2023 is a major year for Jason Isbell. His newly released album Weathervanes (REVIEW) is arguably one of his strongest to date with its collection of character-driven Americana-rock tunes that hearken back to his days in the Drive-by Truckers. On top of that, this year also marks the 10-year anniversary of Southeastern, the album that not only marked a newly sober and sophisticated chapter for the Alabama songwriter, but also completely blew up his career to a level of fame that has only grown since then. Considering both of these milestones, Isbell’s current tour feels like something of a victory lap. On Sunday, July 2nd, Isbell and his band set up shop by the railroad tracks in Canby, Oregon just outside Portland for one of the first few stops of the tour.
Taking the stage first on this sensational summer night was Rhode Island’s Deer Tick, also celebrating the new release of an album that already ranks among their very best. For just under an hour, the quartet treated the audience to a set consisting mostly of songs from Emotional Contracts (REVIEW). This was either a huge disappointment for anyone dying to hear old material or exciting if you love the new album as much as this writer. In the live setting, these songs also showcased how tight Deer Tick has gotten compared to their early days of being the kind of rowdy barroom rockers that would put The Replacements to shame. This was clear from the opener “If I Try to Leave” with its huge guitar solos and the exuberant, infectious “Forgiving Ties,” with drummer Dennis Michael Ryan taking the reins in between on the light and bouncy older tune “Me and My Man.” Another tune from a couple of albums ago, “Cocktail,” was a standout with John McCauley giving it an easygoing country music treatment that was complemented when the lyrics of “tied up to the train tracks” coincided with a passing train. He cut loose even more with the rockabilly-tinged cover of “I Got a Rocket In My Pocket” that saw him embracing his inner Chuck Berry. Perhaps the band was playing to this crowd of diehard Jason Isbell fans likely not familiar with all of their work, but it was invigorating to hear Deer Tick test out tunes like the R&B-infused “Running From Love,” the hopeful and upbeat “Once In a Lifetime,” and the expansive and dramatic rocker “The Real Thing.” By the end of their set, the band had reminded the audience of why they continue to be one of the most underrated and enduring bands in rock and roll.
From the moment Jason Isbell hit the stage (with a mixed lineup that included bass playing badass Dominic Davis of Jack White’s band and numerous other projects subbing in for Jimbo Hart, and Will Johnson of cult Texas outfit Centro-matic holding it down as a second drummer, gong hitter, and multi-instrumentalist), it was clear this would be a special set with the Southeastern track “24 Frames” kicking things off on high. What followed was a tasteful performance that balanced guitar showmanship with poignant lyrical moments and wavered between Southeastern and Weathervanes with a few others sprinkled in for good measure. Though Isbell songs can sometimes come across as a little cheesy on first listen, their depth and power is truly revealed in the live setting when the band really has a chance to inject their musicianship into the mix to amplify the emotional power. “Save the World” – with its tragic lyrics about gun violence – showcased the everyman appeal of Isbell’s songs and his ability to turn darker fare into something ridiculously catchy while even throwing in dueling guitar action with Sadler Vaden. “King of Oklahoma” – another hard-hitting tune from Weathervanes that focuses on opioid addiction – found Isbell delivering one of his best guitar solos of the night. Derry DeBorja would give the accordion treatment to the standout tune “Vestavia Hills” as the lyrics and vocals displayed heartfelt emotion and Isbell’s slide playing was complemented by Vaden’s guitar flourishes before segueing into a positively blistering “Super 8.” Isbell continued to flex his rare gift of being both a songwriter poet on the tried and true rocker on “Last of My Kind” shimmering with slide guitar, a version of “Miles” that kicked off with a psychedelic Crazy Horse-style sound and transformed into a sprawling, almost proggy Americana epic with Chad Gamble and Will Johnson laying down a double percussive attacked, and the soft and pretty “If You Insist” that swelled into a soaring rocker. As is the case with nearly every Isbell show, there were moments of tenderness to juxtapose the electricity, with “Elephant” being played on acoustic accompanied by keyboard among those moments. Guitar ace Sadler Vaden – the not-so-secret weapon of the 400 Unit – would get his moment in the spotlight with an absolutely scorching, guitar-hero take on the now classic Drivin N Cryin tune “Honeysuckle Blue” that took the crowd to the heavens before Isbell brought them collectively to tears with “Cover Me Up,” the career-defining song from Southeastern.
Before Isbell and his band called it a night, they returned to the stage to celebrate one more milestone with the help of an old friend. Savvy fans would have noticed Patterson Hood of the Drive-By Truckers standing side stage for the whole show, but it was exhilarating to see Isbell welcome him to the spotlight to lead the 400 Unit on “Lookout Mountain.” Hood took his scorched earth rock and roll approach to the song as he traded licks with the band in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Truckers’ epic album The Dirty South. Most other artists wouldn’t bother trying to pry out of the smoldering ruins of a Truckers tune, but Isbell had no problem calming things down with “If We Were Vampires” and “This Ain’t It” to close the night. In the end, the performance felt like a full circle moment – even for those of us who love his sometimes overlooked pre-Southeastern solo work. Much like Bruce Springsteen or Steve Earle in his prime, Isbell proved once again that he is the rare troubadour capable of knocking his audience dead with a potent combo of resonating lyrics and serious guitar chops.
