The Drive-By Truckers are revisiting a pivotal moment in their history with a new reissue of Decoration Day, the 2003 album that first introduced Jason Isbell into the fold. Titled The Definitive Decoration Day, the expanded edition arrives November 14 through New West Records and offers more than just a polished-up version of the classic. Alongside a newly remixed and remastered take on the original album, the set features recordings from a 2002 performance at Athens, Georgia’s intimate Flicker Bar, where the band tested out nearly the entire record before it was even finished.

The deluxe package will be available digitally and as a 4-LP box set, complete with a 40-page book of photos, artwork, and an essay by music writer Stephen M. Deusner. The remix was handled by longtime collaborator David Barbe, while mastering was done by Greg Calbi.

Frontman Patterson Hood reflected on that small club gig, recalling the band’s decision to strip things back for an acoustic late-night show just steps away from the 40 Watt Club. “We played nearly every track off what was then an unfinished album,” Hood remembered. “I didn’t even realize a recording of it existed until recently, and hearing it now, it feels like a time capsule of a really joyous and crucial chapter for us.”

Isbell also shared his thoughts on the era, noting the long shadow Decoration Day has cast over a new generation of artists. “That record played a huge role in shaping where the Truckers went next,” he said, “and you can hear its influence in bands like Wednesday, MJ Lenderman, and Waxahatchee. It really set the stage for a lot of what’s happening in indie rock today.”

This marks the latest in a series of archival projects from the band. In 2023, they released The Complete Dirty South, followed by a deluxe edition of Southern Rock Opera the next year. With The Definitive Decoration Day, they continue to shine a light on the music that defined their evolution and solidified their place in Southern rock history.