Recap by KGLW.net's own Chase Beck!
Anyone who has attended a King Gizzard show at Red Rocks – let alone all six previous shows going into this run – knows to some degree how much they seemingly love and cherish their ability to play at this historic venue. Maybe it's the influx of fans traveling, maybe it's an unspoken competition with the pantheon of legendary concerts in the amphitheater’s past – regardless, Red Rocks shows from Gizz are quickly gaining a reputation for all-time performances of staples, notable deep cuts and bust-outs, and multi-concert runs that test the stamina and endurance of the band and fans alike. In 2024, King Gizzard staged a run that looked similar to last year’s summer residency on the rocks. The model of two night shows with a special day set before the second was received exceedingly well so this didn’t serve as too much of a surprise; what was left dubious was how the band would approach the setlists. After boasting that their “no repeat” rule from previous cities was still in effect for the band’s Chicago marathon show, they upped the ante again by attempting to not repeat a single song from last year’s Red Rocks shows. While both “Gila Monster” and “Motor Spirit” were technically on both 2023 and 2024 Red Rocks setlists, “Gila” saw Jay Weinberg sit in this year while “Motor Spirit” was only a partial performance last year. So with about 15 minutes at most excepted, every song was fresh, with many Red Rocks firsts among some cuts they played there in 2022.
The band started the run on 9.8.24 with a sequence of both, kicking off with “Daily Blues,” a Flight b741 track that has gained a reputation for cross-album transitions (with only one performance that begins and ends with a hard stop). The song quickly shifted into “The Bitter Boogie” following its verses. While being performed at Red Rocks in 2022, the band played it here a bit quicker and with the drum beat from “Muddy Water.” This wasn’t the first time the band had done this, as the two songs have seemingly traded drum beats since the band’s 2024 European tour. Similar to their Richmond show on 8/21/24, the band nodded to this tie and weaved the two together, switching to the “Bitter Boogie”’s studio drum pattern and breaking into “Muddy Water” properly following the first half of “Bitter Boogie.” Following the song, a jam emerged that saw “Muddy Water”’s drum beat resurface where Stu cued Amby to sing his “Bitter Boogie” verses, finishing the song and “sandwich” sequence.
The band refused to let off the gas following the opening, debuting “Hog Calling Contest” – another b741 cut and the final track to be performed live from the album. The track seemed an instant crowd favorite and the band quickly introduced “Elbow” from their first album, 12 Bar Bruise. A 257-show bust-out, the song returned with ripping confidence. Not allowing a moment to breathe, the band quickly dropped into “The River.” A breezy opening jam made way for the first verses of the song with Ambrose’s sax adding distinct texture. The second section/main jam began familiarly and built in intensity like most modern live performances of the song. However, rather than taking this intensity to its familiar peak, the band opted to let the energy dissipate a bit. A sweeter yet slightly dissonant jam began and the band leaned deeper into the dissonance as they explored King Crimson-like prog soundscapes. As the jam slowed down, the dissonance followed as the band never quite settled into the familiar quiet that usually signals the return to “The River” proper. Instead, its main themes began to poke through and the band seamlessly resolved back into the main progression where the song’s final verse and fourth section triumphantly close. While the shortest “River” on the tour (so far), and maybe not quite as instantly ‘classic’ as 2022’s Red Rocks “River” that was filled with teases, this one is notable for its focus and departure from the structure that had been followed pretty closely since 6/11/23.
It’s after this that Jay Weinberg – who took the stage with the band for the first time in Nashville earlier in the tour – sat in on drums for a couple songs. During “Le Risque,” drummer Cavs used this opportunity to enter the crowd via the soundboard and walk among fans while performing his verse with a handheld mic. Before leaving, Cavs asked an audience member named Devin to sing the “Let’s Ride” lyric that kicks off Ambrose’s verse. Weinberg stayed on the drums for the aforementioned performance of “Gila Monster” before Cavs returned to the kit for “Dragon.” “Planet B” closed out the night’s rather light metal section, one that was probably lighter due to the lack of standing room for a mosh pit. Another bust-out followed the metal with “Stressin’,” an Oddments track that’s only been played five times this decade.
The band then rolled out “The Table” as it's come to be known, a rolling table equipped with a variety of synthesizers the band uses to perform their synth-focused tracks. “Gondii” from 2022’s Changes opened the synth section. A tight and clean rendition quickly made way for a jam that transitioned into “Chang’e” which quickly transitioned into “Extinction,” both songs from The Silver Cord. All three saw tight jams that never dwelled in one spot or one idea for too long, but “Extinction”’s intensity and guitar work from Joe Walker made it a personal highlight.
The first night ended in classic fashion with “Am I In Heaven?” Despite being a familiar closer, this performance of “Heaven” was anything but. Rather than stretching its length out to include a medley tracks like in the past, or featuring quotes and jams like its current counterparts, this version had a swift run-time and an intense almost-metal jam.
Just based on 2023’s, the Red Rocks “Early Set” is a one of a kind experience. Even logistically, the fact that doors are at noon and there are two entire shows in a single day will create a unique experience. But even more so this year than last, King Gizzard amplified this feeling by filling the day show with deep cuts and a distinct vibe.
The show began with a sizable microtonal section that kicked off with “K.G.L.W. (Outro).” Its sludgy doom metal might have indicated a heavier show than what followed, however its oppressive mood paired with the overwhelming heat as well as anything could. “East West Link” and ”Anoxia” cooled things off musically but the direct sunlight and 86°F temperature kept the crowd sweating. Sketches of Brunswick East’s “The Book” painted the air with bright color before Ambrose took to the crowd for “Billabong Valley.” All tour “Billabong” has served as a vehicle for handheld mic hijinks and this version was no different as he performed the first verse from the center of the venue before making his way to the soundboard and ultimately back to the stage.
The band then tore through the environmentally terrified “Plastic Boogie” before Joe Walker switched his electric guitar for an acoustic one. The band then performed the deep cut to end all deep cuts: “Tetrachromacy.” Only being performed two times before, the song was cut from 11/2/22’s marathon setlist, giving this performance some added emotional weight for Red Rocks regulars. Making the most of things, the band performed the following eight songs all with Walker on acoustic guitar.
Acoustic show staple “Let Me Mend The Past” held up especially well with the mostly electric setup, with guitarist Cook Craig adding funky wah-ified rhythms and Stu Mackenzie on keys and playing with synths. From there the band busted out another acoustic show staple with “It’s Got Old,” which similarly saw a facelift from the electric elements of the performance. From there the band tore through some deep cuts that had been played previously on the tour. “Mystery Jack” led the charge, having not been played in the US since 2018 before its appearance at the Minneapolis show the prior week. The partially acoustic “You Can Be Your Silhouette” was arguably its best performance yet, featuring one of the most mind-bending and inspired jams of the whole run. The second Float Along cut of the day came with “God is Calling Me Back Home,” a track whose absence in entirety since 2015 before its Milwaukee bust-out dwarfs any other bust-out in the band’s history. Its Red Rocks performance lived up to such context and felt massive, with its shouted choruses from Mackenzie ringing loudly.
The band then dipped back into new album Flight b741 with “Mirage City.” This semi-acoustic performance forwent the studio’s loud intro and quietly built into the verses. Left unfinished, the band resurrected Paper Mȃché Dream Balloon deep cut “Dirt” with a jam in tow. An intensely delivered “Work This Time” faded into a driving jam that saw Walker return to electric guitar before masterfully transitioning into the outro of “Mirage City.”
From there the band continued the new cuts with “Field of Vision,” a ‘boot-stomper’ that some nights serves as a frenetic get down, but felt more like a moment of reprieve in such a non-stop show. “Sad Pilot” kept things airy as the cloud cover parted and the intense heat returned. A “Hot Water” tease in the transition to “Rats in the Sky” gave fans a cheeky nod to where things were heading, but not of course before the band confidently strutted through the final b741 song of the show. The teased “Hot Water” emerged from the “Rats”’ ending as Mackenzie switched from guitar to flute – a particularly energetic performance with Ambrose quoting “Nutbush City Limits” in its intro. Its jam began on the quieter side with “Antarctica” quotes but quickly regained energy. “Motor Spirit” and “Iron Lung”s quotes from Amby highlighted an impassioned jam that saw Mackenzie return to guitar from the flute. A hot and heavy ending to a show that will certainly be talked about for years to come.
While not totally out of left field - last year’s “Satan Speeds Up,” “Most of What I Like,” and “The Wheel” performances certainly feel like a tease in retrospect – this year’s semi-acoustic section and plethora of deep cuts cemented the King Gizzard early show as one to never miss. Like last year’s early listening of Petrodragonic Apocalypse, the band premiered new music between shows for fans that remained in the venue. Without a proper new Gizzard album on the way, however, the band premiered albums from Cook Craig and Lucas Harwood’s side projects respectively. Pipe-Defy from Pipe-eye is a funky psych-pop odyssey with disco rhythms while Dead Slow from Heavy Moss is a nosier and more shimmering affair. Both albums gave fans something to dance to during the four hour wait from the day show to Geese’s next opening set.
On Geese – while their three Red Rocks sets might not have shared zero songs amongst them like a band such as King Gizzard can boast, they managed to make each feel distinct from each other and showcase their remarkable creativity. A “Mr. Beat” tease in “2122” on the first night, an unfinished “2122” that opened their day set being finished to close their night two opening set, and an inspired “Undoer” that was reminiscent of 2024 Gizz jams, highlight three incredibly solid 30-minute sets from one of the most promising bands around.
King Gizzard started their second show of the day by turning left from the brighter aesthetics of the day show. A “Perihelion” opener set the mood before the band delivered Red Rocks’ first full performance of “Motor Spirit.” “The Great Chain of Being” followed after being cut from 2023’s final Red Rocks setlist. Perhaps charged by that fact, the performance was particularly heavy, and was even called out by band members for being ‘filthier’ than usual. “Flamethrower” rounded out the metal section before the band swapped guitars and began to flex their jamming muscles with Nonagon Infinity cut and “The River” counterpart “Wah Wah.” One of its longest performances ever, this “Wah Wah” was particularly jammy, featuring “Am I In Heaven?” teases and a deep middle section on top of its common “River” intro and jam. Segueing right into “Road Train,” the band turns things back up before cooling off with the first b741 song of the night in “Antarctica.”
Similar to “The Great Chain,” “Ambergris” makes an appearance after being cut from 2023’s final Red Rocks setlist. Stu once again picks up the flute for fan favorite “Trapdoor” after. Knowing most of the fans attending both will still be frothing at the mouth for more rarities, the band dusts off “Black Tooth” for the second time this tour, complementing the previous night’s 12 Bar Bruise cut with one from Willoughby’s Beach. They then return to Nonagon for “People-Vultures” and “Mr. Beat.” Both featured sizable “Iron Lung” jams, with the former's similar to previous on the current tour and the latter’s reminiscent of 10/11/22’s “Iron Lung” reprise that ended the show, although taken a little further with quotes in this instance. “Raw Feel” materialized out of the ending of the sequence before the band wrapped up the entirety of Flight b741 across the three shows with the album’s title track.
From there the synth table was rolled out once again and the band played Murder of the Universe cut “Welcome to an Altered Future” (which had never been played at Red Rocks) before starting “Theia.” A deep jam eventually made way for “Gilgamesh” which saw one of its tightest performances yet. A couple “Gila!” chants flourished during a smooth transition into the final song of the section with “Set.” Familiar to past performances (notably 8/27/24), both Walker and Harwood returned to their more “traditional” instruments following the verses of the song, playing funky guitar and bass lines that gave it an almost French house or disco feel.
Announcing they have time for just one more song, Mackenzie and company finish the 2024 Red Rocks run with “Float Along - Fill Your Lungs,” another staple show closer. Similar to other “Float Along”s of the past few years, its psychedelic melancholy makes way for a complex metal jam before returning to the song’s initial bliss.
Whether you hit one and it was your first show or if you’ve been to all nine previous Red Rocks shows and are pushing 100 shows attended, there was truly something for all fans to cherish and enjoy across each and every show.
Venues like Red Rocks, with such spectacle and reputation, are sometimes so well known that there is a little push back. They get called “overrated” or “aren’t the same as they used to be.” And with the nature of commercial live music, the atmosphere and culture there will be ever-changing. It's possible that despite my fondness and love for the venue now there will come a day where I yearn for my own version of the good old days at the park and amphitheater. But the one time that such a debate has never mattered or even felt close to relevant is when King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard are playing there. Nothing is perfect and nothing can be, that’s something I think we all learn to accept in life. Perfection is a human and abstract concept that isn't rooted in reality. However, with how much the band seems to love playing there, and how good my experiences seem to keep being at their shows there, there’s not much on this planet that comes as close to perfection as Gizz Rocks to me. Hope to see you all at one of these shindigs one day.