There have been many twists and turns that have led Jason Isbell to where he stands today. Through much of his adult life, Isbell has struggled with alcohol, drama with his old band Drive-by Truckers, and the divorce from his first wife. Recently, Isbell has seen brighter days. After an intervention with singer songwriter Ryan Adams, and Isbell’s then girlfriend, Amanda Shires, Isbell went into rehab for his drinking. Once sober, Isbell married Shires while reclaiming his musical career, releasing some of his most commercially and critically successful material ever. In Minneapolis on Monday, all of those detours and shortcuts were worn on the singer’s sleeve as he played to a sold out crowd at the Northrop Auditorium. While most detest the delay and trouble of a detour and quickly latch on to as many short cuts as they can find, Isbell has found a way to embrace both and find a balance within himself and the people around him. Monday’s performance was a celebration of his new found fame, his recent Grammy award, and most importantly, his new-found happiness.
 
   The show started promptly at 7:30 p.m. with opening act Shovels and Rope from Charleston, South Carolina. As ticket holders were still filling into their seats, Shovels and Rope delivered a fulfilling and satisfying show.
The band, comprising only of married couple Michael and Cary Ann Hearst, performed an exciting set of songs picked from all over their catalog. Their mix of outlaw country and blues rock provided enough of a wake up call for spectators coming in from the dark and cold February night. Once all signs of Shovels and Rope were cleared and nearly every seat in the auditorium had been claimed, Jason Isbell, Amanda Shires, and Isbell’s band, The 400 Unit, walked on stage while the crowd cheered over the Rod Stewart song playing from the P.A. The band, ready to play, grabbed their instruments in front of a background of fake stained glass that made the stage look like a southern church.
   
   Starting with “24 Frames,” the lead single from 2015’s, Something More Than Free, Isbell and company quickly found a groove that would propel them into a level of quality not seen from many modern artists.  The song, which discusses the challenges and new perspectives brought on by divorce and other personal trauma, painted the picture of where Isbell has been, where he is now, and where he’s going.  The lines “you thought god was an architect/well now you know/he’s something like a pipe bomb ready to blow” echoed in the auditorium as the line not only meant something to Isbell but also to many members of the audience.  Isbell continued on with “Palmetto Rose,” which showed his ability to weave a powerful chorus with a funky bluesy beat. The show continued with select cuts from his current album and his breakthrough 2013 record, Southeastern. To appease the Drive-by Trucker fans, Isbell played the fan favorites “Decoration Day” and “Never Gonna Change.” Both tunes displayed Isbell’s strong yet understated guitar skills. Isbell’s love letter to his wife, “Cover Me Up,” showed the real musical and romantic connection between the singer and Shires. The blend of their harmonies was one of the most remarkable moments of the show. After a finale of “Children of Children,” the band returned for an encore of the crowd favorite “Elephant” and the folk jam, “Codeine.” “Codeine” allowed the band to let loose and have fun with the music. The sing-along chorus caused the whole auditorium to break out in song.

​   It’s hard to say where Jason Isbell is headed. Within a matter of years, he has climbed from playing the Turf Club in St. Paul to selling out large rooms like the Northrop Auditorium and picking up a Grammy along the way. While Southeastern may have put him on the map as a solo artist and Something More Than Free has cemented his place in Americana music, anyone walking out of Monday’s show can’t help to think that this isn’t where the upward movement stops. I would find it hard to believe that Isbell thinks that this is where he plateaus. Although Isbell’s recent performances and albums would be considered the best by any other artist, Isbell knows that Monday’s performance wasn’t all he can do. On top of that, Isbell knows that Something More Than Free isn’t the best he has in him. Isbell is a classic artist in the making and like all other timeless artists he’s not looking for an end point. Isbell is just looking for the next stepping stone.

-Matt

      On Saturday night, I had the pleasure of attending one of the two homecoming shows for Craig Finn, the front man for the famed rock band The Hold Steady. Finn is on a solo tour supporting his second solo album, Faith In The Future. The first stop of his weekend stay was at The Woman's Club of Minneapolis, located in the Loring Park neighborhood, which is known for its upscale living and devotion to the arts. 
     Being my first time at the Woman's Club, I was intrigued to see how the venue compared to the other, more famous venues in town such as First Avenue. When I first arrived, I was confused and convinced that I was at the wrong place. A doorman was placed at the front entrance and greeted guests clad in lavish attire. Surely this is not the audience that a rock and roller who sings about being hung over would attract. I was quickly informed that this side of the building was being used for a wedding and that I would have to walk to an entrance located on the other side. Arriving at the other entrance, I found myself surrounded by horn-rimmed glasses and peacoats, which assured me that I was indeed at the right place. The theater itself was cozy and felt more like a high school auditorium than a rock club. The website claimed a capacity of 650 but the intimacy of the room made it feel even smaller. Bypassing the overpriced T-shirts, I found my seat, ready to take in the Finn's performance.
     As I settled in, others started to slowly seep in. The music of Craig Finn and The Hold Steady attracts a wide range music lovers and predicting the audience of any given show can be tough. Saturday's show seemed to attract almost every type of Finn fan from the salt of the earth working folk to the white-collar socialites. Surprisingly, the audience members ranged from high school seniors to possible AARP members. The attire of the audience ranged from the honest apparel of Jacklyn Smith to the elegant sootiness of the top designers at Saks Fifth Avenue. I like to think that my outfit of Old Navy and The Gap helped bridge the "gap" between the two parties. As expected at any show in which an alternative rock band is playing, I was treated to the sounds of conversations that featured lines such as "Hey, what time is your flight to Seattle on Tuesday?" and "I just don't have time for commercial films. I just don't think films should make money." For some reason, a large portion of the crowd seemed familiar to be and it puzzled me throughout the night. Why did everyone look and feel so familiar to me? Have I seen so many shows now that I've sat next to all of these people at one point or another? This puzzling feeling continued until well into Finn's set when I realized that it's not that I've physically seen each audience member, instead I had been introduced to them through Finn's songs. Many of the audience members represented the reoccurring characters in Finn's stories: the aging hipster, the bartender, the bartender's friend, the Midwest pixie dream girl, and the heartbroken college kid looking for "the one." 
     The show began promptly at 8pm; starting with Portland singer/songwriter Esmé Patterson, originally from the Denver folk band Paper Bird. I will admit, like most of the audience, I was not well-versed in the work of Patterson or Paper Bird but after her forty-five minute set, you can now call me a fan. With a voice that lays somewhere between Tristen Gaspadarek and Zooey Deschanel, Patterson brought her own mix of folky rock and roll to the well-receiving crowd. Most of her set was made up of songs from her upcoming album and his current release Woman to Woman, which is a concept album of songs written as responses to famous songs about women. With a telecaster strapped on, Patterson blasted through each song with a confidence rarely seen by opening performers. I fully expect to see more of her in the future.
      The main event of the night, Craig Finn, came out to a rousing applause from the hometown crowd. Opening with the slow burner, “Christine” from his latest record, Finn found his groove quickly and took a tight control of the audience. Without addressing the crowd, Finn quickly switched to the first single from the new record “Maggie, I’m Still Searching For Our Son.” The song, which finds Finn reflecting on several national incidents including mass shootings and the Waco siege, attempts to find a positive outlook in a time of such grim, everyday occurrences. Live, the song blasted through the theater and featured Finn’s classic mannerisms that look like a panic attack crossed with a seizure. Finn transformed the fan favorite “Jackson,” from a bluesy psychedelic number into a full-fledged rock song with Finn shouting the refrain “why you asking about Jackson?” The story behind the lyrics of “Jackson” introduced Finn’s classic style of songwriting, which features stories about drinking, heartbreak, bad decisions, and spending too much time inside of a bar. Before launching into the dangerously rocking “Newmyer’s Roof,” Finn gave an interesting background to the song, discussing being in New York City on 9/11 and staying positive in times of despair. Finn added that his significant other was in one of the towers when the first plane hit and walked down 32 flights of stairs to the ground floor. The rest of the night was filled up with other cuts from the new album and “Mission Veijo,” one of the first songs Finn ever recorded with his former band Lifter Puller.
      There’s something you get a Craig Finn related show that you’d be hard pressed to find at other shows. When Finn is on stage, he is there to have a good time and focus only on the music. Finn is not interested in the party tricks that other bands offer; he is only interested in telling his wild and crazy stories. But with Finn, you also get the feeling of a humble man who on any other day, could be the man sitting next to you at the neighborhood bar. It’s the personable and dorky charm that Finn offers that keeps audiences of all kinds coming back. 

Venue: A-
     The venue is beautiful. It's very clean and the staff was really nice. I would have just appreciated a few more signs directing people where to go so I can avoid any unintended wedding crashing.

Audience: B+
     Generally, the crowd was responsive and respectful. There were a few unneeded shouts from the audience but, for the most part they were well maintained. I am marking them down a little bit though for two reasons. First of all, the crowd didn't really interact with each other before the show as much as one would expect at a Craig Finn show. The second reason is probably too harsh but I don't care! The audience, for some reason, could not figure how to clap along. Friends don't let friends clap on 1 and 3! 

Opener: A
     What a show stopper! Esmé Patterson really put on a great show and I hope to see her again. 

Headliner: A+
   What can you say about Craig Finn? He's great at what he does, it's that simple. 

-Matt