Photo by: Marissa Stoll
I love concerts, so when I was offered a free ticket to go see a band that I was very unfamiliar with, I didn’t even hesitate before I excitedly agreed. Long story short me and 3 of my friends drove to the arena in Duluth and had the time of our lives. Greta Van Fleet’s Starcatcher Tour was one of the most incredible concerts I have ever had the pleasure of attending, and I can happily say that their music has made its way into my regular rotation.
The band is classified as rock and is made up of 4 members: Joshua Kiszka (lead vocals), Jake Kiszka (guitar), Sam Kiszka (bass guitar), and Daniel Wagner (drums). The three brothers and Sam have since released three studio albums together and toured twice. They have gained wide popularity since their debut and don’t look to be stopping any time soon.
Greta Van Fleet’s music isn’t quite comparable to other bands. There isn’t a group that I could say sounds like them. Their music is characterized by wildly powerful vocals backed with strong drum beats and fun guitar melodies. Even their slower songs have a drive in them that match their more upbeat music. They blend so well that sometimes you can’t tell if it’s the lead singer screaming or the guitarist shredding.
The vocals from Josh Kiszka are something particularly special. The way he can play with and manipulate his voice are like nothing I have ever heard. He makes use of all sorts of techniques to belt higher notes, add vibrato, and melodically play with lines. You can hear it in all their recorded songs, but it is other worldly to experience in person.
The band’s stage presence is what puts this concert over the top for me. I love it when bands can interact with their audience as well as add something to their music live. Throughout the entire concert Josh was cracking jokes and engaging the audience. He would speak between songs and make commentary on his own outfit changes as he did them. My friend Tiberio Fabrini who was also at the concert with me explained that “I didn’t know I was going to a comedy show. I kept laughing at Josh’s jokes.” This is a band that you go see for the music, but you stay for all of the added experience.
Throughout the whole two and a half hour show the audience is treated to spectacular stage visuals including pyrotechnics and dramatic lighting visuals. The band walks out into the crowd on their two catwalks on either side of the pit section. They perform their acoustic set on a smaller stage farther back in the arena. There really wasn’t a bad seat in the whole arena because they moved around so much. Even from the balcony we got a great view during the acoustic set. My friend Blake Pitts who gave me her extra ticket expressed that “I’ve been waiting years for this concert, and it was worth the wait.”
As we drove home from the concert we listened to even more of their music and I was sad to say that after hearing the songs live, the recorded versions couldn’t hold a candle to that experience. I did really enjoy getting exposed to new music, some of which now has a place on my regular playlists. This a band I would absolutely bring friends to go see in the future.