Drive-By Truckers have been on a rock and roll touring bender. With two nights at Brooklyn’s super intimate Music Hall of Williamsburg, the band “kept a train a rolling.”


The first show Sunday night was great.  The band was tight, Mike Cooley’s voice was on key, the set list was stellar and the sound was awesome (kudos to the venue’s sound system, it works so well for that room).


The six song encore was highlighted with a killer “Birthday Boy > Girls Who Smoke” and “Where the Devil Don’t Stay.”

Perched on the lower balcony stage left, me and my buddy swigged and swagged with our fellow Heathen fans.

Drive-By Truckers @ Music Hall of Williamsburg (March 7, 2016) Photos by Thunderbird Ranch Ramble

Night two was one of the best rock shows I’ve ever seen!!


It is so rare to have a NYC venue like this filled with die-hard fans from all over the country.  The band responded like an an “ace in hole” and fed off the crowd’s energy with increasing intensity. 


This epic show culminated with bringing on extra guitars (Wendel Jacobson looked like he was having the time of his life) for the encore and the sharing of a large Herradura bottle. I was one of probably 6 or 7 front row fans that took a large ceremonial gulp in celebration of the show we had just participated in.  


I’ve never seen anything like this before.


The church of rock and roll, Truckers style!

Drive-By Truckers @ Music Hall of Williamsburg (March 7, 2016) Photos by Thunderbird Ranch Ramble

The band pulled out all the stops.  “Bulldozers and Dirt” and “Guitar Man Upstairs” was of special note.  “Hell No I Ain’t Happy” is always a treat and gets my inner rebel all roused up.  I also always get a kick out of their Alice Cooper cover of “I’m Eighteen”. Here is the setlist from night two.


Towards the final minutes of the show, Patterson Hood plopped down on his back in complete exhaustion. I was a few feet away and could feel the satisfaction and pure delight of the universe he has created for himself and his fans. I’m glad he eventually got up and finished the show.

Drive-By Truckers @ Music Hall of Williamsburg (March 7, 2016) Photos by Thunderbird Ranch Ramble

When the house lights turned on, the crowd cheered like a bull fight just finished. The snapshot below of the upper balcony fans was nice surprise and visual of the “love” that filled the Music Hall that night in Brooklyn.

Keep on Trucking’ fellas and of course… Flap Your Wings!


Click here for other Truckers stories at Thunderbird Ranch Ramble.


See you next time…