Time with Patterson
I don't get star struck. In a previous life I was an actor and I’ve dabbled in the film industry. I've experience in being exposed to varying levels of fame. Hell, I've slept in Randall Wallace's bed (he was out of town, and, no his wife wasn't there) and played with the sword Mel Gibson used in Braveheart. I ran around the set of We Were Soldiers and played in the cockpit of the helicopters. I’ve served a meal to the cast of Dawson’s Creek (Katie Holmes paid for the meal with her father’s credit card) and also appeared in an episode. I write this not to crow or to make you believe I’m “connected”. We all have stories of close encounters with celebrities and I’m no more special than anybody else. I’m just trying to make the case that celebrity is not something I get ga-ga over. With that being said, some people transcend celebrity and become a presence. You feel them in a room before you see them.
With this said, Patterson Hood has this type of presence in spades. I certainly don't want to put him on a pedestal (music historians will take care of that soon enough) because he is a down to earth, friendly MF'er but the tenacity which he has displayed in his quest for success for this band should awe the least of us. No golden child is he. He's applied the same grit, determination, roll-up-your-sleeves, grab-a-shovel-and-start-moving-dirt, sweat-blood, hard times be damned, no money having be damned, people tellin' him "NO" be damned, attitude that should inspire the masses to never quit, never give up. He's certainly influenced me.
Best seats in the house
He's a performer who cares about his craft, too. After the Friday night show I'm gasping for air in the balcony above the stage because I have been ROCKED so hard I thought I might have to go the hospital. It was the best I've ever seen the band perform. Patterson stepped out on the balcony and states that he wasn't as happy as he could be with the performance. I, physically, don't think I could have handled them being any better, but Patterson is always looking for that perfect show. Every single damn night. There ain't no "dialing one in" as far as he is concerned. That's why they are the best band going and that's why Patterson Hood and DBT are the force that they are. Good on ya, Patterson!
Time with Jenn
For a band to succeed, they need damn good people around supporting them. You could not find a better person in the galaxy to support you (whether you're a band or just a person) than Jenn Bryant. I don't care if you create a "Weird Science" computer and inserted all of the elements you thought that would create the best friend, fan manager, business manager, webmistress, hell, WOMAN, in the world. You still wouldn't come up with anything that would be half the person that Jenn Bryant is.
Tom Petty posters in DBT's dressing room
If you couldn't tell, I think the world of Jenn. Previous to the Fillmore shows I only knew Jenn as most of you know her. As the web temptress of DBT and as the Yahoo list dominatrix. And I’ve only spent less than 70 hours in her physical presence. But, I feel such a natural bond with that girl that the very best part of the DBT at the Fillmore weekend was getting to hang out with Jenn (and y’all know how much I love DBT). That’s no shit.
I love ya, Jenn!
The fine craft services table in the dressing room
The Crew
The Matador, Captain Kerr, Silky and the rest are as solid a crew as you could hope for. As Cooley once said they "..put gettin' the job done ahead of (their) job title".
Irony of ironies: The Black Crowes posters in DBT's dressing room
As far as a review of the show, Jambase wrote one that I won't even try to compete with. Read it here.
the night belonged to the Drive-By Truckers. Standing below a creepy fanged moon and flanked by undead vultures created by longtime album cover artist Wes Freed, they looked like trouble before they even opened their mouths. Like a heartbeat in the womb, bassist Shonna Tucker and drummer Brad Morgan cradled us before the vast smashing assault of opener "Feb 14" landed us in the curdled emotional muck in which they specialize
My buddy Rich and Silky in front of the bus
Mouthwash next to the sink in the bus
Aftermath, U.S.A. CSI would have a field day with whatever the fuck is on the camera lense.
It's great to be alive!....
I said, It's great to be alive!!!!
You're not listening. I said, It's motherfuckin' great to be alive......
...especially when your life has a soundtrack as sweet as this.
Hope y'all have enjoyed and I can't wait for the next rock show!
3 comments:
Alright! I am convinced and primed. I must catch them next time through.
I had a chance to meet the band after a show at the Vogue Theater in Indy (freaking amazing show btw)last Spring. I was impressed by their humility and grace. My life had been on a downturn for awhile and I informed Patterson that his music had helped me through some difficult times. He seemed sincerely humbled by my compliment and asked earnest questions about my situation. Honestly, I get the impression that they are better PEOPLE than MUSICIANS. Also was able to help polish off the bottle of Jack with a few other brave souls.
I posted your blog as one of the links on my blog. Hope you do not mind. Maybe I will direct some of the enormous volume of traffic (all three of them) over to your site!
davy, they are a must see band.
Townser, they are certainly humble and sincere. Good, goddamn people. A lot of folks feel really close to this band for good reason. They've given a lot of folks a voice.
I appreciate the link and I'm reciprocating 'cause I like what you're writing about.
JPW
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