If you weren’t at the Providence Performing Arts Center last night, you missed one of the best shows of the year. Yup, already!
On what felt like the coldest night of winter, the Alabama-born singer warmed hearts with a solo performance in a show that rivals anything I’ve seen in recent years.
Isbell excels in the “Evening With” format, which allows the artist to stretch out a bit. That means “A Guy and a Guitar” sharing new songs from his upcoming album Foxes in the Snow, along with other classics from throughout his career, which dates back to 2007. But of course, there’s a lot more – these shows provide deeper insight into the artist’s life, songwriting, and creative process.
Isbell, who got his start in 2001 playing with the Drive-By Truckers, connects with his audience from the moment he walks out on stage. Every song is a masterclass in songwriting, you could hear a pin drop as he sang. Notably, phones remained tucked away as requested, no policing was needed. Music lovers were there for the genuine experience.
Although his music has often been tagged as “Americana,” and he certainly plays his share of southern-inspired rock and roll with his band the 400 Unit, Isbell is fundamentally a traditional country singer, sharing often painful yet realistic stories through his music. There’s some uplift, and his characters triumph in a few, but often, his songs don’t have a happy ending, even if they make you laugh a little.
On “Elephant,” he sings, “She said, Andy, you’re better than your past/Winked at me and drained her glass/Cross-legged on the barstool, like nobody sits anymore,” before revealing a late-stage cancer verdict. His songs can be bleak, yet they paint a picture that is real and genuine. If there were a Grammy award for the saddest country song, Jason Isbell would win it every year.
Like any country singer worth his soul, he’s survived a few of life’s hard lessons. Personal struggles, like his open battle with alcoholism, which led to his separation from the Truckers in 2007, and his recent divorce from musician Amanda Shires, fuel his songs.
So what becomes of those songs, like “If We Were Vampires,” a love song written for Shires from beyond the grave, after their divorce? Well, needless to say, the song lives forever, on its own merits. Or, you write a new song about the old song, which Isbell does on “Gravelweed” from his new album. Although the lyrics are as yet unpublished, in concert he sings that the old song just has a different meaning now, and there is nothing wrong with that. Indeed, love letters of past romance fill many closets, and although the love may be gone, that feeling was there once, and it’s worth remembering.
Isbell sang several from his forthcoming album, including the title track, “Gravelweed,” and show closer, “True Believer.” Recorded in five days at Electric Lady Studios in New York on a 1940 Gibson, the album sounds like an instant classic. Other standouts included several more well-known songs, “Alabama Pines,” “Cover Me Up,” “Children of Children,” and “Cast Iron Skillet,” all originally recorded with his band, the 400 Unit. His delivery, guitar picking, and vocals were top-notch throughout the evening.
I’m not a huge fan of using superlatives to describe art, although I have been known to do it. Stones or Beatles, who’s the greatest? I can live with both; no need for a title belt. Greatest songwriter of all time? Dylan, Mitchell, McCartney, Lennon, King, Cash, Kendrick Lamar, Taylor Swift? Yup, all of the above – authentic poets who write sing about the human condition. If it hits you a certain way, that’s how it hits.
That said, I’ve recently argued that Jason Isbell is the greatest songwriter of the 21st century. Certainly, when it comes to sad songs, he takes the crown, in this writer’s experience at least. Like Dylan and others before him, it’s simply outrageous how he puts it all together – words, music, and vocals. If you have the chance, see him on this tour!
Isbell’s new solo album, Foxes in the Snow, is due out on March 7. His national tour continues – click here for details.