LOS ANGELES, CA- Greta Van Fleet is an American rock band from Michigan consisting of vocalist Josh Kiszka (22), guitarist Jake Kiszka (22), bassist Sam Kiszka (19) and drummer Danny Wagner (19) … and they kick ass.
I remember the first time I heard their debut single “Highway Tune”. A buddy of mine DM’d me a Soundcloud link with the message, “What do you think?”
As soon as I heard Josh wail the intro of the song with an “Ooooh mama”, I did a double-take. I literally had to look down on my iPhone to make sure I wasn’t listening to some unreleased Led Zeppelin cut. I mean come on … if Josh’s voice doesn’t instantly make you think “Robert Plant”, then you just don’t know anything about music.
Even with only one EP to their name, Greta Van Fleet has been able to intrigue and draw a wide swath of fans with their heavy, retro-stylized, electric riffs and rhythms that are infused with just the right amount of psychedelia and blues sprinkled on top. Perhaps the “cycle of music” theory is true- that styles of rock and pop dance around each other every few years, but with the overabundance of all of the pop/trap/edm permeating the digital airwaves these days, this throwback to a classic-rock sound is exactly what the doctor ordered.
Even though they don’t have many songs in their arsenal, Greta Van Fleet artfully and expertly stretched out their compositions with extended solos and jams. Jake was particularly fun to watch play as he flexed his chops on his axe, even throwing it behind his head to impress all of the fans who were ogling his skills up in the front row.
But besides the music, what I was most impressed with was the crowd that was in attendance. Their style of music could be classified as “retro”, but their youthful flair and enthusiasm give the music a modern edge which appeals to an extremely wide swath of fans. From kids in their teens- who were being accompanied by their parents- to grizzled, grey-haired seniors, everyone in the audience was reveling in Greta Van Fleet’s glorious sonics. When music is this damn good and performed with such swag and gusto, it’s easy to recognize why.
Greta Van Fleet had to cancel their performance on the following evening which has been rescheduled to June 24th, but that that show will surely be a different beast as they’ll most likely be adding a few new tunes from the new full-length album that they are finishing up. Tickets for that show are sold out, but I have a feeling I’ll be scouring Stubhub for some second-hand tickets that’ll be up for grabs … fingers crossed.
Follow Greta Van Fleet on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
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LIVE CLIPS
Greta Van Fleet at Ford Theatres 4/16/18. Thoughts and photos coming soon to @BlurredCulture. pic.twitter.com/MkLHgreraw
— Derrick K. Lee (@methodman13) May 7, 2018
Greta Van Fleet at Ford Theatres 4/16/18. Thoughts and photos coming soon to @BlurredCulture. pic.twitter.com/6LXt4JBXSR
— Derrick K. Lee (@methodman13) May 7, 2018
Greta Van Fleet at Ford Theatres 4/16/18. Thoughts and photos coming soon to @BlurredCulture. pic.twitter.com/IewbWF3sEV
— Derrick K. Lee (@methodman13) May 7, 2018
Greta Van Fleet at Ford Theatres 4/16/18. Thoughts and photos coming soon to @BlurredCulture. pic.twitter.com/WueFo2wvHI
— Derrick K. Lee (@methodman13) May 7, 2018
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