Concert Review: Patterson Hood (The Grey Eagle)

BY JILL POOLE

Imagine you had a friend who had lived a Southern Gothic childhood, told the best stories, and came to play songs about it all in your living room. THAT’S what this Patterson Hood show was like. Just a low key - incredibly talented - guy, standing in front of a welcoming Grey Eagle crowd, playing a 1938 Sears & Roebuck Gene Autry Harmony guitar (restored by Scott Baxendale).

I’ve seen the Drive By Truckers several times, but this was my first Patterson Hood show. His first set was story driven. Most songs were introduced with an origin tale. Hood is obviously a gifted storyteller at his core - and can tell a great story in person as well. I really think he could have put the guitar down and just talked to the crowd for an hour and no one would have objected. His stories are that good. And of course the songs are even better.

The first set was a mix of solo songs with the occasional Drive By Truckers song thrown in. The inspiration for “Miss Coldiron’s Oldsmobile” could be a great novel if Hood ever chooses to write one. “Pinocchio,” also from the newest solo album Exploding Trees & Airplane Screams, was a crowd favorite once we learned of Hood’s lifelong obsession with Pinocchio - which was never shared by his kids. The songs of the whole set seemed woven together by their origin stories and it’s always interesting to hear the source for the songs we love.

After a 15-minute intermission, things got a little more raucous with mostly Drive By Truckers’ songs. The Grey Eagle crowd was very familiar with the Drive By Truckers catalog and there were frequent requests for favorites but Hood seemed to stick to his own set list. Judging from those around me - many favorites were still played as many in the crowd were singing along word for word. One of them VERY loudly. One of my favorite moments was the encore. As the crowd heard the first bars of the song there was a collective chuckle as everyone sang along to the - unexpected - Tommy Tutone hit “867-5309/Jenny.” It was a lighthearted end to a great show.

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JILL POOLE

It’s Christmas. I think I was 7. And there’s an album with my presents. The Everly Brothers Greatest Hits. I was hooked - I still have that record and a few more. On my 16th birthday, I got a job just to buy a real stereo, and more records. I still have all that “vinyl” as we call it today, and my 1977 Advent speakers connect to a Sonos system now.

When I was younger I had a love-hate relationship with live shows but it’s all love now. And I always watched the photographers in the pit. (And tried to take the perfect shot myself on an increasingly capable iphone) But for the last few years I’ve had an actual camera again and it’s so much better.

I want people who couldn’t BE there, who couldn’t get up to the stage - I want them to see what I saw - to feel what I felt.

You can’t hear a photograph, but sometimes... if it’s a good shot - it’s almost as if you could.

Read Jill's posts here.