Colorado artist brings it home with a two-night stand at the Rocks.

Oh man, it is so damn good to get to play at home,” Gregory Alan Isakov declared to a sold-out audience at Red Rocks Amphitheatre.

The 46-year-old South African indie folk artist originally moved to Colorado to attend horticultural school. It’s been over 26 years, and he never left. Alongside his music career, he owns a farmstead outside Boulder where he grows food, cares for animals and records his music.

It’s only fitting that he played two nights of his Symphony Tour with the Colorado Symphony at Red Rocks on Sept. 6 and 7.

On night one, audience members excitedly filed into their assigned seats. A lush, eerie soundscape rose with vibrant strings, eliciting the feeling of running through the woods under a full tree canopy. Burnt orange lights fell down onto the stage as Isakov sang about gratitude and personal resilience on “Before the Sun.” Watching the full orchestra soar with Isakov served as a healing reminder of the immense power of people working together to create music.

Lights blinked like stars for “Amsterdam.” The orchestra amplified the cinematic track with sweeping strings and Steve Varney’s creeping keys. Audience members remained seated for the duration of the show, and many were clearly captivated by the orchestra infusing Isakov’s already beautiful songs with so much life and passion.

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On “San Luis,” Isakov was lit, so you couldn’t see his face. He became a haunted, shadowy figure under a wide-brimmed fedora on the black-and-white screen. The orchestra crescendoed and fell silent as Isakov played acoustic guitar and sang, then returned in full force. Isakov channeled the pain of not feeling seen and passing by in the night like a ghost. The Colorado Symphony’s conductor Christopher Dragon captured the emotional arcs of Isakov’s songs with skill and intention.

Jeb Bows performed an aching violin solo into the heart-shattering track “This Empty Northern Hemisphere.” It was truly magical to see so many people feeling something all at once.

“We’re just trying to play everything slower, so it lasts longer for us. This is just so amazing,” said Isakov.

Sounds like the wind whispering across a mountain range were present as Isakov sang “Liars” off of his 2016 album with the Symphony. He used his harmonica microphone to create an old newscaster sound. Bright white lights fell onto the stage like the heavens opening up.

The audience gave the musicians a standing ovation before a brief intermission. Isakov showcased his impressive range with a crisp falsetto into a baritone register on “The Fall.”

Happy to be there

The artist confessed that he and his bandmates “were all just nerding out in the back before the show.” He expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to perform songs he wrote in his kitchen at a historic venue with the Colorado Symphony.

A flurry of strings flitted into the sky on “Sweet Heat Lightning.” Orange lights bathed the audience as they shone onto the vast rocks above, signaling a new beginning.

The crowd offered another standing ovation before the encore. Isakov and his band crowded together around one microphone to play and sing harmonies on “Feed Your Horses.”

It wouldn’t be a folk concert in Colorado without a guest appearance from Nathaniel Rateliff. The Denver-based artist and Isakov performed their 2025 single “Flowers,” an intimate track that remained incomplete for five years before they returned to it. It’s a manifestation of their friendship, further solidifying the brilliance of musical collaboration.