Alabama native Jason Isbell has traveled a long road from his first publishing deal at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals to Grammy wins for Something More Than Free. Mobile turned out in force when he played the Saenger Theater on Oct. 21, presented by Huka Entertainment, with Idaho-born tour mate Josh Ritter warming the crowd.
Isbell opened with a stained-glass backdrop and launched into Southeastern rock with The 400 Unit. “24 Frames,” winner of the Best American Roots Song Grammy, drew huge cheers, and the Mobile fanbase’s fervor was plain. Between songs, Isbell noted, “I’m glad we got to come so near to home,” prompting shouts of “You are home!”
The set included “Speed Trap Town,” “Elephant,” “Alabama Pines” and “Cover Me Up,” plus Drive-By Truckers cuts “Outfit” and “Never Gonna Change.” A trio encore with Ritter on John Prine’s “Storm Windows” closed the night. If the Saenger show is any sign, Southeastern music is alive and well.