Release Day Picks this week highlight new albums by Khruangbin, The Black Keys, Vampire Weekend, Katie Pruitt, Phosphorescent, Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams, Circles Around The Sun & Mikaela Davis, Bartees Strange, Maggie Rose, Sinkane, Bryson Tiller, Mount Kimbie, X Ambassadors, Marcus King and Old 97's.
At one point Saturday night, as Jason Isbell surveyed the Benedum Center crowd, he made the observation that it didn’t seem to be a season-ticket holder crowd. It’s one thing to be “out there expecting ‘La traviata,’” he said with a pause, “and then get scared by ‘La rednecka.’” Instead
The only thing more welcome than hearing the once-shambolic live sound of Jason Isbell And The 400 Unit grown and honed to fine, aged-whiskey perfection was the surprise (to me) opening set from Aimee Mann, an artist Isbell called “the finest songwriter.”