2008 In Music: Lucinda Williams

This woman rocks!
She just oozes cool and wisdom in every word.
What a great album.

I have admittedly not been following Lucinda Williams as long as most of her fans. I have instead worked myself backwards through her catalog; West was the first release that I listened to in the same year that it was released. West is a fantastic collection of songs, but it is one of those that you really have to be in the mood for.

Little Honey, on the other hand, suits almost every occasion. I have probably listened to it most while driving down the highway, and it is a perfect match for the open road. Each time I hear it, "Tears of Joy" really pulls at me - that bluesy guitar and the lyrics really speak to where I am in my life right now. Then there's "Honey Bee" which is just loud and raunchy and delicious. "Well Well Well" is a perfect "had-a-bad-day/fell-off-the-wagon" number. I've definitely been there, and the line "if you hang around trash, you can't come out clean" is just fantastic. "If Wishes Were Horses" is beautiful. "Jailhouse Tears", the one with Elvis Costello, amuses me endlessly.

As I'm writing this, I am realizing more & more just how much I love each of these songs. I could go on and on, but you should listen for yourself if you haven't. Five Stars.

Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit - Live 10.9.07 - Charlottesville, VA

The Drive-By Truckers are surely missing the talent of Jason Isbell, but from the look of his performance in Charlottesville last week, he’s not lacking anything at all. His songs, both new and old, teem with the fresh energy of a man who's no longer fenced in. His touring outfit, the 400 Unit, lay down deep-fried accompaniment that is the perfect enhancer for Jason's fiery twang rock recipe.

The boys from Muscle Shoals started this evening at the Satellite Ballroom with “Brand New Kind of Actress,” also the opener from Isbell’s debut solo album Sirens In The Ditch. They wasted no time getting into Truckers material though, following with the hard-edged “Decoration Day” to the delight of the crowd. The band was solid, and the pure power that Jason and co-guitarist Browan Lollar unleashed during the solo was a full-on assault. If there were any doubts about the 400 Unit’s capabilities, they were quickly erased.

To display his virtuosity, Jason moved to the piano for “Chicago Promenade,” a slower-tempo ballad from the new album. As he sang and tickled the keys, his raspy, smoker’s voice resembled a southern version of Tom Waits. “Are ya’ll having a good time?,” he asked as he reclaimed his axe and took a swig of beer. The audience cheered with a resounding yes, and they were rewarded with more hammering drums, deep bass grooves, southern-style vocal harmonies, and blistering guitar interplay.

Jason Isbell and the members of the 400 Unit have an evident chemistry and camraderie, which surely lends a great deal to the vibe on stage. They seem to be having fun while also remaining committed to their musicianship, something that is decidedly more difficult than it looks.

Between songs, while switching from electric to acoustic, Jason commented on Charlottesville calling it a “beautiful town with beautiful people” and repeatedly thanked everyone for coming out and listening. While most musicians give these obligatory nods to the fans, Jason’s came across as sincerely grateful. He then announced that he and the band would play their one bluegrass song, “The Magician.” While it didn’t have the same “pow” factor as the electric songs, it further exposed the members' multi-talented abilities.

After a brief smoke break, the reinvigorated band emerged and blasted into "Never Gonna Change," a song written for the Drive-By Truckers 2004 release The Dirty South. This was perhaps the highlight of the evening, with the back-end more lively than it had been all night.

In addition to Jason's self-penned material, the band also threw in a couple cover songs – the Talking Heads’ “Psycho Killer,” Eric Clapton’s “Please Be With Me,”,and ending with Thin Lizzy’s “Jailbreak” – all of which were remarkably impressive and faithful to the originals.

SETLIST:

Brand New Kind of Actress
Decoration Day
Chicago Promenade
Try
Down In A Hole
Danko/Manuel
Grown
Psycho Killer
Goddamn Lonely Love
The Magician
Please Be With Me
Outfit
-------
Never Gonna Change
In A Razor Town
Jailbreak

Encore:
The Assassin

Drive-By Truckers - Live 6.22.07 - Richmond, VA

Drive-By Truckers
Brown’s Island in Richmond, VA
June 22, 2007; 6:00 PM
Opening Act: Patty Hurst Shifter

The Drive-By Truckers kick ass. This was my first time seeing them, but it will definitely not be the last (if I can help it). Why did it take me so long? Well, stupidly, I steered clear of these guys (and gal) for awhile. I wrongfully assumed I wouldn’t get into them because of the twang and storytelling, figured it was too much country for my liking. Then a couple years back, a friend played Southern Rock Opera for me. I did a complete 180. I had to burn a copy immediately.

To get me in the mood, I jammed out to The Dirty South on my drive down the mountain to Richmond. The weather was lovely on Friday night, warm with a nice breeze. We missed most of the opening band, Patty Hurst Shifter, while in line for wristbands and beer. Luckily, the crowd was small enough that we managed to stake a spot up front, center stage. At about 8:00 pm, the Truckers came out, passing a fifth of Jack Daniels while they tuned their instruments. Patterson’s big ‘ole grin is instantly engaging and infectious. “I love you too, fucker,” he replies to a cheering fan as they launch into the first song.

SETLIST:
Bulldozers and Dirt
Uncle Frank
After The Scene Dies (NEW – Patterson)
A Ghost To Most (NEW – Cooley)
The Living Bubba
Two Daughters and a Beautiful Wife (NEW – Patterson)
Marry Me
Self Destructive Zones
Tales Facing Up
18 Wheels Of Love
Zip City
The Story Of The Road Cases
Road Cases
Shut Up And Get On The Plane
Let There Be Rock
Angels And Fuesalage
Buttholeville->State Trooper->Buttholeville

The highlight of the night for me was the second half of the set – especially “18 Wheels of Love”, a song that’s rarely played. Patterson told a hilarious story of the song’s history – how his mother went to work at a trucking company, met Chester the truck driver, and this song was Patterson’s wedding gift to them. “They were married at Dollywood – I can not make this shit up,” he said. He then told the crowd that Chester has been quite sick as of late, and he was dedicating the night’s performance to him and a speedy recovery. Keep him in your prayers. “Road Cases” was another great one, introduced with a story about the rise and fall of the Atlanta Rhythm Section. “Let There Be Rock” had the whole crowd screaming along with fists raised in the air, “Bon Scott singin’ let there be rock!!!”

It was also cool to hear some of the new material. Patterson revealed that they had just started working on the album a few weeks ago, and they’d be back in December when it was finished. Scott Baxendale, custom guitar extraordinaire, joined the stage for the encore of “Buttholeville” into “State Trooper”.

I was sad to see them go after just one set, but I have no right to complain when it’s free!