Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit 

Avis

• Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit

  Friday 22nd January. The Forum. John Moreland/Jason Isbell. It’s fair to say I have been looking forward to this gig for months. As soon as I heard John Moreland was supporting I knew we would be in for a treat. With one of the best albums of last year Moreland has not been across the pond before and Isbell, whose last album I didn’t think as strong as Southeastern, is always a superb live artist.

  It’s a big turnout tonight with a nine strong gig going group. All have seen Isbell before and I manage to persuade some to join me for Moreland. The first surprise was the amount of people who were in for a support act. The venue is 80% full which is a testament to his talent. He ambles on stage and rattles though forty minutes of the finest Americana you will ever hear. He is warmly received and the disappointment is that it’s only nine songs, only three from High on Tulsa Heat and you are very much left wanting more. Here’s hoping it’s not too long before he’s back headlining and we can all give him a high as suggested by Isbell later on.

  Expectations are always high when we see Isbell. We have seen a couple of times as a fresh faced young ‘un in Drive by Truckers sharing the Jack on stage as they do to five times as a solo artist. He has never disappointed whether it’s solo acoustic with his wife supporting on fiddle to full on rock with the 400 Unit.

  It’s the usual mix of old and new solo work with a trip back to a few DBT classics. Standout songs from the new album fair well especially Speed Trap Town, 24 Frames and Ryan Adamseque ‘The Life you Chose’. The ‘Southeastern’ songs just ooze quality although I wasn’t convinced with the arrangement for Travelling Alone.

  Highlights for me were the best version of ‘Decoration Day’ I have heard, absolutely stunning as was ‘Never gonna change’ and the guitar interplay between Isbell and Sadler Vaden, late of Drivin n Cryin and a fine solo artist, was superb. The latter song could have come straight from a Neil Young and Crazy Horse album and there is no higher praise.

  What struck me this time was the development of Isbell’s voice. From the shy side man in Drive by Truckers he has matured into not only a great singer, songwriter and guitarist but the depth and strength of his voice has gone to another level.

  Another top class show from Isbell who is a must see anytime he is over. Keep on rockin y’all.

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  par garyw66

• Monday 30th October. Jason Isbell and the 400 unit. The Roundhouse, London. So it’s I think the seventh time I have seen Isbell since he left the Drive by Truckers in a variety of combinations, solo acoustic, with the 400 unit and without, with Amanda and without but one thing for sure he is a consistent performer who has developed into one of the finest singer writers. His shows are always good and often great.

  Support tonight is from the excellent Tift Merritt who I have not seen live for too long. Despite breaking a string on one of her three guitars she delivers a lesson in female country song writing. For those who don’t know her check out ‘Bramble Rose’ a classic and the new album ‘Stitch of the World’ is really good too.

  Next up Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, his long standing backing band. They are one of the best bands around and complement Isbell perfectly. Special mention to Sadler Vaden on guitar and backing vocals. He has an understated style but his slide guitar is amazing. He has also produced a couple of great solo records himself. (Hey Jason why not give him the support slot on the next tour).

  Over here touring the new excellent album ‘The Nashville Sound’ which is a return to form over in my opinion the patchy ‘Something more than free’. We are treated to most of the album which has some of his best work to date including ‘White man’s world’ and ‘If we were Vampires’ which is not only one of the best songs he has ever written but certainly my favourite song of the year by any artist. I defy anyone who is in a relationship to listen to this without a tear in your eye. Truly moving stuff.

  He hop skips and jumps through his song writing back catalogue which only highlights his maturity as a songwriter not afraid to take on contemporary issues. Sound wise I am never truly convinced with the Roundhouse as venue and have yet to find the sweet spot to watch and listen in this iconic venue. But this did not detract from the performance.

  Highlights for me included the hard rockin ‘Never gonna change’ and the mellow groove of ‘Travelling Alone’ to the final encore of Tom Petty’s ‘American Girl’

  Till the next time, keep on rockin y’all

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  par garyw66

• We were halfway through the first Jason Isbell performance of the weekend when his latest single found its way into the setlist. The song (which uses frames per second as a metaphor for how fast life can change) is much different than what came before, but that’s because Jason Isbell is a much different man than he was before. That line about making friends and then forgetting their names has always reminded me of a photo I took of him not long after he parted ways with Drive-By Truckers. The picture was taken at Larimer Lounge sometime in 2009. The Isbell portrayed in that image would be unrecognizable to those who discovered him post-Southeastern. He is six years younger, but he looks ten years older and at least thirty pounds heavier. He wore a smile on his face as he shared a shot and a beer with us, but there was a blankness in his bloodshot eyes as they threatened to be swallowed by the pillow-sized bags that hung below them. He wore a large hoop in one ear and his curly hair stuck to his sweaty forehead long after he left the stage. He looked like shit. Part of me wants to delete the photo, because I know I wouldn’t want it out there if it were me, but I keep it as a reminder that things really can change in 24 frames. And sometimes those changes are for the better. Isbell forgot our names before we even walked away that night, and he still had a few more destructive years in front of him, but then he made some decisions that put him on a different path…one that led him to perform “24 Frames” from the famous stage at the Ryman Auditorium on the first of a four-night run of extremely sold-out hometown shows. - See more at: http://ilistensoyoudonthaveto.com/2015/11/01/jason-isbell-ryman-residency-2015/#sthash.Lp4nrylb.dpuf

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  par kmartini

• Adding a dark side to country music, Jason Isbell has found a fanbase prepared to turn up in force to his show in order to hear his dose of melancholic country. Although he has been working the live circuit since the early 2000s, his debut solo album came in 2007 and since then each release has seen his cult appeal and reputation grow dramatically.

  Through his time with the Drive by Truckers and his solo promotion, Chris has had a lot of experience on the stage so has a truly natural demeanour when it comes to chatting with his audience. They respond well and the cheers seem to grow in volume every time Isbell acknowledges or jokes with them. There is a lot of balladic material so it is not the natural stomping, upbeat country show however this variation goes down really well and it is clear the fanbase are dedicated as they attempt to sing back the choruses to nearly every track aired this evening.

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  par sean-ward

• I love Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit. I have been a long time Drive by Truckers fan too and first saw Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass in San Francisco in 2011. This show that day was fantastic. I was floored that Jason was the "undercard" to the Hard Working Americans but great, we got to hear him that much sooner. He played a great mix of songs from his Southeastern album and blended in Goddamned Lonely Love and Decoration Day. All very good. My one complaint was the way the sound was mixed. It was way too loud and we were in the balcony and his vocals were so loud that they were distorting. I know his songs very well but can't imagine how a new listener could have understood his fantastic lyrics. His stories are too good to be obscured by lousy mixing. Sorry. Jason is back in Colorado on September 20th at Beaver Creek. I'll be there am truly hoping this gets fixed.

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  par daniel-h-darden

• This is a must see concert for fans of rock or country music. Jason Isbell delighted fans by performing his new album "Something More Than Free" in its entirety, alongside his lovely and talented wife Amanda Shires, and his band the 400 Unit. He followed this up with many hits from his earlier solo albums and a couple of songs from his time with Drive By Truckers. In particular, "Cover Me Up", "Children of Children", "Danko/Manuel" and "Codeine" brought the crowd to their feet.

  This was my first time at the Ryman Auditorium, and I was very impressed. It is a very intimate and historic venue, one which complemented Isbell's repertoire and between-song chats perfectly.

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  par nyctextyler

• Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit started the show with the song Anxiety. Not my favorite song so I was glad he got it over with early. It just got better from there. This was my fourth time seeing him and it doesn’t get old. He did New arrangements of some songs and a song I had never heard. In all he did 6 songs I had never seen live before. He was funny and truly seemed happy to be on that stage.

  I will go out on a limb saying the 400 Unit is the best touring band there is right now. Sadler is amazing and the duels him an Jason have on stage are incredible. I could go on and on but I will end saying I smiled from ear to ear when he said next year might be two nights!

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  par dweichers64

• Great show. Fabulous set list. Love the new record. I would have liked to hear Amanda's violin and vocals a little louder. What I don't get is when artists turn the bright lights on the audience. Is that to see us better? Stop it. It's too bright, or give us sunglasses. Sub-woofers were a little loud for The Beacon, especially for The Mountain Goats. I was with a bass player so I think I apeak with some authority. Just sayin. Sounds like a lot of complaints but we really loved the show. 'Tied to the Whipping Post' was flawless! Fabulous ending to a very engaging show. How often does everyone stand for an entire concert anymore? Wish I was going back again tonight!

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  par louanne-kirkwood

• Incredible singer, musician, and song writer! Great show and lovely venue. I do have to say however, it's the first concert I have ever been to where we were told we couldn't stand up??? We had end seats on the sixth row from the stage. No one even directly behind us and we were standing up to the music. Security guard came over and told us we had to sit down or move over to the side because we may be blocking someone's view. Most ridiculous thing I've ever heard at a music concert. But Jason was amazing, everything I had been told about him was completely accurate! He's a legend in the making.

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  par tracy-griffin-lee

• I bought my tickets 4 months ago and after seeing him at the electric ballroom in Camden Town last year i couldnt wait.This man is so talented, he writes great songs and his band the 400 unit are so tight.

  switching from electric to acoustic and back again jason shows how good a guitarist he is,

  everything about this band is melodic a big removal from his Drive By Truckers days although to keep us all happy he played a couple from his song writing days with them as well. This man is not to be missed and i cant wait for his next tour here

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  par Terrytoons