Philly - Tuesday Nov 5

['Scratch]

It's always fun to got to the RAWK SHOW! It was a full house and even though I was lucky enough to have VIP tickets I chose to get down in the mix. I saw a bunch of you 3DDers hooting and hollering front and center. Clams, sorry I couldn't buy you that drink but you looked like you were in good hands.

That said, I don't think this was their best performance. I was right up front on the Cooley side and man, that boy was messed up! I've never seen him look so wasted. I hope that he's okay and that this was just one of those nights. I'm really looking forward to seeing them tour behind the new album in 2014.

[Clams]

I was right up front on the Cooley side and man, that boy was messed up!

Agreed. They all looked pretty toasted.

[headhunter]

A wonderful (and quite eventful) night in Philly with the best live band on the planet.

Great to be on the rail with so many familiar faces and 3dd faithful. Simply put, there are not that many things on this Earth that compare to the high of a good DBT rock show. Too tired to post any descriptions and besides, others will say it better but this was my 6th (and unfortunately last) DBT show of 2013 (not counting solo shows and "special appearances" ) and I know that when I'm sitting around the Thanksgiving table in a few weeks, one of things I will most certainly be thankful for is all the great music and great times spent with DBT and many of you fine folks over the course of this past year.

Big thanks to Cole and those of you who helped out with my friend who somehow just couldn't wait for the last song to end before he became ill. (Thankfully he is fine now after a late night in the er).

[beantownbubba]

Contrary to Cooleygirl's comments the other day, I liked the Old 97s' set. Rhett's a little too pretty and he shakes his ass too much but they're a tight band and they held my attention for their whole set even though I didn't know any of their songs. (Though if I had to listen to them every night like Cooleygirl, I'd probably get bored too).

Hearing songs for the first time live is never the best way to understand the lyrics and as I've already said I'm not real familiar w/ the Old 97's, but every time a lyric knifed through, it was a cliche. I mean like every time. Iron rails, waiting for the other shoe to drop, taking the next train out of town and on and on. If they stayed on stage a moment longer I swear his dog was gonna die, his girl was gonna leave him and his truck was gonna have a flat tire. My first night, in Toronto, when Cooley opened w/ "A Ghost to Most" I remember thinking that there were more fresh lines in that one song than in the entire 97s' set. Unfair? Perhaps. But that's the way I heard it, 2 nites in a row.

[beergut]

Simply put, there are not that many things on this Earth that compare to the high of a good DBT rock show.

Dammit! I wanted to use this as my signature, but there is a 100 character limit.

Hope your buddy's OK.

['Scratch]

The Old 97s always put on a good show. Rhett is definitely a pretty boy, but he always gets the ladies dancing. My favorite part of their set was watching lead guitarist Ken Bethea. That guy is a monster with a Telecaster.

[Clams]

Contrary to Cooleygirl's comments the other day, I liked the Old 97s' set. Rhett's a little too pretty and he shakes his ass too much but they're a tight band and they held my attention for their whole set even though I didn't know any of their songs. (Though if I had to listen to them every night like Cooleygirl, I'd probably get bored too).

Hearing songs for the first time live is never the best way to understand the lyrics and as I've already said I'm not real familiar w/ the Old 97's, but every time a lyric knifed through, it was a cliche. I mean like every time. Iron rails, waiting for the other shoe to drop, taking the next train out of town and on and on. If they stayed on stage a moment longer I swear his dog was gonna die, his girl was gonna leave him and his truck was gonna have a flat tire. My first night, in Toronto, when Cooley opened w/ "A Ghost to Most" I remember thinking that there were more fresh lines in that one song than in the entire 97s' set. Unfair? Perhaps. But that's the way I heard it, 2 nites in a row.

I don't know Bubba. He introduced a new song called "Let's Get Drunk and Get It On." Say what you want about cliches, but those are some lyrics I can get behind.

[beantownbubba]

Contrary to Cooleygirl's comments the other day, I liked the Old 97s' set. Rhett's a little too pretty and he shakes his ass too much but they're a tight band and they held my attention for their whole set even though I didn't know any of their songs. (Though if I had to listen to them every night like Cooleygirl, I'd probably get bored too).

Hearing songs for the first time live is never the best way to understand the lyrics and as I've already said I'm not real familiar w/ the Old 97's, but every time a lyric knifed through, it was a cliche. I mean like every time. Iron rails, waiting for the other shoe to drop, taking the next train out of town and on and on. If they stayed on stage a moment longer I swear his dog was gonna die, his girl was gonna leave him and his truck was gonna have a flat tire. My first night, in Toronto, when Cooley opened w/ "A Ghost to Most" I remember thinking that there were more fresh lines in that one song than in the entire 97s' set. Unfair? Perhaps. But that's the way I heard it, 2 nites in a row.

I don't know Bubba. He introduced a new song called "Let's Get Drunk and Get It On." Say what you want about cliches, but those are some lyrics I can get behind.

Musta missed that one. Probably out in the lobby getting drunk and wishing i was getting it on.

[Scrappy]

Just my $.02...

Had a real good time. Didn't realize what a big deal Old 97s were to so many. Packed house. Philly represented - real proud of that.

RE: Old 97s: I want them to be my bag more than they are. A couple cool songs, but the Merl Haggard Cover (Mama Tried) was their best song in that set. I'm loathe to be negative on a band that is doing it's thang - even if that's not my thang (or in this case, kinda / partly my thang). As we tell my kindergartener: "Don't yuck someone else's yum."

DBT kicked arse. Yeah, a little sloppy here and there, but a real good set with some very high high-points. The Encore set was fantastic. Just fantastic. Life, happenstance and whatnot has kept me from feeding my DBT jones for some time. You realize how long it's been when the music is washing over you and blowing that dust right off. It felt good, really, really good to take it all in.

I try to be a gentleman and behave myself at the shows - show a little respect to all the good folks out for my same great time. But alas... I think the amount this means to me makes me sing too damned loud (when I'm not way up front which I just couldn't do last night). I think I annoyed a fellow patron, but he was real cool (I think he felt bad - bought me a beer which was nice, so I reciprocated - DBT does attract some good souls) and all was well. This was so well worth the spontaneous, 3 hour drive to execute. Brought a friend to this show and introduced him to what this all is. He loved it, and that was a pleasure.

Love hearing the unabashed Rock & Roll DBT. Dont' get me wrong: I LOVE the journey of DBT. I love that "Perfect Timing" and BTCD era is sometimes almost country, almost bluegrass. Then you get to the Scene of the Crime B. Lavette / Booker T type era. This band has grown and progressed. Musicianship continues to climb. Song writing growth album to album... All great stuff.

But to me, DBT at it's essence IS Rock & Roll - thinking, cool-person's Rock & Roll. This show, this time we are in right now, this is DBT at their elemental root and it is beautiful. If I could change anything, I'd add back the pedal steel guitar - honestly, I'm a sucker for that in any music (that and black chicks wailing in the back ground - soul background singing is transcendent). But hey, Jay Gonzalez is really filling in musical gaps so well. Great keyboard parts. My buddy kept commenting on Jay's role.

It was total Philly, top to bottom for me:
Had a cheese steak late night. Woke up at said buddy's house, grabbed a classic Philly pretzel and a water. Jumped in the truck. Threw on XPN as I always do in Philly, found out (from Lauren Valley, of course) that the Schulkill ("Sure-Kill") was totally F'd my direction with a flipped over tractor trailer (yessss!) so I diverted, got moving and even made it to the office.

Can't wait to mount and frame my Craig poster - knew him a little bit and miss seeing him at shows. Can't wait to finally watch "Secret to a Happy Ending." That's right... I finally accepted that NO, it will NOT be a Netflix download. Ever. No little kid tee shirts at the merch table. My 5 year old daughter who's 2 favorite night night songs are "George Jones Talkin' Cell Phone Blues" and "The Sideburn Song" (Ghost to Most, of course) is going to be pissed off. I have some 'Splaining to do. I have not yet been home, so I'm working on my story - which will inevitably turn into a holiday stop on the DBT site for a new kid shirt.

Rock and Roll lives; and last night it took up residence in Philly. It received wonderful Southern Hospitality (minus the Sweet Tea) in Philly.
Damn. What a pleasure. Worth the 3 hour drive. Patterson says Rock & Roll saved his life; I believe this. I understand this. I can't quite say it for myself. Love saves my life every day. But Rock & Roll makes it worth living. Last night was pure evidence of that.

['Scratch]

"Let's get drunk and get it on" is destined to be a classic. Easy to shout lyrics, rocking music, heartfelt sentiment.

[Duke Silver]

Old 97s are one of those bands I love when they come up on shuffle, but can be kind of exhausting to listen to for any extended amount of time.

That said, I don't know if they play it regularly anymore, but "The Color of a Lonely Heart is Blue" is an all-time classic.

[Gang Green]

Hey, BTB wasn't it the Rolling Stones who said "Wild Horses couldn't drag me away"? Cliches have always been part of rock n roll.

Great observations by everyone above, and, yes, as much as I respect Rhett Miller's talent, he is too much of a pretty boy, or maybe I'm just jealous because at 43 he still has an ass to shake. The rest of Old 97s seems to be aging, and Rhett is stuck at 17. I want what he's drinking. But, Scratch he does get the girls dancing, including WXPN morning host Michaela Majoun who was grooving back stage, and there's nothing wrong with that.

Speaking of which, I was kind of pumped to see Michaela Majoun introduce Old 97s, I've been listening to her for years, though I'm not a huge fan of hers, it's always fun to see a jock in person.

I was extremely concerned when I saw Headhunter leaving out the side door towards the end of the encore, I know how hard that must of been, leaving a DBT show, especially for you. Glad to hear your friend is okay.

[beantownbubba]

Hey, BTB wasn't it the Rolling Stones who said "Wild Horses couldn't drag me away"? Cliches have always been part of rock n roll.

Fair point, sorta. Look, I feel ridiculous going this deep in my criticism of the band given my overall lack of familiarity. I should have left it at I was bored. But, since we're here, I suppose the cliched response is it's not whether it's a cliche it's what you do w/ it. The Rolling Stones didn't say "wild horses couldn't drag me away," they sang and played it and that makes all the difference. And the Old 97s just ain't the Rolling Stones (just to save somebody the trouble: no, nobody else is either).

[beantownbubba]

Nice, Scrappy. Good to see you around again.

[Gang Green]

Hey, BTB wasn't it the Rolling Stones who said "Wild Horses couldn't drag me away"? Cliches have always been part of rock n roll.

Fair point, sorta. Look, I feel ridiculous going this deep in my criticism of the band given my overall lack of familiarity. I should have left it at I was bored. But, since we're here, I suppose the cliched response is it's not whether it's a cliche it's what you do w/ it. The Rolling Stones didn't say "wild horses couldn't drag me away," they sang and played it and that makes all the difference. And the Old 97s just ain't the Rolling Stones (just to save somebody the trouble: no, nobody else is either).

No, the Old 97s are not the Rolling Stones, and no one else is either. It just seems some of us, including myself, are looking for a reason not to like the Old 97s. But, they've released some pretty decent albums with plenty of decent songs. And, at their peak, probably in the late nineties, they were on the verge of becoming a top act. I'm just trying to understand where and if they fell short, and what the reason is. Though I have to say there were plenty of folks last night who were nuts about Old 97s, and were pretty hostile when the Truckers were playing. And, all these folks seemed to be standing around me last night which was slightly annoying.

['Scratch]

Old 97s are one of those bands I love when they come up on shuffle, but can be kind of exhausting to listen to for any extended amount of time.

I hear you on that, but I have to say Fight Songs is a great road trip album. Especially for times when you're fading but still have hours to go.

[Vincent]

It's always fun to got to the RAWK SHOW! It was a full house and even though I was lucky enough to have VIP tickets I chose to get down in the mix. I saw a bunch of you 3DDers hooting and hollering front and center. Clams, sorry I couldn't buy you that drink but you looked like you were in good hands.

That said, I don't think this was their best performance. I was right up front on the Cooley side and man, that boy was messed up! I've never seen him look so wasted. I hope that he's okay and that this was just one of those nights. I'm really looking forward to seeing them tour behind the new album in 2014.

Interesting, I was in the VIP behind the soundboard and I thought Cooley was the star of the show. His guitarwork on Heathens was outstanding.

As always, the rock show never disappoints. Love the crazy mixed up spots in the setlist.

[John A Arkansawyer]

I was right up front on the Cooley side and man, that boy was messed up! I've never seen him look so wasted.

Interesting, I was in the VIP behind the soundboard and I thought Cooley was the star of the show. His guitarwork on Heathens was outstanding.

I'm not sure I see the contradiction here.

[beergut]

I was right up front on the Cooley side and man, that boy was messed up! I've never seen him look so wasted.

Interesting, I was in the VIP behind the soundboard and I thought Cooley was the star of the show. His guitarwork on Heathens was outstanding.

I'm not sure I see the contradiction here.

[RevMatt]

I enjoyed the show immensely.

Some highlights -- Went with a couple of guys from The Spider Daniels Band. On the ride over we exchanged stories about emotionally unstable lead singers and lead guitarists we've worked with over the years. These guys are "lifers" who, now that they are in their fifties, have made the transition from playing originals, making records and trying for "the career" to playing bars, blues festivals and biker runs.

Great to see so many 3DDers at the show. If I were to make a list invariably I'd leave someone out. But I want to ask this hypothetical: if Clams is at a show and it turns out to be a great one, does he get the credit?

I sat in the area near the board. It was good to meet some of the crew members' families and extended families at the show.

DBT's sound in the past year has been changing. It is not simply a matter of Jay playing guitar. There is a sense that the sound is stripped down a bit and somewhat controlled despite all of the players taking plenty of liberties during soloing. My guess is that once the new record is out we will be better able to describe the sound in this latest incarnation of Drive By Truckers. So far the theory I am going under is that Cooley's foray into solo acoustic shows has changed the way he looks at the band compositions. I am wondering if, with Neff gone, Cooley is taking on a bigger role in the band's approach to their songs.

I had the privilege of attending sound check. Because of this I was able to hear four songs from the new record -- 3 in the sound check and one during the set. I heard "Grand Canyon" for the first time. It is Patterson's tribute to Craig. It was very emotional for me to look over at Craig and Cole as this song was being played. Yes, tears are for pussies but I couldn't help it. The band and crew put a whole lot of their lives into bringing great music to our cities. They don't do it for the money. There are easier ways to earn what a crew member makes per show that doesn't involve spending weeks at a time living on a bus and schlepping gear. But the music means just as much to the crew members as it does to the fans and the band. They contribute their expertise to make the rock show happen.

Let there be rock.

[RevMatt]

And a strange, surreal, and funny thing that happened.

Me and the guys I went to the show with were browsing the used record store around the corner from the venue. While we were there we noticed a vintage GG Allin band poster hanging in the back and by vintage I mean it had a picture of GG sans leather jockstrap and reverse hitler mustache. It had to be real early in his career, before GG developed his persona. We took notice of it and the owner started chatting with us about GG Allin. The guy, it turns out, is an obsessive GG Allin fan. He broke out his private collection of GG memorabilia that included Merle Allin's business card from the eighties that he passed out to people who might want to book GG Allin to come to town. He had a GG Allin t-shirt, GG-Allin iron on patches, GG Allin bumper stickers. We bought up a whole bunch of GG stuff, laughing hysterically as we left about the likelihood of everything as well as discussing what GG's career might be like if he had lived. I mean, suppose he decided to tour by playing acoustic shows in people's living rooms. $500 to have GG sing eight songs and take a dump on your living room carpet.

I ended up giving Jay a handful of GG Allin bumper stickers and patches to hand out to the band and crew.