Boulder, Colorado-based musician Gregory Alan Isakov has a devoted fanbase of kind and musically astute listeners. The setlist for Red Rocks night 2 felt like poetry – rich with vocals of grit and grace. The audience for the 9.1.2025 performance drank in the Red Rocks performance like fine wine.
The concert opened with the lyrically heartfelt She Always Takes it Black as Gregory Alan Isakov stood alone on the iconic Red Rocks stage with his guitar. Darkness laid a blanket over the venue as the half-moon rose.
The full band emerged for the second song – a haunting version of San Luis. The opening songs set the tone for a night – an enthralling patchwork of complex music. The setlist contained layers of melancholy and joy proving heartache and happiness are two books that sit side by side on the same shelf.
With Isakov at the heart center of the stage, his talented band encircled him with the stand-up bass, violinist, banjo, drums, keys and more during the first song of the funeral. The band of multi-instrumentalists brought energy to every song and includes Jeb Bows (violin), Steve Varney (banjo, guitar, piano), Max Barcelow (drums), John Paul Grigsby (bass) and Danny Black (guitar, keys, steel). The river of camaraderie and respect is apparent.
Isakov called the night a dream. He said that while he has played many shows at Red Rocks, it never gets old and he never takes the honor for granted. The show had multi-generational appeal. I met guests from age 6 months (with cute hearing protection) to 84. A family-friendly vibe was omnipresent for the second of his two Red Rocks sold-out shows.
The tour rolls on to U.S. cities during the fall of 2025 and then transitions to an international leg. Those dates include three sold-out nights in Amsterdam and two sold-out nights in Dublin. For a full list of upcoming shows click here.
The night closed with an intimate 3-song encore with the entire ensemble gathered around a single microphone. The set closed with one of my favorite songs, the emotionally deep magnum opus: The Stable Song.
The admiration for this band was evident with extra long lines at the merch vendors. The line stretched up and down and around the red stone steps for the clever and unique merch offerings.
For more information, follow Gregory Alan Isakov on…
Leif Vollebekk opened the night with lessons about the rising moon and a powerful setlist. He returned to the stage during the encore to play with Gregory Alan Isakov the collaborative song, If I Go, I’m Goin – a poetic serenade to everyone at Red Rocks. As we sit beside one another, where strangers become acquaintances stitched together with threads of lyrics and melodies. An array of different stories and different lives woven together forever upon the shared experience of Red Rocks.
