Drivin’ 'N’ Cryin’ was formed in 1985 in Atlanta, GA by Kevn Kinney.

Drivin’ 'N’ Cryin’, was chosen from one of Kevn’s many songs that reflected the two directions of their music.

I am going to focus mainly on their full length studio albums.

The first time I heard DNC was in 1988 at a friends apartment in Richmond, VA. My friend lived off campus in the unofficial VCU wing of the apartment complex. Every weekend was a non stop party at his apartment building. The party was never announced or planned, people just showed up. You could bet on any given weekend that you were guaranteed to hear Honeysuckle Blue or Straight to Hell several times a night. Those were the only two songs I knew by DNC until REM's Green Tour came to the Richmond Coliseum. I had seen REM a few times and was excited to see them again but I was equally excited to see DNC. REM was good that night but in my opinion DNC blew REM away. DNC played like they had something to prove and REM was just going through the motions. That was April 21, 1989 and the next day I went to Plan 9 and bought everything they had out at the time. At the time DNC had released three albums.....



Title track from Scarred But Smarter





Title track from Whisper Tames The lion





Both of these are from Mystery Road, probably their two most popular songs.





The next two albums Fly Me Courageous and Smoke, were all-out rockers, marked with guitar assaults and a heavier sound. The more hard-rocking Fly Me Courageous ended up being the band's most commercially successful album, with the album being certified gold. The next few years the band toured with artists such as Neil Young and Soul Asylum. Smoke failed to catch on with the public as had its predecessor.

This is my favorite era of the band. I probably saw them 10 times during this period. Caught a bunch of shows around Richmond, Charlottesville and Lexington, VA. I have a friend who went to Washington and Lee University and his fraternity, Sigma Nu had DNC play several times at W&L.

One of the most memorable shows was during the Smoke tour at the Flood Zone in Richmond. A friend brought in his home DAT deck and was allowed to patch into the sound board. The craziest mosh pit I had ever witnessed broke out at this show and the band seemed to feed off of it and played like their lives depended on it.



A few from Fly Me Courageous





Smoke is probably my favorite DNC album. My favorite song from Smoke is Eastern European Carny Man. Can't find it on youtube but once I got a private performance of this song acapella style from Kevn Kinney on the streets of NYC. I was in NYC on business and decided to go see James McMurtry at the Music Hall of Williamsburg. As I am walking up to go into the show, I see Kevn outside leaning against the wall and I ask him if he was there to see McMurtry and he said no he was the opening act. They had asked him at the last minute to open the show. He said he was trying to decide what to play and asked me what I wanted to hear. I told him Eastern European Carny Man. He said he hadn't played that in a long time and started singing it to me to make sure he remembered the words. He didn't play it on stage that night but as soon as his set was finished he came right out into the audience and apologized to me and said he really wanted to play it but his guitar player didn't know it well enough.

A few from Smoke




In 1994, the band decided to move away from the heavy guitar sounds of the previous two records. That same year the band left Island Records and found a new home at Geffen Records. The band's first and only Geffen album, 1995's Wrapped In Sky, featured newly added keyboard sounds and a return to the band's original sound.



From Wrapped In Sky





1997 brought along a self-titled album, followed two years later by a live album, The Essential Live Drivin’ 'N’ Cryin'. In 2000, the band released The Ultimate Collection, a best-of collection. In 2003, the band released a four-song EP, Detroit City Rock, which featured a cover of the Beatles "Let It Be," recorded in New York City on Sept. 13, 2001.



The band released its first full studio album in 12 years, The Great American Bubble Factory on September 29, 2009. In 2011, the Georgia General Assembly commended Drivin' N' Cryin' in a house resolution for the band's achievements.






Starting in 2012, the band began a series of EPs, to be released about once per month, and each based around a theme or story. The first, titled Songs from the Laundromat will be followed by Songs About Cars, Space and The Ramones on September 18. A third EP titled Songs From The Garage is also scheduled for release. On April 16, 2013 Songs From The Psychedelic Time Clock was released.

In 2012, a documentary about the band titled Scarred but Smarter: Life n Times of Drivin n Cryin was produced.



"There's a band on stage that used to be huge
They sound on but no one's listening
They're told to turn down and they politely oblige
Ain't no such thing as a free ride"

It is rumored that the band in DBT's song The Opening Act is Drivin' 'N' 'Cryin". They may not be huge anymore but they still put on a kick-ass live show. The last time I saw DNC was at a private show in Richmond back in February and they did not disappoint.



I have only scratched the surface on this band so feel free to add anything that you think should be here.

Power Fuckin' House


DNC's page on the Live Music Archive - http://archive.org/details/DrivinNCryin

DNC was the first band that I identified with on a more personal level than acts like The Rolling Stones, Led Zepplin, SRV & Eric Clapton and for good reason too. Tim Nielson's mom Kay was the first person to ever cut my hair as a child, so along with the fact that they were an Atlanta band made them feel like they were "ours" in a way. I've got lots of DNC stories that I'll get around to telling (work's calling at the moment) but one of my favorite ones was the played the first concert I ever went to w/out any sort of adult supervision. It was 1991 and the Fly Me Courageous tour, they were playing the Fabulous Fox Theatre in Atlanta, GA and their opening act was an up and coming band Athens called Widespread Panic that rock show changed my life!

Good write up on a great band, Tom. I got Fly Me Courageous when it first came out. I was already feeling better about Rock & Roll again because of the Grunge movement; but Drivin' & Cryin' was even more up my alley. I loved that album. I still haven't seen them live; but I can imagine they put on a killer show. Good story about your private street concert

Good stuff Tom! the first Drivin' 'N' Cryin' record I heard was Whisper Tames The Lion and I loved it immediately. I had my record stores in those days and played them for customers all the time and turned a bunch of folks on to them. Unfortunately I think I've only seen them 4 times over the years but they never disappoint.

Love, love love DNC. One of the first records I ever bought was Mystery Road. Around here "Straight to Hell" is similar to "Mustang Sally" & (nowadays) "Wagon Wheel"; every two-bit bar band has to have it in their repertoire. I've actually caught them live more often than any other band - Kevn's high on the list of the most gracious and approachable musicians I've ever met. Great guys & a great band. Of course I was too young to see them in their prime but I always considered them (along with the Black Crowes) kindof the third generation of "Southern Rock", which was highly superior to the 2nd generation.

One of those bands I've always seen around the fringes here and never really jumped off the cliff with. Per usual, an AOTW can always be a great way to go about that.

Thanks Big Tom for the write up - one of my favourtie bands of all time, was one of the reasons my sorry ass migrated down to Georgia from New England....

Saw them a month ago here in Manhattan and they are still going strong and bringing the rock n roll...thanks again!

Smoke is probably my favorite DNC album. My favorite song from Smoke is Eastern European Carny Man. Can't find it on youtube but once I got a private performance of this song acapella style from Kevn Kinney on the streets of NYC. I was in NYC on business and decided to go see James McMurtry at the Music Hall of Williamsburg. As I am walking up to go into the show, I see Kevn outside leaning against the wall and I ask him if he was there to see McMurtry and he said no he was the opening act. They had asked him at the last minute to open the show. He said he was trying to decide what to play and asked me what I wanted to hear. I told him Eastern European Carny Man. He said he hadn't played that in a long time and started singing it to me to make sure he remembered the words. He didn't play it on stage that night but as soon as his set was finished he came right out into the audience and apologized to me and said he really wanted to play it but his guitar player didn't know it well enough.

^^^^^ great story. Great thread, too.

Good one Tom. Wasn't aware of them until I saw this Kevn Kinney guy open for the Screwtopians in 09. Few months later got a letter from Howlin Wolf with a ticket to see them. Kick ass show. Saw them again recently with Wolfie at the aforementioned show. Still kicking MAJOR ass

Drivin' n' Cryin' came onto my radar circa Mystery Road because of Peter Buck's involvement on that record, at least that's how I remember it. I also saw them open for R.E.M. at the Dean Dome in Chapel Hill on the Green tour though I'd be hard pressed to say they were mailing it in that night (or later that same year when they played Greensboro with Pylon). The next time I saw them was at the Attic in Greenville, NC on the tour for Fly Me Courageous sometime in the early 90's. During that same era Kevn came to the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro with Buck when he was touring in support of MacDougal Blues but I missed out on that show. Over the next few years they were the opening act for a number of bands at Walnut Creek in Raleigh, including the then newly reformed Lynyrd Skynyrd. While I'd been aware of Kevn's other solo work I didn't really take notice of him again in a significant way until around the time of Broken Hearts and Auto Parts in 2002. Shortly thereafter he took part in the Tres Tangled Truckers shows at the Pour House in Raleigh in the mid 00's. That's what really made me sit up and pay attention even though Kevn wasn't exactly in the best of voice at the second TTT show. In the years since he's played here pretty frequently either solo, with a band or with Drivin' n' Cryin'. Somewhere around the time of The Great American Bubble Factory is when I started making sure not to miss Kevn (or Drivin' n' Cryin') nearly any time they came around. In fact, I've seen them twice just within the past 3 months. They're supposed to be playing in Raleigh again soon for the premier of the Scarred But Smarter documentary but no details have surfaced on that yet.

Several things have become evident to me in the past few years regarding Kevn that never really dawned on me before, like how he has such a broad range of styles. This has really been driven home in how I've seen him jam with everyone from John Teer (Chatham County Line) to Jason Ross (Seven Mary 3) and pretty much everyone in between. That nails my final thought on him, motherfucker just loves to play. When Drivin' n' Cryin' played the Lincoln back in July to a nearly empty house (Southern Culture On the Skids were playing a free outdoor show just a few blocks away that night) they must have played in excess of 3 hours. Just this past weekend when they played a free outdoor show in Greensboro, the skies opened up 6-7 songs into their set. Undeterred, Kevn stood on the edge of the stage in the pouring rain jamming as though it was a sunshiny day. The downpour was so torrential that even as their crew was shuffling gear off the stage, the band kept playing their hearts out, knowing they were going to have to wrap it up prematurely. That sort of determination and love of the craft is a very rare thing and something you just don't see all that often anymore.

Thanks so much for the write up. Drivin' n' Cryin' is the very definition of an underrated/underappreciated band yet they're still out there every night playing as though their very lives depend upon it. I have a very scattered collection of Drivin' n' Cryin' and Kevn stuff on CD (and a few things on vinyl), I'm looking forward to expanding on that in the months to come, especially finally picking up some of the early records by Drivin' n' Cryin' that I've never heard before. The oldest one I have is Fly Me Courageous, which I only picked up used just a year or so ago. I'm also looking forward to the Kevn/Peter Buck show at the 40 Watt in November, that should be tons of fun.

most excellent.

one of my all timers. seminal. long, long love for all things kevn kinney. so many amazing tunes.

have seen them many times in many eras. always rock balls.

was at a peter buck/kk gig and the crowd started singing give peace a chance. it was earnest but horribly cheestastic. we were very 80's/90's.

Nice one BigTom.

I must admit I had never heard of this band before I started reading this board. I don't think they ever got much publicity over here in Europe (at least not to my knowledge).

A while back I checked some of the more recent live recordings on SouthernShelter.com. Really good stuff. Love the energy. (And the guitars, goes witgout saying).

Gonna check out the albums as well.

DNC playing Vinyl Music Hall in Pensacola Friday, if anyone is interested. I have other plans, otherwise would consider it.

In Straight to Hell, there is a lyric about "I kept falling like a Rolling Stones song." I'm drawing a blank trying to think of what song this refers to. Anyone know?

full show. 1988, atlanta

bonus points for the couple in the opening.

Drivin N Cryin Featuring Aaron Lee Tasjan

Posted on: 6 December 2013 ( Ripped off from the Drivin N Cryin website)


We’re very pleased to welcome Aaron Lee Tasjan to the DNC family as lead guitarist and all around kick-ass musician! Songman and guitarist Aaron Lee Tasjan, now living in Nashville, TN, has had his songs recorded by Jack White & BP Fallon, Pat Green and Semi Precious Weapons. Tasjan’s songs have appeared in major motion pictures like The Way, Way Back (2013) and Serious Moonlight (2009) as well as TV shows The Voice and Best Week Ever. As if these accomplishments weren’t enough, Tasjan was honored by ASCAP at the Kennedy Center this past spring as one of America’s great songwriters of the next generation. A much sought after guitarist, Tasjan has played lead guitar with The NY Dolls, Alberta Cross, Everest, Todd Snider, and collaborated with Sean Lennon in the band Operation Juliet. His debut solo EP, produced by Anton Fier, Crooked River Burning will be out in spring 2014 on the Rockwood Music Hall Recordings label. ALT will be performing with DNC indefinitely, as his schedule permits.

So I'm guessing that Sadler is full time with Jason.

I saw Aaron Lee Tasjan this summer at the Lincoln Theatre in Raleigh with Drivin' n' Cryin' and again tonight solo at the Pour House. I only caught the last part of his set but really enjoyed it. He did a solo set this summer with Drivin' n' Cryin' (sans Kevn) backing him. What I heard tonight reminded me of a cross between Kevn and Todd Snider. Aaron also played a tune he wrote with Keith Christopher (original Georgia Satellites, Yayhoos, Dan Baird and Homemade Sin). Keith co-wrote "Beer Run" with Todd so the similarities really hit home on that song as well as the last one, a rambling number about going to see the Nuge. Looking forward to his solo record.

http://scarredbutsmarterdoc.com/test/

bunch of clips from the not very widely released dnc documentary. good stuff.

i agree with some chick from some atl area punk band in one of the clips.....kevn kinney is the neil young of his generation.



unrelated: always love kk's between songs stream of consciousness free stylin at gigs.

a little more cross threading for cortez.




belongs in the greatest debut album thread. do we have one of those?

Clams wrote:In Straight to Hell, there is a lyric about "I kept falling like a Rolling Stones song." I'm drawing a blank trying to think of what song this refers to. Anyone know?

hhmmm. interesting.

dime in the gutter wrote:

Clams wrote:In Straight to Hell, there is a lyric about "I kept falling like a Rolling Stones song." I'm drawing a blank trying to think of what song this refers to. Anyone know?

hhmmm. interesting.

"Tumblin' Dice," I believe.

Kudzu Guillotine wrote:I saw Aaron Lee Tasjan this summer at the Lincoln Theatre in Raleigh with Drivin' n' Cryin' and again tonight solo at the Pour House. I only caught the last part of his set but really enjoyed it. He did a solo set this summer with Drivin' n' Cryin' (sans Kevn) backing him. What I heard tonight reminded me of a cross between Kevn and Todd Snider. Aaron also played a tune he wrote with Keith Christopher (original Georgia Satellites, Yayhoos, Dan Baird and Homemade Sin). Keith co-wrote "Beer Run" with Todd so the similarities really hit home on that song as well as the last one, a rambling number about going to see the Nuge. Looking forward to his solo record.

Keith co-wrote 'Beer Run" with Todd Snyder?????

Hud wrote:

Kudzu Guillotine wrote:I saw Aaron Lee Tasjan this summer at the Lincoln Theatre in Raleigh with Drivin' n' Cryin' and again tonight solo at the Pour House. I only caught the last part of his set but really enjoyed it. He did a solo set this summer with Drivin' n' Cryin' (sans Kevn) backing him. What I heard tonight reminded me of a cross between Kevn and Todd Snider. Aaron also played a tune he wrote with Keith Christopher (original Georgia Satellites, Yayhoos, Dan Baird and Homemade Sin). Keith co-wrote "Beer Run" with Todd so the similarities really hit home on that song as well as the last one, a rambling number about going to see the Nuge. Looking forward to his solo record.

Keith co-wrote 'Beer Run" with Todd Snyder?????

Indeed, he did. At least that's always been my understanding.

Joseph Arthur interviews Kevn Kinney in episode one of Joseph's Nothing To Talk About podcast.

yet another good one, kudzu. always solid.

John Paul Jones on stage with Drivin' n' Cryin' along other special guests such as Chuck Prophet, Scott McCaughey and Steve Wynn for "Straight To Hell" during the closing night of Peter Buck's Todos Santos Musical Festival on Saturday night.
(Photo courtesy of Jason from the R.E.M. Costa Rica Fans page on Facebook)

No details have been made public yet but Paul Butchart (formerly of the Side Effects) just posted to the R.E.M. Fans United page on FB that former Drivin' n' Cryin' guitarist Buren Fowler passed away in his sleep last night. If the Wiki entry for D n' C is correct, I saw him with them at least 3-4 times in the late 80's/early 90's. I also saw him with R.E.M., though I understand he was playing off stage (if memory serves, this was during the Pageantry tour in '86). My first Drivin' n' Cryin' show is when they opened for R.E.M. at the Dean Dome in Chapel Hill on the Green World Tour in '89. After that, I saw D n' C at the Attic in Greenville on the tour for Fly Me Courageous and at least a couple times (if not more) at Walnut Creek in Raleigh opening for other bands (including Skynyrd). Evidently, Buren left D n' C in '94.

Here he is with Kevn in 2011.

As posted to Drivin' n' Cryin's FB page:

It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of our brother-in-arms Buren Fowler. Words alone cannot express the sense of loss that we all feel. He will be deeply missed. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his dear wife Paula and his family. We love you Buren. Godspeed.