Gov’t Mule Debuts The Allman Brothers Band’s ‘Desdomona’ Cover With Derek Trucks In Detroit

By Nate Todd Sep 11, 2025 • 10:42 am PDT

Tedeschi Trucks Band and Gov’t Mule‘s five-show co-headline run came to a close last night at Pine Knob Music Theatre near Detroit. The bands continued their collaborative ways including the Gov’t Mule debut of the Allman Brothers’ “Desdemona” featuring former ABB guitarists Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks.

“Desdemona” appears on The Allman Brothers Band’s 2003 album Hittin’ the Note. The record would be ABB’s final studio album. Hittin’ the Note also marked the band’s first and only studio album without founding guitarist Dickey Betts and the only studio album with both Derek Trucks and bassist Oteil Burbridge.

Further, Hittin’ the Note was Warren Haynes’ first LP after leaving the band between 1997 and 2000 to focus on Gov’t Mule. The album standout, “Desdemona,” is a co-write between Warren and Gregg Allman.

“When Gregg [Allman] and I wrote ‘Desdemona,’ I think it was the first song we wrote down at his house when we began those co-writing sessions,” Haynes told JamBase in 2018. “We kind of got the feeling immediately that we had set the bar really high. We were really proud of that tune, and also knew it would open itself up to be explored live.”

Gov’t Mule would explore the song live for the first time on Wednesday night near Detroit on their run with Tedeschi Trucks Band. Naturally, Derek Trucks joined his fellow Allman Brothers guitarist Warren Haynes for the debut.

The intro saw Haynes and Trucks showing off their amazing chemistry, trading weepy licks before Warren led the band through the bluesy number. Trucks took the first solo sans slide before kicking things over to Warren for a rave-up run. Watch Gov’t Mule’s full “Desdemona” debut with Derek Trucks below:

Also check out a pro-shot clip of Derek’s solo:

Elsewhere in their set, Gov’t Mule welcomed Tedeschi Trucks Band vocalists Alecia Chakour and Mike Mattison along with the TTB horns for a rendition of “Dreaming Out Loud” off Mule’s 2023 LP, Peace… Like a River. Susan Tedeschi joined in for the set closer, the Haynes-penned latter-day ABB classic, “Soulshine.”

Tedeschi Trucks Band’s closing set kicked off with the favorite “Anyhow.” The set also saw Trucks picking up his 1965 Gibson Firebird on a cover of Rahsaan Roland Kirk’s “Volunteered Slavery.”

Warren Haynes sat-in for the final two songs of TTB and Mule’s run together, beginning with the Allman Brothers’ classic “Whipping Post.” Gov’t Mule’s Danny Louis and opener Nolan Taylor then joined in for an apt closer of “With A Little Help From My Friends.” Watch below:

Tedeschi Trucks Band Setlist (via TTBase)

Anyhow, Devil Be Gone, Who Am I, Soul Sweet Song, Leavin’ Trunk > Volunteered Slavery[1], Future Soul, Angel From Montgomery > Sugaree, Do I Look Worried, Midnight in Harlem, Made Up Mind, Whipping Post[2], With a Little Help From My Friends[3]

Footnotes:

• [1] Derek switched to his ‘65 Firebird during the transition
• [2] w/ Warren Haynes
• [3] w/ Warren Haynes, Danny Louis & Nolan Taylor

---

Tedeschi Trucks Band tour continues on Friday (September 12) with the legendary Steve Winwood in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Gov’t Mule wraps their summer tour on Friday in West Springfield, Massachusetts before kicking off their fall tour on October 10 in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

Scroll down for both bands’ itineraries and ticket info.

Loading tour dates

Loading tour dates