Look at those adorable young men up there. That’s the version of Drive-By Truckers that existed in 2003, when the band released the classic 2003 album Decoration Day. Back then, a very young Jason Isbell was in the band. He was one of their three songwriters. Isbell didn’t write anywhere near as many Decoration Day songs as Patterson Hood or Mike Cooley, but he did write the title track and “Outfit,” so that’s pretty good. Isbell was a Drive-By Trucker from 2001 to 2007. Then he split, went solo, and eventually became a huge deal on his own. He still plays his DBT songs live. Now, Isbell will temporarily rejoin Drive-By Truckers for a one-off TV performance.
This Friday, Drive-By Truckers will release The Definitive Decoration Day, a four-LP box set. It includes extras like the previously unreleased double live album Heathens Live At Flicker Bar, Athens, GA – June 20, 2002 and a liner-notes essay from Stephen Deusner, who wrote the DB-T bio Where the Devil Don’t Stay in 2021 and Stereogum’s 20th anniversary retrospective on Pizza Deliverance in 2019. To celebrate the release of the box set, Jason Isbell will rejoin Drive-By Truckers to perform on the Dec. 2 episode of Stephen Colbert’s Late Show.
Jason Isbell has long remained on good terms with Drive-By Truckers, and there have been little one-off surprise reunions here and there. A couple of years ago, for instance, Patterson Hood joined Isbell and his 400 Unit to perform “Lookout Mountain” in Portland, and Isbell has joined DB-T a couple of times in Nashville and Shoalsfest, though those were surprises. In a press release, Isbell says, “The legacy of the band has definitely grown, and there’s a new appreciation for the Truckers and especially for that era of Decoration Day. Without them, you wouldn’t have the kind of work being done by MJ Lenderman and Wednesday and Waxahatchee and a bunch of other acts. I can hear the Truckers in all that music.”
Patterson Hood says, “Although we have always remained friends with Jason, and honestly he and I are closer now than ever, this is our first ‘announced’ appearance together in nearly 20 years. I consider Decoration Day to be our masterpiece, and he was such an integral part of that album that it’s wonderful that he’s able to join us in celebrating this release. Colbert has always been our favorite, so we are really psyched to be on his show again, with our previous appearance being the week of the election in 2016. This is a rare treat for us (and you).”
The Definitive Decoration Day is out 11/14 on New West. The Colbert performance goes down 12/2. Check out our We’ve Got A File On You interview with Jason Isbell here.
