Earlier this year, two of the best singer/songwriters on the American landscape, Jason Isbell and Will Hoge, ventured out on the road for a concert tour together full of indisputable and enlightening shows where these two troubadours shined a light on the art form of rock n' roll. I was fortunate enough to have caught their Chicago stop and what I laid witness to was a pair of artists, neither of whom has jumped on any bandwagons and have staying true to themselves. They both believe in their craft so religiously they would never do anything to endanger it. I knew Isbell from his work with the Drive-By Truckers, but had not really paid attention to where he was going once he left them. After watching his pensive performance I knew I needed to get his latest album Sirens of the Ditch as soon as possible. A great artist in my mind will ensure the live performance always elevates their material. The intensity with which Isbell churned out these stories immediately told me that there was more to him than meets the eye.

Isbell performed an inspiring set proving he's a storyteller who engages his audience with deep introspective lyrics. The visceral story of "Chicago Promenade" engulfed me and is why I'll be sure to catch him the next time he comes around. Jason Isbell's music relies more on soul than your standard southern flavor which was featured luminously on "Hurricanes and Hand Grenades" and "Brand New Kind of Actress". The heartfelt lyrics proved to be persistently poignant throughout as his reedy vocal styling revealed an emotionally charged artist. His performance of "Into the Mystic" by Van Morrison proved to be ethereal as his intensity in the song's delivery was staggering and even those I spoke to afterwards were equally stunned. It was my first time seeing Isbell, but it will not be my last.

Not to sound like a broken record, but Will Hoge and his band never seem to fail to deliver a heart-stopping and thunderous evening of rock n' roll. Opening with the supercharged delta blues homage "Sex, Lies and Money" it set the tone for the evening proving that even an illustrious studio track can have a second life as this performance was nothing short of scorching. The band had a fiddle player on stage with them for the evening and this addition and a blues drenched harmonica only accentuated the performance. The Paul Westerberg on speed number "Better Off Now", grasped hold of the audience and the oomph continued as he tore through "Secondhand Heart", "These Were The Days", "America" and the feverish "All Night Long" as he ensured the momentum was never lost.

The evening was chock full of so many highlights I'm not even sure where to start. "Silver and Gold", originally written with Taylor Hicks, was languid and hit a sweet spot. Two songs from his Atlantic album, "Baby Girl" and "King of Grey", found Hoge digging into his back pocket for revitalizing new interpretations. Both songs here were refined, stripped and flat out superb. "Pocket Full of Change" is the best thing the Black Crowes never wrote and is always leaves the crowd in awe. "The More That I Know The Less I Like About You" was a surprise inclusion with a stripped back with a rustic delivery featuring Hoge on the acoustic guitar. "Somebody Else's Baby Now" has an evocative lyric and vocal highlighted by the sublime violin, while "Wait Till Your Daddy Comes Home" was drenched in a bluesy smoky sweet number that surpassed eight-minutes. The epic "July Moon" showcased a fireworks display of musicianship while the whipping guitar riff to "Midnight Parade" gave the tune sharper teeth than on record, a sign of an evolving and great artist who never settles with what's on the record.

"It's A Shame", with its reworked opening reminiscent of "Twice As Hard", was initially restrained before the epic rage tore through the song. I felt fits of anger creep off the stage and crawl inside my skin- that is how potent this song can be when performed live. It's almost as if Hoge was excising demons from his soul. This was a tear down the walls version that overflowed with fervent emotional intensity. Needless to say, whenever he performs this number it's always a welcome inclusion to the set list. Will Hoge and his band may play clubs but they dispense their music with the stage presence of a stadium act.

One of the reasons I never grow tired of seeing Hoge live multiple times within a year is because each performance is continually fresh. I've seen him perform "Rock N' Roll Star" before but the way he delivered the Mercedes Benz line on this night was priceless. It never ceases to bring a smile to my face. It also always makes me realize of how hard his job is. He plays 250 shows a year, travels all over the world and only has a small group of people supporting him and his band. Hoge does not need industry accolades; his music has soul and his spirit is alive and well. Since witnessing this performance, both Isbell and Hoge have lost band members and Hoge even had his bus and gear hijacked and held for ransom by a disgruntled employee (If you're not a regular reader of Hoge's MySpace blogs, start reading them as their illuminating, heart wrenching and downright truthful). Will Hoge has drive and need to communicate his art with anyone who will listen and because of this, I know he will survive and thrive even if being a rock n' roll star isn't all it is cracked up to be. A wise man once said, "I will rise high above it all" and I'm sure both Jason Isbell and Will Hoge will do just that because to them…the highway's home.