Thanks to everyone who came out and Rocked with us. The majority of the shows were SOLD OUT and nearly all were extremely well attended. I never ever take that for granted, and especially in this rough economy. THANKS!

I want to thank our hard working crew. Matt D. has assembled one of the most incredible crews of any band in history and each one of them works unbelievably hard from morning until late at night to put this show on and mostly make it ‘look’ easy. It’s not, ever, especially for them, but that’s how they roll.

THANKS Damon, Colin, Cole, Craig, D. Paul, and once again, Matt D. since he does two jobs that are historically done by two people.

Also want to thank our amazing management, booking agents, publicist, web mistress and social media expert, office staff, interns, label, attorney, business manager, accountants and all of the other people who enable us to take this show on the road and keep it there for year after year. THANKS!!!

Thanks to all of the local promoters and crews and bus drivers and all of the other tour personnel. THANKS.

I also want to thank Matt Patton and David Barbe for jumping in there into the lions den and making it absolutely Rock.

David didn’t even get a single band practice before jumping up and nailing our NYE and Homecoming shows.

He knew the songs from having been Producer on so many and the hundreds of times he heard everything certainly paid off. It helps that he’s a world class player and such a close friend. Matt Patton is an old friend who’s playing I have long admired. We sent him a list of 70 songs to learn on his own and he got to practice with the full band one time before hitting the stage in Denver. He has done an incredible job (and learned a bunch more songs that weren’t on the list, on the fly at sound checks). He’s also been a very fun presence on the bus which is also of utmost importance when you spend so much of your life on a yellow submarine. THANKS!!!

I haven’t counted the number of shows we have played since the beginning of THE BIG TO-DO TOUR;  2 years ago, but I know there were a bunch and that’s not even counting the numerous record store in-stores and radio station performances, and the other shows    that require the same attention as the actual show, usually on a show day. It adds up. I know we had less then two weeks between the end of THE BIG TO-DO TOUR and the beginning of THE GO-GO BOOTS TOUR and yet we pulled off two very different types of shows kept the momentum going for over two years. We’ve essentially been on the road for 14 years straight and our two previous attempts at a hiatus ended up being very busy years.

This year is going to be busy as well, but a nice long break from touring is very welcomed indeed. We do have a small handful of shows this year and we intend to make each one of them special.

Let the break begin.

I know there is lots of things going on:

Neff is always busy when we’re at home as he is very in demand as a musician and ping pong champion.

Jay has his incredible album to promote and hopefully more of those amazing videos to make.

Matt Patton has his great band (Model Citizen) and a ton of activity as a session bassist. Hopefully some more Dexateens shows also.

Barbe is constantly producing and being a professor.

EZB is attempting to launch his case building empire (Pretty Road Cases) and has lots of work with me coming up.

Hopefully Cooley will play another solo show here and there and it’s only a matter of time before Pixar calls to make him the voice of that redneck lone wolf that will put him on every lunch box in America.

I have a new solo album coming out in September and am busy planning all kinds of cool shit to do for that.

I am playing this coming weekend in Huntsville AL and Oxford MS with a brand new band called The Mystic Rumblers.

The name derives from Rumble, which is part of the title of my new album, and The Mystics, which was the name of my Dad’s band before he became a session player in the early 60′s. (He also had a band in the late 80′s called The Mystic Soul Bubbas).

This is the very first time that my Dad and I have ever played an entire show together and I am beyond excited. Hopefully there will be more to come in the future.

Also in the band, EZB, Jay Gonzalez and Jacob Morris, who plays cello and is a fantastic musician and new friend.

Once again, I just want to say THANKS for everything. This has been an amazing bunch of years and I look forward to many more great times on the roads up ahead.

Much Love, Respect and Rock,

Patterson Hood

Drive-By Truckers

23, April 2012 (Athens GA USA)

PS: We all want to congratulate our friends ALABAMA SHAKES for their  TOP TEN DEBUT. An awesome and much deserved milestone.