"Play that Dead Man's Song"

No, it wasn't the second coming nor a ghostly cameo. Still, Warren Zevon's presence was at undeniable at the 930 Club on May 9th as the Drive-By Truckers roared through over two hours of gritty, thoughtful, and, at times, profane rock. Warren would've been proud.


The 2008 Homefront Tour is in support of DBT's latest album Brighter Than Creation's Dark. This was my third time seeing them live, having been baptized at an amazing '06 concert so vital that singer/songwriter Patterson Hood credits that show with restoring his faith in performing live music. I was there in the front row and had a similar revelation.


The Truckers' songs are often as sharply, bitterly observant yet laced with dark humor as Zevon's were. There's also hope, too. The grim realities of life require at least sarcasm and sometimes scorn, and usually those two qualities are better served when mixed with the right amount of sincerity. At his best, Zevon could and the Truckers still craft these kinds of songs and that's a compelling reason, one of many, fans keep returning to their respective bodies work.

That said, I'm still on the fence regarding how much of Zevon's savage "Play It All Night Long" from 1980's Bad Luck Streak in Dancing School is not a mean-spirited blast not to actual country folk but to a perceived image of rural America. Warren often walked a greasy tightrope regarding his lyrical intentions. How serious can a song be with lyrics like "The cattle all have brucellosis, we'll get through somehow"?



The Truckers take Zevon's ostensible joke to the next level, however, by infusing the lyrics with their considerable heft. Much like how Elvis Costello reinvigorated Nick Lowe's mild and trippy "(What's So Funny Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding?" with wounded but defiant idealism, DBT's version of "Play It All Night Long" is not cheeky and sneaky but rather a howling, visceral open wound, one that large swaths of red and blue America both can relate to.



(My apologies if this next clip doesn't sell you on what I just wrote. Truth is, to quote another Zevon song Patterson quotes if you listen carefully, this aint' that pretty at all.)



The Drive-By Truckers are arguably the best rock band playing today. When they're on their game, and they usually are, they're better than even Springsteen at articulating working class hopes and fears. And, like Zevon, they frequently lace their songs with memorably dark wit. I can't recommend seeing them enough.