I made a gametime decision to attend last night and I’m sure glad that I did. I’ve been doing a lot of summer travel and I’ve got FoV coming up plus Merriweather. So, I thought I’d be okay missing Philly. But once the news from the ground started coming in, I couldn’t resist and made the two-hour drive to the show.

This won’t be a song-by-song review, but I do have thoughts on it all. Maybe I’ll write something up that’s more extensive after Field of Vision. What I want to say now after my experience in Philly is that Phantom Island came off beautifully. Everybody sounded great, but especially Ambrose. He really carries the album and that’s really apparent in the live setting. Just went things were getting a bit too subdued, that’s when Ambrose comes in with the energy. Stu hit his low notes in Eternal Return and Joey nailed that affected tone in Silent Spirit. They were all so well practiced. That's what stood out to me the most from Phantom Island. Stu didn't cue any band members or remind them it was time for the chorus or anything like that. Super tight Gizzard! That was sick to witness.

Grow Wings and Fly was a true highlight for me having now followed the emergence of this song starting back in Europe '23 to its orchestral state last night. What made it even better was the “intermission” that allowed the band to jam. That was really one of the better Gizz jams that I’ve heard, and it was nearly void of the teases that are so common when they improvise.

Crumbling Castle was another highlight due to the space the song provided for the orchestra to really show their full power. I wish there had been more moments like the very end of Crumbling Castle when the orchestra was given the space to fill the air with their sound. Most of the time the orchestra served to augment the band with everyone playing at once. It’d have been nice to hear the orchestra on their own a bit more.

The River and Mars for the Rich were my other two major highlights as they were both songs that allowed the orchestra to match the intensity of the band and claim their own space. I really wonder what will happen in the coming shows as the band becomes more comfortable sharing the stage with so many tremendous players. They’re also sharing the space with sizable crowds, so there’s the added pressure of keeping the energy up for all those people. The band seemed to keep everyone captivated from where I was located.

There’s so much more to say about this show, but I’m going to end it there. I sure am glad that I didn’t wait until Merriweather!

I got obsessed with this band, started a website about them with some friends, and knew I could not miss this last best chance to see them in the United States before they left my part of the world. A Phish buddy near Philly wanted to go and had a place to stay, so we made it happen. We parked right near a residence of Edgar Allen Poe and edged closer to the Franklin Music Hall. I remember the feel of a small and packed venue, finding a way to get upstairs into a 21+ area that had a good view, and locking down spots far in the back perched over it all. My buddy stood on a bench and had the highest bird's-eye view of the venue out of anyone. We heard some Leah Senior, had a beer, and got ready. 

King Gizz for me is a lot about discovering new tastes and interests, opening myself up to wild new ideas and intense desires. Their metal has spoken to me in ways I never anticipated, and Murder of the Universe drew me in deeper than anything. I listened over and over and over again. Not just that album--I listened to pretty much everything--but I kept going back to their heaviest music. So, up there on the balcony when they opened with Oddlife, then Billabong Valley I got eased in. I felt the energy and intensity. But then K.G.L.W. Outro...it hit (after an emergency string replacement) and I was at my first metal show. My hair was still long from the pandemic for the first time in my life and I let it all go right there. Mars for the Rich. Predator X>Organ Grinder. This would be it for me. An altered future. 

The Her & I jam taught me that I cannot miss any opportunity to see this band live, to listen to this band's live recordings, and that every effort to track the development of their performances is worth our energy. Grim Reaper and Ice V had me dancing so hard, exactly what I want from a concert. 

The Altered Beast we got at this show was one of the wildest concert moments I've had and that continued straight into Evil Death Roll. This Evil Death Roll is on the top highlights list, for sure. I've listened to a lot live Gizz, from the past couple years especially, at this point. That Evil Death Roll...that was ruthless and sadistic and vindictive. This show proves live Gizz is incredibly addictive. 

--AlteredBeef (writing this only days before his next Gizz shows!!)