Gregory Alan Isakov – March 5th – Ogden Theatre

Estimated read time 5 min read

13-TYH_2828Photos by Ty Hyten

The Scene: An amiable multitude ambled about the Ogden Theatre well before the opener, Mandolin Orange, was set to go on. As I made my way through the flanneled Patagonia-and-boots “light-snow casual” crowd, it became difficult to find good spots, even though the doors had just opened a short while before. Despite the density, the crowd, comprised mainly of those in their early 30’s, were good-natured.

The Opener: Mandolin Orange. Mandolin Orange are the North Carolina-born duo of Emily Frantz and Andrew Marlin. While their stage presence was simple (an apt opening act for Isakov), there was a comfortable sparseness to Marlin’s mandolin picking and the soaring voice of Frantz. The crowd paid them great respect, which was deserved, and the house was silent with the opening of “House of Stone.” Nostalgic harmonies defined their front-porch Bluegrass sound. Suzuki-trained Frantz and Marlin then led into “Calvary,” afterwards graciously thanking the crowd. Their set was polished, but genuine, and I was left craving more of the warm, sweet melodies.

In between Mandolin Orange and Gregory Alan Isakov, the “Larabar Renola–Remix Singer-Songwriter Contest” winner, Annalise Emerick took the stage playing, “Twinkling Lights.” While her voice was warm and round, her lyrics and music felt mismatched against Isakov and Mandolin Orange; more American Idol than fitting opener.

Gregory Alan Isakov: Isakov’s familiar, and only, stage prop, an illuminated globe, sat mirroring the giant yellow moon that lit the Thursday night sky. With the exception of one dope beside me, the entire room stood eerily silent as Isakov and his full band (including the re-addition of a drummer) took to the large Ogden stage. The five piece band, featuring Isakov in a new hat (I keep track of these things), started the evening with an unfamiliar song.

The amazing set traversed the vast expanses that Isakov so deftly paints. He stood still as lyrics and music painted scenes around him in the minds of the audience, drawing on the emotions that attach to those spaces. The set was heavily centered on 2013’s The Weatherman, though plenty of favorites from previous albums made appearances as well.

The instrumentation was nothing out of the usual for a Folk setting but the way the instruments were used was. Steve Varney’s volume pedal swells on the electric were key components of the moods attached to the songs. His banjo playing also felt more contemporary than stuck in tradition. The on and off again appearance of a drummer is always a welcome addition to Isakov’s music and the beat of the drum felt akin to the heartbeat of the traveling characters in Isakov’s songs.

“This Empty Northern Hemisphere” was full and pulsating and was a personal high-water mark. Other favorites came packaged in the single-mic Bluegrass tradition. These included “St. Valentine” and  “The Stable Song.” The sound was a bit brittle, but the joy in the faces of the band and the audience overcame that. “She Always Takes It Black” was gorgeous and performed by Isakov solo. A second outstanding moment came with the unreleased “Liars.” The theatre was completely silent, even the normal din of the bar, where Denver Music Royalty like Nathaniel Rateliff, Rob Drabkin and Patrick Meese stood watch, was cloaked in an impermeable quiet. In “Honey, It’s Alright” Rateliff joined Isakov on stage, adding another gorgeous layer to a simple, but oh-so-powerful song. This favor was then returned by Isakov, joining Nathaniel on Nathaniel’s “When Do You See.” A “Dandelion Wine” then ended the main set and was both transfixing and gorgeous. Upon looking back at my notes from the show for this song, his performance had clearly left me dumbstruck, as I jotted down “Come to Jesus moment- I want to buy a Greg.” Unfortunately, I had to settle for a t-shirt at the merch counter.

The encore came with the unexpected return of one of Greg’s old staples, “Drank All The Wine.” The song, originally written and recorded by Johann Wagner, isn’t on any of Isakov’s albums, but was a part of nearly every show for years before disappearing from the setlist in recent years. Isakov was joined by several friends, including Mandolin Orange, for the infectious song. After all had left the stage, Isakov returned alone for a second encore and played a haunting “Master and A Hound” that caused a tear or two to well up in my eye, but that’s just a rumor and I don’t know what you’re talking about.

Gregory Alan Isakov, in his biggest local headlining show yet, played one of the most notable sets I’ve seen thus far in 2015, and a top performance of the twenty-some-odd shows of his I’ve seen.

Energy: A
Musicianship: A
Sound: A+
Stage Presence: A
Set/Light Show: B

Overall: A

More From Author

+ There are no comments

Add yours