Greta Van Fleet plays PPG Paints Arena May 18.
Right now, Greta Van Fleet is the best band in the world.
I love and enjoy heritage bands, like Guns N’ Roses. But the crowd skews older. There’s a sense of, “We’re all lucky to be alive, not least the band.”
Aerosmith made it through just three dates of its 2023-24 tour before singer Steven Tyler ruptured a vocal cord. Tyler is 75.
Heritage rock is great, but it’s nostalgia.
Greta Van Fleet is here and now.
Greta Van Fleet is four guys in their mid-20s at the height of their powers. Three Kiszka brothers: Twins Josh (vocals) and Jake (guitar) are 27, while Sam (bass, keyboards) is 24. Drummer Danny Wagner, 24, rounds out the quartet. They formed in 2012. (You do the math.)
A Greta Van Fleet show draws a younger audience, lots of girls, and they sing every word. It’s a throwback to my concert-going youth in the ‘70s and ‘80s, where the connection between music and audience evoked a real vibe and electricity. Live music united.
Rock music is supposed to be about youth. Onstage, and in the crowd. That's its genesis.
Greta Van Fleet's music is fantastic: An incendiary combination of rock, blues, folk and progressive. (That reads like the kid in "Almost Famous" wrote it.)
All four members are excellent live performers. There’s a bit of the hippy-dippy feel, but in a good way. Their concerts are an event. The lighting, graphics, sound and presentation are perfect.
To repeat, Greta Van Fleet are currently the best band in the world. Don’t miss out.