Since I fell back in love with the Truckers in October at the Tab, I’d been looking forward to the date at the Cradle, soon after Trav’s move here, for weeks. It totally, totally turned out to be worth it — a two hour set full of rarities and heavy on The Dirty South, Decoration Day, and even some of my favorites from Brighter Than Creation’s Dark (“The Righteous Path”! You don’t have to love it, but I do, and the current arrangement is super duper badass). And to change it up a little, well. I didn’t take my camera. I could have, but I haven’t been a civilian at a show in years and years, and for once, just once, I wanted to. Trav and I stood at the back and held hands and sang along; I introduced him to some of my Cradle buddies; we worked our way forward for the end of the encore and “Shut Up And Get On The Plane”.

It was, quite frankly, the best Truckers set I’ve ever seen. The set list was killer, the current five piece band is tight as hell and I’m loving having way more Jay on organ audible in the live mix, and I always go see the Truckers and remember that Mike Cooley’s songwriting absolutely blows me away every time. These guys, you guys. They’re still pretty fabulous.

(I did not take this photo last Saturday. I took it in 2008, on my old Nikon N65 Boomer, on film. I still love it.)