Drive-By Truckers Album: “Live at the 40 Watt: August 27 & 28, 2004”

I'm not gonna write an in depth review-I know why you're here...so I'll just tell you this was well worth the wait. The packaging, the sound, the direction-killer. It's hard to believe one band could have SO many great songs, and perform them all with sweat, passion and grace. If you've seen these guys live, this will remind you of why you had such a great time at the show...for those who havn't, I assure you this is the next best thing to being there-just without the over-zealous fan next to you spilling your beer as he rocks out to the best Southern rock band since Skynyrd. Yeah, I said it, and you know it's true.

This is an outstanding concert featuring 3 excellent guitar players, songs with a Southern Theme, and three different vocalist on different songs. It also, includes stories told by band members about the South. The set list consists of 17 songs, then they are called out for an encore and play an additional 5 songs. It was filmed fairly recently at the 40 watt club in Athens, Georgia.

The line-up consists of: Patterson Hood - guitars & vocals, Mike Cooley on guitars and vocals, Jason Isbell on guitars and vocals, Brad Morgan on drums, and Shonna Tucker on bass (I really like Shonna, she's talented and good looking). Four of the Five are from the Muscle Shoals Alabama area. I like the band member's southern accents!

Some of the highlights include: "The day John Henry died", "Carl Perkins Cadillac", "Never Gonna Chance" (a reference to "Freebird"), "Cottonseed", "The Buford Stick" (a reference about Buford Pusser in the movie :"Walking TAll"), "the Southern Thing", "LookOut Mountain" (in Alabama/Georgia), "Decoration Day" (about a family living down on Mobile Bay), "Women without Whiskey" (a reference to the late Ronnie Van Zant giving up Whiskey?), "Shut up an Get on the Plane" (a reference about the late Ronnie Van Zant boarding the plane that crashed carrying the Lynyrd Skynyrd Band - It's a great song and story about the late Ronnie Van Zant being ready to die if it's his time), and "The People who Died" (although this is a Jim Carrol Band song, it seems to be making a reference to the people who died on the Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash of 1977). Note, this band has released a "Southern Rock Opera" CD and included in the notes to this CD, they refer to "Lynyrd Skynyrd" as the Greatest Rock Band ever. They are paying respect and tribute to the "Lynyrd Skynyd" Band that went down in the plane crash of 1977 and the people who died in that crash.

This is an excellent 3 guitar "southern rock" concert, that is very enjoyable, and I highly recommend it. Thanks!!!

The Drive By Truckers ROCK!

These folks write and sing music that will make you remember your childhood or wonder what the rest of us did growing up. They sound excellent on media or live. They seem to have a good time and treat each song as if they were creating a time capsule for those in the future to get a hint of life growing up in southern small town USA.

A MUST HAVE!

This is one of the best concert dvd's I have. You surely can find other titles with better audio and picture, with musicians with better technique and better hairstyle but we're talking about ROCK'N'ROLL, and this dvd is everything a ROCK'N'ROLL fan really needs: great songs played with passion by a brave and inspired band.

The video is pretty good as concert films go. The band is kind of crammed in together and close to the crowd, which is different from your typical shot-for-MTV performance, but that's an accurate depiction of a small-club Truckers show.

What makes this DVD worth having is the sound, which is awesome. Put it on a 5.1 surround system (it has options for either 5.1 or regular stereo) and crank it up loud.

The only (minor) drawback to this DVD is what it leaves out--concert staples Let There Be Rock and Zip City aren't on here--but the stuff they include is terrific. But since it's unlikely that DBT will ever play Isbell songs like John Henry or Outfit again, it's nice to have those on here. Buy this and then buy the Austin City Limits DVD when it comes out, too.