Warren Haynes Band
The Quarry, Rocklin
May 2, 2025
Photos by Paul Piazza
The Warren Haynes Band recently played a Friday night show at Quarry Park Amphitheater in Rocklin, the intimate outdoor venue built on a site that was an operating rock quarry for almost 160 years. It was a perfectly cool weather night for people to gather under the stars and listen to one of the all-time guitar greats and his top-notch band. The vibe felt so good in the breeze, that at one point, Haynes paused early in the show and said “We’ve been playing nothing but indoor shows up to this point, and I really like this. What a great night to be outdoors.” The crowd agreed.
The band played two sets worth of songs that featured a blend of songs from Haynes great new record Million Voices Whisper, along with some choice covers as well as some prime cuts from Haynes’ other band Gov’t Mule.
Haynes recently hit the road with a tour for the new record, which features guest appearances by Derek Trucks and Lukas Nelson. His touring band features current Gov’t Mule touring bassist Kevin Scott, drummer Terrence Higgins, saxophonist Greg Osby, and keyboardist Matt Slocum. They are an extremely tight-knit bunch and everyone had a chance to shine during this show.
Haynes had recently come off a globally lauded two-night stint at Madison Square Garden, as one of the leaders of The Brothers, an epic collaboration paying tribute to the Allman Brothers. For these shows, the Allman Brothers only surviving member, drummer Jaimoe, was joined by Haynes and Derek Trucks, who both spent significant time as members of the band. Also on board were bassist Oteil Burbridge and percussionist Marc Quinones along with many special guests. It sold out both nights and was a world-wide music streaming sensation.
Therefore, when the Warren Haynes Band came to Rocklin, there was an air of anticipation for the maestro, who is a master of nuanced guitar tones and dynamics, having just come off such a peak showcase. It didn’t hurt that the surrounding band members are also savants on their respective instruments. Saxophonist Osby is considered a titan in the jazz world. Drummer Higgins is internationally known for his work with the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, but also routinely jaunts out with other music world luminaries. Most recently, he was in Sacramento for a show with Anders Osborne and Tab Benoit. Keyboardist Slocum, who was part of the Magpie Salute, is stellar on the ivories. Holding it all down is bassist Kevin Scott, who has been touring with Gov’t Mule the last few couple of years and shines on a variety of styles throughout, but really lays the hammer down on the Mule standards.
Some of the highlights of the show were a ridiculously amazing cover of the Allman Brothers’ “Instrumental Illness” and a beautiful rendition of “Patchwork Quilt,”a beautiful tribute to Jerry Garcia. “Beautifully Broken” and “Thorazine Shuffle” hit the spot in the midst of a second set run of Gov’t Mule songs. And naturally, the closer “Soulshine” brought everyone’s heart front and center. There were bits and pieces of many great jams thrown in for good measure throughout and a personal favorite was when the band briefly veered into Jeff Beck’s “Freeway Jam.”
It was truly a magical Friday night in Rocklin and that legendary Haynes guitar tone is still resonating throughout the crevices of the old Quarry.
