Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit Keep Big Star Shining Throughout Ryman Residency

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit closed their annual Ryman Auditorium residency in Nashville by completing a streak of six Big Star covers across six concerts. Along with musical tributes to the influential Memphis power pop band, the run of shows featured different openers from Memphis, with Amy LaVere (Friday) and Tony Thomas Three (Saturday) supporting the last pair of performances.

On Friday, frontman Jason Isbell and his bandmates began the penultimate encore of the six-night run with Big Star’s “The Ballad of El Goodo.” The next night’s final finale began with “Feel.”

“Feel” is the opening track on #1 Record, Big Star’s 1972 debut album, with “The Ballad of El Goodo” following as the second track. The album was recorded at Ardent Studios in Memphis.

Other Big Star covers at the Ryman included “When My Baby’s Beside Me” on opening night, followed by “I’m In Love With A Girl” and “Thirteen.” The band resumed the run with “September Gurls” on the fourth night.

“Thank you to everyone who made it out to a show, the wonderful Memphis artists that opened each night, our hardworking band and crew, and to the Ryman for always making this feel like home,” Isbell wrote of this year’s Ryman residency.