By Lily Bourne
While his name may be unfamiliar, many people might recognize Gregory Alan Isakov for his most popular song, “Big Black Car”. That song is genuinely great, an example of a “viral” song that isn’t overrated. His discography, comprised of six albums, has a soothing, folk tone with the occasional indie-rock influence mixing in. The man himself—Greg, as I affectionately refer to him—has quite an interesting past; he was born in South Africa and moved to Colorado to become a horticulturist. He now tours internationally with his band while running a small farm back home.
Walking into the Fox Theater, I was dazzled. I did not expect such a beautiful place for a simple concert, much less a concert in the heart of Oakland. The artfully carved ceiling and giant statues contributed to an overall feeling of grandeur as we waited for the show to begin. Since Greg’s first few albums were released before we were even born, my friends and I were definitely in the lower age demographic of this concert. However, surrounded by middle-aged parents, elderly men, and a few other young folk lovers, we felt we still fit right in. As the lights began to dim, we were incredibly excited to see one of our favorite artists in person for the first time. The opener, Damien Jurado, perfectly set the mood for what was to come. While I’m pretty sure not a single person in the crowd knew his songs, his beautifully soothing voice and emotional lyrics worked together in a lovely performance. He even included some humor, performing a version of his cat’s favorite song, which he translated into “a language she could understand.” Yes, he did meow on stage.
When Greg finally took the stage, his performance left nothing more to be desired. With a set of around 20 songs, the concert only lasted an hour and a half. However, that time was not wasted. In fact, he barely spoke at all, simply seamlessly transitioning from one song to the next. “San Luis” seemed to be the crowd favorite, with the whole crowd singing along to every lyric. My favorite song of the night, “Amsterdam” sounded absolutely beautiful as Greg’s talented band provided the perfect backing track. After pulling a classic concert prank–walking off the stage twenty minutes before the concert is supposed to end just to walk back on once shouts for an encore start—Greg’s band took a different approach. They all gathered closely around a single microphone and performed in a tightly packed group. This gave the performance a personal, familiar feel—as if they were simply playing at home or in front of their friends. A few of the band members sported unique instruments, with his female counterpart playing a washboard with metal picks attached to her fingers. Another member seemed to be playing some sort of box, which he would simply open and close at different intervals. Whatever these instruments were, they contributed to a melodic harmony that backed Greg’s impressive vocal abilities. Finishing the concert with one of my all-time favorites of Greg’s, “Second Chances,” the energy in the theater was amazing. Every single person in the audience was entranced by the performance, and the concert ended with great applause. While Greg’s music may not be for everyone, I highly recommend anyone reading this to give the songs I mentioned a listen; they are truly amazing and some of my personal favorites!
