Drive-By Truckers@9:30 Club

Drive-By Truckers
9:30 Club, Washington, D.C.
July 23, 2010

When Drive-By Truckers scheduled a show in Washington on a night off from their current gig as the opening act for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, I couldn’t help but think of it as a make-up date.

The last time the band rolled into the nation’s capital, in February 2009, singer/guitarist Patterson Hood was knocked flat, and out of commission, by a wicked case of walking pneumonia. The band played on, for two nights at the 9:30 Club, featuring almost exclusively the songs of Hood’s fellow singer/guitarist/partner in crime, Mike Cooley. The fans didn’t seem to mind, as both shows were well-attended. Nonetheless, it seemed like DBT would probably try to do something as a thank you to those who kept the faith.

Like playing for the good people of D.C., rather than taking a night off.

His absence wasn’t directly mentioned until well into Friday night’s sold-out return to the 9:30 Club, but Hood set the tone for the night the moment DBT took the stage. Grabbing his guitar and spreading his arms wide, like he was ready to bear-hug the first row, Hood shouted into the mike, “Goddammit, I feel good!”

It showed.

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