Concert Review: Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit Stretch Out at Playhouse Square

Nearly two decades into his solo career, along with a few more years in Drive-By Truckers, Jason Isbell has a deep catalog from which to pull. It’s nice when he chooses to do so, as he did Tuesday night at the State Theatre in Cleveland.

Performing in the city for the second time in less than two years, the country-inflected rocker trotted out songs he’s eschewed in recent years. Along with more than half the tunes off last year’s solo album, he mixed up the formula a bit, and it worked in his favor.

Over more than two hours, Isbell and his backing quintet the 400 Unit plowed through 22 songs that served as an overview of his career. Ones influenced by the ups and downs of his life, including addiction, love, marriage, and more recently, divorce, but also character studies of decent people struggling to make it in an ever-changing world.

The show was polished, complete with an occasionally-blinding lighting rig, and lacked some of the grit of Isbell’s previous outings. Drive-By Truckers never played “Decoration Day” or “Outfit” nearly as slickly as the former member now does. At the same time, fleshed-out versions of songs from 2025’s all-acoustic “Foxes in the Snow,” like a jaunty full-band folk take on “Bury Me” and show opener “Crimson and Clay,” gained dynamics not present on the album.

And perhaps it was the venue’s sound, but the twists and turns on “Miles” rarely sounded better.

Oh, and more on that guitar, as there was lots of it. Isbell and sideman Sadler Vaden dominated the night with their six-string prowess, stretching out “Decoration Day” and a cover of The Rolling Stones’ “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking” with their duels.

Other standout moments included a surprisingly bass-heavy “Dreamsicle” and runs through “Streetlights,” “Alabama Pines” and “Super 8,” the best song to ever reference a fungo bat.
Isbell spoke sparingly to the crowd in the far-from-sold-out State. He did, however, reference a Truckers show at the Beachland Tavern from about 25 years ago, during which he said a dropped guitar didn’t break but it left a hole in the floor.

Instead, he was content to let his lyrics do most of the explaining, especially when it came to his break-up with fellow musician Amanda Shires and the ensuing interest from fans and portions of the public. Yes, this reviewer may be reading too much into lyrics, but the opening lines of “True Believer,” with Isbell singing “take your hand off my knee, take your foot off my neck, why are y’all examining me like I’m a murder suspect?” seems to pretty well make a point.

And if it’s now jarring to hear main set closer “Cover Me Up” and “If We Were Vampires” live given the end of the relationship, that may not be the case in a few years. As someone rightly pointed out to me after the concert, Eric Clapton/Derek and the Dominos’ “Layla” was written about George Harrison’s then-wife, and the song has meaning far beyond its origins.

Isbell and Vaden opened the encore with the twin-acoustic guitar attack on “Ride to Robert’s,” and the full band closed the show with a run through of “King of Oklahoma,” again giving the guitarists a chance to stretch out. In setlist and in form, it was a nice change of pace, and one the musician would be wise to follow again down the road.

Setlist:
1. Crimson and Clay
2. It Gets Easier
3. Hope the High Road
4. Bury Me
5. True Believer
6. Streetlights
7. Decoration Day (Drive‐By Truckers song)
8. Eileen
9. Chaos and Clothes
10. Super 8
11. Dreamsicle
12. Miles
13. Alabama Pines
14. Relatively Easy
15. Gravelweed
16. Outfit (Drive‐By Truckers song)
17. Cast Iron Skillet
18. Can’t You Hear Me Knocking (The Rolling Stones cover)
19. Cover Me Up
Encore:
20. Ride to Robert’s
21. If We Were Vampires
22. King of Oklahoma