KALAMAZOO, MI – Greta VanFlotte fans were excited for this comeback concert, which was also filled with fire itself, the first show of the band’s ambitious “Dreams in Gold” world tour. The Wings Event Center in Kalamazoo was the go-to venue for rock fans on Thursday, March 10, the “Frankenmuth Four’s” first concert in Michigan since the Fox Theater in Detroit in December 2018.
South Bend, Dallas, Canada… just three places fans have come from, yes, even Dallas, to see this show. And that was just the fans seated next to us as the cheering crowd of mixed-age teenagers and people born in the 1960s or earlier chanted “Greta, Greta, Greta” throughout the concert.
The arena was filled to capacity with not a single inch of concrete visible in the entire floor section where many of those with general admission tickets camped out for hours and hours trying to secure the most close to the scene.
The early-arriving crowd was thrilled to hear rock music, and they were treated to three hours of listening time starting with Velvets At 7:00 p.m., Demi Demitro warmed up the crowd with a 30-minute set featuring her powerful rock vocals and wicked guitar playing, while her synched drumming duo gave fans something they don’t normally see.
rival sons started their 40 minutes of rock at 7:50 p.m. The full band delivered tight guitar shredding with Jay Buchanan’s strong vocals on full display. As good as the first games were, the night was just getting started and the fans were barely exhausted from all the applause.
Greta Van Fleet took the stage at 9:10 p.m. and performed 14 songs in their 100-minute set, kicking off with “Heat Above,” a one-song anthem that is the lead track from their latest album, “The Battle At Garden’s Gate.”
There were a few issues to work out when lead singer Josh Kiszka’s mic went out for a few minutes, but the band continued to play, the fire continued to burn around the stage, and the fans continued to cheer as Josh could only play in front of the crowd before his microphone. was fixed, picking up where the song left off to the roar of fans.
The band then hit audiences with two of their most popular songs from their Grammy-winning LP, “From the Fires” featuring “Safari Song” and “Black Smoke Rising.” A drum solo by Danny Wagner filled a gap in between.
The rockers also showed off their skills all night long with Jake Kiszka’s mesmerizing guitar playing, Sam Kiszka switching from bass to piano and Josh on vocals. He sings one powerful note after another, like you hear on the albums. It’s impressive to experience its power and reach in person.
The band continued by mixing songs from their latest album, as well as songs from 2018, “Anthem of the Peaceful Army”, giving Jake, Sam and Danny plenty of solo moments.
They really pull out all the stops with the lighting, much of which is choreographed to some of the biggest notes in each song. The way they do the lighting also sometimes casts shadows on band members, making for some pretty cool visuals for audience members and fun photo ops if the time is right.
There are still four shows left in the home state before the band tour the United States and the world for much of the rest of the year. They definitely matched the energy of the crowd as each seemed to feed off each other.
Greta Van Fleet continues to be more experienced, more confident and more imposing on stage as she progresses in her career. Add choreographed lighting with lots of smoke and fire throughout the night to now accompany three albums of music and plenty of compelling moments from each band member. Fans in the upcoming cities are about to be shaken from their seats, and more.
FROM THE MERCHANDISE STAND:
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SETLIST:
- 1. “Heat Above”
- 2. “Safari Song”
- 3. “Rising Black Smoke”
- 4. “Caravel”
- 5. “Machine Age”
- 6. “Light up my love”
- 7. “Trip the Light Fantastic”
- 8. “The Weight of Dreams”
- 9. “Watch”
- 10. “Built by the nations”
- 11. “When the Curtain Falls”
Bis
- 12. “The Age of Man”
- 13. “Highway Melody”
- 14. “My way, soon”
READ MORE:
What Greta Van Fleet Misses Most From Frankenmuth Before Ambitious World Tour
