You could feel the history in the band’s sound, the Southern rock melodies and even in the room itself.

Gov’t Mule, a Southern rock jam band, teamed up with the Tennessee Theatre in downtown Knoxville on Wednesday for a night full of new songs, covers and of course, the classics.

However, this band is different from most due to its stellar resumé. Gov’t Mule got its start in the early ’90s as a side project stemming from the legendary The Allman Brothers Band. Band members Warren Haynes and Allen Woody joined forces to create this spin-off band which would later become their sole focus during the Allman Brothers’ hiatuses. However, the band suffered a tragic loss when bassist Allen Woody passed away in 2000 just months before its fifth studio album release.

However, “The Mule,” by which the band is affectionately known, kept its rhythm and currently comprises Haynes on lead vocals and guitar, Matt Abts on drums, Jorgen Carlsson on bass and Danny Louis on keyboard. Nine albums later, these rockers are still rummaging up their classic Southern rock sound.

This sound is both The Allman Brothers Band and Lynyrd Skynyrd-esque, while also adding a bit more of a jam band meets blues-rock feel. However, the band proved, almost more than anything, its longevity during Wednesday night’s show.

Gov’t Mule had no opening act and instead filled the nearly three-hour show with screaming guitar solos which often took precedence over the few lyrics strewn throughout the tunes. Haynes exhibited his enormous talent and experience through the lengthy guitar solos he performed through the night.

The band went from opening the show with one of its most popular songs, the catchy guitar heavy “World Boss” off their latest album, to the classically cool Mule tune, “Thorazine Shuffle,” from the group’s third studio album. From squealing guitars to shooting keyboard portions, the constant and continuous songs required a 15-minute break between sets, which was followed by just as much Mule action as before.

The songs were continuous, but it was exactly what the audience wanted—and fans relished every minute of it. From older crowd members closely listening to each guitar riff to the numerous care-free souls dancing freely in the aisles, the audience absorbed every bit of the bluesy, Southern rock band’s music—with or without lyrics.

Haynes, however, wasn’t the only band member with a rockin’ solo. Abts took what one might consider a drum solo and created his own sort of side act. Complete with a pecking cow-bell beat, various tempo changes and pulsating strobe lights to accompany his wild rhythms, Abts concocted his own percussion-style solo tune. With each intoxicating instrumental performed throughout the night, the crowd recognized the musical climaxes and saluted the musicians with wild screams and applause.

To top off the night filled with passionate guitar grooves, powerful drum sequences and solid, raspy vocals, Gov’t Mule drove this pony-turned-mule on home with The Allman Brothers Band-turned-Gov’t Mule classic, “Soulshine.” The feel-good, Southern rock classic reflected the familiar sound found in his former band’s sound while also serving as the perfect Gov’t Mule anthem/theme song and end to the night.