Despite starting their rock band in 2012, Greta Van Fleet’s career has not fully “taken off” until recently. The band includes twins Josh Kiszka and Jake Kiszka, their younger brother, Sam Kiszka, and Daniel Wagner. Jake and Josh are identical twins, but you may not realize that upon first look. Their first album, Anthem of the Peaceful Army, which consisted of ten songs, was released in 2018 followed by From the Fires. From the Fires included the EP Highway Tune. This song gained the band traction as it amassed over 95 million views on YouTube. Despite this new-found fame, their image was not always seen in a positive light. They were known for sounding “too much” like Led Zeppelin and for copying such a classic band.

They pushed past the hate, however, and began being appreciated for their musical talents, even winning a Grammy in 2019 for Best Rock Performance. Throughout their career, Jake has also won an award for best guitar solo of the century and Danny has won an award for Best New Drummer of 2018. They originally played smaller venues but over the years, they have made their presence known and in 2022, they started their first world tour. Playing venues like Hershey Stadium, and Hard Rock Casino in Atlantic City, their Dreams in Gold world tour has begun.

Very recently, in July of this year, the band released their newest album Starcatcher. This album has gained much more attention than the others, with songs being played more often on the radio and even in commercials. The song Meeting the Master was featured on a Dodge Ram commercial for their Memorial Day sale in May. The members of Greta Van Fleet explained that with this album, their intended goal was to return to their roots. They wanted it to be different and with this goal in mind, it is safe to say that they succeeded. A few fans disliked the new album because it did not sound like the others but overall, the reviews were mostly positive.

Personally, I really enjoyed this album. My favorite song would have to be either The Archer or Sacred the Thread. A close third would be The Falling Sky. These songs are what I remembered the most from the album after listening to it for the first time. Not only are the lyrics well written and require some thought, but the sound also has an “old rock” sound to it that I personally enjoy listening to. The best part about their music is that they leave all interpretations up to the listeners. There are many different ways to take their songs and ways to put meaning into them without ever being “wrong.” I recommend listening to these songs as well as some of their older stuff such as Highway Tune, as mentioned above, Black Smoke Rising, and if you are like me and enjoy a good guitar solo here and there, The Weight of Dreams.

Each of these songs, other than The Weight of Dreams, was played recently at Wells Fargo Center. On September 19, 2023, Greta Van Fleet took the stage right here in Philly. The band exceeded expectations at this concert, even playing Tears of Rain, which is a song that has only been performed live once before. It is safe to say that fans were ecstatic when the song was announced. Greta Van Fleet also had a great opening act. Surf Curse took the stage before Greta Van Fleet and had the fans engrossed in their performances and gaining new fans that did not know of them before. The excitement of going to a Greta Van Fleet concert compares to no other. The fans tend to dress up in elaborate outfits that are often planned weeks in advance. Some are handmade, and others are put together from a bunch of different pieces of clothing. This time, most of the outfits had silver and sparkles to match band members’ outfits from music videos as well as the album cover which was white, silver, and glittery. Fans dedicate a lot of time to their outfits and the work that goes into them is apparent. If you are given the opportunity to see Greta Van Fleet live, I highly recommend taking that chance, even if it calls for a road trip. As the song My Way, Soon states, “I’ve packed my bags” and “I choose the road.”

Full Setlist in order from the Philly show if you want to check it out! https://spotify.link/gheESsAvYDb

_{All Photos taken by Haley Milone at Greta Van Fleet’s Starcatcher world tour Philadelphia show!}

Haley Milone is a 3rd-year student majoring in Early Childhood Education. She loves listening to rock music, especially artists such as Billy Squire, Motley Crue, and the Foo Fighters. She also loves photography.