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"I miss the Zephyr," said Jason Isbell, referencing the now-defunct Zephyr Club in downtown Salt Lake City. "I'm glad there's an equally cool place to be," he added, referring to The State Room. The latter is a place the northern Alabama-based band he fronts has played more times than any other band since the club opened. Isbell is becoming less and less known for being a member of the Drive-By Truckers, and more and more as a solo artist whose lyricism and guitar-playing prove that he is a creative force by himself. Isbell will visit The State Room on a short tour of the Intermountain West, and he said in a Tribune interview the tour is essentially an attempt to "feel like I'm contributing to society." The band is touring behind the 2011 album "Here We Rest," with the title an unmistakable nod to his beloved home state; it once was the state motto of Alabama. The album can almost be considered a concept album about the devastation the country has experienced in the Great Recession. "I listen to a lot of people's stories and try to empathize with him," he said. Hope & Tim Glenn open.
When • Tonight at 8Where • The State Room, 638 S. State St., Salt Lake City Tickets • $17 at thestateroom.com