King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard returned to Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado on September 8th, the night before they would play two shows on Monday, September 9th at Red Rocks. On the backend of the first leg of a blistering U.S. tour, Gizz has been leaving its mark on each tour stop. At the first of their three sold-out Red Rocks shows, the band wove through distinct genres throughout a wild two-hour set, seemingly effortless in their delivery of blues, metal, and trance riffs, leaving the crowd roaring for more by the show’s end.
Geese, not to be confused with Goose, has been acting as tour support for much of the current US leg. Notably, their thirty-minute opening set was played to an almost full house at Red Rocks. The pre-show scene was mellow outside the venue; everyone who showed up for the show was inside early to get a good spot for Gizz. Amongst a back screen of unconventional outdoor sports dogs surfing and people log-roll racing down hills, Geese got weird and looked like they were having a ton of fun. Hard at times and melodic at others, the young, fresh-sounding band covered a lot of soundscapes with their brief time on stage.
Red Rocks is an energy center of sorts. One of the most hallowed venues to music lovers far and wide, it’s a space known to bring out the best in any band. No strangers to turning the energy up, Gizz took the stage, and the crowd immediately seemed to ignite in unison. Gizz kicked off their set with a twenty minute segue of “Daily Blues”, “The Bitter Boogie”, “Muddy Water”, back into The Bitter Boogie” where teases from each of the tunes were played throughout the run of songs. Next up was the debut of “Hog Calling Contest” before the band dusted off “Elbow” for the first time in 257 shows.
Warmed up and rocking, Gizz took the following selection, “River” deep. This was a distinct departure of sound from the more bluesy, rocking start, moving the music into a more surfy, loose, psychedelic groove. The jam in “River”, the improvisation, and the bookended structure of the song was a clear highlight of the night, although there truly was no lowlights to this show. “River” just happened to be the standout journey of the evening, a singular selection from the show that deserves an instant relisten. It also set up the next range shift in sound to the heavy stuff.
Welcoming former Slipknot drummer Jay Weinberg to the drum kit for “Le Risque”- and wishing him a happy birthday, Jay slayed and then stayed on for a wild “Gila Monster.” Crowd participation for the “Gila” chorus was energetic. “Gila” was followed by an arguably even heavier “Dragon” landing with a full-on send in “Planet B.” This was the thrash portion of the night, and it did not disappoint. But here’s where, once again, Gizz is able to show why so many are celebrating their current tour, with rave reviews of each nightly performance.
From a mosh pit frenzy to the Black Rock City Playa, “Stressin”, “Gondii”, “Change”, and “Extinction” turned the whole show into a psychedelic snyth jam when showgoers had just been head-banging. The set closed with “Am I in Heaven?” capping a sonic ride layered with rich tones over a heavy aesthetic for two hours. Gizz is as talented as they come and somehow finds a way to blend diverse genres to create a truly unique sound. Their energy is palpable, but the way band members talk to the crowd in between sounds and so effortlessly move from a viscous shred into something lighter, honkey, or even dreamy is a vibe all their own. If you’re not already on board, give the Gizz a listen. It’s a live experience for the ages and worth the voyage if you’re ready to buckle up.
2 Responses
Your text and photos do justice to what was another great show!
Truly such an experience, they were rippin!