Article Contributed by Howard Horder
Published on 2026-07-29
Warren Haynes | Selbyville, DE | July 28th, 2026 - photos by Howard Horder
Gov’t Mule played an excellent show at the newly built, state-of-the-art Freeman Arts Pavilion in Selbyville, Delaware, on July 28, 2026. The concert venue is located in Southern Delaware, close to the Maryland border and easily accessible from the Delaware beaches and the Eastern Shore of Maryland and Virginia. This will be a concert destination for many years to come.
The weather forecast was foreboding, with a line of thunderstorms on the radar moving west to east from the mainland and expected to cross over the Delmarva Peninsula in the early evening. A tornado warning was issued for the entire area.
Prior to the start of the show, announcements were made that the concert was rain or shine. However, if there was any lightning in the area, the venue would need to evacuate.
The band took the stage early at 6:50 p.m. Warren Haynes announced that Gov’t Mule would play straight through with no set break. They wanted to try to get the entire show in before the storms came through.
I was keeping one eye on my phone’s weather radar app, and it looked like the main storm line was going to pass just north and just south of Selbyville. We might just be in the clear. Unfortunately, it was not to be.
The music was great, and everyone was having a wonderful time. The band had been onstage for about 90 minutes, and “Soulshine” was wrapping up when Warren stepped up to the microphone, said something, and then tapped the mic to indicate that the sound had cut out.
Just to Warren’s left, a Freeman staff member stepped up and made the announcement: The venue needed to evacuate, and everyone should proceed to the nearest exit.
It took us about 10 minutes to walk to the car. A few minutes later, lightning was flashing all over the sky, and we had buckets of rain. The show was over.
A huge thank-you to the Freeman Arts Pavilion and its staff. It was a good call. Safety first, and everyone got home safely.
“Soulshine” was a great final song to end the show:
“Let your soul shine
It’s better than sunshine
It’s better than moonshine
Damn sure better than rain”
We will need to see Mule play live again real soon.
