The last Drive-by Truckers show I saw was their stellar Dirt Underneath performance at Bowery Ballroom (photos here). I was stationed front and center for one of the best concerts I saw all year. They were more powerful, unplugged, than most any other band turned up to eleven.
That was in October. Last Wednesday night the BIG ROCK SHOW returned to New York City and I was psyched.
Patterson Hood
This was my seventh time seeing this band and it is great to see how they have evolved. No longer a three-guitar attack, there is room for John Neff’s pedal steel work, and Spooner Oldham on keyboards. Spooner, in particular, has added so much, making songs I’ve listened to so many times sound fresh. His work on “Hell No I Ain’t Happy,” among others, was just fantastic.
Mike Cooley was on point the entire evening; his more laid-back approach was a perfect foil to the raw energy that is Patterson Hood.
Michael Cooley
Opening with “The Righteous Path” off of their fantastic new album, Brighter Than Creation’s Dark, almost half of their 25 song set would be devoted to the new disc. I was hoping to hear as much as they wanted to play, so no complaints from me.
The two-hour set was followed by a half-hour encore that never let up. “Shut Up and Get on the Plane,” followed by Tom Petty’s “Rebels,” “ Zip City,” and an absolutely raging “Lookout Mountain.” Top that off with Jim Carroll’s “People Who Died,” and that’s about as good as it gets.
Hood, Cooley & Tucker
I can’t put another band out there ahead of the Truckers. There is purity and a passion to their music. They’re a remarkably good group musically, and don’t waste a word in their lyrics.
Hood and Cooley
NYCTaper is offering up a crisp, tasty recording of this show. If you haven’t heard the Truckers you must. This show is a fantastic place to start.
My complete set of photos from the show can be found here.
Finally, a word about Terminal 5. This venue has sparked very strong opinions since it opened. While I don’t think the sound is as bad as the reputation, it isn’t great. My bigger issue is the feel of the place. Where the Bowery show was intimate and warm, Terminal 5 is anything but. It is a large, cold box of a venue. It is hard to believe that this place is promoted by Bowery Presents, whose Bowery Ballroom may be the best place in the city to see a show.
Drive-by Truckers
March 26, 2008
Terminal 5, New York City
The Righteous Path
Where The Devil Don’t Stay
That Man I Shot
Self Destructive Zones
Two Daughters And A Wife
Daddy Needs A Drink
Three Dimes Down
Puttin’ People On The Moon
Hell No, I Ain’t Happy
Checkout Time In Vegas
The Living Bubba
I’m Sorry Houston
Carl Perkins’ Cadillac
Sinkhole
A Ghost To Most
You And Your Crystal Meth
Goode’s Field Road
Women Without Whiskey
Let There Be Rock
–encore–
Shut Up And Get On The Plane
Rebels (Tom Petty)
Zip City
18 Wheels Of Love
Lookout Mountain
People Who Died (Jim Carroll)
Shonna Tucker
Patterson Hood
Drive-by Truckers
