Album Review: Dexateens – Live from Athens, GA, Heathens Homecoming 2020

Alabama’s Dexateens appeared at the Drive By Truckers ‘Heathens Homecoming‘ at the 40 Watt Club in Athens, GA earlier this year with the majority of the founding line up in place. This was one of the rare occasions that bandleader Elliot McPherson, guitarist John Smith and original bass player Matt Patton, who is also a member of Drive By Truckers, have appeared together in the last ten years, the trio are joined by long term drummer Brian Gosdin for a performance that was captured by Athens producer David Barbe on his mobile rig. The recording was then mastered at the Chase Park Transduction Studio for this Bandcamp only release of “Dexateens, Live from Athens, GA – Heathens Homecoming 2020” that is released today, Friday 3rd July.

 

Live albums, as I’ve previously observed, can be a hit and miss affair, sometimes overproduced and overdubbed, sometimes flat and lifeless, sometimes resembling a muffled bootleg recording, but occasionally there are a special few recordings that reflect what we all love about live music. “Dexateens, Live from Athens, GA – Heathens Homecoming 2020” is an uncut full recording including all the crowd noise, band anecdotes, dropped chords, feedback and everything else that makes live music so essential, in short this is a reminder of what we lost earlier this year. Since the coronavirus made it’s mark upon the world live music has become a distant memory, hopefully in the not too distant future we can return to sweaty caverns, basements, attics and back rooms that until 2020 were our second homes.

 

From the opening ‘Cardboard Hearts‘ this is high energy cow punk, the country twang is energised by a shot or two of pure punk adrenaline and a touch of rock excess, the recording of this set at the ‘Heathens Homecoming‘ perfectly captures what must have been a sweaty and memorable night in the 500 capacity 40 Watt Club. Dexateens might no longer be teens as the band has been around since 1998, but the passing of the years, and decades, doesn’t seem to have affected the band, the band’s mix of Southern rock, punk and country is faithfully recorded and presented and if you were there this will be an essential purchase, for the rest of us albums like this are a reminder of what we lost earlier this year. Let’s just hope it isn’t too long until we can experience these nights in all their sweaty, sticky floored, drunken, chaotic glory again.

 

“Dexateens, Live from Athens, GA – Heathens Homecoming 2020” is now available for streaming and purchase via Bandcamp