This was my first, but far from last gizz show so a have little to compare to. I had huge expectations for this one, and all expectations were exceeded by miles (kilometers). Their ability to engage the crowd was phenomenal. I've been to hundreds of live music events and this was unlike any other I've ever seen. The band is so tight live and able to seamlessly blend sounds across a ridiculous array of genres with segues that shouldn't even be possible. I felt entranced, enraged, possessed, encapsulated and transported to unknown realms. So many fantastic jams and heavy facemelters, it's truly unbelievable. Words to describe it really don't exist. I can't wait for Houston tonight!

What a ride. 

This was a 3 hours marathon set that was, incidentally, scheduled far in advance of the rest of the 2024 US tour. We purchased tickets well over a year ago and planned this trip prior to the announcements of additional US shows. Lucky me: more Gizz. To the show: 

The set notes (above) explain themselves; I'll provide additional context and review. 

The Show was held at the Germania Amphitheater, an outdoor amphitheater/bowl style venue in the middle of a Formula 1 track just outside of Austin, Texas. The weather was calm, clear, slightly brisk, and we enjoyed a very nearly full moon and a star-studded sky with Venus particularly visible just before and after sunset. There was a Levitation sale, as well as a record sale at the event; plenty of opportunities to support the band, the label, and get some pretty unique vinyl releases, including a large number of "Mutants" and Bootlegs. 

As this was a marathon set, we anticipated plenty of long and winding jams and we were not disappointed. They opened with Head on/Pill which played for 20 - 30 minutes and included several teasers and other jams, eventually bringing it back to the main song for a very solid opening round. The fellas appeared to be fresh and rested having had a day off between shows in advance of their Austin performance. The rhythm section timing was very tight, the mix was excellent, and everyone's singing voices sounded really good. Ambrose particularly stole the show a bit, singing on quite a few of the songs, and taking over a more traditional "frontman" persona throughout the show, despite an elbow brace due to a broken elbow sustained earlier in their US tour. It was wonderful to see the band remind us all through their actions that they are all equal shareholders in their music; they all have something unique and wonderful to contribute and they are, together, far more than they are individually. A team effort to be certain. 

The Field of Vision-->Road Train medley came off well and the songs all flowed into each other seamlessly. I was particularly impressed with the transition from Antarctica to Wah Wah, which happened almost without me noticing. They played a few songs off B741 and then pulled out the microtonal guitars (banana and dickhead) to run a few of their microtonal songs. Nuclear Fusion (an audience participation crowd favorite) was introed by an audience member named Ethan who explained that he was new to the band. Joey quickly realized that Ethan had no idea what to do, explained it to him, "You're gonna say 'Nuclear Fusion' in a loud guttural way," and Ethan delivered admirably. What could have been a moment of cringe and ridicule, in fact, ended up being a delightfully gentle education, and very public welcoming of a new fan into the Gizzverse. 

After playing a few microtonal songs, Nathan (the synth table) emerged and they played a number of electronic songs. The jam included the relatively rare "Intrasport" and ended on a "Grow Wings and Fly," which seemed to be something new entirely and emerged from an extended jam over the "Shanghai" synth riff. The arrangement flowed very well throughout the electronic portion of the show, and the gentlemen worked together well with Nathan to deliver a great EDM mini-set. 

When Nathan was rolled backstage, they played Le Risque and then they brough out the metal guitars (tuned C# standard initially and later to drop B) and dove into their heavier material for the last 40 minutes of the show. Ambrose was active in his crowd work, encouraging the audience to say just how much they wanted to hear some guitars. The audience did indeed want to hear some guitars. Mars for the Rich, Converge, and Witchcraft flowed very nicely together and at that point, the full moon was at its zenith. I reflected that playing witchcraft outdoors under a full moon was one of the more memorable parts of this trip/show. Very pagan, very cool, a little too cold to dance naked though.

They ended the set very strongly and very heavily with Gila Monster and Dragon: both played flawlessly. I am continually amazed by the group’s ability to wander from genre to genre while maintaining such a high level of musicality, performance, and cohesiveness. This show really delivered on those fronts. 

The band ended their heavy set and Joey introduced their final song, a group rendition of "Treaty" by Yothu Yindi. Joey explained to the largely American audience that 30 years ago, Indigenous Australians were struggling to gain equal civil rights and representation, noting that the song "Treaty" was a particularly impactful song and has a special place in their hearts and the cultural memory of Australia. The band invited King Stingray (who have Indigenous Australian members and incorporate their cultural influences--including digeridoos--into the music) to join them to play the song all together. I thought it was incredibly telling how humble King Gizzard was in honoring their supporting act, their cultural heritage, and highlighting this aspect of their identities to close out a very good, very well attended show. We traveled thousands of miles for this show and spent thousands of dollars. It was 100% worth it. 10/10.