This was a show that I have been looking forward to since the date was announced. Jason Isbell's addition to The Drive-by Truckers lineup was a breath of fresh air, and I have truly enjoyed his contribution to an already great rock band. Thus, I was very excited to see him perform solo at a venue which is slowly becoming my new home.

Malimus and I arrived at The EARL right in time for the first band, Believe in Toledo. I was not terribly impressed with this three piece band. They played rather generic alternative rock, but to their credit, did so with enthusiasm. And musically, they were pretty sound. The singer's voice and the sound of the band very much reminded me of The Gin Blossoms, while Malimus remarked that, if Matchbox 20 was an indie rock band, this would be it. Should be a big hit with casual music listeners, as they fit nicely into the generic alternative rock sound. Their set was rough though, and at one point, they had to stop because the singer couldn't remember a song. Final thought: enthusiastic, but awkward and bland.

Finally, Jason Isbell took the stage with his guitar, along with his wife (and new DBT member) Shonna Tucker on bass, and Gary Nichols on acoustic guitar. I was rather taken aback, as Jason is looking considerably different from the first time I saw the band perform and is now sporting shorter hair and a much thinner physique. Sitting in chairs the entire show, they conveyed a sense of telling stories to the crowd, and I particularly liked the relaxed atmosphere. This is folky alt.country at its best.

Their set was very solid, and seemed to improve as it went on (and it went on for a good while - 16 songs!). Jason played both of his songs off Decoration Day, several songs that he announced would be on his solo album, (slated to be released next year), one of Patterson Hood's songs (The Assassin from Hood's recently released solo album Killers and Stars), and 4 new songs off the new DBT album (The Dirty South, being released in late August). Mixed in nicely were a couple of blues covers and a request for TVA. TVA has been a favorite of mine since I saw him play it a couple of years ago with The Drive-by Truckers at The Variety Playhouse, so I was very pleased when someone shouted it out, and he then played it. One of the songs he mentioned to be on the upcoming solo album was titled Whisper, which he explained was kind of a compliment to the 'Til Tuesday song, Voices Carry. Told from the point of the "man who knows he's done something wrong", it raised goose bumps on my arms.

That's one of the things that his songs have always done for me, though, and was the main reason I wanted to see him perform an entire set of his own music. His lyrics and music have always struck a chord with me. His songs tell the story of growing up in the South in a way that several southerners have told me is close to a religious experience. And despite not growing up here, I can perfectly understand what they mean. Stories from the southern half of my family seem to come to life through music: the depression and how the TVA brought work and power to most of the South, growing up poor but proud, stories of everyday people who give the South its character and grit.

Sound-wise, everything seemed to go smoothly. The three performers meshed well together and took their cues from each other. I think that Shonna is still getting used to the music, but she did a good job regardless. I look forward to seeing how she will interact with the full DBT lineup. Amazing guitar playing from both Isbell and Nichols, who rocked out and seemed to have a lot of fun doing it.