Gregory Alan Isakov isn’t your typical festival staple. His soft, smooth, yet raspy voice and quiet stage presence seem more well-suited to dimly-lit bars or standalone stages with a single spotlight.
I was surprised in this sense to see he was playing CityFolk, and at three o’clock in the afternoon on an outdoor stage, no less. He even acknowledged this during his set, saying, “We don’t play a lot of festivals, or outside in general . . . We like to play little places in the dark, at night.”
But Isakov knows his strengths, and he knew how to make the show feel incredibly intimate. Known for his melodious, soothing guitar strums, and beautiful yet melancholic lyrics, this singer-songwriter held the crowd throughout his set. I arrived about 40 minutes before he began, and already an eager bunch of nearly 30 fans were leaning against the stage railing, watching in silent admiration as he sound-checked.
The usual six-piece band was whittled down to Isakov and fellow bandmate Steve Varney. Isakov acknowledged this in between songs and joked about the absence of his bandmates, saying, “Only some of us can make it through the border.” With maybe three or four guitars, a banjo, and the occasional kick drum between them, the pair sounded as if they were being backed by a full band.
Opening with “Amsterdam” off of his latest album The Weatherman, Isakov immediately transfixed the audience. Like moths to a flame, concert-goers approached the crowd at the front of the stage. Glancing behind me, I could see a couple hundred people laying on blankets, kicking off shoes, and baking in the hot afternoon sun—couples were leaning on each other’s shoulders, swaying to the music, others were tapping their toes to the beat. You couldn’t help but notice the atmosphere of lazy contentment that hung about.
Even though the sun was quite hot, I still got goosebumps as Isakov’s voice swelled during the final verse of “Amsterdam,” a testament to his ability as an artist.
It was like the last gasp of summer: his songs evoke images of dying campfires, cold sunsets, sandy feet, and just a hint of melancholy. It’s the kind of record you want playing when you’re driving out to the lake just before the sun sets. Or when you’re lying in bed, listening to the rain hitting the pavement.
No matter what song he started to play, there was someone in the audience who would shout out upon recognizing the first few chords. He received a particularly loud ripple of cheers when he played the opening chords of “Big Black Car,” which was featured in a McDonald’s commercial a few years back. Isakov wrapped up the set with “Saint Valentine,” sending his adoring fans a little love.
Isakov is currently working on an album with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, and while no release date has been set, it’s hoped to be released sometime in 2016.
