Jason Isbell Brings Back Hometown Shoalsfest, Expands to Two Days

When multi-time Grammy and Americana Award winning artist Jason Isbell announced his own one-day festival near his childhood and musical “home” of Muscle Shoals, called Shoalsfest, the anticipation was high. It was especially so because of Isbell's unique setup, booking a limited number of artists but giving them time to perform a full set instead of the 40 minutes offered by most festivals. The result was a sellout and hopes for it to become an annual event... Then COVID-19 happened and 2020 was a lost year for music. But as vaccinations climb and positives fall, Isbell is bringing Shoalsfest back, this time as a two-day event on Oct. 2-3 at McFarland Park in nearby Florence, AL.

Isbell and his band The 400 Unit will headline both nights and, if his annual multi-night residencies at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium are any indication, will offer plenty of differentiation in setlists and possibly a few surprises. While COVID-19 kept him off the road in 2020 and early 2021, Isbell's star has only risen due to his monthly “Bandcamp Day” releases of live albums from the past several years, most notably Live at Shoals Theatre, a collaboration with his former Drive-By Trucker bandmates Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley.

Apparently that collaboration was a good time for all because Drive-By Truckers are the co-headlining act for Day 2 of the festival. Another Shoals-spawned act, the band has become the standard-bearers for modern Southern rock and have developed a strong following based on their highly energetic live shows.

Co-headlining Day 1 of Shoalsfest is Americana royalty Lucinda Williams. You'd be hard pressed to find any Americana band formed after about 1990 who wasn't influenced by Williams. Widely considered one of roots music's most talented songwriters, Williams was one of the few artists to find a way to stay solvent during the pandemic, performing a series of PPV covers shows called “Lu's Jukebox”, each of which featured a theme such as Tom Petty and Bob Dylan tributes, '60s Classic Country, and Christmas songs.

The rest of the Shoalsfest lineup is also filled with top notch roots and Americana talent as well. In addition to Isbell and Williams, Day 1 features performances from award winning solo artist, as well as member of Isbell's 400 Unit and roots supergroup The Highwomen; Muscle Shoals soul royalty Candi Staton; and third generation blues wizard Cedric Burnside.

Day 2 is just as stacked. Behind Isbell and Drive-By Truckers are the return of Texas alt-country act Centro-Matic, headed up by Monsters of Folk member Will Johnson; Slobberbone, who count author Stephen King and Drive-By Truckers' Patterson Hood as devoted fans, and Alabama “ghost music” revivalists Pine Hill Haints.

There is even something for the kids, as well as adults in the know. The only artist aside from Isbell performing both days of the festival is Farmer Jason. The agriculturally-themed Farmer Jason is popular with the elementary school set, but their parents might want to hang around too because Farmer Jason is the alter ego of Jason Ringenberg, whose band Jason & the Scorchers were arguably the most important trailblazers of Nashville's rock and roll scene and an act that paved the road for the genre-blending style that became known as Americana.

Tickets for Shoalsfest are on sale now, with two-day General Admission tickets priced at $99.50 and VIP tickets priced at $499.50. But be warned and get your tickets early as 2019's one-day affair sold out fast.

Check out a recap video of 2019’s Shoalsfest below.