PHOTOS/TEXT BY ANDY TENNILLE

Family and friends filled the fabulous 40 Watt Thursday (Jan. 13) for night one of a three-night homecoming run at the legendary Athens club for Drive-By Truckers in celebration of their new album, Go-Go Boots, due out February 15.

Patterson Hood and company wasted no time slipping into their new shoes. Following an inspired set from local openers 2nd Sons, the Truckers took the stage to rapturous applause and dropped quickly into "I Do Believe," Go-Go Boots' gorgeous opening track. For the next hour, the sextet ran down the entire album in order, culminating with Hood's superb "Mercy Buckets," a fantastic album closer in the mold of A Blessing And A Curse's "A World of Hurt."

Set two was a perfect slice of the Truckers, including dynamite takes of live staples "3 Dimes Down," "Sinkhole" and "Zip City" while drawing across their deep catalogue to include rarer gems like "Zoloft" and a glorious "Buttholeville/State Trooper" to close out the night.

Setlist follows the photographs. Look for more updates and photos from the rest of the weekend from BLURT Associate Editor Andy Tennille, embedded with the Truckers for an upcoming feature in the next print edition.

Drive-By Truckers - 1/13/11

40 Watt Club - Athens, GA

Set I

01) I Do Believe

02) Go-Go Boots

03) Dancin' Ricky*

04) Cartoon Gold

05) Ray's Automatic Weapon

06) Where's Eddie

07) Everybody Needs Love

08) Assholes

09) The Weakest Man

10) Used To Be A Cop

11) The Fireplace Poker

12) I Hear You Hummin'

13) The Thanksgiving Filter

14) Pulaski

15) Mercy Buckets

Set II

01) Birthday Boy

02) Ronnie And Neil

03) 3 Dimes Down**

04) Lookout Mountain

05) Self Destructive Zones

06) The Southern Thing

07) When The Pin Hits The Shell

08) Sink Hole

09) Get Downtown

10) (It's Gonna Be) I Told You So

11) Play It All Night Long***

Encores

01) Puttin' People On The Moon

02) Marry Me****

03) Zoloft

04) Zip City

05) Buttholeville/State Trooper

* w/ David Barbe - bass

** w/ David Barbe - vocal

*** w/ David Barbe - guitar

**** w/ Clay Leverett - vocal