I glanced down from the wall sized Decoration Day mural as the Drive By Truckers entered.
Reality began to stir my conscience and I was anxious for the first song. At the right side
of the stage Mike Cooley was plugging in his Gibson Flying V, but what really caught my eye
was the radiating confidence of the baby faced Jason Isbell. I took a sip of my drink,
enjoyed a quick midlife flashback and returned to reality as the first song began. Energy
was in the air, wafting between the waving arms and floating chain smoke. A stormy beat and
howling harmonies riding on electricity entered my ears and I couldn't help but smile.

DBT's deliberate phrasing and spontaneous instrumentation project the truth, chaos and
destiny moving through their entwined souls. The display transposed my mind and I smelled
the fragrant rural air of my midwest youth. Patterson Hood's raspy southern lyrics morphed
into controlled screams on the verge of strange as he madly swung his Les Paul while Jason
Isbell complemented the arrangement with smooth riffs. Cooley's wiry fingers thrashed along
the frets bolstering any void with elusive harmonies indicative of the looming tales.
Shonna's hands seemed to barely move as she invisibly meshed her potent bass with Brad
Morgan's booming beat.

I took it all in leaning on a low counter behind the mixing board subconsciously
rejuvenating while avoiding the temptation to devise comparisons. The music intensified
as time passed. Jason and Mike traded songs, plus swigs of Jack Daniels, with Patterson.
It went on like that for two hours and forty minutes.

Standout melodies were Isbell's "Decoration Day," Mike Cooley's lead off encore solo,
"It's Anybody's Race," and "When The Pin Hits The Shell."

The performance transformed lyrics of heartache, sorrow and consumption into an edgy
satisfying musical force. Don't miss the Drive By Truckers the next time they come
to town.

Review by Jay Niemoth, 02.18.2004