A Night of Stories with Patterson Hood at Tangled String Studios

A recap of Patterson Hood’s two acoustic sets in Huntsville, Alabama

On Saturday, December 13th in Huntsville, Alabama, I attended two solo acoustic sets from Drive-By Truckers co-founder Patterson Hood at the intimate Tangled String Studios. I am a massive DBT fan; however, I have only seen the band twice before, and those were full-band shows. Every year in December, both Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley go on their own respective solo acoustic runs. It has been a yearly tradition for many of my friends to attend these shows, and I am so grateful that I was finally able to join in on the fun.

This show was set up differently than other dates on Patterson’s run because he played an early set at 6:30 p.m. and a late set at 8:30 p.m. During the show, he mentioned that he does not typically play two-set nights anymore. Unfortunately, Tangled String Studios is set to close this year, and he shared how much he loved this venue and wanted to play there twice before it closed. I came into this show not knowing what to expect. I am used to seeing Patterson surrounded by his bandmates, bringing all the intensity of a rock show. I was excited to see how he would command such a small room with just his songs, and he did not disappoint.

Both sets began with him greeting the crowd before kicking things off with “The Forks of Cypress” from his new album Exploding Trees and Airplane Screams. The song is based on a real place in Florence, Alabama, and he shared a story about visiting the Forks of Cypress while growing up and how creepy it felt to him at the time and the myths that surround that place. Both sets felt like a perfect companion to the new record, which Hood describes as an album that tells the story of the first 30 years of his life, beginning backward at his 30th birthday and ending in his childhood. The sets also featured a handful of songs from Exploding Trees alongside DBT classics. Every song he chose matched the deeply personal tone of the new record, and hearing the stories behind them made the performances even more special. One standout story song was “The Sands of Iwo Jima,” which is about his great uncle George A., who helped raise him. He shared several stories about George A. throughout the night. I had heard “The Sands of Iwo Jima” before, but hearing it paired with those stories, while watching him perform it just feet away in such a small room, was incredibly moving.

Another standout moment came before “Pinocchio,” when Hood talked about becoming a parent and learning things about his children that helped him better understand his own childhood. He spoke about learning more about ADHD, Sensory Processing Disorder, and autism, and how that knowledge helped explain how he functioned as a child. He shared that he often became deeply fixated on things while growing up. One of the first things he became obsessed with at age three was The Beatles, and he remembered watching Magical Mystery Tour and being completely obsessed. That story hit home for me, as I had a very similar experience as a child with The Beatles.

He then talked about how his favorite movie was Disney’s Pinocchio. After seeing a trailer for its re-release, he knew he wanted to see it again, so George A. took him to the theater repeatedly. He even acted the movie out for the neighborhood kids, who were not impressed. As a fellow weird kid who also rewatched the same movie countless times and recited it word for word, I felt deeply connected to this story. As someone who was once afraid to open up about their neurodivergence, it meant a lot to see Patterson speak so openly about his own experiences, and I found that to incredibly brave of him.

I really admire how open Patterson is when it comes to storytelling. He trusts his audience and shares vulnerable moments from his life in such an earnest and relatable way. Many of these songs already contain rich narratives in their lyrics, but the stories he tells before performing them make them feel even more intimate.

Another highlight of the night was seeing how much fun he was clearly having. It did not feel like he was repeating stories he had told in another town the night before. Instead, the performance felt more like a house show, and the atmosphere of Tangled String Studios only amplified that feeling. The venue was cozy and even had a couch in the middle of the room, which added to the living room vibe. The room was so quiet, and everyone seemed completely drawn into his playing.

He smiled often and dedicated songs to friends in the crowd, including dedicating “Heathens” to my friends Missy and Ricky during both sets, which was incredibly sweet. When he played rockers like “Lookout Mountain” and “Ronnie and Neil,” the way he attacked his acoustic guitar reminded me of how he jams on electric, and it sounded incredible. The setlists were thoughtfully balanced, and he played many of my favorites, including “My Sweet Annette,” “Van Pelt Parties,” “Sinkhole,” “Tornadoes,” and “Bulldozers and Dirt.”

To top it all off, he ended the night in a way I was not expecting by breaking out a cover of “867-5309/Jenny” which quickly turned into a crowd sing-along. Afterward, we gathered near the stage as he smiled and waved. He handed me his setlist, then went around greeting everyone, signing posters, and taking pictures.

Overall, this was such a special night. This show was very different from a full-band Drive-By Truckers performance. We traded headbanging and loud riffs for a cozy, story-driven atmosphere that added new emotional weight and meaning to songs I have heard countless times. I am so grateful for Patterson, his music, and the incredible fan community that surrounds DBT. It also made me even more excited to experience my first HeAthens Homecoming in February!