Forest Hills II was the third show in three nights to start the tour, and the second consecutive marathon show. In some senses, these first three shows can be grouped together as the launching pad for the tour. Things began to shift a bit (perhaps two nights later in Boston, for sure the night after that in Portland) but these still lay down a marker for King Gizz's ambitions for this tour. For my money, the opener in D.C. is the best pound for pound show of the first three, but this night in Queens is also jam packed, so let's get into it.

The flutter of Stu's flute gets us going, and there's an extended lead-in to Hot Water, with the band in playful mood. In fact, the Hot Water riff itself doesn't materialize until the 4:00 minute mark (I'm listening to the Bandcamp recording directly from the band). From there you get one of the honest-to-goodness best version of Hot Water you're likely to hear. It's blows right through it's 12 minute runtime, and lands in an equal not Robot Stop. It's a tease-heavy version, throwing in quotes from at least five other Gizz songs, and segueing into the tour's second version of Ice V.  Like the D.C. version from a couple nights ago, this Ice V focuses more on chunky guitar riffs than dancey grooves, but it smokes nonetheless.

After a great Bitter Boogie, we get a suite of Flight b741 songs, which is a feature of these early shows on the tour, and that's chased by the always enjoyable Hot Wax. 

The metal set follows, and that peaks with the Dragon > The Great Chain of Being pairing. Dragon is such a wild song to play live, and I'm always sort of just impressed that they can pull it off. And The Great Chain of Being is a treat in a metal set.

After a supersized Motor Spirit, the band hangs out in Slow Jam 1 for a bit, which unspools slowly and delightfully. The Billabong Valley features Ambrose crowdsurfing on an inflatable gator and quoting The Clash, which sounds awesome when I type it out but no doubt was a thousand times better to witness in person, and an unfortunate drawback of reviewing shows only through the audio and/or YouTube videos. Remember, kids, nothing beats being at the show in person. 

I consider the Han-Tyumi suite an absolute treat, and I hope to catch in person one day. Not sure how to review it other than the band absolutely sizzles all the way through. Am I in Heaven? could be one of the best Gizz closers. Such a great way to end the show. 

All told, this one is a heater of a show, and a nice cap to the opening three-show run. I'm excited to listen to the evolution of the band over the coming weeks, too, since I know what's coming. Nonetheless, it's quite a start to a tour. 

Highlights are Hot Water, Robot Stop > Ice V, Dragon > The Great Chain of Being, Slow Jam 1, MOTU suite, and Am I in Heaven?

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. 

 

King Gizzard doesn't do warm-up shows. There is no gradually settling into a tour, getting their feet under them, feeling things out. No, King Gizzard will punch you in the face from the opening drum roll and not let up until you're stumbling out into the night, trying to collect your wits.

The Anthem is the opening show of the 2024 North American tour, and it's a statement of intent. The Dripping Tap is quite a way to get things started. This 21-minute version is all about the energy. They drop into a loose jam around the 6:00 minute mark (coming out of Ambrose's second vocal section) that really simmers, with some excellent interplay between the guitarists and Amby's harmonica soaring above. This verison of the Tap is well worth taking a drink from.

Iron Lung continues the jammy feel to the evening, and leads into a run through several of the new tunes from the recently released Flight b741 album. It features the debut of Antartica, and run-throughs of both Raw Feel and Sad Pilot. Although not technically debuts, for most in the crowd this was the first chance to hear songs they'd just gotten a taste of from the studio album. As a sign of things to come, the Flight b741 section is pure rock n' roll fun. 

Somehow, the best stretch of the show is still to come. Kicking off with a fiery version of Evil Death Roll (though when isn't is fiery?), the band really hits its stride with the Ice V -> The River pairing. Ice V is guitar heavy, with all three guitarists adding color to the middle section, and some Amby sax fills for added color. This bleeds into the jumpy opening notes of The River. Any show with The River is going to be a good one, and this version doesn't disappoint. Stu and Joey traded licks, while Cookie hooks into the rhythm section for a propulsive blast of energy. To top it all off, we get Crumbling Castle -> The Fourth Color.

From here, the show reaches its homestretch, and that means it's metal time. Supercell, Mars for the Rich, and Motor Spirit all combined to scare of those in the audience who were faint of heart. If that wasn't enough, Gaia, complete with drum solo, bring the show to its logical conclusion. 

As this tour rolls along, the band will try new experiments, play acoustic shows and marathon shows, and find a space for a synth table. But as a tour opener, this D.C. show encapsulates everything you could wish for in a Gizz show. 

Personal highlights would be The Dripping Tap, Evil Death Roll, Ice V -> The River, and Gaia. But honestly, you should listen to the full show. 

Night two at the Salt Shed, and the first thing that was one everyone's mind was, "Thank god the weather is better tonight." As a result, the vibe felt more relaxed, and that translated to the stage.

Of course, I say relaxed, but this is still King Gizzard, and they opened with a fiery "Rattlesnake," with quotes of "Sleep Drifter" and "Honey," before segueing into "Honey" with quotes of "Rattlesnake," so it's all relative. 

If you'd been following along with the last two tours, you knew what was in store when they plinking notes of "Shanghai" started up. Like other recent versions, this had an extended synthy jam, complete with some playful "Let's get real high" back and forth from Ambrose and Stu. I was jumping and dancing with so many others and they brought "Shanghai" around for peak after peak. From here, we were treated to two songs off the Changes album, with the duo of "Hate Dancin'" and "Astroturf." This kept the dancey vibe going, and was a real treat to hear both live. Another deep cut, "Down the Sink," followed, which has been dusted off for this tour. 

Then it was time for some Nonagon Infinity songs, but instead of focusing on the first few songs, we got to hear the ultra-rare "Invisible Face" followed by "Wah Wah" and "Road Train." This transitioned into the groovefest of "Ice V," a personal favorite and a version with a little extra edge to it. It's heaviest "Ice V" I'm aware of, and an interesting take on the song.

The Horology Suite came next, and what a great set of music. While it sticks closely to the studio version here, it's a powerful surge of energy. This led naturally into the only metal Gizz of the night, but the metalheads would not be disappointed. "Supercell" and "Self-Immolate" threatened to tear down the walls. "Am I In Heaven?" was given a closing slot, and while note as jammed out as other versions, it's a great way to end the show.

Night two had a different feel but the two shows together really show off the range and versatility of this band right now. I'd call out "Rattlesnake," "Shanghai," "Invisible Face," and "Ice V" as the highlights, but this show is also about the flow from one to the next. Another great night of music. 

This was my first KGATLW show! I flew into Chicago earlier in the day and was buzzing with the anticipation. The Salt Shed is a great venue, but the weather was not cooperating. It was cold, windy, and wet -- a generally unpleasant early June day in Chicago. You could feel the wind gusting through the venue, and more than a few underdressed people were heading to the merch stand to find an extra layer of clothing.

As I made my way closer to the stage, I could see Stu's flying mircotonal banana guitar waiting expectantly. And when the band finally took the stage, it was indeed time for some microtonal music. Stu was wearing gloves with the fingers cut off, and Ambrose looked downright miserable in the wet weather, but the band dove right in, starting with four songs from their mircotonal albums. "Pleura" and "O.N.E." started off things with some good energy, "Nuclear Fusion" featured an unexpected intro from an audience member, and "Minimum Brain Size" is a personal favorite. After "Minimum Brain Size," Joey mentioned how they'd all taken in the Dead & Co. show at Wrigley the night before, and dedicated the next song to John Mayer. Although we didn't know it at the time, the Dead reference was a harbinger of things to come.

"Gaia" kicked off a string of heavy Gizz songs, and it was well timed to keep the energy high. I recognized "Motor Spirit" from its debut earlier in the tour at Red Rocks, and it moved into "The Great Chain of Being" before ending up back in "Gaia." A great segment of music continued with "Witchcraft," another PDA song which was getting just its third appearance.

Now it was time for another change of pace, and this time it came in the form of Stu's flute. "Satan Speeds Up" is a delightfully eerie deep cut that I hope stays in the live rotation. It made for a perfect pairing with "Trapdoor," and the band pushed at the edges of this version.

The show was now set up perfectly, and the band delivered. "The River" opened with a playful jam, one that had shades of Dead jamming, before dropping into the song proper. From here, we were treated a smoking version that drove to a fiery peak around halfway through. Then they dropped into a space jam where the Dead reference truly came home to roost. Whether you heard "Space/Drums" or "Dark Star," this was as untethered as I've ever heard Gizz play. Ambrose got out his sax to do a Branford Marsalis impersonation and add more color to the jam, which grew and swelled, before finding itself back in "The River" for a stunning conclusion. All in all, this one clocked in at close to 25 minutes. It's must-listen, especially for those Gizz heads who gravitate to their jammier side.

Well that may have felt like the peak of the show in the moment, they weren't done. "Evil Death Roll" never disappoints, and they jammed this one hard. "Magma" followed, and somehow went even harder. It's a highlight of the "Ice, Death..." album that grows even gnarlier in a live setting. If you've only heard the studio version, check this one out. 

At this point, the cold, wet audience needed one more song to take it home, and King Gizz didn't disappointed with the blues workout of "Boogieman Sam." If I had one criticism of the show to this point, it was that we didn't get a lot of Ambrose. "Boogieman Sam" solved that, letting Amby play the role of bluesman, and giving him the chance to throw in a stew of quotes and teases. This one was a real treat.

In the end, King Gizzard delivered a stellar show that gathered steam across the first two segments before truly peaking with the final four-song set. Check out the whole show, but in particular pay attention to "The River" and "Magma."