2009 Warren Haynes Xmas Jam Announced

Mark your calendars for Dec. 12... ticket and lineup details still to come.

By Fred Mills

With the release of the new Gov't Mule album By A Thread (Evil Teen) just around the corner - it's due Oct. 27 - word arrives this morning of additional Mule-related news: the date of the annual Warren Haynes Christmas Jam.

The 2009 installment of this star-laden benefit (for Habitat For Humanity) concert will be held at the Asheville (NC) Civic Center on December 12 - most likely there will also be the traditional pre-Jam jam the previous night at the Orange Peel club. The lineup for this year and on-sale date for tickets have not been announced yet, however, so watch this space for details.

The Asheville Citizen-Times is further reporting that in honor of the Haynes Jam a special "official beer" has been created by local brewers Asheville Brewing. Called "Christmas Jam White," it's a wheat beer described as "made in the Belgian wit style with a hint of orange and coriander in the taste."

Well, all right then!

"It's one of the most important beers that we've made," brewer Mike Rangel told the newspaper. "We had to make a great beer because this is a great event."

Boy howdy to that.

To read our 2008 interview with Haynes in which he discusses the history of the Christmas Jam and talks about the '08 edition which was a two-night 20^th anniversary blowout, go to "20 Years of Xmas Jams."