by Joe Cornett
Gregory Alan Isakov and his band played the Fox Theater in Oakland on Saturday night to a sold out crowd. Their Appaloosa Bones tour is in full swing and fans lined up as early as 5:00 pm to secure their front row spot for the show.
Followers of the band have been posting on forums and social media that he is at the top of his game, some claiming it’s been their favorite show of the year. The energy among listeners was fun as everyone talked about past experiences and greeted those next to them.
As always, his sets are moody with dim lights that often only provide silhouettes of the band members. The light compliments the poetic power of Isakov’s lyrics that are often sentimental and nostalgic. His storytelling takes you to farmlands and other outside places and paints pictures of rural towns, morning light, and fleeting memories of close friends and lovers. You can almost smell a farm from his lyrics as he sings old-time visuals into your head.
I’ve seen the band live a lot over the years but recently it’s as if they’re finding ways to produce more sound. The layering of each instrument with the next sounds deeper than previous years. They’re not necessarily playing louder but more so adding a fullness to what is being produced.
Their setlist started with Before The Sun, their most popular single from the new album and then continued to pepper the crowd with new and old favorites that everyone wants to sing along to.
The crowd recognized the first few chords of the fan favorite song, Big Black Car and cheered loudly with excitement. He kept it going with more hits like San Luis, Amsterdam, If I Go, I’m Goin, and peppered in new songs throughout the night.
For the 4 song encore the band gathered around a single vintage capacitor microphone with all of the instruments crammed in. It was a tight gathering and those sitting in the front of the venue could see the smiles of every band member as they moved in and out to play and sing their parts. The encore started with my personal favorite song, Second Chances and ended with All Shades of Blue.
If you’re into indie folk music that has a wonderful storytelling element to it, GO SEE THIS BAND! Even if you’re not into folk music, you’ll enjoy the visual spectacle that they create.
The Tour is currently playing the West Coast and headed to the Southwest and onto the South afterwards. The band will finish up their tour in September with two shows at Red Rocks in Morrison, Colorado.
Leave a reply