Gregory Alan Isakov Allows the Colorado Symphony to Be the Star of His Show

Gregory Alan Isakov packed Boettcher Concert Hall on April 17, the first performance in a three-night run with the Colorado Symphony. Arranged by Tom Hagerman from DeVotchka and Jay Clifford, the show took Isakov's beloved music to the next level as the musicians augmented Isakov's already beautiful melodies and lyrics in a way that could only be felt live.

Isakov, who lives in Boulder, got his musical start here in Colorado. Lately, he and his band have been touring and playing with many different symphonies, he said as he took the stage, so "we've been looking forward to these three nights here at home" — to which his Colorado audience cheered.

Isakov started the show with "Amsterdam," a popular hit from his 2013 album, The Weatherman. Immediately, it was clear that Iskaov was not the only star of the show; conductor Christopher Dragon held the spotlight for much of the concert, and the audience was as focused on him as they were on Isakov. At many moments, Isakov went completely dark, with all lights on the conductor, the symphony or even members of his band: Jeb Bows on violin; Steve Varney on banjo, guitar, and piano; Max Barcelow on drums; Jon Paul Grigsby on bass; and Danny Black on guitar, keys and pedal steel guitar.

All of the band members took a turn in the spotlight, allowing unique moments in each song to captivate the audience. Varney's soft piano introductions, Bows' violin solos and Black's pedal steel moments that added a sorrowful weep to many of songs were not lost within the symphony, and all commanded attention.

Unlike at a typical concert, there was no singing in the audience, no standing and dancing — and refreshingly, no one watching through their phone's video camera. At the beginning of the show, the theater had announced that video recording was not allowed, and aside from a few rule-breakers here and there, the audience complied.

In 2025, it's rare to see an audience fully locked into a show. I often saw people with their eyes closed, not worried about capturing the moment and saving it for later. Everyone was fully immersed in the concert. And immersive it was.

The transitions between the songs, ethereal and haunting, guided listeners from one to the next. Even with no dancers or the flashy costumes that come with many concerts by major artists, there was plenty to look at. Just watching each musician focused on their music was entertaining enough for the full two-hour performance. The orchestra allowed for so much variation in energy within each song, people were on the edge of their seats, not knowing where the arrangement was going to go next.

With so many polished musicians on stage, Isakov was only a small piece of what made the show incredible. He recognized this, and joked with the audience that after hours of rehearsal earlier in the day, "it was clear that I'm the worst musician on this entire stage."

At one point, the band walked off — and the audience assumed the show was over, only for the band to re-emerge and perform something completely different. Gathered around one spherical mic, Isakov and his musicians sang and played their instruments, leaning into or away from the mic to create the perfect mix. Even the drummer was tapping his drumsticks on his thighs at one point, adding a soft beat that might have gone unnoticed if we weren't watching it all take place live.

It was refreshing to walk out of a concert without my feet hurting or my ears ringing, completely fulfilled. The relaxed environment made this one of my favorite concert experiences, and I'd love to see other popular musicians perform in a similar way with the symphony.