The Drive By Truckers are a rock band consisting of 5 current members; Patterson Hood (Guitar/Vocals), Mike Cooley (Guitar/Vocals), Matt Patton (Bass), Jay Gonzalez (Guitar/Piano) and Brad Morgan (Drums).
The band originates in the south and the influences of this are heavy in their music, despite the band itself constantly evolving and growing its sound.
The band was started by Hood and Cooley in 1996 and has gone through many changes since, but at the base of it all, the band’s talent and musical integrity have stayed the same: Strong in its roots.
Gonzalez and Patton joined the band a little later, with Gonzalez joining in 2008 and Patton joining later in 2012.
“Patterson asked me to play in a band covering Springsteen’s ‘Darkness On The Edge Of Town’ album and I suspect it was my audition unbeknownst to me! Guess I passed,” Gonzalez said in a Talisman interview.
Once a year, the band comes around to Athens, Georgia, at The 40 Watt Club for what they call “HeAthens Homecoming.” Later this year, the band will have “Heathens Homecoming: West” where they will play Joshua Tree, in California.
The concert itself has a duration of 4 nights, this year taking place from February 13 to February 17, where fans from all over the world come out to support the band, some coming from as far away as Canada if not further.
This year, The Drive by Truckers (DBT) opened on Wednesday night, with The Dimmer Twins and Friends which consist of Hood and Cooley (The Dimmer Twins), as well as Gonzalez, Claire Campbell from Hope for Agoldensummer, Don Chambers and Dave Marr from The Star Room Boys
In recent years, the band’s fanbase has grown with the band and their music. This simple change has not gone unnoticed by the Heathens, which is what the band’s fans have coined themselves.
“The band always brings their A game, but the crowd has grown and become more diverse,” said Jeff Schneider, who has been coming to HeAthens Homecoming for 9 years
On Thursday Night, the band Vision Video, a goth band, opened for the Drive By Truckers. The band had strong influences from 80’s goth culture, with a lot of synth and a lot of hairspray. Many fans came to the show head to toe in goth clothing.
HeAthens Homecoming is a very loved event by the fans of this band. This event allows old and new fans to come together as family and share their love of this music.
Glenn Raucher said that his favorite part of Homecoming is the community that it offers fans.
“Hanging out and laughing with friends, the gathering together of people who care about each other and who have formed a tight, loving, supportive community in difficult times,” Raucher said.
Friday morning, there was a “Heathens Hangout” at Ciné where fans could come in and spend time outside of the show, to sit and talk, and even to buy merchandise at a discounted price, which all went to Nuci’s Space.
Nuci’s Space is an organization that holds events to raise money for suicide prevention, as well as educate and de-stigmatize the conversations surrounding suicide, and mental health.
On Friday Night, the band Option Paralysis played as a part of the Camp Amped program. The Drive By Truckers invites one of these bands every year to open for them.
This gives the chosen band a chance to experience performing for a crowd of very loving and accepting fans. Following them, an alternative indie/rock band from Washington D.C. called Paranoid Style played a set that drove up energy prior to Drive By Truckers taking the stage.
Saturday morning, Nuci’s Space held a cookout/auction of Drive by Truckers paraphernalia and ended up raising a total of $60,000. Some members of the band came to the event to sit and talk with their fans.
On the final night of Homecoming, the band Hans Condor opened for The Drive By Truckers. This punk rock band stood out with its loud, entertaining and enticing energy.
The Drive By Truckers played four long nights of wonderful music; their performances never dulled and their energy never faltered.
“My favorite part of doing [Homecoming] shows is getting to run into friends I’ve met from touring over the years, combined with having my friends and family who usually don’t get a chance to see us get to see us perform in a very encouraging and forgiving environment,” Gonzalez said.
