Review: Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit in top form in Pittsburgh concert

At one point Saturday night, as Jason Isbell surveyed the Benedum Center crowd, he made the observation that it didn’t seem to be a season-ticket holder crowd.

It’s one thing to be “out there expecting ‘La traviata,’” he said with a pause, “and then get scared by ‘La rednecka.’”

Instead of opera, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit served up a stellar night of Southern-tinged Americana for a sellout crowd at Pittsburgh’s historic theater.

Carrying on in the tradition of deeply personal singer/songwriters like Bruce Springsteen, John Mellencamp and Neil Young, Isbell wasted little time in tackling a tough subject. The band in its prime opened with “When We Were Close,” a song about the overdose death of his friend and fellow musician, Justin Townes Earle.

Would it be understandable if the six-time Grammy winner stuck to his hits? Certainly, but that’s not what happened.

Tracks from their latest album, 2023’s “Weathervanes,” took up four of the first five spots of the night, with a total of eight songs played from the album that earned a Grammy for Best Americana Album in 2024. (Sadly, “Death Wish” wasn’t one of them.) Notably, there was a passionate performance of “Save the World,” with the all-too-familiar scenario of gun violence, harkening to the Uvalde shooting.

On “King of Oklahoma,” a track that looks at what’s left in the wake of drug addiction, the snarl in Isbell’s voice sounded appropriately raw before he unleashed a pair of soulful guitar solos, followed by another from guitarist Sadler Vaden.

.@JasonIsbell and the 400 Unit at the Benedum Center in Pittsburgh. Cool shirt produced just for tonight + other merch pic.twitter.com/ThuxDXOWRj

— Mike Palm (@MikePalmMedia) March 10, 2024

Isbell also showed he could walk the line between hard and soft, with fitting electric solos on some songs (like “Overseas”) and then gentle strumming on an acoustic on others (like “Cast Iron Skillet.”) “Speed Trap Town” may have struck a nerve for anyone who ever dealt with the doubts that surround growing up and leaving home.

Isbell was superbly backed by the 400 Unit, comprised of Southern compatriots like Vaden (formerly of Drivin N Cryin), keyboardist Derry deBorja (formerly of Son Volt), drummer Chad Gamble (a Alabama native) and multi-instrumentalist Will Johnson (of Centro-matic). And there’s also bassist Anna Butterss, who’s the most Southern of them all, hailing from Australia.

While Isbell added a cover of Bob Dylan’s “When I Paint My Masterpiece,” which he first debuted Friday night in Fort Wayne, Indiana, he unfortunately skipped over his Drive-By Truckers days. From 2001-07, Isbell contributed to some of the Alabama rockers’ biggest albums, like “Decoration Day” and “The Dirty South.”

For the encore, Isbell emerged alone with just his acoustic guitar and played “Cover Me Up,” which got a second life with country star Morgan Wallen covered it. It would have been understandable if he had skipped this one, as it was originally written about his wife, Amanda Shires, and they’re now going through a divorce. But Isbell’s songs don’t look away from the struggles and pain he’s gone through, so neither did he on Saturday.

The 400 Unit rejoined Isbell for one last song, “This Ain’t It,” to bookend the night with another new track. Isbell and Vaden rocked away in an extended jam, a fitting end that paid tribute to their southern heritage.

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Palehound opened the night, showcasing several songs from last year’s “Eye on the Bat” album, including a powerful version of “The Clutch.” Palehound, comprised of all queer or transgender members, thanked Isbell for his support of their community, as the Boston band concluded a three-week run on the tour.

“If I’m left to my own devices, I’ll sit back there in the dressing room and I’ll look at Reverb and old guitars, and I’ll get grumpier and grumpier as the night goes on,” Isbell said later. “But then I hear them outside, laughing and cutting up and having a good time, and it reminds that this (stuff) is a hell of a lot of fun.”

.@palehound opening the show at the Benedum in Pittsburgh pic.twitter.com/xZyOvePyDv

— Mike Palm (@MikePalmMedia) March 10, 2024