Supporting Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit at Oran Mor tonight is Massachusetts singer-songwriter Erin McKeown and despite taking to the stage with just herself and an electric guitar, her bubbly personality and incredible stage presence enthrall the audience and fill the room.
Each of her songs comes with a back-story: some funny, such as ‘Rhode Island Is Famous For You’; some poignant, such as ‘You, Sailor’; but all equally fascinating.
One of the oddest, but also most popular is ‘(Put The Fun Back In) The Funeral’, a song about claustrophobia. McKeown’s short but sweet set is the perfect intro for tonight’s main act.
Having performed earlier in the year by himself, Jason Isbell is joined by his band, the 400 Unit, to the joy of the crowd.
Wasting little time they launch straight into an epic set, nearly twenty songs in length; most of the songs are from the 400 Unit’s latest album Southeastern, including set opener ‘Flying Over Water’, the beautiful ‘Oak’ and the sad but lovely ‘Cover Me Up’, but there are also classics from Here We Rest, including the fantastic ‘Codeine’ and the upbeat ‘Tour Of Duty’.
Not only are the crowd treated to the best of Isbell and the 400 Unit’s work: the set includes tunes from Isbell’s days with the Drive-By Truckers, who he left in 2007.
The heavier rock influences of these songs give the set the perfect mix of classic and soft rock, essential to keeping the crowd pleased for the full performance.
‘Decoration Day’ and ‘Goddamn Lonely Love’ both hark back to the early days of rock ‘n’ roll, with long, intricate instrumentals impressing the crowd and emphasising Isbell’s guitar skills.
To throw even more styles into the mix the band perform a cover of the funky ‘Heart On A String’, originally by Candi Staton of whom Isbell is a huge fan.
The set ends with a powerful threesome of pure rock songs, ‘Never Gonna Change’ and ‘Outfit’, both Drive-By Truckers’ tunes, and finally the awesome ‘Super 8’ from Southeastern.
Despite clearly putting their all into the show, Isbell and the other bands members are as cool and composed at the end of the set as the are at the beginning, making their performance seem effortless.
Words: Katherine Haig
Photos: Warrick Beyers
