Greta Van Fleet

This is the third time I’ve seen Greta . Superb band and good to see them experimenting with their live show, and great it’s a good deviation from listening to a studio album in your sitting room. The pre show orchestral medley was a good touch. It almost worked as the music lends itself superbly to orchestral arrangement as it does to an acoustic set as perfectly demonstrated by their ‘left field’ unexpected acoustic pop up stage and intimate interaction with the crowd, but the orchestral production could have been better. The staging, lighting and pyrotechnics were impressive as was the musicianship. As a young and developing band I admired the experimental eclectic mix of their showmanship but I feel they need to tidy up a bit. The multiple long guitars solos were too prominent and came across as self indulgent. It left the audience wanting for more of the outstanding new album and the classic tracks that have launched Greta. We all love a guitar solo, but shorter and fewer and they wouldn’t have lost the audiences interest. Overall though a great night out and fabulous music and as the band mature they will find their balance of artistic expression and delivering what many of the fans have paid their money to hear, Josh’s incredible voice and phenomenal music.

the show was absolutely fantastic. anyone who says it wasn’t is just wrong. if you went to the last tour (battle at gardens gate) you will for sure recognize the “upgrades” they got! the band have always been good preformers but this tour was just…insane!! Danny’s solo was mind boggling! Josh was just the amazing Josh! Sammy as always is a fantastic preformer! And, Jake just always gets ur attention playing his guitar! he just steals the show!! The accoustic set (starcatcher) was just beautiful. Maybe i am just emotional but i was overwhelmed by how amazing everything was (i teared up a bit but you didn’t hear it from me). To really enjoy GVF i recommend GA or floor tickets its just insane but if u cant get them it doesn’t matter its just an amazing show anywhere u sit. Overall, if you wanna purchase Greta Van Fleet tickets…BUY THEM!!!!!!!!

Every song had solos. They shredded those guitars. They performed as if they forgot they had an audience, then turn around and acknowledge us. It was magical; The lights, the flames, the show, the emotions, the stage presence! Excellent show, amazing performance worth every penny. It's a good venue too. All the studio albums pale in comparison to their performance. Also, I don't know if the artist sees these,but please please please release the instrumental cover sessions that played as the opener, that touched my spirit yo. I would buy that as a record. Please, release them and take my money.

Can't even begin to describe how amazing and meaningful this show was; such an unforgettable experience... GVF performed as amazingly as ever and we got a front-row view of it! We were barricade on Sam's side, and honestly y'all, if you don't like to get crazy at concerts/have crippling social anxiety then I definitely recommend it; his vibes were more mellow and that's what really helped me enjoy the music and stay in the moment, so thanks Sam :) lol (And as they were closing and getting ready to exit the stage, Danny handed Sam a drumstick and he came down to GIVE IT TO ME - I still can't get over it and I never will... <3 )

Wow! What a show!! These guys really know how to put on a show at their young age! They have a lot of experience. Love their outfits. Lead singer. Josh has an amazing voice. Absolutely has chops like Robert Plant! Jake,. The guitarist was shredding it completely and my husband and I and our friends agreed that he was extremely talented. The bass player Sam and Danny the drummer equally as amazing.. They were wonderful together and this show exceeded our expectations and we are even bigger fan s now. Thank you guys for an amazing show. Congratulations on your success.

Greta Van Fleet: 3/12/23 “Confessions of an aging rock ’n’ roller who admittedly is behind the times… When I first heard that an artist named Greta Van Fleet was selling out major arenas my first thought was ‘What’s a female opera star doing playing big time, she must have won one of those TV reality shows?’ I have so much to learn! A friend recommended I give this newer band a listen and the first song I heard was ‘Heat Above’ I thought to myself ‘a Rush wanna be’ based on the vocals, after a further dive I said to myself ‘a mere Zeppelin imitator’. I wanted to hate them but went back again and again, thank you Ryan for the tip. The Kiszka brothers Josh (vocals), Jake (guitar) and Sam (bass/keys), plus Danny Wagner (drums) are uniquely what they are, mid-western American hard rock at it’s best. Two albums and an EP have produced twelve singles, five of them #1’s, that’s no argument when it comes to success. Postponed from an original date Oct 19, 2022 after frontman Josh ruptured an ear drum during a show on the 8th the ‘Dreams In Gold Tour’ had finally made it’s way to The Well in Greenville. Upon entrance to the venue I made my way to my seat in executive Suite 120 (thank you Don) where I got my first glimpse of the near full arena. Only some newly released upper bowl corner seats remained available at showtime. There stood a seriously-awesome white background themed stage set with two massive hanging light panels on each side, each panel had 4 squares of 16 lights each (64 total each side), along with eight posts with futuristic circular rounded lights resembling antennas, plus fire spewing towers and caldrons. Stage R to L: Keys (Hammond XP, Nord, Mellotron) bass, stack of Acoustic 360 amps, platformed drum kit (sun ray on the drumhead), stack of Marshall amps, guitar, each station was covered with front facing individual spotlights facing the audience. Everything was hidden behind a curtain with the symbols of ‘The Battle Of Garden’s Gate’ album engulfing the stage and concealing the set until showtime. A total 70’s glam rock feel (think Queen)! There was an undeniable sense of anticipation as fans were allowed to line up outside the venue since 7 a.m. for a chance at the best general admission spot on the floor. In fact I had attended a show the night before at the same venue and there were already a number of tents set up on a pedestrian bridge nearby wherewith fans would weather the overnight rainstorm. The lights went down as we could hear Josh Kiszka speak the lyrics to ‘Weight of Dreams’ in a prayer or poem-like fashion. At 9:03 the curtain dropped in front of the stage and GVF tore into a 12 song (including a drum solo) / 2 hour 10 minute set beginning with their #6 ‘Built By Nations’ from the newest album performed all in red light. They wasted no time utilizing the fire cauldrons, first ignition was immediately following the first guitar solo. Josh dressed in a white jumpsuit open at the chest with dragon patterns performed barefoot. His vocals all evening long were near exact to the studio recording but even more dynamic, if that’s even possible. Twenty second resounding melodic screams became a repeated normal. Jake dressed in a black suit with similar gold dragon patterns and his ’61 Les Paul commanded authority. Sam all in white with an open jacket with green Fender P in hand was forefront whenever he wasn’t running the bass pedals with his feet. He also eventually went barefoot at some point. The set was heavy on the new album featuring half of its songs. Next up was ‘Black Smoke Rising’ and the #1 ‘Safari Song’ Josh calling out, ‘You know what I like? Sounds like it!’ Every good rock show must have a drum solo, but a nine minute powerhouse pounding with fire shooting up immediately behind the kit deserves a gold medal. Josh gave the command to commence, ‘Do it Danny do it, Danny’s gonna take us in the air, the gate’s gonna open when we walk in.’ Mid-solo Josh was to be found carried around on the floor via a roadie’s shoulders handing out long stem white roses till he ran out, then he hook hands until he was replenished via another roadie. He did that stage left, then stage right, before being lifted back op on stage. Winding down the solo Josh gave Danny the cue, ‘On a voyage on a trip on a trip, do what you gotta do, bring it home.’ Next in the set were ‘Caravel’ and ‘Heat Above’ beginning with opening words by the frontman, ‘I’d ask you how you’re doing but I’ve got a pretty good idea.’ ‘Now tonight as you know is a celebration we’ve all made, it’s a happening, thank you for coming here and being here with us. We feel safe in your care. Life is a celebration of love and where there is love we will live on and so in that philosophy let’s sing our a$$es off for this next one.’ ‘Light My Love’ began with a Gershwin intro by Sam, ‘Play it again Sam’ and ended in an amazing rainbow lighting ‘ROY G BIV’ from top to bottom on the large side panels. Josh set the mood for Broken Bells’, ’Tonight should be a night of healing so if you’re holding on to anything that’s bothering you it’s alright to acknowledge that, you’re always on the mend, you’re always on the mend.’ The song began with an acoustic guitar and Jake on a stool and ended with a heavy on the whah standing electric extravaganza! For ‘Age Of Machine’ the band proved they can get really heavy turning a 6 minute 54 second song into a quarter hour experience (more or less), I wish I would have timed it. When finished, Josh jested, ‘I hope we passed the audition!’ Last song of the regular set was ‘The Weight Of Dreams’ referred to by Josh as ‘one of the better songs we’ve written’ and ‘the thesis of this dreams in gold circus that we’ve been on.’ Sam now had his shirt off and the fire towers became smoking towers filling the entire arena with thick smoke. Josh grabbed a tambourine and started dancing like a man possessed and finished his gyrations by tossing it out like a frisbee into the crowd. The encore was ‘Age Of Man’ with more fire, and the Number One ‘Highway Tune’. Mid-song the band broke into a jam of the Black Key’s ‘I Got Mine’ and a single lyric from ‘The Lemon Song’. ‘Champagne, caviar anyone?’, said Josh, then he downed a single shot bottle holding it in his mouth and tilting his head back. I noticed that Danny was now shirtless as the whole band let loose. Jake broke into a harmonica duet solo with Josh matching the notes with his vocals and a version of Elvis’ ‘That’s Alright’ was underway. It got quiet, ‘Hey Jake where the f*** we’re we? (Jake plays a note), ‘Ah that’s it, that’s it’, and we were back on track with a reprise of Highway Tune rounding out the evening. Noticeably missing from to set, a somewhat surprise were the #1’s ‘My Way Soon’ ‘When The Curtain Falls’ and ‘You’re The One’. Beginning the evening was a surprisingly strong choice of an opener. Guitar/vocalist Robert Finley (blues/soul) got things off to an energetic start with a relatively short 5 song / 25 minute set. The 69 year old legally blind Luisianian who released his debut album at a ripe age in 2016 both demanded and received respect as he pantomimed crop picking gestures during his ‘Sharecropper’s Son’. A second opener Houndmouth (alternate blues/rock) known as a major festival band played a 9 song / 42 minute set. The band from Indiana put on the maps for their 2015 #1 ‘Sedona’ performed well despite two stoppages due to medical emergencies on the floor. We missed at least one song due to the delay, ‘We’re gonna skip ‘My cousin Greg’, he’s doing okay, could we play ‘Darlin?’ The mellower styled set in my opinion didn’t quite sit perfectly between Finley and GVF however the sound was great, all members of the band shared vocals and one could make out every word sung. The vibe of the show as a whole was retro. Many fans dressed accordingly in colorful patterns, denim, and 70’s inspired apparel, one female fan wearing a shirt ‘I’m Here For Danny’. It seemed like female fans on the floor outnumbered the gents at a 3-1 ratio. The pyrotechnics were amazing, fire, smoke, explosions with strobes, one could feel the heat all the way across the arena, it must’ve been impressive to those lucky fans on stage level. Yes Greta Van Fleet proved themselves to be a true rock spectacle, one to be experienced live.” Review and photo by DAve (Concert #759)

Absolutely, positively one of the most exciting and new artists around! They were so very professional, spot on, amazing stage set up!! So glad I had the experience of seeing them for the very first time. I've been a big time fan since I first heard of them. Can't wait to see where the guys go and what more they will accomplish in the future. They are headed for greatness and success! Their performance was spot on and their set list so perfect! The audience was all so very excited and energized to see them perform! They far exceeded what many expected! They almost had a complete sell out at Amalie Arena in Tampa, FL tonight. Yes, these guys are going to be doing incredible things and creating much more music that us fans will all buy for sure to add to our current collection! Great new group on the scene. And they deserve every bit of praise they receive. Very tight knit group and so welcoming to their fans! I couldn't have asked for anything more than they gave us at tonight's show! These 4 guys are headed to the Big Time and rightfully so after reading about how they became a group in the first place. Much closeness and love exists within them!!

What can I say?!?! From the spiritual intro of Dreams In Gold Monologue that went straight Tom the fiery Built By Nations to the older songs of Black Smoke Rising into Safari Song was a great way to open their set! Then seeing Danny kick it with his drum solo into Caravel and Heat Above! Then bringing us further into the show with Light My Love, Broken Bells and Age Of Machine! Really glad they played The Weight Of Dreams to close the main set since that song is just a story of its own with the way it flows, especially live! Then finally rounding out the show with Age Of Man (my favorite GVF song besides Trip The Light Fantastic) and being able to say I’ve heard that song live before they ever get the idea to shelf it if they ever do! Then last but not least ending the show in all with the well known, crowd favorite, radio mega hit…. Highway Tune that lasted not only 15 mins for the whole song but featured a snippet of Arthur Crudups’ Thats All Right and a killer battle of Harmonica and Vocals that lead right to a lil jab of the band mentioning they can get carried away sometimes to fall right into the last chorus of Highway Tune and close out a 2 hour and 15 min set just by GVF and with the 2 awesome openers that made a total of right at 4 hours of live music! I’d definitely say we put are money in the right place and right show!!!!

Amazing show. The pre show arm band number deal was worthless and ridiculous. Have 500 people show up the morning of to get numbered bracelets for Gen Admission, and only give out 300 and tell everyone else oops sorry! If you are going to see this band, buy real seats ! If you want no weird jump through hoops to see a band you already paid for , to find out by email 5 days b4 show you have to be there at the venue to get this bracelet to get a good spot? And No one can pick up for you ..Definitely not worth all those hoops! When they opened for Metallica we didn’t have all this ridiculous stuff happening.

I love Greta Van Fleet!! I think they are some of the finest new talent in a long time. They have a terrific stage presence and are very entertaining. However, the live performance was ……less than expected. I love an instrument solo…..but not one that goes on forever…. And ever….and then happens every other song. The drum solo was after the second or third song….. It just had an odd flow for me. I still think they are amazing and have an awesome future …. Just not sure about seeing them live again. Xoxox

Opening bands were fine. Nice to see female-fronted groups being given an opportunity to play major venues. Greta Van Fleet was a mixed bag. They play well enough but could benefit from a little restraint. Seemed like every third song -- and there were only 12 in the whole concert -- had a 10-minute guitar solo. Yeah, we get it, you can shred. It gets pretty old about 45 mins in. Song choice was a little unusual also. They of course played the three big hits from their debut EP and a couple of stand outs from their following full-length album. Oddly enough they omitted the best two songs from "Anthem of the Peaceful Army" ("When the Curtain Falls" and "Mountain of the Sun") and the single-best song from either LP ("My Way, Soon"). Instead we got some middling tracks that seemed selected to provide a venue for meandering improvisation. The audience would have benefitted from less self indulgence and more showmanship.

Amazing show! Didn't know who Ice Nine Kills was but definitely made me a fan. The horror theme was so fun. Finally figured out why the guy in the crowd was wearing suspenders and a tie. Lol Then Greta Van Fleet was good, would have enjoyed their set more if there weren't so many a-holes trying to push their way to the front. Too many people claiming their were looking for their boyfriend or husband or whatever, if you want to be close to the stage, get there early! How hard is that? Anyways, Greta Van Fleet got really good as their set went on. And finally Metallica! METALLICA!!!!!!! Wow, what a show, felt so fresh and new compared to some of the shows I saw in the 90s. Little touches such as some vocal additions from James on Seek & Destroy and some chord additions by Kirk on the beginning of Fade To Black, just so wonderful to be able to see them. Would have liked some different songs, but getting to see Ride The Lightning live was insane. This concert could only have been better if I had picked a better place to stand. Security seemed to do little to nothing with the two fights that occured next to me. It was a great night all around.

The only bad part of this concert was the people. Young fans just taking advantage of their place there, pushing to the front and insulting others, usually I wouldn’t even comment anything negative but tbh it was awful. As someone used to metal and punk gigs, it took me totally by surprise. I went to the concert the previous night and it was not at all like that, somebody was so drunk they shouted slurs at josh and Sammy and I had to leave early because I nearly fainted a few times due to dehydration (nobody’s fault, just saying I wasn’t there the whole time)

Wow! All three bands were so amazing! We were actually at the show in Kalamazoo. The Velvatears and The Rival Sons were an added bonus to the EXPERIENCE given to us by Greta Van Fleet. They were just fantastic... but the opening show of this tour... We were given the most amazing show... These guys ARE ready to be the biggest band ever... Truely professional when the sound went out on vocals during the opening song. They stayed cool and didnt let it affect the rest of the show. They are amazing. Best performance I have ever seen.

The first opener The Velveteers were absolutely stunning. Great sound coming from such a young group, really excited to see where they go from here. The energy they brought was incredible and it was absolutely destroyed by Rival Sons. They seemed akin to a jam band with loud endless songs that seemed to offer nothing except a noise. The acoustic song in the middle of their set was great though. Greta Van Fleet had a stellar performance. Lighting and pyrotechnics blended seamlessly into their performance. There was a minor issue with Josh's in ear monitor at the beginning but it was a quick fix. If this is the future of rock, the future is strong.

Great music, great weather, no mask hassle, your choice, Josh is The Man and can SING! Band is awesome. Love the new songs. Can hear Howling Wolf influence in one. Never ending drum solo was amazing. Wish Sam had more front time, but he’s still awesome and barefoot. Warm-up bands were just right too.. different and played for an appropriate amount of time. Not too much or too little. Not all sections are elevated so be aware. 5% masked people. Never felt so good physically and spiritually after a concert. Wide awake.

It was spectacular- honestly the best concert I’ve ever been too. I was fortunate enough to get up in the 4th row and experience it up close.... there are no words to explain how perfect this show was- they only word I can think of that almost does it justice is ‘Translucent’. When the boys played... they seemed to be on a higher plain and you could just feel the energy radiating off of them. They were so entertaining and kept things flowing and maintained the fun-but-soulful sound throughout. The only down side to this is how they only played 12 tracks including encore.... as much as I wanted to hear them play more I understand how health risks are already being taken from Josh’s voice and Danny’s wrist. The stadium its self was very nice- it was clean and open, there was even a cool breeze throughout the night! There were quality concessions and lounging areas scattered through the stadium.The chairs there were in fact deal breaker- even in the pit, everyone got a chair and they were surprisingly comfortable even though I hardly sat in them. It was just amazing and I very highly recommend seeing them... thank you Greta Van Fleet! Goodnight, travel well!!!

So the drive to Miami was well worth it for Greta Van Fleet. I knew it was going to be good but I had no idea it was going to be THAT good! What a ROCK show! Now I could sit here and try to convince you of that, but I wont. I'll just say this. If you love classic rock and you're still on the fence about them, go see them LIVE! Trust me you WILL be converted. They're classic rock sound and vibe is spot on.They had three basic ingredients for their stage show... power amps stacked, the lights were like those old fashion cannon lights that were busting through a continuous wall of fog! They looked and sounded like seasoned rockers up there. Great showmanship and energy from these young guys. "LONG LIVE ROCK!" and GVF! 🤘🎸🎤🎶🥁

My stars are only for GVF, they rocked the house. Southside Ballroom is not a good venue. I’ve been to many concerts all over the US, not my first rodeo, so I feel well qualified to talk. Started queuing mid afternoon, they split us into two lines, instead of carding before doors they carded at entry. Not ok. We queue to make rail not to mosey around waiting for a wristband as all the underage or non drinkers run in front of us to get in. Needless to say I didn’t wait to get a wristband so I could secure my spot. Got my spot, people next to me were kind enough to hold it while I got a drink. Nope you need a wristband no carding once you’re in. Card people and wristband them before doors like every other venue. Next up is the sound which is terrible. Sound check was great, we could hear it outside. The speaker system inside is deafening. I never needed ear protection until last night. My hearing is still not 100%. I literally couldn’t stop holding my ears, I was right under one of the speakers of doom. A security person noticed and saved me by handing me ear plugs. Despite the plugs songs were almost unrecognizable because of distortion. Everyone around complained about how they couldn’t hear because their hearing was negatively impacted by the speaker system. If i didn’t have plugs i would have had to move to the back. I love Greta Can Fleet, they were amazing, the venue is a hard no for me unless one of my favorite bands is playing there. I’m going again on Tuesday for that reason only. If it weren’t Arctic Monkeys I wouldn’t go.

I love this Band and have seen them for the second time last night. Their vibe and music are amazingly classic and I hope they continue on their path. However, I have to admit that there were parts of the show that I found a little boring. These young men need to step up their game by engaging with the crowd. Their was a little down time during instrument changes and even a technical issue with the bass player. During this time the singer needs to chat with the crowd and become more of a dynamic front man but I am hopeful he will get there in time. Finally, I have been on the rail at the Starland Ballroom several times and always want to give it another chance. Well, this time I had the opportunity to hang back further and the sound was probably one of the worst I have ever heard. If you’re sitting or standing on the side bars there are zero speakers pointed in that direction and the sound is seriously sub-par. This sound system will make the best of bands sound the worst unless they are on the GA Pit. I didn’t drink so I won’t comment, but I did have one of the worst pieces of $3 mini pizza I have ever eaten in my life, they should be ashamed of themselves for serving it and charging so much. Band gets the stars because they really are great.