A return worth the 30 month wait, Jason Isbell was greeted with a warm welcome back to Hancher Auditorium on March 4th, 2026. The Americana artist held a firm grip on the audiences attention throughout the 2+ hour concert, bouncing through his scrolling discography with The 400 Unit, Drive-By Truckers, and his own solo work. This 22 song set was entwined with stories of his journey and bandmates as they wrapped up a leg of their expansive 2026 North American tour.
Wednesday evening was exactly what I wanted, a rock and roll show. Isbell and his band did not hold back throughout the evening, and without an opener there was no time to blink. Touching on four records with The 400 Unit and all four solo LP’s, this was a career spanning performance for the group. Through Isbell’s first solo hits like “Dress Blues” from 2007’s Sirens of the Ditch through his latest record Foxes in the Snow with the tune “Bury Me,” it all felt as though these musicians had all been playing these tunes for decades.
This concert was an approachable and engaging performance as someone who has never seen Isbell before, showing me a mix of the entry points I knew, and the deeper cuts that kept fans coming back. The show felt close, as though you were in the same rehearsal space as the band as they discussed the ever-changing setlist on this tour. Iowa City was treated to a heavy dose of Weathervanes with five tracks making an appearance compared to a few nights before in Pittsburgh where they received only 3 in exchange for some more Drive-By Truckers tracks. Isbell recently reunited with the Truckers for a performance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert after his departure in 2007, and showing even more love as every night on his recent leg covering “Decoration Day.” Near the end of the set, the icing on this very sweet cake was a cover of Paul McCartney’s “Let Me Roll It'” which fit The 400 Unit’s voices nicely, echoing the same force The Wings had when it released in 1973. This was the first time Isbell and The 400 Unit have ever played this live, but it sounded like a classic from the cabinets of their discography.
The casual and laid back approach Isbell and company had is what I loved so much about this gig, as they dabbled in more jam band tendencies than most. Songs with solos lasting upwards of 3 minutes as the musicians on stage traded bars back and forth. Jason Isbell taking plenty of solos for himself, sauntering around the stage with a rotation of a red Fender Telecaster, gold Gibson Les Paul, and a sunburst Gibson ES-335. While these beautiful instruments made the soundtrack to the evening, an circular gold plate caught the attention of most. Multi-instrumentalist WIll Johnson, Isbell’s latest edition to the band, was shadowed by a gong for the show. While jumping between drums, guitar, and whatever else the band needed, the gong remained untouched. That was until the back half of the setlist, when Johnson graced bronze ring to the satisfaction of the crowd and band alike. Isbell went on to calm and hopes that this would be a recurring instrument stating “if you hit the gong more than once, you’re not hitting the gong, you’re playing the gong.” I can’t fight that logic.
Headlining the 1,800 seat palace was not the only feather in Isbell’s cap during his time in Iowa City as he spoke of his placing third in Tuesday Night Trivia at Joe’s Place. He let out some frustration that bronze was all they got, claiming a few folks may have been googling answerers on competing teams. These are serious allegations leveled to the patrons of Tuesday Night Trivia, but I can confirm there were far too many phones out for a fair competition. Nevertheless, trivia and a headlining gig sounds like a good 48 hours to me. Isbell and his band were electric in Iowa City once again, and I hope its much less than 30 months before we see his return. Jason Isbell is touring throughout the rest of the year, you can find tickets here.
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