Greta Van Fleet @ the OVO Hydro in Glasgow
By Ella Bernard
With two general admission tickets and a dream, I arrived in Glasgow earlier than I’d like to admit to queue for a place in the pit where I wouldn’t get body slammed and a chance at a good view of the stage, and it paid off. I ended up as close to the stage as I could be, second only to the security and photographers. Greta Van Fleet brought enlightenment to Glasgow that night in the form of blues meets garage rock.
Hannah Wicklund and Mt. Joy gave their support as openers. The former is an incredible vocalist and freak on the guitar, who finished her set off with her guitar howling through a talk box. The five piece indie rock band Mt. Joy brought California cool and plenty of beanies to Scotland, looking like a modern version of Daisy Jones and the Six. They won the crowd over with their massive smiles and a bouncy cover of The Grateful Dead’s “Fire on the Mountain.” Greta Van Fleet skipped the rockstar behaviour. The curtain adorned with an alchemist's symbol fell promptly at nine.
Greta Van Fleet is a band built for the stage. I’ll confidently say they are better live than in their studio recordings. You don't need to be familiar with their discography to enjoy the elaborate show they put on. The lighting was executed to reflect both moody numbers like ‘Meeting the Master’ and unruly numbers like ‘Highway Tune’. The costume changes came one after another, both theatrical and plentiful. All four band members were covered in rhinestones and glitter eyeshadow, silk, and silver and gold medallions. You rarely see bands these days that dress like they do, looking like rockstars. The pyrotechnics were impressive, sending heat waves over the crowd. One of the highlights was the lengthy guitar solo by guitarist Jake Kiszka during ‘The Archer’ up on a blazing platform. Each piece of the band had ample time to show off and solo, including a 10 minute drum solo that still left the onlookers wanting more.
Despite having bronchitis that night, the vocals of lead singer Josh Kiszka are ethereal. Even Robert Plant, whom Kiszka is often compared to vocally, has wittily suggested that he borrowed his voice from “somebody [Plant] knows very well”. Kiszka is gifted with the ability to reach unfathomable notes. His impish interactions with the crowd at shows is magnetic, pausing to take shots of fireball with fans or hand out white roses.
Greta Van Fleet powered through rock ballad after rock ballad with limitless energy and enthusiasm, including songs from all four of their albums. Before the encore, they brought the openers back on stage for an evocative cover of Neil Young’s “Don't Let It Bring You Down” all together, as a farewell to Mt. Joy, as it was their final night on the tour.
Still only in their late 20s, their performance is polished like a seasoned rock band. Jake and Josh, who are twins, are joined by their brother and a childhood friend to make up the group. Composed of five elements, with Josh Kiszka on vocals, Jake Kiszka on guitar, Danny Wagner on drums, and Sammy Kiszka on bass and keys, Greta Van Fleet concocts new worlds. If you listen closely you might hear themes from their second and third studio albums, The Anthem of The Peaceful Army and The Battle at Garden’s Gate. They are musical storytellers with an entrancing vision and I’ve fallen under their spell.
The most interesting thing is for a band of four young guys, the audience was incredibly mixed in age and gender. It's their classic rock inspired sound that draws people from different backgrounds, creating a diverse and very dedicated fanbase. While I was waiting to enter the venue, two British women both named Laura recounted their experiences following the group from Amsterdam, to Paris, to London, to Dublin, and Manchester, waiting in line in freezing temperatures and rain to be close to the band night after night.
Unlike some other rock groups, the preachings of Greta Van Fleet are love and light. The closing number “Light My Love” has taken on a new meaning since lead singer Josh Kiszka came out as gay in early 2023 in the face of a slew of anti-LGBTQ laws passed in their home state of Tennessee. Since then, “Light My Love” has been an anthem of love and acceptance, with many pride flags being brought out during the number, resulting in an emotional reaction from Kiszka, and a great encapsulation for the values the band embodies.
Currently, they're touring their new album Starcatcher, released this past July. It is an evolution of their sound away from a Led Zeppelin knockoff towards a unique audible expedition into the divine. While the album has not been overly successful, it is a leap in the direction of perfecting their sound. I did not connect with the album upon first listen, especially when compared to their previous albums, but hearing these new tracks live completely changed my opinions on them and I was swept away by how compelling they sounded on stage, especially ‘The Falling Sky’. I can’t recommend strongly enough to shell out on the very fairly priced tickets next time they’re in town.