On Julie La Crout’s behalf, this concert review was written by Andre La Crout. Thank you Andre!
On a windy late summer night in Bridgeport, Connecticut, Grammy-winning rock band Greta Van Fleet blew into the Hartford Healthcare Amphitheater as part of their first tour in eighteen months. They collided with thousands of hungry fans, starved of live shows and desperate for a lively night out.
The Nude Party delivered a spirited opening act, casting themselves as a cool sextet with a lovable vintage style. Second act Langhorne Slim notably climbed into the pit and sang directly to some fans, no doubt capturing some hearts while he was there.
Then the wait for the main act… The crowd was so hyped and ready they cheered a passing Amtrak train.
When the lights dimmed, most of the audience stood up to watch a brief video of the bandmembers in a field of flowers with messages of peace, love, and unity.
Overhead lights bathed the stage in red as Greta Van Fleet made their entrance. The roar of the crowd was quickly drowned out as the band splashed into “Built by Nations,” from their chart-topping second studio album, The Battle at Garden’s Gate.
Singer Josh Kiszka made for a striking first impression of the night with a glittery getup that made it hard to tell where the flashing lights ended and his sparkling suit began. When guitarist Jake Kiszka stepped forward for his first solo of the night, the few audience members still seated leapt to their feet.
They never sat back down.
The band seamlessly transitioned into “Trip the Light Fantastic,” where Josh was able to showcase his remarkable range and unwavering falsetto with low rolls and angelic howls that soared over the Long Island Sound.
The opening pace was relentless, with a quick shift to “Highway Tune,” a fan favorite. Fans responded with clapping hands and phones in the air—some documenting their experience with video recordings, others video-calling loved ones to share their experience live.
Then the signature “Safari Song” riff began and the energy of the amphitheater became an unstoppable force. People danced in the aisles and sang along. Josh invited everyone to sing LOUDER while Jake shredded through the bridge.
Drummer Danny Wagner was a busy man through the opening four songs, but he proved he was just warming up. He thundered his way through a raucous drum solo before the band dived into “Black Smoke Rising,” the final track of their Grammy-winning double EP From the Fires.
The band took their first notable pause before beginning a gradual slowdown in pace, starting with “Heat Above,” which featured bassist Sam Kiszka switching to keyboard.
As the pace slowed, the action did not. This was Sam’s time to shine and he removed his shirt for the occasion. Josh invited the crowd to sing along to “You’re the One” while Sam’s hands whipped up and down the keyboard in a frenzy of heartfelt organ notes.
During a pause, Josh complimented the evening breeze for helping cool them off. The pace then reached its slowest of the night as they began “Broken Bells.” The midpoint of the song proved to be a turning point for the show as Jake floated from acoustic guitar back to electric as gracefully as the butterflies on his jacket. It was time for a gradual crescendo in pace, starting with his guitar solo.
Josh commented on everyone’s need for oxygen as the reason for the slowdown. He didn’t say things were about to speed back up, but the message was received nonetheless.
Crowd-surfers finally tested the tide during the band’s next song, “Light My Love.” They rode the swell all the way to the end of the show, even as the waves got choppier.
From there, all spotlights shined on Jake as he began a slow build-up into a finger-twisting guitar solo. Lights began to light up around the stage bit by bit as Josh rejoined with high-flying howls and the band faded into “Age of Machine.”
Josh rained the mesmerizing chorus down on the crowd: “Oh god, the feeling / We need some healing / We need some healing / God knows if you feel defeated / You have been cheated / You have retreated.” There was a certain degree of irony to the lyrics on a night in which all were healing and none felt cheated.
The band ended their set with “The Weight of Dreams,” also the finale of The Battle at Garden’s Gate. It may have been the last song, but instrumental theatrics were far from over. The band tirelessly ripped through a bridge much longer than the album version of the song before the lights went out and they exited the stage.
The crowd wasn’t about to let that be the end of their night, however. Fans roared louder and louder until the band returned for an encore.
“You asked for it,” Josh warned before they began a cacophonous rendition of “Stardust Chords” with spotlights shined on the audience this time, followed by “When the Curtain Falls.”
Most bands would have nothing left to give after a blistering jam session like that. Greta Van Fleet is not like most bands.
“One more?” Josh teased. The crowd roared approval, of course. “We’ll play until they kick us out,” he promised. With the tenacious endurance and otherworldly talent on display that night, there was no doubt the guys of Greta Van Fleet could keep that promise.
Josh summed up their next and final song with two words “fuck fear.” As the band played through “My way, Soon,” the crowd was left with an inspirational anecdote: “I’ve packed my bags and I’ve got my freedom / I’ve sacked the rules so I don’t have to heed them / I’ll bet on a chance if I’ve just got one / I’ll throw out the plans and live with no burden.”
Starved of live shows for over a year, the guys of Greta Van Fleet are leaving everything they have on stage for equally starved fans. They appear determined to make every show on their brief Strange Horizons Tour an unforgettable once-in-a-lifetime experience for the lucky few who see them. Watch out, Los Angeles: You’re next.