A wintery mix of snow and ice could not stop a sold-out audience from making their way to the State Theatre in Ithaca on Sunday, February 16 to catch a rare, solo and acoustic performance by Jason Isbell.
Isbell has long been heralded as one of rock’s best guitarists and storytellers. Once a member of Drive-By Truckers, Isbell has spent the last 15 years performing as a solo artist or with his band The 400 Unit. He is currently touring in support of his forthcoming release Foxes in the Snow, due March 7.
Shortly after 8pm, Jason Isbell took his seat center stage. Armed with only an acoustic guitar, Isbell opened the evening with “Bury Me,” the lead single from his new album. From its opening acapella notes, Isbell took a captive hold of the audience. A strict “no cell-phone” was in place for this show and it ensured for the audience’s attention was focused solely to the stage.
The acoustic nature of Isbell’s current tour allowed the musician to be at his most vulnerable. Isbell exuded confidence as he showcased songs of heavy natured content, stripped back to their purest form. He sang of topics like love and heart break, as well as his road to sobriety. While the setlist would span much of Isbell’s career, it leaned heavily on material from his upcoming album. New tracks like “Gravelweed” and “True Believer” saw Isbell singing of heart break in a brutally honest way that seemingly only he can.
After a ninety-minute set and a standing ovation from the sold out audience, Isbell returned to the stage for a three-song encore. He would mix a cover of Bon Iver’s “Beth/Rest” in with the encore, before closing with the tear-jerker, “True Believer.” As Isbell thanked the audience and exited stage right, the crowd gave their thanks to Isbell with one final standing ovation, before making their way back out into the wintery streets.
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