See Jason Isbell’s Brooding ‘White Man’s World’ From ‘2018 AmericanaFest’

Jason Isbell was the big winner at September’s Americana Honors & Awards, where he won three of the night’s categories, including Album of the Year for his latest effort The Nashville Sound. Later this week, the ceremony receives its cable television premiere when CMT airs 2018 AmericanaFest, a collection of performances and speeches from the Nashville event. Among them: Isbell and his band the 400 Unit’s blazing performance of The Nashville Sound track “White Man’s World.”

Filmed at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, the performance sees both Isbell and 400 Unit guitarist Sadler Vaden offering some nuanced slide work, while Isbell and wife Amanda Shires deliver eerie harmonies that receive a moody complement from the dim stage lighting. Isbell gave Shires a shout-out during one of his acceptance speeches that night, recalling that, “As she put it, ‘Anyone can be watching Hoarders right now. You’re a songwriter.'”

2018 AmericanaFest, airing Thursday, December 6th, at 8:00 p.m/CT on CMT, also includes performances by Buddy Guy, Rosanne Cash and Brandi Carlile, who delivers a typically stunning take on “The Joke.”