Mid-way through tonight’s show Jason Isbell called an interval. Not to change up the set list but to take a pause for an unscheduled five minute comfort break. This reminded those of us watching that he is simply just like the rest of us; a fact many may have questioned having just witnessed an opening hour where Isbell and the 400 unit were simply sensational. This truly was a gig for the ages as the six-time Grammy award winner and his band confirmed they are one of the hottest tickets around. And given they don’t make it across the Atlantic all that often, this was a night to be cherished.
With no new album to promote, Isbell is mixing up the set lists and digging deep into his back catalogue, more than forty different songs featured across half a dozen shows. This gives a spontaneous vibe as the attentive crowd were uncertain which nuggets he would unearth next. And as they switched from gritty, outlaw country rockers from his time with the Drive By Truckers, ‘Outfit’ and ‘Goddamn Lonely Love’, to the acoustic musings of ‘Ride to Roberts’, it all knitted together seamlessly. There were, of course, one or two he simply could not leave out, the heartache of ‘If we Were Vampires’ and tour-de-force that is ‘Cover Me Up’ remained effortlessly brilliant and moving.
Although his last album, 2025’s Foxes in the Snow, was a solo acoustic endeavour, Isbell is truly blessed with a remarkable band in the 400 Unit. Guitarist Sadler Vaden is his six-string partner in crime, the two traded fiery licks and furious solos throughout, notably on ‘King of Oklahoma’ and ‘Overseas’. The rest of the band, Chad Gamble on drums, Anna Buttress on bass, Derry DeBorja on keyboards and Will Johnson on additional percussion and guitars, were equally as impressive. Just like the E Street Band, they played their parts to perfection and never missed a beat.
Notably a reluctant frontman, Isbell lets his songs do the talking for the most part, albeit confessed to having put on his clean pants given this was Symphony Hall. Something of a rarity, ‘Danko / Manuel’, his tribute to the mythology of The Band, was dusted off for the encore and was followed by the gut punch of break-up song ‘True Believer’ that resonated with raw emotion. They ended with a cranked up ‘This Ain’t It’ and its open ended jam between Isbell and Vaden, that saw both slugging it out for several minutes. Probably the best songwriter to come out of America in the past twenty years, Isbell and the 400 Unit are also proving to be one of the best live bands around.
Set list:-
When We Were Close
Flying Over Water
Tupelo
Maybe It’s Time
Speed Trap Town
Super 8
Vestavia Hills
Gravelweed
Decoration Day
Volunteer
Bury Me
Outfit
Overseas
Ride to Robert’s
Crimson and Clay
If We Were Vampires
Goddamn Lonely Love
King of Oklahoma
Cover Me Up
Danko/Manuel
True Believer
This Ain’t It
