Photos by Jim Mimna
The Scene: When I rolled up to The Ogden last night twenty minutes before the doors opened, the line to get in already stretched down the street and around the corner and air was buzzing with excitement. Once inside, grey hair peppered the room as 60 and 70 somethings who had probably seen Dylan or Cash in their prime jockeyed for position at the bar next to fresh young faces who will surely be telling their children that they saw Jason Isbell in his.
Opener: Rayland Baxter. Opening for Jason Isbell has got to be an intimidating task given the stratospheric rise his career has been on over the past few years, but Rayland Baxter was up to the challenge. His 45 minute set featured everything from the sunny 70’s California Pop flavor of “Yellow Eyes” to the undeniable groove of “Mr. Rodriguez” and the psychedelic washes of Baxter’s cover of Dylan’s “Love Sick.” The audience was very respectful and I found myself thinking that this guy will be headlining rooms like the Ogden soon if he keeps going the way he is.
Jason Isbell: Let’s get this out of the way right up front, I’m a huge Jason Isbell fan and had been eagerly awaiting this show for months. In fact, if I had to pick just one artist to see live this year, Isbell would probably be the one. So, to say I had high expectations when I walked in the doors of The Ogden last night would be putting it mildly. That said, Isbell delivered in spades and might have even exceeded my lofty hopes – with one exception that I’ll get to a little later.
Greeted by thunderous cheers when he and his band, The 400 Unit, emerged from the shadows, Isbell kicked right into “Palmetto Rose” from his most recent release Something More Than Free. The staccato groove got the crowd moving as the giant stained glass windows that hung above the stage lit up and transformed the old theater into a church with one of the best songsmiths of his generation in the pulpit. “Stockholm,” with it’s references to “the good book,” added to that feeling and then Isbell dropped a take on his summer single, “24 Frames,” that seemed on the brink of breaking loose of the album’s structure before coming to an end and setting the stage for the first Drive-By Truckers’ song of the evening, “Decoration Day.” This 2003 gem allowed the band to stretch out a bit as Isbell tore into a slide solo that set the place on fire and gave us a taste of the guitar heroics to come.
After dazzling with a pair of deeper cuts from his last two albums, “Different Days” and “How To Forget,” Isbell and The 400 Unit dug into the back catalog for the song that first really made me stand up and notice Isbell’s solo material, “Alabama Pines.” At this point, I would have been satisfied if the lights had come up and the show had ended but we were just getting started as the band tore into a trio of Truckers tunes that led off with “Goddamn Lonely Love.” A rousing “Outfit” followed and then Isbell really let loose on “Never Gonna Change” and the roof damn near came off the place.
This is a band at the top of the their game and they proved it by stripping things down for one of the most beautifully written love songs of our time, “Cover Me Up.” Now matter how many times I hear this song – and it’s been a lot – I still get chills from head to toe when Isbell pours himself into this one. It’s simply mesmerizing. Another favorite came in the form of the upbeat shuffle of “The Life You Chose” – a poignant meditation on taking control of your life so it doesn’t pass you by – but it Isbell was saving two of his heaviest hitters for the end of the set after faking us out with his longtime closer “Super 8.”
With the first notes of “Speed Trap Town” I got weak in the knees. To me this is simply one of the most well written songs I’ve heard. Isbell paints vivid images with lines like “How long can they keep you in the ICU? Veins through the skin like a faded tattoo” and “She said ‘It’s none of my business but it breaks my heart,’
Dropped a dozen cheap roses in my shopping cart.” In just a couple hundred words, this song tells an incredibly moving story about a man coming to terms with one of life’s true turning points: the death of a parent and the realization that life goes on. It’s pretty close to a perfect song.
Isbell showed his mastery of setlist construction when he followed “Speed Trap Town” with the electrifying and epic “Children of Children.” The song’s monstrous build allowed the guitarist to show his talents on both the acoustic first section and Crazy Horse-esque electric outro jam that featured yet another blistering solo. It was the perfect way to close the set and left the audience screaming for more.
After a brief break, the band returned for a three song encore that featured great cuts from each of Isbell’s last three albums “Flying Over Water,” “Something More Than Free,” and the infectious “Codeine.” There is no doubt that this was an exceptional show, but there was one thing missing – a version of Isbell’s ode to Band members Rick Danko and Richard Manuel “Danko/Manuel.” The reason I felt this was such a big omission from the setlist was not just because it’s a great song, or because I love The Band, but because December 10th marked the 16th anniversary since Rick Danko passed away in his sleep near Woodstock, New York. I thought for sure Isbell would mark the anniversary, but alas he did not. Hell I even tweeted him a reminder before the show. But really, that’s my only gripe.
After all was said and done, one thing was for sure, next time Isbell comes through town it’s going to take a bigger room to hold the crowd, there’s no doubt about that!
Energy: A+
Musicianship: A
Sound: A
Stage Presence: A+
Set/Light Show: A
Overall: A
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