I had the honor to get to shoot for one of my all-time favorite bands in Philadelphia recently. I’ve seen Greta Van Fleet perform before, and I can say Josh, Jake, Danny, and Sam never disappoint. From insane on-stage pyro to Danny’s awesome drum solo and Sam and Jake performing on the catwalk, it was one of the most insane concerts I’ve ever gotten to experience.
Greta Van Fleet opened the show with “The Falling Sky,” a song off their new album, Starcatcher. As the show goes on, they play “The Indigo Streak” and one of my favorites, “Lover, Leaver (Taker, Believer),” which included extended bass and guitar solos courtesy of Jake and Sam. Followed by “Meeting the Master,” the first release off Starcatcher, and "Heat Above," a fan favorite that also blew up on TikTok upon its release.
One of my favorite things about this band is that not only do they deliver an amazing performance but their singer, Josh Kiszka, makes it a point to be absolutely hilarious while on stage between songs. He announces that he’s going to play a game called “The Spotlight Game” where (as fast as he possibly can) runs at full speed across the stage to avoid the spotlight, which quite literally had me laughing so hard I was in tears.
The band goes onto play “Highway Tune,” followed by Danny’s drum solo. During his drum solo, the rest of the band sneakily makes their way over to the b-stage that stands in the back of the venue to give fans who were farther from the stage the same experience as the fans at barricade get. On the b-stage, Greta Van fleet fans got to experience something I don’t think anyone in the room thought was going to happen. The band goes on perform “Tears of Rain” for the first time ever since its release.
They stay on the b-stage for two more songs, “Waited All Your Life” and “Black Smoke Rising." The band makes their way back to the main stage as Josh throws out flowers to fans in the crowd and Jake, Sam, and Danny high five fans they’re passing. Once back on the mainstage, the band goes on to perform “Fate Of The Faithful,” including an extended guitar solo from Jake Kiszka, followed by “Sacred The Thread,” “The Archer,” and “Lay Down (Candles in the Rain).” The band leaves the stage but soon returns for the encore including a cover of “Rhapsody in Blue” by George Gershwin, followed by “Light My Love”, and ended the show with “Farewell For Now,” including Jake's extended guitar solo (I look forward to experiencing his guitar solos every show, he’s insanely talented), and Josh handing out more flowers to lucky fans.
Overall, Greta Van Fleet delivers an amazing performance at every show, determined to give their fans a show they will never forget. If you ever get the chance to see them live, I highly recommend attending a show.
Comments