Live Review: Drive-By Truckers at The Tabernacle in Atlanta, 11/9/24

As history lessons go, Southern Rock Opera must be considered a vital part of American culture, especially in the South. For the third studio album from Drive-By Truckers from 2001, SRO was a concept album in the vein of The Who‘s Tommy or Pink Floyd‘s The Wall. But the Truckers’ creation was rooted in telling the story of the rise and fall of Lynyrd Skynyrd, with an Alabama backdrop of racism and bigotry.

The double-album almost did not get made as the band was passed over repeatedly in the search for a contract. Finally, they relied on their fans to fund the pressing of 5,000 records including distribution, for the promise of a 15% return on their investment. It worked. A year later, Lost Highway Records picked them up, providing the long awaited breakthrough.

When the SRO idea arose and the writing began, Patterson Hood was not shy about being sick of the South’s name being dragged through the mud regarding Civil Rights atrocities. He wanted to speak of the “duality of the Southern thing,” or staking his claim that Alabama possessed a resisting force to balance the evil. Playing nearly all the songs from SRO, a few others were interspersed throughout which added credence to the theme. “Surrender Under Protest” fit in quite nicely. Hood’s partner in crime – the yin to his yang – is Mike Cooley. You will find on most DBT albums the two singers frequently swap lead vocals. Cooley provides a smooth and deep voice, while Hood comes at you with a raw and gritty sound that stabs you right in the soul. When the two harmonize, it’s a thing of beauty.

The setlist was easy to predict as this is the Southern Rock Opera Revisited Tour. Just four days on from the 2024 general election, Hood is holding up that mirror to our society again, as he did back in 2001. It stings even more today than it did then. Hood exclaimed that his grandfathers fought Antifa in the wars, and he’s doing the same thing today, with a resounding, “Fuck those Nazi motherfuckers!” In the incredible “The Three Great Alabama Icons,” Hood offers a spoken word jewel on the connection of George Wallace, Bear Bryant, and Ronnie Van Zant. On Former Gov. Wallace, “Because of his blind ambition and his hunger for votes, he turned a blind eye to the suffering of black America and he became a pawn in the fight against Civil Rights cause / Fortunately for him, the devil is also a Southerner.”

The Opera’s Act II began with “Let There Be Rock,” in which Hood sang of his 14-year-old self buying tickets to see Skynyrd. That show was rescheduled, but fate took over before they could return. “And I never saw Lynyrd Skynyrd but I sure saw AC/DC / With Bon Scott singing, ‘Let There Be Rock Tour.'” Hood added, “And I saw the Replacements like seven times!”

So, if you’re a fan thinking the Truckers just got political, you are late to the party. They’ve been a bastion of speaking their mind on compassion, acceptance, and the lifelong promotion of equal rights. As the night progressed, the music got louder and the fans rose to their feet where most stayed. For any DBT newcomers in the audience, it was clear that a spiritual experience was taking place. The newbies have officially been baptized in the waters of rock ‘n’ roll, Southern style.

The band is magnificently tight with Hood and Cooley both experts on guitar, with multi-instrumentalist Jay Gonzalez doing much of the heavy lifting on jams and solos, in addition to jumping on and off the keys and providing solid backing vocals. Drummer Brad Morgan has been with the band nearly the entire run, while bassist Mike Patton joined just over a decade ago.

As the story of Lynyrd Skynyrd unfolded, the band reached the final song from the album, “Angels and Fuselage,” depicting the plane crash that killed lead singer Ronnie Van Zant, among others, and nearly ended the band. Before performing it, Hood made a powerful argument on not living in fear due to the current political upheaval in America. “I’ve got kids to raise! I’ve got a job to do! Fuck fear! Fuck Fear!” The crowd joined in for a call-and-response, of sorts yelling it back to him. The song is an attempt to imagine what the musicians where thinking as the plane sputtered to silence, with “And I’m scared shitless of what’s coming next.”

After a very brief break, the band took to the stage for an encore. Hood told fans, “Well, we ended with a song about a plane crash, so I guess we’d better play something a little happier,” at which point they broke into the Wet Willie classic “Keep On Smilin'” with long-time producer David Barbe on guitar and vocals. The song “Ronnie and Neil” speaks of the unlikely friendship between Ronnie Van Zant and Neil Young in the early Skynyrd days. Apparently, Young named “Free Bird” as his favorite song. This is likely the reason the Truckers are closing out their shows with Young’s powerful, “Rockin’ In The Free World.” This night was no different as the Tabernacle exploded with joy.

Hood seemed ecstatic the entire show and shared his love and good words with fans frequently. “I love you HeAthen motherfuckers! Resist, you motherfuckers!” It will do your heart (and mind, and ears, and soul) good if you can catch these guys live. It’s what rock ‘n’ roll’s all about.

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