Jason Isbell & Bully Bring Throwback Rock To Manhattan’s Pier 17 (SHOW REVIEW)

One of the premier outdoor concert venues in Manhattan, Pier 17, hosted world-class songwriters and performers on Friday night (9/2), gloriously kicking off Labor Day weekend in the Big Apple. Under perfect weather conditions, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit delivered their mix of Americana, folk, and Southern rock with the picturesque backdrop of the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges behind them from the rooftop stage. 

While the sun was still high in the sky Bully opened the show with aggressive alternative rock as the four-piece slammed straight out of the grunge era with their throwback attack. Alicia Bognanno led the group with magnetic ferocity on the microphone and guitar as her PJ Harvey-like energy was infectious. “Sharktooth” flashed loud/quiet/loud style in Pixie’s fashion while “Tryin’” dealt with fear of pregnancy and heartbreak around more swaying, slightly sweeter sounds. The harsh “Milkman” flowed into a cacophonous closing as the band wrapped up their opening set. 

Isbell and the 400 Unit (minus Amanda Shires) began their set with the acoustic strumming of “What’ve I Done To Help” which featured a bass solo from Jimbo Hart that gave Isbell a chance to strap on an electric guitar and top things with a sweet slide solo. Clad in leather pants and Air Jordan’s, Isbell was confident on the stage as the slapping drums from Chad Gamble propelled a pumped-up version of “Hope the High Road”. 

“24 Frames” was delivered slickly with Sadler Vaden getting in on the slide guitar action while “Speed Trap Town” recalled Bruce Springsteen’s solo work. The biggest rocking out tune from the unit on this night was surprisingly the Vaden-led “Honeysuckle Blue” originally recorded by his previous band Drivin’ n’ Cryin’ but it was Isbell’s “Outfit” from his Drive-By Truckers days which really hit home emotionally with the crowd. 

The light shuffling pop of “Life You Chose” was relaxed and reflective drifting through the warm summer night before the acoustic strums of the isolated and yearning “Travelin’ Alone” which had a mournful tone and felt a touch empty without Shires fiddle. The dramatics increased around the swelling keys of Derry DeBorja on the powerful “Something More Than Free” which rang with authority.  

Another number Isbell penned in his DBT days “Goddamn Lonely Love” started out wallowing in pain before soaring to a climax that was vibrant, “Super 8” strutted with rock swagger of chaos/near-death experiences and beautiful set closer “Cover Me Up” received the biggest cheers of the night. 
The encore moved from the resonating love song “If We Were Vampires” to the generational hate song “Decoration Day” as Isbell easily flowed from clean to fuzzy majestic guitar solos in a manner reminiscent of both Mark Knopfler and Neil Young in exciting fashion. The 400 Unit is a well-oiled machine that has a large back catalog of songs to dig into as Isbell sang with both power and touching sadness throughout this strong show.   

Photo by Nancy Lasher

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit Setlist The Rooftop at Pier 17, New York, NY, USA 2022
 

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