Greta Van Fleet at the Hollywood Palladium

Young rising hard rock stars Greta Van Fleet continue their March of the Peaceful Army sold-out world tour, supporting their first full-length studio album Anthem of the Peaceful Army. In October, GVF had two shows in Los Angeles on the 5th and 6th at The Hollywood Palladium. The first of two shows, the 5th fell on a Saturday night, allowing GVF fans to line the sidewalk outside the venue, waiting to get in.

Despite countless comparisons to Led Zeppelin among others when it comes to their music, Greta Van Fleet (consisting of three brothers Kiszka — vocalist Josh, guitarist Jake and bassist/keyboardist Sam — and Danny Wagner on drums), has been given the warmest welcome to Billboard charts and at venues all over the world. The boys garnered four GRAMMY nominations in 2019 and won ‘Best Rock Album’ for their previous EP release From the Fires. And, their singles “Highway Tune”, “Safari Song”, “When the Curtain Falls” and “You’re the One” have all hit number one on the Billboard Mainstream Rock charts!

If you ever thought about inventing a time machine to go back and see the atmosphere of a quintessential 70s rock concert, you no longer need it with Greta Van Fleet. These young musicians will deliver it in a moment and you’ll hardly remember what year it is… and maybe even your name! With GVF, you witness four charismatic passionate performers, giving audiences their all onstage. Which is, by the way, pretty interesting and diverse. You can find people of all ages here: those remembering their youth with this fresh, but familiar sound alongside those falling in love with an old-school band for the first time.

On the 5th, the show was opened by Shannon and the Clams, a band from Oakland. They released their newest album Onion last fall and had set the perfect mood by the time Greta got onstage.

If you ever thought about inventing a time machine to go back and see the atmosphere of a quintessential 70s rock concert, you no longer need it with Greta Van Fleet.

Josh came out throwing roses to the crowd, as GVF opened the show with their biggest hit “Highway Tune”. The moment the band started, all the photographers ran to catch as much as they possibly could of their breathtaking performance. The energy was mind-blowing; the light was stunning, as well.

22-year-old frontman Josh seemed to not only be the owner of an amazing voice, but a remarkably experienced artist for his age. He was confident and always knew when to step back and let the others show themselves. And, they did. Jake and Sam played solos, performing with whole rock-n-roll passion and virtuosity. The crowd sang during the whole set, screaming “GRETA!!!” during the pauses.

The setlist consisted of songs off of Anthem of the Peaceful Army, as well as from their debut EP, Black Moon Rising. They played all of their hits and many more, closing the show with “Safari Song” and another outstanding solo performed by 20-year-old drummer Danny Wagner. He impressed everyone with his spectacular force and the band rejoined him onstage one last time, waving goodnight.

Greta Van Fleet still has some upcoming dates in the United States, so make sure you don’t miss a show in your city! It will be interesting to follow the band and see how they grow and change after such a resounding starting success.

Photography by Julia Kovaleva

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