Gregory Alan Isakov
Mount Baker Theater, Bellingham, Washington • January 24, 2025
by Liz Weiss
Nestled between the North Cascades and the shoreline of Bellingham Bay, the Mount Baker Theater stood proud, with her tower lit up like a beacon in the night, guiding Gregory Alan Isakov fans through the streets that line the Arts District of Bellingham. These streets have seen the feet of many people over the last hundred years for events held in this beautiful building, tenderly loved by her community.
Getting to see your favorite artists live is a true musical chemistry that many people deeply need for the final connection to their music. Tonight, everyone prepared accordingly, in their best duds or favorite Isakov shirt from whichever most recent show they traveled far and wide to see. The theater was scented with the most delicious perfumes, dabbed on just before leaving the house to find a good parking spot. The stage itself was beautiful, with simply a piano, a couple banjos, and guitars for Steve Varney, who was joining Gregory onstage for this intimate evening. On top of the piano was a glowing globe. When the lights dimmed to dark reds and purples, it was the only thing shedding light across the stage.
Isakov came prepared with at least five harmonicas and a very sharp wit. One of things I love the most about seeing artists live is that, if you are lucky enough, they share in-between songs, giving you a sweet taste of who they really are outside of being someone that can bring you to tears with a line like “hope was a letter I never could send, well, love was a country we couldn’t defend.” One of the stories Isakov shared was of being a kid and entering a raffle with 7UP, and being able to go and tour the factory, leaving with a take-away treasure of bubble gum soda. He also poked fun at his brother and the fact that he is a musician as well, but writes for cheesy documentaries. Just as we all were feeling sorry for the brother, Gregory motioned to stage right, and out Ilan Isakov came onto the stage.
To hear about how these two wrote our favorite songs together, but not without a game of chess first — I don’t think we ever heard Ilan Isakov utter a word during the time he was up there, but he played the piano while his brother sang — we all felt the magic and love they obviously share between each other. We also got to hear Isakov lament about his phone conversation with his mom, telling her he was nervous, and her reassuring him that everyone had good things to say on Facebook. By the end of the night, we knew Gregory Alan Isakov just a little better. The set was everything we wanted it be. I am pretty sure that everyone was pleased with the array of songs that he chose for the night, “San Luis,” “Appaloosa Bones,” and “Big Black Car,” just to name a few.
While I really love this man’s voice and the words that he strings together so magnificently, I also love the fact that when he’s not writing beautiful melodies, he is farming his land just outside Boulder County, Colorado, my home state, and where I moved to Bellingham from this summer. He shared that having that farm was what got him through COVID, being able to get his hands dirty, in quiet solitude, in one of the most beautiful places on earth, while providing healthy produce via the CSA and community support. He mentioned that some of the CSA members from Colorado were in the crowd to help kick off the first night of his tour.
This man is humble and funny as hell. If you ever get the chance to see Gregory Alan Isakov live, do yourself the favor. Bellingham was so fortunate that he chose our city, where the mountains meet the ocean, to resonate with and commune with over music. ◼
