Article and Photos by: Courtney Thomassen
Greta Van Fleet’s Starcatcher tour graced the Southeastern US last week, starting with a stop at the North Charleston Coliseum in South Carolina.
One week before the current Starcatcher leg began, Greta Van Fleet’s guitarist Jake Kiszka and Ida Mae’s Chris Turpin posted the same mysterious flag to their Instagram pages. After wildly speculating about what the images could possibly mean, fans were shocked when Mirador, a new project fronted by the two musicians, was announced and added to the Starcatcher lineup.
With no music officially released some fans chose to watch uploaded videos from previous performances while others showed up ready to experience what the new band had to offer live. The most dedicated of supporters came bearing custom shirts and signs, singing along with their favorite songs. Dueling guitars and the heavenly combination of the duo’s vocals exceeded the crowd’s expectations, especially during standout tracks “Feels Like Gold” and “Must I Go Bound.” The too short, five song set left fans excited for the group’s debut release, though it still has yet to be announced.
Geese followed in the second opening time slot. Their set pulled almost entirely from 2023 album 3D Country and featured memorable solos from drummer Max Bassin and guitarist Em Green. Frontman Dominic DiGesu charmed the crowd with his relaxed stage presence and matching vocals, which especially stood out during “Gravity Blues.” The laid back, bluesy title track “4D Country” closed the set. Later this year Geese will join King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard on their Fall US tour.
The venue erupted in cheers when a large curtain with the Starcatcher logo dropped to cover the stage for the changeover. It didn’t take long for the floor lights to dim once more; excited screams from fans rose along with an orchestral recording of the titular album that played over the speakers. Ending in a dramatic high note, the recording faded and the curtain dropped to reveal the backlit forms of vocalist Josh Kiszka, guitarist Jake Kiszka, bassist Sam Kiszka and drummer Daniel Wagner standing on a riser at the back of the stage. Josh’s opening notes cut through the cheering crowd before the opening track “The Falling Sky” kicked in with a blast of fireworks. The momentum carried through “The Indigo Streak” and “Caravel” before slowing down a bit for Starcatcher and The Battle At Garden’s Gate lead singles “Meeting the Master” and “Heat Above,” during which vocalist Kiszka made his way to a mic stand set up at the end of one of two long catwalks that surrounded the pit. The stage layout, new for this tour, has been greatly appreciated by fans both seated and standing. Set staple “Highway Tune” had always been a fan favorite, but when an extended instrumental transitioned into “Runway Blues” the energy in the venue reached a new high.
The short but impactful Starcatcher track has been mostly snubbed from the setlist, save a few random shows and festivals. Fans knew they were lucky to hear the track on a regular tour date and took full advantage, jumping, dancing and screaming along. An impressive drum solo from Wagner led into another Starcatcher Tour addition, the “B Stage” set, where an intimate acoustic rendition of Hy Zaret and Alex North’s “Unchained Melody,” “Waited All Your Life,” and “Black Smoke Rising” was played from a smaller stage nestled amongst the seated floor. The entire band took extreme care to interact with as many fans as they could, handing out roses and shaking outstretched hands as they walked across the floor back to the main stage. Smoke billowed from over the side of the stage as “Sacred the Thread” ended and closing track “The Archer” began. The epic, extended version of yet another Starcatcher favorite was the perfect end to the set. The calls for an encore were short lived; soon the band reemerged for two final songs “Light My Love” and “Farewell For Now.” The closing track of Starcatcher was written for precisely this moment and left fans on a bittersweet note – while it is farewell for now, we will all come back.