Greta Van Fleet marches on and ROCKS Las Vegas

There is an abundance of things to do on a Friday night in Las Vegas. But on September 27th, the place to be was at The Joint in the Hard Rock Hotel. Greta Van Fleet brought their March of the Peaceful Army Tour to a sold out crowd and delivered a spellbinding and ethereal performance.

Fans lined up early for the General Admission show and the crowd was a pleasant display of diversity through age, culture, race, etc. The collection of people from all walks of life came together in peace, love and unity to celebrate the music of Greta Van Fleet. The night kicked off with a crowd pleasing set by Shannon and The Clams.

The energy of the crowd radiated and intensified as they anxiously awaited the arrival of Greta Van Fleet to the stage. As the lights dimmed and the smokes billowed, the band took to the stage and the crowd went wild. Frontman Josh Kiszka threw out the highly desired white roses and then announced, “It’s another day at the office”. Well, I know one thing, he truly delivers 150% at his job! The set kicked off with the high energy hit, When The Curtain Falls and the show was off to a spectacular start.

The band came out of the gate strong and held that energy throughout, down to the last note performed. So many shows in Las Vegas rely on extravagant light shows, backdrops, dramatic set productions to hold the attention of the audience. But this night, the performance by brothers Josh, Jake, and Sammy Kiszka and their long time friend, Danny Wagner was all the that was needed to captivate the crowd. A simple stage production, yet a world class performance given.

Josh Kiszka can easily hold the title for Best Frontman of Today. His charismatic energy is contagious and his infectious smile is never-ending. His powerful vocals filled the venue and you could just see the emotion in the fan’s faces as they grinned from ear to ear.

Sammy Kiszka is not only an impeccable bassist, but wowed the crowd with his organ playing, especially on Age of Man. Chills ran down our spine as we were treated to our first live performance of the powerful song.

The beat of the fleet, Danny Wagner was a madman on the drums. His solo at the end of Safari Song had the crowd in an uproar of cheers and screams. You could feel the energy and power of his drums beating in your chest.

All through the show, I was in awe of these young men and their performances. Guitarist Jake Kiszka mesmerized us with incendiary playing. Each show is different as he brings to life a new improvised solo that has us all in awe. Just when we think he has given every ounce of energy to us, he reaches deep down and takes his playing up a couple notches further. Truly astonishing and mind-blowing. When he plays the guitar behind his neck, you can’t contain your excitement and then when he uses the microphone stand as a guitar slide, you are left in a daze.

In addition to the music, Greta Van Fleet brings a message of hope as they spread peace, love and unity. Their fans are some of the best in the music scene. It is truly a family or Army as they are called. Wherever you are, at work, a concert, or hanging around your town, when you see someone that has a Greta shirt on, your social circle instantly widens. The camaraderie among the fans have forged long lasting friendships that will stand the test of time.

A personal highlight of the night was their performance of Black Smoke Rising. It instantly transported me to my fire ravaged neighborhood, as we blasted the song while sifting through the ash of our former lives. The song was gave us such peace especially during our darkest time. After losing our home and business in October 2017, the music of Greta Van Fleet was there to keep us going. As we are approaching the 2nd anniversary of the fire, our emotions have gotten the best of us, and taken us down that deep dark path. But seeing Greta this week has kept our hope alive. Once again, their music gives us hope for a brighter future.

Four powerful young musicians, collectively delivering a performance that will leave you speechless. The March of the Peaceful Army continues on. Tour dates are listed below and I strongly urge you not to miss them!