Gov't Mule. But where's the mule?

Gov't Mule's Georgia roots run deep. Lead singer and guitarist Warren Haynes, drummer Matt Abts and the band's late bassist, Allen Woody, jammed, recorded and performed all over the state during their formative years in the mid-'90s, from old Macon haunts to the nightclubs of Athens and Atlanta.

Haynes and his Mule cohorts take a look back at their early days with the six-disc Georgia Bootleg Box, the first installment in a series of live recordings. Among other concerts, the collection documents a three-night stint at the Georgia Theatre in April 1996.

"The band has definitely evolved since that time," Haynes says. "When Woody passed away in 2000, we were forced into a change of direction, because it didn't make sense to chase a chemistry that was gone."

Haynes has pursued additional projects in recent years, including playing lead guitar with The Allman Brothers. He also toured the country last spring in support of a soulful solo album, Man in Motion.

"I'm very fortunate to have that opportunity to collaborate," Haynes says. "A lot of musicians [complain] that they don't get to express themselves in a lot of different ways. When you play in a different situation, you're responding to the sound of the musicians you're playing with."

Along with Haynes and Abts, keyboardist Danny Louis and bassist Jorgen Carlsson will be onstage in Athens. The lineup is different, but the spirit is the same.

"Anyone who's ever lost a bandmember [will] agree that you don't try and search for that ever again," Haynes says. "You want to turn the page and open a new chapter. You want to take the same… spirit and find a new chemistry that rivals the old chemistry."

In addition to the evening show, things kick off with a "VIP pre-party" on the Georgia Theatre rooftop Wednesday afternoon, where fans can meet Haynes and Abts and also hear an acoustic set.