Jason Isbell - Northcote Social Club, 17 April 2014

This is a pretty good recording of Jason Isbell's second night at the Northcote Social Club. I wasn't necessarilly expecting him to mix things up too much, but he played a few things that didn't make it into the setlist on the first night.

This recording is pretty good, if a little low at times, particularly when he's talking. I've tried to boost it as much as I could, but there comes a point where it adds so much static it sounds worse than leaving it. I should emphasise that this doesn't mean its a bad recording, and some people won't even notice it.

Streetlights
Stockholm
Flying Over Water
Danko/Manuel
Tour of Duty
Go it Alone
Dress Blues
Heart on a String
Decoration Day
Different Days
Songs That She Sang in the Shower
Cover Me Up
Relatively Easy
Live Oak
Alabama Pines
Travelling Alone
Codeine
Elephant
Outfit
Can't You Hear Me Knocking
Super 8

https://mega.co.nz/#F!0RVW1TAS!RAyQQmac5px2oWviZR0ang

Jason Isbell - Newport Folk Festival, 27 July 2013

I need to organise putting up some of the stuff I've recorded, since there's a lot and some is very good. In the meantime, here's something to get you ready for Jason Isbell's April tour. This is a show from last year at the Newport Folk Festival. I didn't love the new stuff initially but it's grown on me. As an added bonus, I've added a solo acoustic set from, the wonderfully named, Garden and Gun magazine.

Live Oak
Stockholm
Cover Me Up
Codeine
Flying Over Water
Decoration Day
Outfit
Alabama Pines
Elephant
Super 8
Danko/Manuel
Can't You Hear Me Knocking

Different Days [Garden and Gun]
Traveling Along [Garden and Gun]
Live Oak [Garden and Gun]
Stockholm [Garden and Gun]

https://mega.co.nz/#F!pQMTBTCT!oo52rt29wduFoHpFfrZ_5g

Jason Isbell - 29 August 2012, Mountain Stage

Jason Isbell's a pretty regular visitor to this part of the world, but he seems to mostly tour as an opening act for someone else. He's got a new album so hopefully we'll get a tour with a full band sometime soon. To whet your appetite here's a short set from around the release of his last album Here We Rest (winner of many awards and receiver of many plaudits, but most importantly, one of the 12 albums on my list of Best Albums I Got in 2012).

The only downside to this recording is that they bleep out his use of the highly offensive and morally corrupting 'ass'. Because if the kids heard someone use that they'd be straight on the road to hell. It ruins the song for me a bit, but the rest of the set is great.

https://mega.co.nz/#F!EBNXHJ7b!R6ykRkVMbEkY6EQlGRcv2A

Best in Show

With no more shows scheduled this month I thought it might be a good time for a mid-year performance review.  How have this years shows been?  What have been the highlights/lowlights?  And so on.

My top show:

1. Noel Gallagher - my expectations for this weren't that high, but having never seen Oasis I thought this would be worthwhile.  It turned out to be great.  Gallagher Sr is a great singer, and his new album is as good as most of Oasis' material.  He also did a good job of mixing old and new, and rarities and big hits.  The recording of this also turned out great.

Honourable mentions:

2. My Morning Jacket
3. Jason Isbell
4. Jason Isbell/Ryan Adams
5. Wavves

Worst show:

Soundgarden - the best of this year probably doesn't match the best of last year, and fortunately the worst of this year also doesn't match the worst of last year (Big Boi).  The problem with this gig was the awful (awful!) sound.  It was muddy and bass heavy.  For some songs it was pretty much impossible to know what was being sung, and things never got any better.  I've heard bad things about Sidney Myer, but its hard to believe that any band (or promoter) would put up with a venue this bad.  Hopefully it will prove to be better when I see the Black Keys there.

Jason Isbell - 2 March 2012, Northcote Social Club

I’ve already said a bit about Jason Isbell when posting his set opening for Ryan Adams, so I won’t add a lot here.  Suffice to say that having heard a full set and an opening one I’m now a fan.

I think its fair to say that a few people at this show were hoping for a surprise Ryan Adams appearance (it didn’t happen), and got quite excited when he mentioned that he would be bringing a friend out after the next song.  In the end the friend was Amanda Shires who played violin for the remainder of the set.

The set itself mixed Drive-By Truckers songs, with material from throughout his career.  Tossing in a couple of covers, and giving Amanda Shires a chance to play a song added up to a long and very satisfying show.

The sound for this is pretty good.  Northcote Social Club is a small venue (which I like) but it does tend to mean people feel free to talk a lot.  This becomes more noticeable as the first set goes on, but for whatever reason the crowd seemed to thin out a bit for the second set, and the talking abated somewhat.

Go It Alone
Tour of Duty
Streetlights
Save it for Sunday
Never Gonna Change
Rebels [Tom Petty cover]
Goddamn Lonely Love
Cigarettes & Wine
The Magician
Decoration Day

We've Met
Outfit
Grown
The Blue
Play a Train Song [Todd Snider cover]
Daisy Mae
In a Razor Town
Alabama Pines
Swimmer [Amanda Shires]
Codeine
TVA

Dress Blues

Set 1: http://www.mediafire.com/?4siu437np8n7i

Set 2: http://www.mediafire.com/?gf1x1uokc5ksv

Jason Isbell - 3 March 2012, Regent Theatre

Every opening act hopes to be able to capture a few new fans with their short set, and I'm pretty sure Jason Isbell succeeded in that aim.  Personally, its been his songs, rather than Ryan Adams', that have been in my head the last few days.  Before he was announced as support for the tour I had heard of Jason Isbell, but never actually heard him.  Now I'm hanging out for his latest release to arrive in the post.
To the show - as you would expect the place was only about a third full when Isbell came on stage, but those that were there were treated to a great set mixing songs from his new album Here We Rest, with Drive-By Truckers songs, and throwing in a Richard Thompson cover. 
Recording wise this came out very well, the only downside is that you can occassionally here some talking as people find their seats (particularly during Go It Alone).

Tour of Duty
Go It Alone

Danko/Manuel

Alabama Pines

Goddamn Lonely Love

Keep Your Distance

Outfit

Daisy Mae


http://www.mediafire.com/?2qph2x3ha2woj