King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard – June 7th – Red Rocks Amphitheater

Photo by Tim Dwenger

Wow . . . that’s it . . . wow.

Suffice it to say that the buzz around King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard (or Gizz as the kids say) is justified. In addition to an incredibly prolific studio output, these guys simply bring it in the live setting. The energy that pours off the stage is nothing short of mind-blowing and the crowd gives it right back to them. It’s a cycle that obviously propels both the band and the audience to a very special place.

After dazzling with three of their “Marathon Sets” last fall at Red Rocks, Gizz returned to the venerable foothills outpost last week for three shows in two days. Yes, you read that right – three shows in two days. On Wednesday they played a standard evening show with Kamikaze Palm Tree handling the opening duties, and then they returned the following afternoon for a daylight set at 1:30 pm, followed by a weather delayed evening set. I guess it was a marathon of a different sort this year for the band.

The three shows featured completely different setlists and 40 unique songs that ranged from blistering metal to laid back, downtempo grooves and just about everything in-between. That’s one of the beauties of a Gizz show; if you don’t like one song, the next one is bound to be very different. Alongside fan favorites like “The Dripping Tap,” “Iron Lung,” “Robot Stop,” and “Rattlesnake,” the band took time to debut “Hate Dancin'” from their 23rd album Changes.

If you’ve been on the fence about Gizz, do yourself a favor and check them out live when they make their almost guaranteed return to Red Rocks next summer. This band’s live show is an incredible experience that must be seen to be believed.