Drive-by Truckers 4/13/12, The Beacham- Orlando, FL

Orlando felt like a short show but it rocked nonstop. Gravity's Gone til PPotM was an incredible stretch of rock goodness. The setlist as a whole a real DBT style beatdown! The low end was felt throughout the venue. I was back by the board and could feel the floor rumbling all night.

setlist:
The Living Bubba
Ghost to Most
Santa Fe
Women Without Whiskey
Everybody Needs Love
Gravity's Gone
Buttholeville
3 Dimes Down
Sinkhole
Uncle Frank
I'm 18
When the Pin hits the Shell
Ronnie and Neal
Where the Devil Don't Stay
Puttin' People on the Moon

Birthday Boy
Girls Who Smoke
Zip City
Let There Be Rock^ (scott on violin)
Shut Up and Get on the Plane^ (scott on keys)
Angels and Fuselage^ (scott on violin)

^with Will and Scott

So the Florida run is in the books. It was a doozy! Each show had it's special moments. That's why I love DBT.

Drive-by Truckers 4/12/12, Ritz Ybor- Tampa, FL

The Ritz Ybor is the complete opposite of The FL Theater. It was clean, well lit, with working AC! I've never seen anyone waiting in the bathroom with hand soap and towels until Tampa. Not, very rock n roll...or maybe that's what makes it rock n roll... any way....

Solid show. Nothing exceptional. The set never really felt like it got off the ground. Gainesville left big shows to fill though. Hearing Angels and Fuselage for the first time was a treat!

The highlight of this trip was visiting Tampa Bay Brewery before the show! The meatloaf was exceptional and the imperial stout was delicious.

Setlist:
Bulldoziers and Dirt^
Carl Perkins' Cadillac
Righteous Path
3 Dimes Down
Play it all Night Long
Self Destructive Zones
Your Daddy Hates Me
Where The Devil Don't Stay
Dead, Drunk and Naked
Guitar Man Upstairs
Heathens^
Women Without Whiskey
Everybody Needs Love*
Birthday Boy
Girls Who Smoke
Cartoon Gold
Box of Spiders
Gravity's Gone
Hell No I Ain't Happy

Marry Me**
Let There Be Rock*** "I saw the Dexateens mutherfuckers!"
Shut Up and Get on the Plane (Scott moved to keys)
Angels and Fuselage (Scott back to fiddle)

^Scott Danbom on violin
* Will Johnson ran out for the choorud. Funny moment: some guy jumped on stage during the chorus of 'everybody needs love' and Patterson said "even that guy")
**Will on guitar
***with Will and Scott

Drive-by Truckers 4/11/12, Florida Theater- Gainesville, FL

I thought the Pensacola show was as good as it gets until Gainesville blew it right out of the water. The band took it to another level. Cooley seemed to be having an absolute blast. Patterson was climbing all over the place by the last tune. Neff doing the rock star thang. Even Brad seemed to be into it more than usual. The venue was hot and pretty ragged...perfect for DBT I guess! Oh and the unveiling of the back-drop (Wes Freed) caught me totally off gaurd. The picture doesn't do it justice.

Highlights: Marry Me is a regular tune in the rotation, but this version soared to heights I've never heard. People Who Died was sheer insanity on stage. I could care less for the tune but it's hard not to enjoy it when Patterson is climbing all over the place!

Quote of the night: Cooley right before the start of Let There Be Rock, after Patterson introduced Scott and Will: "that lead guitar is hot but not for a Louisiana man". It's great to see Cooley having a good time.

This one goes down as my favorite DBT show because of the pure joy on display by the band. I've never enjoyed watching them play as much I did in Gville. Well done guys!

Setlist:
4th Night of My Drinking
Get Downtown
I'm 18
3 Dimes Down
Used to Be A Cop
Uncle Frank
My Sweet Annette^
Love Like This
Mecry Buckets (Dedicated to Patterson's wife with story of how they met in the circus)
Marry Me
Lookout Mountain
When the Pin Hits the Shell
Sinkhole
Gravity's Gone
Company I Keep
Where the Devil Don't Stay
Hell No I Ain't Happy

Zip City
Let There Be Rock*
People Who Died

^Scott Danbom on violin
*with Scott Danbom and Will Johnson

Drive-by Truckers 4/10/12, Vinyl Music Hall- Pensacola, FL

Night 1 of the four show FL run kicked off on a high note at the Vinyl Music Hall in Pensacola, FL. This was my second show at VMH, both DBT. It's nice to have a venue within a two-hour drive from home that can handle shows like this. I was expecting an average outing from the boys (an average DBT show is nothing to scoff at), but left having witnessed my favorite show from them up to that point (stay tuned for the next review).

Centro-matic opened each of the FL run shows. Sadly, I'm not familiar with their catalogue, though I did enjoy their sets. Patterson is a big fan of the band and joined them on stage each night.

Now back to the P-cola review...the band was dialed in, tight and engergetic. The addition of Matt Patton (from the Dexateens) on bass seems to have given them a shot of engery. Matt has a constant grin on his face; his joy is infectious. He's a great bassist too, laying down solid grooves with plenty of thump. Even John Neff, notorious for showing no emotion on stage, did a little shimmie during his solo in Company I keep.

Quote of the night: Mike Cooley commenting on a 'no stage-diving' sign: "There's a lot of rules I want to say 'fuck you' to...that's not one of them."

Overall, it was a fun night; great way to kick-off the FL run.

Setlist:
Go Go Boots
Marry Me
Buttholeville
Gravity's Gone
The Company I Keep
Where the Devil Don't Stay
Tornadoes^
A Ghost to Most
Righteous Path
Love Like This
World of Hurt
Women Without Whiskey
Everybody Needs Love
Cartoon Gold
Box of Spiders
Three Dimes Down
Sinkhole
Self Destructive Zones
Hell No I Ain't happy

Encore:
Birthday Boy
Girls Who Smoke
Zip City
Let There Be Rock^*

^with Scott Danbom (Centro-matic) on violin
*"I saw the Clash motherfuckers!"

Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit, 3/22/12 Harbor Docks- Destin, FL

I love Jason Isbell. He writes the songs I wish I could write. I've seen him a few times and while I always enjoy it, I always leave wanting more. 3/22 was a bit more satisfying. The show was moved inside due to rain (that never came). I spent most of the show just a few feet from the band and one of the house speakers :-( The show was fun and had plenty of of my favorite tunes mixed in with the standards. The band returned for what was really a glorified encore. We were all under the impression it would be a second set. The crowd was up for it, dancing and singing along to Never Gonna Change and Codeine. But alas, American Girl closed out the night.

Sadly, my favorite Isbell tune, Decoration Day, didn't make the set. The solo cover of Whiskeytown's Jacksonville Skyline was wonderful. I never tire of hearing them play Hey Pocky Way. Danko/Manuel is always apreciated.

Setlist:
Tour of Duty
Go it Alone
Streetlights
Try (No Quarter)
Magician
Goddamn Lonely Love
Grown
Hey Pocky Way
Heart on a String
Alabama Pines
Razor Town
Atlantic City->
Outfit
TVA (solo)
Jacksonville Skyline (solo)

Danko/Manuel
Never Gonna Change (Stone Free)
Codeine
American Girl

Andrew Bird 3/17/12 The Tabernacle- Atlanta, GA

I guess you could call me a casual Andrew Bird fan. I am impressed with his musical abilities: he's an amazing violinist, glockenspielist (?), guiatrist and whistler. Watching him whistle while playing another instrument is a special sight.

I enjoy his work but wouldn't consider myself very knowledgeable about his whole catolog. I'm glad I made the trek to ATL to catch the show at the Tabernacle, a beautiful old church turned rock venue.
For a much better review, visit http://www.howsmyliving.com/2012/03/19/concert-review-andrew-bird-tabernacle-atlanta-ga-31712/

Setlist:
Instrumental
Nyatiti
Danse Caribe
Armchairs
Desperation Breeds
Measuring Cups
Give It Away
Eyeoneye
Effigy
Lazy Projector
Near Death Experience Experience
Skin, Is My
Lusitania
Plasticities
Fake Palindromes

Encore
Trials, Troubles, Tribulations
Goin’ Home
Don’t Be Scared

Avett Brothers, 3/16/12 Ampitheater at the Warf- Orange Beach, AL

This band is special. So much energy and passion, not to mention great songs! I hopped on the presale for this one and got early entry passes. Front and center for this beauty!

I can't get enough of this band. Highlights: Down With the Shine, When I Drink, Pretty Girl From Annapolis with Otis Redding interlude.

setlist:
the fall
will you return
the weight of lies
kick drum heart
colorshow
down with the shine
january wedding
die die die
incomplete and insecure
go to sleep
i killed sally's lover
head full of doubt/road full of promise
when i drink
pretty girl from annapolis (interlude: otis redding "i've been loving you too long")
paranoia in b-flat major
and it spread
matrimony
slight figure of speech
i and love and you

encore:
ballad of love and hate
the perfect space
pretty girl from cedar lane
talk on indolence