Starcatcher World Tour: Greta Van Fleet Masters Madison Square Garden
Written for NYS Music
Photography by Emma Dowd
A sound must have life, be huge, take up space and matter in order to play at Madison Square Garden. On the New York City night of September 12th, Greta Van Fleet’s “Starcatcher World Tour” watered The (sold out) Garden for the very first time. “The world’s most famous arena” is a sort of heaven’s gate for any name in the music industry. The name Greta Van Fleet rolls right off the tongue and has proven their ability to collect a loyal fandom and climb the charts, and the key was handed over indubitably.
The opener, Surf Curse, a surf-rock band born in Nevada warmed up the ever-filling crowd. After their performance, the Greta Van Fleet curtain was pulled towards the iconic barrelled ceiling of Madison Square Garden. The stage sat idle, out of sight, as the pre-show setlist began to play. An intense elongated intro score played between the sets. Violins and percussion sewed together to form a melody of a sort of Nordic folk music – it was a fail-safe adrenaline amplifier.
Greta Van Fleet is a transcending rock band from Frankenmuth, Michigan. The group was fortified by three brothers, twins Josh Kiszka (lead vocalist) and Jake Kiszka (guitarist), Sam Kiszka (bassist, multi-instrumentalist), and companion Daniel Wagner (drums and percussion). Their love for each other on stage is tangible in their embraces and sweet brotherly admiration. Their journey into stardom intensified their connection and heavily dosed confidence into their production.
Lights overhead shown onto the blue and white silk of the curtain, holding steady focus on Greta’s symbol. All at once the surrounding lights shut off and strobes danced across the curtain. After the hard climax of the introduction song, the curtain dramatically fell to the foot of the stage. On an elevated platform, the four-man band was revealed, posing in formation around Wagner who sat charged behind the drums.
“The Falling Sky” was their first song of the evening, which proved an excellent introduction to Josh’s prodigious vocal range and the unmatchable aptitude of Jake and Sam on the strings. The song, as does most of their discography, allows for a melodic conversation to happen between the instruments. If one speaks, the other listens and responds.
As fire shot above the band and sparks spewed to the beat of the percussion, a thick heat could be felt across Madison Square Garden’s vast rows of seating. The atmosphere of the night was spawned tonally and visually, for the stage was alive with hot fashion and literal flames. Josh wore his iconic white jumpsuit with a deep chest plunge – the eccentricity of outfits is something fans look forward to and emulate themselves. The rest of the band wore tight pearly white or black trousers, beaded blazers, glorious capes and a sparkly chainmail crop-top. Josh and Daniel’s faces were painted with elegant make-up that reflected with each stroke of spotlight.
Observing Greta Van Fleet fans felt like looking into a time capsule; fashion from the sixties and seventies re-surged that evening, as people floated around in shimmering shawls and exaggerated bell-bottoms. They thrusted upon the barricade, extending their hands towards the glimmering band members as if they were reaching for grace. It’s fascinating at concerts, how the crowd reacts physically. It’s as if the sound alone isn’t enough. Their physical bodies need something to touch to hold, because the viscerality of digesting music feels too far out of body at times.
The stage set-up served as a playground for Greta Van Fleet. The band members ran around shoeless, bounded into the air mid guitar riff, rattled their bodies to the beat of their music. Two catwalks extended into the general admission pit. There Jake and Sam took turns running out towards the edge with their instruments slung precariously over their shoulders. Multiple impressive guitar solos took place all across the stage, for their motion was fluid.
After their first couple of songs, Josh left the stage for an outfit change. He came back adorned in a navy velvet jumpsuit to match the next few songs of the setlist. The fashionable theatrics complimented their artistry greatly. They performed “Meeting The Master,” “Heat Above,” and Josh’s favorite song on their discography, “Highway Tune.” Madison Square Garden has never been louder than it was during the final chorus of “Highway Tune.” Singing along required guttural yelling of high energy.
Josh Kiszka is a special voice in the current of music. He is the birth of something new while being a timeless looking-glass through the past of rock n’ roll. He has the confidence of Freddie Mercury. He has the celestial coolness of David Bowie. He has the hypnotic stage presence of Stevie Nicks. Most impressively, he has the raw range of Robert Plant. Though, comparing him to anyone feels sinful, for he and his band are carving their own realm of rock. He is the starcatcher, an earth-rocker.
The transition out of “Highway Tune” turned into a drum solo by Daniel Wagner. He played with speed, edging a climax for five minutes but never finishing out the song. His intensity cooked a sweet tension in the arena, and the audience ate it up. The stamina he displayed informed the genius of their production; none of their songs ever want to end.
Towards the finish of Wagner’s solo, the rest of the band made their way to the polar side of The Garden and crowded on a small platform with their instruments. Everyone in the standing audience shifted their attention and migrated to huddle at the base of their bare feet. The next two songs, “Waited All Your Life,” and “Black Smoke Rising” were played with the keys, an acoustic guitar, and a ginormous mandolin.
After entertaining the petite B-stage for a short while, the band was escorted by security back to the main stage. A security guard carried Josh on his shoulders while Josh tossed white roses into the understandably feral crowd, while Jake, Sam, and Daniel tossed flowers on the opposite side of the arena.
Josh reappeared in a new jumpsuit patched with the sun and the moon. As the end of the show neared, the stakes rose. Flames reclaimed the stage, and the lights seared red. Jake took to his guitar with an impressive attack, riffing over his head and behind his back. The songs “Sacred The Thread” and “The Archer” played with the elements on stage, a thick smoke bellowed into the audience. As special as witnessing Greta Van Fleet at Madison Square Garden was, it felt like one should see them in the red dust swells of Utah, or in a spanning field with no end – some place where Earth becomes indistinguishable from the rest of the universe and all that matters is a sound.
Once “The Archer” came to a close, the band briefly waved goodbye and trotted backstage. No encore plea has ever been louder. The audience roared as one collective voice, pleading from their hearts for a return. It wasn’t long before the lights danced back to life, and the band returned in one final outfit change. Josh wore a sun pantsuit with a lavish cloak while the rest of the band seemed to lose articles of clothing, their hair a mess and eyes wild.
The key-in note of “Light My Love,” one of the band’s most successful releases, elicited a collective emote from the audience. When the second chorus blasted through the arena, sparks shot up from the stage once again. The lights stemming from the center-roof projected the colors of the rainbow, and a sea of pride flags popped up above heads in the crowd. It was a glorious moment of peace and celebration.
Their final song, “Farewell For Now,” was the perfect send-off. It was an ode to The Garden, a praise for the fans. The lyric: “Tonight, it’s all for you,” felt personal and honest, as the members of Greta Van Fleet looked out into the cellular starlights with awe painted blush across their faces. Once the song concluded, they gathered where they started, around Daniel and his drums to take a bow. Unable to contain their thrill, they bounced off each other as they left the stage.
It was jarring, while fans began to file out of the venue with stunned looks, to remember that Madison Square Garden is in the heart of Midtown Manhattan. While Greta’s performance unfolded and wrapped itself up again, the clamoring chaos of New York City persisted all around. I’m sure the magic could be felt radiating down the avenues.
