As Minneapolis fills with people Patriots and Eagles fans a select few got into the sold out Drive-By Truckers at The First Avenue Mainroom. The bill consisting of DBT and their opener Lilly Hiatt packed the room and made personal space a thing of the past. We had a chance to talk to Drive-By Truckers Patterson Hood the week before the show, check out the interview HERE
Hiatt, daughter of musician John Hiatt held the stage with her four piece band. Her heavily influenced Nashville sound captivated the crowd and had people cheering and dancing with ever song. Hiatt opened her set with “All Kinds of People” the first song off her new album “Trinity Lane”. She then played “The Night David Bowie Died” then went straight into the title track “Trinity Lane”, which got the best crowd reaction.
After Hiatt’s incredible 45 minute set, we weaseled our way into a spot that had a clear line of the stage. 30 minutes later the screen rose up and the Drive-By Truckers took the stage and Patterson Hood went into “The Guns of Umpqua” which would start the fire for the 3 hour, 33 song show. Throughout the show the front men Mike Cooley and Patterson Hood traded off playing their songs. In a way it made it seem like two different concerts in one. Cooley’s first song was their new live standard song “Shit Shots Count”.
However, it was the tenth song in the set, “Marry Me” that really got the crowd moving. Once that opening riff hit the crowd jumped. A few songs later Hood paid homage to the late, great, Tom Petty, by covering the first half of the song “Southern Accents”. This wasn’t the only tribute DBT played, they also covered the Prince song, “Sign O’ The Times. The band finally closed the set well after midnight with their classic cover of “People Who Died” by Jim Carroll Band.
Walking out of First Avenue everyone knew they had just seen a very special band. A band that can go through so many changes, but still keep their soul, drive and energy are truly remarkable.
