Pop Break Live: Greta Van Fleet in Philly – The March of the Peaceful Army Tour at The Met.
Michigan Rockers Greta Van Fleet played The Met in Philadelphia on December 29. It was the first night of a sold out two night stint. This young quartet is made up of twin brothers Josh (vocals) and Jake Kiszka (guitar) and younger brother Sam (bass). They are rounded out by long time friend Danny Wagner on drums.
The band is hugely popular in the TriState area, having torn it up previously at the Rock Allegiance Festival here and at The Electric Factory as well. It didn’t hurt to have early support from Philadelphia’s legendary radio station WMMR. Their first single (“Highway Song”) from their debut EP Black Smoke Rising, was a stunner. The bands meteoric rise was impressive, especially after winning a Grammy for Best Rock Album in 2019 for From The Fires. Their heavy tour schedule and 70’s inspired high octane sets have garnered them many fans from across the globe. It was no surprise then when the Philly shows sold out quickly.
A few minutes before the opening act came out, the audience, reacting to news that the Philadelphia Eagles had just made the playoffs, started the famous E-A-G-L-E-S chant and it was loud. This made an already fired up crowd even more hyped up for the night. Eclectic singer-songwriter Aaron Lee Tasjan opened the show and won the crowd over with his retro inspired set.
Greta Van Fleet in Philly began with a song that you’d think would have been saved for the encore. They opened with an absolute scorcher and had the crowd fist pumping upon the very recognizable opening chords to “Highway Song”. That pretty much set the tone for the rest of the night. You just knew the night was really going to be something special. The band cranked out just 12 songs during the 90 minute set though many had extended jams which really showcased how truly gifted these guys are as musicians. Guitarist Jake Kiszka had many solos during the night on songs like “Edge of Darkness” but what really impressed was his performance on “Black Flag Exposition.” It was awe inspiring.
Something that really stood out was how impressive lead singer Josh Kiszka’s range is. Talk about a set of pipes! Also, they guy is dripping with charisma and really came off endearing at times. Not only was the bands set “70’s inspired” so were their outfits. They looked like they could have easily been plucked off the cover of the old music magazine CREEM.
Other highlights included the song “You’re the One,” which had their super talented bassist taking a turn on keyboards.The band played a two song encore and started off with “Flower Power.” Sam Kiszka just killed it with his keyboard prowess on this one. Afterwards it was announced that it was their drummers birthday so the band led a very vocal crowd in singing Happy Birthday to him. They had a bit more fun when their bassist shook a bottle of champagne at the front of the stage which then spewed out into the crowd.
The show ended with the band’s huge hit “Safari Song.” Near the end of the song, drummer Danny Wagner was left alone on stage. He performed a really long drum solo. The longer and faster he played the louder the crowd got in response to it. It was quite the moment.
There has been a lot of controversy over the years about rock supposedly being dead, which has spurred many debates. The good news is that over the last few years there has been a rock revival of sorts. Bands like Rival Sons and The Struts have somewhat filled the void. You can definitely add Greta Van Fleet to that list. The band has mass appeal, especially for those who loved the classic rock sound from the late 60’s, early 70’s. Their heavy guitar rock/blues inspired sets remind you of an era where bands like Aerosmith, Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin ruled. Loudwire, the popular online rock magazine, even went as far as naming them Breakout Artist of the Decade recently.
2020 is looking to be a great year for the band. Heavy Metal legends Metallica just added the band to open for some of their shows on their South American Tour. It’s also turning out to be a great year for their loyal fan base as well. There is no doubt that fans will be chomping at the bit upon the arrival of the bands newest album, expected in early 2020. Come back soon guys, Philly loves you!
