Fans flock to Paper Bird
By Katherine Weadley

If you ever meet the three charismatic vocalists of the band Paper Bird they seem like pretty objects that you want to put in your pocket and take out later to play with. However, when you hear them sing you want to set them free and let the world share in their ethereal talent. The crowd at the Wildflower Pavilion on the ranch at Planet Bluegrass agreed since the seating was nearly at capacity despite the downpour at the roofed but open-air pavilion.
The vocalists consist of Sarah Anderson, and sisters Esmé Patterson and Genevieve Patterson. Esme and Genevieve are sisters and both graduated from Fairview High School in Boulder. They are all in their early twenties. Last year they released their first album Nameless and Joymaking. Other members of the band include Tyler Archuletta on trombone; Caleb Summeril on banjo and harmonica; Paul DeHaven on guitar and Macon Terry on acoustic guitar
I didn’t actually hear them sing on stage but I did hear them warm-up backstage and if that was any indication of their talent, let alone the rest of the band, then this band is indeed a rarity. Brian Eyster, spokesperson for Planet Bluegrass, booked the band. “A friend of a friend randomly slipped me a myspace address for the band early last winter. I listened to 1 track and I was hooked – the vocal harmonies were totally locked, the songs sounded like nothing I’d ever heard, and they had a certain pazazz in their energy. Musically, they synthesize many styles – country, 1920s jazz, indie rock, Bjork – but it’s generally impossible to play “spot the influence.” he said.
Although two of the band members are actually sisters they talk about each other as family. “We really are like a family. We live together on our bus and there’s no room and we don’t care,” said Anderson. Eyster agrees “It’s refreshing to see a band that truly identifies themselves as a band. They won’t ever say who wrote what parts, or who arranged what. Everything they do was produced together as “the band.”
They all agree that the band came together easily. All of the vocalists had been in select choral groups in their high school choirs. “We came together as a band in one day. It was supposed to happen,” said Genevieve. “We just want to tell you to follow your heart.”
The bus Paper Bird drives around in is an artsy custom-built bus that runs on grease. They drive from town to town and call ahead to find out where their bus can fill up on grease. “We don’t have another place to call home. The bus is our home,” said Esme. The entire band is environmentally conscious about how they live.
Opening Act opens up
Gregory Alan Isakov lives just outside of Lyons and was the opening act for that night’s show, and I did get to hear him sing. Backstage he is a quiet and unassuming young man. He is comfortable with himself and smiles easily. Still, he doesn’t say a lot. “I don’t like to talk. I write songs and sing them. I get nervous in the grocery store,” he said. He did say, however, that he dislikes such musical labels as “folk” or “folk rocker” because he doesn’t write to any particular style.
He may be nervous in the grocery store but he’s not on stage. It’s as if his personality stores up as much energy as possible so he can give it all when he steps out in front of the microphone. He may even have two personalities: the quiet but happy easy-going fellow; and the intense, focused, emotionally laid-open performer on stage.
Isakov was born Johannesburg, South Africa, but grew up in the Philadelphia area with his family who immigrated there. He started touring at the age of 16 with his first band. He moved to Colorado in 1999.
Isakov garnered national attention when he won the 2007 Telluride Troubadour contest. On Sept.18th he’ll play E-Town, the live national radio show at the Boulder Theater that is heard on National Public Radio. Although Isakov has toured with such musicians as Rodrigo y Gabriela, Alexi Murdoch, and Fiona Apple he remains a local’s favorite. “Ask local musicians about Gregory and they light up,” said Eyster. Dan Rose, a local bassist who tours with his band Elephant Revival, says “Gregory really understands the moment of creativity – how to tap into it and how to preserve it.”
Isakov has toured both solo and with his band "The Freight.” They released an album called "That Sea, The Gambler" in 2007.