Experiencing live music at the century-old Hollywood Bowl should be on any Angelino bucket list. The unique environnement always turns any show into a magical moment. Although Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit don’t need any of that to ensure their audience spends a memorable night. On July 21st, KCRW put together a great line-up for one of their summer nights KCRW Festival.
First performer to take the stage at 6:50pm was North Carolina singer-songwriter Uwade. The sun was still out and the amphitheater filling-up as the young singer started her set alone. Her smooth voice was perfectly complimented by the clear sound of her guitar and at no point the performance felt hollow or lacking of any percussion or other instrument. The crowd was immediately seduced by the twenty-one year old artist who delivered a brilliant thirty-minutes set. Uwade took time in-between songs to share a bit about her life and her songs, which made this half-hour feel very intimate despite the size of the venue sitting on the Hollywood hills. She closed her set with “Ginger Ale” and made the crowd sing along to perfectly end this moment in total communion.
KCRW’s Nassir Nassirzadeh got on stage to thank the audience and introduce the next act. Electro-pop duo Sylvan Esso who also happen to be from North Carolina was next on the bill. Amelia Meath (vocals) and Nick Sanborn (synths) have been endorsed by KCRW since their beginning. As 2024 marks the tenth anniversary of their debut self-titled album, an extended version was recently released and it made for a good portion of the setlist that night. I didn’t know too much about the band but I absolutely loved their performance. The sound reminded me somewhat of Phantogram, but the two musicians have a very distinct identity. Live rendition of “Die Young” from their 2017 album What Now and “Coffee” from their first LP were incredible. Throughout their set and as the sun was slowly hiding behind the hills, the music evolved from poppier songs to more electronic tunes. A good portion of the audience got up to dance and Amelia thanked several times everyone in attendance for coming early to support them. The duo finished on a high note with “Echo Party” from their more recent album No Rules Sandy (2022). The lights turned back on in the venue as Amelia thanked the crowd one more time and Nick proudly displayed his “Cease Fire now” T-shirt and saluted the crowd with a Vulcan salute (for the trekkies in attendance).
At 9pm the lights turned off and it was time for the main attraction of the evening: Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit. The crowd cheered as one while the band got quickly situated and opened with “When We Were Close” from Weathervanes which was released last summer. Only a few minutes in Jason pulled out a bottleneck for a quick solo that reminded us that not only he is an excellent writer, and a soulful singer, and a talented actor, but he also needs to be included in the “best current guitar player” conversation. Although he mainly played songs from his new album, the setlist also included a few tunes from his 2013 solo album Southeastern like “Live Oak” that spread goosebumps through the silent venue as Jason’s voice transpired with raw emotion. For the occasion Australian musician Anna Butterss switched from electric bass to upright acoustic bass. One of the highlights of the show for me was the soulful and powerful guitar solo towards the end of “Middle Of The Morning”. What I always found striking in Jason Isbell’s songs and songwriting style is how much of an old soul he seems to be. Same goes for his live performances where songs seem to be tainted with some form of wisdom.
Jason took the time for a shoutout to Sylvan Esso and shared how nice it was for him to share the stage with other artists that he likes and actually listens to. The 400 Unit is way more than a back-up band, they do shine throughout the show and all seem to have endless musical abilities. Derry DeBorja is as good behind his keyboard, than when playing the accordion. Chad Gamble is a real Swiss Army knife, whether he handles rhythm guitar, plays percussions or provides back-up vocals. I believe anyone in attendance shared the same delight when Jason and Sadler Vaden went back and forth on a stellar dueling guitar solo on “This Ain’t It. After a couple of notes only, the crowd cheered when the band started playing “If We Were Vampires” from 2017 The Nashville Sound. Jason and the band slowed down the tempo a bit to play some more acoustic material and finished strong with two drums playing at once. The set was closed perfectly with “Traveling Alone” and “Miles”, leaving the entire audience satisfied and headed back home floating on a cloud.
Jason Isbell is one of the best songwriters of his generation without the shadow of a doubt. I would recommend anyone to see him live any chance you have, whether alone or with his 400 Unit super band.
JASON ISBELL & THE 400 UNIT + SYLVAN ESSO
Review by Manuel Gay
