From the Shelf: Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit - "Live from Alabama" (2012)

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
Live From Alabama
Lightening Rod Records

It starts in a milling confusion from the moment you enter the door. The people crowded around you are merely shadows with drinks in their hands. On the stage the guitars are lined up like soldiers at attention while the drum kits waits like a bouncer baring the exit. In a moment something changes. A wave of unspoken awareness takes hold of the crowd and all the shadows turn and move to the base of the stage. The club grows darker and the stage lights build to a blinding white. As your eyes struggle to adjust you notice the commotion from off stage as the band members begin to file out.

Your eyes closed, you can almost put yourself there listening to Live From Alabama the latest record by Jason Isbell and the 400 Unite.Complied from two Alabama shows played back in August this record captures the perfect concert experience.  As you would hope all the fan favorites are here from "Outfit" and "Decoration Day" from his Drive-By Trucker days to the award winning "Alabama Pines" from his latest album.  Touched by the sweetness of the live treatment, these classics are given new life, making you fall in love with them all over again. With extended guitar fills and the soulful horns that take them to a new level, this recording has captured a tightly woven band playing at the height of their skills.

As with his studio recordings, Live From Alabama makes it easy to focus on Isbell's amazing songwriter.The honesty of his lyrical poetry is potent with the uncomplicated struggle of the working class heroes of this great country of ours. Though unlike the studio recordings, this album is a potent reminder that first and for most in his soul of souls, Jason Isbell is a guitarist. A fact made clear on nearly every track.

From beginning to end this album is flawless and one of the best live records I've heard in years. If you've ever gotten the chance to see Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit live you certainly won't be disappointed.

Living Room Performance: Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit "Danko/Manuel"

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit - "Danko/Manuel"
WorkPlay Birmingham, Alabama
August 17th, 2012



Having launched his career as a songwriting member of the Drive-By Truckers, Jason Isbell has spent the last several years proving his individual greatness as the lead of his own band the 400 Unit. Isbell released his first full-length live album Live From Alabama  just yesterday. So in honor of the occasion we've posted this performance. Enjoy 

The Triple Crown: 06/14 - 06/27

This Triple Crown is filled with returning legends, rising stars, and enough good music to keep you sated for a while. With the summer weather taking its sweet time getting here to the Northwest, you don't have to feel guilty about staying in doors for a bit longer. So enjoy.

Wednesday, June 15th
Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit
Maria Taylor/Kasey Anderson
Doug Fir Lounge
830 East Burnside
Doors: 8PM/ Show:9PM
Adv.:$15/Day of:$16
21 & over

One of the great truths I learned by the dim light of the stereo is that there are few things in this world more honest and compelling than a Southern songwriter. Portland is blessed to have one of the newest and greatest of these velvet tongued gentleman grace our streets when Jason Isbell plays the Doug Fir this coming Wednesday. Have earned his chops as one of the stellar song writing team of the hard rocking Drive-By Truckers, Isbell has no problem holding his own when it comes to creating amazing songs. The last few years he's been perfecting his craft piloting his own band the 400 Unit. Known for a blue collar honesty that's at time raucous and other times bitterly heart breaking Isbell and his band have captures the power of Tennessee river at flood stage and the strength of mill workers hands.
Opening the night is the storytelling mastery of Portland's own hometown troubadour Kasey Anderson. With an amazing skill of narrative Kasey has earned himself soft spoken comaprisons to the likes of Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan. With company like that you can believe that he can hold his own. Joining them on stage is the satin-voiced Maria Taylor. Like Isbell, a fellow Alabama native, Taylor makes songs that range from yearningly soulful to playfully lighthearted. Her sultry vocals will bring a lovely feminine touch to the night. At 16 bucks this show is a steal, so gather a friend or two and make sure you order up some smooth Southern Bourbon to start your triple crown off right.

Tuesday, June 21st
The Civil Wars
James Vincent McMorrow
Aladdin Theater
3017 SE Milwaukie Ave
Doors: 7PM/ Show: 8PM
Adv.:$15 /Day Of:$15(Sold Out)
Minors Accompanied by Parent

Emotionally raw as the exposed nerves of broken teeth the music of the Civil Wars is brutally honest and mournfully heart breaking. Minimalistic in the extreme, the achingly beautiful songs this Nashville duo create with just the smokey voice of Joy Williams and the picking of John Paul White on guitar are awe inspiring. You need to catch this band now as their star is rising fast. The last time they were in town they played the Woods and now headlining the Aladdin theater; with this trajectory soon they'll be playing the bigger venues where the intimacy of their live show won't be as personal.
Opening the night is the folksy soul of Dublin Ireland's James Vincent McMorrow. Having come across the pond with his unique style of high mournful dirges and energetically danceable songs, McMorrow excites near mystical visions of the misty isles and the wonderful people who populate them. Perfectly matched, these two bands are sure to enhance each other and the over all experience of the show, the way the right glass of wine paired with a meal will make the experience of both more enjoyable.
This is a must see show. You'll hate yourself if you miss it. So do whatever it takes to get a ticket, remember you can live just fine on one kidney.


Wednesday, June 22nd
Meat Puppets
Bad Weather California/The Black Box Revelation
Doug Fir Lounge
830 East Burnside
Doors: 8PM/ Show:9PM
Adv.:$16/Day of:$18
21 & over

As godfathers of proto-punk and forefathers of grunge, there would be no Nirvana without the The Meat Puppets. Having been born of the raw, guttural fire of punk rock these mad genius of auditory experimentation have molded and warped the fabric of music for over a decade. Touring in support of their newest album Lollipop, a collection of wonderfully crafted tunes so unique in their style that they defy classification. Exotic is the music that has returned with the Meat Puppets to the stage and I can't wait to see it live.
The supporting acts are sure to turn this night into a gritty psychedelic free for all. The distorted gutter blues of The Black Box Revelation is the awkward love child of two-part broken blues and underground indie rock. Drenched in copious amounts of gain and fuzz-effect this band makes songs that make you want to groove in all sorts of dirty ways. While Bad Weather California is a trippy cornucopia of musical styles that seem to be part Bob Marley and part The Grateful Dead. Swirling all these elements together this band has created a tie-dye of sound that will make you want to grab a beer and listen to them for hours.
So make sure to catch this return of legends to the stage and the rest of these great shows. If you can't do it for your self, do it for the music.