Time To Stop Making Comparisons…Greta Van Fleet Are The Real Deal

It was a relatively warm night in Texas when I arrived at the Smart Financial Center in Sugarland Texas. Unfortunately due to traffic, venue security and long lines I was unable to completely catch the set of opening act Shannon and the Clams but from what I could hear in the distance they seemed pretty excellent. This slight annoyance wouldn’t matter though, as I was there for one band only…Greta Van Fleet.

Greta Van Fleet is quite possibly the hottest name in rock at the moment and from the mass amount of rabid fans chanting “Greta…Greta…Greta!” before they took the stage, I could tell that this was going to be one wild ride of a night. They kicked the night off with Highway Tune which pretty much rocked that place to its core. Going into the show I was a bit apprehensive at how this band would sound live. I mean, with such difficult vocal ranges I wasn’t sure if these guys would be able to pull off that excellent sound on their albums. My fears were unfounded as these young superstars performed like seasoned professionals. It’s truly amazing how far these guys have come in such a short amount of time.

I felt mesmerized for most of the set. I mean, rarely does a band have the ability to strike so many emotional chords for me all in one show but GVF seems to cover the entire spectrum. I felt such explosive happiness and even a little bit of romantic reflection. One highlight that would have made my mom proud was their excellent cover of the classic John Denver song “The Music is You”. I haven’t been to many shows these days where I actively saw people sobbing but it seemed that many of the young fans couldn’t hold back the emotion. It was great to see such a young generation appreciate music that typically sounds like something that would have been written 40 years ago.

It should be known to all that Jake Kiszka is, in my opinion, is one of the greatest young guitar players in the game right now. He has the stage presence and technical skills of a young Slash. His shredding ability absolutely floored me and I think it’s only a matter of time before he is recognized as one of the all-time greats. In fact, I think it’s only a matter of time before this band is considered to be “THE” name in rock music. The set of 13 songs seemed to absolutely fly by and I probably could have listened to them perform all night long. They ended the night with Safari Song which included a out of the world drum solo by Danny Wagner. If for nothing else, this experience allowed me to truly grasp how exceptional this band truly is. If you are even the slightest bit skeptical about Greta Van Fleet I implore you to get out and give them a chance. One concert and I promise you that they will absolutely rock your socks off!

For tickets and more information on Greta Van Fleet check out:

http://www.gretavanfleet.com/