Last night in Philadelphia, Drive-By Truckers lead singer Patterson Hood (pic above) talked about the band’s new album recently recorded at Chase Park in Athens, GA and mastered in New York City.  The band played a few of the new songs (album hits street in Feb) and to no surprise…they hold water.


A few days before the show I read on one of the DBT Facebook message boards that the band just ain’t the same anymore and the new direction is not exciting to a segment of its old fans.

As a fairly new fan…yes “Go-Go Boots” got my initial interest (and led to Southern Rock Opera), which I strongly believe is under-rated by the old DBT contingency…I don’t have the historical perspective on the band to know how to take this cloudy notion that has been brewing since parting ways with key bandmates.

An increasingly big fan of DBT and a genuine rock music addict, this set up a interesting platform as I looked forward to seeing the Election Day night show at The Theatre of Living Arts (more commonly known as “The TLA”). The purple logo on my media pass (see picture below) gives you a sense of their bold identity.


The two guys going to the show with me (both big music fans and longtime TBR Ramble supporters) were seeing DBT for the first time (at my suggestion).  


In fact, their introduction to the band from me was “Go-Go Boots” and Cooley’s recent solo album. A few weeks before the show I recommended they put the DBT channel on Pandora when sitting at their desk to get a fuller sense of the band.  


BTW…a side-topic for another day…the more options people have for listening to and sharing music, the harder it seems to get people to put “sound to ear”.)

Walking to the show down South Street, stomping past one of America’s grittiest and storied rock and roll clubs…JC Dobbs, my showmates (DT and Kite-man) asked me what I liked about the Truckers and I rambled (un)poetically about being one of America’s great rock and roll bands.

Patterson and Jay share a moment

Great rock bands transcend through transitional periods and end up stronger than before or slowly start to become at best a greatest hits show or niche band with very good musicians and song book (See “Old 97’s” below).  


Great rock bands land on their feet and gain new fans through transitional periods; they build their sound for the next chapter and verse.


The TLA show was good, but unremarkable.  With a surprisingly higher than expected quota of first time DBT show goers…the crowd seemed to not give the band that push to overdrive they seemed to need.  I’m sure the busy schedule and pressures of recording the new album and taxing on the band.

The opening band the Old 97’s had more die-hard fans than headlining Drive-By Truckers.  Strange. 

More importantly, Old 97’s lead men, Rhett Miller (pic right) and Murry Hammond, were tight. The band seemed to have a unending catalog of quality songs and on a mission to stay above the “am-I-relevant line” with each punkability jangle.  This was a very smart and perfectly complimentary warm-up act for the Drive-By Truckers.


Although Patterson and Cooley were not at the top of their game (a very subjective and unfair comment since I am comparing them to recent legendary performances at Toad’s Place in New Haven and The National in Richmond, Jay Gonzalez (see pic below) was extraordinary.  


DT, a music man with deep rock music sensibilities and experience, could not say enough about the talents of the “Hammond 3 Organ Guitar Playing Guy”.  DBT is still stacked.

The band has 5 more shows on this leg of the tour before they separate out and play a spattering of solo shows.  I would bet that the last two will be “can’t miss” in Tennessee but then again I thought Philly would be too.


I am super glad that I saw the show and brought two more DBT fans onto my/our “seed line”.  Like a vampire out of True Blood, my DBT maker gets stronger as the line strengthens.


BTW2…I was able to grab some very good pictures from the photo well beyond those included in this story.  Email me at mbeckeri@mac.com if interested in the fuller set.


On to Panic at The Theatre…11-16-13.


Peace.


Flap your wings.