Very fun opening night at Forest Hills. Some of the songs seemed like they needed some rehearsing (particularly All is Known) but overall a great night nonetheless. Work this time Joey went to town. Rattlesnake and KGLW sealed the deal for a great night.



Faves of the night:

Boogieman Sam, Work this Time, This thing, Im in your mind series, Flamethrower, Rattlesnake, KGLW

 

 

After a hot opener in D.C., King Gizz moves to the Forest Hills Stadium in Queens for the first of two straight marathon shows. Would they bring out the synth table for its first North American appearance? Would there be a special guest?

Well, how about a straight-up banger of a three-hour Gizz show?

They open with the debut of Field of Vision, and then Daily Blues, a true blues-rock stomper that promises to be a live staple for a long time to come. Cut Throat Boogie then brings us back almost to the beginning with this fan favorite from 12 Bar Bruise.

The Nonagon Infinity suite that follows gives us Gamma Knife > People Vultures > Mr. Beat, with my favorite part coming in Mr. Beat, with a swirling organ section that twists it's way graudally into... Boogieman Sam! Great transition, and Boogieman Sam sees Amby get to play blues frontman over some great guitar work by Joey, before landing in Work This Time. If anyone wanted a break by this point in the show, the opening notes to Work This Time are about as close as you are gonna get. Because from there, the let the slow build of Work This Time crescendo with some acrobatic, Zappa-esque soloing from Joey. In fact, the whole band is a runaway freight train at this point. 

Are you tired by this point? If so, what were you expecting from a Gizzard marathon show? Because they follow it up with the Mind Fuzz suite and This Thing, all great versions and much what you'd expect. 

The next section is metal, and Self-Immolate leads off with Cavs being something a show-off. It's a typically heavy version. They chug through Organ Famer and Venusian 2, and close out the section with Gila Monster and Flamethrower. It's intense but fun. My only gripe is I'd love to hear that ending part of Flamethrower in concert at some point, but small potatoes. 

The show ends with some microtonal songs. I say "ends" but it's damn near an hour of music left to play, starting with one of the show highlights in Straws in the Wind, the vocal showpiece for Amby. The back and forth between Amby and Stu (with his throat singing) is fantastic. It's an excellent version that you should check out. Pleura through Nuclear Fusion really scratches the microtonal itch, for those who love these songs. To bring it all home, we get Rattlesnake and K.G.L.W. to send the assembled Gizzheads home with dazed smiles on faces. For those who were planning to return the next night, Gizz had another three hours planned. 

Personal higlights are Daily Blues, Mr. Beat, Work This Time, Self-Immolate, and Straws in the Wind. 

 

Pure magic!!! Absolute joy of a time. Crossed so many songs off my bucket list. Loved the microtonal portion of the set. Gabby crushed the Nuclear Fusion intro!!!! Rattlesnake continues to run circles around my mind

This one really transported me to another place in (in my head at least). Absolutely gorgeous weather for the show, great vibes in the crowd