Blog
GEORGE A. JOHNSON - It's A Wonderful Life (May 26, 1920 - October 24, 2011)
My beloved Great Uncle passed away yesterday. He was actually more like a second father to me. As a child, I spent every single weekend of my life with him on his farm from before I was two until I was a teenager and became too busy trying to chase girls to want to be out at the farm riding go-karts anymore. I'm sure he was sad when that happened, but he never made me feel bad about it as he knew that it was the way of the world and how it was supposed to be.
When George A. was born, President Wilson was in the White House. He lived to see 17 Presidents. Imagine someone who was alive for George Washington living to see the Lincoln assassination. When he was a little boy, they rode into town on horseback and he lived to see a man on the moon. He lived through the Great Depression and survived Iwo Jima in World War II. He was born a white man in the deep segregated Jim Crow South and lived to cast his vote for Barack Obama in the 2008 election at the age of 88. I felt like he was as proud of that as I was.
After WWII, George A. took a job delivering trucks for International Harvester in Springfield, Ohio but his family ties were so strong that he commuted home every weekend to McGee Town Alabama to help out his parents on the homestead farm. He was born in the front room of the old three-room house, along with my Grandmother and their other brother. (Two other siblings were lost in the influenza epidemic of 1918). The farm was deeded to The Johnson Family when Alabama became a state and his ties to it were unimaginably strong. His mother passed away in December 1963 (watching As The World Turns at my Grandmother's kitchen table) and I was born three months later and George A. and I were inseparable from day one.
Every friday afternoon he would ride the bus home from wherever his last delivery was (he delivered new trucks to the dealers) and I would ride out to the farm with him and stay there all weekend. We'd stay up late and watch movies on TV and I'd spend all day playing on the farm which looked more like a park. Sometimes he'd take me to movies in town and when I was a little boy I would sit in his lap while he bush-hogged the farmland. Later when I became of go-kart age, he would cut paths in the field resembling a city grid with on ramps and off ramps for my cousin Tommy and I to play chase through. We did play Bullitt, just like the song says. Later we would stay up and watch Saturday Night Live and on sunday, he would take me back home to my parent's house and then ride all night on a Greyhound Bus, back to Cincinnati then hop a ride up to Springfield to repeat the process again.
George A. never married. He was very handsome, Gary Cooper handsome, and women always seemed to really like him but he was painfully shy and always on the move. I think at times he wished that he had, but he never really talked about that kind of thing much. I do know that he always considered me to be the son he never had and as I said, he was a second father to me. (I really hit the jackpot on the Dad thing, as my real Dad is such a great man and I also had an amazing Grandfather in my life).
George A. was very tall, over 6 foot 5, in an era when not many men were six feet tall. He was thin and kind of lanky, but very athletic and strong. He had beautiful blue eyes that I still see when I look into my own children's eyes. They seem to be inheriting his sweetness also and I am very thankful for that. As shy as he was, he always opened up around children. Always had and did all the way until the very end. He was one of those 'kid magnets' you hear about, in the best of ways. My little boy isn't old enough to remember him, but my daughter Ava bonded with him very strongly and absolutely loved him, as did my sister's kids. He would absolutely light up when kids were around and he and I had an uncanny communication that defied his reputation for shyness. He was funny and smart and full of great stories about the old days and his beloved old horse Old Robinson, who took on superhero greatness in GA's stories as he grew older.
One time, George A. was riding Old Robinson back from town down by the old Forks of Cypress plantation place and Ghost Bridge. I'm assuming George A . was a teenager, which would have made it around 1935 perhaps. In those days, the old bridge was already decrepit and creepy with one lane across the old Cypress Creek crossing below the big columned house on the hill. The supports and guardrails were already rusty and the planks lay across the support beams in parallel rows with gaps between them that you could see through to the swollen creek running below. He and Old Robinson were perhaps running a little fast and the horse's legs fell through two of the gaps. He was stuck, down to his belly on the bridge with his legs and hooves dangling below him. George A. jumped off and ran the whole rest of the way to their farm to get help, some big strong Johnson men and their horses, to hoist the poor animal off his precarious position. GA was just hoping that he wouldn't be too late to save his beloved partner.
When George A. and the men and the animal help returned, about four miles, which is a long sprint by foot, Old Robinson was standing next to the bridge, patiently waiting on them to return. He was banged up and bleeding, but was otherwise unscathed and soon was as good as new. I remember George A. telling me that story a time or two as a child, but as he reached 90 or so, it became a story that he would tell me every time that I saw him. Usually he'd ask me if I remembered Old Robinson. I would smile and say that I thought Old Robinson was probably a little before my time but that I felt like I knew him. Then he'd tell me the story again.
The farm was the final destination for all of the old cars from our family that the original owners had updated from. George A. worked very hard and had no children of his own, so he was exceptionally generous with his money when it came to his family. He was known to slide a family member a down payment on a new car (or sometimes buy it right out) and take their old car. The farm was home to a white 59 Ford (like a sedan version of the classic Perry Mason car), an old black Studebaker with the machine gun styled emergency brake and front grill. (Maybe one of the coolest cars ever built). An old Nash that he would hide chewing gum and candy in for the kids to find when they came out to see him; a 1964 Chevy Impala that he had just bought for his mother when she passed and he subsequently gave to my Grandfather who put a couple of hundred thousand miles on it commuting to and from Brown's Ferry Nuclear Power Plant and a 1971 Dodge sedan. There was also a 52 Chevy parked and rusting on the main hill where once his brother saw a copperhead sunning itself on the front seat. When I was born, I was brought home from the hospital in the 64 Impala (just like the one later made famous by Dr. Dre, but without the bouncy suspension) and at about 12, I learned to drive on the three on a tree column in the Studebaker. Once I outgrew my go-kart, I could be seen driving that 59 Ford around the farm (and perhaps a little on the county roads around the farm, but don't tell Mom and Dad).
When Mike Cooley and I started Adam's House Cat, George A. "loaned" us some money to buy a little PA system to practice and play shows with. (The concept of clubs having sound was a foreign concept in my town back then). He never liked Rock and Roll music and never once came to see me play, but he knew that it was all somehow very important to me and he was always beyond supportive. Mike loved him too. Everyone that met him always did. What a sweet wonderful man he was and you always had a good feeling anytime you were around him. I never saw him angry or upset. When tragedy struck, he was always calm and stoic and a quiet beacon of strength. When my Grandmother passed away he was obviously heartbroken, but as strong as ever. She was probably the person on Earth that he was the closest to. His older brother had passed a few years earlier and the three Johnson siblings were a force of nature.
Years later, I wrote a song about George A. called The Sands of Iwo Jima. I attempted to capture a little of the essence of this great man in word and felt like I had at least scratched the surface a little. I was very proud of the song and took my acoustic guitar out to see him and sang it to him. Don't really know if it was his cup of tea, but I think he appreciated the sentiment. His response was "This isn't going to cause people to start coming out to the farm to interview me and put TV cameras in my face, is it?"
I assured him that no such thing would ever happen and that was that.
A few years later, filmmaker Barr Weissman decided to make a movie about Drive-By Truckers and from which we came, and he trekked out to GA's farm and did exactly that. He spent half a day out at the farm while GA graciously showed him the sink hole and the two barns and probably told him about Old Robinson and then he built a fire in the old iron Big Boy Stove in the front room where he was born and we sat there while tiny Ava Ruth slept in his still strong arms. It is one of my most prized memories and was the beginning of their beautiful relationship.
It was an amazing and wonderful life and he lived it his own way with dignity and grace. He was a sober man. I never saw him take a single drink in my entire life, yet never felt like he was judging me. One time we parked our cars out at the farm when the band was taking off for a long cross country tour and he cleaned my car for me while I was gone. Lord knows what he might have found, but it was never acknowledged. I think he knew that I was a fairly responsible adult and would be alright. I think he was proud of the fact that I persevered and did this thing that I had set my sights on when I was a little child playing air guitar in that front room to the stereo he bought me.
He was 88 before he had to leave the farm and move in with my Mom, and not long after that we had to "fix" his Cadillac so that it wouldn't start anymore because he was getting a little confused and we were worried about his driving. At 90, his only daily meds were the two blood thinner pills he took everyday for his last decade or so, and he managed to only have to live in a nursing home for the last two months of his life. There was a minimum of suffering and even though he was in mid stages of Alzheimer's, he still knew who he was and had a fairly decent notion of who those of us around him were. This certainly wouldn't have been the case for much longer and as much as I am sad and miss him, I am grateful for that.
Tom Brokaw wrote his best selling book about "The Greatest Generation" and even then they were fading fast. I recently lost my beloved Great Aunt Blanche a couple of months ago. She was George A.'s sister in law and very much the matriarch of my extended family. She had lost her husband nearly two decades ago and my Grandmother, "Sissy" passed away back in 2002 while I was playing in New Orleans. Our links to their time in our world are passing before us as our rapidly changing world forges on into tomorrow.
Now George A. is gone too. Gone, at least in the mortal flesh realm. He's still very much alive in me and in the millions of things he influenced in our family's lives. He's still very much alive in my darling children's eyes and in how they possess his sweetness of way. He's still alive walking around the homestead, picking up limbs and chainsawing the stump and bush-hogging the floor-boarding field and in the warmth in my heart when I think of him. As the sun sets, facing the front of the old falling-in house, no longer shadowed by my favorite old oak tree, he's still standing there on the front porch as I drive off, watching my taillights disappear into the dusk. And waving goodbye.
Patterson Hood - October 25th 2011 (Back Lounge, Minneapolis MN, 1st and 7th)
Patterson Hood Update 8/30/11
Y'ALL:Last Wednesday, I fell down and cut my hand.
Fifteen stitches in my left palm.
Wish I had a cool story, but I don't.
The movie version would have me getting cut by a bottle of rot-gut whiskey in a bar fight.
No doubt defending the honor of someone or another.
My heroics bookended by a scene of me carrying my hand for reattachment by a disgraced former surgeon in the back of a grimy tattoo shop because lack of insurance would preclude being seen by a real doctor.
I would be brave and not cry or complain.
Hurling would be out of the question.
Ahh, the movie version.
Unfortunately, the truth is kind of tame, lame even.
I was picking my daughter up at first grade, carrying a bottle of water.I tripped and fell (in front of her entire class).
I fell, shattering the glass which I then duly landed upon, pushing shards up into my hand.
My fucking left hand.
Fifteen stitches in my palm.
No biggie. No cut tendons or damaged muscle. Missed that artery (bled like a stuck pig though).
Hurts like hell, but it won't long and I will be as good as new in a month or less.
Unfortunately, I can't play guitar for a few weeks and we have a tour beginning this week.
In the words of Three Dog Night, "The show must go on".
My friend Kevin told me, as I was bleeding all over the playground, awaiting my ride to the Emergency Room, "You guys have too many guitar players anyway."
Nonetheless, to insure everyone's Premium Rock and Roll Experience, we have recruited our friend Will Johnson, from Centro-matic to fill in on guitar, covering the SG through a Fender Vibro-King parts.
I will be in full front man mode, on other words, it's dancing shoes time.
I always wanted to be Phil Mogg, and for the next couple of weeks...
We only have Will Johnson through New Orleans, then we will have to improvise, but that's one of the things we do best, so STAY TUNED.So come out to this, hopefully once in a lifetime DBT Show.
We guarantee you a great time and a Premiere Go-Go Extravaganza that you'll be telling your Grandkids about (maybe sooner than later).
Oh and Bob, the 9th is my son's birthday and it's GO TIME.
Long Live Rock and Roll and Country Soul.
Captain Hook
(Patterson Hood)
(or is it Dr. Hook?)
Thank You
Thanks to everyone who came out to the Georgia Theater this past weekend!
What an incredible venue, we are all so glad to have it back and rocking.
Tomorrow, Tues, Aug 16, DBT will be performing with Bob Dylan and Leon Russell at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia MD. Tickets still available HERE.
DBT has also just been added to the Big Spring Jam in Huntsville AL on Sept 23. Get tickets and more info HERE.
A lot more dates have also recently been announced with Centro-matic, Those Darlins, and Alabama Shakes supporting. Dates below, get tickets for all dates HERE.
NOTE that in Tuscaloosa we be donating a portion of all tickets purchased through our website to a charity to help benefit Tornado relief and assist with rebuilding in the area. Check out this VIDEO by Matt Zervos to see some of the damage done to the area earlier this year. Wes Freed will also be doing a poster for this show and all proceeds from poster sales will go to Tornado relief. There will also be a few items up for silent auction at the show, more on that soon.
Check out all the Tour Dates HERE!
See you at the Rock Show!
Drive-By Truckers
BUTTHOLEVILLE
I wrote Buttholeville on my kitchen table at my crappy one bedroom apartment in Florence AL in the spring of 1988.
I was then playing with Mike Cooley in the band Adam's House Cat.
Things weren't going particularly well on any level back then.
I was very frustrated with everything in my life, personal, musical, financial, you name it.
I don't remember if I had my guitar or not, as sometimes I wrote without it, especially as my girlfriend, who lived with me then, worked days and was usually in bed by 10.
Dirty little secret:
I wasn't actually intending the song about any one particular town at all.
I was certainly frustrated about where I was and there was a lot about my hometown that was pissing me off for sure, but the song was more about my general state of mind (and the general state of mind of the people I had to do business with at the time, booking my band in a bunch of redneck clubs in the southeast) than just my hometown.
I was just mad and frustrated and such simple emotions inspire a very simple (you could even say simplistic) song.
Basically one chord (nowadays a G minor although with us tuned down that would be played like an A minor) driving over and over in a slight variation to a Chuck Berry riff
(Appropriated almost verbatim from Bruce Springsteen's "State Trooper", although that might have occurred later when the band worked it up).
None of that is too clear, like so much from that point of my life.
It's all a blurry hazy collage of memories that each year renders a little blurrier and hazier.
I do remember writing the words though.
It was very quick.
I had the first line and that led to the second and so on until it was done.
Probably not even ten minutes. Maybe five.
I wanted it to sound as redneck as what it was making fun of.
That was kind of the point.
Oh and Billy Bob was a real person.
Part of my frustration was having this band that was kind of starting to be kicking.
We had just won MUSICIAN Magazine's Best Unsigned Band thing and was getting all of this buzz and press and no one would let us play in our hometown.
There was a club called Southern Touch that we had played a couple of gigs in very early on and it sold to a new owner (who ran it into the ground in about four months flat).
We went to him trying to get a show and finally talked him into letting us charge $5 at the door, collect it ourselves and play for that.
No money from him and he got to make the bar, which at that time was almost always empty.
He agreed, then when we packed the place out he tried to steal the door $$ from us.
He wasn't around very long after that, but his name really was Billy Bob.
The car was real also, although it wasn't mine. (I actually drove a little Honda that I ended up putting 1/4 million miles on).
I remembered a couple of brothers who were friends of mine since 1st grade (still are) whose Mom drove a dirty gold 68 Bonneville four door.
In 1988, it wouldn't have been retro-cool yet, it was probably long since in a junkyard, but it rhymed with Buttholeville so there you have it.
One of the brothers, much later mentioned that their mom had that kind of car and I told him that's where it came from.
I think he liked that.
Ronnie and Neil was THAT Ronnie and Neil which shows that even back then my mind was already working towards that direction.
I was always fascinated by their misunderstood little feud and mutual admiration, which leads to the Jimmy Johnson part of this story.
Jimmy Johnson was my Dad's partner in music at Muscle Shoals Sound for over 25 years. They were also really close, maybe best friends.
Jimmy discovered Lynyrd Skynyrd (before Al Kooper or Alan Walden) and engineered the Rolling Stones' sessions that brought us "Brown Sugar" and "Wild Horses".
He's a cool guy and really like part of my family.
I played in bands with his son Jay back in High School and could probably write a book on just those stories alone.
Jimmy knew about us winning that contest and I'm sure was a little proud of me and came to see Adam's House Cat play in early 89 (at a club called Swampers that later opened where Southern Touch once was).
While he was there, he saw us play "Buttholeville" and was so angry that we would write such a song about his beloved hometown, the place where all of his childhood dreams had come true, that he wanted to 'whip my ass' and Jay actually had to talk him down from doing so right then and there in front of everyone.
Jimmy was a big imposing guy back in those days and could easily have taken Cooley and I both out. I doubt anyone there would have tried to stop it.
Now a little side note. I grew up loving my Dad and worshipping the music that he made.
My original record collection was like a miniature version of his. A little Elton, a little Neil, a little Pink, a little Zeppelin.
The Beatles, The Stones, Steely Dan, even God-forbid some Eagles.
Then in 1977 I saw a thing on some late night TV show about this "horrible" new music fad from England and I was hooked.
Suddenly I was scouring the racks looking for Punk Rock records (not necessarily easy to find in North Alabama at the time).
I followed and learned the best I could but suddenly Punk Rock was My Dad's and I's first generation gap.
He was a studio player in the business of trying to make everything sound as close to perfect as possible and I loved a music that reveled in it's own imperfections.
I mistrusted the sheen that records were then thought to aspire to and loved the ratty sounds and unbridled anger and emotion of this beloved new form of Rock.
I also recognized aspects of it in older more traditional albums by some older artists (Neil Young, who was one of the few of the old guard to embrace it early on).
It wasn't until much later that I made the connection that early Rock and Roll and even Country Music was often closer in spirit to the things I loved about Punk Rock than the slick studio processed music of the late 70's (and for that matter much of what was later called New Wave).
If Hank Williams had come along in 1977, he would have been called Punk Rock, but I digress again.
I doubt Jimmy Johnson listened to much Punk Rock and I'm sure he would have hated it if he did.
There was nothing in his formative experience to lead him to appreciate "Buttholeville".
It was just a bunch of spoiled snotty young kids thumbing their nose at him, his hometown and the very life that he held so dear.
Never mind that my intention in writing the song had nothing to do with any of that, suddenly his issue with my song and me became the story and I was far too young, rebellious (perhaps snotty nosed and spoiled too) to back down.
To my way of thinking, anyone offended by a song was what that song was about so therefore...
I guess our feud lasted well over ten years.
I didn't really see much of him during those days and as that song got more (negative) attention in my hometown, the legend around it became bigger and bigger.
As they say in John Ford movies, "Print The Legend".
A few years later, I ended up moving off and a few years passed and I began rethinking my turbulent relationship with home, both literally and figuratively.
Home, as in my family and home as in my hometown and home as in my region, which I have also always had a somewhat bumpy relationship.
As it's well known, I co-wrote an album, maybe several about these things and on 'that one' in particular, I wrote a song about the friendship/feud of Ronnie and Neil.
In writing that song, I wanted to re-connect it with my own roots and my own little Rock Feud so I wrote the Jimmy Johnson verse as a sort of acknowledgement/fig leaf to him.
To further connect the dots, Jimmy and Ronnie Van Zant, both of whom possessed very explosive tempers, had had their own falling out way back and Ronnie wrote the Muscle Shoals verse of "Sweet Home Alabama" as his fig leaf to Jimmy.
I loved connecting "Ronnie and Neil" to "Buttholeville" and have always sort of considered that song to be part of the Southern Rock Opera narrative.
I sent Jimmy a copy of Southern Rock Opera and was told that he appreciated it. I doubt he wants to whip my ass anymore.
It should be noted as I write this that last night my band played a show in a mid-sized Canadian city.
To folks where I'm from, Canada is this mythical liberal place with big beautiful clean cities, wide-open spaces and abundant free healthcare.
Canadians are known as a friendly people.
A big part of the front row last night was this group of drunk morons wearing matching hockey jerseys and acting like total assholes.
They were dipping Skoal for Christ sake, something I've never seen at a DBT show in Alabama or Georgia.
They were bumping into the fine folks around them who were trying to enjoy a show that they paid their hard earned money for.
They were spilling beer all around and I actually saw one do a line of something off of his buddy's fist.
I have no idea where they were from and really don't care. (Some nice people I talked to after the show speculated that they were from the surrounding countryside).
There were only five or six of them but that's all it took to make it a shitty experience for most of the people around them, so Buttholeville Really is a State of Mind.
In a couple of weeks I will be participating in a panel at the WC Handy Festival in Florence AL dedicated to the multiple generations in Muscle Shoals Music.
I will be sitting with my Dad and Jimmy and Jay Johnson.
DBT will be playing a show that evening, headlining the local festival, which for the record we've never been asked to play before.
A lot of our never being invited probably is directly related to my having written that song back in 1988.
I suspect that "Buttholeville" will come up (it usually does whenever I see Jimmy).
I'm still not sorry for the song or my intent with it, but I am sorry that he took it the wrong way and was so angered about it.
I certainly won't bring it up.
The last time I saw Jimmy Johnson was when The Muscle Shoals Sound Rhythm Section was being inducted into The Musicians Hall of Fame in Nashville.
It was a beautiful ceremony that included Booker T and The MGs, Duane Eddy, The Crickets, Keith Richards and George Jones among many others
Jimmy came up to me afterwards and said he sure was proud of me and what all I had done.
Then he proceeded to tell me he really never thought that he would feel that way since I used to be so misguided and all.
"You've turned out OK, but I sure don't like that song you wrote".
- Patterson Hood
Originally written in the Back Lounge on Tour Bus (Brittany) outside The Phoenix, Toronto Ontario June 15th, 2011; revised and updated on July 16, 2011 from my office in Athens GA.
Secret to a Happy Ending
Artists' Television AccessSan Francisco, CA
Sun, February 28, 2010
2:00 PM (Doors: 1:45 PM)
$10.00
http://www.ticketfly.com/purchase/event/4533
Y'ALL:
I'm going to start this off by doing something I never thought I would ever do in this or any other lifetime.Praising George W. Bush.
I saw him on Meet The Press Sunday teamed with former President Clinton discussing their combined effort to try to bring relief to the earthquake victims of Haiti.
I wouldn't go as far as to say he was articulate, but he seemed truly engaged and heartfelt.
This tragedy is far too great to tolerate petty politics and their bi-partisan message was needed and appreciated.
I applaud any effort to help this terrible tragedy so close to home and urge each and every one of us to help in any way possible.
To assist immediate support:
OXFAM: www.oxfam.org
DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS: www.doctorswithoutborders.org
RED CROSS: www.redcross.org
Another quick, easy way you can contribute to the Haiti relief efforts is by texting "HAITI" to 90999 to donate $10 to the American Red Cross. The donations will appear on your cell phone carrier bill and 100% of the donation will go towards aid to Haiti.
I'm home and slowly recuperating from the 40 Watt Athens Homecoming Weekend.
It was my favorite one yet and I'm already looking forward to next year.
No final tallies yet on the Nuci's Space fundraiser, but I'm suspecting it will end up in the $20,000 range. I will keep everyone posted as those figures come to me.
Thanks to everyone who bought tickets to the show and to everyone who came out to Nuci's Space and made bids on the fine art and memorabilia there. I'd also like to thank all of the artists who donated their wares to the cause.
Kudos to the Camp Amped Sampler Band that opened Thursdays benefit show. They were amazing. I look forward to seeing what each and every one of them do in the future.
Bloodkin played a fantastic set, capped off with former Dashboard Savior (and La De Da) Todd McBride coming out and singing Vic Chesnutt's "Isadora Duncan" with them. It was moving, cathartic and rocked like hell. The ending reminded me of something from Derek and the Dominoes.
Thanks also to Bo Bedingfield who donated his time and a great performance to our auction and pre-party on Saturday.
For the weekend shows, The Decoys played fantastic sets both nights.
(Saturday took the prize due to it's beautiful looseness).
It was great having my Dad in town for the weekend and sharing the stage with him was a total blast.
Thanks to everyone who came and made all three nights SOLD OUT!
It was really fun playing so many of the new songs.
We played almost every song from THE BIG TO-DO (coming from ATO Records on March 16th) and even premiered a newer song that we only decided to pull out as we were walking up to the stage Thursday evening.
("I Used To B A Cop" which we just recorded the other day).
It's been a crazy year since we last played in Athens.
In addition to playing 90 shows (including DBT, Booker T and solo shows) we also recorded over 30 brand new songs.
Now we're gearing up to take the new show on the road and this weekend gave us all a chance to try some of it out in front of a live audience.
The development, writing, recording and playing new songs has always been a top priority for our band.
We wouldn't have made and released fourteen albums (including side and solo projects) in twelve years without keeping the creative emphasis there.
We applaud our fans for being so willing to follow us on these journeys.
For folks in the Atlanta and Athens areas, I will be attending screenings of THAT EVENING SUN this weekend.
THAT EVENING SUN is a really great film written and directed by Scott Teems and starring Academy Award nominee Hal Holbrook.
I had the honor of contributing a couple of songs to the film which as been winning film festivals all over.
Join my mailing list to get a free download of Depression Era.
I will be attending the screenings and participating in a Q & A afterward along with Scott and hopefully Ray McKinnon (who produced and acted in it).
I was asked to bring my guitar so perhaps they'll get me to perform my song there.
The Atlanta screening will be Friday night the 22nd at UA Tara Cinemas.
The Athens screening will be Saturday night the 23rd at Cine'.
For a complete list of screenings go to http://thateveningsun.com/index.php/screenings/
Here are the Athens and Atlanta times:
FRIDAY, 1/22
7:00pm - Showtime @ UA Tara Cinemas
8:50pm - Q&A w/ Scott & Patterson @ UA Tara Cinemas (immediately following the movie)
UA Tara Cinemas · 2345 Cheshire Bridge Road NE · Atlanta, GA 30324
SATURDAY, 1/23
7:30pm - Showtime @ Cine
9:20pm - Performance by Patterson @ Cine (immediately following the movie)
Cine · 234 West Hancock Ave. · Athens, GA 30601
Look out for upcoming announcements of new tour dates for THE BIG TO-DO WORLD TOUR as well as pre-order info for the album release and hopefully soon additional screenings of the soon to be released DBT documentary "THE SECRET TO A HAPPY ENDING".
Lastly, a few more tickets have been released for the AFI Silver Theater screening of "THE SECRET TO A HAPPY ENDING" in Silver Spring MD. If you tried to buy tickets last week and were told it was sold out please try again but hurry, tickets are going fast!
See you at The Big To-Do.
Patterson Hood
HAPPY ELVIS PRESLEY DAY!
The King would have been 75 today had the boom stand not killed him.To celebrate I sincerely urge you to watch a great Rock Show, a terrible movie, eat a banana sandwich (I personally don't like peanut butter on mine, but...) or if you're able; stage your own white panty pillow fight (my personal favorite way to celebrate any occasion).
That said, I also urge you to listen to Gillian Welch's "Elvis Presley Blues".
Its bar none the greatest song ever written about The King of Rock and Roll (and I've heard literally hundreds and written more than two).
It was one of my top five favorite songs of the decade (from my second favorite album of the decade) and is a truly stunning piece of work.
(You can follow it up with Cooley's "Carl Perkins' Cadillac", which I can't rank since I'm on it, but if I could...)
Next week's DBT 40 Watt / Athens GA Homecoming Weekend Show is now SOLD OUT for Friday and Saturday.
There are still a few tickets remaining for the Thursday show, which is also our Nuci Space Benefit so BUY THEM NOW.
The $$ goes to a great cause and I promise it's going to be a super special show.
Get there early, as The Nuci Space / Camp Amped Sampler will open at 9pm sharp and be followed by Bloodkin, who are fantastic.
Then we plan to blow the place apart to get over our Holiday blues and mourning and to deal with our general need to ROCK! ROCK! ROCK!
All of which leads us back to The King.
Elvis didn't invent Rock but he crossed boundaries that brought it to the little white kids in bland segregated 50's America.
Anyone who looks to the 50's as America's "Glory Days" was most likely white, middle class (or above) or actually born later.
Nonetheless, the 50's must have looked great to Elvis as his mother was still alive, he was young and ridiculously beautiful and literally conquering the world.
A "white trash" redneck boy from Tupelo MS (about 50 miles from my hometown) with seemingly no future at all thrust into a life of fame and fortune never imagined.
The personification of the American Dream the likes of which no one has ever or will ever repeat.
No wonder the 70's left him bloated and strung out, hanging out in Vegas and looking up to the likes of Nixon.
Trading in his straight stand for a boom stand so he wouldn't knock it over with his gut when he shook his fat ass.
Gillian's song juxtaposed Elvis' rise and fall with the beginning of the industrial revolution and the mythical death of John Henry.
Elvis' death paralleled with the end of America's industrial might shortly before Reagan brought us all a metaphorical boomstand so we could shake our bloated asses without knocking over our microphone.
(Pat Boone's daughter had the #1 record in the land the day Elvis died with "You Light Up My Life" so Rock and Roll wasn't much healthier than Elvis).
We hope to see as many of Y'all next weekend as we can fit safely into The 40 Watt.
I'll have my beloved straight stand and YES, I will be shaking my (older than the King ever lived to shake) ass.
Let There Be Rock.
Pattterson Hood - January 8, 2010 (Athens GA USA)
Y'ALL:
Decompressing from our late October run.
Very happy with the shows on all levels.
Don't think the band has ever played better than we have in the last six months.
As we are winding down The Righteous Path Tour of shows and starting to gear up for next years' new releases and tours, we are all very excited about what we did this year in the studio and out on the road and really fired up about going out and playing these new songs next year.
This month, the band is tying up some loose ends and starting our preparations for next year.
We are about to announce our annual Athens GA / 40 Watt Homecoming Shows and annual Nuci's Space Benefit.
I'll go ahead and spill a few of the beans to y'all now:
The weekend will be Jan. 14th - 16th.
We will be announcing when ticket sales begin in the next week or so as well as details like support and other related events.
This past year, all three nights sold out and we raised a ton of money for Nuci's.
We're going to have to dig deep to top it but I feel confident we will.
I'm playing a small handful of solo dates this month.
Starting tonight, I'll be doing a Wednesday night residency at The Caledonia Lounge here in Athens.
I'm playing 3 Wednesdays in a row, with 3 different lineups, and 3 very different approaches and set lists.
Tonight it is me and Jay Gonzalez playing a stripped down set of piano, organ and Wurlitzer, guitar and two-part harmony.
The songs will tend to veer towards the more outre' ends of my catalog with some very rare rarities and some world premiere new ones.
We practiced yesterday and I tell you it's gonna be a good one.
Jay will be playing an opening set on his own and that's something great to behold.
Next week, (Nov. 11) I'll be hitting the more country influenced songs in my catalog accompanied by John Neff and Brad Morgan.
This is essentially the core band of the majority of solo shows I played from 2003-2007.
Again, expect some golden rarities and some premieres.
Athens' own Bo Bedingfield will open and he's fantastic.
The third week (Nov. 18) I'll be bringing the Murdering Oscar show to town.
I'll be playing with The Belvederes (John Neff, David Barbe, Jay Gonzalez and Brad Morgan) we'll be reprising some of the fine times I had this summer doing the Screwtopian Tour.
David Barbe and The Quick Hooks will open the Nov. 18 show. They are as good as any band you will ever see.
I also have solo shows in Thomaston GA, Atlanta GA, and a hometown show in Florence AL on the night before Thanksgiving.
Tickets are on sale for all three of these now and as they are in small venues, they should all sell out so get on it.
BTW: Congrats to Will Johnson, who is out drumming for The Monsters Of Folk this fall. KICKASS!!!)
THAT EVENING SUN is an amazing movie written and directed by Scott Teems.It has been winning festivals all over the country and getting rave reviews for it's writing, directing and Hal Holbrook's amazing performance.
Our friend Ray McKinnon (The Accountant, Crystal) co-produced and plays a very large supporting role in it.
I contributed 2 songs to the soundtrack and am honored to be a small part of such an astounding film.
It opens this friday in NYC with more cities to be announced soon.
THAT EVENING SUN
WHEN: Starting Friday, November 6, 2009
WHERE: City Cinemas 123 on the Upper East Side -- 1001 Third Ave (@ 60th St.), New York, NY 10022
TICKETS: Purchase through www.fandango.com (or 1-800-FANDANGO Code #2705 )
As usual, the DBT Store is open and we have some new merch items working it to pry you away from your hard earned cash.
We also have a new DBT iPhone App that is available HERE.
Finally, since we're winding down our year (and gearing up for next) I will leave you with a few parting thoughts.
It's been a crazy whirlwind of a year. DBT hasn't played as many shows as we have most of the last twelve years, but we've still zig zagged around the country three times plus we toured Australia for the first time.
We released 4 albums (Booker T's ‘Potato Hole’ / my ‘Murdering Oscar’ album / DBT's ‘Live in Austin (ACL)’ DVD and CD / and ‘The Fine Print’) and played some wonderful shows with Booker.
I toured with The Screwtopians and got to perform at Madison Square Garden at Pete Seeger's 90th Birthday Bash.
I had a baby boy and DBT made a great album (as good as anything we've ever done). Look for release info in the not too distant future.
This band has been down some pretty rough roads but persevered and I feel so blessed to still be able to do what I love with my best friends.
Some folks say our songs are dark and depressing, but to me they are a joyous noise.
The blues has always been about taking your problems and turning them into something you can dance to, drink to and fuck to.
We're certainly not a blues band in any kind of purest sense, but to me Rock and Roll has always had it's roots in that tradition.
My musical tastes are eclectic to a fault, but most of the music I've loved the most comes from that common ground.
We get to support our families by doing what we love best. We try to earn that each and every night.
Our band has never believed in throwaway nights and we treat each show like it could be the last one we'll ever get to play.
One night it will be and I'd hate for it to not be glorious.
FINALLY: Happy belated Birthday to Traci, who has just completed her tenth year of working for us.
Ten fucking years of putting up with our sorry asses and we forget her birthday. Jeez!
We'll make it up to you yet, I swear.
And THANKS to Jenn for coming down to New Orleans and making us all into Ace Frehleys.
I didn't see KISS at Voodoofest (but I sure saw George Clinton) but Ace was always all of us' favorite.
Have safe travels and a safe holiday season.
See you at The Big To-Do.
Patterson Hood
DBT
Y'ALL:
First off want to announce the birth of my son, Emmett Martin Hood, born in the early morning of 09/09/09. He and his mother are both doing great as is his big sister.
There are only a few days left to buy raffle tickets for a chance to win 2 VIP passes to Voodoo Fest Halloween Weekend in New Orleans.
There's no better place to be on Halloween than New Orleans and Voodoo Fest is a fantastic festival.
This year's performers include us (Drive-By Truckers) as well as Widespread Panic, The Flaming Lips, Jane's Addiction and KISS.
The Rock N Raffle is a benefit for Nuci's Space (100% of proceeds goes to them).
Tickets are only $1 and the winner receives 2 round trip airfare tickets courtesy of AirTran, a 3 night stay at the New Orleans Marriott, 2 LOA Lounge (VIP) passes (including special stage-side viewing for Widespread Panic) and swag from Widespread Panic and DBT.
The winner also gets reserved parking in the LOA parking lot, Line-free entrance, access to a raised viewing area, complimentary lunch and dinner buffet, continuous full bar service, private bathrooms and much more.
The raffle closes on Sept. 30 and the drawing is October 2, 2009. DON'T MISS OUT ON THIS!
I will be signing copies of Murdering Oscar (and other love songs) as well as other DBT related items after our set at Voodoo Fest.
I will also be playing an In-Store at Waterloo Records in Austin TX at 5pm on Oct. 29th and at Cactus Records in Houston TX at 5pm on Oct 30th.
I haven't played a solo club show in Athens GA in some time and in honor of The Caledonia Lounge's 10th Anniversary this year, I will be playing a 3 Night Residency there the first 3 wednesdays in November. (November 4, 11 and 18).
Each show will be a different theme, totally different set list and different lineup of musicians playing. Stay tuned for more details and we get closer.
The Caledonia is a very small room with a very large local history.
The room was originally The 40 Watt Club in the 80's (REM filmed their "Turn You Inside Out" video there back in the day).
DBT recorded a majority of Alabama Ass Whuppin' there back in 99 and any Athenian can tell you what a kickass venue it is.
It will almost certainly be a sell out so don't miss it.
DBT will be going out to San Francisco next weekend to play The Hardly Strictly Festival with Booker T. Jones.
This will probably be the last Booker T and The DBT's show for some time, the festival is free and one of the best there is.
In late October DBT will present The End of The Righteous Path Tour.
This has been a crazy year for DBT.
In addition to our touring schedule we have released 4 albums, each to glowing reviews.
Booker T. - Potato Hole (featuring DBT and Neil Young) came out in April on ANTI Records.
DBT - Live in Austin TX (Austin City Limits) DVD and CD came out from New West Records.
DBT - The Fine Print (A Collection of Oddities and Rarities 2003 - 2008) came out last month on New West Records.
And finally, my long awaited second solo album Murdering Oscar (and other love songs) came out on Ruth St. Records back in the early summer.
I am very proud of each and every one of these releases.
We also recorded a bunch of asskicking songs for 2 upcoming DBT releases so STAY TUNED FOR DETAILS.
Finally, check out my solo website www.pattersonhood.com for info about The Caledonia Residency, other upcoming solo shows, and a series of live in the studio videos with The Screwtopians filmed at Chase Park Transduction by Jason Thrasher.
See you at The Rock Show.
Patterson Hood
Drive-By Truckers
BYRON WILKES
Byron was a close friend of mine. We met when I was three. His Mama was my nursery school teacher and we've been great friends since my freshman year in High School.He was a great artist, writer, collector, and curator of the absurd. He drew and wrote comic books and had an encyclopedic knowledge of many things. We used to hire him to run the door for Adam's House Cat because he was infinitely honest and was a big intimidating looking guy, although he wouldn't harm a fly. Later he worked for Drive-By Truckers, helping us with our online sales for about a year after Southern Rock Opera came out. He drew the George Wallace illustration for Southern Rock Opera (with Wallace in a wheelchair and the Rat Fink style flames shooting from the tires) and three of his amazing paintings grace the walls of my home.
Byron was also great with my little daughter. Byron never had children of his own but his kid skills were better than one would imagine. I respected him as a painter and as a writer and creator of very original thought. He had an instinct about things that was eerily right on. But mostly I treasured him as a very dear and loyal friend.
There isn't anyone else like him and I will miss him terribly.
Patterson Hood - August 20, 2009
Read more about Byron >
See more of Byron's art on his MySpace page >
JIM DICKINSON - November 15, 1941 - August 15, 2009We are all devastated to learn of the passing of Jim Dickinson this morning. He was a dear friend and huge influence as a player, producer and family man. It has been an honor and a privilege to know him and his beautiful family. Our condolences, prayers and love go out to his family and many loved ones on this very sad day.
-Patterson Hood / Drive-By Truckers
Update From Patterson Hood - July 6, 2009
Y'ALL:Hope everyone had a happy and safe 4th of July.
Funny I've been feeling more patriotic this year for some reason.
We spent the 4th playing with our dear friend Booker T. Jones in beautiful Chicago.
He surprised everyone (including us) by whipping out a stunning "Sittin' On The Dock Of A Bay" the original of which he had played on backing up Otis Redding. Booker sings as beautifully as he plays and it was incredible.
We only have a couple more Booker dates booked (for now) so I can't say enough how much you should check it out if you get a chance.
BOOKER T. AND THE DBT'S
Thursday Sep. 3 - Salt Lake City UT - Red Butte Garden
Saturday Oct. 3 - San Francisco CA - Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival
Tomorrow, July 7th is the release date for
DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS - AUSTIN CITY LIMITS LIVE DVD / CD package.
It's absolutely the best filmed performance our band has ever had. A great day captured really well with a stunning 5:1 Mix.
It includes the entire performance from that afternoon and the "18 Wheels Of Love" monologue alone is worth the price of admission but it also includes stellar performances of "Puttin' People On The Moon", "Three Dimes Down", "The Living Bubba", "A Ghost To Most" and many more.
The packaging is nice also.
I leave tomorrow for the west coast leg of PATTERSON HOOD AND THE SCREWTOPIANS - MURDERING OSCAR TOUR.
This could possibly the last chance to see this band for a good while, as scheduling this thing is really a tightrope and time is tight as they say. The response from last months run was astounding on every level.
For those just now tuning in, the band is the core band from most of my album including Will Johnson and Scott Danbom from Centro-matic, David Barbe who hasn't toured since Sugar broke up in 1995, and DBT's Brad Morgan and John Neff.
The chemistry is even better than the sum of it's parts and the show is a blast.
PATTERSON HOOD AND THE SCREWTOPIANS WEST COAST TOUR
Wed. July 8th - San Francisco CA - The Independent
Fri. July 10th - Portland OR - Wonder Ballroom w/ The Gourds
Sat. July 11th - Seattle WA - No Depression Festival w/ Gillian Welch and Iron and Wine (and more)
DBT is playing weekends from now through Labor Day.
We aren't playing many shows since we are hard at work finishing next album (DETAILS FORTHCOMING).
We are trying to hit some areas that have been a long time in coming and a "Back By Popular Demand" show or two.
The band has never sounded better and maybe we can also use this as a chance to work in a few new songs, a couple from The Fine Print and maybe a long lost chestnut or two. Who knows.
Special mention neds to be made of our two dates in Florence AL. That is mine and Shonna's hometown (Cooley was born and raised 5 miles away in Tuscumbia). Florence was the birthplace of WC Handy (the shows take place during WC Handy Week) and of Sam Phillips who more or less discovered Rock and Roll. We haven't played in town in many years and the last time we played The Shoals Theatre was the night of the tornadoes immortalized in our song "Tornadoes". Also, the opening act for the friday night show is The Decoys which features my Dad, David Hood on bass. This is the first time we've ever shared a bill and it is a MUST SEE SHOW!
DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS - THE RIGHTEOUS PATH SUMMER WEEKEND OFFENSIVE:
Sat. July 18th - Ottawa ONT - Ottawa Blues Festival
Thu. July 23th - Florence AL. - The Shoals Theatre w/ The Whigs
Fri. July 24th - Florence AL. - The Shoals Theatre w/ The Decoys (featuring David Hood
Thu. Aug. 6th - Nashville TN. - The Cannery
Fri. Aug. 7th - Fayetteville AR. - George's Majestic
Sat. Aug. 8th - Jackson MS. - Hal and Mal's
Thu. Aug. 13th - Sun Valley ID. - Elkhorn Springs Resort
Thu. Aug. 20th - Macon GA. - Cox Capital Theatre
Fri. Aug. 21st - Myrtle Beach SC. - House Of Blues w/ Tift Merritt
Sat. Aug. 22nd - Richmond VA. - The National
Thu. Sep. 3 - Salt Lake City UT. - Red Butte Garden (BOOKER T. and the DBT's Show)
Sun. Sep. 6th - Aspen CO. - Jazz Aspen
Sat. Oct. 3 - San Francisco CA. - Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival (BOOKER T. and the DBT's Show)
Sat. Oct. 31st - New Orlenas LA. - Voodoo Fest (Halloween)
Sun. Nov. 15th - Charleston WV. - Clay Center
Finally, we are putting a couple of songs up on our sites as a preview of THE FINE PRINT (Our collection of rarities and oddities from the New West years that is coming out in early September.
"GEORGE JONES TALKIN' CELL PHONE BLUES" and "THE GREAT CAR DEALER WAR" are both excellent songs from The Dirty South Sessions that are finally seeing the light of day. We are very proud of this collection and hope you enjoy this sneak preview.
Have a great summer and See You at The Rock Show.
Patterson Hood
Drive-By Truckers
Update From Patterson Hood - June 23, 2009
Today we are releasing Murdering Oscar (and other love songs). My long-awaited (by me anyway) second solo album featuring performances by Will Johnson and Scott Danbom (from Centro-matic) my dad David Hood, David Barbe (Sugar, The Quick Hooks), Drive-By Truckers and Don Chambers.Songs from 1994 and 2005 coming out on CD, mp3, and deluxe vinyl (2LPs with 3 bonus tracks and free CD and gatefold sleeve). Available in stores everywhere, online and at a show near you.
If you haven’t had a chance to hear the album you can stream it here:
http://www.rhapsody.com/patterson-hood/murdering-oscar-and-other-love-songs
or here:
http://www.spinner.com/new-releases#/5
It's a good one.
See yall soon.
Patterson
DBT Update From Patterson Hood - June 11, 2009
Y'ALL:
Lots happening in Truckerland.First off, less than two weeks remain before the release of MURDERING OSCAR (and other love songs).
For those who haven't heard, it's my second and long delayed solo album (although I prefer to refer to it as a side project since it was certainly not done alone).
I recorded MURDERING OSCAR with lots of very talented friends including my DBT bandmates, David Barbe (Sugar, Mercyland, etc.) Will Johnson and Scott Danbom from Centro-matic; and my father David Hood.
We recorded the majority of it back in January of 2005 shortly before the birth of my daughter.
For business, legal and scheduling reasons, it's only now seeing the light of day, but I promise you'll agree it's worth the wait.
MURDERING OSCAR (and other love songs) will be released on CD, Digital Download, iTunes, and Vinyl on June 23.
The vinyl version is a two record set with gatefold sleeve and a CD of the album for your car or iPod.
The vinyl version also includes 3 bonus tracks that are well worth checking out.
You can pre-order the album now at http://www.pattersonhood.com/merch.html.
To celebrate the release, I will be going on a short tour with The Screwtopians, which is a band comprised of the core musicians that play on the majority of the album. Joining me for The Murdering Oscar Tour, we'll have David Barbe, who hasn't toured since the breakup of Sugar in 95, Will Johnson and Scott Danbom from Centro-matic; and DBT members Brad Morgan and John Neff. Check out tourdates and order advance tickets here.
On a final side-project note, please check out my new and improved website. Jenn has worked really hard redesigning it and it looks fantastic.
This weekend we will be at Bonnaroo. I will be playing twice (once solo and once with The Screwtopians) on Friday.
On Saturday, Booker T and the DBTs will be playing. This is one of the last times for this project and I highly recommend that you check it out.
Watch Booker T & the DBT at Bonnaroo - broadcast live from the AT&T Blueroom
July 7th is the release date for DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS - LIVE AT AUSTIN CITY LIMITS DVD / CD.
The collection features the entire performance from last September and in my opinion is the finest live footage ever captured of my band. It includes stellar versions of 13 DBT songs (old and new) and includes a full length "18 Wheels Of Love" with the full story and sequel which has been retired. I'm very happy to have it captured for posterity.
NEW DBT TOURDATES just announced (more coming soon!):
Thu Jul 23 - Florence, AL - SHOALS THEATRE
Fri Jul 24 - Florence, AL - SHOALS THEATRE
Thu Aug 13 - Sun Valley, ID - ELKHORN SPRINGS RESORT
Thu Aug 20 - Macon, GA - COX CAPITAL THEATRE
Fri Aug 21 - Myrtle Beach, SC - HOUSE OF BLUES
Please note that The Florence AL shows at The Shoals Theatre are our first shows in our hometown in over five years.
The Shoals Theatre is where I used to go see Walt Disney movies as a kid. The last time I payed there was over twenty years ago when Adam's House Cat played there in November of 1988. That was the night that the tornadoes hit our hometown and was the inspiration for our song "Tornadoes". The theatre is a super cool art-deco theatre from the 1930's that has recently been restored and we are very excited to play there. The opening act for the Thursday show is our good friends (and label mates) The Whigs. The opening act for the Friday show is The Decoys, a Muscle Shoals based band that features none other than my Dad, David Hood, on bass. This will be the first time our bands have shared a stage and it promises to be a rip-roaring great time.
One final sad note. Barry Beckett passed away last night in Nashville TN.
Barry was my Dad's partner in The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section for twenty plus years, was an amazing piano and B3 player and highly successful producer. After the breakup of The MSRS, he moved to Nashville and produced scores of very successful albums for a roster diverse enough to include Hank Williams Jr. AND Phish. He has been in very bad health for some time but will be sorely missed by all who knew and loved him. RIP.
That should get me caught up for now. Hope to see you at Bonnaroo or one of the upcoming shows.
Long Live Rock and Roll.
Sincerely,
Patterson Hood - June 11, 2009
Y'ALL:
WELCOME TO THE BLOG PAGE OF MY NEW WEB SITE:
We're in the final countdown to the long awaited release of my second solo album MURDERING OSCAR (and other love songs).The album (CD, Vinyl, Download, etc.) will be released by Ruth St. Records on June 23, 2009 and will be available online, and at the finer record stores throughout the great land.
Don't forget to support independent record stores whenever possible, as they have long been the life blood of finer music and are fast becoming an endangered species.
The album is a vast departure from my first solo outing.
KILLERS and STARS was a true solo record, recorded in my dining room, by myself, and was a dark acoustic exorcism from one of the darkest periods of my life.
MURDERING OSCAR (and other love songs) is on the other hand a full band album, recorded at a real recording studio with some of the finest musicians in the land. It's recording was a joyous experience that I think is reflected in the music (however dark some of the words may appear).
Read all about the album, the songs, and the making of it.
Today I'm home, still recovering and coming down from the crazy last month.
April saw Drive-By Truckers touring Australia, doing shows ourselves and with our recent collaborator Booker T. Jones.
We also played COACHELLA and The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.
On May 1st, I played The 500 Songs Benefit in Atlanta GA at Smith's Olde Bar (performing Phil Collins' "In The Air Tonight" with The Pack of Lies) then flew to New York City to play The Pete Seeger 90th Birthday Bash at Madison Square Gardens.
I also ended up teaching a class at Princeton (revenge for having been kicked out of The University of North Alabama in 86) and a couple of days ago went with David Barbe to master Drive-By Truckers - The Fine Print (A Colection of Oddities and Rarities 2003-2008) which will be coming out on New West Records in early September.
Starting on monday, I will be in the studio with Drive-By Truckers, working on what will be our tenth album (Coming in very early 2010).
ANYWAY: I hope you enjoy the new site and I hope you visit often. I hope to keep updating the blog page frequently with mad ramblings and strategic blasts of verbal glee on a regular basis.
A Quick Shoutout: to my friends The Dexateens, whose new album Singlewide just came out this week and is absolutely incredible. I highly recommend it to one and all. (I was in no way involved in it's making, so I can unabashedly commend it without any kind of conflict of interest).
See you at the Power Pop Show, The Booty Shaking Potato Hole Soul Review, and / or The Rock Show.
Patterson Hood
UNCLE PHIL AND AUNT PHYLLIS IN THE MONTH AFTER THE ELECTION
I wrote this song the week after the 2004 Presidential Election.I was in a state of semi-shock and near-depression as my daughter's birth was impending and I was depressed to think of her born into the world during a Bush Presidency.
It was recorded live in the studio at Chase Park Transduction with me on the microphone, David Hood (my Dad) on the bass guitar, Johnny Neff playing some sleazy sounding electric guitar, Brad Morgan playing the drums, and David Barbe on the B3. It was late at night and everyone's spirits were high.
I am throwing this out as my election week gift to you.
Please get out and vote.
I will be voting for Obama because I think he has the guts, vision judgment and smarts to guide us through these troubled times and help America regain her prominence in the 21st century.
It's time for a change and not four more years of bullshit.
Jr. has wrapped the Camaro around too many telephone poles and it's time to take his keys away.
LONG LIVE AMERICAN DEMOCRACY.
Respectfully Yours,
Patterson Hood
Click Here to Download
PATTERSON HOOD’S TOP TEN NEW ALBUMS (+REISSUES AND MORE)
Every year I find myself compiling a list of my favorite albums and other things.Compared to 06, this year was a little bit anti-climactic, only because last year had such a bounty of amazing albums and even better films.
That said, the albums, movies and other things on this list would make for a stellar year at any point in my memory.
Apologies to the better movies I haven't yet seen or better albums I haven't yet heard. I bought a lot of music and saw a good number of films, but there's only so many hours in a day.
I always revise my lists later and that could surely happen again this year.
Stay Tuned.
PATTERSON HOOD - TOP TEN (new releases) 2007
1. IRON AND WINE - THE SHEPHERDS DOG - An incredible album that rewards multiple listens and my pick for the best album of the year.
2. RADIOHEAD - IN RAINBOWS - My close pick for second favorite. After all the hype of how it was released (or not), the album stands on its own as their best work since Kid A, maybe better.
3. WILCO - SKY BLUE SKY - Their best studio album. Even better when played live. Possibly the best band in America.
4. VIC CHESNUTT - NORTH STAR DESERTER - I've been saying this is his finest since West of Rome (1992) but upon further listening, this is his best album ever.
5. SPOON -GA GA GA GA GA - My vote for most fun album of year. Great live act also.
6. WHITE STRIPES - ICKY THUMP - Their finest album yet. inventive and a total blast.
7. RICKIE LEE JONES - THE SERMON ON EXPOSITION AVE. - Her finest album since 1981's masterpiece Pirates. Beautiful and inspiring.
8. PORTER WAGONER - WAGONMASTER - Thank God, he got to make this album before his sad departure this year. Kudos to Anti Records and Marti Stuart for making this happen.
9. BO BEDDINGFIELD AND THE WYDELLES - CLEARGREEN - Hard to find, self released EP from Athens GA. Well worth seeking out for great writing, singing and playing.
10. BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN - MAGIC - Best Springsteen album since Nebraska, his best Rock album since The River. A little over-produced, but still essential
REISSUES / UNRELEASES / DISQUALIFIERS and honorable mentions
SLY AND THE FAMILY STONE - THERE'S A RIOT GOING ON (reissue) - My most listened to album of year and a revelation.
DEXATEENS - SINGLEWIDE - (unreleased) Not the one I co-produced. This one is newer, better and still unreleased (produced by Mark Nevers). A total departure and fantastic. Look for it in 08.
BIG STAR - 3RD - (vinyl reissue, correct sequence) Finally, the correct order, or at least the best sequence I've ever heard. A masterpiece that sounds MUCH better on vinyl
PATTI GRIFFIN - CHILDREN RUNNING THROUGH - An amazing artist at her best. The duet w/ Emmylou sends chills at every listen.
PJ HARVEY - WHITE CHALK - A quiet subdued beautiful work of art. Her best in 7 years.
ECCENTRIC SOUL vol. 7 - HOME SCHOOLED (The ABC's of Kid Soul) - This is exactly what it says, the kid groups that didn't hit it big like the Jacksons. Incredible.
BETTYE LAVETTE - THE SCENE OF THE CRIME - I couldn't really put this in my top ten, as my band and my Dad played on it and I co-produced it, but it really deserves special mention and "Talking Old Soldiers" would have put it in my top ten had I not been in any way involved.
MOVIES / LIVE SHOWS / BOOKS and WHATNOTS
SCHULZ AND PEANUTS by David Michaelis Great book on the creator of Charlie Brown. A fine glimpse into the relationship between a life and art.
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN (Film by Joel and Ethan Coen / Novel by Cormac McCarthy)- My fave film of year and an incredible timeless read by one of the best living authors.
EASTERN PROMISES (film by David Cronenberg) - Terrifying and suspenseful movie.
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN AND THE E. STREET BAND - United Center, Chicago IL 10/21/07 Still the best arena rock show in the world.
NEKO CASE (w/ Jon Rauhouse and Kelly Hogan) - Hi Tone, Memphis TN Friday 4/13/07 My favorite album last year and favorite club show this year. Can't wait til next year.
THE WAR - Documentary by Ken Burns 16+ hours of WW2 through the eyes of 4 American towns.
TOM PETTY AND THE HEARTBREAKERS - Documentary DVD by Peter Bogdonovich (Director's Cut) 4 hr. documentary on an American treasure. A reminder of how great he's always been.
WILCO - Austin City Limits Taping , Austin TX 9/15/07 As fine as their new album is, they're even better live.
JAN. 26 2007
HOWDY:Hope everyone out there had a good holiday season and all that crap.
Glad to be home for a while, but it's gonna be a busy year anyway.
I'll be playing some solo dates in the SE in march and april.
Stay tuned here for announcements as they get confirmed.
I'll also keep you posted about a release plan for MURDERING OSCAR (and other love songs) which I'll be mastering in a couple of weeks, some upcoming recording projects, and even a bit of DBT news as things progress.
Also, if you're into lyrics and shit, I've been posting some of my new writings on the Writings page on this site.
I've been writing a bunch since I got home from the road, and some of that stuff might pop up on a future release.
Thanks again to everyone who supported the ROCK last year and I look forward to more of the same plus some new tricks in the next few months.
Oh yeah, I know it's a new year and all, but there's still some unsolved business from last year (and the year before).
Our Commander and Chief forgot to mention New Orleans in his big speech the other night, but our friends on the Gulf Coast haven't been forgotten.
Don't forget to support any efforts anyone is putting forth at raising money or awareness for the folks down there.
Everybody should do what they can.
Every month that goes by without that being properly addressed is to our great nation's shame.
RAISE HELL AND RENEW ORLEANS.
See You at The Rock Show,
Patterson Hood
FEB. 27, 2006
Y'ALL:First I want to thank everyone who came out this past week and supported DBT as we went out and road tested some of the new stuff. 3 sold out shows in 4 nights, fantastic audiences all four.
I'm happy with how the new songs are integrating in and especially happy with the higher energy level this year's model seems to be turning out.
Busy learning Stones' songs for Thursday's Homeless Shelter Benefit here in Athens.
Should be a killer great time and for great local cause.
Friday is my last solo show for a good long while.
It's in Atlanta. (a href="http://www.andrewsupstairs.com/">Andrew's Upstairs), New venue for me.
Looking forward to it all.
After that it's back to full-time DBT as we head to Florida, Texas, then Spain, Holland, Belgium, England, Scotland and Ireland.
New album A Blessing and a Curse on April 18th.
Massive USA Tour to follow.
Thanks again for everything and for all of Y'all who turned out for the solo shows these past couple of months.
See you at THE ROCK SHOW,
Patterson Hood
FEB. 2, 2006
Y'ALL:HAPPY 2006, one month down, eleven to go.
Had fun at the 3 night stand DBT 40 Watt extravaganza.
Still getting over the bird flu or whatever the fuck has been going around and reeking havok on my lungs, sinuses and stomach.
Have a handful of solo shows coming up, the I won't be doing many at all for a while, as DBT is about to get busy.
Monday night I'll play Flicker in Athens for last time for a long time.
I'll have some special guests, Neff and Brad and a couple of dear friends from Texas that will be sitting in.
Get there early, as Flicker is tiny and it will sell out (its an early show anyway).
My good friend Don Chambers is going to Germany and doing some Eurotouring for a few months, so we all wish him well.
Shows coming up in Charleston SC (my first solo show there in several years), Raleigh NC (been a while there too) and Columbia SC.
Augusta and Atlanta are coming soon.
I'll also be playing some Stones covers in early march at a benefit for the local homeless shelter.
I'll be putting together a badass band for that, so come out. (40 Watt March 2)
DBT's new single FEB 14 is available for free download on our website.
Don't let the feds fool ya, play that shit loud and blow those eardrums up.
Rock has been making folks deaf since the 50's, shoulda happened sooner.
By the way, contrary to popular op. it ain't a love song or even a valentines day song.
It's a big loud fuck you and the shelf life for that goes way beyond the 15th.
My solo album is still on shelf waiting for Bob Barker to say "come on down".
It don't have an expiration date either, only my patience to wear thin.
In the meantime, I'm letting the fine folks at Ghostmeat have one track for their annual ATHFEST CD.
This is their tenth anniversary, and they're rereleasing a vintage DBT track from 98 (a scorching live version of The Living Bubba recorded at The High Hat in Athens at DBT's Gangstabilly CD Release show). They asked me for a new song too, so I'm letting them have HEAVY AND HANGING from my Murdering Oscar album. Barbe's mixing it tomorrow, so it should be all chrome and steel when she rounds the bend.
Speaking of Barbe, he and I just finished tracking a bunch of songs from THE DEXATEENS. If you haven't heard of them, check them out.
They're based out of Tuscaloosa AL and write and play fantastic songs.
Their last album Red Dust Rising made my top 5 last year, and I was honored as hell when they asked David and I to produce their followup.
The recording sessions went great and I'm thrilled with the upcoming album. We still need to mix it down, but its a keeper and I was proud to be there.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY Rebecca and Ava.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY Jason and Shonna also.
Don't forget to keep checking in, both here and at the DBT site, as the new album is coming soon, lots of tour dates are about to be announced, and we promise to keep the propaganda flowing like sweet cheap wine.
See you at THE ROCK SHOW,
Patterson Hood
---Front Page from Jan 2006---
PATTTERSON HOOD - TOP TEN (or so) ALBUMS plus OTHER HIGHLIGHTS from 2005
1. My Morning Jacket - ZGreat band from Louisville KY rises to the occasion (and then some) with my favorite "released" album of the year.
2. Sufjan Stevens - Come On Feel The Illinoise
This one gets the prize for craziest idea, actually executed. Brilliant Northern Rock followup to his Michigan album, makes me look forward to the next 48.
3. The Dexateens - Red Dust Rising
My top 3 keep swapping places, but this one is easily my "most often played" album of the year. This one breaks no new ground, but the songs are incredible from the writing to the feel. "Devoted To Lonesome" is #2 in the nation if there was any justice in Rock.
4. Eddie Hinton - Beautiful Dreams (The Songwriting Sessions Volume 3)
This one is pt.3 of Zane Records incredible series of previously unreleased Hinton sides. This one took a little longer, but keeps growing daily. Hinton is THE great unknown soul singer and easily one of the finest writers and guitarists ever to make records. He's been dead over a decade but word is just now starting to spread. A buried treasure.
5. TIE: Don Chambers and GOAT - GOAT
Don is currently my favorite Athens artist and this album is non-stop fun. Another real grower.
5. TIE: Calexico and Iron and Wine - in The Reins
An addictive little tonic like a fire in a fireplace on a chilly night.
6. The White Stripes - Get Behind Me Satan
Now that the backlash is setting in, they make possibly their finest album yet. Far better to me than the over-rated Elephant, they did the impossible of writing about the dark side of fame and made it all fun to listen to.
7. Common - Be
My favorite hip hop album (if it's even that) this year. Some really good songs and a far better than Kanye's over-hyped let down.
8. James McMurtry - Childish Things
Maybe the most under-rated songwriter out right now. He's finally made an album as good as the songs in it. "We Can't Make It Here" is as good as any classic Merle Haggard song and the title cut is the better than any Springsteen song of the last 17 years.
9. Bloodkin - Last Night Out
Another local act, not sure if this is even "officially" out, but deserves to be. This has some of the most disturbing songs I've ever heard, in that Big Star 3rd, Tonight's the Night kind of way, only it sounds like the Stones record they forgot how to make about 30 years ago. This one will probably move up my list as I keep listening to it.
10. John Hiatt - Master of Disaster
Have to confess here, my Dad plays bass on it, but no shit it's by far the best Hiatt album since 1988's Slow Turning.
ALSO GREAT AND OTHER HIGHLIGHTS:
1. Centro-Matic - Fort Recovery
This one ain't out yet, but I love it more than any album all year. My favorite band has made their best album. A masterpiece.
2. A History of Violence (movie)
Probably my favorite film so far this year.
3. Wilco Live in Spain this september
Don't remember the date, but I saw for 2 nights in a row why so many folks think they're the best band
in America.
4. Neil Young live at The Ryman August 19, 2005
An amazing show in an amazing venue.
MORE RECORDS:
Robbie Fulks - Georgia Hard
Dios - Dios
South San Gabriel - The Carlton Chronicles
Wilco - Kicking Television
FAVORITE SONG: Decatur (Sufjan Stevens)
FAVORITE SONGS (Not on an Album): Fountains Of Wayne Hotline - Robbie
Fulks and Actual Quotes From An Actual Fan - Vic Chesnutt
With the birth of our daughter Ava Ruth, and all the other blessings of this past year, 2005 has been an incredible year. Not without its share
of bumps and misfires, I am nonetheless convinced that I am the luckiest man alive. Rebecca and I are still moved and blown away by everyone's love and support in this important first year of figuring out how to be parents. Thanks to all the fine folks who have supported
my band and my solo endeavors.
Next year DBT will be putting out our new album "A BLESSING AND A CURSE" which we just finished and of which I'm very proud. We do plan an extensive tour beginning in early 2006.
I also hope to release my solo album "MURDERING OSCAR (and other love songs)" some time in the not too distant future, although well after
the release of the DBT album.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND HAVE AN INCREDIBLE 2006
And a special holiday prayer for our friends in the middle east, here's hoping for a safe return soon.
SEE YOU AT THE ROCK SHOW!
Sincerely,
Patterson Hood
---Front Page from Dec 2005---
Y'ALL:
In honor of the premiere tonight of Peter Jackson's long awaited remake of King Kong I was thinking of posting my King Kong song to my solo website.I recorded it last week, on a whim.
The song was written early in the year, 5 days before Ava Ruth was born.
I can't say I was thinking about the actual movie when I wrote it (can't actually say what I was thinking about).
The original King Kong was of course an all time classic great movie, forever linked to our consciousness with the architecture of New York City circa 1933. The makers of the new film were wise to keep it in that context, as its the only one that could really work with that story. A story far to simple to fly in today's complicated world, which leads me to the doomed remake of 1976.
In an attempt to update it for modern tastes (modern circa 1976, the year of Rocky, Network, and the 200th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence) the film makers moved Kong from the top of the Empire State Building to the "bigger" more modern World Trade Towers. Like everything else about the film, it didn't really work. As a movie, it was slow and plodding wasting the fine acting talents of Jeff Bridges, Charles Groden and the very "hot" Jessica Lange, who really had nothing to do but scream and try to look sultry as Kong blew his bad breath on her at every turn. Producer Dino De Laurentis had hoped to out-gross Jaws, which was at that time the biggest money maker in the world. The movie was panned and Johnny Carson joked that you couldn't get a monkey to do a fishes job. (Six months later, the original Star Wars certainly did do the job).
After 9/11, however, the film seemed to take on a different aura. I hadn't thought about the movie in years, but soon after that horrible sunshiny day I stumbled upon an old cut out of the remake's ad showing a giant defiant Kong, battling fighter planes from atop the doomed towers. I have to admit it took on an added weight certainly not generated by the film itself. Perhaps this is what caused me to write the song.
On one final slightly related note, last week I flew in and out of NYC to master our new album. At the airport I purchased a book on the history of the twin towers, the battles over the neighborhood that was torn down to make room for them, the engineering struggles to build such a thing, and its doomed history itself. The book mentioned another "bad" disaster flick from the same era, ironically directed by the same man, John Guillermin's high rise catastrophe The Towering Inferno. That film was a huge hit one year after the dedication of the WTC and led some folks to question the fire safety of such tall buildings.
My song KING KONG '76 may later appear in some other form, or it may end up in that big scrap heap of forgotten songs, but I do have a decent recording of me attempting to play it on piano (it was the first song I've written on a piano in over 20 years and I'm no Liberace). I figured I could at least put it out here before everyone gets so sick of the subject that my poor song faces the inevitable backlash that will certainly occur.
ENJOY.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS, and see you at the picture show.
Patterson Hood
KING KONG 76
King Kong dropped the girl fell off the building they both went splat and that was that for beauty and gorillaKing Kong kept the girl crashed the planes and lived to tell the tale of profiteers brought down in tears as he slept with Jessica Lange and Dino D.L. can go to hell in the city
Dino D.L. can go to hell in the city
Patterson Hood – Feb. 2, 2005 on piano
---Front Page from Early 2005---
HOWDY, been a while.
Been a busy year so far, a bunch of shows, some recording, my baby daughter.Recorded new solo album in January;
MURDERING OSCAR (and other love songs)
It's nearly finished. Not sure when it will be out, but I'll try to keep you posted.Had a great time making it and very happy with how it's turned out.
Played with my dad on three songs. Brad Morgan, David Barbe, John Neff and Don Chambers played on it, as did Cooley, Jason and Shonna. Oreinda Fink of Azure Ray and Will Johnson and Scott Danbom from Centro-Matic.
Ava Ruth was born in February. Thanks for all the kind wishes and baby gifts. I'm still working on the thank you notes, but haven't forgotten.
DBT hit the road in March and played a shitload of shows. Cross country and back, London, Holland, Belgium and Norway. We put out a live DVD and reissued our first two albums (Gangstabilly and Pizza Deliverance). We've started work on the next DBT album (#7 coming next year).
In august, Cooley and I will have been playing together for 20 years. We got some celebration plans up our sleeves, but like everything else, it will be on its own time frame.
September takes us back to Europe. Spain, Norway, England and Scotland.
Later on we'll be working on the next record and working on some other projects.
Thanks for checking out my website. We'll keep you posted about upcoming projects as well as a release date for MURDERING OSCAR (and other love songs). Have a listen to a rough mix of a track for the album.
See you out there soon.
Patterson
POLLYANNA
I drank some coffee while I waited at the stationShe's brought back souvenirs from every vacation
Said "Don't look now, Doll, your neurosis' are showing"
I tried to compliment her nose but she could tell that mine was growing
Pollyanna does not live here
Thought about the way things change and how she used to be
Guess I wanted that girl again, guess it wasn't meant to be
She had a warmth about her that could not melt an ice cube
If I could go back in time I'd bring you back a Quaalude
Pollyanna does not live here
Pollyanna has moved far far away
The bed got sticky, the floor got sticky
The kitchen table went crashing down
I was sticky and she was sticky
Too bad she could not stick around
Everything sticks to her like glue
But I'm just something she's got stuck to the bottom of her shoe
And when she's through with me I guess I'll follow through
And wait for something new to stick to
Pollyanna does not live here
Pollyanna has moved far far away
Lyrics: Patterson Hood / Music: Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley - Memphis 1991
Patterson Hood - Gtr / Mike Cooley - Gtr / David Barbe - Bass / Brad Morgan - Drums / Scott Danbom - Piano / Will Johnson and Scott Danbom - Harmonies
---Front Page from Feb 2005---
As a special treat in celebration of Patterson's brand new daughter, Ava Ruth Hood born Feb 7 at 11:20 pm, he wanted to put up this rough cut of the song "Granddaddy" from his up-and-coming new solo CD. Please note that this is a pre-mix version.
Check it out!
---Front Page from 2004---
I recorded Killers and Stars, by myself, in the dining room of the house where I was living, in early March, 2001. I had just gotten divorced, was fighting with the band and a good number of my friends. I was feeling pretty freaked out and isolated and this album was my therapy. Most of the songs were within a couple of weeks old (although a couple of songs dated back quite a few years).
I recorded the album in two consecutive nights, then ran down some rough mixes myself (with no outboard sweetening at all) about a week later.
When I was finished I was pretty sure it was pure shit. It had been more of a personal project and wasn't anything I had any desire to release or for that matter even finish. Like I said, therapy (or an exorcism or whatever).
The band, however, was taking some time off the road to finish mixing our new album and just generally cool off from a really intense time of touring and recording. It was also a time to deal with some personal demons that were ravaging our personal lives and were beginning to spill over into our relationships with each other.
In the meantime, I had to make some money to pay the bills and above all else, just needed to get the fuck out of town to figure some shit out. I booked a solo tour and hit the road, spending most of the month of April based out of Baltimore (and later did the same thing based out of Denton Texas).
At the last minute, I hastily pressed off a few hundred copies, made a cover for them, and sold them at my solo shows as a "1st draft / work in progress". My friend Jason drew the cover art and my friend Jenn put the cover together.
After the Texas tour, I got busy working with the band and doing all the necessary shit to get our new album out. Then the band hit the road and spent the next 14 months touring. Killers and Stars sort of got left behind. I really all but forgot about it, as soon we were all busy writing and recording for our next album, touring, and just day to day living.
As a couple of years passed, copies of the album kept getting passed around. Occasionally I would press up a few for some solo shows here or there and occasionally I would give some thought to actually finishing it.
Recently I dug a copy out and gave it a serious listen. In some respects it was like listening to someone else. Most of the demons that inspired these songs have long since been laid to rest (or at least replaced by others), but the album kinda holds up for what it is. I decided not to "finish" it, as I'm in a very different place now, and it works best as a sparse document of a shitty time. I did, however, get David Barbe to come in and master it and attempt to get the most out of the tracks that are there.
Thanks to Earl Hicks for loaning me the recording gear and making it possible. Thanks also to Ed McGruder and Musicians Warehouse in Athens GA. For loaning me a board to use. Thanks to Rodney Henry, Bennie, Sarah, and all the fine Baltimore folks who took such fine care of me that spring. Thanks to Marianne Lacko, John Agee, Handsome Joel, and Slobberbone for doing the same in Texas.
Dedicated to Handsome Joel.
Open Letter from Patterson
Y'ALL: Last night I finished playing shows for my solo album "KILLERS AND STARS".Making use of whatever time off I could get around DBT dates, I managed to play on both coasts, Texas, and most recently in Chicago and Minneapolis.
I want to thank all of the folks who came out and supported my efforts.
I truly believe I have the finest audiences of anyone anywhere. I could say the same about all of the DBT folks, with those of you at my solo shows being the best of the best.
I want to thank the promoters and club owners, agents and all of the support crew (mine and local).
Special Thanks to Brad Morgan, who has played with me on the majority of shows, Don Chambers and John Neff, who have played on a bunch of them,
and Matt DeFilippis and Ryan Dowd who have helped beyond belief.
Special Thanks to Patrick Kerr, who took time from his really busy schedule as road manager for DBT to help me out (uncompensated) with all kinds tasks.
Its been a great year, for sure. I got married, am expecting a baby, finally released "KILLERS AND STARS", did some writing, went to Paris and Amsterdam on my honeymoon.
DBT released our best album (or certainly my favorite) "THE DIRTY SOUTH", played close to 200 shows, appeared on Conan and the show formerly known as Craig Kilborne's show.
We toured all over the USA (twice+), Europe, made a video, got played a little on the radio, and had a generally swell time of it.
Next year, we'll be taking it a little slower in the first quarter.
I'm starting work on another solo album, this one with David Barbe producing.
We will cut it at Barbe's studio, about five minutes from my house, in the days leading up to the birth of our baby.
I plan to have some friends and bandmates play on it with me.
I also plan to have my Dad play on it, which will mark only the second time that we have ever gotten to record together.
No release date has been set. we'll get to all of that at a later time.
On DBT news, New West Records is rereleasing our first two albums on january 25.
GANGSTABILLY and PIZZA DELIVERANCE were released in 1998 and 1999 (respectively).
They have never had international distribution, so we are very thrilled.
We recently remastered them both and they sound greatly improved. They will also have new, much improved packaging.
Stay tuned to www.drivebytruckers.com for more information about these and future releases a the time gets closer.
We also have a live DBT DVD coming in the spring.
Finally, DBT plans to continue touring and promoting "THE DIRTY SOUTH" throughout 2005.
Hopefully Jason Isbell's incredible solo album will be forthcoming in the very near future also.
Again, I want to thank all of the New West folks for being so kind and patient with us, Scott, David, Jenn, Leslie, Andy, Matt, Frank, Reid, Andrew, Traci, Peter, and all of you for making 2004 my favorite year.
SEASONS GREETINGS and a very happy 2005
Patterson Hood
UNCLE PHIL AND AUNT PHYLLIS IN THE MONTH AFTER THE ELECTION
Uncle Phil and Aunt Phyllis started speaking again finally. They're not exactly newlyweds, although they once did appear on the hit TV show with that title. They didn't win, but came home with a toaster oven that they used daily until that unfortunate mishap a few years back.When they met, Phil was a Vietnam War protester, in DC for a rally outside the Pentagon. She was there marching for women's rights. She set fire to her bra outside the hotel where they both happened to be staying. She was actually just practicing, as her raising had never taught her such things and she wanted to make sure that she got it right in case Walter Cronkite happened to be there. In the end, she never knew, because the massive flame from her ample cup sizes set fire to some debris behind the hotel, starting a chain reaction that ended up evacuating the place and causing three battalions of firemen to miss their dinner. For Phil, it was love at first sight.
They married and tried in vain to have children. Boy did they try. Their attempts were sometimes so feverous and rowdy that they were often evicted. It was around this time that they switched from dogs to cats, as Phyllis' dog kept thinking that Phil was hurting her and would jump on the bed and bite Phil on the ass as they went at it like wild pigs in heat. The cats were certainly disgusted by all of this, but were much too disinterested in anyone's well being to try to interfere. Eventually they adopted little Chang, but he wasn't much of a talker.
Later still, during those zany Jimmy Carter years, they, as folks with good intentions sometimes do, moved to Florida to be closer to Phil's family. Unfortunately within six months all of Phil's family there died and they were left stranded in that God-forsaken place. Phyllis always said she loved living near the water, but I don't think she has actually seen the beach in at least twenty-two years. Between her migraines and her psoriasis and Phil's cholesterol level, somehow worshipping the sun has lost its appeal.
Chang got a full scholarship to some almost ivy-league school and was never seen again. Phyllis was and still is a secretary for a very rich but mysterious Floridian that she likes to hint works for the mob. Phil worked his nine to five daily grind until that massive coronary. Now he just sits around and eats, no doubt hoping to finish the job that medical science interfered with. Phyllis likes to eat too, adding a good two hundred pounds to her already ample frame.
Phyllis does still love her liberal causes. She once got so worked up watching President Clinton speak, that she defied her menopause and began menstruating uncontrollably for sixteen days straight. She ended up in the Emergency Room and The National Enquirer. That was before all of the sex scandals that later so captured the collective attentions, but Phyllis nonetheless stood by her man through thick and thin and even went out and found a blue dress just like "that" blue dress, knowing it would be available in her size. In fact, instead of being offended by the moral implications of it all, she took great pride and comfort in knowing that her Bill didn't discriminate against women of size.
For Phil, all of this is just proof that the end is near and good riddance. Last Saturday he passed an entire twelve-pound Thanksgiving turkey out his ass. For about forty-six hours it had been lodged somewhere in his intestinal track and he refused to go to the hospital. Friday evening he began dilating. Saturday morning the water broke, and we all knew the end was eminent. Phyllis had always hated that living room rug and now she was getting a new one.
When Reagan was first elected in 1980, Phil and Phyllis and young Chang all retreated into an abyss of new age religion and philosophy. They hoped that by purifying their existences they could perhaps mantra him out of office and further the causes that suddenly seemed lost. It was around 1983 when Phil started having chest pains and on November of the next year Phyllis was mortified to find out that the man she had married and loved so for fourteen years had voted against the Mondale ticket. It was only a matter of time before they were sleeping in separate bedrooms and eating their breakfasts in near silence.
Phil began listening to talk radio all day and night and would quote it to her whenever she walked by. Phyllis had a brief, but meaningless affair with a golf caddy named Pedro that she met at the Publix while picking up dry goods for her employers' hurricane shelter. Phil, its been said hasn't had an erection since 1985 but he did buy a really fast Mazda and can be heard playing Don Henley tapes at full volume as he squeals around the curves of their suburban hellhole.
This year, Phyllis volunteered for the Edwards campaign, so she was elated when he was chosen as running mate. She found Kerry to be a little dry and stoic, certainly not the magnetic sex machine of her beloved Bill, but she liked his wife's spunky nature and way of pissing people off with her words and opinions, so putting in a few hours on the phones was the least she could do.
Phil put a W sticker on his new RX8 and joined Veterans Against Kerry even though he himself had narrowly escaped the draft and had pledged to move to Canada if otherwise. He would spend his days on his computer, sending e-mail after e-mail to friends and family members extolling the latest feats of "our hero in The White House" and making fun of Michael Moore's waist line (who incidentally actually favors Uncle Phil quite a bit).
On Election Day eve, Phyllis made Phil his favorite casserole, laced with enough Xanax to leave him comatose for at least three days. Phil however was suspicious and fed most of it to their cats, rendering them all unconscious for a week and a half. He retaliated by hiding her dentures and rearranging the wires to the distributor cap on Aunt Phyllis' Taurus. He left for the polling station at the crack of dawn, leaving her still snoring on the Tempurpedic.
In the end they both successfully cancelled each other's votes. They stayed up all night watching the vote counts come in on separate TV sets. He, of course watched his on FOX News, which was his main source of information about the world. She mistrusted mainstream media and aimed her satellite towards some wayward Canadian channel so that she could watch free from American right wing bias. When Kerry called Bush to concede, she ate all of the leftover casserole herself, hoping to sleep through the next four years, but by Thursday she was back at work with a pharmaceutical hangover and a bad case of indigestion.
PHIL'S TRANSPLANT
Ever since the transplant, Phil has been a different man"My how Phil's changed" is all we ever hear
In the checkout line, at work and home
And Phil's wife has been so lonely.
His life was saved in skin and bone
But his soul just ain't the same
"Ever since the transplant, when he holds me it feels so different"
his wife calmly explained to us
over coffee at the little grey diner.
"He suddenly don't like chocolates
or jazz or foreign movies
just The Weather Channel and The Wall Street Journal".
I changed the oil in my car
and once put in a new carburetor
and with that new compressor
I still have the same refrigerator
and the food that I put in it still tastes the same
but suddenly Phil's changed
Ever since the transplant, Phil has been a different man
Even his hand shake aint the same
and the doctors try to tell us it's all in our heads
just our imaginations
but what do they know?
Patterson Hood - December 1, 2004 and March 2001