“I really like this place already,” Jason Isbell said, soon after walking onstage, Telecaster around his neck, to headline the first ever concert at Mars Music Hall, Friday night.

Isbell then strummed the big opening chords of his song "Cumberland Gap," and proceeded to lead his band, The 400 Unit, through an impressive two-hour set of rock, country, folk and beyond.

The sold-out crowd at Mars, located on the Clinton Avenue side of the Von Braun Center, contained many hardcore Isbell fans.

Hardcore enough when Isbell played a new song from the studio album he recently completed, a midtempo cut titled "Overseas," some dude standing behind me in the crowd sang along to every word.

About three or four songs in, the front of house sound got dialed in. Before that, the sound was a bit muddy on the first few Isbell tunes. Unfortunately, the sound was that way for all of support act Dylan LeBlanc, which shouldn’t be too surprising since LeBlanc was the very first musician to play the very first notes onstage here on the very first night. There are bugs to be worked out of almost anything new.

There didn't seem to be a bad view on the lower level at Mars Music Hall. Very strong sight lines throughout and because the floor is wider than deep a few really sweet nice close views near the sound booth.

The layout also includes restroom entrances at the back of the lower level. So while you're waiting in line, you still get to watch and hear the show. There are apparently additional restrooms out in the entrance hallway too, but that requires having to go through metal detectors fans enter through when they first arrive, like many concerts now, again.

Was curious about the balcony perspective because during a visit to Mars Music Hall earlier last week, that seemed like an ideal place to watch a show.

Friday night, the balcony had reached capacity unfortunately before I arrived about 15 minutes before LeBlanc's 8 p.m. set. Security was preventing more people from going upstairs, which of course is their job and keeps things safer in such an instance. Lesson learned: if the show's sold out or close, get there early to get in the balcony.

The downstairs level, while definitely packed, had some space around the back edges, so it didn't feel sardined or claustrophobic.

Concessions are also located inside Mars Music Hall’s lower level interior, full stands at the back and a couple auxiliary adult beverage floor carts. The line moved pretty quickly when I waited to purchase a bottled water. They seemed to have a solid selection of draft beer. Not too much as far as food goes, mostly candy, beers and nothing more substantial like a hot dog. But since the VBC’s new restaurant and rooftop bar, Rhythm on Monroe, located across the hallway to Mars, is set to open soon, that’s where you can obtain more suitable pre-concert ballast.

The merch table is also located inside the main performance area. Isbell fans snapped up specially made T-shirts and gig posters, featuring Huntsville centric imagery like a rocket and Space Camp-ish crest, until they sold out.

.@JasonIsbell performs at the brand new #MarsMusicHall in Huntsville, AL tonight. We'll have this show specific tee shirt and poster available for purchase in the #merchzone.

Poster and tee designed by @TheHalfandHalf. Tee printed on 100% recycled shirts from @recoverbrands. pic.twitter.com/pex2UNEEyV — Southeastern Records (@SoutheasternRec) January 4, 2020

Mars Music Hall is general admission. And almost all of it 1,575 capacity standing only, although some pub tables and stools line the balcony railing. So this is definitely a place to opt for comfort over style in, in the footwear department.

Getting in and out of Mars Music Hall was pretty smooth. Yes, you have to go through metal detectors but security processed that quickly. In general, I found the staff to be unobtrusive and pleasant.

It’s a shame LeBlanc vocals were indecipherably low during his opening set. The Nashville singer/songwriter and former Muscle Shoals resident possesses a haunting voice and evocative songs, including “Cautionary Tale” and “Renegade,” both performed during LeBlanc’s solo vocal and electric guitar set at Mars. Playing a big, dark guitar and wearing dark jacket and hat, he evoked an updated Laurel Canyon troubadour vibe. LeBlanc closed his set with a nifty cover of Fleetwood Mac’s 1987 single “Big Love,” featuring a spiraling guitar break that would’ve made Lindsey Buckingham proud.

The stage volume during LeBlanc's set also needed to be a little higher. Cocktail hour like crowd chatter could be heard at times not just between numbers but also during quieter song passages. During those moments, it felt like a big bar and not a music hall.

This was much less a factor during Isbell’s set, which truly felt like a concert. The set ranged from smart-rock stomps like “Hope the High Road” to strummy personal tunes including “Stockholm.” At this place in Isbell’s Grammy winning career, a venue this size is an underplay, and several fans I met in the crowd were from out of town, including Florida, drawn by that allure. And since Mars is filling a venue-size void that’s been in Huntsville since Crossroads’ 2013 shuttering, music fans here will now have the chance to see some bands that have bypassed by the Rocket City for years.

Onstage, Isbell sported a dark shirt, cool facial scruff and slicked back hair. Acclaimed musician Amanda Shires, also Isbell’s wife, sang sterling harmonies and performed interesting solos combining tradition and impressionism on her fiddle. Keyboardist Derry deBorja provided sheets of Hammond organ, and on elegiac story song “Elephant,” dramatic, simple and perfect piano. Lead guitarist Sadler Vaden looked the part of long lost Oasis brother, with his star-thin frame and hot haircut. Isbell and Vaden form one of the most potent guitar tandems going, regardless of genre. Throughout the concert they inspired each other to dig deeper, faster and more creative into their array of Gibsons, Fenders, etc. They dug out every lick and trick for a breakdown during a set closing cover of “Never Gonna Change,” the snarling track from Isbell’s Drive-By Truckers era. At one point it seemed like this dual-guitar climax might last longer than that new Martin Scorsese film on Netflix.

Mars Music Hall’s production during Isbell’s set added to epic feel of the former Shoals resident’s performance. Triangle and cone shaped lasers cut across the stage and through the crowd.

Musical high points included a home-sweet-home singalong of “Alabama Pines.” The sleek “24 Frames” soared with slide guitar melodies, and Truckers nugget “Decoration Day” got musically wide and deep.

Returning to encore after a short break and crowd chants of “One more set!” Isbell and band shook their musical money makers on a Black Crowes style version of rocker “Super 8,” my favorite Isbell song. They followed that with a cover of Peter Green era Fleetwood Mac riff fest “Oh Well.”

The audience gave Isbell and The 400 Unit warm and often big applause, and some songs like love/sobriety anthem “Cover Me Up” got a big hand from the opening notes. Isbell isn’t the type of musician to do knee slides across the stage. (Vaden’s Pete Townshend style guitar windmills provide the band’s visual flash.) At the mic Isbell mostly sways in time with the tune. And several years sober, Isbell’s voice hasn’t sounded more articulate, stronger or heartfelt. Physically, he becomes more animated during instrumental passages, whether marveling at solos Shires and Vaden play, or locking in with the rhythm section.

Speaking of drummer Chad Gamble and Jimbo Hart, natives of Tuscumbia and Sheffield respectively, they had the beats rolling, rumbling and tumbling all night. Hart has impeccable feel for when to give a song pillars and when it needs pepper. Behind his blue sparkle kit, Gamble was tastefully creative, using not only standard drum sticks, but mallets and brushes to add orchestration.

Perhaps the most intimate moment came during a performance of Grammy winning ballad “If We Were Vampires.” Lyrically, the track addresses the finite nature of life and time’s impact on even the best love. For this song, Isbell turned and faced Shires and sang to her. It must be beautiful to share a song and life like that with someone.