“But you won’t be back, they’re all dressin’ in black Drinkin’ sweet tea in Styrofoam cups.” if that doesn’t teleport you to the high school gymnasium wake...whew. I challenge anyone to find a single cliche in any Isbell lyric.
I was about to mention the high school gymnasium. He puts you in places and situations unlike any song writer I have ever listened to. He wrote God Damned Lonely Love during a loveless marriage in his 20s and he conveys that perfectly in the lyrics. You can just tell how depressed he was and how dark of a place he was in when he wrote it. "Stop me if I ever get that far, the sun's a desperate star that burns like every single one before"
My favorite example of this is in Relatively Easy “I lost a good friend, Christmas time when folks go off the deep end His woman took the kids and he took Klonopin, enough to kill a man of twice his size” He basically tells an entire story in two lines
This line reminds me of the Jeff Tweedy Wilco line from the song “Jesus etc.” “I’ll be around, you were right about the stars. Each one is a setting sun.”
First show for new venue. One of three events going on downtown tonight. Weather is a mess. It’s gonna be awesome.
Unreal show. Lot of DBT. Lot of tears for me and the wife. Cumberland gap Hope the High road Overseas Alabama pines Elephant White mans world Decoration day If we were vampires Tour of Duty Traveling alone Last of my Kind 24 Frames God damn lonely love something more than free Cover me up Never gonna change super 8 motel
The new song sounded promising. I thought the venue was great too. Got lucky with a table on the balcony.
Yeah overseas has one of the best guitar hooks he’s ever done. I wish he played more new stuff since they just wrapped that album. We got there right before 8 and stood right behind a group that had a table up top. Everything there was first class. No issues with getting beer or bathroom lines. They can really pack a lot of people in there and it still felt like an intimidate spot.
Update: just snagged two tix at face value off Craigslist from a guy in San Diego. Incredible seats. Said he’s a big DBT fan who has seen them a half dozen times. Super pumped. Acoustic set in a venue built for it. Now to find a hotel and where to party in DTLA after the show.
They were honestly relatively cheap. I’m not ballin like that. You pregaming at any bars around the venue?
Not sure yet. My buddy and I are planning on getting to there around 6 and then grabbing dinner/drinks. what about you?
Not sure. Leaving work early and picking up a friend in Newport on the way up. Will likely park at the venue and try to grab some food and drinks in the immediate area.
Shires grabbing dinner right now and then probably grab a drink inside the hall before the show. Where are you at?
Just got home from the show and in summary Isbell and Shires killed it. Pretty cool to see an acoustic show with everything stripped down yet Isbell and Shires still shredded. They played a pretty cool set with 3 new songs, Pancho and Lefty cover, played pretty much all of my favorites and then did a 3 song encore with Speed Trap Town, White Man’s World and then Cover Me Up. Tour of Duty was really good with both of them going off. Shires also sang one of her own songs which was pretty cool to see. DuffandMuff what did you think?
Lady next to me cried during the new song about their friend’s suicide. I liked the new one about their daughter growing up. He played Alabama Pines so I was happy. There were about 20 seats open in the section immediately in front of the stage. I don’t get it. And yeah, tour of duty was great. He sounded really good.
I liked the new song about their daughter as well. Some guy up by me yelled out for Alabama Pines Tried figuring out which one was you if you were in the front row. That's a pretty cool venue with only ~2600 capacity and not a bad seat in the house. I have to imagine some of these tickets on open seats were season ticket holders that just didn't go. There was one old guy maybe in his late 70/80s in the row in front of me that loved the show. Spoiler: setlist Setlist share setlist 24 Frames Play Video Hope the High Road (Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit cover) Play Video Traveling Alone Play Video Overseas Play Video Flagship Play Video Live Oak Play Video Elephant Play Video Parking Lot Pirouette (Amanda Shires cover) Play Video Tour of Duty (Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit cover) Play Video (Unknown) (new song maybe called “Word… more ) Something More Than Free (solo) Play Video Alabama Pines (Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit cover) Play Video Last of My Kind (Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit cover) Play Video Pancho & Lefty (Townes Van Zandt cover) Play Video The Hardest Part is Letting You Go (new song- not sure if this is… more ) Play Video If We Were Vampires (Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit cover) Play Video Encore: Speed Trap Town Play Video White Man's World (Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit cover) Play Video Cover Me Up
I was front row but on the side. Jason’s side, so mostly saw Amanda’s face. I was thinking about the season ticket holder angle. Makes sense.
Shires is showing her butt on her insta story. Can’t embed stories. FYI it’s a bruise and was part of a story from the show on Friday night. She said she busted ass on the stairs partly cause Jason keeps the hood at 64 degrees.
wow! that is the show I was hoping to see in Huntsville. I kept on waiting for them to play the new song about his daughter but he didn't do it. I think your show is only the second time he's done it. Cannot wait for the new album.
I don't expect to be blown away by this album, but also think it's one they had to write. And they've said as much as well, with a second, "non-political" album coming at the end of the year. I do love Thoughts & Prayers though, helps having heard it live already a few times.
The politics don’t bother me at all, it’s just not their strongest work. American band was their best album since brighter than creation’s dark, so I was hoping the follow up would be as good. Hopefully, the rest of the album is great.
That’s been my thing. I don’t mind the politics one bit. The songs just simply aren’t there. Patterson’s lyrics and melodies just sound...clunky? That’s best word I can think of to describe it.
This part in decoration day gets me every time: 'Cause I got dead brothers in Lauderdale south And I got dead brothers in east Tennessee. My Daddy got shot right in front of his house He had no one to fall on but me.
Fairly agnostic at best on Stapleton these days, but that's quite a lineup nonetheless and at a cool venue.