Features

Drive-By Truckers’ Surprise Show

The Truckers’ production schedule.

It is often said that good things happening is merely a result of being in the right place at the right time. For fans of alt-country, Tuesday night at the Beachland Ballroom and Tavern in Cleveland was exactly that, as both the Old 97’s and the Drive-By Truckers made the night a memorable one.

Just an hour or so before the Old 97’s scheduled performance in the Ballroom, rumors began circling about an after-show performance by the Drive-By Truckers in the adjacent Tavern. Those present began asking bartenders and others waiting if any official word had been handed down. Within a matter of minutes, a bartender appeared with a handful of printed tickets, and hungry fans scooped them up immediately.

As a long-standing staple in the alt-country scene, the Old 97’s have been known to deliver a rousing set of punk-rock influence Texas twang. Tuesday night was no exception, as Rhett Miller and company soared through a set featuring hits such as “Big Brown Eyes,” “Won’t Be Home,” and “W. TX Teardrops.” The group even featured a couple new songs from the forthcoming album, The Grand Theatre.

Conscious of the crowds growing knowledge of what was coming to the neighboring Tavern, Old 97’s bass player Murray Hammond told the crowd to prepare themselves for an “alt-country orgasm.”

As Hammond suggested, the night truly turned into something special shortly after the 97’s left the stage in the Ballroom.

After their gig at the Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Falls with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers was postponed (after Heartbreaker guitarist Mike Campbell fainted onstage Sunday night in St. Louis), the Truckers loaded up their gear and searched for an alternative location in the area to play.

“We were off all of the sudden. We were off yesterday, and we’re off again tomorrow,” began DBT guitarist/vocalist Patterson Hood. “We all have friends in Cleveland, so we said ‘let’s see if anyone wants a rock show in town.’”

Indeed, there were plenty that did. Just over 150 lucky fans packed the Tavern room, adjacent to the significantly larger Ballroom that had housed the Old 97’s show that was just letting out. Some fans heard about the show as they arrived for the Old 97’s, while others rerouted themselves after getting word of the nixed gig with Petty. Unfortunately, some Truckers fans were shut out of the cramped venue, which was filled to capacity, if not more.

Kicking off the late show with “Love Like This,” the Truckers ran through a near three-hour set in the packed Tavern. The group weaved their way through a set of tunes inspired by whiskey, women, and the South, featuring “Daddy Needs a Drink, “Marry Me,” and “Zip City.” A cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “Adam Raised a Cain” appeared roughly three quarters of the way through the set.

The band, while certainly deserving of an opening spot for a classic rocker like Petty, thrived in the tiny club and seemed to be in their true element. The Truckers carried on right up until around 2:30 in the morning, closing the night out with “Let There Be Rock.” Although the song might have been more appropriate as the opener to the serendipitous occasion, those in attendance would be hard pressed to find any reason to complain.

Speaking next to the tour bus after the show Hood explained the unlikely circumstances surrounding the show.“We had to figure out a way to get here, because we were like forty-five minutes away. We didn’t have a ride here, initially,” explained the guitarist. “Our bus driver was supposed to be off. But at the same time, he said, ‘Hell, I’ll take you there.’ Everybody kind of gathered their forces and here we are.”