By Emily Doyle
SAGINAW – Southern rocker and Americana icon, Jason Isbell, dazzled in the historic and often underappreciated venue at the Temple Theatre on Jan. 29.
Jason Isbell does not have a fan base with a clever name, like Beyonce’s “Beyhive” or Taylor Swift’s “Swifties”. He does not sell out stadiums, is not trending on TikTok, and does not show up on the weekly Top 40.
What Isbell does have, though, is four Grammy awards and a long, arduous history as an American roots musician; both as a member of the Drive-By Truckers and as a solo artist.
Isbell and his band, the 400 Unit, brought that talent to Saginaw with a stellar show at the historic Temple Theatre. The Temple Theatre is a local gem originally built in 1926 and refurbished in 2002. It is a 1750-seat, gold-and-maroon beauty whose aesthetic is enough to impress. Around the corner from the area’s newer, larger Dow Event Center, the Temple Theatre does not always receive the attention it deserves.
But it was a match made in heaven when Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit took the stage.
After an impressive, if mellow, opening performance by folk musician and West African native Peter One, Isbell and the 400 Unit kicked their set off with “24 Frames.” Every audience member seemed to know all the words to the song.
The set continued with hits and deeper cuts from Isbell’s solo work, his work with the 400 Unit, and a few throwbacks to his days with the Drive-By Truckers.
More casual fans recognized the autobiographical ballad “Cover Me Up”, which gained mainstream country music popularity in recent years via a cover by Morgan Wallen. Regardless of fans’ individual knowledge of Isbell’s discography, it was a rollicking, flawless show. Seriously, Isbell may be one of the few artists who actually sounds better live than in recordings.
The 400 Unit includes Sadler Vader on guitar, Jimbo Hart on bass, Derry DeBorja on the keyboard, and Chad Gamble playing drums. As talented as they are the venue made this show what it was. The acoustics in the theatre lent themselves to the incredible playing; personally, I can’t say I’ve been to another show that sounded this good.
Those familiar with Isbell’s history might know of the ups and downs he has faced in his career and personal life. Isbell’s struggles with alcoholism and getting sober led to his exit from the Drive-By Truckers, the dissolution of his first marriage, and ultimately, to where he is now.
He is an acclaimed artist whose work is respected across genres, who is remarried to his uber-talented bandmate and mother of his child, Amanda Shires, and who has worked with the likes of Willie Nelson and the late David Crosby.
Isbell’s journey as a normal guy from a working-class family in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, and his struggle for success, contentment, and satisfaction, are present in his music, and surely resonated with his fans in Saginaw.
When he sang about swearing off “that stuff, forever this time” in “Cover Me Up”, the crowd cheered and not for the words, really, but for him. When he lamented the loss of empathy in society and asked “Am I the last of my kind?” in “Last of My Kind”, the audience’s responses of “No!” and “We are with you!” could be heard clearly.
It only made sense for Jason Isbell to bring his music full of life’s struggles and triumphs, big and small, to the Temple Theatre in Saginaw. A better venue could not have been found, and a better crowd could not have been had. Isbell’s artistry goes beyond just the writing, or just the playing – though he’s incredibly talented in both. His true artistry lies in how he uses those avenues to connect with all normal people in places like Saginaw, Michigan.
