Drive-By Truckers @ 9:30 Club, Washington DC [5/10/08]

I think I've found the solution to the sound problems I've complained about at the 9:30 Club -- stick with loud bands. The louder the band, the less noticeable it is that the PA acoustics are less than ideal on the floor. And man... we got two loud-ass bands on Saturday night.

First up was Tuscaloosa, Alabama's The Dexateens. I saw the band for the first time at SXSW back in March, and have quickly become a big fan. The venue I saw them at in Austin was the backyard of a small bar, so while they sounded great (despite fighting with sound bleeding over from a party next door, as well as a CD that was still playing through the PA), I wasn't sure how they'd translate to the much larger environs at the 9:30 Club. I'm glad to say that they fit right in, and looked and sounded like they'd been playing large rooms for years. Can't wait to see them headlining in the future.

The Dexateens, "What Money Means"

And don't forget that you can still download the band's new album, Lost and Found, for free here.

The Dexateens



Next up, of course, were the Drive-By Truckers. I've only seen the band live a couple of times before, but I've now decided that I'm never missing a chance to see them again. They are, without question, one of the best live bands going right now, and they were absolutely on fire on Saturday night. The set (most of which is here) covered most of the band's history, and included covers of both Springsteen (yay!), Alice Cooper (nay!), and Jim Carroll (did that dude write any songs other than "People Who Died"?).

As you'd expect at a DBT show, the crowd was incredibly drunk. I can't tell you how many times I saw people coming back from the bar with 5 more drinks in their hands. The 9:30 Club must absolutely love these guys. The only real downside was the incredibly drunk guy near me who tried to get into a fight with a guy, and then attacked the bouncer as he was being escorted out of the club. Stay classy, fella.

Drive-By Truckers