Jason Isbell to play 2 shows in Birmingham on tour for new album, ‘Weathervanes’

Jason Isbell to play 2 shows in Birmingham on tour for new album, ‘Weathervanes’

Jason Isbell has announced two concerts in Birmingham this summer, on the heels of a new album, “Weathervanes.”

The acclaimed singer-songwriter — an Alabama native, multiple Grammy winner and former member of the Drive-By Truckers — is set to perform on June 23-24 at Avondale Brewing Co., an outdoor venue that can hold about 2,500 people.

Tickets for the shows go on sale Friday, Feb. 24, at 10 a.m. CT via Ticketmaster. Prices are $65 per night, $130 for two nights, general admission; $89.50 per night, $179 for two nights, premium pit access; plus service charges.

Various pre-sales start on Wednesday, Feb. 22, at 10 a.m. CT and run through Thursday, Feb. 23, at 10 p.m. CT, according to the Ticketmaster listings. S.G. Goodman will be the opening act for the 7 p.m. shows. Doors at the venue will open at 6 p.m., according to the venue’s website.

Right now, the Birmingham dates are the only Alabama stops on Isbell’s 2023 tour, which runs from March through August.

His new album, “Weathervanes,” is scheduled for release June 9 on Southeastern Records/Thirty Tigers. The album features 13 tracks, including the first single, “Death Wish,” released on Tuesday. “Death Wish” is available on several streaming services and can be heard on YouTube.

Isbell announced the album release on Tuesday via Twitter, along with Southeastern Records, after some teaser tweets on Monday.

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“‘Weathervanes’ is a collection of grown-up songs: Songs about adult love, about change, about the danger of nostalgia and the interrogation of myths, about cruelty and regret and redemption,” according to a press release for the album. “Some will make you cry alone in your car and others will make you sing along with thousands of strangers in a big summer pavilion, united in the great miracle of being alive. Isbell is a storyteller at the peak of his craft, observing his fellow wanderers, looking inside and trying to understand, reducing a universe to four minutes.”

There’s a quote from Isbell, too: “There is something about boundaries on this record. As you mature, you still attempt to keep the ability to love somebody fully and completely while you’re growing into an adult and learning how to love yourself.”

“Weathervanes” was recorded at Blackbird Studio in Nashville with the 400 Unit: keyboard player Derry deBorja, drummer Chad Gamble, bassist Jimbo Hart and guitarist Sadler Vaden. Guest artists include singer-songwriter and fiddler Amanda Shires (Isbell’s wife) and harmonica player Mickey Raphael (a longtime member of Willie Nelson’s touring band).

Here’s the full track listing provided by a publicist. Isbell’s Alabama fans will note that one of the songs is called “Vestavia Hills,” the name of a city in the Birmingham metro area.

  1. “Death Wish”
  2. “King of Oklahoma”
  3. “Strawberry Woman”
  4. “Middle Of The Morning”
  5. “Save The World”
  6. “If You Insist”
  7. “Cast Iron Skillet”
  8. “When We Were Close”
  9. “Volunteer”
  10. “Vestavia Hills”
  11. “White Beretta”
  12. “This Ain’t It”
  13. “Miles”

Isbell, 44, was born in Florence, grew up in Greenhill and is a former Muscle Shoals resident. He has eight previous studio albums to his credit as a solo artist, including Grammy winners “The Nashville Sound” (2017) and “Something More Than Free” (2015). He’s also been honored several times by the Americana Music Honors & Awards.

Isbell’s signature songs include “Cover Me Up,” “Alabama Pines,” “24 Frames,” “If We Were Vampires” and “Super 8.” He’s also known for songs written during his time with the Drive-By Truckers, such as “Outfit,” “Never Gonna Change” and “Goddamn Lonely Love.”

Isbell has performed in his home state many times over the years, at venues in cities such as Birmingham, Huntsville, Tuscaloosa and Gulf Shores. He also played a show in 2020 at the Lyric Theatre in Birmingham, during a campaign event for former U.S. Sen Doug Jones.