The Drive-By Truckers announced the first part of The Big To-Do tour, screenings of their documentary, The Secret To A Happy Ending, unveiled the album cover for The Big To-Do and offer free MP3. The Big To-Do is slated for release on March 16, 2010 on ATO Records. Leading up to the release the band will play some weekend runs before kicking off The Big To-Do tour with a two night stand in Atlanta and then heading to SXSW. More dates to be announced in the coming weeks.

DBT and ATO Records are offering up the first single, “This Fucking Job”, from The Big To-Do for free. Download it here.

The premiere screening of the DBT documentary, The Secret To A Happy Ending, is scheduled for February 5, 2010 at AFI Silver Theatre in Silver Spring, MD. This is a film about the redemptive power of rock-and-roll; it’s about the American South, where rock was born; it’s about a band straddling the borders of rock, punk and country; it’s about making art, making love and making a living; it’s about the Drive-By Truckers. Director Barr Weissman, Patterson Hood, Mike Cooley and Brad Morgan will be on hand for a Q&A after the screening.

This is the seventh DBT album that has featured original artwork by Wes Freed. The band has a very special relationship with Wes, they never tell him what to draw and often give him no input at all, yet he always seems to find some subtext, often one they didn’t know was there, that he brings out and runs with. That relationship has hit a new level on this album, as he basically illustrated every song. He honed in on the circus allusions of The Rock Show and how it all could be tied together in The Big To-Do. Look for more pieces to be unveiled in the weeks prior to release date.

The Secret To A Happy Ending screenings:

Fri Feb 5 Silver Spring, MD AFI Silver Theatre sold out
*Sat Feb 6 Silver Spring, MD AFI Silver Theatre
*This is a midnight screening after the screening on Feb 5.
Sun Feb 28 San Francisco, CA Noise Pop Film Festival

Drive-By Truckers on tour:

Thu Jan 28 Huntsville, AL Crossroads Music Hall
Fri Jan 29 Mobile, AL Soul Kitchen
Sat Jan 30 Tuscaloosa, AL Jupiter Bar & Grill
Thu Feb 11 Greenville, SC Handlebar
Fri Feb 12 Raleigh, NC Lincoln Theatre
Sat Feb 13 Raleigh, NC Lincoln Theatre
Sun Feb 14 Knoxville, TN Bijou Theatre
Thu Feb 25 Charlotte, NC Neighborhood Theatre
Fri Feb 26 Charlottesville, VA Jefferson Theatre
Sat Feb 27 Charlottesville, VA Jefferson Theatre
Thu Mar 04 Wilmington NC Rox Nightclub
Sat Mar 06 Augusta GA Sky City
Fri Mar 12 Atlanta GA Variety Playhouse
Sat Mar 13 Atlanta GA Variety Playhouse
Thu Mar 18 Austin, TX SXSW
Fri Mar 19 New Orleans LA Tipitinas
Sat Mar 20 New Orleans LA Tipitinas
Thu Apr 01 New York NY Webster Hall
Fri Apr 02 Boston MA House of Blues
Sat Apr 03 Philadelphia PA Electric Factory
Tue Apr 06 Toronto Canada Lee’s Palace
Wed Apr 07 Toronto Canada Lee’s Palace
Thu Apr 08 Detroit MI St. Andrews Hall
Fri Apr 09 Chicago IL The Vic Theatre
Sat Apr 10 Lexington KY Buster’s Billiards and Backroom
Sun Apr 11 Cleveland OH Beachland Ballroom and Tavern
Wed Apr 14 Towson MD Recher Theatre
Thu Apr 15 Norfolk VA The Norva
Fri Apr 16 Asheville NC The Orange Peel
Sat Apr 17 Asheville NC The Orange Peel
Fri Apr 30 Nashville TN Cannery Ballroom
Fri May 07 Los Angeles CA Avalon
Sat May 08 San Francisco CA The Fillmore Auditorium

3/6 , 3/12, 3/13 David Barbe and the Quick Hooks support
4/1 – 4/17 Langhorne Slim supports
4/2 & 4/3 with Lucero

Visit http://www.drivebytruckers.com.