for him to want to play with as many of the people he admired as possible, he said.
"Musicians are the biggest fans in the world — that's why we become musicians," he said. "When the opportunity started arising for me to sit in with other people I enjoyed musically or vice versa, I would always take advantage of it. I think the music that is created in those moments is very special."
When Haynes thinks back about his more memorable guest appearances, a few immediately come to mind. In 2003, Haynes sat in with the Dave Matthews Band for a performance of Neil Young's "Cortez the Killer" in front of more than 120,000 fans in New York's Central Park. Last year, he got to perform with Clapton as part of the Allman Brother's 40th anniversary celebrations.
Often, the performances are spur-of-the-moment. Haynes will be backstage at a festival, and one of the other bands will ask him to play a tune or two during their set. It's a lot more impromptu than most people think, he said.
"I love the spontaneity of it," he said. "I love that we can decide backstage what would be fun to play together and go wing it, and actually pull it off in a way that's exciting for the people performing and the people in the audience."
Guitars seem smaller when in the hands of the long-haired, barrel-chested Haynes. Since he was a singer before he started learning guitar, Haynes likes to think of his guitar solos as another way of singing. He's always on the hunt for new inspirations, whether from other players or, perhaps, styles of music he hasn't studied much before. He strives to make more out of less; to add more soul and intensity with fewer notes.
"As a student, you're always looking for something to open a door that you haven't gone through before," said Haynes, 50. "To this day, the people who move me the most, are people who have that human voice like quality in their playing."
It's not uncommon for bands such as Phish or the Allman Brothers to play three-hour shows. But there have been nights when Gov't Mule has hit the four-hour mark. Once, in New Orleans, they played for six hours, Haynes said. He compares it to playing a double-header — afterward, he feels exhilarated and exhausted at the same time.
The length of the show depends on the crowd's attitude. If everyone in the room is psyched, Gov't Mule keeps going.
"Something about the audience and the energy you're getting on a special night keeps you from losing focus and keeps pushing you to heights you wouldn't be capable of by yourself," Haynes said. "That's one of the magical things about music — the bands can actually reach heights they are not capable of in the studio."
If you go
Gov't Mule performs at 8 p.m. Saturday at Artscape's Wachovia Stage, 1400 Cathedral St. Free. Call 877-225-8466 or go to artscape.org.