Soft rock performers to play at Buskirk-Chumley

The soft tones of critically acclaimed singer-songwriter Josh Ritter will fill the Buskirk-Chumley Theater this Saturday night.

Ritter will play an all-acoustic set and will be accompanied by up-and-coming artist Gregory Alan Isakov.

The two have been touring their latest albums, Ritter’s “The Beast in its Tracks” and Isakov’s “The Weatherman.”

Ritter’s eighth studio album debuted at No. 8 on the “Top Rock Albums” chart earlier this year.

Isakov, a Colorado native, said he enjoys touring with Ritter, and is especially looking forward to Saturday’s acoustic set.   

“With Josh, there’s a great mix of music that we do,” Isakov said. “We both have a pretty different take on music. It’ll be a pretty cool evening.”

Isakov began working on his album “The Weatherman” in Europe, but mostly recorded it in Colorado, where he currently lives. According to Isakov’s website, the album reflects his travels and affinity for nature.

“I love getting a chance to connect with people,” Isakov said. “We spend a lot of time recording records and writing them mostly in solitude. When we play live, the songs have a different life.”

Isakov said he enjoys the song-writing process and performance collaboration with Ritter.

“Everything starts out on guitar and piano in my kitchen and then we arrange around the band,” Isakov said. “When you strip all that away, it becomes something with honest kinds of feelings.”

Unlike many modern artists who market their music via singles and downloads, Isakov said he thinks of his work in terms of a whole.

“Some records are better than others,” Isakov said. “I try to make complete pieces of work. I guess I’m kind of old school like that.”

Isakov and Ritter are quite popular among the college-aged crowd, he said, and Saturday’s show is expected to receive a largely young adult audience.

“I live in a college town too, back in Boulder,” Isakov said. “I don’t really think about it, whether they are college students or not. I hope that people connect with the music.”

Follow reporter Hannah Alani on Twitter @hannahalani.