Fiery Rock and Southern Storytelling: Drive-By Truckers Live at The Ryman Auditorium

(Photo Credit: Sarah Rudy)

The Drive-By Truckers brought their fiery blend of rock, politics, and Southern storytelling to Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium in a show that was both deeply felt and relentlessly loud. Though anchored by the weighty narrative arc of Southern Rock Opera, the set offered moments of nuance, surprise, and emotional clarity that reminded the audience why this band still matters—maybe more than ever.

Early in the set, the band drifted outside the Opera with “Primer Coat,” a subdued and melancholic groove that floated gently over the crowd. In contrast, “Made Up English Oceans” unfurled with a droning intensity, its brooding tone sharpening the edges of the band’s storytelling instincts.

Frontman Patterson Hood was in fighting form, channeling his signature blend of grit and conviction. Before launching into “Wallace,” Hood delivered a blistering rebuke of Donald Trump, setting the political tone of the night with a raw and pointed urgency. Later, as the band reached the closing Southern Rock Opera track “Angels and Fuselage,” he shouted “Fuck fear!”—a cathartic battle cry that landed with full force in the historic venue.

Backing vocalists Michelle Sullivan and Lydia Loveless brought a welcome jolt of harmony and camaraderie to the stage. Their presence didn’t just fill out the sound—it underscored a vibe of togetherness that threaded through the evening, softening the sharp edges of some of the Truckers’ more confrontational moments.

The audience energy followed an interesting arc: reverent and attentive through the show’s first half, then gradually boiling over as the band hit the triple punch of “Buttholeville,” “Zip City,” and “Let There Be Rock.” It was during this stretch that the crowd gave itself over fully—dancing, shouting, and feeding off the band’s own wired energy.

And then, that ending: “Angels and Fuselage,” stripped bare, each band member leaving the stage one by one, a haunting coda that echoed long after the lights came up.

The encore was both a release and a tribute. Kicking off with a joyful, swaggering cover of Wet Willie’s “Smilin’,” the band then tore into a full-throated version of Neil Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World.” The latter felt particularly timely and moving—less a cover than a call to arms.

At a time when nostalgia tours can feel like empty gestures, Drive-By Truckers proved there’s still fire—and purpose—in revisiting the past. Their Ryman performance wasn’t just a trip down memory lane. It was a reckoning.

Setlist: 

• Days of Graduation

• Ronnie and Neil

• 72 (This Highway's Mean)

• Dead, Drunk, and Naked

• Guitar Man Upstairs

• Birmingham

• Ramon Casiano

• The Three Great Alabama Icons

• The Southern Thing

• Surrender Under Protest

• Wallace

• Made Up English Oceans

• Plastic Flowers on the Highway

• Primer Coat

• Buttholeville

• Zip City

• Let There Be Rock

• Every Single Storied Flameout

• Road Cases

• Women Without Whiskey

• Life in the Factory

• Shut Up and Get on the Plane

• Greenville to Baton Rouge

• Angels and Fuselage

• Keep On Smilin' (Wet Willie cover)

• Rockin' in the Free World (Neil Young cover)