Drive-By Truckers Books All-American Tour

We’ve heard all about Hilary Clinton and Donald Trump’s stances on the big issues. But what about Drive-By Truckers? The alt country/Southern rock band’s upcoming tour goes along with the release of its “most explicitly political album.”

American Band is due out Sept. 30. An announcement from Drive-By Truckers’ PR rep notes that the LP covers topics such as “race, income inequality, the NRA, deregulation, police brutality, Islamophobia, and the plague of suicides and opioid abuse.” 

Photo: John Davisson
Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, Manchester, Tenn.

“I don’t want there to be any doubt as to which side of this discussion we fall on,” singer/songwriter/guitarist Patterson Hood said. “I don’t want there to be any understanding of where we stand. If you don’t like it, you can leave. It’s OK. We’re not trying to be everybody’s favorite band, we’re going to be who we are and do what we do and anyone who’s with us, we’d love to have them join in.”  

Singer/songwriter/guitarist Mike Cooley adds, “I wanted this to be a no bones about it, in your face political album. I wanted to piss off the assholes.”

Today the band premiered the song “What It Means,” which Hood wrote a few years ago in protest of Trayvon Martin’s death and the grand jury decision not to indict the Ferguson police officer who fatally shot Michael Brown.  

The previously announced first leg of the Darkened Flags Tour begins Aug. 20 in Morrison, Colo., and runs through mid-October. The new batch of dates kicks off Nov. 3 in Knoxville, Tenn. Check out the routing below.

Nov. 3 – Knoxville, Tenn., The Mill & Mine
Nov. 4 – Asheville, N.C., The Orange Peel   
Nov. 5 – Asheville, N.C., The Orange Peel   
Nov. 6 – Louisville, Ky., Headliners Music Hall       
Nov. 9 – Philadelphia, Pa., Union Transfer   
Nov. 10 – Richmond, Va., The National
Nov. 11 – Richmond, Va., The National       
Nov. 12 – Charlotte, N.C., Fillmore Charlotte
Nov. 13 – Charleston, S.C., Charleston Music Hall  
Nov. 15 – Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Culture Room       
Nov. 16 – Tampa, Fla., Tampa Theatre          
Nov. 18 – Tuscaloosa, Ala., Druid City Music Hall
Nov. 19 – Atlanta, Ga., The Tabernacle

Presales begin Nov. 3. Tickets go on sale to the general public Aug. 5. Visit DriveByTruckers.com for more information.