Until earlier this year, Gregory Alan Isakov was a name I had seen in various music publications and on social media, but one I had never fully investigated. When I listened to some of the first singles from his latest album Appaloosa Bones, I certainly began to get a sense of why Isakov had been burgeoning on the outskirts of my musical listening. His atmospheric Americana sound called to mine a number of artists I love, from Jason Isbell to American Aquarium. So when I received an invite to see him perform at Los Angeles’ beautiful Theatre in the Ace Hotel, I knew this would be an opportunity to fully immerse myself in the music of the man himself.
Opening the night was another act who have been on my radar for quite some time but that I had yet to really listen to; Shovels & Rope. The South Carolina married duo could be considered the alt country White Stripes, if Meg could sing and and play keys while also providing harmonies for Jack. Opening their set with the rustic “Colorado River” and sharp “The Wire”, S&R showed they could create a full-bodied sound that filled the room despite being a two-person group. They test-drove a couple new songs, one called “Love Song from a Dog” which was a lovely tune. They also played a requested song that someone had left in a comment on social media, which I thought was a nice touch.
Moving from slower ballads to more rocking numbers like “Mississippi Nuthin'” and the James Dean-inspired “Domino”, I definitely understand why the duo have been one of those “best kept secret” groups in the Americana scene, beloved by fellow musicians as well as having a die-hard fan base. While a couple of their songs delved a little too into the country territory for my tastes, they are certainly a strong live band with some solid tunes in their catalog.
Isakov began his set playing a solo acoustic song, letting the haunting track permeate through the quiet theatre, building atmosphere for the evening. If Isakov wanted to play an entire set acoustically, he certainly could and still have the audience on the edge of their seats, but as the five members of his band came out on stage to go into one of Isakov’s biggest songs, the gorgeous “San Luis”, it was clear the power in his music was done proper justice with the full instrumentation.
While Gregory Alan Isakov may not be a household name, he’s certainly not an unknown. With over 1 billion streams, a couple of his tracks over the 100m stream mark (I sense gold records in his future), the Colorado-based musician has a devoted listenership. But seeing the lines for his merch and the enthusiastic response from his audience, with screams and shouts of love, one can quickly tell his fanbase is passionate and dedicated (as if him playing two nights in a row at the Ace wasn’t a clear sign). While I was not familiar with most of Isakov’s songs I heard that night, what I heard was often emotional and enthralling.
Though in his own words, some of his songs are “bummers”, evoking melancholy and a dispirited sorrow one might feel looking over the western plains on an overcast day, the tenor of Isakov’s voice has an effective melange of grit and soul that grounds the songs in a sturdy, hopeful foundation. And his band were incredible, a number of them multi-instrumentalists who brought energy and even a little playfulness to the performance. The violinists almost upstaged Isakov at times, rocking out on his instrument along with the stand-up bassist.
The projected visuals during the performance were fitting additions to the world of Isakov’s songwriting; old-timey towns, 1900’s factories, wide open roads and plains (which paired perfectly with tracks like “Miles to Go”). This and a number of the newer songs in his set, including the wilting pop number “Watchman” and the banjo-led, autumnal “The Fall”, were welcomed warmly by the crowd. Of course, it was the more bombastic crowd pleasers like main-set ended “Amsterdam” that got the group a standing ovation as they left the stage.
Of course, an encore was coming, and it did with Isakov’s streaming monster “Big Black Car”. The plaintive song had the audience rapt. Isakov and the band then came together at the center of the stage, circling around a single microphone for two more songs, played in this classic folk fashion. While it’s not the first time I’ve seen bands do this, it’s always a sign to me of true musicianship and a respect for the past and traditions of which the style that Isakov plays has a long history of. It was also a nice way to cap a lovely evening of music from an artist I now plan to follow far more closely moving forward.
Listen to Gregory Alan Isakov‘s latest album Appaloosa Bones here, and be sure to catch him on tour when he comes to your town.
The Indy Review 