Drive-By Truckers - Drive-By Truckers, Bobby Keys

It was the second night of the Drive-By Truckers sold-out stand at the Cannery Ballroom in Nashville, and the always entertaining Bobby Keys was on stage. This legendary saxophone player, who has performed with everyone from Buddy Holly to the Rolling Stones, was on fire. Joining him on stage to lend vocal support was Dan Baird of the Georgia Satellites who delivered as always.

As previously mentioned, Keys has played with an assortment of rock royalty spanning six decades. He lent his remarkable talents to landmark recordings (George Harrison's All Things Must Pass and Joe Cocker's Mad Dogs and Englishmen). He has played saxophone on record breaking hit singles including Dion's "The Wanderer," John Lennon's "Whatever Gets You Through the Night", the Stones' "Brown Sugar", "Can't You Hear Me Knockin'" and "Sweet Virginia", all of which he performed this night. To stand in the audience and listen to this native Texan tell wild and sordid stories about all the legendary figures he had been involved with was remarkable.

Though Bobby Keys was great, it was the twin guitar and vocal attack of the Drive-By Truckers Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley that had this crowd revved up and ready to go. This show was also an introduction of sorts for the band's new bass player on this tour, their long time producer Dave Barbe. Devoted fans will know that bassist, Shonna Tucker, announced her departure from the band in December 2011 to pursue other projects.

Cooley and Hood traded songs all night to a near frenzied crowd who pretty much sang-a-long to every word the two belted out. The set started out fairly mellow with "The Fourth Night of My Drinking" and "Where the Devil Don't Stay," but revved up pretty quickly after that. "Ray's Automatic Weapon", "Uncle Frank", "State Trooper", "Buttholetown" and a crowd favorite, Cooley's "Gravity's Gone."

Throughout the evening, DBT brought the music down a few, then amped it back up for few, and continued this trade-off for 90 minutes. Other songs included "A World of Hurt", "3 Dimes Down" and the closer, "Hell No I Ain't Happy." For those that left the Cannery early to avoid the traffic, they missed one hell of an ending. The band saved the best for last; coming back out for an eight-song encore. Nashville pedal steel extraordinaire Pete Finney came on stage for "Let There Be Rock" and it brought the house down.

The band's nearly two and a half hour show included some rare gems like "Goode's Field Road," "When the Pin Hits the Shell" and "Daddy Learned to Fly". This stop in Nashville was one of the opening shows on the Drive-By Truckers upcoming two-month tour in support of the latest release, Go-Go Boots. Whether or not the band introduces any new material for future recordings is anyone's guess. It's safe to assume, however, that whatever they perform on stage will bring the same high energy response tonight's 25-song set most certainly did.

This was an incredible night of music and those in attendance won't soon forget it. If this concert was an indication of things to come, this tour will undoubtedly sell-out quickly in the weeks to come. I'm sure some of those in attendance tonight will figure out a way to see DBT again after what they witnessed this evening.

Live clip from the Nashville, TN Cannery Ballroom Concert Uploaded by will24411 »

Set List:
Fourth Night of My Drinking
Where the Devil Don't Stay
Ray's Automatic Weapon
Uncle Frank
Play it All Night Long
When the Pin Hits the Shell
Daddy Learned to Fly
Gravity's Gone
Buttholeville
Cartoon Gold
Box of Spiders
Pulaski
Goode's Field Road
Women Without Whisky
World of Hurt
Three Dimes Down
Hell No I Ain't Happy
Encore:
Birthday Boy
Girls Who Smoke
Marry Me
Let There Be Rock
Zip City
Lookout Mountain
Shut Up and Get on the Plane
Angels and Fuselage

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