Jason Isbell - Sirens of the Ditch

AvocadoLady

AvocadoLady wrote:

He'll also be doing an in-studio on KEXP at noon PDT on August 1st. You can listen online at kexp.org if you're not in the Seattle area. DBT's got a recent in-studio archived on the KEXP site, too.

Bump to quote myself The in-studio is today!

PissBottleMan

I'm trying to talk myself into going to Nashville next Friday to see Isbell. It's just $10...what a flippin' deal.

It's going to cost me more in gas to travel to see the show than the show itself.

PBM

Red Lukin

PissBottleMan wrote:

I'm trying to talk myself into going to Nashville next Friday to see Isbell. It's just $10...what a flippin' deal.

It's going to cost me more in gas to travel to see the show than the show itself.

PBM

How far of a drive is it?

PissBottleMan

Red Lukin wrote:

How far of a drive is it?

It's a two hour drive from here...which isn't bad...I can take off from work, get there by 7:30 and still have time to kill before show time. He's also doing an "in-store" for free earlier in the day.

Money is tight around the house, but I hate to miss Isbell being that close.

I'll confer with my buddies over the weekend (*cough* and the wife) and make an educated decision.

PBM

Red Lukin

PissBottleMan wrote:

It's a two hour drive from here...which isn't bad...I can take off from work, get there by 7:30 and still have time to kill before show time. He's also doing an "in-store" for free earlier in the day.

Money is tight around the house, but I hate to miss Isbell being that close.

I'll confer with my buddies over the weekend (*cough* and the wife) and make an educated decision.

PBM

Actually I was gonna say if it's 2 hours or less go for it. Hope you make it. He seemed to be having a lot of fun at his shows.

The Toronto show was great!

sadprofessor

I'm going to the Tampa show this weekend, should be pretty great. He came through here a few months ago and it was really good. But now that the record is out, it should be a lot more enjoyable.

Anyone going, make sure to catch the band that is touring with him, Centro-matic, they are a great band. They have been opening for and playing with DBT for years.

volman0118

Can't wait to see him here in Nashville on the 24th!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PissBottleMan

volman0118 wrote:

Can't wait to see him here in Nashville on the 24th!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do you think it will be a big crowd? Just wondering if I should buy my tickets in advance...that is...if I end up going.

PBM

volman0118

PissBottleMan wrote:

Do you think it will be a big crowd? Just wondering if I should buy my tickets in advance...that is...if I end up going.

PBM

No idea PBM last time the Truckers came through (again ON 9-27 I think)
the crowd was ok but actually less than i thought

spnoone

jason's in buffalo 10/17. giving me 2 months to make a fan of potential designated drivers.

tybird

spnoone wrote:

jason's in buffalo 10/17. giving me 2 months to make a fan of potential designated drivers.

Good luck with that.....:D

Too bad I don't live in Buffalo or even close......I'm also happy to designate drive.

sadprofessor

Saw the show in Tampa last night, really quite good and a hell of a turnout compared to the show I saw in Orlando earlier in the year. I suppose having Centro-matic on the bill helped, since they usually pull in a few hundred by themselves whenever they come through Tampa. Jason has been sitting in with Centro-matic during their set, which makes an already great set even better. And Jason's band is getting really tight, they are clearly having a blast playing together. The bass player had on a PJ shirt... the blue ape/man shirt from the first leg of the Binaural tour.

Red Lukin

sadprofessor wrote:

The bass player had on a PJ shirt... the blue ape/man shirt from the first leg of the Binaural tour.

Cool, I had no clue they were PJ fans.

augustwest

Red Lukin wrote:

Cool, I had no clue they were PJ fans.

Aren't most people, who like GOOD RnR, PJ fans

spicewalton

sadprofessor wrote:

Saw the show in Tampa last night, really quite good and a hell of a turnout compared to the show I saw in Orlando earlier in the year. I suppose having Centro-matic on the bill helped, since they usually pull in a few hundred by themselves whenever they come through Tampa. Jason has been sitting in with Centro-matic during their set, which makes an already great set even better. And Jason's band is getting really tight, they are clearly having a blast playing together. The bass player had on a PJ shirt... the blue ape/man shirt from the first leg of the Binaural tour.

Yeah, I was at this show too. It was really, really good. Drove 4 hours from Fort Lauderdale, and it was well worth it. During a quiet moment I shouted (dork that I am) at the bassplayer (whose name is Jimbo): "Jimbo! Nice Shirt!" He smiled, and afterwards we talked about PJ for a bit. He is a HUGE Ament fan, as one would expect.

Got to have a few drinks after the show with Jason Isbell too. He's a super nice guy.

P.S. Sadprofessor (REM fan, I assume... love them too), there is a torrent of the show here: http://bt.etree.org/details.php?id=509031

AvocadoLady

sadprofessor wrote:

Jason has been sitting in with Centro-matic during their set, which makes an already great set even better.

Hey sad - do you remember which songs he played with Centro-matic?

ledhed43

spicewalton wrote:

Got to have a few drinks after the show with Jason Isbell too. He's a super nice guy.

He is one of the easiest artists to approach. Seems like he hangs around the bar after most of his shows. I think it's amazing in this age of egos and assholes to find a guy willing to mingle with the fans. If you get a chance to see him on this tour definately take advantage. Nothing beats good music in an intimate setting. And I doubt he is touring bars and clubs much longer. When I talked to him he was eager to record an album with the 400 Unit, and this was before Sirens was out. He is willing to work, talented and knows how to treat his fans. The sky is the limit for him and I hope he takes full advantage.

sadprofessor

AvocadoLady wrote:

Hey sad - do you remember which songs he played with Centro-matic?

All of them. Although he honestly looked kind of board. Although it almost seemed like he was following the other guitar player for the chord changes and thats why he wasn't very animated during their set.

tybird

Here's an interview of Jason that was in last friday's Birmingham News...we were out of town over the weekend, so we missed the show:

http://www.al.com/entertainment/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/entertainment/1187944171138310.xml&coll=2

If you ask, Jason Isbell will answer.

Why on earth did the Sheffield singer-songwriter decide to leave the Drive-By Truckers?

It's the first thing fans want to know, but the last question he faces during a 30-minute interview. Isbell, 28, will perform at Sloss Furnaces on Saturday with his backing band, the 400 Unit, as part of the Stokin' the Fire BBQ Festival.

For the past six years, however, he was a valued member of the Truckers, contributing several original tunes to its cowpunk-meets-Southern-rock catalog. In concert, Isbell typically performed as one of three frontmen, swapping lead vocals and guitar solos with the band's founders, Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley.

So was there bad blood? Creative differences? Disagreements about the concert schedule?

"It's a personal thing, to tell you the truth," Isbell says. "It's like living in an apartment with several roommates. Sometimes you stay, and sometimes you want to move out. Maybe you'll see those people again, and maybe you'll go out and drink whisky with them again. I can understand why people are curious, but they forget that it's actually my life I'm dealing with. Traveling around with your best friends is hard enough as it is."

Isbell hasn't abandoned the road; he's simply switched his focus and touring companions. A trio of musicians from the Shoals - bassist Jimbo Hart, drummer Ryan Tillery and guitarist Browan Lollar - will join him on stage Saturday for a 7 p.m. show.

Their set list will rely on tracks from his solo debut, "Sirens of the Ditch," released in July by New West Records. Reviewers have commented on Isbell's Gothic eloquence, his dark sensibility and his lyrical penchant for the particular.

During a recent phone conversation, Isbell also displayed a dry sense of humor.

Q. The 400 Unit is an unusual name for a band. How did you come up with it?

A. There's a rehab facility in Northern Alabama and the mental ward is called the 400 Unit. Pretty much what they do is bring them to downtown Florence at lunchtime, and they wander around, talking to people and trying to get a sandwich. That's as close to what we do as anything else.

Q. Since we're talking about titles, why did you choose to call your CD "Sirens of the Ditch"?

A. For some reason, I'm a frog person. I have a bunch of figurines and toy frogs that I've collected over the years. The sound they make, for me, is like sirens in the ditch. Of course, there's also that whole idea of temptation.

Q. How is this music different from what you did with the Drive-By Truckers?

A. I don't know if that's necessarily a question for me. I feel that other people are better equipped to make those comparisons. There are more hooks and less of a linear, obvious storytelling structure. It's not any less Southern. It might be a little more produced. A lot of these songs are built around the piano, and there aren't as many screaming, squalling guitar solos. It's just a whole bunch of songs I've been working on for a long time.

Q. What made you choose Fame Studios for the recording sessions?

A. There's just good people there, and they treat me well. I wanted the sound to be warm, and Fame has a lot of tape and a lot of tubes. We recorded on analog gear, and have gotten the razor blade out on some occasions.

Q. One song that's received a lot of attention is "Dress Blues," about a soldier from your hometown who died in Iraq. Why do you think it's been singled out?

A. Well, that's definitely a hot topic right now. When a songwriter writes something about the war, it's going to get noticed. It's a difficult thing to take a stance on in a musical, lyrical way. I decided to let the song tell a story about someone I knew, instead of making a political statement. It broke me down emotionally to write it. Anytime I make myself cry - if I feel that strongly about something - I figure it's going to translate pretty well.

Q. Birmingham makes an appearance in the song "Hurricanes and Hand Grenades." You make it sound like a destination, somewhere you long to be. Is there a story behind that?

A. I've always thought Birmingham was an underrated city. It's got a lot of good people, and a lot of stuff to do. I've thought of moving to Birmingham, and I still might. Now that my friend Topper Price is gone, we could use 10 or 12 of us to replace him. He was eloquent, well spoken and witty, and one of the best musicians I ever saw.

PissBottleMan

Jason Isbell live webcast of his set at the Voodoo Fest Show.

Friday, October 26, 2007
4:55pm Eastern
http://www.iclips.net
FREE!

If I plan my day out accordingly, I can get enough work done this morning to slack off and watch this today.

PBM