So, yeah, two weekends ago I went to Tuscaloosa to go see the best band in the world, The Drive-By Truckers. The show took place at Jupiter's Bar and Grill in the downtown area of Tuscaloosa.

Accompanying me on the trip to T-Town was Britney, Caroline G., and my beloved roommates, Matt and Richard.

Also, interestingly enough, our Berry-bound chap, Miles met us at the show after driving all the way from Rome, GA., but I'll get to that later.



On the way up to Tuscaloosa, we stopped at the 2nd Best BBQ Establisment in the state of Alabama, Jim's BBQ off of Highway 82.

I have a two rules for eating out at a restaurant, and here they are:

1. If you're at general food establishment with lots of menu items, and you're going to be paying for it, go with what you know. Then if it's free, like when your parents make it for dinner, try the new stuff. That way you'll never feel stupid for not being able to finish your shitty food.

2. If the restaurant has a food item in its name (BBQ places, Waffle House, IHOP, etc.) go with what they know. If it's in the name, chances are they've gotten good at what they're doing.

That said, we were at Jim's BARBEQUE. Matt decides to order a PHILLY CHEESE STEAK. Of course it was horrible, and it was thrown away.



We got to Tuscaloosa and met up with Miles. Miles informed us that he had just gotten through talking to Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley for 45 minutes or so. Unfortunately, he had a new friend with him, an uncontrollable drunk bitch named "Sandra". I mean, this bitch would not shut the fuck up. She was a pathological liar, and told the following yarns:

- She knows the owner of Superfly Productions, the people behind Bonnaroo and Vegoose.
- She hit on Jason Isbell, and he hid his wedding band by sticking his hand in his pocket.
- She knows all the members of Widespread Panic.
- Rollin' in the Hay wrote a song about their high times at a Chi-town strip club.

We told Miles that we thought she deserves to have her tongue burned off with a hot electric coil. He told us we were "jaded". Miles, do you have any idea what that word means? Here's a definition:

ja-ded
(adj)

1. Worn out; wearied
2. Dulled by surfeit; sated
3. Cynically or pretentiously callous.

I don't think any of these apply to us thinking that bitch was a bitch. Just sayin'!

Anywho, when we went into the actual show, they drew lines with Sharpie on each hand, THEN, slathered each hand with pink dayglow paint.



It was like we were going to a My Chemical Romance concert.

Thankfully, there was no opening act. The Truckers came right out and ripped through the following set:

Puttin' People On The Moon
Where The Devil Don't Stay
We Ain't Never Gonna Change
Heathens
Love Like This
Marry Me
Careless
Your Daddy Hates Me
The Day John Henry Died
Decoration Day
February 14
Daddy's Cup
Sounds Better In The Song
Women Without Whiskey
Sink Hole
Goddamn Lonely Love
Outfit
Ronnie And Neil
Carl Perkins' Cadillac
Buttholeville
Let There Be Rock
Box Of Spiders
Nine Bullets
Zip City
Lookout Mountain

You can download the entire show in extremley good quality, I might add, here.

The Truckers kicked an immeasurable amount of ass, as usual. Also, I got some premium Rolling Stone quality pictures from my vantage point in the front row stationed between Jason Isbell and Patterson Hood.



































This should give you an idea of how close we were. In the middle of taking the picture, I realized that the flash was still on and the man was kneeling down right in front of me. Not wanting to look like an asshole, I quickly turned the camera away from his face and got the above shot. Whoops.

















This last picture is my favorite, if for no other reason than the expression on Matt's face. I, of course, had to name the picture... "Matterson Hood." What did you expect? It's me.



Then, best of all, after the show we got to meet a very inebriated Jason Isbell. I think Matt put it best when he said: "God, he looks like a drugged prostitute".

As I said, the show was fucking fantastic. If you're not indisposed, might I make a recommendation? On the night after Thanksgiving, get off of your ass and go see this band in Birmingham.