Greta Van Fleet & Dorothy @ the Paramount, 9/7/18 – Show Review & Photos by Alex Crick

Michigan’s Greta Van Fleet performed at the Paramount in Seattle on September 7th, 2018.

Although they performed on a minimalist stage with just a single mic stand in front and keys and drums set in the back, rock band Greta Van Fleet’s audience got things off by going nuts. A haze of fog surrounded the quartet when they took the stage, which maybe hid singer Josh Kiszka, but definitely did not hide his howling, belting signature voice. It was immediately a Led Zeppelin-influenced beginning with the song “Highway Tune.”

The young quartet includes two twins, Josh (vocals) and Jake (guitar); and younger brother, Sam (bass) plus drummer Danny Wagner. Lead singer Josh Kiszka was shirtless, wearing a fringe leather vest and purple sequin pants. A woven necklace with feathers adorned his neck. It was a very 70’s-inspired look for the vocalist, who strutted the stage. 

“Edge of Darkness” gave lead guitarist Jake the time for a huge guitar solo. About halfway through the song, and not missing a beat, he lifted the guitar over his head and played it behind his neck. He then proceeded to nail the solo without seeing the guitar chords. Meanwhile, singer Josh grabbed a tambourine and danced around the stage, occasionally returning to his mic to belt out one of his husky howls.

There were other chances for individual band members to shine. “Flower Power” slowed it down a bit, with bassist Sam taking to the keyboards. He got a nice solo about halfway through the song. For “You’re the One,” guitarist Jake switched to acoustic guitar. During the chorus, he leaned back on his twin, and they belted out the verse on the same mic.

By the time they thanked the crowd before the encore, the audience went wild again, and cheered for Greta Van Fleet’s return. For the encore, the audience loved “Black Smoke Rising.” When Josh asked, “Want another?,” fans screamed and sang along to “Safari Song.” This one was a shorter track, but we all loved the extended ending with the insanely badass drum solo, lasting a good three minutes.

Dorothy, a Californian rock/blues band, were the openers. They played a heavily ’70s-influence sound, with strong vocals by Dorothy Martin . 

Greta Van Fleet returns to the Paramount for two nights, January 9th & 10th 2019.