Greta Van Fleet: Dreams in Gold Tour Review

Greta Van Fleet has been around for nearly a decade, and there is only more in store for them with their rising popularity.

The Michigan-based band was formed in 2012 by three brothers, Jake, Josh, and Sam Kiszka, and they are joined by their close friend and drummer, Danny Wagner. Their Michigan roots greatly shape their music and even their band name. The drummer at the time, Kyle Hauck, was inspired by one of his grandfather’s friends, who is named Gretna Van Fleet. Josh suggested they drop the “n” and Greta Van Fleet was born–all with her permission, of course. From there, the group continued to release singles and gain traction; “Highway Tune” being one of their earlier releases that quickly gained attention.

They released their third album, “The Battle at Garden’s Gate,” in April of 2021 and embarked on their “Dreams in Gold” tour in March 2021. The band continued to tour all throughout the year with multiple legs of the tour spanning across North America and Europe. The tour was a huge success for the band until vocalist, Jake Kiszka, ruptured an eardrum while performing with just one month of the tour left. As a result, the remainder of the tour was rescheduled for March 2023, and the Sacramento show was one of the nine dates postponed.

I was lucky enough to be able to attend the show on March 28th, and it was certainly one of the best shows I have been to. Every aspect of the show was perfect and everything went smoothly. The Golden 1 Center is one of the best venues in the area. The size of the venue is certainly daunting, but every time I have been, it has been a great time. There is no stress getting in or out of the venue, and the amount of security is always comforting to see.

I love live music and will see just about any show, no matter the genre or artist. I was familiar with Greta Van Fleet and loved many of their songs, but this concert made me love them even more. The opener, Rival Sons, was a perfect start to the show. The band falls in a similar genre of Greta Van Fleet–an amalgamation of blues and hard rock–so they set a perfect tone for the remainder of the show.

Once Greta Van Fleet came on stage and the mid-curtain fell, I already knew that it was going to be a great show.

The stage was set with a large white curtain behind the band and fire pits all around the stage, which were lit multiple times throughout the show. The opening song, “Built By Nations,” got the crowd hyped with the amazing guitar intro, and energy shifted as soon as Jake Kiszka came on stage and started singing. Not only are Kiszka’s vocals flawless, but he has an amazing stage presence. He seems so comfortable on stage flaunting around and dancing. His flamboyant movements and outfit reminded me of Freddie Mercury, and his style in relation to the band’s sound is a perfect pair.

The technical aspects of the show, such as the sound and lighting were just as captivating. During “Light My Love,” the stage was lit with all colors of the rainbow to correspond with the lyrics, “Your mind is a stream of colors.” Another song, “Heat Above,” which is one of the most popular from the album, felt just as special. The lyricism and instrumentals of the song are amazing, and the orange and blue hues on the stage made it feel much more surreal and intimate. They debuted four new songs: “The Falling Sky,” “Indigo Streak,” “Sacred the Thread,” and “Farewell for Now.” All of which were great and what one would expect from Greta Van Fleet; they did not deviate from their usual sound.

It was truly a concert to remember, and I do not have one bad thing to say about the show. If you like rock music and aren’t familiar with Greta Van Fleet I would recommend seeing them next time they are on tour anyways. The band has an amazing energy and stage presence that makes the show enjoyable for anyone and everyone.

Maya Shubel (DJ Homeskillet) hosts Chaos Hour which airs Tuesdays from 4 – 5 PM on KSSU.