Drive-By Truckers / Courtesy Drive-By Truckers
BY MICHAEL QUIRK
mwquirk@go.olemiss.edu
A week removed from performances in New York City and Brooklyn, the band Drive-By Truckers will be performing in its hometown of Athens, Ga., Thursday night before headlining the Double Decker Arts Festival on Saturday night.
Drive-By Truckers was formed in 1996 by Patterson Hood, son of legendary bassist David Hood, and Mike Cooley. Over the years they have had numerous members come into the fold only to drop out. Hood said that artists have dropped out of the band because they were burned out on the touring life or settled down with families, some exits being pleasant and others bumpier.
“Change has always been part of our dynamic and is part of what has kept us vital and productive for so long,” Hood said. “I love and respect all of the different lineups we’ve had through the years. This latest one may be the very best yet.”
There has been so much change in the lineup that the band has never recorded three consecutive albums with the same members. With so much turnover, one might expect there to be an adjustment period, but Hood said there is no time for that.
“We basically throw them into the fire with a hose and work through it all together,” he said. “Jay Gonzalez had two days’ notice to learn 50 or so guitar parts before our New Year’s Eve shows and he killed it on the very first show. I’m surrounded by badasses.”
While some may describe Drive-By as a Southern rock band, Hood believes that is not the case. The frontman said they are a mix of punk rock, R&B, old-timey country and 1970s arena rock.
The band’s first album, “Gangstabilly,” was released in 1998, and the band has released 12 albums since then. Seventeen years have passed since the album, and Hood believes that a lot has changed since the release of their debut album.
“I’ve aged, played nearly 2,000 shows and released over a dozen albums since then,” he said. “I’d like to think my singing and guitar-playing have improved exponentially, and hopefully my writing continues to morph, change and grow as well.”
Two years removed from a tour of the United Kingdom and Ireland, Drive-By Truckers has been playing a domestic schedule with many of its concerts in the South. The band is staying close to home because of its upcoming album that will be recorded in August.
This is not the first time the band has performed in Oxford. Double Decker marks the 11th time Hood has performed in Oxford, with stops at Proud Larry’s, the Library, Bottletree Bakery and The Lyric. The city left a lasting impression on Hood.
“I love Oxford,” he said. “I played Double Decker last year with my solo band and had an amazing time. I was really excited when they asked us to come back this year with Drive-By Truckers. It’s a beautiful town. I love the bookstore and the literary scene. Oxford is sort of to books what Athens is to music.”
Drive-By Truckers will conclude the weekend of performances with a show on the Square at 8:30 p.m. Saturday.
