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Jason Isbell Is Stark and Stoic at The Pinnacle in Nashville
by Rich and Laura Lynch
Jason Isbell is an acclaimed recording artist who has had his share of turbulent and triumphant times in recent years. On Friday, March 21, 2025 he played the second show of a four-night residency at The Pinnacle in Nashville, Tennessee in front of an appreciative crowd. In conjunction with this solo outing Isbell released a new album Foxes in the Snow featuring only his voice and an all-mahogany 1940 Martin 0-17 guitar. After this run, Jason will be back on the road for much of the year with his band the 400 Unit.
Jason Isbell flies mostly solo during much anticapted Nashville residency on Friday night.
Six-time Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Jason Isbell is known for his poetic prose that is both heartfelt and can be brutally honest. He is from Northern Alabama and credits that area for his muse. Many also know Jason for his work in the band Drive-By Truckers (2001-2007). In 2013, Isbell released his fourth solo album Southeastern. It was very well-received and won big at the 2014 Americana Music Awards. His next two projects Something More Than Free (2015) and The Nashville Sound (2017), won GRAMMY Awards for Best Americana Album & Best American Roots Song. Isbell's tune "Maybe It's Time" was central to the 2019 reboot of A Star Is Born.
During the 90-minute set that prominently featured Jason as the sole singer and guitarist there were brief moments of storytelling and a bit of political commentary but for the most part, Isbell was content with letting the music do the talking at the brand-new hall. Isbell presented quite a few songs from Foxes in the Snow. Like Robert Zimmerman, Isbell's release is a stark yet striking record written in the wake of his recent divorce that leaves its own sort of blood on the tracks. His potent prose was punctuated by pensive yet pretty picking which suited the mood of the material.
The Pinnacle - seven years in the making as Nashville Yards springs to life in the 615.
There were a few selections from his creative output with the Drive-By Truckers. Isbell shared his gratitude for the opportunity to work with the acclaimed country and southern rock band hailing from Atlanta - even if he had difficulty remembering the correct pronunciation or hyphenation of that group's name.
Other highlights were the opening number "Overseas", "Only Children" and "Cast Iron Skillet" - songs usually played with the 400 Unit. "Elephant" from Southeastern was the emotional story of someone watching a loved one dying from cancer. It was a heartrending narrative with some humor a signature characteristic of Jason's songcraft.
There were some smiles and laughter at Jason's Isbell's seriously good show in Music City.
It was fitting that the encore included an extended version of Bob Dylan's "Girl From the North Country" as the Nashville Yards development has added significantly to the ever changing Nashville Skyline. The last three songs of the night featured David Rawlings adding acoustic accents to "Ride to Robert's" and "If We Were Vampires" one of Isbell's most critically acclaimed tracks. It concluded the intimate show with a familiar fan favorite although folks were attentive through the whole set and respected the artist's request of no cell phones so the focus could be on the stories and Jason's commentary.
The Pinnacle is Nashville’s newest live music venue that opened in 2025. This modern facility has a 4,500 capacity on a 19-acre campus within Nashville Yards. The Pinnacle will anchor the mixed-use district and is destined to become a draw for world-class live performances and community engagement. The Pinnacle's had plenty of bars and lounge areas. Their general admission ticket gives fans access to the floor, upper balconies and the track unless those sections are reserved for seating. They also have a roof top that is open on show days or is available for special event rentals and of course they have a full lineup of high caliber concerts such as Jason Isbell who will be back at The Pinnacle on the March 28th to finish up his solo residency.
Jason Isbell cut a solitary figure on a large stage at The Pinnacle.
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For more information on JASON ISBELL and the other organizations mentioned please visit the following links -
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