My favourite American rock band is playing Vancouver this summer, so screw the boycotts

By Steve Newton

I realize there’s a lot of Trump-driven anti-Americanism happening right now in the Great White North. Between the Cheeto Mussolini’s dumbass tariffs and his constant threats to make Canada “the 51st state”, there’s a hefty notion among us Canucks that we should boycott American products and buy Canadian.

That’s okay with me–my love of Kentucky bourbon has dwindled considerably since that unfortunate incident involving the effects of a 26er of Jack Daniels at my 50th birthday party. And my cardiologist fully supports my decision to finally give Old Dutch Salt & Vinegar chips a pass.

But one thing I won’t be boycotting this year is the Drive-By Truckers. I just found out that the southern-rock/alt-country quintet out of Alabama and Georgia will be playing Vancouver’s Commodore Ballroom on Thursday, June 12, so patriotic pride will have to take a backseat for that one.

Besides, I know that the members of Drive-By Truckers–who I’ve interviewed seven times–are on the correct side of the political spectrum. They aren’t Trump lovers. DBTs singer-songwriter-guitarist Mike Cooley laid that out to me the last time we talked, back in 2016, when the group was touring behind its politically driven American Band album.

I’ve seen the Drive-By Truckers in Vancouver numerous times–including at the Vogue Theatre in 2014 and the Imperial in 2018–and they are a fantastic live band. They’ll be joined in Vancouver by fellow Yanks Deer Tick and Thelma and the Sleaze.

You can find tickets here.

To hear the full audio of my interviews with Drive-By Truckers members Mike Cooley and Patterson Hood–and former member Jason Isbell as well–subscribe to my Patreon page, where you can eavesdrop on over 500 of my uncut, one-on-one conversations with rockers since 1982.