In 1985, Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley formed the band Adam’s House Cat in Athens, Georgia. While that band only existed for six years, it spawned a musical partnership that eventually turned into the creation of the Drive-By Truckers in 1996. 25 years since their initial musical endeavors, Hood and Cooley have come full circle with the Drive-By Truckers, turning the group into one of today’s preeminent voices of Southern Rock and Americana.
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Drive-By Truckers
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40 Watt
Athens, GA
January 15, 2010
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In what has become a tradition in recent years, The Drive-By Truckers returned home to Athens, where they performed on three consecutive sold-out nights. Throughout the Friday night concert—their second show of their homestand—the band provided fans with a glimpse of what lies ahead for the band over the upcoming year.
With their next album, The Big To Do, scheduled to be released this March, Drive-By Truckers decided to share much of their new work with the Athens audience, including “The Fourth Night of My Drinking,” “Birthday Boy” and “Santa Fe.” In addition, Patterson Hood invited his dad to play bass for two songs as they played both songs off of their release Dangerous Highway: A Tribute To The Songs of Eddie Hinton. The album is a tribute to the late songwriter and great session guitarist.
While the band played nine new tracks from The Big To Do as well as this tribute 7”, they also ensured that the hometown fans received more than their money’s worth, playing an assortment of songs from across their catalog. Singers Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley alternated on lead vocals for fan favorites including “Three Dimes Down,” “Lookout Mountain” and “Women Without Whiskey,” providing the crowd with plenty a number to sing along.
After their eighteen song set, The Drive-By Truckers returned for two more encores. The first encore included impressive versions of “Zip City” and “Puttin’ People on the Moon.” Longtime DBT producer David Barbe joined the band onstage during their final encore, where his guitar accompanied Hood as he did his best rendition of Neil Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World.” Their set concluded with a rousing performance of “People Who Died” as the DBT’s rocked out one last time behind the lasting image of Patterson Hood’s exuberant vocal delivery.
Throughout the weekend, The Drive-By Truckers continued their usual focus on tales and journeys of the South, highlighting their own experiences both embracing and conflicting Southern tradition, The Friday night show was no exception, as they once again partook in the communal celebration of their work. As Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley continue into their 25th year of musical collaboration, their Athens stand showed every indication that their work together, along with the rest of the band, will continue for a long time to come.
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