The last time Jason Isbell and the 400 unit played Colorado, Mr. Isbell walked on stage at the Fox Theatre to inform the audience in his plaintive drawl that he was caught under the spell of what he called “alcotude,” a combination of altitude and alcohol. The audience was more than forgiving when the band had to restart “Codeine” so Mr. Isbell could tune his guitar.
What a difference a few months makes.
Now 33, Isbell has kicked the bottle and plans to marry his sweetheart: Texas fiddle player and contributor to 2011’s “Here We Rest,” Amanda Shires.
Despite the fatalistic charm of a band passing around a bottle of Jack Daniels throughout the set, the newfound sobriety is serving Isbell and his band well. With a wall-rumbling rhythm section and the deft musicianship of each member, the 400 Unit has never sounded as tight or as focused as it did Tuesday night at the Bluebird.
From the opening bombast of “Try” from Isbell’s first solo LP to the delicate finger picking of “In a Razor Town,” the 400 Unit looks and sounds like a band in complete control, especially during a gutting version of “Dress Blues,” a song about a high school friend of Mr. Isbell who was killed overseas.
“You never planned on the bombs in the sand, or sleeping in your dress blues,” Isbell eulogizes softly over a minor fall.
Isbell’s music evokes sweet tea in Styrofoam cups, flags in the rafters and high school gymnasiums full of old legionnaires. It’s an all too familiar scene for grieving families, especially in the American South with its disproportionately high recruitment rate.
Before tearing into Neil Young’s “Like a Hurricane” to close the set, the band played “Danko, Manuel,” an elegy of sorts for the Band’s Rick Danko and Richard Manuel. A somber song, “Danko, Manuel” is a cautionary tale about the inevitable ending for hard-living musicians.
Tuesday night, Isbell played it like a man who’s realized the wisdom of his younger, reckless self.
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Ryan Johnson is a Denver videographer, social media strategist and guitar player for hire. Contact him here.
Evan Semón is a Denver freelance writer and photographer and regular contributor to Reverb. See more of his work.
