August 02 2024 Uncasville, CT Photos and Videos by Sam Simon
We’ve been watching for years the rise of Greta Van Fleet, an upstart young band emulating the sounds of 1970s hard rock to great effect and acclaim. So when a pair of comp tickets came my way to an arena to which I had never been, even on a moment’s notice- I jumped at it.
I grabbed my son who is a big fan, and we rolled two hours south to the casino. I had never even been to the casino so rolling in, the complex is massive and impressive. We found our way to the parking garage where our first surprise of the evening was in store for us. I looked around but I could not find a kiosk dispensing tickets for parking. It turns out, Parking is Free! Holy Cow! I can’t remember the last time that happened to me at a big arena show.
We made our way downstairs and into the casino which looked exactly as I expected. We traversed a ten minute walk or so and found our way to the entrance of the arena. The security check was easy, and the staff was polite and didn’t hassle us at all, which was super nice. We made our way to great seats, exactly opposite the stage about ten rows up from the floor, behind tthe sound and lighting boards. This is the perfect place to view and hear a show.
We walked in during the opener, a band called the Beaches who were very decent. An all young lady pop and rock band with catchy songs. My son recognized a couple of the tunes from Tik Tok, and they were very thankful to the crow and the headliner for having them. Our next surprise of the evening was during set break when we went out, and discovered a ‘smoking court’ and security let us out of the main arena to an outdoor area where people were smoking and we enjoyed a smoke before Greta Van Fleet was to play. We met a nice guy in for the show who won tickets on the radio. I’m not used to large venues being so accommodating to customers.
Re-entry was equally easy and we found our way to our seats as the lights were descending and an extended soundtrack was signaling the impending arrival of the band.
They hit the stage with a bang, quite literally. The band stormed on stage with tons of volume and energy, and even in the first song there were pyrotechnics and explosions. It was immediately clear that this was a huge arena show, bombastic stadium rock the likes of which was common fifty years ago but is less common these days.
Greta Van Fleet learned the lessons of their forebears and the crowd, I’m guessing in excess of ten thousand people, were enthralled. They played for over two hours, covering original material from their handful of releases in the last decade. They didn’t play many covers though they referenced Norwegian Wood during “Meeting the Master.” The one cover that they played was “Unchained Melody” (Zaret and North were the authors and the song was made famous by the Isley Brothers) and it was well done.
The band strutted the stage with Josh Kiszka leaving and returning throughout the show, sometimes having changed stagewear. His voice is the true inspiration and weapon of the band- soaring and jumping from note to note. The comparison to Robert Plant is facile, because of how easy the comparison is to Led Zeppelin in general. But in actuality his voice is somewhere between Geddy Lee of Rush and Jon Anderson of Yes. At times it is ethereal and inspires thoughts of folklore and myth. He is the star, and his command of the stage will make him a rock and roll legend over time.
His brother Sam Kiszka easily draws the John Paul Jones comparison as he ranged between the keyboards and bass easily. His skills on both instruments are quite evident, referencing classical music at one point during his keys interlude with Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue”. And there were interludes aplenty with each band member getting plenty of time showcasing their skills for extended periods. Drummer Daniel Wagner had a great old school drum solo in the middle of the show.
I have two criticisms, and the first is that there were too many interludes for guitarist and third brother Jake Kiszka. Wandering the stage with a low slung guitar and faux military jacket unbuttoned to expose his chest he easily conjured up the spirit of Jimmy Page or Jeff Beck. His solo sections were numerous and lengthy, at one point walking a long line across the back of the stage in front of a fire line effect that was cool looking. The solo however left me wanting to see more technique and content- it was mostly strutting and noodling- without the clear intention or melody of a written solo section. Several times throughout the show he was showcased but without true musical merit. I am hopeful that his playing matures over time to really justify the amount of time spent on his spotlight.
The other criticism that I have is the band’s songwriting. They played for a long time, including a great acoustic set mid show. But I did not truly feel bowled over by the content of the material. Now I am not relatively knowledgable when it comes to Greta Van Fleet, and their show has tons of energy and enthusiasm. The crowd was enthralled. The band’s performance is anthemic, but they are missing the anthems themselves. They have all of the components ready to go, they just have yet to write the classic material that should be the foundation of the band.
The fans loved it despite my criticism. They seemed to be split between older dudes like myself, checking out the ‘new classic rock’ band and adoring younger fans, many of them young ladies. There was a trio of fans behind me, probably in their early twenties showering the band with love and admiration. I think one of them was misty eyed, and another was staring in rapture at the stage. I believe it is entirely possible that I am not the target audience, and the fans of the band absoultely loved them.
Greta Van Fleet has all of the elements, and is poised to become an arena rock staple, carrying to torch of classic rock, stadium rock, art rock, the seventies sound. A few more elements are needed before they can stand shoulder to shoulder with their iconic influences, and I look forward to seeing them rise to the challenge.
And kudos to Mohegan Sun for having a great facility which is very fan friendly.
Set 1:
Starcatcher Overture
The Falling Sky
The Indigo Streak
Caravel
Set 2:
Meeting the Master
(w/“Norweigian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) intro”)
Heat Above
Highway Tune (With extended jam after 2nd chorus)
Drum Solo
Acoustic Set
Unchained Melody (Hy Zaret & Alex North cover)
Waited All Your Life
Black Smoke Rising
Set 3:
Fate of the Faithful (w/snippet of an unreleased song)
Sacred the Thread
The Archer (w/“Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)” outro)
Encore:
Light My Love (w/“Rhapsody in Blue” intro)
Farewell for Now
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