Funny, I can specifically recall that Twitter fight: I can actually picture the black and white photo Isbell posted w/ a cig in his mouth giving a middle finger to Dierks Bentley, lol.
I suppose this thread could probably use some music. I was trying to find the TVA clip from The Secret to a Happy Ending.
Turns out, the whole damn thing is on YouTube. Starts at 31 minutes on the dot.
Which songs would you apply this critique to on Weathervanes? Save the World makes sense, but I don’t really get that vibe with most of the other songs.
I’m not entirely sure what happened with Jimbo. If you followed him on Txitter while he was “taking a break” to deal with marijuana addiction, as he put it, it was mildly concerning with how aggressively zen he came across. His daily updates/check ins were always somewhat vigorous and ended with “Peace be with you all!!” It was a big surprise though when it was announced that he was officially out. Without knowing what really happened, it’s hard to say that was Isbell’s fault. Unless I missed something. Maybe he became a less agreeable person without weed? Maybe his break was going to take too long, and the band played on.
As far as Ryan Adams goes, regardless of the FBI dropping the investigation into his sexting and underaged girl (who swears she lied about her age), there was certainly a trove of other things going on with him to be able to label him a “bad guy.” If you followed him at all, it was obvious he was dealing with addiction issues himself – not an excuse by any means. The split between him and Isbell is one of those holding two competing ideas at the same time scenarios: Ryan Adams helped get Isbell into rehab that so far has saved his life, but Isbell is a father of a daughter and a feminist by all accounts. So was it great that Isbell so immediately came out and denounced Adams? You could say it wasn’t, but it was certainly understandable.
I always enjoyed that, between Uncle Frank and TVA, Mike Cooley and Jason Isbell said more about the evolution and the deconstruction of the modern South than any masters thesis ever could.
EDIT: In fact I may have stolen that line from Secret To A Happy Ending, it’s been a long time since I watched it.
I would also add to this that his falling out with Justin Townes Earle stemmed from the fact that JTE dated a woman on Isbell’s road crew, dumped her, and then demanded Isbell fire her so he didn’t have to be around her anymore. Jason refused, saying that was a shitty thing to do, make someone lose their job simply because they got dumped, and JTE refused to to speak to him going forward.
It was something like that - my recollection is that Jason hired her after they broke up, but truly, who can say and who gives a fuck. JTE and Amanda also had a thing at one point, which I’m sure made things weird.
Annnyyywayssss, RIP.
So we’re the ones parasocially watching Isbell’s life?
I thought about adding that disclaimer to my post. I was in my 20s and living in Nashville when all this was happening. It was shit you’d hear at bars and from mutuals, lol. Very different than keeping an eye on Mercy Isbell.
@KVV really enjoyed reading this. I have been a DBT/Isbell fan since the early days of seeing DBT without JI in Athens. JI brought a lot of talent to the band. His music has a way of just grabbing you. Decoration Day reminds me of talking to my own dad about the rough Appalachian violence found in his own childhood and Cumberland Gap really hits home as well.
I will say I miss his edgier sound from his earlier days but I enjoy his recent work too. Anyway, thanks for writing this piece.
Yeah, the real Opry. And yeah, we’re going to the Ft Wayne show. That was Chelsea’s valentines gift. It’ll be the first concert I’ve been to in ages (especially if you don’t count the free Billy Strings show at the black swamp arts fest in BG that I still can’t believe was real). We’ll have to meet up for dinner or drinks before the show
Oh come on.
I haven’t finished reading the thread, and im sure I may be saying something that’s already been said, but this post, top to bottom, really fucking sucks
Hell yeah, dogg. Enjoy your first show!
Yeah I’ll try to remember the musician on stage is just a product for me to consume and someone to be held in the same regard as ryan adams, a sexual abuser
Sorry the music you liked got more popular so you had to reject in order to keep your CRED
humanity’s first artist: this is a painting of me hunting an animal.
Other caveman: I see myself in this painting.
Good deal, and again, have fun at the Valentine’s Day Jason Isbell date-night extravaganza. You’ll be in good company with two thousand other swaying couples.
CMU was the last song of the regular part of the show, and Vampires was right after the encore. It was good! Proof that a song can just be a song, I suppose. As I said in the piece about CMU, I guess your hope is that the sentiment lives on in others.
I wasn’t going to say anything but…
/heavy sarcasm font on
it’s totally ass that men and women in relationships really enjoy Jason’s music and like to experience that music together. It’s just the absolute worst. How dare they.
/heavy sarcasm font off
Can’t wait to see Isbell tonight with my husband and a bunch of other friends as my last show in Philly before moving.
I want people to be happy, and I hope you have a great time at tonight’s show with your husband.
I won’t discuss Jason Isbell in the way that I discuss things here, as it’s clearly gotten very personal. Enjoy the show.
Man, fuck you. You have no clue what my wife and I’s relationship to the music is, or how it came about, or how long it’s been going on. You’re just being a fucking hipster douche bag about something other people have come to enjoy after you did. If you derive some sort of pleasure from this shit, I feel extremely sorry for you, and hope someday you can find something more productive and positive to put your energy toward. Meanwhile, my wife and I are going to go check out a few new bars/breweries in a city we’ve not spent much time in, grab some dinner and drinks, and go enjoy our first live show in a long time, and hopefully you’ll be able to recover from this horrible tragedy that definitely effects you more than anyone