As a band known for headlining jam-peppered concerts that often surpass the three-hour mark, accepting the opening slot on the Steve Miller Band's upcoming summer amphitheater tour naturally will force Gov't Mule [ tickets ] to make some adjustments in approach. "We're not there to go against the grain," said frontman/guitarist Warren Haynes. "Otherwise we wouldn't be there at all."

Haynes gained national attention by revitalizing the double-guitar attack of the Allman Brothers Band between 1989 and 1997. While both were still with the Allmans, Haynes and Allan Woody (bass) formed Gov't Mule as a side project with drummer Matt Abts, and the band released its debut album in 1995. Gov't Mule released its third studio album, "Life Before Insanity" (Capricorn), in February.

In linking with the Steve Miller Band in June and July, Gov't Mule's agenda is to pick up as many new fans as possible. "Even if only a small percentage of the people become fans of your band, that's still a lot of people," Haynes said. "You kind of have to look at it that way. You're not going out there expecting to win over the whole audience, but the people that do enjoy it hopefully become fans."

Gov't Mule will be allotted 50 minutes to make their case. "In an opening situation, that's about as much as you want to do because it's not your show; they're not your fans," Haynes said. "You're there to try and win new fans, and it doesn't take more time than that for people to decide if they like you or not."

While opening for the Steve Miller Band, Haynes said that Gov't Mule will streamline its performance by cutting down on open-ended jamming and by reducing the number of cover songs on its set list.

"We do a lot of classic-rock-type packages because we're a new band, so to speak," he said. "The toughest thing that we ever did was the H.O.R.D.E. tour in '98, where we only did 30 minutes. The hardest thing is to pare the set down to 30 minutes."

Haynes said that because Gov't Mule's music branches in so many musical directions--blues, jazz, psychedelic, country, soul and just about everything else--it makes sense to appear on bills with bands that play different types of music.

"Of course, most of the concerts that we do is just us ourselves headlining," he said. "But when we do packages, they can vary from things like the Black Crowes to Dave Matthews to Widespread Panic. Anytime you play for people that have never heard you before, it's good thing."

Haynes--to whom the recent spate of heavy rock radio airplay afforded to the band's single "Bad Little Doggie" came as a "pleasant surprise"--said Gov't Mule plans to be on the road for most of 2000.

"Some people theorize that maybe rock 'n' roll music is going to make a comeback," he said. "If that happens, then maybe we'll somewhat fit into what's going on. But we're very much just trying to do our own thing and be what we are."