For the past 15 years, one rambunctious event has signaled the end of summer for many Atlantans. This year the Drive-Invasion moves from the Starlight Six Drive-In Theatre to Turner Field, scales back from its usual two days to a one-day event and takes place the weekend after Labor Day instead of Labor Day weekend. Despite all these changes (as well as some new features such as Jim Stacy’s Food Truck Midway), this year’s Drive-Invasion will maintain a lot of sights and sounds from previous years. I can’t remember a Drive-Invasion that hasn’t included Dear God No! star Jett Bryant, a tattoo artist at Memorial Tattoo, keyboard player for AM Gold and front man for outlaw country outfit The Scragglers. This year his heavy Southern rock band Bigfoot will once again be stomping around on one of two music stages. Bryant also designed one of this year’s event posters, which will be available as a limited edition print at the Drive-Invasion Artist Market. The week leading up to Drive-Invasion is “the calm before the storm” for Bryant. So it wasn’t difficult to get Bryant to talk to Wrestling with Pop Culture about Drive-Invasion for a few minutes (though cheap beer and Tater Tots didn’t hurt).

Bigfoot is a difficult band to track down for an interview.

I make sure that I keep two days a week specifically for drinking and nothing else. It’s a little me time and you fit right in on that.

How many Drive-Invasions have you performed at?

I don’t even know, man. Between Monster Bash and Drive-Invasion, they kind of all blend together. Between Bigfoot and Rock City Dropouts, I think I’ve played almost all of them. I didn’t start going to them until the third or fourth one, but I know Bigfoot’s played at least four, if not more. I don’t know if I’m counting Monster Bash in that.

My understanding is that this year’s Drive-Invasion focuses on bands that have played at previous Drive-Invasions.

I think they were just trying to keep it local this year and get people to come down and perform that are good at it. And it’s a one-day thing this year, which I’m going to have to get used to. I’ll show up that morning and have to leave that night. You can’t show up the morning before and leave the morning after like I’m used to doing.

Tell me about the poster you did for this year’s Drive-Invasion.

I did the monster from The Horror of Party Beach drinking a tiki drink. I wanted something that would catch the eye and did a little nod to a buddy of mine with the orange tiki glass and the pink straw. When Jimmy [Bickert, Drive-Invasion organizer] asked me to do it I was originally going to do Jaws. Then I realized if I did Jaws it would just look like a Panama City Beach T-shirt. So I went with the other monster instead and it looks good.  I like it. It’s awesome. And we’ll be selling them at the show.

What time is Bigfoot performing?

I think we go on at 2:45. Don’t quote me on that. I think we go on early enough that I can continue to get hammered for the rest of the day. We’re maybe the third band, fourth band. I’m not quite sure. Early enough that I can get a buzz on before we play and continue to get hammered and probably end up in a hotel. That’s going to be the plan.

I’m assuming there’s not a Braves game at Turner Field that night.

There’s no Braves game, but there is a [Great Atlanta Beer Fest] in the next parking lot. So we might have some overflow from that, I hope. The more, the merrier. A bunch more drunks.

I’d imagine they might have some people from Drive-Invasion trying to sneak in for the beer.

They might. But they don’t have all the cool bands over there.

It’s been a while since Bigfoot released a CD, but I know you have some newer stuff recorded. What’s Bigfoot been up to?

We are elusive like the namesake. We don’t do anything. We come out of hiding to play these events, then we don’t see each other again for months. Except for my drummer is now my neighbor, so I see him all the time. But he’s more of my neighbor than he is my drummer. I’ve got most of his lawn equipment at my house.

We’ve got a lot of stuff recorded, but Jimmy Hall’s always out of town and he’s kind of like the lifeblood of the band. We can perform without him, but he’s the blood that runs through the veins when it comes to writing new stuff. He does guitar teching for Sugarland, so he’s always on the road.

Aside from performing and getting wasted, what else are you looking forward to at this year’s Drive-Invasion?

I’m looking forward to the [Silverscreen and Gasoline Car and Bike Show], as always. I’ll be honest with you, I know I love the movies but I never remember seeing them at the Drive-Invasion. I know the draw is going to see the drive-in movies. The bands are just an accessory to the event. But rarely do I remember seeing a movie at Drive-Invasion. I’m awake, I’m just drunk and talking shit somewhere. I want to make sure this is on the record. There’s been an ongoing event at the Drive-Invasion for years called Last Man Standing. It is exactly what it entails: who is the last man standing? It’s gone back and forth over the years, but last year I got the title of Last Man Standing. That means if we can’t do an all-nighter again I am the last champion. I want that on the record.

Do you have a trophy or anything to commemorate that?

There’s no trophy. It’s all here, man. It’s all in the heart. I know I won. But it’s going to suck not to compete again. It’s just about time, though. I’m too old for that shit.

Aside from changing to a one-day format, how do you think the Drive-Invasion will be received now that it’s not at the Starlight?

I think it’s going to be pretty good, man. I’m excited about it. A lot of people were kind of bummed out at first that it wasn’t going to be at the drive-in. But I’d say Jimmy [Bickert], Lisa [Williams] and Dusty [Booze] and all them have done a great job trying to keep it alive. I live for this weekend. My whole year revolves around going to Drive-Invasion.

www.drive-invasion.com