Greta Van Fleet sets Sacramento on fire

Rival Sons and Greta Van Fleet rock and roll into Sacramento and the Golden One Center were blown away by deafening, 70’s guitar-based heavy rock. 

Miss the era of traditional hard rock? Rival Sons and Greta Van Fleet, two of today’s most well-liked rock bands, grabbed the stage to provide your fix of nostalgia as classic-rock revivalists. At the Golden One Center in Sacramento, CA. Greta Van Fleet performed for their final time on their Dreams in Gold Tour. The concert was a sell-out triumph, and both bands gave electrifying, vivacious, and enthusiastic performances.

Rival Sons opened the event with a bang, blasting into their song “Do Your Worst” to the pleasure of the audience in front of an excited and anticipated crowd. The show’s high point was the loud growling voice of lead singer Jay Buchanan. The audience was drawn in by Buchanan’s strong and soulful vocals, which were in excellent form. His outfit was amazing and reminded us of the orange suit that Jim Carey wore in the movie Dumb and Dumber. Only seven songs made up Rival Sons’ 35 minute set. The band’s sound was tight and polished, showcasing the band’s remarkable instrumental skills as they mixed hard rock, blues, and soul. Drummer Michael Miley showed the Sacramento fans some love by wearing a purple Kings jersey. They finished their set with “Nobody Wants to Die.”

Greta Van Fleet joined the stage following a brief interval, and they promptly started their own two hour show.

If you haven’t heard of Greta Van Fleet, think of a band from the late 60s and early 70s mixed with classic rock.

They have a Clearance Clearwater, Led Zeppelin and Queen vibe. They bring that classic 1970s sound that we know and love. Greta Van Fleet’s performance is full of mystic symbols, baring chests, massive fireworks, explosions, and fog. It was very entertaining to say the least.

These young men don’t hide as much in the stage’s brilliant white lights; instead, their burgeoning egos prefer the somber red and blue lighting. These guys know how to give their young followers what they want, which is to see them in all their youthful vigor. The band’s frontman, Josh Kiszka, is a powerful vocalist with mannerisms reminiscent of rock performers from that classic rock era. He was wearing a silver outfit that reminded me of what Freddy Mercury would wear on stage. Josh Kiszka’s antics as the frontman were the ideal counterpoint to Jake Kiszka’s furious lead guitar. Sam, the third Kiszka sibling, controls the bass and keyboards throughout the band’s lengthy jam sessions. Sam Kiszka’s rock-solid anchor is perfectly complemented by Danny Wagner’s pounding percussion. 

They started off the night with “Built by Nations.” Fans screamed and roared as they sang with fire bursting out from the floor of the stage. Josh Kiszka got the crowd involved early by stating this is the last city of the tour and it will be a special night. He was not wrong. Not only did they play a spectacular two hour set, but they performed four new songs including “The Falling Sky,” “Indigo Streak,” “Sacred the Thread,” and “Farewell for Now.”

In the middle of their set, Danny Wagner had a drum solo show and the fans were screaming his name, Danny Danny! During fan favorite “Light my Love” the lights behind the stage turned on to different colors that looked like a rainbow. It was beautiful. They finished the unforgettable night with another fan favorite, “Highway Tune.”

Rock n Roll is not dead, it’s just getting started again. 

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