Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit w/ Southern Avenue

The Read

Isbell has made the multi-night Ryman stand into something closer to an annual institution than a tour stop, and the first night carries a particular charge — nothing has been established yet, no song has been used up, and the band is playing to a room that has been waiting since the last run ended. The 400 Unit are a genuinely great rock band who rarely advertise it, and Sadler Vaden’s guitar tends to be the thing that tips a quiet song over. Southern Avenue open, bringing Memphis soul and a rhythm section that does not idle. It is a smart pairing rather than a polite one: the openers push, which gives the headliner something to answer. Expect a setlist that leans on the songs everyone came for, with the deeper material held back for later in the week.

The Room

Ryman Auditorium

116 5th Ave N

Built in 1892 as a tabernacle by river captain Thomas Ryman, who was converted at a Sam Jones revival — little did he know it would become the church of American roots music.