Photo by Jamie Wdziekonski
I really don’t know how they do it. Australian band King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard has already released three albums this year and is also somehow constantly touring. Something clearly seems to be working though, as the band has built quite the dedicated (and rapidly growing) fan base along the way. And what’s not to like? Using only their discography from this year alone one can find a King Giz for everybody and every mood. Whether it be studying, moshing, sexy-time, biking into the sunset, or even learning a little something about microtonal tuning, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard has got you covered my friend. With so much new music to choose from, one might have wondered what to expect at their show last week at the Neptune. Well wonder no more and read about what went down (and I’m not just talking about me when I fell in the pit).
As an avid concert-goer I am admittedly starting to get a little too stuck-up when it comes to openers. “I don’t have time for the opener,” I said before the King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard show last week. But I was covering the show and I wanted a good spot for King Giz. Holy s**t was I glad I went. Opener Tropical F**K Storm was insanely unique and worth every extra second of my wait time. Their song “Mansion Family” is a droning, building anthem, where the three singers chant louder and louder “I feel a cold change it’s coming” as the synth builds the tempo into chaos. Tropical F**k Storm is a relatively new band, with only two songs on Spotify so far and a 7” in circulation. YOU MUST check them out and keep this band in mind if you are a fan of King Giz; I really think they might be the next big thing out of Australia.
Although this tour was specifically for King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard’s recent album Murder of the Universe the band also played a wide range of songs from the rest of their discography. They had plenty to choose from after all, having released three albums in the last year alone. I sure am glad the show was at the Neptune, too, because when the band opened with “People Vultures” the crowd was immediately all whipped up.
I held my own in the pit the best I could through the next few songs, but after rallying around my personal favorite (“Rattlesnake”) with all I had I was able to take a much needed break in the seated section upstairs during “Billabong Valley.” Although it wasn’t the focus of this show, it was nice of the Giz boys to bring their Flying Microtonal Banana guitars (which have added frets for unique tunings) onstage for a number of songs. Their set closed with a rare and wonderful rendition of some of the band’s earlier work, including the song “Lonely Steel Sheet Flyer” before thanking the crowd and exiting the stage.
Listen. I see a lot of shows, and I am lucky in this sense, but sometimes the magic of live performances gets a little lost in the mix. It takes something really special to bring me out of a concert-stupor and King Gizzard did just that. Last week’s show at the Neptune hosted such a dedicated and friendly fan base, music that is genuinely unique and innovative, and a performance by musicians who were as excited to be there are we were. It’s easy to get lost in all the music biding for one’s attention, but it really is something special when you find music that makes you snap to your senses again and realize how important and creative music can be. Thanks King Giz.
JULIA OLSON | my laptop broke again | KXSU Head Music Reporter