Gregory Alan Isakov @ Union Transfer (11/3)
The inkling I got from his stage presence at Thursday night’s performance at Union Transfer was confirmed by my phone interview with him the following Sunday afternoon— Gregory Alan Isakov’s demeanor is just as sweet and unassuming as his music.
Isakov, who combines lush guitar chords with tender cello harmonies, the soft strum of the banjo, and the occasional longing strains of the harmonica, easily finds his place among the ranks of indie folk greats. Inspired by his parents’ “awesome music collection” and a number of folk festivals on the East coast that he attended as a teen, Gregory Alan Isakov has produced four albums since 2003. Thursday night’s concert—the opening act for headliners Blind Pilot— drew heavily from Isakov’s most recent album, This Empty Northern Hemisphere, released in May 2009.
Although his compelling melodies reflect true musical talent, Isakov told me, “I consider myself more of a writer than anything.” When I reminded him of his brilliance on the guitar, he humbly responded, “I’m alright. My band really helps me out.” Indeed, Isakov’s lyrics are beautifully complex, so powerful and all at once graceful in their ability to instill in his audience a sense of yearning, of loss, of serenity. When asked why he decided to create music, Isakov responded, “I’d always wanted to write.” It seems as irresistible as his music is, he really only composes to add strength to his lyrics.
Isakov tries to create a different sound for each performance. “When we’re playing to support other bands,” he continues, “we make our set heavier. This was our first concert with Blind Pilot. I think our music goes pretty well together.” The set list did include such “heavy” selections as “This Empty Northern Hemisphere” and “Evelyn”—songs that draw out Isakov’s rock side with faster tempos, rich percussion, and keyboard solos. Still, he started his show with a soft song so that he could “give the soundman a chance to get a feel for the effect in the room,” and ended with the quiet and haunting “3 A.M.” as an encore, returning to the stage by himself with only his guitar. I asked him what the name of the first song on his set list was, a bit embarrassed that I didn’t recognize it; I thought the amount of times I’d listened to his albums on repeat was ample enough to identify every song. He laughed bashfully in response to my gushing admission, and told me that the song was a new one—he’d just written it a few days earlier, on the road. “It’s called ‘The Astronaut’,” he told me (only after I asked), adding, “…at least for now.”
A quiet, modest man, Gregory Alan Isakov did not talk much in between songs. The most talking he did on stage came when he introduced his band, The Freight. He graciously praised his cellist, Philip Parker, and the members of Fairchildren, a band that accompanied him on tour to complete The Freight—Julie Davis on upright bass, James Han on keyboard, Patrick Meese on drums, and Joseph Pope III on guitar.
Isakov seemed surprised when he realized I was waiting to talk to him after his show. This endearing humility feeds into a casual friendliness—when I called him on the phone, he asked, “I met you last Thursday, right? How’ve you been since then?” His raw, revealing lyrics and warm personality create a genuine connection between musician and audience. We keeps one wanting more. And we’ll get just that—Gregory Alan Isakov hopes to drop another album in early spring of 2012. He’s excited about the strong melodies on this new album, and has re-worked and re-written the songs many times, looking to see “where it wants to go.” He isn’t in a hurry to release the album, though: “I don’t want to rush anything; I want to create albums that last.”
- Eliana Machefsky, Tie-dye yo ears Off (Wednesdays 11am - 12pm @ WQHS.org)
