Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit at the Paramount Theater

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Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit played the Paramount Theater Friday evening, his first visit to Washington State since the summer of 2024. Isbell released his 10th post Drive By Truckers album in 2025, ‘Foxes in the Snow’. The release is his first solo acoustic album and it has been nominated for 3 Grammy awards, including Best Folk Album.

This is probably the moment to acknowledge the fact that I am a fairly avid fan of both Isbell and the Drive By Tuckers, having seen both acts more than a handful of times. Isbell, born and raised in the Muscle Shoals region of Alabama, was a member of the Truckers from 2001 to 2007, his time with the band coming to an unhappy conclusion when he was asked to leave over concerns for his then struggles with addiction to alcohol and drugs. The singer/songwriter/guitarist began treatment for his illness in 2012 and has been candid about his journey toward sobriety, referencing both his struggles and successes in his music. Over the last few years he has mended his relationship with his ex bandmates in the Drive By Truckers, appearing with them onstage, including a recent televised performance on the Stephen Colbert show. 

Isbell’s performance Friday evening was an intriguing and satisfying collection of songs drawn from his lengthy solo career with a handful of numbers he wrote and recorded with the Drive By Truckers. The show opened on a strong note with a full band version of one of the highlights of ‘Foxes in the Snow’, the seemingly autobiographical ‘Crimson and Clay’:

“guess the city didn’t kill me after all, the thing that nearly took me out was loneliness and alcohol, so I just put it down and walked away, and went back to the crimson and the clay”

Isbell’s band, the 400 Unit, is a road honed collection of stellar musicians, with special consideration going to his exceptional lead guitarist, Sadler Vaden (formerly of the much loved southern combo ‘Drivin and Cryin’). Vaden shone throughout the evening on electric and acoustic guitars and on mandolin. Both he and Isbell are formidable players and frequently square off for long and thrilling solo ‘battles’, seemingly relishing the opportunity to collaboratively improvise and create. They had many such opportunities to lock horns Friday night and the audience responded enthusiastically after each engagement.

One can’t help but notice and appreciate Isbell and the 400 Unit’s dexterity with and fondness for dense Southern Rock meets Crazy Horse style guitar centric jams. The connection was made abundantly clear Friday when the band launched the last of 3 rapturously received encore numbers, Neil Young’s ‘Like a Hurricane’. It was the perfect finale to an evening of thoughtfully conceived and well delivered rock & roll.

JD Simo & Luther Dickinson at the Tractor Tavern

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Guitarists JD Simo and Luther Dickinson, drummer Adam Abrash, and vocalist Datrian Johnson played what will likely prove to be (for me) one of the musical highlights of 2026 at the Tractor Tavern in Ballard this week. Simo and Dickinson are touring in support of their first collaboration, ‘Do the Rump’ (released in late 2024), with a second long player soon to be completed. The band played songs from their first album, an intriguing selection of covers (including songs from Mississippi Hill Country blues titans Junior Kimbrough and RL Burnside, John Lee Hooker, Bobby Charles, and more) and a handful of tunes from Dickinson’s recent ‘Dead Blues Vol. 1’ LP. 

Althought Tuesday’s show at the Tractor was the first time Simo and Dickinson have played Seattle together, they are both well known to Northwest blues aficionados. Dickinson and his brother Cody have played under the ‘North Missassippi All Stars’ banner for 25 years, with Seattle being a frequent stop on tour itineraries. Dickinson has also done stints with the Black Crowes, John Hiatt, and in (now deceased Grateful Dead bass player) Phil Lesh’s band. It was while playing with Lesh that Dickinson first encountered JD Simo, a fortuitous meeting that eventually led to their current pairing. Simo also has a lengthy and impressive list of credits and accomplishments, playing under his own name and working with the likes of Jack White, Joe Bonamassa, Samantha Fish, Beyonce, Chris Issak, and many more.

Tuesday night’s set started on an emphatic note with a blistering version of ‘Do the Rump Louise’, one of the standout tracks from their aforementioned album. Both Simo and Dickinson are truly formidable musicians, with chops that match their impressive resumes. While their technical aptitude is beyond question, the two musicians never resort to running flashy scales or indulging in ego burnishing one upmanship. They both manage to maintain their unique instrumental voices while always playing in service to the song. As jaw dropping as the guitar playing was Tuesday, it was the next level drumming of Adam Abrash that held the whole thing together. Playing an almost comically simple trap drum kit, Abrash played with a fluidity and deep in the pocket swing that had to be experienced in the flesh to be appreciated. It was readily apparent from the first note that these three men enjoy making music together. One got the feeling that they were playing as much for each other as they were for the delighted audience. 

Of special note at the Tractor was the unadvertised appearance of vocalist Datrian Johnson. The soulful singer joined the band for a handful of blues covers associated with the early years of the Grateful Dead. ‘One Kind Favor’, ‘Who Do You Love’, and ‘King Bee’ all paid a spiritual debt to the Dead’s first keyboard player (and their most authentic and authoritative connection to the blues), Ron ‘Pigpen’ McKernan. Johnson’s appearance, and the inclusion of the Dead adjacent material to an already memorable set of music, was the perfect accompaniment to a night of red hot blues that I will not soon forget.

New Year’s Eve with Mudhoney, Student Nurse, and Barton Carroll at the Neptune Theatre

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The Neptune Theatre hosted a raucous and well-attended New Year’s Eve show last night featuring a pair of the Pacific Northwest’s most enduring and historically significant rock bands, Mudhoney and Student Nurse. The evening’s headliners were preceded by a short and enthusiastically received performance by folk/punk acoustic guitarist Barton Carroll.

Seattle’s Mudhoney is celebrating their 38th year as an active recording and touring band. That’s no small feat, especially for an outfit that plays in such a consistently aggressive and uncompromising fashion. One could make the case that Mudhoney hasn’t strayed terribly far from their original concept and it wouldn’t be an insult or a backhanded compliment. They do what they do and they do it well – hard-hitting, Stooges-inspired OG punk rock played with honesty and authority. I was young (or at least ‘younger’) when I saw my first Mudhoney gigs. I no longer enjoy their shows from the middle of the pit but it did my heart a world of good to see a very active and energetic crowd of kids knocking each other about and crowd surfing while the band tore through a set that encompassed songs drawn from all phases of their career. Wednesday’s performance was lean, mean, and tremendously satisfying.

It’s difficult for me to think of a more appropriate opener for Mudhoney than Student Nurse, another Seattle band with a lengthy and impeccable pedigree. Remarkably, Student Nurse have been at it even longer than Mudhoney. In fact, Mudhoney front guy Mark Arm briefly passed his band’s torrid set to express how excited he and his band were to have Student Nurse on the bill, explaining that Helena Rogers (Student Nurse’s talented guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter) was instrumental in securing one of his first public performances in a band that predated Mudhoney.

Helena and her bandmates Eric Muhs (bass, vocals, and theremin) and James Lord (drums and vocals) were in a zone New Year’s Eve and the crowd was clearly happy to be along for the ride. Student Nurse plays in an angular yet melodic and very danceable style and they were an excellent foil for Mudhoney’s more punishing (in a good way) attack. Kudos to everyone involved in putting this show together. I can’t think of a better way of saying goodbye to a challenging year.

The cherry on top of the delicious Mudhoney/Student Nurse sundae Wednesday night was brief but very enjoyable acoustic set from Barton Carroll. It takes some chutzpah to stroll out onstage in front of a crowd primed for loud rock & roll armed with nothing but an acoustic guitar in hand but Carroll did so with charm, a selection of topnotch songs, and some serious chops on his chosen instrument. I wasn’t familiar with him prior to this show but I would absolutely go out of my way to hear him play again.