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The Drive-By Truckers rolled into State College, PA the day after the elections 11-05-2008 and pummeled into the State Theatre with their brand of rock and roll with southern charm.  They were touring as part of the co-headlining “Rock and Roll Means Well Tour” with The Hold Steady. The Hold Steady photos can be seen here.

Since this is a co-headlining tour, the Drive-By Truckers and The Hold Steady are taking turns being the opener and headliner.  For this show, Drive By Truckers were the opener and The Hold Steady were the headliner.  State College is a college town (home of Pennsylvania State University) so it was probably a good idea that The Hold Steady were the headliners for this show.  Drive-By Truckers play a no apologies southern rock and The Hold Steady is a college favorite that plays rock music with a party theme and their sound somewhat reminicent to Bruce Springsteen mixed with Paul Westerberg (Replacements).

Both bands brought tons of energy, Mike Cooley from the Drive-By Truckers loves to hover over the crowd while ripping through his solos. The lead vocalist/rhythm guitar Patterson Hood punishes his guitar when he strums to the point that I can’t believe his strings last much longer than two songs.  John Neff provides the lap steel and back up guitar while Shonna Tucker and Brad Morgan provide the beats and rhythms on bass guitar and drums that pound your chest.

The Drive-By Truckers came out to an extremely smokey foggy stage… probably the most fog I have ever seen at a rock concert.  Through the thick fog I noticed one person (Mike Cooley) was missing, they spent a few minutes tuning up before Shonna Tucker took to the mic saying that Cooley was still peeing and he will just be a minute.  Thanks Shonna. :)  

As soon as Mike Cooley got to the state, Patterson Hood, an Obama supporter,  wasted no time talking about the election by poking a few jabs at Bush noting something to the effect that the new people have a lot of work to do and that it was time to send the old people up to the moon.  Then he started off the show with the resounding “Hell No I Ain’t Happy” which was a aimed at the current administration. It was obvious from that point on that the Drive-By Truckers were in great spirits about the election the night before and would play an energy packed show….. And they delivered. 

The last two songs had Tad Kubler from The Hold Steady on stage playing guitar, that made 4 guitars on stage and as you can expect… It was a loud and punishing way to end the setlist!

The Drive-By Trucker’s setlist for the night was:

Hell No I Ain’t Happy
Self Destructive Zones
(Something’s Got To) Give Pretty Soon
Sounds Better In The Song
That Man I Shot
3 Dimes Down
Putting People On The Moon
Marry Me
Tales Facing Up
Ghost To Most
Righteous Path
I’m Sorry Huston
Women Without Whiskey
Sink Hole
Carl Perkins Cadillac*
Let There Be Rock – w/Tad Kubler from The Hold Steady
Lookout Mountain – w/Tad Kubler from The Hold Steady