Southern-Fried Rock

Saw Scott Miller and Commonwealth on Wednesday in Lexington, and Jason Isbell last night in Louisville. Thoughts:

• Miller opened with Highland County Boy, which awakened in me latent urges to find and shoot a Yankee.
• Miller is a lot younger and skinnier than I envisioned. Indeed, he looks kind of like Michael O’Hanlon…. weird.
• The Dame is the primary music venue in Lexington, but lacks air conditioning. The outside temp at show time was 88; it was easily 100 inside. Lesson learned: When you sit in 100 degree temperatures for two hours, any number of drinks will produce a hangover.
• Isbell was good, but you really become aware of how great a frontman Patterson Hood is when he’s not there. Hood’s charisma and energy add a tremendous amount to a show, even when the music is pretty similar.
• Not to rumour-monger, but a couple I spoke with at the show (who seemed in the know) suggested that Isbell’s break with the Truckers is a result of a set of contradictions inherent between the “hard living rock star” project and the effort to maintain a marriage to your bass player.