Streetlights in Athens and why I never tire of Isbell shows

A recap of Jason Isbell's show at the Classic Center Theater in Athens, GA

Photo Credit: Wingate Downs

It’s that time again! I just saw Jason Isbell this past weekend, so I am back to keep my tradition of giving my post-show report. This was my 15th time seeing Isbell and my 4th write-up. You would think at this point I would have run out of things to say, and maybe it’s a bit silly to review and debrief someone I have seen so many times. Yet each time I see him, it feels like I have a new perspective and a post-show inspiration that I only experience after I see Isbell, so the tradition lives on.

On January 17th, Jason Isbell took the stage at the Classic Center Theater in Athens, GA. This is a part of his solo run that he is embarking on throughout the year. When you see Isbell with the 400 Unit, you are in for a big ole rock show with face-melting guitars, thumping bass, keys and accordion, two drummers, and a gong. Jason solo shows may not be loud and rockin, but they sure are special. It’s two hours of songs and stories. Another standout of the solo shows compared to the band ones is that he changes up the set a bit more, and there are songs in the solo set rotation that aren’t frequently played by the band.

The show started off strong and sad right off the bat with “Children of Children,” a heart-wrenching track about Isbell’s reflections on growing up with teen parents. That song is even more chilling when it is just the vocals and the guitar. With this style of performance, I feel like I lock in to the lyrics and feel fully immersed in these stories. He kept it thematic and went into “Dreamsicle,” another track about his childhood and his parents. These songs were released five years apart, and hearing them back-to-back added an emotional impact. Another neat element of this intimate performance was how the light’s reflection on Jason caused a beautiful silhouette shadow of him on the chair with the guitar. Throughout the performance, I watched the shadow move, and it felt like a musical meditation. I would have taken a picture, but these shows have a no-phones policy. The eliminated distraction of the phone made me soak up the show more as well.

Before the show, my friends and I made a little list of songs we hoped to hear that night, and one of the top spots was “Songs She Sang in the Shower.” He played it right at the beginning of the set, and we appropriately all lost our minds. I had only heard that song live once, at the 10th anniversary show of Southeastern, where they played the entire album in order. It has one of my favorite guitar lines and sounds so heavenly on an acoustic. Seven songs in, we got a song that many fans, including myself, have been chasing for years, “Streetlights” from the 400 Unit’s self-titled record. It is one of the most beloved songs in his catalog. As soon as it started, my friend Anna and I stared at each other and squealed quietly in excitement. One of the most thrilling concert experiences is hearing the first note of a song you’ve been dreaming to hear. It’s also not a solo show without a little story time from Jason, and we got some great tales.

After “Streetlights,” he told a story about going out in Athens and forgetting where he parked his car, because the night prior he had parked it blocks away. In a panic, he called the police, just for them to find the car in three minutes. He told another funny story about being arrested after another night out in Sheffield, Alabama, when he was recording American Aquarium’s Burn. Flicker. Die., and BJ Barham had to bail him out. While many of his songs are somber and serious, the stories he tells are so ridiculous that they bring a perfect balance from tears to laughter.

A stand-out of the night was when he did two covers, “Storm Windows” by John Prine and “Sunshine” by Todd Snider. It was my first time hearing Isbell play each of those songs, and they were very moving tributes to two musicians and friends of Isbell that he really respects. He even did the whistling parts in “Sunshine,” and it was a real treat. After “Storm Windows,” he played another deep cut I had not heard live, “Cigarettes and Wine.” He said that was Prine’s favorite song of his and that he would have loved to cover it, but he couldn’t pronounce “Gethsemane Street.” Right after that, he played the song at the very top of my wish-to-hear list, “Chaos and Clothes.” Anna and I lost our minds and cuddled each other throughout the entire song while whisper singing the lyrics. As some of you know, I have autism, and I often use Isbell’s music as a way to regulate. When I am at my worst and need to calm down, the first song I go to is “Chaos and Clothes.” The guitar melody mixed with his soft vocals always leaves me feeling centered and at peace, so hearing it live was incredibly healing.

It is such a nice feeling to see an artist as often as I see Jason and leave each time feeling like the show was better than the last. Although I may hear many of the same songs over and over, they don’t get old. With every show, I hear one or two songs I have never heard live before or songs I haven’t heard played in a while. After I leave a Jason show, I feel like my soul went through a factory reset and experience post-show euphoria. The day after the show, I drove over five hours back to Tuscaloosa. Instead of feeling tired and sad to leave my friends, my heart felt full. I reflected on how lucky I am to go to a new city, meet up with my musical community, and see my favorite artist. There is no feeling in the world that compares, and that is why I will keep doing these write-ups as a way to archive all the shows and their memories. Next up: Drive-By Truckers’ HeAthens Homecoming! Then Isbell again in March!