Upon rolling up on the Hartford Healthcare Amphitheater in Bridgeport, Connecticut, I could see the excitement of the concert-goers, lots of people were wearing Greta Van Fleet Strange Horizons Tour shirts or other 70’s era hippie-like outfits while waiting in line to get in. The line went on as far as I could see for this near sold out show. 99.1 Wplr was broadcasting outside the venue getting everyone “Amp’d” for tonight’s show.
The first supporting act to take the stage was The Nude Party. For those of you who don’t know, they have 2 albums out, have donned the stages of Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza, and have since earned themselves a spot opening for Greta Van Fleet. These guys have a very 60’s to early 70’s rock vibe going on, with lots of reverb, multiple percussion instruments, and a steel guitar. Kind of a Rolling Stones meets country blues vibe. They played a mix of songs from their two albums, self-titled The Nude Party and Midnight Manor. They did a fantastic job keeping the concert goers engaged and entertained.
The Nude Party is:
Patton Magee – Vocals
Alec Castillo – Bass Guitar
Shaun Couture – Guitar
Don Merrill – Pianist
Austin Brose – Percussionist
Connor Mikita – Drummer
Next on stage was Langhorne Slim. I am embarrassed to say I had never heard of them before. They have an impressive resume beginning in 2004 and continuing to present, which includes playing Bonnaroo and opening for lots of huge acts such as The Violent Femmes, Murder by Death, Grace Potter and many more. What a performance they put on. The highlight of this show for me was, when Langhorne jumped down off the stage and hopped up on the barrier and sung to the fans while sitting railing. All of the photographers in the pit were jockeying for position to try to capture some great fan interaction shots. Once back on stage, Langhorne was back to dancing wildly and playing his acoustic electric guitar behind his head and swinging it around. Their upbeat music kept the fans entertained throughout the entire set. I would highly recommend seeing these guys if they play in your area.
Langhorne Slim is:
Langhorne Slim – vocals, guitar (harmonica, piano, banjo, dancing)
Malachi DeLorenzo – drums
Jeff Ratner – bass
Casey McAllister – keys, accordion
Mat Davidson – guitar, banjo, violin
Before the main act came on, many of the fans were able to try the new Two Roads Brewing Company beer dubbed “Strange Horizons Hazy IPA“. By the time Greta Van Fleet took to the stage, everyone was back at their seats standing and cheering for them.
All I can say is WOW! Greta Van Fleet is one bad ass, well oiled machine! From the non-stop, melodic, screaming vocals of Josh Kiszka to the Organesque keyboards filling the air, they had the entire crowd on their feet for the entire show!!! With Josh in his one piece sequined outfit barefoot, Sam was barefoot, Jake was in an Olive bedazzled stage suit, and the drummer Daniel in a fringed shirt. The band had a very 70’s rock star look to them. The stage setup was all white, including sleeves to cover the electrical cords. There were ordainment’s that reminded me of Tesla coils, or some futuristic, space race lasers from the future.
They took the stage playing “Built by Nations” and then into “Trip the Light Fantastic”, both off of the bands most recent album, The Battle at Garden’s Gate. Then they moved on to play three songs off of 2017’s “From The Fires” album. The stage was filled with lots of smoke and was blasted with monochromatic color throughout the night.
The rest of the night was filled with songs from the current release except for “You’re the One” and “When The Curtain Falls”, which were off of “Anthem of the Peaceful Army”. Tonight was only their second time playing “Broken Bells” and “Stardust Chords” live on stage, so the fans were excited for that. I saw on an Instagram post, a fan thanking them for taking her request.
When the band left the stage, the cheering from the crowd was so loud, that even with my earplugs in, it was deafening. They came back out with a 3 song Encore ending the night with “My Way, Soon”.
Greta Van Fleet stole the show with their phenomenal vocals, wailing guitars work, and drum solo. They had the crowd on their feet the entire night. I am definitely a new fan of the band. Get out and see them if you can. You will thank me.
Greta Van Fleet is:
Josh Kiszka – Lead Vocals
Jake Kiszka – Guitar
Sam Kiszka – Bass Guitar
Daniel Wagner – Drums
Setlist
1.) Built by Nations
2.) Trip the Light Fantastic
3.) Highway Tune
4.) Safari Song
5.) Black Smoke Rising
6.) Heat Above
7.) You’re the One
8.) Broken Bells
9.) Light My Love
10.) Age of Machine
11.) The Weight of Dreams
Encore:
12.) Stardust Chords
13.) When the Curtain Falls
14.) My Way, Soon
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Music photography is my passion! Live in the moment, Capture the moment.
