Greta Van Fleet – The Fillmore – 5.22.18

Greta Van Fleet, Dorothy
The Fillmore – Detroit, MI – 5.22.18
Photographer: Kailey Howell

Frankenmuth natives Greta Van Fleet sold out three hometown shows at The Fillmore in Detroit this week, leaving the venue packed and fans speechless after their high energy set.

Consisting of brothers Jake, Josh and Sam Kiszka with Danny Wagner on the drums, the venue was packed for the first night not just with fans, but friends and family alike.

Following the release of their debut full length album From The Fires in 2017, the band has taken the rock scene by storm. Their sound pays homage to bands such as The Who, Cream, and Led Zeppelin while still adding their own psychedelic rock twist.

Opening for the band was LA rock artist Dorothy, accompanied by her band. She opened her set with “White Butterfly” off of her most recent album 28 Days In the Valley.

This woman is a powerhouse. Her vocals are strong and captivate the audience even more than her graceful yet demanding presence on stage.

The band, consisting of Owen Barry (guitar), Leroy Wulfmeier (guitar), Eliot Lorango (bass) and Jason Ganberg (drums) givers her energy driven lyrics a smooth rock sound that blend together perfectly.

The crowd erupted into applause when they broke into “Raise Hell”, and continued to sing along with Dorothy the entire song. After closing their set with “Freedom”, fans were left excited for the night to continue.

“These kids are going to be the next big thing man, I guarantee you this is the last they see of The Fillmore. They’ll be selling out Little Caesars Arena next.” said fan Randy “Chavo” Chavez as he eagerly waited for Greta Van Fleet to take the stage.

Chavez had been calling into radio stations all day hoping to win tickets and see Greta Van Fleet live that night. His excitement was beaming as he told me about finally landing a ticket.

Finally, strobe lights flashed as Greta Van Fleet finally took the stage, as Josh Kiszka passed out white roses to the crowd. After opening right into “Highway Tune”, Josh’s vocals pierced through the venue, setting the bar high for how the rest of the set was to go.

The dynamic that these four friends have on stage is breathtaking. Their passion was showcased in their ability to just jam out together on stage, full of smiles and humble attitude.

During “When the Cold Wind Blows”, Jake Kiszka broke into a guitar solo that the crowd kept demanding more of. He eventually threw the guitar behind his back to play as his brothers stepped back and let him shred on stage.

After performing “Flower Power” and “You’re the One”, the band covered Howlin’ Wolf’s “Evil” for a surprise to fans.

What was unique about this sold out show was that the age of attendees varied greatly from teenagers to middle aged. There was no dominant demographic in the venue, leaving a very humble feeling as everyone got together to share their love for the band.

After “Lover Leaver Taker Believer” the band performed a two song encore. They definitely saved the best for last as fans were ecstatic when they came back on stage for “Black Smoke Rising”. Finally, they ended the evening with one of the most energy packed sets I’ve seen as they played “Safari Song”.

Greta Van Fleet will be traveling over to Germany to play Rock Im Park in June alongside other festivals, and will be traveling back to the U.S. in July for select tour dates as well as festivals such as Summerfest and Lollapalooza.

Follow the band on Facebook and Twitter for more updates.

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Dorothy

 

Greta Van Fleet