I was dragging my heels and cursing under my breath F**k these zep rip-offs. I fully expected to hate them with a vengeance. I expected to be bored standing in a half-full arena and watching the clock till I could go home.
Instead, this old dog was taught a few new tricks and schooled in the art of humility. The standing area of the arena was jammed with a crowd that had veterans (of a long campaign) like me and a younger contingent just starting to explore live rock music. The atmosphere was electric with anticipation,
Which I admit was so contagious I joined in.
From the band entrance that recreated the Queen Live cover in detail, with the four members of the band standing above the drum riser, they hit the ground running. “The Falling Sky” and the Indigo Streak are packed with riffs while Pyros shot flames in time to the music. No one could accuse the band of not giving the punters their money's worth. “Meeting the Master” was actually, spine-chilling in its execution.
Yes, it was derivative and retro to the max from the Rush/Zep-inspired Kimonos and acres of velvet flares, two extended (and I mean ten minutes at least) guitar workouts and I kid you not, a drum solo that wouldn't have been out of place on the soundtrack to the song remains the same. However, I cannot fault this band's confidence. They exude it from every pore. They swaggered, pouted, threw rock star poses, and generally acted like they owned the place. This confidence extended to playing their best-known song “Highway Tune” in the middle of the set instead of the encore.
My biggest issue with Greta Van Fleet has always been the vocals of Josh Kiszka, which grate on me. Having said that in a live setting, they were on point and much, much better. To completely nail the 1970’s aesthetic, the band came on for an acoustic set (!!!) and He sang a few bars of the “Unchained Melody” note perfectly. Once I picked my jaw up off the ground, I had to concede balls that big are usually seen rolling down a tomb after Indiana Jones. Normally an acoustic set kills a gig dead, but they pulled off a nice trick of making it feel intimate and their fans sang every word. They finished off with 6 electric songs with extended solos and exuberant showmanship. This is a band that knows this is their moment and is going for it with everything they have. They are arguably retro to the point of parody and the presentation is professional and calculated for a demographic, that craves the illusion of rock stardom that does not exist beyond the 1970s.
I can't see myself playing their records at home, but in a live setting the musicianship was top-notch, and the charisma and confidence on display had the audience on their side from the word go... They rocked, rolled, and well and truly, kicked my cynical ass all over the place.
Now pass me a big ass spoon and a Massive slice of humble pie.
-Bobo Coen
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