I’m entirely comfortable saying that for the past 10 years, no band has been as consistently great live as the Drive-By Truckers. Every time I’ve witnessed their cathartic brand of capital R Rock — and that’s been several since 2001 — I’ve walked away equally exhausted and exhilarated. Line-up changes be damned, nothing stops the relentless guitar gusto of bandleaders Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley.
Touring in support of their newest outstanding release, English Oceans — their best since Brighter Than Creation’s Dark — the now five-piece has lost none of its charge, even as they face the inevitable sands of time. Hood celebrated his 50th birthday in Indy — the band’s first appearance here since 2011 — with a steak at St. Elmo’s and a fan-made cake shaped like a woman’s breasts. As he said during the show, “It ain’t a birthday without some tittycake.”
Opening with Cooley’s hard-charging Gravity’s Gone from 2006′s Blessing and a Curse, the band set the table for a list of fan favorites, new tracks, and the unexpected. One of the many reasons I love the DBTs is their willingness to pull from all parts of their catalog. As long as they’re Hood or Cooley songs, nothing is off limits. During Tuesday night’s show at the Vogue, the pair dug back for unexpected treats like Buford Stick, Sounds Better in a Song, Pulaski, Tornadoes, and Where the Devil Don’t Stay. The set list was heavier on the new material than I expected — nine from Oceans made the cut — but the band still sprinkled in the powerhouses. Zip City, Lookout Mountain, and main set closer Ronnie and Neil all hit the target. Of the new songs, Pauline Hawkins, Made Up English Oceans, Shit Shots Count, and Grand Canyon made their case for permanent enshrinement in the DBTs hall of fame.
As long as DBTs keep rocking, I’ll keep listening. Let’s hope it’s not another three years before they make it back to Indy.
Blitzen Trapper opened the show with 45 minutes of their throwback-inspired jams. Half the set was devoted to newest album, VII, while the other half pulled from 2011′s terrific American Goldwing. The Oregon band’s show at Deluxe a few years back was fantastic and they were equally good last night. Great undercard.
DBTs Set List:
Gravity’s Gone
Buford Stick
Shit Shots Count
When He’s Gone
Sounds Better in a Song
Pauline Hawkins
Made Up English Oceans
Hanging On
Pulaski
Lookout Mountain
Ghost to Most
Tornadoes
Where the Devil Don’t Stay
Company I Keep
Hearing Jimmy Loud
Ronnie and Neil
Encore:
Primer Coat
Part of Him
Get Downtown
Hell No I Ain’t Happy
Zip City
Grand Canyon