Something about Greta Van Fleet, the buzzy Michigan-based rock 'n' roll band that sold out South Side Ballroom in Dallas Wednesday night, feels vaguely familiar.
Upon first listen, Greta Van Fleet sounds like something your dad is probably into. In fact, you might have heard these songs before, right? Even the name sounds like the group is currently on heavy rotation at some classic rock station. But the next time your dad gets that far away look on his face and starts talking about how amazing music used to be back in the day and how kids these days don't know how to rock, turn on this band to prove him wrong.
Greta Van Fleet isn't a band from the '70s heyday of rock 'n' roll. No, no.
These Gen Z-ers came to Dallas to prove that rock 'n' roll isn't dead -- it's alive and scissor-kicking.
The moment lead singer Josh Kiszka wails out that epic battle cry on "Highway Tune," which could easily be mistaken for that of Led Zeppelin's legendary singer Robert Plant, you know you're in for something so special and so rare. You are witnessing the birth of a new generation of rockers and it feels so right. These guys have what it takes to bring forth the rock 'n' roll revival that the music industry needs to shake it to its core.
The boys of Greta Van Fleet may be young, but they are full of soul, swagger and skill that has caused their meteoric, and well-deserved, rise. Is it because they sound almost identical to one of the most influential bands in rock 'n' roll? Perhaps. But when you have the blessing of Plant himself, you know you are doing something right.
When asked about how close Kiszka's voice matched his own, Plant jokingly said in an interview that the Greta Van Fleet lead is "a beautiful little singer. I hate him."
And the similarities don't stop there. Led Zeppelin was well known for its covers of blues artists like Otis Rush, Robert Johnson and Howlin' Wolf. During Greta Van Fleet's performance in Dallas, the band also covered Howlin' Wolf, but unlike Led Zeppelin, which often covered or wrote songs inspired by Howlin' Wolf's "How Many More Years" and "The Lemon Song," Greta Van Fleet opted to try its hand at "Evil." A definite crowd pleaser.
Considering the band has yet to release a full-length album -- its first, Anthem of the Peaceful Army, is due out Oct. 19 -- you might have guessed the group "sold out" South Side Ballroom thanks to scalpers. However, it seems that devotees to the rock 'n' roll glory that the band is preaching wouldn't mind paying twice or three times the price because the venue was filled to the brim -- even uncomfortably so -- with fans of every generation.
Although the sound at the South Side Ballroom is impeccable, the experience of seeing a band there is flawed, especially when the venue is packed like sardines and there are fleeting moments of visibility.
Still, Greta Van Fleet gave fans a taste of what’s to come, teasing new tunes such as “You’re The One,” “Watching Over” and “When the Curtain Falls.” Each was powerful on its own, adding to the overall grandiose energy that fans have come to expect from the band. We're guessing it will cement their place in the hallowed halls of rock 'n' roll and continue their ability to sell out venues everywhere they go.
See more pictures of the concert:
CORRECTION, 6:30 p.m., Oct. 10, 2018: A photo caption in an earlier version of this story incorrectly named the Greta Van Fleet guitarist as Sam Kiszka. It is Josh Kiszka.