When the modern world we live in is constantly loud, resounding and filled with a plethora of sounds it is such a comfort and solace to slow down and soak in the quietness of a space. This is where you will find Gregory Alan Isakov within this space. Evening Machines marks his 4th full length album and is full of thoughtful lyricism and double meanings. About human struggle, hope and moving forward. An album born in the the quiet expansiveness of the Colorado nights where Gregory Alan Isakov, an horticulturist and entrepreneur, tends to his farm.
The stage setup was pretty sparse with amps, some glowing globes and a nice back drop of a satellite, tall grass and open sky. Gregory and his great ensemble of musicians opened the show with “She always takes it black”, a slow burner, and with some older tracks off the last couple of albums, notably the affable, sing-along. melodic “Big Black Car”. The sweeping, cinematic, meditative, “Was I Just Another One”, was the first track from the Evening Machines in the set before settling into the more heavier instrumental, which goes to show the well thought out placement of tracks in the setlist.
Caves is a triumphantly resounding and reverberating, despite being a song about silence.
It was nice moment in concert when the crowd sang back the main chorus, “Lets put all these words away”. Another stand out, Berth, as Gregory points out — “I didn’t know if it would be on album”, but now feels like he’s glad it did – is an immigration song about moving forward. This couldn’t had been more relevant then now looking at the political chaos with immigration currently happening in the States. We were very lucky tonight as well to be treated to a new track, “Olivia”, during Gregory’s solo acoustic interlude before the last few songs and encore, which brought the full band playing unplugged at the centre of the stage with one standing single mic.
Gregory isn’t much for words on stage but that isn’t the point. Going to his concerts is more about the emotive experience, the music and the songs themselves. About connections and vulnerability, and being lost in a time and space.
