Isbell and the 400 Unit nixed a gig in Kansas on Thursday night; they’re scheduled to play their first arena concert with Turnpike Troubadours on Friday in Oklahoma City
Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit have scrapped their sold-out concert slated for Thursday night at Liberty Hall in Lawrence, Kansas, citing a vocal cord issue affecting the frontman. The gig is the second consecutive show Isbell canceled after postponing last night’s appearance in Springfield, Missouri. Both shows have been rescheduled: The Kansas date is now May 7; the Missouri show, May 8. (All tickets purchased for the original dates will be honored.)
In an Instagram post, Isbell said he hasn’t been in the hospital and doesn’t have Covid. “Looks like I got just enough of a virus from my daughter over the weekend to cause drainage that temporarily screwed up my vocal cords. I got checked out, got a prescription, and I’m sleeping at an angle and drinking a ton of water. Everybody is ok, I just can’t sing well enough to put on a show that meets our standards,” he said.
The two nixed concerts come just before the Americana singer-songwriter (and Killers of the Flower Moon actor) is slated to play his first arena concert with Turnpike Troubadours on Friday at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. A second arena show in OKC is set for Saturday. Isbell said he’s “hoping to be all good to go for the OKC shows tomorrow and Saturday,” and apologized for inconveniencing fans. “Thanks for understanding, and I’m terribly sorry if you’ve gone out of your way to see these shows.”
The arena concerts, however, will feature a slightly different looking 400 Unit. Earlier this week, the band’s lead guitarist Sadler Vaden announced he’d be sitting out four shows (including the two postponed gigs in Kansas and Missouri) to spend time with his newborn son. Guitar hero Audley Freed, who’s played with artists like the Black Crowes and Sheryl Crow, will sub for Vaden. “Honestly I wish I could be there just to witness a hero of mine rip it down with one of the best rock and roll bands going today,” he wrote, assuring fans he’ll rejoin Isbell and the 400 Unit for gigs in mid-February.
Vaden was keen to point out his return. Longtime fans mourned the departure of the 400 Unit’s original bassist Jimbo Hart in November after taking a few months away from the group. Anna Butterss, who handled the majority of the bass duties on the road after the release of Isbell’s Weathervanes, is the group’s new bass player.