Where the Bands Are (Jason Isbell 12 February 2025, Dublin)

When Jason Isbell announced his ”An Intimate Evening with Jason Isbell”-tour, I knew this was a show I didn’t want to miss. However, with only five dates in Europe (and none of them in Sweden) it was going to be tricky to find a suitable one. Luckily, a week’s school holiday in February fitted quite beautifully with the concert date in Dublin and Oliver and I decided to go, even if it was only for the concert- flying in on the concert day and flying out the next. Zack!

---

The venue Vicar St., located on Thomas Street in Dublin, opened in 1998 and has become one of the city’s most popular live music venues. It has space for an audience of around 1,500 people. It’s big enough for creating a great atmosphere but still small enough to feel personal. Over the years, many famous artists have played there, including the man of the hour Kendrick Lamar.

From our hotel we had about a 30 minute walk through the party district Temple Bar to reach the venue. It was a bit nippy so when we got there we were a bit cold and way too early, so (in absence of any decent coffee shop) we had to pop into a nearby pub for a (when in Dublin) mandatory Guinness.

Later, at the doors, the security staff told us to refrain from filming and taking pictures during the show. A rare thing in today’s concert culture, but a sign of what was to come—an evening focused entirely on the music, the stories, and the moment.

The GA area was set up as a square in the center of the venue, with seating surrounding it on all sides. Some of these seats were at ground level, meaning that anyone sitting there would have had to stand up to get a clear view of the stage, which we thought was strange and we felt lucky to have bought GA tickets.

We stood relatively close, but with people in front of me constantly shifting and moving, my view kept changing. Ever so often I could see the stage perfectly, and other times I couldn’t see anything at all but that’s just the way it is. If you want a completely unobstructed view you need to be up front.

At exactly 8:10 pm, Isbell entered the stage, gave a casual wave and launched straight into Bury Me, a song from the new solo album that is to be released on March 7th. The stage was bare—just a chair, a microphone stand, and his guitar. Nothing to distract from what really mattered.

From the first chord, it was obvious that this evening was going to be extraordinary. Isbell’s fingers flew effortlessly over the fretboard and his exceptional, haunting voice was filling the room. I knew of course that he is a great guitarist but tonight it became clear to me just how good he is, as every note rang out with clarity and purpose and it sent shivers down my spine.

By the second song, King of Oklahoma, the audience was already singing along on the chorus, as if we had all just been waiting for permission to join in. Between songs, Isbell shared funny anecdotes—not just about his music, but also about how intimidated he had felt by the incredible talent of the buskers he had seen while walking through Dublin earlier that day.

The setlist of 17 songs passed through his catalog- new songs, intended for the new solo album, mixed with old favourites and a couple of covers. Each song met with either quiet respect (you could hear a pin drop) or enthusiastic hollering and applause.

The main set ended on a high note with a string of five of his finest songs (at least in my opinion). Cover Me Up was especially magical, not only because it’s my favourite song, but also because the entire audience sang along, creating an atmosphere that’s hard to describe.

So cover me up and know you’re enough
To use me for good

Then he left, but we knew he was coming back (the lights were still out 😃) and after some rhythmic clapping and cheering from the audience he returned for three more songs.

There’s certainly something special about a solo concert—just an artist, a guitar, and a room full of people hanging on every note. The setting made me rediscovered some songs like for example Traveling Alone, in which the protagonist, who has spent a long time on the road, moving from place to place, is realising that the journey feels empty without someone to share it with.

Jason Isbell created an intimate evening indeed. In a way, standing completely still for 90 minutes during this show was almost as challenging as experiencing a nearly three-hour Springsteen concert, just in a different way. At a Springsteen show, I am constantly moving, dancing, clapping, and feeding off the energy of the crowd. Here, the focus was entirely on the music, and with no big light show or band to create distractions, it required a different kind of endurance. Staying in one spot for that long, barely shifting, made me more aware of every ache and shift. Nevertheless, it was all worth it for the intimacy of the performance.

---

Setlist:

• Bury Me
• King of Oklahoma
• Foxes in the Snow
• Gravelweed
• Middle of the Morning
• Traveling Alone
• Storm Windows
• Strawberry Woman
• Eileen
• Cast Iron Skillet
• If We Were Wampires
• Elephant
• Alabama Pines
• Cover Me Up

Encore:

• Ride to Robert’s
• Beth/Rest
• True Believer