Patterson Hood, one of the most prolific and literate rockers of the last decade, rolls into Newport next week with his eclectic solo band, The Downtown Rumblers. The longtime Drive-By Truckers’ frontman brings his earthy blend of Southern storytelling and Roots Rock to Newport’s Southgate House Revival.
Hood’s vintage musical lineage traces way back; his father, David Hood, played bass in the legendary Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section back in the ’60s and ’70s, accompanying acts like The Rolling Stones, Wilson Pickett and Willie Nelson on record, among myriad others. David plays bass on his son’s recent solo release (Patterson’s third overall), Heat Lightning Rumbles in the Distance.
With the Drive-By Truckers on hiatus as both Hood and Mike Cooley, the de facto band leaders, tour behind their respective solo records, Hood’s autobiographical lyricism comes to the fore here. From the brooding atmospherics of “12:01” and the grainy melancholy of “Depression Era” to the alcoholic epiphany in “Betty Ford,” these are personal snapshots soaked in family lore and redemption.
Unlike the Drive-By Truckers’ guitar onslaught and rowdy Southern anthems, on Heat Lightning, Patterson focuses more on what has slipped between the cracks. The prime instruments used are piano, pedal steel and acoustic guitar; these tinge the songs in gothic, minor-key hues of lament.
Ever gracious and always moving as he winds his way to the next tour stop, Patterson Hood will bring a heady mix of Southern stories and music to his Northern Kentucky showcase.
PATTERSON HOOD & THE DOWNTOWN RUMBLERS play Sunday, June 9 with T. Hardy Morris at Southgate House Revival in Newport. Buy tickets, check out performance times and get venue details here.
