Gov't Mule plans 'Mighty High' summer

Southern-rock jam band Gov't Mule [ tickets ] is heading into its "Mighty High Summer Tour" with a long list of US dates, including a co-headlining stint with Bob Weir & Ratdog.Before joining up with Ratdog June 20, Gov't Mule will play a few festivals, including its own three-day, multi-stage Mountain Jam Music Festival in Hunter, NY. The fourth annual event, which kicks off May 30, will feature a slew of artists, including a rare appearance by Levon Helm. Gov't Mule is scheduled to entertain fans with a pair of two-set performances over the course of the event. Details are available at the festival's website.The jam quartet will spend three weeks playing clubs, theaters and sheds around the West with Ratdog, and will work in a few festival shows along the way. After the July 11 All Good Festival in Masontown, WV, Gov't Mule will officially launch its headlining trek, which is scheduled to visit cities from coast to coast through August. The band also has Colorado's Telluride Blues & Brews festival on its calendar in mid-September. The full itinerary is listed below.Gov't Mule continues to support its 2006 studio release, "High and Mighty," which was co-produced by the band's guitarist/vocalist, Warren Haynes, and former Big Sugar leader Gordie Johnson. The set broke into The Billboard 200 and reached No. 9 on the Top Independent Albums chart.The group has also been churning out live recordings through its MuleTracks website, which just released the limited-edition double CD "The Holy Haunted House." The set features Gov't Mule's 2007 Halloween show at St. Paul, MN's O'Shaughnessy Theatre, which included a performance of the full Led Zeppelin album "Houses of the Holy."Gov't Mule formed in 1994 as a power-trio offshoot of The Allman Brothers Band. The latest lineup comprises Haynes, drummer Matt Abts, keyboardist Danny Louis and bassist Andy Hess.