By: David de Young
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Mike Cooley of Drive By Truckers at First Avenue Wednesday, October 27th, 2004 - Photo by Karla Ludzack (click for larger version)
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Though I didn’t see Centro-Matic play Wednesday, I did meet a few members of the band at First Avenue, specifically guitarist/bassist Mark Hedman. Introducing myself, I informed him of my plans to see their show Saturday at the Metro in Chicago. And my adventures began.
Drive By Truckers took the stage at First Avenue around 10 p.m. and my introduction to them proved much less of a drive by than a full frontal assault. DBT hit me head on Wednesday with elements of Southern rock reminiscent of Charlie Daniels and Lynyrd Skynyrd with additional and equal doses of Jack Daniels and Bruce Springsteen. In fact, if you could bottle the Truckers, the label might look similar to a Jack Daniels bottle, but the bomb squad would be on hand warning people to stand back as that dusty brown and black bottle surged and vibrated, occasionally emitting evil-sounding Southern-inflected cackles telling the dark “other sides” to many familiar stories of Dixie Land.
The Truckers are such exquisite and detailed storytellers that at my first show it was apparent I needed to study up on their lyrics to fully appreciate songs like "The Day John Henry Died" from their 2004 New West Records release The Dirty South. Through their lengthy and energetic set that didn’t have many low points, the fans at First Avenue were clearly overjoyed to host them and to hear such favorites as "Bulldozers and Dirt" late in the set.
Other Side of Country writer Jack Sparks predicted “They’re gonna eat Chicago alive!” upon hearing I would be seeing them again at the Metro on Saturday.
Four short days later I found myself entering the historic Metro at 3730 North Clark, just two blocks north of Wrigley field. The club is similar in size to Minneapolis’ First Avenue, holding about 1100. If you’ve watched the two clubs respective calendars it has sometimes seemed almost like a sister club to that venue, typically hosting the same bills within a few days. The boon (or drawback) is the Metro is wider than it is deep. Good for being close to the stage (never more than 25 feet away.) Bad if you dig listen to a show in stereo, as unless you are an early arriver with a large bladder you are quite likely to end up on one side of the room or the other. We settled into a nice spot towards the back stage right. Two other notes on the space: 1) Beware the raised areas on the floor or you will find yourself on your face or bum covered in your own drink. And 2) Somehow, regardless of how busy the show, the waitresses will find you on the floor and take your drink orders if you don’t want to go up to the bar.
We arrived as openers Runner and the Thermodynamics were finishing up. I was not impressed, though their Thin Lizzy closer did set the stage for the energy that was to come. My concert companion remarked that she did not like the “rock star” posing of Runner and the T’s, though later on when DBT guitarist Jason Isabell did some of the same foot-on-the-monitor type of soloing it came off as terribly cool.
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Scott Danbom and Will Johnson of Centro-Matic perform at First Avenue Wednesday - Photo by Karla Ludzack
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Centro-Matic
Centro-Matic opened up with the slow-ish “You’re Like Everyone” from Re-do The Stacks. Then for "Flashes & Cables" an EP title as well as track two off their new album Love You Just the Same, Jason Isbell from DBT joined on guitar as the song kicked from its melancholy start to its more up-tempo middle section. Scott Danbom’s keyboard and every microphone stand were covered in Halloween fuzz cobwebs. By the third song, "Fountains of Fire" from Distance and Clime I noted I was becoming very happy. And that’s one thing about Centro-Matic. Not that the songs are happy. Even the first time you hear their songs, they may fill you with a generalized feeling that much is right with the world. I had a similar experience a few years back when I discovered Grandaddy.
Mark Hedman went to bass from guitar on "Strahan has Corralled the Freaks" another powerful song from the new record. After this song Will Johnson announced this was the last show of the tour and that he had a bronchial infection.
The album opener "The Mighty Midshipman" followed shortly afterwards, and it's the kind of song that grabs you right away. Listening to it you realize right off what a great band you are hearing, and if it’s the first time you’re hearing it you realize what a great band you’ve been missing out on. Why Centro-Matic hasn’t gained the same indie following as Death Cab for Cutie confounds me. Sweetly, this song was follwed by "Argonne Limit Co" which you may know from the catchy though slow, melodic chorus “radioactive overflow.” During this song a ghostlike face appeared offstage stage right. Patterson Hood in a mask perhaps? The band was introduced before "Picking up Too Fast." Hedman went back to bass and Danborn to piano. Danborn and Johnson produced sweet vocal harmonies. Danborn played crazy piano in the well-titled "Blisters" that sounded like "Argonne Limit Co" but on steroids. The band closed with "Fidgeting."
Drive By Truckers
DBT appeared on stage in a cloud of smoke wearing ghoulish makeup. Is there such a thing as death country? Tonight this could have been it. The Alabama cheerleaders came out for harmonies on the opening song “Where the Devil Don’t Stay”. The rest of the show was much like the First Avenue show except I knew most of the songs this time. From "Tornadoes" to "Marry Me," when Patterson Hood said, “Let’s all have a drink to Halloween,” I knew he meant it. I shamefully took a swig of the girly Vodka Red-Bull I was drinking to keep myself upright after a long day while the band in contrast proudly passed a couple of bottles of Jack Daniels around on stage throughout the show.
Other songs Saturday included "Look Out Mountain" and the "Sand of Iwo Jima." The Alabama cheerleaders were back a few more times, and towards the end of the set we learned the pregnant one was Patterson Hood’s wife Rebecca.
Overall, Saturday’s show was looser, and from what I gather from one of the super fans with whom I attended the show, probably a more typical Truckers show than what I witnessed the previous Wednesday in Minneapolis where they put on an excellent, but in many ways straight ahead rock show. The ghoulish makeup was such a nice touch--even if it was probably hell to play in--that I’d almost recommend the Truckers don’t need to use Halloween as an excuse to wear it. The band seemed born to play on Halloween, and one look at the craggly trees or tombstones on either album covers for The Dirty South or Decoration Day supports that thought.
By 2 a.m. the band finished its first of two encores, and much as I felt bad leaving, I could not stay on my feet any longer. Sadly, I hear we missed a rendition of Jim Carroll’s "People Who Died" (a song that can be found recorded on one of the Truckers' live disks.)
My unequivocal verdict is that I will be back to see these guys again. For what they do, they’re the best I've seen, and possibly about the best there is.
Other DBT Reviews:
Location Info:
The Metro
Artist Info: Centro-Matic, Drive-By Truckers
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