Photo by Catalina Garcia
Greta Van Fleet performs at The Greek Theater on Oct. 26 and 27, 2021 for their Strange Horizons 2021 Tour. The band performs their song “Heat Above” from their sophomore album “The Battle at Gardens Gate.”
By Catalina Garcia, Staff Reporter
For years it’s been a debate on whether the music genre of rock ‘n’ roll is dead or alive. The band, Greta Van Fleet, proves that it is very much alive and everlasting. The band which was formed in 2012, consists of four men from Frankenmuth, Michigan. It is their style and sound that take any listener back to the era of rock ‘n’ roll; the 1970s.
In 2017, Greta Van Fleet made their debut with their EP album “Black Smoke Rising.” The members consist of the lead vocalist Josh Kiszka, guitarist Jake Kiszka, bassist/pianist Sam Kiszka, and drummer Danny Wagner. In the same year, they released their second EP, “From the Fires,” and received a Grammy Award in 2019 for Best Rock Album, beating out Weezer, Fall Out Boy, and Alice in Chains. Their stance in the Rock industry was present but not very much to the masses.
A year after their debut album the band released their first studio album, “Anthem of the Peaceful Army,” which began to gain them more of an audience, but not quite what they have now. As of April 2020, the band released their second studio album, “The Battle at Garden’s Gate,” which has the single “My Way, Soon.”
It was not until after this year a TikTok, by the user @darrahs, went viral when Greta Van Fleet began increasing its popularity and attracting more people to look into their music. The short video, which revived more than one million views, consisted of the band performing on Saturday Night Live.
“When the TikTok went viral I was eager to introduce more people to the band I adore […] I do not regret it,” said Darrah Smith, the creator and originator of the video. Smith considers the band’s sound to be completely different from the rest of the musical artists in the industry today. She also mentioned how she appreciates the band for being “unique and spreading peace and unity.”
The band continues to push the 70s sound into their music and attracts fans from all age groups. On Oct. 26 Greta Van Fleet hosted a concert at The Greek Theater in Los Angeles. The age groups from the show ranged from five years olds to individuals in their 70s. With their sound, they can bring the nostalgia from the 1970s rock scene and mix the old and new generations.
The band has also been successful at providing new rock music to those who grew up listening to their father’s radios as classic rock bands played through their speakers. Smiths TikTok was able to attract a bigger audience for the younger demographic of the band’s audience. “I showed the world a band that changed my life,” Smith said. “Greta Van Fleet changed my whole perspective on music.”
Katilyn Perez, a Clinical Lab Science major and Asian Studies minor at CSUDH, found herself watching one of these TikToks and developing an interest in the band’s music. “One of their songs was used as a background for a TikTok I was watching. I looked more into it […] Their songs remind me of the music my uncle would play when I was a kid and I grew to love it.”
The lyrics to Greta Van Fleet’s music are more along the philosophical side of the spectrum. They want their audience to interpret it the way they want, especially with their album, “The Battle at Garden’s Gate.” Josh Kiszka said in a Question and Answer video for the band’s youtube channel, “the most interpretation that you take away from the album should be your own interpretation and that goes for the rest of our music.”
Regardless of the praise that they receive from listeners and their fans, Greta Van Fleet receives relentless criticism for “copying” the 1970s rock band “Led Zeppelin” trademark sound. The Guardian wrote a review on the band’s album “The Battle at Gardens Gate”. The author, Phil Mongedien, compared the band and their sound in their first studio album “Anthem of the Peaceful Army” to that of Jimmy Page and his band Led Zeppelin.
In another article written by The Guardian, they interviewed Greta Van Fleet’s lead singer, Josh Kiszka, about the criticism and comparisons they receive constantly. The singer simply responded that he is aware of the ridicule the band receives and that he expects more and is looking forward to it.
With Greta Van Fleet having this specific 1970s rock ‘n’ roll sound, it is awakening a new sense of nostalgia for all generations. Those that grew up attending Led Zeppelin concerts in the 1970s and those that grew up listening to those bands as a kid with someone close to them. Greta Van Fleet brings the youth out in individuals and is resurrecting a sound and feeling rock ‘n’ roll enthusiasts have been craving for decades.
