Photo by Kenzi Everitt
This Sunday evening was a beautiful end to the last weekend of summer. I have made my way around quite a few L.A. venues, so it is a bit shocking that this concert marked my first at the famous Hollywood Bowl. While I toured it a couple years back, I had never actually attended a show until this September.
Since a little time has passed since I last visited the Bowl, I didn’t remember how grand it truly is. I arrived early, book in hand, just in case I got bored waiting for the show to begin (current read is I Regret Almost Everything by Keith McNally). I ended up spending my hour before the music began exploring the venue, climbing its multiple escalators, checking the menus at many food stands and at The Backyard, an upscale restaurant overlooking the stage inside. Despite the endless options, I loved seeing how many people brought in their brown Trader Joe’s bags, spreading out a sunset picnic with friends. Definitely bookmarking that hack for my next visit.
I later made my way to my seat, luckily in one of the boxes, and FaceTimed my sister, a big fan of Gregory Alan Isakov, and his opener, José González – also one of my current favorites. Silently, I turned the camera to show my view, and her mouth dropped. Dead center, full-view. I was giddy. She was jealous (and happy for me).
José González quietly made his way on stage, sitting down and beginning to casually fingerpick one of his beautiful guitars. It may have been just him on stage, but the audience was entranced. His voice was incredibly clear and smooth, and he weaved his way through a combination of both Spanish and English lyrics, showing off his impressive and dexterous songwriting.
González played his best, including “Etyd,” from his most recent album, Against the Dying of the Light, and “A Perfect Storm,” my top song of his. Mid-set, he addressed the crowd, thanking them for coming out, and reflecting on the passage of time, “I was here almost 20 years ago to the day.” He also played “Line of Fire,” a song from one of his other projects, the band Junip. González is truly a generational talent, and that was one of the best opening acts I have seen in a long time.
After a 20-minute intermission, the L.A. Phil made their way on stage, shortly before Gregory Alan Isakov joined them on banjo, opening with “Before the Sun Comes Up.” After the first couple of songs, he greeted the audience, “we’re in heaven, thank you so much,” before diving into the song my sister made sure I would film: “Amsterdam.”
As expected, the L.A. Phil absolutely killed, bringing such a depth to Isakov’s genius songwriting. The violins sang on the well-known “San Luis,” and between songs, Isakov admitted, “we’ve all played this music once together… they’re good.” To the humor of fans, he joked, “I’m actually the worst musician up here.”
His set continued with “Sweet Heat Lightning” and “Miles To Go,” which he sweetly pulled out the harmonica for. Towards the end of the night, he played “Second Chances,” one of the first songs that caused me to dive into his discography. He is an incredibly humble, selfless, and talented performer, and his voice is something I am so glad I got to experience in person.
The night concluded with an encore, with a band of five from his childhood all singing around one mic together, of course, alongside the accompaniment of the L.A. Phil. This night of music was a perfect end to my summer, and I only hope I can revisit the Hollywood Bowl soon.
