The String Cheese Incident Nod to The Allman Brothers Band, Grateful Dead and More During Warren Haynes Incident

The String Cheese Incident (SCI) teamed up with guitarist Warren Haynes for a unique concert segment during the 2024 Hulaween music festival held in Live Oak, Florida. This collaboration, dubbed The Warren Haynes Incident, took place on Saturday night and paid tribute to Haynes’ extensive work with The Allman Brothers Band alongside nods to other influential jam band material.

The partnership reflected a longstanding connection between Haynes and SCI dating back to the 1999 Summer Session tour, which featured both the Colorado-based band and Haynes’ Gov’t Mule as part of a traveling festival spotlighting emerging jam and roots acts. Their reunion at this year’s event underscored a shared musical legacy within the jam band community.

Saturday’s performance centered mainly on songs associated with The Allman Brothers Band, spotlighting Haynes’ long tenure with the group. The set opened with the classic “Whipping Post,” followed by “Ramblin’ Man,” a song The Allman Brothers Band ceased playing live after guitarist Dickey Betts’ departure in 2000. SCI’s bassist Keith Moseley took lead vocals on “Ramblin’ Man,” a rare live appearance of the track by Haynes in recent decades.

The tribute continued with Haynes guiding SCI through additional Allman staples like “Melissa,” “Statesboro Blues,” and “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed.” The latter transitioned unexpectedly into “Black Magic Woman,” a song originally by Fleetwood Mac but widely popularized by Santana. SCI had performed this number only once before, at the same festival in 2013, while Haynes continued featuring it with Gov’t Mule as recently as the close of 2023.

Following the Allman and Santana material, the set shifted to SCI’s own repertoire with their rendition of Talking Heads’ “Swamp,” featuring keyboardist Kyle Hollingsworth on vocals. Afterward, the group offered a segue from the Grateful Dead’s “Eyes of the World” into Haynes’ signature original “Soulshine,” highlighting his association with the Grateful Dead sphere and his role in blending those influences into his ongoing work.

The segment concluded with “Southbound,” shared vocally by Haynes and SCI guitarist Bill Nershi. The performance embraced the festival’s Halloween theme, with SCI members dressed as zombies and costumed dancers joining during the Talking Heads cover segment. Notably, drummer Michael Travis focused exclusively on percussion while percussionist Jason Hann took over drum duties for the collaborative set.

Sunday’s events saw continued collaborative moments as Vampire Weekend drummer Chris Tomson, who opened the day with his jamband Taper’s Choice, joined SCI on stage. Tomson participated in a transition between Talking Heads’ “This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)” and SCI’s original “Just One Story.” This engagement reflected Tomson’s personal affinity for SCI’s music and previous onstage collaborations with band members.

As Headliner Geese performed Sunday night, it was noted that the group had earlier supported Vampire Weekend on tour, illustrating the intertwined nature of the festival’s performers and their shared history within the live music circuit.

SCI’s Just Keep Spinning tour is scheduled to continue with a performance at the Count Basie Center for the Arts in Red Bank, New Jersey. Meanwhile, Warren Haynes is set to host his annual Christmas Jam event in Asheville, North Carolina on December 13, and Taper’s Choice will be performing at Atlanta’s The Earl.

The intersection of SCI’s extensive catalog with Haynes’ rich legacy provided a rare opportunity to experience a blend of jam band traditions and rock history. By revisiting a song like “Ramblin’ Man” live after a 24-year hiatus, the collaboration honored a pivotal moment in Southern rock history while also showcasing the vitality of contemporary jam band performance.

This event highlights how collaborations at festivals such as Hulaween foster cross-generational connections within the genre, reinvigorating classic material for new audiences. The choice to include material from The Allman Brothers Band, Santana, and the Grateful Dead within a single set also reflects how these distinct lineages continue to influence and intersect in modern jam band culture.

The festival’s emphasis on thematic elements such as Halloween costumes and dance, combined with the integration of percussion and drum roles among SCI members, demonstrated the band’s adaptability and willingness to experiment during live shows. This approach aligns with broader trends in the live music scene where immersive and collaborative experiences enhance audience engagement.

SCI’s ongoing tour and Haynes’ upcoming events suggest a sustained period of live activity that will likely build on the momentum created at Hulaween. Given the positive reception of their collaborative set, future joint appearances or festival partnerships between these artists appear viable, further enriching the jam band circuit’s dynamic landscape.