KGLW OKC show review 11-12-2024Intro
Greetings everyone! My name is Logan. I’ve been a fan of King Gizzard since about 2020, when a friend introduced me via “KG’” However, it wasn’t until we saw them together in 2022 at the same venue that my fandom really launched into outer space. Thanks to the livestreams, I watched every show of the tour, and had been looking forward to this year’s show in OKC since January. Here’s my review of the show!
Planet B
My buddy and I were debating whether they would start with high energy or chill. We both quickly settled on high energy and the boys delivered with this opener. I feel like this was a nice gift considering we didn’t get all that much metal in their last appearance. The crowd was also absolutely stunning throughout this entire show, so this was a nice way to feed off of that energy.
Supercell
We were both hoping for something from Petro, and I was so happy they chose this particular song to play in Oklahoma (we are in tornado alley after all.) This was also one of the cleaner versions of this song I’ve heard in a while (when compared to other versions in larger venues for instance.) My friend didn’t know any other lyrics, but we at least got to scream “SUPERCELL!” At the top of our lungs to each other.
Converge
I knew this was their next song from the first time Cavs teased us with the drum intro. I’ve really come to enjoy Stu’s metal guitar tone through the twenty dollar little B741 amp. There’s something about the bright crunch that this amp gives. I actually prefer this to the guitar tones in the studio version.
Witchcraft
Witchcraft, or “Witchcroft” as I like to pronounce it, has become one of my favorite tracks on Petro. I suppose the band must’ve listened to fans who complained about songs on that record ending abruptly when played live (not transitioning directly from Converge to this one.) I’m glad they gave us the whole initial suite.
Plastic Boogie
Giving us a bit of a break, the guys kept their C# guitars to play this gem from Fishing For Fishies. This was by far the most captivating version of this song I’ve heard, with a tasty stripped back jam similar to what they sometimes do with Slow Jam 1 and 2. Of course, a more fleshed out version came before it, but with everyone finding their groove it didn’t take long for them to start experimenting with dynamic changes. As with most jams, it seemed to morph into an entirely different song (Joey even gave us a very small Hypertension tease) so it gave me a good laugh when the chorus lyrics returned several minutes later.
Open Water
We didn’t see any of the microtonal instruments on stage before the band came out, so I (and the whole crowd) was pleasantly surprised to hear this one. Plus, it was even more of a shock since the instruments seemingly came out of nowhere and there was no break between this song and Plastic Boogie. When they play this one live, it almost feels like it could belong in the latter half of “LW” or a completely separate microtonal metal album. Towards the end of the song, we even got a fully fledged metal breakdown complete with Cav’s double kick. Also, I was pretty confident Stu was enjoying himself when he sang “open fuckin’ wataaaaaaa”. I always enjoy what they do with the jam leading up to a metal section as well. They gave Cavs lots of space to solo!
All Is Known
Next came this microtonal gem from “Gumboot Soup”. This one usually stays pretty close to the studio version in terms of structure, but that’s not to say it’s bad. Each live version of this song I’ve heard over my time with Gizz has been solid. Although, at this point I can’t help but want them to do something slightly different with it. I think the best thing to do would be to change up the feel in between sections as they do with other songs
Straws In The Wind
We nearly transitioned straight into this one after a small tease of “Muddy Water” from Cavs. It actually threw us for a loop because we didn’t immediately figure out which song they were going to play next. The moment I finally figured it out when Joey’s guitar came in, I promptly turned to my friend and screamed “STRAWS!” Something about Ambrose’s stage presence during this song especially reminds me of Freddie Mercury. I love the way he gets the crowd involved in the call and response section. This song was also the beginning of a couple funny little jokes we carried throughout the rest of the show. The first was shouts of “yeah!” on syncopated beats, and the second was slapping “MOOOOTA…SPIIIIRIT” on a bunch of songs during long jam sections.
Intrasport
Next, the synth table (who we now know as Nathan) came out, and I was able to put on my own green hat again. Since it’s live debut this year, I had been trying to keep track of how many times they played this song throughout the tour. By my count, this was number six. It was an absolute treat each time we got it, and this certainly was no exception. I think what I love most about the analog synth gear it’s its ability to create wildly imperfect sound with just the twist of a knob. Even something as simple as the sound of adjusting parameters to play another song is interesting to hear. When I watched this show again via the stream archive I thought “leave it to these guys to make four people standing at a table turning knobs captivating”.
Set
In a review I wrote for “The Silver Cord” back when it was first released, I compared this song to a track from Donkey Kong Country 2 titled “Disco Train”. I still stand by that comparison (especially when Joey retrieves his guitar and gives us some disco/funk inspired riffage or Stu noodles with the vocoder) but when any song from this record is played live, it seems to take on a life of its own. I really enjoy what Cavs does on the drums during sessions with the table. The majority of the grooves he falls into seem to be what many electronic music lovers would associate with Drum N Bass, essentially playing live Amen breaks. I also appreciate that he never does anything too busy, prioritizing the feel and overall energy but allowing the synths to maintain a spotlight. There’s also something to be said about the variety of musical textures that they are able to create. Nothing is ever exactly the same twice, and it keeps the audience glued to the stage.
Extinction
Although this is the case with most live versions of songs from SCC, I feel that this one is most at home being extended. From the slow build where the main chorus motif is traded between instruments, to the bombastic four-on- the- floor jam on the second chorus. I think Gizz really showed their multi-instrument prowess here. I may be a bit biased, but I think this is one of the best versions of this song on the tour. To me, this serves as the quintessential “synth table theme” (although I suppose now we have to call it Nathan’s theme) exemplifying everything that makes the table so entertaining to watch.
Iron Lung
This one was at the top of my list of songs that I wanted to experience live, especially considering they didn’t play it their last time in Oklahoma. Ever since their session on KEXP in 2022, this song and “Magma” have evolved into monstrous jams that see each member of the band doing something unique despite maintaining the awesome energy. While this was not the best live version of this song in my opinion, it was still an absolute pleasure to experience live and in person.
Hypertension
The end of the “Iron Lung” jam sent us directly into the second track of “Laminated Denim”. Similar to Ice Death etc, this song has had the time to evolve into a staple of Gizz’s “jam band era”. Here, the boys gave us one of the best, if not the best live version of this song so far. Throughout the song, both Stu and Joey traded solos (Stu even teased “Antarctica”) and the final chorus felt like a massive fireworks explosion with only the biggest booms possible.
Antarctica
Still riding a bit of the high from the previous song, we sailed to “Antarctica”. This was a nice way to de-escalate the energy just a bit and I was happy to hear some of “Flight B741” live despite hearing it a lot on this tour. In the second half of the song, Joey delivered tasty references to the “Hot Water/Nonagon Infinity” motif.
Hog Calling Contest
Interestingly, this is one of the few songs the band drops down a half step when played live. This version felt a bit rough around the edges for me. However, the band still seemed to enjoy themselves with it, so I’ll give it a pass.
Flight B741
The title track of B741 is probably my second favorite on the record next to “Field of Vision”. I think this song does a fantastic job of showcasing the “pass the mic” approach at the forefront of the album. I was talking with my friend about the album as a whole about how it’s almost a better experience live because the songs feel as if they were specifically designed for the stage. We even got a slightly extended intro from Stu, which I thought was cool.
The River
This song was the one that I REALLY wanted to hear live, and served as the closer for this show. My anticipation only grew when I was able to hear other live versions thanks to YouTube and the Bootleg program. The moment Stu began playing the chords, I turned to my friend and said “no way we’re getting this song!” In between songs, we talked about how great it was that they combined jazz with metal similar to Red Rocks 2022. This version saw a proper return to the metal infusion, or as we ended up calling it “Jeatle”. The first metal jam introduced chugging rhythms, and the second after the 4/4 section was the ultimate payoff. I lack very many more critical details, but I will say that it was definitely worth the wait!
Final Thoughts
When making a direct and gut feeling comparison to this show and King Gizzard’s last appearance in OKC, I think this show was better by a country mile. Of course, part of that may come from the fact that I didn’t know the band nearly as well my first time seeing them, but I genuinely think this was a massive improvement compared to the last show (which I still think was amazing and remember fondly to this day). In terms of a numerical rating, I would give this show a 9.5 out of 10 (the only thing that would’ve made it better is if “Magma” was on the setlist). I remember Lucas throwing a printed setlist in our direction and frantically asking my friend if he had caught it. Unfortunately I didn’t walk away with a setlist, but I left the show having had a phenomenal experience, one that I cannot wait to do again.