The Hordern Pavilion is hosting Greta van Fleet, a band that hails from the unlikely rock haven of Frankenmuth, Michigan tonight. Formed in 2012 by brothers Josh, Jake, and Sam Kiszka, with drummer Danny Wagner later joining the fold, they didn’t just arrive on the scene—they detonated it. Their 2017 EP, From ‘The Fires,’ was a declaration, a love letter to rock’s past with a pulse that still beats in the present, winning them a Grammy for Best Rock Album.
Beyond the Led Zeppelin comparisons and their vintage swagger, Greta van Fleet’s story is also one of courage and authenticity. In 2023, frontman Josh Kiszka publicly came out, adding another layer of resonance to their music. In a genre often dominated by machismo, Josh’s openness is a reminder that rock isn’t just about channeling the past—it’s about breaking new ground, both musically and personally.
Support act, the Velveteers explode onto the stage with a ferocious energy, driven by the thunder of dual drum kits and Demi Demitro on gritty, relentless guitar. Drummers Baby Pottersmith and Jonny Fig are a force of chaos and precision, swapping places with a frenetic energy. The crowd is doused with water, a baptism in rhythm and sweat. It’s intense, it’s brilliant, and it’s exactly the kind of wild, unhinged spectacle that sets the tone for the night.
From the instant Greta van Fleet stride on stage, (Josh Kiszka in yet another of his now-iconic skintight jumpsuits—tonight’s choice a shimmering white number bedazzled with glinting jewels,)—the Hordern Pavilion erupts into a full-blown rock frenzy. It’s as if the 70s gods themselves, Queen and T. Rex, have been resurrected, not as mere ghosts of rock’s golden era, but reimagined for a new millennium. The show is a masterclass in nostalgia with a modern twist, a seamless fusion of past and present that’s as exhilarating as it is electrifying.
Greta van Fleet play Melbourne next – Tickets HERE.
