I checked out Drive-By Truckers last night at Athfest. They closed out the festival on the free outdoor stage. I went in barely knowing the band and left quite impressed. They put on a really good show.

Seriously, I had had hardly any exposure to their work although I was aware of their reputation. I know David is a fan and wrote about a string of their shows last fall. They’re one in a long list of bands I’ve been meaning to check out but never have. So I wasn’t going in completely cold, I solicited some friends to put together a DBT crash course for me and listened to it the way to the show.

There apparently have been several personnel changes in the DBT lineup over the years. A major one occurred recently when Jason Isbell left the band. So last night John Neff and legendary Muscle Shoals organist Spooner Oldham joined core members Patterson Hood, Mike Cooley, Brad Morgan, and Shonna Tucker. Oldham was in town to record with the band in the studio this week. Neff is now an official member, although he has recorded and played with them extending back as far as their first album. I think he may have some of those Elephant Sixers beat as far as being associated with multiple bands is concerned- Star Room Boys, Japancakes, and Jack Logan to name a few.

At first Oldham’s keyboards didn’t quite mesh with the rest of the band. They were too loud in the mix and kind of distracting. They eventually worked things out on the board though and everything sounded great after that. I was of course drawn most to the rockers but they played a nice variety of material.

Patterson Hood is an engaging, charismatic performer. He told several stories to introduce songs and I was fascinated by what he had to say. Funny too. He listed a long string of bands he saw play with Kansas over the years before they launched into “Let There Be Rock” and ended by saying he hated that band. It was a you-had-to-be-there kind of moment but the point is he’s a personable storyteller with great timing, no less effective than a comedian leading up to and delivering a punchline. I found it curious that none of the band members said anything, especially since Mike Cooley sang every other song.

The highlights for me were “Women Without Whiskey,” which I had heard driving to the show (thanks Christian!), and “The Living Bubba.” Hood gave a very touching introduction to one, telling how it was inspired by a songwriter named Gregory Dean Smalley who continued to perform to the end of his days even though he was slowly dying from AIDS. The real showstopper though was “Let There Be Rock.” They were absolutely locked in and scorching. The band took a short break after that and came back for a couple of more songs, but neither of them matched the power and energy of “Rock.” That’s not a complaint. I developed an instant appreciation for Drive-By Truckers based on this strong performance and realize what I suspected was true- I’ve been missing out.